Japanese Prime Minister begins Arab tour with Saudi visit

Abe will go ahead with a planned visit to the Middle East this weekend despite the crisis in the region, a spokesman said Friday, Jan. 10, 2020. (AP)
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Updated 11 January 2020
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Japanese Prime Minister begins Arab tour with Saudi visit

  • Abe to explain plans to send Self-Defense Forces personnel to the region

RIYADH: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will arrive in Riyadh today as part of a trip to the Middle East to further enhance bilateral cooperation between Tokyo and the region.

Abe is visiting Saudi Arabia and the UAE to explain Japanese plans to send Self-Defense Forces (SDF) personnel to the region, the Japan Times said, citing government sources.
During his visit to Saudi Arabia he is expected to be received by King Salman in Riyadh and is also expected to make a trip to the historical site of AlUla, where he will have a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The Japanese government is considering sending an SDF aircraft and patrol vessel to monitor shipping and gather information independent of the US-led coalition guarding ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil route in the region.
The Kingdom and the UAE are part of the US initiative.
Japan is the world’s fourth-largest oil consumer and relies heavily on the Middle East for its supply of crude. Saudi Arabia accounted for almost 40 percent of Japanese oil imports in fiscal 2018. The import volume of Arab-L crude oil accounted for the largest share of the crude oil imports from Saudi Arabia to Japan, with around 31.6 million kiloliters.
Saudi Arabia and Japan are building on their mutual trust developed through understanding of each other’s culture to deepen and broaden the existing bilateral relations and establish a solid strategic partnership. In the spirit of mutual benefit and co-prosperity, both countries have recognized the importance to cooperate in realizing their respective visions. In Sept. 1, 2016, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe decided to set up the Joint Group for “Saudi-Japan Vision 2030 (SJV 2030)”, heralding a new era of partnership between the two countries.

BACKGROUND

• Abe last visited Saudi Arabia in 2013 when he held talks with King Abdullah and then-Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz, and signed an investment agreement between Japan and the Kingdom.

• Abe also made a visit to the Kingdom in 2007 during his first term as prime minister (2006–2007).

The first Joint Group meeting was held in Riyadh, on Oct. 9, 2016. The Joint Group strives to serve as the platform for cooperation and exchange among subgroup representatives from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Japan.
Abe last visited Saudi Arabia in 2013 when he held talks with King Abdullah and then-Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz, and signed an investment agreement between Japan and the Kingdom.
During the meeting with the then-crown prince, the two sides decided to start a security dialogue and promote defense exchanges while expanding cooperation in politics and security.
Abe also delivered a policy speech titled, “Japan’s Ties with the Middle East in a New Age of Synergy, Mutual Prosperity, and Cooperation.”
Abe also made a visit to the Kingdom in 2007 during his first term as prime minister (2006–2007).


Saudi pavilion at UNESCO Arab Week in Paris celebrates Kingdom’s camel culture

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Saudi pavilion at UNESCO Arab Week in Paris celebrates Kingdom’s camel culture

  • It shows how the role of the camel evolved from essential means of transport and provider of resources to a cultural icon embodying the Kingdom’s values

PARIS: The Saudi pavilion at UNESCO’s Arab Week event in Paris this week featured a showcase of the Kingdom’s deep-rooted connection to camel culture.

It explored the role of the animals as a vital part of the nation’s heritage, identity and civilization, and offered a glimpse into their enduring place in society, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

The exhibits showed how the role of the camel has evolved from essential means of transport and provider of resources to a cultural icon that embodies the Kingdom’s values, and the ways in which camels are embedded in Saudi customs, traditions and literature, including poetry and proverbs.

The Saudi Ministry of Culture designated 2024 “The Year of the Camel” to highlight and reinforce the status of the animal as a national symbol and cornerstone of the Arabian cultural identity. Camels are regularly celebrated across the country through dedicated festivals, race events, clubs and research centers.

UNESCO’s Arab Week, which features 22 Arab nations, was initiated by Saudi Arabia. Guests at the official opening of the event on Monday included Saudi envoys, ambassadors representing other nations, Arab and other international diplomats stationed in France, and officials from UNESCO.


AI makes media industry more efficient and drives growth, expert says

Martin Sorrell, founder and executive chairman of S4 Capital, speaks to Arab News at the Athar Festival of Creativity.
Updated 48 min 4 sec ago
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AI makes media industry more efficient and drives growth, expert says

  • Martin Sorrell: ‘AI speeds up writing processes, increasing efficiency’
  • New tech allows for increasingly personalized content

RIYADH: Artificial intelligence is being used more effectively and efficiently to drive higher economic development in the media industry, said Martin Sorrell, founder and executive chairman of S4 Capital.

At a panel session at the Athar Festival of Creativity Sorrell described how media agencies, such as S4 Capital and its subsidiary, Media.Monks, are using AI in a number of ways.

One application of AI in media, he said, is in “speeding the execution of copywriting and visualization.”

Time to market is drastically decreasing: “What took us literally days is now taking us three hours,” he said. Yet this produces another problem because reducing the time of procurement cuts costs, but this also means it is necessary to move to a model that increases gains in outputs,” he said.

Another application is in personalizing content for consumers. Sorrell told Arab News: “Individualization, hyper personalization, are going to become more important. Knowing the consumer in excruciating detail, using data, using the signals from the platforms, using first-party data, it becomes even more important.”

Using Netflix audience feedback algorithms as an example, Sorrell pointed out that AI enables these algorithms to produce larger and more accurate quantities of output, for example, recommendations based on user profile readings.

“We charge on a per asset used basis. Price of the asset may come down, but total revenue grows because we’re using multiple assets,” he said.

