How World Expo in Riyadh could be the perfect capstone for Saudi Vision 2030 achievements

Saudi Arabia is bidding to host World Expo 2030 in Riyadh to highlight its vast potential to the world. (@Riyadh_Expo2030)
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Updated 23 September 2023
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How World Expo in Riyadh could be the perfect capstone for Saudi Vision 2030 achievements

  • Saudi capital is competing with Busan, in South Korea, and Rome to host the prestigious event
  • Expo in Riyadh would be an opportunity to show the changes accomplished in less than a decade

JEDDAH/RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is bidding to host World Expo 2030 in Riyadh to highlight both its vast potential to the world and the tangible progress it has accomplished with its wide-ranging Vision 2030 economic and social reforms. 

“During the eight years since the announcement of Saudi Vision 2030, the Kingdom has witnessed changes and developments that surpass what has been accomplished in the past 80 years of its history, and Riyadh is a part of this success story,” Princess Reema bint Bandar, the Saudi ambassador to the US, said recently.

She was speaking in Paris in June during the 172nd General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions, or BIE, the intergovernmental organization that selects host nations for World Expo.

If the BIE chooses Riyadh to host the event in 2030, the Saudi capital will feature pavilions from 246 countries and welcome about 40 million visitors, who will see for themselves the realization of Vision 2030. 

Riyadh is competing with Busan, in South Korea, and Rome to host this prestigious event. 

“Our vision is a strong, thriving, and stable Saudi Arabia that provides opportunity for all,” Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in the Vision 2030 leadership message. 

He added: “Our vision is a tolerant country with Islam as its constitution and moderation as its method. We will welcome qualified individuals from all over the world. and will respect those who have come to join our journey and our success.”

Vision 2030 seeks to utilize every valuable asset Saudi Arabia has in order to diversify its economy and invest in its people by creating a more sustainable and equitable future, new employment opportunities, and harnessing the potential of young Saudis. 

These goals influence every aspect of the Kingdom’s development, from environmental sustainability to economic diversification. 

In addition, Vision 2030 also includes dozens of megaprojects and giga-projects spread across the Kingdom, as well as hundreds of initiatives, programs and reforms. These aim to drive the growth of domestic industries and attract investment. 

The reform program’s rapid progress demonstrates Riyadh’s commitment to development, achieving prosperity, and ensuring inclusivity for all citizens. 

As a testament to Saudi Arabia’s growth and path to prosperity, the International Monetary Fund recently named the Kingdom the fastest-growing economy among the G20 countries, with an overall growth rate of 8.7 percent.

Vision 2030 was launched in 2016 by the crown prince, who devised it as a broad framework for developing his country by establishing a diversified and sustainable economy and a new and vibrant society. 

The Kingdom created the Vision Realization Programs to make this agenda a reality. VRP covers the development of programs pertaining to quality of life, housing, fiscal sustainability, health, human capital, and the experience of Muslims performing Hajj. 

Saudi Arabia continues to demonstrate its commitment to transforming society by implementing these programs.

Hosting an international event of Expo 2030’s magnitude requires significant infrastructure. Saudi Arabia’s eagerness to win the bid has played a pivotal role in accelerating the implementation of Vision 2030’s goals. 

The Kingdom has already allocated a budget of $7.8 billion to investments for Riyadh in anticipation of the expo. More broadly, Vision 2030 aims to reach $3.3 trillion in national-level investments by the end of this decade. 

Riyadh Expo 2030 also presents a golden opportunity to attract foreign investment, contributing to the economic diversification goal of Vision 2030.

These reforms have been progressively introduced since the initial announcement of the Vision in 2016, beginning with modest changes that have since evolved into substantial and far-reaching transformative reforms.

A significant turning point occurred on Oct. 24, 2017, when the crown prince delivered a groundbreaking speech at the Future Investment Forum, where he unveiled NEOM, a colossal $500-billion megacity project, and underlined the Kingdom’s commitment to “modern Islam.”

Less than a year later, on Apr. 18, 2018, the Kingdom lifted its longstanding ban on movie theaters, marking a crucial first step toward restructuring its cultural landscape. Mere months later, on June 24, 2018, Riyadh went one step further and lifted the decades-old prohibition on women driving. 

The latter move proved a milestone in its journey toward societal progress and proof of the Kingdom’s willingness to enact hitherto unimaginable changes.

While some may view these reforms as long overdue, they are monumental for Saudi Arabia, and set the stage for the momentous change Vision 2030 envisages, fundamentally transforming the Kingdom’s society and economy. 

