LONDON: So far, it has been all about meeting Donald Trump and other political bigwigs. But there is much more on the agenda for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in his first official visit to the US.
In his seven-city tour of America, the prince is also meeting corporate CEOs with a view to striking deals with companies dealing in renewable energy, high tech, sport, tourism and, perhaps most importantly, entertainment.
When it comes to the entertainment industry, Saudi Arabia is virtually a blank page. There are no cinemas or concert halls or amusement parks — yet. The message from the crown prince is that Saudi Arabia is not only open for business, it is open for fun too, with a large young generation — his generation — crying out for entertainment on their own doorstep, that does not entail a drive or flight to neighboring Bahrain or the United Arab Emirates.
Six Flags, the world’s largest amusement park company, with 20 sites in the US, Canada and Mexico, is to build its first property outside the American continent in Saudi Arabia. The company announced last June that it had begun talks with the Saudi government and it was subsequently reported that the first of three initial amusement parks was set to open in 2020, with Riyadh the most likely location.
That turned out to be overstating the situation but the project is certainly not dead.
Sandra Daniels, vice president of corporate communications at Six Flags head office in Grand Prarie, Texas, told Arab News, “We do not have a formal agreement to build a park in Saudi Arabia yet; however, Six Flags is excited to be in discussions to do so and to be part of an important cultural movement, along with other western brands, in support of the Vision 2030 commitment to bring world-class entertainment experiences to Saudi Arabian families.”
Executive chairman Jim Reid-Anderson said the parks were likely — but not guaranteed — to be owned by the Saudi government, adding that there was “great support” for the project.
Saudi audiences will not have to wait that long for the Greatest Royal Rumble wrestling extravaganza, which WWE is staging on April 27 at the 70,000-capacity King Abdullah stadium in Jeddah. The entertainment conglomerate, which is based in Stamford, Connecticut, is shipping out 50 of its WWE “Superstars” and promising “a spectacle of historic proportions.”
WWE prefers a six-month lead-in time period but the agreement to stage this event was signed only at the beginning of March, leaving only six weeks of promotion time. Nonetheless, confidence is still high that tickets will sell out after they go on sale on March 31.
Saudi Arabia and its sports-mad young audiences clearly offer an unprecedented opportunity for WWE to build a new fanbase almost from scratch. WWE has already made one foray into the country, testing the waters with an event 18 months ago in Riyadh, earning a “great reaction.”
Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon said the forthcoming April event is part of a 10-year partnership with the Saudi General Sports Authority supporting Vision 2030, a clear indication that WWE sees Saudi Arabia as a long-term prospect.
According to Britain’s The Sun newspaper, there were comments on Twitter about WWE because the line-up for the Jeddah show does not include any female fighters.
WWE stresses that while its shows are “inclusive and progressive” they always “respect local values and customs.”
Cinema chains and leisure conglomerates are falling over themselves to gain a foothold in a market that is not only almost completely new but also affluent.
Saudis currently spend $22 billion a year on entertainment and tourism outside the country. The government wants at least 25 percent of that sum to be spent at home.
AMC Entertainment, based in Leawood, Kansas, have announced an agreement with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia to “explore opportunities” within the Kingdom and IPic Entertainment of Boca Raton, Florida have struck a partnership with the BAS Global Investments Company, a Saudi company, to develop cinemas and restaurants throughout the country, with the aim of opening in 30 locations within a decade.
Cinema chains, amusement park operators queue up to enter Saudi Arabia market
Cinema chains, amusement park operators queue up to enter Saudi Arabia market
Saudi Arabia ‘categorically rejects’ Israel’s plan to seize Gaza territory
- Israeli authorities on Monday approved plans to take over territory and forcibly displace population
- Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemns Israel’s violations of international law
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has “categorically rejected” plans by Israel to expand its military operations in Gaza and seize control of the territory.
The ministry also “strongly condemned the continued Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law.”
Israeli authorities on Monday approved a new ground operation to take over parts of Gaza, forcibly displace Palestinians into the south of the territory, and control the distribution of humanitarian aid. The Israeli army is calling up tens of thousands of reserve soldiers.
The announcement sparked widespread international condemnation. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said it stood firmly opposed to any attempted expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, and stressed the importance of holding Israel accountable for failures to comply with international resolutions.
The Kingdom continues to have “unwavering support for the Palestinian cause, in line with international legitimacy, the Arab Peace Initiative, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with east Jerusalem as its capital,” the ministry added.
