THE 966 explores the news, people, and issues that define the Kingdom through conversations and interviews with business leaders, officials, and newsmakers. THE 966 goes beyond the headlines and tackles the complex U.S.-Saudi relationship, discussing topics like oil and energy, security and defense, Saudi culture and society, and much more.
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Clean Hydrogen and Saudi Arabia with Rami Shabaneh, King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC)
Episode 135
Tuesday, September 10, 2024 • Duration 39:33
Rami Shabaneh, Senior Fellow, King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) joins host Richard Wilson and The 966for Episode #135.
Rami is a senior fellow with KAPSARC’s Oil and Gas program, with a focus on global gas and hydrogen markets. He has nearly 15 years of research and industry experience analyzing energy markets and energy policy.
Spanning 28 chapters the book is a first-of-its-kind analysis of the emerging global hydrogen economy from the vantage point of one of the world’s biggest energy providers: Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom is optimally situated geographically between the major demand markets in Europe and North Asia, from where it can leverage clean hydrogen exports as a potential tool to become a player of strategic importance and successfully diversify its economy under its Vision 2030 program.
In his discussion with Richard and The 966 Rami Shabaneh provides informed analysis of the "who," "what," "where," and "why" related to clean hydrogen development within and beyond Saudi Arabia.
Coincidentally, this past week NEOM Green Hydrogen Company (NGHC) initiated a major recruitment campaign for its world-leading green hydrogen plant as the project moves closer to its operational phase.
The $8.4 billion facility, set to be the world’s largest green hydrogen production plant, is targeting full operations by the end of 2026 and aims to produce up to 600 tonnes of carbon-free hydrogen daily, potentially eliminating five million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.
Rami Shabaneh is the second KAPSARC expert to join The 966. In January 2022, for Episode #22, Adam Sieminski, who had just finished serving as President of KAPSARC talked renewable energy and the Circular Carbon Economy. Another terrific conversation you can listen to here.
Saudi Arabia’s Booming Construction Sector with Laura Morgan, Market Intelligence Lead, MEA, JLL
Episode 134
Tuesday, July 30, 2024 • Duration 32:03
The 966 and host, Richard Wilson welcome to Episode #134Laura Morgan, Market Intelligence Lead, MEA, JLL to discuss Saudi Arabia’s Booming Construction Sector. Ms. Morgan expands on JLL's Q1 2024 KSA Construction Market Intelligence Report which noted that with $1.5 trillion in the Saudi pipeline of unawarded construction projects, Saudi Arabia accounts for almost 40% of the total MENA pipeline value. Within that pipeline the construction sector represents $950 billion (62% of the total $1.5 trillion), while transportation, infrastructure, and other utilities account for $582 billion (38%).
According to MEED Projects, the thriving KSA construction sector reported the highest value of awarded projects in 2023, reaching USD97 billion compared to USD60 billion in 2022. Aligning with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 economic diversification and investment goals, this value represents only 6% of the potential pipeline, highlighting substantial opportunities within the sector.
Join us for another timely and informative episode of The 966.
Summary
Laura Morgan, Market Intelligence Lead Middle East, and Africa for JLL, discusses JLL's latest KSA Construction Market Intelligence Report and the construction market in Saudi Arabia. The report highlights the potential for GDP growth in Saudi Arabia, driven by Vision 2030 giga projects and infrastructure developments. The report also examines the construction pipeline, awarded and unawarded projects, and the challenges faced by the sector. Laura emphasizes the importance of data and transparency in understanding market trends and risks. She also discusses the progress of economic diversification in Saudi Arabia and the impact of rationalization efforts on the contracting sector.
Keywords JLL, KSA Construction Market Intelligence Report, Saudi Arabia, construction market, Vision 2030, infrastructure developments, GDP growth, construction pipeline, awarded projects, unawarded projects, challenges, data, transparency, economic diversification, rationalization, contracting sector.