For decades, Saudi Arabia welcomed precious few tourists besides pilgrims. Its economy was also far from diversified or dynamic, relying almost solely on the revenue generated from oil exports. All this has begun to change rapidly in just a few short years.

Today, the Kingdom hopes to draw millions of visitors from around the world to expand its growing tourism sector, which has seen record growth since the start of this decade, while fulfilling Vision 2030’s objective of creating more employment opportunities for Saudi citizens. 

Central to Vision 2030, this initiative has provided the world with a unique opportunity to explore a land that was once shrouded in mystery.

Aside from catering to tourists seeking leisure in its many luxury resorts, Saudi Arabia has also shone a spotlight on its cultural and historical heritage sites, which were previously difficult for foreign tourists or even archaeologists to access. 

On Feb. 10, 2019, the Kingdom took a momentous step by unveiling the ancient oasis of AlUla, inviting tourists to experience its rich history and cultural heritage firsthand. 

Riyadh Expo 2030 would act as a platform for Saudi Arabia to share its history, traditions, and cultural diversity with the world, promoting cross-cultural understanding and supporting Vision 2030’s cultural preservation goals.

The Kingdom promises the expo will become the “first environmentally friendly exhibition that achieves zero” carbon emissions, Riyadh Expo 2030 team member Nouf Bint Majid Al-Muneef said in a speech delivered to BIE. 

The goal to host a zero-carbon emission expo also aligns with Vision 2030’s commitment to clean energy and sustainability. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia aims to derive 50 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2030.

BIE member states will choose the host country for World Expo 2030 at their 173rd General Assembly scheduled for November this year. 

If Saudi Arabia wins, it will seize the opportunity to showcase its technological advancements, and the sweeping cultural and societal changes that Vision 2030 has accomplished in less than a decade.


Waste not, want not: Misk Global Forum touts benefits of recycling to businesses and environment

Updated 20 November 2024
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Waste not, want not: Misk Global Forum touts benefits of recycling to businesses and environment

  • ‘Waste is the gold of the 21st century,’ says founder of pioneering initiative that transforms fish and ocean waste into sustainable textiles
  • Meanwhile, another project has worked with more than 200 farmers to plant 200,000 trees and regenerate 370 acres of land

RIYADH: The world’s economy is shifting towards a state in which sustainability and circularity will no longer be considered optional extras but the baseline for how we operate, experts said at the Misk Global Forum in Riyadh on Tuesday.

During a panel discussion titled “A Circular Revolution,” the participants explored ways in which waste materials can be reused or recycled to help achieve a circular economy that is beneficial to the environment while also generating profits.

“Waste is the gold of the 21st century,” said Moemen Sobh, the Egyptian founder and CEO of Visenleer, described as the first initiative of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa region, which transforms fish and ocean waste into sustainable textiles.

Noting that the fashion industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions than the oil and gas industries, he added: “By 2030, 50 percent of the gas emissions will be because of fashion.” Meanwhile, Egypt has a water deficit of 7 billion cubic meters a year and could run out of the vital resource as soon as 2025, UNICEF warned in 2021.

Sobh said his passion for finding sustainable solutions to these problem stems from his heritage as part of a northern Egyptian family descended from a long line of fishermen. So he decided to launch an initiative that buys fish waste that was being collected in plastic bags and dumped into freshwater sources, and instead use it to produce a more environmentally friendly alternative to animal and faux leather.

Through Visenleer, Sobh created the first sustainable fashion line in the region that uses only ocean waste to create its materials. He said the traditional tanning process for leather generates 90 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions produced by the fashion industry, so it was important for him to develop an alternative process that uses only glycerin, water and sunlight.

Electronic waste is another major environmental issue, and Alex Mativo, co-founder and CEO of Duck Analytics, spoke about the ways in which old devices can be transformed into products such as jewelry and fashion accessories.

He said he learned early on in his career that the circular economy means “turning something that is obsolete into something really beautiful.”

Mativo, who has been featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, added that Duck Analytics uses data and artificial intelligence to help make the supply chains of global companies, such as Coca Cola and Red Bull, more efficient.

A circular economy, which is one based on the reuse and regeneration of materials or products, is beneficial both for businesses and the planet because it helps to reduce waste and generate profit, he said.

Louise Mabulo is the founder of the Cacao Project, an initiative that helps farmers build sustainable, resilient livelihoods through agroforestry, which involves the integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems to create environmental, economic and social benefits for farmers and communities.

“Food systems account for 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions,” she said. The Cacao Project has worked with more than 200 farmers to plant almost 200,000 trees and regenerate more than 370 acres of land, she added. And that is not all.

