Leaders thank Kingdom for hosting first Saudi-African Summit to boost ties and promote stability

Heads of state pose for a family photo at the Saudi-African Summit in Riyadh. (SPA)
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Updated 10 November 2023
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Leaders thank Kingdom for hosting first Saudi-African Summit to boost ties and promote stability

  • Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman tells them there is a desire to enhance cooperation in a way that can contribute to regional and international security and peace
  • African leaders welcomed the opportunity to forge closer ties with the Kingdom, with many highlighting the benefits this can have for political and economic stability

RIYADH: Leaders from more than 50 countries gathered in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on Friday for the first Saudi-African Summit. 

The one-day event aimed to further develop relations and cooperation between the Kingdom and nations in Africa, and promote strategic partnerships.

Jasem Albudaiwi, secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, said the summit takes place during a time of serious developments in the region. This was also highlighted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his opening speech to the event, in which he referred to the desire of the Kingdom and African countries to enhance cooperation in a way that can contribute to regional and international security and peace.

Condemning Israel’s military offensive and targeting of civilians in Gaza and the continuing violations of international humanitarian law by Israeli forces, the crown prince stressed the need to end the war and the forced displacement of Palestinians, and create the conditions required for stability and peace.

More than 11,000 Palestinians, nearly half of them children, have been killed by Israeli assaults in the Gaza Strip, according to the Gazan health ministry, since Hamas launched its surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, chair of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council, said that Saudi Arabia always seeks to establish strategic partnerships with other countries, particularly African states, to enhance investment opportunities and improve political and economic stability.

Sudan will remain supportive of the Saudi-African partnership, he added, as he expressed gratitude for the Kingdom’s continuing concern for Sudan’s security, stability and unity.

The president of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohammed Al-Menfi, said the Saudi-African Summit would help to build bridges of economic cooperation, “given the Kingdom’s immense capabilities and prestigious status.”

Alassane Ouattara, the president of Ivory Coast, said the summit reflected the Kingdom’s solid commitment to supporting the development of African countries. He also called for a cease-fire in Gaza and lasting peace between the Israelis and Palestinians based on a two-state solution.

Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said his country works with Saudi Arabia to secure opportunities that can boost stability and prosperity. He thanked the Kingdom for supporting economic reforms and political stability in Somalia, to help tackle numerous challenges the country faces, including drought, and enhance counterterrorism efforts. He also addressed the conflict in Gaza, calling for an immediate cease-fire and the delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need.

Ismail Omar Guelleh, the president of Djibouti, praised the Kingdom for taking the initiative to host the summit, which he said reflects Saudi Arabia’s prominent position in the region and the international community, its political weight, and its great economic influence.

It represents a role model for efforts to keep pace with development initiatives on the African continent, he added, and plays a pivotal role in promoting development in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea Basin.

Azali Assoumani, president of the Comoros, said: “The world is undergoing many important conflicts, with thousands losing their lives and many societies living in fear and poverty. Our country’s economy faces a food crisis, exacerbated by the COVID-19 virus.”

He highlighted the importance of working with intermediaries to help guarantee security and restore hope, and said the Kingdom and African countries have the potential to create an environment in which Africa and its people can benefit from enhanced economic opportunities that provide technological resources and strengthen partnerships.

Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan praised Saudi Arabia’s efforts to establish strong partnerships with nations on the African continent, build joint economic initiatives, and harness the potential of the human resources on both sides. She emphasized the importance of investing in human capital, especially youth, as a road map for development and prosperity.

Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, the president of Mauritania, said the summit will help to promote greater cooperation. It will also help to unify African and Arab positions in solidarity with the Palestinian people, who are being subjected to inhuman crimes including the killing of children and women, he added.

The Kingdom’s religious status, geostrategic location, international influence, and its leading role in supporting sustainable development mean that it is an important partner, especially for African countries, Ghazouani said.

He also commended Saudi Arabia for its leading role in developing major projects and initiatives such as the Middle East Green Initiative, and affirmed his country’s support for the Kingdom to host Expo 2030.

Niger’s prime minister, Ali Lamine Zeine, underlined the importance of enhanced economic cooperation with the Kingdom and the creation of new opportunities for Saudi investors in his country. He highlighted the difficulties his country faces and the relentless efforts being made to address them, enable investment in natural resources, improve relations with neighboring countries, and create an ideal economic zone for attracting investors.

William Ruto, Kenya’s president, thanked the Kingdom for its investments in Africa and called on Saudi economic and commercial authorities to support African institutions and take advantage of the continent’s capabilities to enhance cooperation.

The president of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, confirmed his country’s desire to support relations between Saudi Arabia and African countries. He thanked the Kingdom for its investments in, and support for, his country, and said he appreciates the significant role Saudi Arabia plays in combating poverty in Africa, along with its help in seeking solutions to current international conflicts.