Israel, Gaza, and a region with shifting power dynamics with columnist Hussein Ibish
Episode 125
Monday, March 4, 2024 • Duration 58:54
In Episode 125, the hosts welcome veteran columnist and analyst Hussein Ibish onto The 966 for his third appearance on the program to unpack the implications of Israel's brutal war in Gaza and the shifting regional and global power dynamics since October 7th.
Hussein Ibish is a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington and is a weekly columnist for The National (UAE) and The Atlantic. He's also a former columnist for Bloomberg, regular contributor to The New York Times and The Daily Beast, and frequent contributor to many other U.S. and Middle Eastern publications.
Hussein discusses the war in Gaza and calls it a "savage war of vengeance" and the Biden Administration's response to it. He also talks about how the war has aligned the U.S. and Saudi Arabia's interests in forming a Palestinian state when the war is over and how the issue has brought the U.S. and Saudi Arabia closer diplomatically.
Venture capitalist Amjad Ahmad joins The 966 to talk about Saudi Arabia's startup ecosystem
Episode 36
Wednesday, April 6, 2022 • Duration 52:39
The rapidly evolving venture capital environment in the Middle East, Gulf and Saudi Arabia is in focus in this special conversation for The 966.
More on the major military transformation underway in Saudi Arabia with former USMTM chief Col. Brad Gandy and much more...
Episode 35
Friday, April 1, 2022 • Duration 01:27:26
1:00 -- Saudi Arabia's incredible, award-winning pavilion at Dubai's Expo 2020 signed off with a big ceremony. Will Saudi Arabia host Expo 2030? Of the top 5 candidate-cities, two are in Russia and Ukraine. The Russian invasion of Ukraine weakens their candidacy, leaving Saudi Arabia in competition with only Italy (which hosted in 2015) and South Korea. So, what would an Expo 2030 Riyadh Saudi Arabia look like? Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the Saudi bid to host Expo 2030 in October last year and the Kingdom submitted its formal application in December to the Bureau International des Expositions, the organization behind the expo. In its presentation to the BIE in December, Saudi Arabia outlined bold plans to transform Riyadh and the rest of the country into a world-class venue for global connectivity, culture and climate action. Indeed, Riyadh is a fast-changing city, and the hosts agree, could make for an excellent host to Expo 2030.
7:07 -- Trojena in Saudi Arabia at Neom: You have to see this ambitious new tourism project in the mountains along Saudi Arabia's northwest coast. Trojena is newly announced year-round tourist destination that will consist of a series of facilities such as the ski village, ultra-luxury family and wellness resorts, a wide range of retail stores and restaurants, in addition to sports activities, including a ski slope, watersports and mountain biking, as well as an interactive nature reserve, according to Saudi Press Agency. The project is set to be ready by 2026. The location has some winter-feeling temperatures: the temp in the mountains above NEOM frequently drops below zero celcius. Located at approximately 2,600 meters above sea level, outdoor skiing will be a unique feature of Trojena which is positioning itself as the GCC’s first outdoor skiing destination.
14:38 -- The 966 talks with Col. Brad Gandy, former Chief of the US Training Mission in Saudi Arabia (USMTM) about the U.S.-Saudi security relationship and the ongoing transformation in Saudi Arabia's military. Col. Gandy has one of the more impressive resumes out there. Before serving as head of USMTM in Saudi Arabia, he served as the senior US defense official and defense attache to Yemen, and he has spent years in the region and in Saudi Arabia in various capacities. He also served as U.S. army attache to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between 2006 and 2010...The hosts ask Brad to help us better understand what the USMTM is and the role it playshow the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process works, and more.The hosts also ask about the ongoing The Saudi defense transformation plan is coordinating with the USMTM by embedding, for the first time ever, U.S. military and civilian advisors throughout the Saudi Ministry of Defense, and that included select U.S. defense companies to implement advice, assist, and mentor components of the project.As chief of the USMTM from 2019-2021, Col. Gandy oversaw this process.