“All of these farmers are being upskilled into businessmen and they are using agricultural waste; they are using cacao pods to make chocolate products and using that to create an income but also create economic benefits for themselves and for their communities, to protect them against storms and to provide better food,” Mabulo said.

As young innovators seek to develop sustainable solutions to environmental challenges, she said that “sometimes looking into the future requires looking back into the past.”

Rather than focusing only on new technologies, Mabulo added, knowledge of many solutions that can help solve the world’s problems already exists within communities.

“The key lies in unlocking them and finding innovative ways to marry ancestral knowledge or the resources we have with science, with facts, being able to communicate it well, and being able to talk to the communities in a language that they understand, and serve that gap.”


MoU signed to establish Saudi-Brazilian Coordination Council in Rio de Janeiro

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira sign the MoU in Rio de Janeiro.
Updated 19 November 2024
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MoU signed to establish Saudi-Brazilian Coordination Council in Rio de Janeiro

  • Kingdom’s foreign minister visited Brazil to attend the G20 Summit that ended on Tuesday
  • Prince Faisal and Vieira reviewed relations between their countries and ways to develop them

RIYADH: A memorandum of understanding to establish the Saudi-Brazilian Coordination Council was signed by the foreign ministers of both countries in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, Saudi Press Agency reported.

The agreement was signed during a meeting between Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

It is a “continuation of what was agreed upon between the leaderships of the two countries during the visit of the President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to the Kingdom on November 30, 2023,” SPA said.

The Kingdom’s foreign minister visited Brazil to attend the G20 Summit that ended on Tuesday.

Prince Faisal and Vieira reviewed relations between their countries and ways to develop them. They also discussed regional and international developments and efforts made in this regard.


Saudi entrepreneurs present expertise at Misk forum in Riyadh

Updated 19 November 2024
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Saudi entrepreneurs present expertise at Misk forum in Riyadh

  • Passion alone won’t build a business, says Prepline CEO Essa Behbehani

RIYADH: “If you don’t channel your passion for executing a business, then you simply have a hobby,” Essa Behbehani said at the Misk Global Forum on Tuesday.

The CEO of Prepline, a food and beverage investment and development company, made the statement during the panel discussion “Dream, Do, Dare: The Entrepreneur’s Cookbook,” which discussed core business skills, provided guidance on overcoming common startup challenges, and offered essential advice on scaling enterprises through funding.

"In a business, the most important factors are the product, resistance, and community approval." (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)

“Passion is one of the main elements you need to build a business on, but it is not the main element,” Behbehani said.

He outlined the four key roles in business success, saying: “You are either an investor, manager, developer, or craftsman. Each one needs the other element to succeed.”

HIGHLIGHTS

• The eighth Misk Global Forum, designed to encourage dialogue and exchange of ideas, is showcasing Misk Foundation’s dedication to engaging young minds.

• On Tuesday, Essa Behbehani and Abdullah Al-Saleem discussed core business skills, provided guidance on overcoming common startup challenges, and offered essential advice on scaling enterprises through funding.

Reflecting on the evolution of business fundamentals over two decades, Behbehani noted a significant shift, and added: “Back then, (around) 2003 to 2004, the most important elements in a business were the product, resistance, and community approval.”

"In a business, the most important factors are the product, resistance, and community approval." (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)

Behbehani noted that at that time, entrepreneurs like himself lacked marketing knowledge and did not have modern tools like social media to promote their businesses.

However, today’s business landscape demands different priorities, and he said: “These skill sets that you have need to be transferred into three main elements: You need to have a mindset, speed, and quality of product.

"In a business, the most important factors are the product, resistance, and community approval." (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)

“Mindset nowadays is everything — without a mindset, you can never grow a business.”

He cautioned current entrepreneurs about the limitations of focusing solely on product excellence, asking: “What are you going to do with an amazing product without the right mindset and the right speed to execute it?”

"In a business, the most important factors are the product, resistance, and community approval." (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)

During the same session, Abdullah Al-Saleem, the CEO and co-founder of Mushtari, a platform for business acquisition, shared valuable insights on when and how entrepreneurs should seek guidance for their ventures.

“Every time is the right time to seek help,” Al-Saleem said, highlighting the importance of continuous learning and consultation in business development.

He advocated for a two-pronged approach to seeking advice, distinguishing between general business consultants and industry-specific experts.

He added: “There are two people you have to seek help from: People that know generally about the industry, and people that know specifically about the industry.”