Saudi project destroys 600 more Houthi landmines and other explosives in Yemen
- The devices, cleared from various parts of the war-torn country in recent months, were safely detonated on Wednesday
- Project Masam has removed nearly 500,000 mines across Yemen since its launch in 2018
RIYADH: Members of the Saudi Project for Landmine Clearance, also known as Project Masam, safely detonated 600 mines, unexploded ordnance and other explosive devices on Wednesday.
The project’s engineers had demined and removed the devices over the past few months from various parts of Yemen, including the town of Beihan and the districts of Usaylan and Ain in Shabwah governorate.
Hussein Al-Aqili, commander of the project’s survey team, said they carried out the destruction operation in the Thahba area of Ain district on Wednesday as part of their ongoing mission to clear mines and other remnants of war in Yemen, and save civilian lives.
The project has cleared nearly 500,000 mines from the country since its work there began in 2018.
Last week, Ousama Algosaibi, the managing director of Masam, warned that the Houthis continue to exploit periods of truce to plant more mines across Yemen.
“We are in a constant race with the Houthi militias; we clear mines from one side while they plant more on the other,” he said during an interview with Al-Ekhbariya TV.
Saudi ambassador meets Bahrain King’s media affairs adviser
Saudi Ambassador to Bahrain Naif bin Bandar Al-Sudairi was received by Nabeel bin Yacoub Al-Hamer, media affairs adviser to the King of Bahrain, in Manama on Wednesday.
The adviser expressed his pride in the solid fraternal relations and deep-rooted historical ties that bind the two countries, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
He also wished Al-Sudairi continued success in his duties, which will further support and strengthen the fraternal ties, mutual coordination, and close cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in various fields, and particularly in the media.
Saudi commission expands music access for people with disabilities
- Push for accessible arts programming reflects wider goals for social development
MAKKAH: Saudi Arabia’s Music Commission has launched a national initiative to expand access to music education for people with disabilities, marking a key step toward their greater inclusion in the Kingdom’s cultural landscape.
Focused on Riyadh, Jeddah and Alkhobar, the program trains instructors to teach students with physical and cognitive disabilities.
It supports the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030, which seeks to elevate quality of life and ensure opportunities for all segments of society.
Music education expert Issa Al-Qarbi praised the initiative as a transformative step in supporting individuals with disabilities.
“Music is a highly effective medium for stimulating brain activity, developing motor and social skills, and enhancing overall psychological well-being,” he said.
The initiative includes adapting teaching methods, specialized curricula and fully accessible learning environments aligned with the requirements of the Mowaamah certification, a program which provides support to increase participation among disabled individuals in the labor market.
In designing the program, the commission partnered with international experts in music on the curricula and programs that align with global best practices.
The existing models were reviewed using the standards set by the National Association for Music Education.
The commission’s goal is to empower students to express themselves through music, boost their self-confidence and enhance their social, cognitive and motor skills.
The students will receive extended training that prepares them for group performances while supporting their artistic, cognitive and social development. Sessions with parents and community members are also being planned to raise awareness and encourage family engagement.
Al-Qarbi said that long-term sustainability and lasting impacts could be ensured by closer partnerships between the education and healthcare sectors.
He praised the initiative as a regional model, opening the door to further research and innovation.
He said that teaching music to individuals with disabilities went beyond technical skills, nurturing essential personal qualities such as patience, discipline and social engagement, which in turn positively influenced many areas of their lives.
Saudi surgeons separate Egyptian child from parasitic twin
- Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah says operation is one of the most delicate carried out by his team
- Procedure takes 8 hours and involves multidisciplinary team of 26 consultants
RIYADH: A medical team from the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program successfully completed a surgical procedure on Wednesday to separate an Egyptian child from a parasitic twin.
The operation on 8-month-old Mohammed Abdulrahman Juma at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in Riyadh took eight hours and was split into six stages. It involved a multidisciplinary team of 26 consultants, including specialists in anesthesia, neurosurgery, pediatrics and plastic surgery.
A parasitic twin, also known as a vestigial twin, is an identical twin that stopped developing during gestation and is physically attached to a fully developed twin. Because it did not fully develop, it cannot survive on its own and often dies in the womb or during birth.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, who heads the surgical team and is an advisor at the royal court and supervisor general of Saudi aid agency KSrelief, said the twins were joined at the back, lower chest, abdomen and pelvis. The parasitic twin lacked a head and essential organs, including a heart and kidneys.
Al-Rabeeah described the operation as one of the most delicate his team has been involved with, and thanked his colleagues for their efficiency and skill during the surgery, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Mohammed and his parents flew to Saudi Arabia in March after King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman issued directives for medics in the Kingdom to help the child.
The operation on Wednesday was the 63rd separation procedure carried out under the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, which has reviewed 149 cases of patients from 27 countries since its inception in 1990.