The major transformation and overhaul of Saudi Arabia's military with defense expert Bilal Saab and much more...
Episode 34
Friday, March 25, 2022 • Duration 01:49:02
0:57 - A new personal status law in Saudi Arabia is set to be a game-changer for Saudi women, in addition to having significant real-life impact for everyone in Saudi Arabia. The personal status law is one of the four laws announced by the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz in February, which is designed to enhance the efficiency and integrity of the kingdom's judicial system – a move that will eventually lead to a fully codified law. The crown prince noted that the personal status draft was drawn from the provisions of Islamic Shariah, and took into account the latest legal trends and modern international judicial practices, keeping abreast of developments and changes.
7:46 - Foxconn might build a $9 billion plant in Saudi Arabia, and that could be a big deal. Foxconn, the world’s largest contract assembler of consumer electronics, is in talks with Saudi officials about the prospect of opening a $9 billion factory in NEOM, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. The company is looking at jointly building a $9 billion multipurpose facility that could make microchips, electric-vehicle components and other electronics like displays.
18:26 - One of the biggest transformations in Saudi Arabia has very little to do with Vision 2030: Saudi Arabia's military is undergoing a massive overhaul...the largest since the founding of the Kingdom. We talk with author, researcher and professor Bilal Saab about the major modernizations and thorough reconstruction of the security apparatus in the Kingdom. Bilal talks about his recent piece for the MEI.edu, A Gradual Reset with Saudi Arabia, as well as his forthcoming book, Rebuilding Arab Defense, available in May.
1:14:57 - Yallah! •Aramco, ACWA Power, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Ma’aden and ENOWA (a water and energy firm) signed non-binding MOUs to become the first members of Middle East and North Africa regional Voluntary Carbon Market, which the Public Investment Fund launched last year in cooperation with the Saudi stock exchange. PIF said further partners on both the demand and supply side will be on boarded in the coming months, ahead of an introductory round of auctions in fourth quarter of 2022. []
Mae Al-Mozaini, CEO and co-founder of Nusf, joins The 966 to talk about women's empowerment in Saudi Arabia
Episode 33
Friday, March 18, 2022 • Duration 46:30
Nusf specializes in preparing and qualifying women for executive leadership in Saudi Arabia. The organization was founded to help Saudi and Arab women develop professionally, lead in the corporate world, and make a lasting positive impact on society. Nusf is committed to advancing the Kingdom’s national development agenda and Vision 2030 objective of increasing women’s participation in the workforce. Nusf believes that no country can achieve prosperity or realize its full potential if it leaves behind half its population. “Nusf” means “half” in Arabic, hence the company's tagline “Investing in Half the Population.”
Nusf aims to raise the percentage of women in leadership in Saudi Arabia by providing both emerging and accomplished female leaders with the knowledge, skills and networks needed to expand their impact on their individual organizations as well as their wider communities. The organization works to build capacity and boost confidence in professional women through programs that will foster their advancement and enrich their careers, enabling them to become the future leaders in their industries and society.
A discussion with author Dr. Mark Thompson on the power and potential of Saudi youth, plus why shale can't save gas prices and more...
Episode 32
Friday, March 11, 2022 • Duration 01:38:39
2:36 - Where is shale oil and why isn't it more impactful in the U.S. energy mix? U.S. shale oil production transformed global energy markets when it helped U.S. oil production go from just under 4mbd in September 2008 to 13.1 mbd in February 2020. And, despite rapid depletion rates, shale oil production is cheaper and faster to bring online than traditional methods of oil production. By 2014 U.S. oil – specifically shale oil – was widely viewed as the ‘swing producer’ – a role OPEC and specifically Saudi Arabia had held for decades. By 2014 U.S. shale oil set the ceiling for global oil prices leaving OPEC to try to maintain the floor as best it could. Still, U.S. Shale Oil won’t be saving the day any time soon. The hosts explore why this is and talk about what might be next for energy markets and U.S. energy policy.
