Airbus has launched the sixth Fly Your Ideas competition and is inviting the next generation of innovators to propose and develop original ideas for the aerospace industry.
The competition is open to university teams from across the world, including all disciplines from engineering and information technology to marketing and design.
Teams entering Fly Your Ideas go through three competition rounds, with progression to each round presenting an opportunity to further develop their concepts with support from Airbus specialists and mentors. As well as joining Airbus on site to further develop their ideas, up to six finalist teams will compete to share a prize fund of €45,000 ($52,500) and the chance to take their idea forward within the industry.
Airbus launches Fly Your Ideas contest
Airbus launches Fly Your Ideas contest
Global construction consultancy RLB opens regional headquarters in Riyadh
Rider Levett Bucknall, a global leader in construction consultancy and project management services, has officially inaugurated its new regional headquarters in Riyadh. This strategic move underscores the company’s commitment to expanding its operations and supporting the Kingdom’s ambitious development goals.
The event coincides with RLB’s celebration of 40 years of presence in Saudi Arabia, during which the company has delivered transformative infrastructure projects and contributed to the Kingdom’s urban development in alignment with Vision 2030. Over the past four decades, RLB has been a key partner in executing large-scale residential, commercial, healthcare and educational projects, while championing innovation and sustainability in the construction sector.
Speaking at the inauguration, Prince Fahad bin Abdulaziz bin Farhan Al-Saud, chairman of RLB Saudi Arabia, expressed his vision for the company’s role in Saudi Arabia’s future: “Today marks a significant milestone for RLB as we further solidify our roots in Riyadh and beyond. The Kingdom is at the forefront of an extraordinary transformation, and RLB is proud to have been a trusted partner in shaping its progress. Our new regional headquarters represent our long-term commitment to driving excellence and delivering innovative solutions that align with the Kingdom’s aspirations under Vision 2030.”
Prince Fahad was accompanied by RLB Directors Andrew Reynolds and Mark Weaver, and General Manager William Barber during the inauguration of the newly opened offices located in Laysen Valley, Riyadh. The headquarters mark 40 years of RLB’s operations in Saudi Arabia and will serve as the company’s third premises, with existing offices already established in Riyadh and Jeddah.
Reynolds, global director and board member of RLB, said: “The Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia, is a hub of unprecedented opportunity and growth. RLB’s new headquarters in Riyadh reflect our dedication to not only supporting our clients but also contributing meaningfully to the region’s dynamic landscape. We are excited to bring our global expertise and cutting-edge solutions to this thriving market.”
Weaver, global board director at RLB, added: “We have been privileged to work on some incredible projects, collaborate with some amazing people, and invest in growing our RLB team here in Saudi. This next chapter reflects our continued commitment to supporting the Kingdom’s evolving built environment and contributing to its economy.”
New Honeywell center to boost KSA’s industrial cybersecurity
Honeywell has launched a new center in Jubail to provide localized cybersecurity services for critical industrial sectors in the Kingdom. The center was announced at IKTVA Forum and Exhibition in Dhahran.
The Honeywell Himaya Center, located in the company’s Jubail office, underscores the alignment of Honeywell’s portfolio to three compelling megatrends including automation. It is designed to strengthen industrial cybersecurity capabilities in the Kingdom by offering more robust operational technology security solutions to address today’s evolving threats, while helping businesses maintain regulatory compliance.
The center will provide in-country managed security services to key sectors including energy, manufacturing and utilities. This includes Honeywell’s flagship Cyber Insight and Cyber Watch software solutions, which help businesses maintain continuous compliance with the National Cybersecurity Authority OT Cybersecurity Controls regulations, and support the use of automation and artificial intelligence-enabled technologies.
“The launch of the Honeywell Himaya Center is a testament to our dedication to supporting Saudi Arabia’s localization and industrial transformation objectives, and the ambitious vision set forth by the IKTVA program,” said Abdullah Al-Juffali, president, Honeywell Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
“The new center will bring critical local cybersecurity capabilities to the Kingdom, and support the growth of a resilient and self-reliant industrial ecosystem.”
