RIYADH: Saudi King Salman will launch the construction of an “entertainment city” near Riyadh Saturday, authorities said, part of a series of multi-billion dollar projects as the Kingdom seeks to diversity its oil-reliant economy.
The 334-square kilometer project in Qiddiya, southwest of Riyadh, would rival Walt Disney and include high-end theme parks, motor sport facilities and a safari park, officials say.
The facility highlights a “relentless effort to develop giga-projects that will help achieve many direct and indirect economic returns,” project official Fahd bin Abdullah Tounsi was quoted as saying in a government statement on Monday.
Qiddiya chief executive Michael Reininger said he expects the project will draw foreign investors in entertainment and other sectors, but did not specify the total cost of construction.
Such projects are the brainchild of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a self-styled liberal change agent who is the chief architect of the sweeping “Vision 2030” reform program.
Saudi Arabia has dazzled investors with several plans for hi-tech “giga projects,” funded in part by its sovereign wealth fund, but some skeptics question their viability in an era of cheap oil.
The Kingdom has unveiled blueprints to build NEOM, a mega project billed as a regional Silicon Valley, in addition to the Red Sea project, a reef-fringed resort destination — both worth hundreds of billions of dollars.
Analysts say the projects could create funding pressures at a time when the government faces a yawning budget deficit and growth in the Kingdom’s non-oil economy is only slowly gathering pace.
The reform stems partly from an economic motive to boost domestic spending on entertainment as the Kingdom has been reeling from an oil slump since 2014.
Saudis currently splurge billions of dollars annually to see films and visit amusement parks in neighboring tourist hubs like Dubai and Bahrain.
In February, Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA) announced it will stage more than 5,000 festivals and concerts in 2018, double the number of last year, and pump $64 billion in the sector in the coming decade.
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman will patronize the launch of Qiddiya Project
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman will patronize the launch of Qiddiya Project
- Qiddiya Project is the new entertainment, sports and cultural destination in the Kingdom
- The first phase will be completed by 2022
Saudi FM receives German counterpart in Riyadh
- During the meeting, the officials reviewed relations between their countries and ways to strengthen and develop them in various fields
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received his German counterpart Johann Wadephul in Riyadh on Saturday.
During the meeting, the officials reviewed relations between their countries and ways to strengthen and develop them in various fields.
They also discussed regional and international developments and their implications on the security and stability of the region.
Saudi FM, US envoy to Syria discuss latest developments during phone call
RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan received a phone call from US Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack on Saturday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
During the call, both diplomats discussed discussed measures to support the Syrian people on both humanitarian and economic levels.
Their talks also focused on the latest regional and international updates.
Saudi Arabia arrests 9,639 illegals in one week
RIYADH: Saudi authorities arrested 9,639 people in one week for breaching residency, work, and border security regulations, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
Of those, 5,625 were arrested for residency violations, 2,797 for attempting to cross the border illegally, and 1,217 for labor-related offenses.
The Ministry of Interior said that anyone found facilitating illegal entry into the Kingdom — including providing transportation or shelter — could face up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to SR1 million ($266,000), and the confiscation of vehicles and property.
Suspected violations can be reported by calling 911 in the Makkah and Riyadh regions, or 999 and 996 in other regions of the Kingdom.
King Salman orders Saudi officials to aid stranded Iranian Hajj pilgrims
- Directive issued after authorities in Tehran close their airspace following attack by Israel said to have targeted Iranian nuclear sites, nuclear scientists and military chiefs
- Plan for the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to provide help to the stranded pilgrims presented to the king by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
RIYADH: King Salman on Friday ordered Saudi authorities to ensure that Iranian Hajj pilgrims stranded in the Kingdom receive all necessary support until it is safe for them to return home.
The directive came shortly after Israeli authorities launched early-morning airstrikes against Iran, which they said targeted nuclear sites, nuclear scientists and military chiefs. Tehran closed the country’s airspace in the aftermath.
The plan to provide help to stranded Iranian pilgrims was presented to the king by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has been tasked with ensuring they receive all necessary support.
The annual pilgrimage, a key pillar of Islam that all Muslims are required to complete at least once during their lives if physically and financially able, concluded on Monday. Tens of thousands of Iranians visit Saudi Arabia for Hajj each year. More than 1.6 million pilgrims from all over the world took part this year and authorities described it as a success.
Iran retaliated to the Israeli attack later on Friday by targeting Tel Aviv with missiles, raising fears of prolonged and more-dangerous exchanges of fire.
Saudi crown prince discusses repercussions of Israel-Iran clash with Macron, Meloni
- The crown prince had separate phone calls with Macron and Meloni: SPA
RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Friday talked with the leaders of France and Italy about the latest developments in the region, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
During a phone call, the crown prince and France’s President Emmanuel Macron discussed the repercussions of Israeli strikes on Iran, which has killed 78 people, including generals and scientists, and wounded 320 others.
Iran retaliated later in the day, raining missiles and weaponized drones on Israeli cities, causing destruction.
In a separate call with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the two leaders “emphasized the necessity of making every effort to de-escalate the situation, the importance of exercising restraint, and resolving all disputes through diplomatic means,” SPA said.
Earlier in the day, the crown prince spoke with US President Donald J. Trump, during which the duo also stressed the need for continued joint work to achieve security, peace, and stability in the Middle East.
Macron had also announced that because of the Israel-Iran clash, the UN conference on a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians that France and Saudi Arabia planned to co-chair next week in New York had been postponed.
“While we have to postpone this conference for logistical and security reasons, it will take place as soon as possible,” he said at a press conference.
