Saudi Minister visits US to strengthen industrial ties
RIYADH: Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia, Bandar Alkhorayef, is visiting the United States with the aim to boost cooperation in industry and mining, attract investment and explore opportunities in aviation and space. He will visit New York, California and Nevada, ending his visit on September 28; he will attend scheduled meetings with the US government officials as well as business leaders.
The minister will hold talks on knowledge transfer, innovation and advanced manufacturing technologies with important shareholders. His main aim of the visit is attending the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) event in New York, where he will work to garner support for the 21st UNIDO General Conference to occur in Riyadh in 2025 and the upcoming Multilateral Industrial Policy Forum in October.
He plans to stop by New York Stock Exchange, Columbia University and MINExpo in Las Vegas to have a discussion with the officials of leading mining companies to discuss and explore advanced technologies in the field. In Los Angeles, Alkhorayef will hold roundtable meeting with major U.S. firms to emphasize sectors of interest under Saudi Arabia’s National Industrial Strategy and discuss about incentives for foreign investors.
The minister will visit advanced industrial companies, like JetZero and SpaceX, as part of the efforts to explore opportunities for collaboration with leading industries. He will also meet Saudi students that are in the US for higher education. Take part in these discussions, the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources will, while supporting the strengthening of Industrial relationships between the two nations.
Saudi Arabia invests millions to grow tourism and generate jobs
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is making heavy investments for boosting the tourism sector and creating jobs, especially for young people and women. Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb talked about this project, pointing out negative consequences of COVID-19 pandemic on jobs in the sector, particularly affecting women and young people.
As a part of Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia is putting efforts to make tourism a key drive for social change. For 2024, a significant amount of funding has been set aside, including $100 million towards skill development and training at multiple levels of workforce. This involves specialised programs for local guides to gain more knowledge of the country’s history and natural wonders, and more than 50,000 training opportunities targeted for women.
Al-Khateeb pointed out that currently 42% of the domestic tourism sector is female, including occupying 22% of leadership roles and 46% in other roles. However, pandemic caused a major drop in the employment figures, with 48.4 million women and around 19 million young people employed in 2019, which cut down to 42 million and 16.1 million respectively, in 2022.
President of World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Julia Simpson, highlighted the role of tourism for inclusive growth and demanded the need to help with the issues faced by women and young people. By supporting skill training, promoting inclusive policies and encouraging entrepreneurship, the sector will be able to create more job opportunities.
US firm gets charge of Qiddiya Dragon Ball Theme Park Project
RIYADH: The US-based firm, Falcon’s Creative Group, has secured the agreement to design and lead the making of Dragon Ball in Qiddiya, Saudi Arabia. With over 500,000 square meters, the park will feature seven different themed zones which will draw inspiration from the renowned Japanese Dragon Ball franchise. These zones will have famous places from the series like Kame House, Capsule Corporation, and Beerus’ Planet.
The park will feature more than 30 rides, and five will be main attractions, including a rollercoaster that travels through a 70-meter model designed after Shenron, the dragon from the series. In addition to it, themed hotels will be part of the development.
The project was first revealed in March by Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC), a result of an agreement with Japan’s Toei Animation, Dragon Ball Series’ producers. This theme part is one part of a large entertainment complex being formed in Qiddiya, an area approximately 45 kilometers from Riyadh. The entire city will be an entertainment zone spanning 367 square kilometers.
Qiddiya city is more than the Dragon Ball Theme Park, it will include a gaming and e-sports district, a speed park, golf courses, a water park and a Six Flags Theme Park. It will also include a multipurpose stadium alongside mixed use tower buildings. Funded by Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, the project comes under urban design by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in December 2023.
Saudi Minister showcases AI and Digital Progress at UN Summit
RIYADH: At the session called “Summit of the Future,” Minister Abdullah Al-Swaha of Saudi Arabia’s Communications and Information Technology Ministry highlighted the country’s progress in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital activities. King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman are overseeing Saudi Arabia’s initiative to forge international partnerships to get rid of social, economic, and AI disparities.
Al-Swaha pointed out that Saudi Arabia is working with the UN’s International Telecommunication Union to close the digital divide, stating that 2.6 billion people still don’t have access to digital solutions. He mentioned that the virtual hospital of the Kingdom that has conducted a variety of surgeries, including open-heart operations, in several countries.
Al-Swaha stated the establishment of Digital Cooperation Organisation designed to fill the gap and serve more than 800 million people. The initiative’s intention is to heighten the efficiency of healthcare, education and business sectors using digital platforms and a unified market.
As a member of UN’s AI Advisory Body, Saudi Arabia is working to create a future with AI with a purpose to connect people and empower them. Al-Swaha suggested seven important recommendations, including development of an independent international AI committee, holding global dialogues on AI governance and building a platform intended for sharing AI standards.
In line with several initiatives, the Kingdom has launched an AI governance framework in partnership with UN, an International Center for AI Research and Ethics developed in partnership with UNESCO, and AI Readiness Framework developed together with the International Telecommunication Union. Al-Swaha called for global collaboration to make sure everyone gets the advantages of AI and leaves no one behind.