Emmerson Mnangagwa, the president of Zimbabwe, underlined the significance of the summit as the first gathering of its kind to address challenges and work to improve economic balance, and pointed out that the Kingdom is a valuable partner for efforts to achieve stability and peace on the African continent.

He also expressed his concern over the situation in Gaza, including the violations of international humanitarian law and the rights of Palestinians, and called for the revival of a political process to bring about permanent peace in the region.

Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame said Saudi Arabia and African countries share geographic proximity and rapidly growing relationships, and the goals of the summit were to address economic challenges, facilitate trade and boost investment.

Wavel Ramkalawan, the president of the Seychelles, described the summit as an opportunity to address important issues. He said the Kingdom is a strong partner on which Africa can rely to transfer knowledge of ambitious industries that can help to confront the challenges of climate change, and work with to explore other areas of cooperation, as represented by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement to provide unique opportunities to enhance trade, promote and support economic growth and investment.

Guinea’s president, Mamady Doumbouya, stressed the importance of international relationships as the world faces global difficulties and challenges, including food and humanitarian crises, and the threats posed by terrorism and climate change.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the president of Nigeria, hailed the bonds that have helped enhance relations between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and underlined his country’s commitment to attracting business and investments by implementing policies, protecting rights, and strengthening ties with the Kingdom as a strategic partner for regional growth.

He also expressed concern about the current situation in Gaza, praised the Kingdom’s commitment to protecting the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, and stated Nigeria’s support for a peaceful solution to the conflict.

The president of the Central African Republic, Faustin-Archange Touadera, emphasized the importance of efforts to enhance cooperation, investment and development opportunities between Saudi Arabia and African nations, along with investment in national resources and preserving the environment.

Lazarus Chakwera, the president of Malawi, said the Kingdom is a strategic partner for efforts to create exceptional and diverse agendas for investment financing in African nations that aspire to achieve good financial results and strong economic returns from their partnerships with Saudi Arabia.

Malawi has enormous potential in mining, energy and other fields, he added, with a wealth of human resources at its disposal.

Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema said his country continues to seek ties that can help boost the benefits that come from increased wealth, individually or collectively, to achieve prosperity for the entire world.

“Africa has potential for future global energy supplies, green energy and the green economy,” he added, as he praised the Kingdom’s great work in developing green cities and building relations that benefit African countries.

Evariste Ndayishimiye, the president of Burundi, said the summit presents an opportunity to enhance relations between his country and not only Saudi Arabia, but the African continent, by forming fruitful partnerships through the Saudi Fund for Development, especially in the fields of infrastructure, housing, energy, mining, and tourism, among others.

Filipe Nyusi, Mozambique’s president, said his country is rich in natural resources and seeks to improve its infrastructure to help achieve development and growth, including investments in the fields of energy, health and education. The nation is confident that its partnership with the Kingdom will have positive and fruitful results for both sides, he added.

Adama Barrow, president of The Gambia, said: “The Saudi-African Summit confirms the commitment to developing African political and economic ambitions.”

It will produce results that can help ensure the Kingdom and African nations enjoy the benefits of commercial investments and economic sustainability, he added. He also noted that his country offers investment potential in the field of tourism, and development of the digital economy is among its priorities in efforts to achieve the objectives of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and to attract more direct investments.

The chair of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki, said this inaugural summit was needed to help develop effective plans to advance and expand relations at a steady, systematic pace.

“We should have consultations to take joint actions and decisions, and the partnerships between the African continent and the Kingdom should be based on a specific agenda for the next decades,” he added.

Faki also addressed the Palestinian issue, saying: “We are required to develop a very urgent practical plan that embodies the stance of Africa, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Arab world, guaranteeing the rights of the Palestinian people to freedom, dignity, independence, security and stability, for all countries and peoples of the region.”


Sudanese cultural festival begins at Suwaidi Park

Updated 08 November 2024
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Sudanese cultural festival begins at Suwaidi Park

RIYADH: A cultural festival at Suwaidi Park is inviting visitors to explore the rich heritage and traditions of Sudan.

Part of Riyadh Season, the event takes place until Nov. 17 and features Sudanese music, dancing, food and crafts.

Content creator Hamoud Waleed said cultural festivals played a key role in building connections and understanding.

“Events like this are very important because sometimes you can’t go to see their tradition and culture. But when these cultures come to us here … it lets us know more and more about other people, how they live, what their interests are, and how we can engage with them,” he said.

“When we talk about Sudanese culture, it’s beautiful and comes from a very old history and nice heritage, and when it comes to us, it lets us know more about it, and this is exactly what we are seeing here in Suwaidi Park.”

Sudanese nationals make up 6.1 percent of the Kingdom’s population, according to the Saudi Census, so such exhibitions are important in promoting mutual respect and harmony between communities.

Sudanese singer Youssef Khairy highlighted the diversity of his culture, explaining how sharing traditions strengthened bonds between different people.