26:05 - A recent study by Uber in Saudi Arabia reveals that female participation in the labor force keeps climbing - and is ahead of schedule for Vision 2030. Between 2018 and 2021 - female participation in the labor force grew from around 22% to almost 36%. The increase means that the country has met its Vision 2030 target of 30% female labor force participation almost 10 years ahead of schedule.
The hosts talk with Mark about his methodology, and what it's like to engage with Saudi youth to find out what they want and see for the future. They also discuss educational reforms in Saudi Arabia, Vision 2030 progress, and much more.
Ukraine and the Middle East with security expert David Des Roches
Episode 31
Friday, March 4, 2022 • Duration 01:05:26
1:49 - Lucid's new Saudi plant is official. Lucid announced a long-term plan to bring advanced automotive manufacturing to Saudi Arabia to address global demand.
The plant will be designed for a maximum annual production capacity of 150,000 vehicles. Lucid estimates that the site could result in up to $3.4 billion in value for the company over 15 years. The plant is expected to create “several thousand highly skilled jobs.” 6:25 - Saudi Arabia is hosting its first ever major defense show this week. The World Defense Show begins in Riyadh in just a few days, and the event will showcase the latest in defense industry tech.
Saudi Arabia is one of the top spenders globally on defense. In 2020, it was the 6th largest spender on defense, plopping down an estimated $57.5 billion on defense, according to SIPRI. For 2020, Saudi Arabia's budgeted defense spending is down from that figure, however, at $45.5 billion. That's a trend in the right direction for Saudi Arabia as it looks to localize half of its defense spending by Vision 2030. Over 420 exhibitors are registered for the event, which will also feature a special zone for startups in the defense space. Saudi Arabia created a purpose-built space for this event, which will take place every other year.
11:26 -Ukraine, global security, and the Middle East with David Des Roches.
The situation in Ukraine is constantly evolving. So, too, is the geopolitical situation in the region and world in the aftermath of the invasion.
The Wall Street Journal reports that "From the Persian Gulf’s oil-rich monarchies to Israel, U.S. allies and partners are staying neutral or tempering their criticism of Moscow in a revealing sign of Russia’s growing influence in the region." The hosts and Des Roches discuss why this is, and if it perhaps could change?
53:24 Yallah! Six headlines to get you caught up before the weekend...
Veteran Saudi journalist Khaled Almaeena joins The 966 to talk Ukraine, Saudi role in oil markets, and much more
Episode 30
Friday, February 25, 2022 • Duration 01:14:58
1:29 - Richard's one big thing this week in Saudi Arabia is an update to Saudi Arabia's founding story as the Kingdom celebrated its Founding Day on February 22.
Earlier this year, the government announced the new holiday will be celebrated with a day off for both public and private sector workers, and released a vintage-looking logo used to mark the event.
The Saudi English-daily Arab News features a fascinating report on how historians and experts in the Kingdom worked to reveal the actual founding day as 17 years off from previous recording, instead using the first date of Bin Saud’s first day as ruler of Diryiah, in what is now modern-day Riyadh, instead of his alliance with Sheikh Mohammed ibn Abdulwahhab.
“There is no doubt that the events of 1744, the year in which Imam Mohammed ibn Saud of Diriyah offered sanctuary to the religious reformer Sheikh Mohammed ibn Abdulwahhab, were hugely significant….But over time the importance of that admittedly historic moment of common cause between state and faith came to obscure the far more complex and deeper-rooted origins of the First Saudi State…
“It is to correct this neglect of the Kingdom’s crucial embryonic years that Founding Day has been created, to celebrate 1727 as the true moment of birth and to give Saudis a deeper appreciation of a past far richer than many realize.”
