Samba has announced the launch of a special reward campaign for Samba Visa cardholders, in partnership with Visa International.
Twenty cardholders will get a chance to attend the opening ceremony of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Moscow and support Saudi Arabia’s national football team, “The Green,” in its first match.
The campaign is in line with the rewards and exclusive benefits that Samba offers to its customers in appreciation of their loyalty and in light of the bank’s keenness to support the national football team.
Each of the 20 winners will receive two roundtrip tickets, a 5-day/4-night hotel stay, and two tickets for the opening match at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, which will host the opening ceremony of the World Cup and the first match between the Saudi national team and the Russian team, in addition to attending other accompanying events included in the opening ceremony.
Samba said interested Visa cardholders can participate in the reward campaign during the Jan. 25-March 25 promotion period.
“This campaign is a reflection of the bank’s continued commitment to enhancing the benefits of its banking products and promoting the added value that enriches Samba’s customer experience with wider horizons of excellence,” Samba said in a statement.
Samba offers Visa cardholders chance to attend FIFA World Cup
Samba offers Visa cardholders chance to attend FIFA World Cup
Drone Racing World Cup in Riyadh sets world record
The Drone Racing World Cup concluded Saturday in the Saudi capital, making history as it entered the Guinness World Records as the largest edition in terms of participating countries, with over 50 countries involved in the tournament.
The event, sponsored by Riyadh Season and organized by the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones, in collaboration with the World Air Sports Federation, featured participation from over 140 pilots.
The final day of the competition witnessed the qualification of 64 racers. Korean player Minchan Kim came in first place, winning the title of Drone Racing World Cup champion along with a prize of SR375,000 ($100,000). The second place went to French racer Killian Rousseau, who received a prize of SR285,000, while Joaquin Ybanez from the US secured third place, winning a prize of SR185,000. Valuable prizes were also raffled for visitors and attendees during the event.
The Drone Racing World Cup has been held since 2016, and this edition hosted by Saudi Arabia is the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa.
Drone Racing World Cup to conclude today amidst high attendance
Sponsored by Riyadh Season, the Drone Racing World Cup continues its exciting activities on Saturday — the third and final day of competition in Boulevard City. The event has been organized by the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones, in collaboration with the World Air Sports Federation.
The second day of the Drone Racing World Cup featured the completion of the qualifying rounds, with more than 140 pilots participating. The final qualifiers commenced as preparations were made to determine the race winners for today, with 64 pilots advancing to this stage.
This edition of the World Cup boasts significant international participation in the Kingdom, with China leading the registration with approximately 15 pilots, followed closely by Oman with over 13 pilots, and South Korea among other participating nations.
The second day attracted a large audience to the Activity Zone, showcasing a variety of drone-related activities, including the Drone Hub, Drag Racing, and Fly Free. Additionally, attendees enjoyed VR drone racing, which simulates drone racing through virtual reality glasses, along with various engaging drone workshops and other interactive activities.
The Drone Racing World Cup will conclude its competitions today at the SEF Arena in Boulevard City, with prizes exceeding SR1.3 million ($346,470). Hosting this race in the Kingdom underscores Saudi Arabia’s prominent role in the drone sector.
Unlocking Frontier Markets: Private sector leadership key to reshaping global development
The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, held in Davos from January 20–24, convened global leaders from government, business, and philanthropy under the theme “Inspiring Action. Driving Impact.”
It spotlighted opportunities to foster resilience and sustainable development, particularly in fragile and frontier markets.
Against this backdrop, the panel session titled “New Development Actors for the 21st Century” explored the critical role of the private sector in complementing traditional aid models and addressing systemic challenges in vulnerable economies.
Moderated by Mirek Dušek, managing director at the World Economic Forum, the discussion featured leaders including Badr Jafar, special envoy for business and philanthropy, UAE, and CEO of Crescent Enterprises; Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Somali president; Ernesto Torres Cantu, head of International at Citi; and Anna Bjerde, managing director of the World Bank.
During the session, Jafar emphasized the transformative potential of frontier markets in driving global growth and resilience.
“Frontier markets represent one of the greatest opportunities of our time to create systemic and sustainable global progress. Home to 85 percent of the world’s population, they are poised to host 80 percent of the global middle class by 2030. Yet traditional aid models continue to fall short of addressing the scale of challenges we face. The private sector must go beyond conventional philanthropy and adopt a strategic investment approach, one that fosters resilience, empowers communities, and delivers measurable, long-term prosperity,” Jafar said.
He highlighted the vast potential of the global impact-investing market, which now exceeds $1.5 trillion, and the untapped opportunities in $450 trillion of global private wealth.
Jafar added: “With the global impact-investing market exceeding $1.5 trillion, and untapped private wealth standing at $450 trillion, the resources required to drive transformative change are available. What is needed now is a framework that aligns these resources with measurable development goals, unlocking the innovation and entrepreneurship inherent in frontier markets.”
The session underscored the critical need for innovative, market-driven approaches to address systemic challenges in fragile and frontier markets.
