RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s bid to make innovation a pillar of its development is gathering momentum, with several major collaborative ventures helping to drive growth across a broad range of knowledge-led industries, said Prince Turki bin Saud bin Mohammed Al-Saud, president of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST).
Strategic partnerships with academic institutions and private industry players were pivotal in Saudi plans to take research and development (R&D) to the next level in manufacturing and production, he told the Oxford Business Group’s (OBG) online broadcasting service Global Platform.
“We are targeting collaborations with the world’s leading research organizations which will enable us to move from innovation to commercialization,” Prince Turki said.
He highlighted some of the partnerships that are already delivering results and will enhance the national economy, notably collaboration with Ukrainian aircraft manufacturing and services company Antonov.
The Kingdom has teamed up with Antonov to build the AN-132, a multipurpose transport aircraft that began test flights in December.
The technology for the aircraft is jointly owned by Saudi Arabia and Antonov, Prince Turki said, with manufacturing to be undertaken in the Kingdom.
“This aircraft, which is used for cargo and can take up to 90 passengers, will be soon flown in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
He mapped out plans to create a facility at King Khalid International Airport in the next few years where aircraft such as the Airbus 380 and Boeing 777 could also be built.
This commitment shows progress in Saudi plans to create an aerospace industry by entering into key partnerships that will realize its goals and future plans, he said.
Prince Turki also noted the diverse range of R&D under way in the Kingdom, from genomics and renewable energy to value-added manufacturing and nanotechnology.
The decision to galvanize domestic production will help Saudi Arabia move toward its target of increasing local content by at least 70 percent by 2030, he said.
The country’s innovation drive has allowed it to sharpen its focus on harnessing human resource wealth, in line with the Vision 2030 development plan, he added.
“Saudi Arabia’s economic development will depend on innovation, which requires a lot of R&D,” he said.
“The country is now concentrating on the real revered wealth of the country, and that’s its people, in addition to other resources that Allah granted it.”
Strategic partnerships key to Saudi innovation drive: Prince Turki
Strategic partnerships key to Saudi innovation drive: Prince Turki
Parliamentary Foreign Vice-Minister Matsumoto to visit Saudi Arabia, Jordan
TOKYO: Japan’s Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Matsumoto Hisashi will visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Jordan from Jan. 11 to 15, the foreign ministry said on Friday.
During the visit, Matsumoto is scheduled to exchange views with government officials of Saudi Arabia and Jordan on bilateral relations as well as regional and international situations.
Matsumoto is scheduled to arrive in Riyadh on Jan. 12, according to the ministry.
A version of this article appeared on Arab News Japan.
Thousands in Lebanon benefit from KSrelief healthcare services
RIYADH: A project by Saudi aid agency KSrelief to improve healthcare services for Syrian refugees and their host community in Bebnine, Akkar Governorate, has continued in Lebanon.
Some 2,689 patients were seen at the Akkar-Bebnine Health Care Center in December with 6,194 services provided under pharmacy, laboratory, nursing, community and psychological health programs.
Of the total number of patients, 68 percent were women and 51 percent were refugees, reported the Saudi Press Agency.
Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief continues aid work in new year
- The work reflects Saudi Arabia's ongoing commitment through KSrelief to help those most in need
RIYADH: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief has continued its humanitarian work at the start of 2025, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.
In Syria, 892 families received food aid and health kits in the Afrin and Aleppo governorates of the war-torn country, benefiting 5,352 individuals.
The agency also distributed bags of flour, winter kits, and personal-care bags to 211 families in Syria’s Al-Rastan area, benefitting 968 individuals.
In Syria’s Rural Damascus governorate, KSrelief distributed bags of flour, food aid, personal-care bags, and shelter kits to 164 families.
In Pakistan, there were 2,821 food parcels, benefiting 18,638 people, distributed in the Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan areas of Punjab province, and the Hingol area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
KSrelief also distributed 1,082 clothing vouchers to families in Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan’s Amman, Zarqa and Balqa governorates.
Saudi Museum of Contemporary Art to host ‘Manga Hokusai Manga’ exhibition
- Exhibition is homage to renowned Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai
The much-anticipated “Manga Hokusai Manga” exhibition will be held at the Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art in JAX Diriyah from Jan. 15 to Feb. 8.
Held in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan and the Japan Foundation, the exhibition, ratified by the Kingdom’s Museums Commission, will showcase the works of the renowned Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai.
It will highlight the history and evolution of manga, and provide a perspective on how Hokusai’s classical illustrations have influenced modern visual arts, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.
Hokusai published his first collection of art in 1814, featuring sketches of “daily life, landscapes and whimsical creatures,” according to a post on X by the museum.
The Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art aims to foster cultural exchange between local and international creators.
Kingdom readies itself for 3 days of rain and high winds
- Warning of high waves along the Kingdom’s coastlines
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is bracing itself for rainfall across most parts of the Kingdom over the next three days after the National Center for Meteorology issues warnings on Thursday.
In a weather bulletin, the NCM warned of downpours accompanied by winds of up to 60 kph, and the possibility of torrential rain and hail. High waves are expected along the nation’s coastlines.
The regions of Al-Jouf, the Northern Borders, and Hail will have rainy conditions on Friday and Saturday.
On Friday, rain is expected in the Tabuk and Madinah regions; on Saturday and Sunday in the Eastern Province, Asir and Jazan; and on Saturday in Qassim.
For the Riyadh and Al-Baha regions, rain is expected from Friday to Sunday.
The NCM urged the public to stay updated on the weather conditions in the Kingdom by checking the daily reports on its website, the Anwaa application, or its social media accounts.