Saudi Arabia’s cybersecurity market is expected to grow from $3.6 billion today to $10.5 billion by 2032. This growth is driven by digital transformation, rising cyberthreats, and initiatives like Vision 2030. The increasing reliance on cloud technologies and focus on data protection are fueling demand for advanced security solutions across key industries.
“Industrial automation and AI are pivotal in driving operational efficiency and business resilience across critical industries,” said George Bou Mitri, president, Honeywell Industrial Automation for the Middle East, Turkiye, Africa, and Central Asia. “The target of the Honeywell Himaya Center is to provide unparalleled support to businesses, helping them navigate the complexities of industrial cybersecurity and leverage the benefits of advanced automation technologies.”
Honeywell is at the global forefront of driving the future of OT cybersecurity by enabling secure, compliant and resilient operations across the industrial sector. The launch of the Honeywell Himaya Center is a significant step toward supporting the Kingdom’s digital transformation and strengthening its position as a key player in the global cybersecurity market.
Honeywell has been present in Saudi Arabia for more than 70 years, delivering cutting-edge solutions and actively contributing to the government’s vision to advance technology adoption and sustainability efforts. Honeywell runs training programs to help transform Saudi Arabia into a knowledge-based economy, equipping Saudi nationals with essential technical skills in various sectors including energy, automation, and aviation.
SRMG wins exclusive rights to market ‘Schools Walking Challenge’ program
The Saudi Research and Media Group has announced a strategic partnership with the “Walking Challenge Entertainment Company,” through which the group has been granted the exclusive rights to market the WCEC programs. These programs enhance the quality of life for more than 6 million male and female students across the Kingdom, in line with Vision 2030.
The partnership’s key focus is the “Schools Walking Challenge” program, which covers around 1,250 schools spread across 16 administrative regions in the Kingdom. Its primary goal is to promote healthy lifestyles among students. SRMG will help the program attract commercial sponsors from the public and private sector by providing innovative marketing and commercial opportunities that allow it to communicate its messages to the youth.
This aligns with SRMG’s sustainability initiatives aimed at enhancing public health and spreading community awareness. It also reflects the group’s business diversification strategy of expanding into marketing, high quality content creation, event organization and training, to further cement its media leadership in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.
The partnership between the group and the WCEC offers unique marketing solutions, including a smart app that encourages students to keep track of their daily activities, participate in competitions, and receive motivational rewards. The app allows sponsors the opportunity to deliver tailored messages to the youth. The program also offers other opportunities, including the ability to place creative content on electronic screens inside schools and organizing sporting events and competitions that enhance community participation. All of these activities make the program a comprehensive platform that combines entertainment and benefit for all.
“The ‘Walking Challenge’ program represents a model of cooperation between various sectors to motivate the youth to adopt healthy lifestyles. It also reflects the group’s ability to deliver, spread, and market high-quality content using the latest technologies,” SRMG said in a statement.
Prince Khalid bin Saud Al-Faisal, chairman of the board of the Walking Challenge Entertainment Company, said: “The ‘Schools Walking Challenge’ program is not just a sports competition; it is rather a comprehensive technology based project to motivate the youth to adopt active lifestyles. It embodies an ambitious leadership vision aimed at achieving a sustainable impact that enhances the health of future generations and supports the prosperity of the community.”
Al-Qaryan Group begins decommissioning project for SABIC subsidiary ‘Ibn Rushd’
Al-Qaryan Group, a Saudi closed joint-stock company specialized in industrial dismantling, demolition, and circular industries, has started work on a mega-project to dismantle and demolish production facilities at the Arabian Industrial Fibers Company (Ibn Rushd), a SABIC subsidiary.
The scope of work covers over 125,000 square meters encompassing eight integrated production zones, and includes the complete dismantling of production units, auxiliary facilities, and associated civil structures, followed by full site restoration.
The project scope also includes the transportation of all dismantled materials off-site for processing, recovery and recycling at the group’s specialized facilities and downstream factories, applying best practices and benchmark standards. Moreover, the project contributes to sustainability targets through enhanced energy efficiency and significant minimization of carbon emissions.