By fostering collaboration across sectors and empowering local actors, the private sector can play a transformative role in shaping sustainable and inclusive development, the session heard.
As global humanitarian needs continue to outpace traditional funding models, leaders are driving the dialogue toward a future where strategic investments unlock the vast potential of frontier economies, ensuring they emerge not just as beneficiaries, but as architects of global resilience and growth.
The session was part of the World Economic Forum’s Humanitarian and Resilience Investing Initiative, launched in 2019 to unlock impact investing in frontier markets.
This initiative brings together over 100 partners across sectors to increase the resilience of at-risk and crisis-hit communities.
Building on a high-level dialogue chaired by former US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and co-sponsored by UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, IDB President Ilan Goldfajn, and Børge Brende during the UN General Assembly, the HRI Initiative continues to champion collaborative approaches that bridge private capital with sustainable development goals in fragile economies.
The World Economic Forum continues to serve as a catalyst for global action, advancing partnerships across sectors to create a more inclusive and resilient future.
Drone Racing World Cup kicks off today, with prizes worth SR1.3m
The Drone Racing World Cup, sponsored by Riyadh Season, has commenced today at Boulevard City in Riyadh. Organized by the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones, in collaboration with the World Air Sports Federation, the event takes place from Jan. 23 to 25.
This tournament, the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa since its inception in 2016, highlights Saudi Arabia’s commitment to the sector. The event offers participants and visitors prizes exceeding SR1.3 million ($346,470).
This edition features world champions in drone racing, including Kim Minjae, winner of the 2024 FAI World Drone Racing Championship; Killian Rousseau, winner of the 2023 FAI Drone Racing World Cup; Yuki Hashimoto, also winner of the 2024 FAI World Drone Racing Championship; Luisa Rizzo, winner of the 2024 Women’s FAI Drone Racing Championship; Min Chan Kim, winner of the 2023 FAI World Drone Racing Championship; Wanraya Wannapong, runner-up of the 2024 Women’s FAI Drone Racing Championship; Pawel Laszczak, runner-up of the 2023 Drone Racing World Cup; Jacob Capobres, runner-up of the 2023 FAI World Drone Racing Championship; Choi Wongyun, who placed third in the 2024 Drone Racing World Cup; and Roland Ronto, who placed third in the 2023 Drone Racing World Cup.
Several Saudi pilots will also compete, including Muhannad Al-Wohaibi, Ibrahim Al-Sultan, Dalia Al-Safar, Al-Anoud Al-Shalaan, Bader Mutlaq Al-Raqqas, Nawaf Al-Hamoud, and Salma Attallah Al-Aqbi.
The qualifying rounds, which start today, will continue until midday Friday, followed by the finals on Saturday.
The event hosts an activity zone featuring various accompanying activities, including a Drones Hub for teaching amateurs and professionals, a Drag Racing Zone for speed competitions on a straight path, a Fly Free Zone designed for testing and operating drones, a VR Drone Racing simulation using virtual reality glasses, Drone Workshops for training, designing, assembling, and building drones, and a Fans Zone dedicated to watching the Drone Racing World Cup competitions.
This edition marks the inaugural season of the Drone Racing World Cup, consisting of a series of rounds held in leading countries in the drone racing field.
NEOM, NTDP to drive Web3 growth in Kingdom
NEOM and the National Technology Development Program have launched a strategic partnership to advance the growth of the Web3 ecosystem in Saudi Arabia. Leveraging their combined strengths and resources, the collaboration will establish comprehensive accelerator programs designed to support selected startups with mentorship, funding opportunities and vital industry connections.
Marking the partnership’s debut achievement, Outlier Ventures — the world’s leading Web3 accelerator — has joined forces with NEOM and NTDP to launch the FutureSpark Base Camp Accelerator Program, Saudi Arabia’s first deep-tech Web3 accelerator program. Ten startups were selected in the program’s first cohort, following a rigorous application process via Outlier Ventures’ website.
The inaugural 12-week program, which has been running since October 2024 in Riyadh, concluded with a four-day workshop in NEOM from Jan. 12-15. The program has empowered entrepreneurs to refine their business models and enhance their market strategies, equipping them to navigate the rapidly evolving Web3 landscape. Through personalized guidance and access to a network of industry experts, the program accelerates growth of startups by providing the tools and insights necessary for success in a competitive environment. Participants of the program benefit from Outlier Ventures’ expertise through workshops, networking opportunities and practical resources, fostering a collaborative community to help drive the future of the Web3 ecosystem.
This partnership between NEOM and NTDP supports the most promising founders across key technology sectors. With a focus on industries where the region holds emerging potential — such as cognitive cities, artificial intelligence, digital identity and gaming — the selected cohort has access to essential resources to build industry-leading startups.
Aligning with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, the FutureSpark Base Camp Accelerator Program supports early-stage entrepreneurs and drives technological advancement in the Kingdom. Through accelerating the local deep-tech Web3 landscape, the program plays a pivotal role in fostering innovation and cutting-edge technologies.