“The theoretical effort of “laying the foundation” for Founding Day is crucial to building states, cementing identity, and enlightening society. The Saudi identity is coherent, modernist, and developed; and like identities throughout history and across the globe, it must be reimagined and reestablished constantly, especially during transitional, historic periods. Today in Saudi Arabia, this effort takes the form of Vision 2030.”
11:43 - Lucien's one big thing in Saudi Arabia this week is a look at the oil market and Saudi oil exports as the Russian invasion in Ukraine rages. Where is Saudi Arabia's oil going now, and what's next for energy markets? With oil now headed over $100 a barrel on Brent and possibly even higher as the situation in Ukraine deteriorates, Washington is already in close coordination with Saudi Arabia on energy markets.Russia of course is a big player in the oil markets - making up the "plus" in the new market-setting cartel "OPEC+," which adds a layer of complexity to the crisis in Ukraine and as as sanctions against Russia start to ratchet up, although the West is not sanctioning the Russian oil sector yet. But much of Saudi Arabia's oil now heads to Asia - in fact in 2021, 80% of Saudi crude headed to Asia, with China as the leading consumer. The top four destinations for Saudi crude are China, Japan, South Korea and India. Recent data show that US was again the only non-Asian importer of Saudi oil to make the top five, but the amount the U.S. imported from Saudi Arabia decreased from 407,000 b/d in 2020 to 376,000 b/d in 2021. This is the lowest in 36 years.Saudi exports to European markets also dropped in 2021.
Takeaways
Saudi Arabia's construction market is experiencing significant growth, driven by Vision 2030 projects and infrastructure developments.
The construction pipeline in Saudi Arabia is substantial, with a value of around $1.5 trillion, and there is still a large portion of projects in the design and pre-qualification phases.
Data and transparency are crucial in understanding market trends and risks in the construction sector.
The efforts to build up local contracting capability in Saudi Arabia are progressing, but there is still a need for skilled labor, particularly in the MEP sector.
Despite challenges such as inflation and geopolitical tensions, Saudi Arabia remains committed to its Vision 2030 goals and the construction projects associated with it.
Titles
Data and Transparency: Understanding Market Trends and Risks
The Construction Pipeline: A Look at the Projects in Saudi Arabia
Sound Bites
"Saudi Arabia's progress on numerous Vision 2030 giga projects and infrastructure developments has cemented the kingdom's position as a leader in construction activity regionally and globally."
"Around 5% of the pipeline projects in Saudi Arabia are under a main contract, while the remaining 94-95% are in the design and pre-qualification phases."
"Despite challenges such as inflation and geopolitical tensions, Saudi Arabia remains committed to what they've announced and what they've said they want to achieve by 2030."
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Overview of JLL and the Construction Market in Saudi Arabia
03:11 Vision 2030 and Infrastructure Developments Driving Growth
08:11 The Construction Pipeline: Overview and Status of Projects
13:12 Data and Transparency: Understanding Market Trends and Risks
15:57 Building Local Capability: Challenges and Progress in the Contracting Sector
23:14 Commitment to Vision 2030: Overcoming Challenges in Saudi Arabia's Construction Market
,
military transformation in Saudi Arabia and the role USMTM plays in it.
1:08:47 - Yallah! Six storylines to get you up to date on Saudi Arabia headed into the Weekend. •Riyadh Season 2021, the marquis festival of the Saudi Seasons program closes today after a 5-month run begun on October 20, 2021. It has welcomed over 15 million visitors to its 13 zones, spanning 5.4 million square meters. With the slogan ’Imagine More’ this Riyadh Season included several concerts performed by the likes of Sean Paul, Pitbull, Amr Diab, and Mohamed Hamaki, among many others. According to Trade Arabia it also hosted the kingdom’s first cosplay event, attended by hundreds of Saudi nationals, residents and visitors who dressed up as their favorite movie and cartoon characters.