Al-Qaryan Group operates a network of approximately 20 processing and recycling facilities across the Kingdom, specializing in the recycling of ferrous, non-ferrous and plastics materials, in addition to owning and operating three downstream factories for steel, plastic and copper, which enables the group to provide end-to-end recycling solutions for industrial-scale projects.
Abdulaziz Yahya Almuayyad, CEO of Al-Qaryan Group, said: “The group is proud to be selected by Ibn Rushd for this critical dismantling and demolition project and we are committed to leverage our long experience in the field to continually enhance our technical and logistical capabilities to ensure best-in-class project execution at the highest safety and quality standards.
The group has a successful track record in industrial dismantling and demolition such as that of Saudi Arabian Fertilizer Company in Alkhobar, and several desalination plants and power stations across the Kingdom. For this project, the group has deployed specialized expertise and cutting-edge technologies in dismantling and demolition, including state-of-the-art heavy and high reach dismantling equipment capable of dismantling complex industrial units.
Almuayyad said Al-Qaryan Group has seamlessly integrated industry-leading sustainability metrics into its core strategic objectives and goals, ensuring alignment with global best practices while strengthening its position as a key contributor to the ambitious sustainability goals of Saudi Vision 2030, especially the targets set forth in the Saudi Green Initiative, launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
He also said that the group maintains a leading position in industrial circular industries through strategic investments in state-of-the-art technologies and innovative operational practices. The current project is a tangible demonstration of Al-Qaryan Group’s dedication to local content development, particularly bolstering the national economy through the utilization of domestic expertise, thereby making a significant contribution to the Kingdom’s sustainable development objectives.
Saudis top Qatar’s 5m tourist arrivals in 2024
Saudis made up the largest proportion of tourists to Qatar in 2024 at nearly a quarter of arrivals, a Visit Qatar spokesperson told Arab News.
The peninsular state bordering Saudi Arabia is pushing to boost its tourism numbers in the years following the FIFA World Cup 2022, which brought millions of visitors from around the world.
“Visitors from Saudi Arabia remain the top source market for international visitors this year, contributing around a quarter of all arrivals,” said Dr. Buthaina Mohammed Al-Janahi, media relations and communications senior manager at Visit Qatar.
More than 5 million tourists visited Qatar in 2024, officials said, with the presence of more than 1 million Saudis reflecting close ties between the neighboring countries three years after the end of a diplomatic rift.
Both countries regularly host bilateral official visits and enjoy booming trade, which has seen around $10 billion worth of contracts signed, Reuters reported.
Qatar aims to raise its tourist numbers to 6 million annually, raise tourism spending to 12 percent of GDP and create 250,000 jobs by 2030.
The World Cup saw 3.4 million people from around the world attending — the biggest influx of visitors to Qatar in the country’s history.
There was much speculation at the time about how the extensive infrastructure built for the tournament would go on to serve the country’s needs after the 3.4 million had left.
One stadium — the 974 stadium — was built to be eventually disassembled and relocated. Another, Al-Bayt stadium, is set to be converted into a luxury hotel and shopping center to serve Qatar’s growing tourist numbers as well as residents.
Today, the streets of Doha are still adorned with banners from 2022, thus far the peak of the city’s tourism.
With the unprecedented global visibility that the World Cup offered, officials are hoping to build on the success of the tournament, with the number of hotel rooms exceeding 40,061 in 2024.
Having made history as the city where Lionel Messi first led his Argentine squad to victory, football fans from South America are still flocking to the popular Souq Waqif to pick up a version of the bisht cloak that was draped around the striker’s shoulders by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
New developments like Habitas Ras Al-Abrouq — developed by government-owned Qatar Airways and launched early 2024 — aim to attract high-wealth tourists.
The hi-tech Msheireb Downtown planned city is another draw for tourists, with its hydrogen-powered tram and luxury eateries.
The district is based in one of Qatar’s most historic areas, and the redevelopment was opened in 2021.
In a prime example of how the country deploys opulent spending in order to reimagine its heritage, the Katara Cultural Village offers such attractions as the Blue Mosque and the marble amphitheater.