Using the restaurant business as an example, Al-Saleem described how he would consult general business experts for fundamentals like “hiring, culture, (and) cash flow,” while seeking industry-specific guidance for specialized operations.

However, gathering advice, he said, was just the first step. He noted that it was crucial to ensure team involvement in implementing recommendations.

He said: “When I take all these ideas or all these bits of advice, I brainstorm it with the team.”

This collaborative approach ensured that potential solutions were thoroughly evaluated before implementation, he said.

Al-Saleem further emphasized the importance of practical application through trial and error, and he always involved his team in the process.

He added: “They are the engine of the business and without the team, there is no business.”

 


Saudi Arabia, China, Iran meet to advance Beijing Agreement

Updated 19 November 2024
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Saudi Arabia, China, Iran meet to advance Beijing Agreement

  • Efforts focus on regional stability, economic collaboration

RIYADH: The second meeting of the Saudi-Chinese-Iranian Joint Tripartite Committee to follow up on the Beijing Agreement was held in Riyadh on Tuesday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed bin Abdulkarim Elkhereiji chaired the meeting, with Vice Foreign Minister of China Deng Li and Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht Ravanchi present.

The Saudi and Iranian representatives reaffirmed their commitment to fully implementing the Beijing Agreement and strengthening neighborly relations through adherence to the UN Charter, the Charter of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and international law, emphasizing respect for sovereignty, independence, and security.

Saudi Arabia and Iran also welcomed China’s ongoing positive role and emphasized the importance of its support in following up on the Beijing Agreement’s implementation. China reiterated its readiness to encourage further steps by both nations to enhance their relationship in various fields.

The three countries praised the progress in Saudi-Iranian relations, highlighting the significance of direct communication at all levels and the opportunities for mutual cooperation amid regional tensions that threatened global and regional security.

They noted the progress in consular services, enabling over 87,000 Iranian pilgrims to perform Hajj and more than 52,000 to perform Umrah securely in 2024.

They also welcomed the first meeting of the Saudi-Iranian Joint Media Committee and the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Prince Saud Al-Faisal Institute for Diplomatic Studies and Iran’s Institute for Political and International Studies.

Saudi Arabia and Iran expressed their readiness to sign a double taxation avoidance agreement and, along with China, looked forward to expanding economic and political cooperation.

The three nations called for an immediate end to Israeli aggression in Palestine and Lebanon, and condemned violations of Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

They stressed the need for uninterrupted humanitarian aid to Palestine and Lebanon and warned that continued violence posed serious threats to regional and global security, including maritime safety.

They also reaffirmed their support for a comprehensive political solution in Yemen, in line with internationally recognized principles under UN auspices.


Saudi Arabia foreign minister urges a balanced energy transition at G20 Summit session

Updated 19 November 2024
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Saudi Arabia foreign minister urges a balanced energy transition at G20 Summit session

  • Prince Faisal outlined three pillars for effective energy transition during a discussion at the G20 Summit

RIO DE JANEIRO: Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister highlighted the importance of a balanced, inclusive approach to energy transition while ensuring global energy security and sustainable development at a Group of 20 session on Tuesday, Saudi Press Agency reported.

Prince Faisal was leading the Kingdom’s delegation during a session titled “Sustainable Development and Energy Transition,” SPA added.

Energy security represented a global challenge and an obstacle to development and poverty eradication, the minister said, calling for energy plans that considered each country’s circumstances and development needs.

Prince Faisal outlined three pillars for effective energy transition: Ensuring energy security, maintaining access to affordable energy, and achieving environmental sustainability.

He said that the transition required significant investment and time to maintain market stability while ensuring fairness and inclusivity.

Prince Faisal also highlighted the role of technological innovation in managing emissions and environmental impacts.

He said that Saudi Arabia’s investments in innovative technologies had resulted in one of the world’s lowest emissions intensity rates in oil and gas operations, adding that the Kingdom was also advancing its renewable energy goals, aiming for 50 percent of electricity generation from renewables by 2030.

Prince Faisal added that the Kingdom was also expanding its clean hydrogen production and implementing the circular carbon economy framework to repurpose emissions into valuable products.

During his address, the prince also outlined Saudi Arabia’s commitment to global sustainability through its flagship initiatives, the Saudi Green and Middle East Green programs, which are tailored to the country’s development needs.

He called for enhanced international cooperation to ensure energy transitions were equitable, inclusive and supportive of global development goals.

Prince Faisal expressed Saudi Arabia’s appreciation for Brazil’s leadership of the G20 in 2024 and extended well wishes to South Africa as it assumes the presidency in 2025, SPA reported.