•The second phase of Saudi Arabia's decision to localize professions in grocery stores and supermarkets came into force on Monday, according to a report in the Saudi Gazette. This phase aims to reduce the number of foreign staff in sales by half in the roles of department manager, deputy branch manager, and branch manager. As of 2021, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) announced the localization of 20 professions and activities from a variety of sectors, as well as the establishment of nearly 378,000 employment openings.
•Saudi budget airline flynas is in negotiations with both Boeing and its current supplier Airbus to buy aircraft worth $13 billion to $15 billion, according to a report in Reuters. The carrier has increased the number of planned new orders to 250 aircraft and also plans to increase the number of destinations to 165 from 70.
•About 499,000 Saudis entered the employment market in 2021; an average of 1,367 Saudis per day, according to an Okaz/Saudi Gazette study of recently released government reports. The total number of male and female Saudi employees in the local labor market reached about 2.25 million in 2021, marking a 28.51% increase from 2020, when their number reached about 1.75 million.
•FDI inflows totaled $19.3 billion, the most since 2010, according to data published by the Saudi central bank on Monday. according to Bloomberg. The bulk of last year’s FDI total was from state oil company Saudi Aramco selling a $12.4 billion stake in an oil pipelines entity to investors led by EIG Global Energy Partners LLC. A new national investment strategy last year set an FDI target of more than $100 billion annually by 2030.
•SPA announced on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia deposited $5 billion in Egypt's central bank as the Egyptian economy faces new economic pressures as a result of the war in Ukraine. On March 21 Egypt devalued its currency by around 14% after investors had pulled billions of dollars out of Egyptian treasury markets. Saudi Arabia said last October it had deposited $3 billion with Egypt's central bank and extended the term of another $2.3 bln in previous deposits. This new deposit would bring the total to $10.3 billion, this according to a report in Reuters.
•Saudi Arabia plans to introduce 60 water projects worth 35 billion Saudi riyals ($9.33bn) as the kingdom accelerates efforts to become the world's largest desalination market. Once completed, the projects will nearly triple Saudi Arabia's desalination capacity to 7.5 million cubic meters of water a day by 2027, from 2.54 cubic metres per day in 2021. [The National]
•The Saudi Super League will begin in June, and attention is now turning to the venues selected for its debut season. The challenger to the PGA tour that has caused controversy for months will begin without the major defection that league CEO Greg Norman had hoped would occur. The eight-tournament series runs from 9 June to 30 October and will comprise seven regular season events and a Team Championship grand finale Match Play. [CNN]
•Saudi Arabia's state oil company Aramco pledged to hike investments by around 50% this year as it reported a doubling in 2021 profits. Aramco benefitted from a more than 50% surge in oil prices last year, as increased COVID-19 vaccination rates and loosening restrictions resulted in demand outpacing supply. [Nasdaq]
•Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment and the Jada Fund of Funds have teamed up to create a platform that will connect Saudi entrepreneurs with investors abroad, according to a report in the National. Catalyse Saudi will host a series of events, the first of which will take place this month in Jeddah and Riyadh under the theme of disruptive technology. [The National]
•Saudi Arabia is planning to raise its port occupancy rate to 70 percent by 2030, CNBC reported citing the head of the Saudi Ports Authority. This comes as the transshipment rate at the Saudi ports grew by more than 35 percent in 2021, Omar bin Talal Hariri disclosed.
According to a report in Arab News, Saudi Arabia on Monday welcomed the UN Security Council’s resolution labeling the Houthi militia fighting in Yemen a terrorist group, in addition to expanding the scope of an existing arms embargo to encompass the entire membership of the Iran-backed group, which was previously limited to specific individuals and companies.
Another week, another big Saudi IPO...Nahdi Medical Co, Saudi Arabia's market leader in retail pharmacies, aims to raise up to 5.11 billion riyals ($1.36 billion) in the country's biggest initial public offering since Saudi Aramco's listing in 2019, according to a report in Reuters.