A growing area is in “media planning and buying.” Sophisticated algorithms can far more efficiently choose the distribution of planning and buying than individual media planners.

Technological capital and human capital, however, go hand in hand.

“We as agencies have to validate the algorithm’s analysis. We have to make sure that the client’s money is spent in the right way.”

Another benefit of AI is its ability to improve organizational efficiency. Where organizational silos once kept departments and specializations separate, AI opens up information to the majority of users.

To maintain the emotional connection and trust of the brand-consumer relationship in a technologically driven world, according to Sorrell, understanding individual motivation is increasingly crucial.

“Insights into culture, insights into language, into custom, into belief, into family, into country, that knowledge becomes critically important, far more so in a globalized world,” he said.

The diversity and knowledge of global and local organizations are essential for the success of any company, but the value of personalization means that local knowledge may take the lead, he added.

Quoting Harvard Business School professor Ted Levitt, Sorrell continued: “because remember, consumers will consume everything in the same way everywhere.”

Advising young professionals in tech, media and other industries operating in an AI-powered future, Sorrell said that rather than stripping away opportunities from creatives, avoiding the risk of “bombarding” consumers with much of the same, AI means “creativity becomes even more important.”

Additionally, creatives need to familiarize themselves with the skills and roles that are complementary to the new world: “I think every creative should learn Chinese. I think every creative should learn Spanish, probably Arabic too … and they should learn code.”

“The skills of the ‘Mad Men’, that Don Draper had or his colleagues … are very different to what you need now.”


Green initiative launched in Eastern Region

Updated 05 November 2024
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Green initiative launched in Eastern Region

  • Goal is to plant more than 500,000 trees and 3 million flowers throughout Dammam’s streets and parks
  • Scheme, in line with Vision 2030’s goal of increasing green spaces, also aligns with the broader national afforestation campaign

DAMMAM: The Eastern Region Municipality has announced a special initiative involving 30 volunteers to mark National Greening Season, launched by Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadley.

The goal is to plant more than 500,000 trees and 3 million flowers throughout Dammam’s streets and parks in a bid to improve air quality, reduce heat and enhance biodiversity, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The scheme, in line with Vision 2030’s goal of increasing green spaces, also aligns with the broader national afforestation campaign under the Saudi Green Initiative, which aims to promote sustainable environmental development and enhance vegetation cover.

The municipality emphasized the initiative would help combat desertification and promote the achievement of environmental balance through the use of locally suitable plants. 

It highlighted how collaboration with various institutions will raise awareness about afforestation and support green infrastructure, thereby improving the quality of life in the Eastern Region.


Madinah research center releases map of 50 prominent archaeological sites

Updated 05 November 2024
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Madinah research center releases map of 50 prominent archaeological sites

  • Map includes documented historical landmarks, their current locations, and their association with the life of the Prophet Muhammad
  • Forms part of the center’s scientific and cultural documentation efforts, with the map featuring an interactive barcode for each historical landmark

RIYADH: The Madinah Research and Studies Center has released an updated version of the Innaha Taybah map, which features 50 historical and archaeological sites in the region.

The map includes documented historical landmarks, their current locations, and their association with the life of the Prophet Muhammad.

This comes as part of the center’s scientific and cultural documentation efforts, with the map featuring an interactive barcode for each historical landmark that introduces the place and allows users to view the historical site’s details.

It contains significant landmarks that tourists can visit, starting with the Prophet’s Mosque, the most prominent site in Madinah and a destination for Muslim visitors throughout the year.

Also featured are Baqi’ Al-Gharqad, Al-Safiyyah Museum and Park, the Architecture of the Prophet’s Mosque Exhibition and the International Fair and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography.

The map also includes prominent historical mosques that were built during the Prophet’s era and are still standing, such as the Mosque of Al-Ghamama, Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Mosque, Omar bin Al-Khattab Mosque, Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque, Al-Sajdah Mosque, Al-Ijabah Mosque, Al-Suqya Mosque, Al-Manaratain Mosque, Bani Haram Mosque, Al-Fatah Mosque, Al-Rayah Mosque, Bani Harithah Mosque, Al-Shaikhain Mosque, Al-Jumu’ah Mosque, and Quba Mosque.

The Innaha Taybah map includes numerous archaeological landmarks, notably the Sela Mountain, Jabal Aynayn (Al-Rumat), the Martyrs of Uhud Cemetery, and ancient wells that have been rehabilitated as part of a project to restore historical sites in the region. These include Bir Al-Khatam (Well of Arees), Athq Well, Al-Ihn Well, the Well of Ghars and Al-Foqair Well. Other sites include the Urwa Palace, Al-Jamawat, the King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Qur’an, and natural landmarks connected to events that took place in Madinah during the time of the Prophet Muhammad and subsequent eras.


Saudi cabinet calls for Arab-Islamic summit, urgent political solutions amid regional crises

Updated 05 November 2024
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Saudi cabinet calls for Arab-Islamic summit, urgent political solutions amid regional crises

RIYADH: The Saudi cabinet discussed the Kingdom’s call for an Arab-Islamic summit to address ongoing Israeli aggression in Palestinian territories and Lebanon, in a session chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday.

The cabinet also stressed the urgent need for a political resolution to the crisis in Sudan, urging all parties to honor the commitments outlined in the "Jeddah Declaration" of May 2023. It emphasized the importance of an immediate ceasefire in Sudan, a cessation of hostilities, and the unobstructed delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need.

The cabinet also reviewed the Kingdom’s recent hosting of the inaugural meeting of the Global Alliance to Implement the Two-State Solution, which brought together representatives from 90 countries and international organizations.