Saudi Arabia announced the discovery of 5 new gas wells in four separate regions across the Kingdom, adding more natual gas capacity at an important time in the global energy transition.
Local runner Emblem Road runs out an 80-1 shock winner of $20 million Saudi Cup. The Saudi-trained horse rallied with a wide, sweeping move on the outside to win the $20million (£14.9m) Saudi Cup at 80-1 odds. Established in 2020 and organised by the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Cup is a two-day international racing festival, headlined by the USD$20m.
Construction for Gulf Railway connecting Qatar to Saudi kicking-off - The construction of the GCC Railway connecting Qatar to neighboring country Saudi Arabia will kick off soon. The 2,177 km Gulf Railway is a proposed railway system connecting all six GCC countries in Eastern Arabia. The project, expected to cost US$250 billion, is scheduled to be completed by 2023. The completion date is not yet estimated.
Saudi Arabia’s newest travel experience is inspired by the renowned Burning Man festival in the US...Caravan by Habitas AlUla will open in March in one of the oldest cities on the Arabian Peninsula. Surrounded by mountains and ancient Nabatean settlements, Caravan AlUla consists of 22 Airstream trailers.
39:58 - Yallah! Six storylines in Saudi Arabia from the week to get you updated heading into the weekend.
•Expo 2020 in Dubai is not just jaw-dropping national pavilions and entertainment. Governments and global leaders convened this week at the Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo 2020 for the Food, Agriculture and Livelihoods Business Forum. New Zealand, which is recognized globally as one of the most progressive agricultural and aqua-cultural nations – its food sector feeds around 40 million global consumers each year, eight times its population – is New Zealand is taking the lead on the forum that will address the urgent need to transform the world’s food and agricultural systems to feed 10 billion people by 2050, within environmental limits.
•It was a historic day for Saudi Arabia as the women's national football team played, and won, its first official international match on Sunday. The Saudi squad traveled to the Maldives to beat the Seychelles 2-0 in a friendly which comes just a month after the final team was named. It will now face the Maldives in its second match today. The team was congratulated by Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, who called it a "historic day."
•Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said that Lebanon must offer stronger signals that it is serious about reform to secure support from the international community as it struggles with a financial crisis. “Lebanon first needs to be actively saving itself… We need a stronger signal from the Lebanese body politic that they are going to step up.” He said this included stabilizing the economy and addressing issues of corruption and mismanagement as well as “regional interference and loss of state sovereignty.”
•To mark World Radio Day, the Saudi Broadcasting Authority recently launched Al-Ekhbariya Radio, the first news radio station in Saudi Arabia. The station will have a network of 85 correspondents and will focus 80% of its programming on local news with the remainder focused on Arab and international news. Station director Mubarak Al-Ati said, “Launching the station is in the interest of the Saudi media renaissance to keep pace with the developments the kingdom is undergoing at all levels. Saudi media will continue to advance in service of the kingdom’s leadership and people.”
•Arab News recently reported that the government has not yet decided to integrate it innovative Tawakkalna application with the Absher platform. The Absher app was introduced in 2015 by the Ministry of Interior and is the leading e-services platform in Saudi Arabia. It served 23 million users who carried out more than 85 million operations in 2021. Tawakkalna was launched in 2020 by the Ministry of Health and is mandatory for all people in the country to enter worksites, shops, and malls. It also has more than 23 million users and last year was selected among the top applications in the e-health category by World Summit on the Information Society Prizes.
•Leading Saudi soccer clubs Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal have each signed long-term strategic partnerships with the investment vehicle of Qiddiya, the new entertainment district near Riyadh which plans to build a new 40,000-seat, cliff-top stadium for the two Riyadh-based clubs. Likewise, the PIF-owned Central Jeddah Development Company has also signed deals with two other top clubs Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli for the same annual amount of $26.6 million and the same duration – until 2042.
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