“Music unites us all, regardless of colors, shapes, languages, religions, or ways of thinking,” he said. “I am here to represent Nubian music, Nubian heritage and the Nubian civilization.”

Live music and dance performances during the festival are bringing Sudanese heritage to life and offering audiences an authentic cultural experience.

Visitor Olaa Abdulnaaem said these, along with the lively atmosphere, and engaging children’s activities, were standout features for her.

Hiam Othman, a Sudanese attire designer, said the festival had significantly promoted her business. “Our products have been well-received, and they reflect our Sudanese culture,” she said.

Riyadh Season 2024 has already drawn 4 million visitors from around the world, according to Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority. He believes the surge in attendance reflects a growing appetite for cultural exploration and new experiences.

The festival is part of the Global Harmony initiative by the Ministry of Media and the General Entertainment Authority, which is aligned with the goals of the Quality of Life Program. The scheme celebrates the Kingdom’s multicultural landscape by highlighting the lives, contributions and cultural integration of its residents.

In the coming weeks, Global Harmony will celebrate a variety of cultures. After the Sudanese festival there will be a Jordanian, Lebanese and Syrian event from Nov. 17-19, Bangladeshi from Nov. 20-23, and Egyptian from Nov. 24-30. 

Launched on Oct. 17, the initiative began with music and dance honoring the culture of Indian expatriates.


KSrelief delivers winter aid and dates to Yemen’s vulnerable

These packages form part of the emergency shelter project in Yemen. (SPA)
Updated 08 November 2024
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KSrelief delivers winter aid and dates to Yemen’s vulnerable

RIYADH: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief has delivered dates and winter shelter to vulnerable people in Yemen, the Saudi Press Agency reported late Thursday.

KSrelief’s volunteers distributed 100 winter bags in Thamud district, Hadhramaut governorate, for 600 individuals from 100 vulnerable families.

These packages form part of the emergency shelter project in Yemen. (SPA)

The aid is a part of the agency’s emergency shelter project in the country.

Meanwhile, 2,459 cartons of dates were delivered in Al-Wadi district, Marib governorate, for the benefit of 14,754 people.


KSrelief continues international relief efforts in Chad, Pakistan

Updated 08 November 2024
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KSrelief continues international relief efforts in Chad, Pakistan

RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has delivered aid to people most in need in Chad and Pakistan, reported the Saudi Press Agency.

Some 201 food parcels, benefiting 1,206 people, were distributed in the village of Sharkaya, in Hajar Lamis province, as part of the 2024 Food Security Support Project in the Republic of Chad.

Aid has also been given to 10,500 vulnerable people in flood-affected areas of Pakistan as part of the fourth phase of KSrelief’s initiative to provide shelter materials and winter bags to the country.


Saudi agency KSrelief delivers food, hygiene kits in Syria

The aid is a part of KSrelief’s projects to support earthquake-affected people in northern Syria. (SPA)
Updated 08 November 2024
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Saudi agency KSrelief delivers food, hygiene kits in Syria

  • The aid is a part of KSrelief’s projects to support earthquake-affected people in northern Syria

RIYADH: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief has distributed food and hygiene kits to thousands of vulnerable people across Syria, the Saudi Press Agency reported late Thursday.

The agency’s volunteers delivered 750 food parcels and 750 hygiene kits in Al-Hasakah, Syria, benefiting 4,500 people.

The aid is a part of KSrelief’s projects to support earthquake-affected people in northern Syria. (SPA)

Meanwhile 745 Syrian families, comprising 2,652 people, in Al-Dana, Idlib governorate, received food and hygiene kits.

The aid is a part of KSrelief’s projects to support earthquake-affected people in northern Syria.


How Google aims to bridge the AI skills gap in Saudi Arabia and the wider region

Updated 08 November 2024
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How Google aims to bridge the AI skills gap in Saudi Arabia and the wider region

  • Backed by local partners, Google will boost AI upskilling for women, youth, migrants, and rural communities
  • The AI Opportunity Initiative aims to equip half a million people across the MENA region with AI skills

DUBAI: As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes industries, job roles and skill requirements, the Middle East and North Africa region is actively embracing advanced technologies and collaborating with tech giants to bridge the skills gap in an evolving labor market.

One such collaboration is with Google’s newly launched AI Opportunity Initiative, which offers training and education opportunities to make AI technologies more accessible and inclusive across the region.

By collaborating with local organizations, the AI Opportunity Initiative seeks to “train half a million people in the next two years,” Anthony Nakache, managing director of Google MENA, told an audience at the recent AI Connect MENA event at Dubai’s Etihad Museum.

To achieve this, Google “will give a grant of $15 million to fund local organizations,” Nakache said.

Najeeb Jarrar, regional director of marketing at Google MENA, told Arab News: “We are very excited about this AI Opportunity Initiative, especially since we are seeing the Saudi community is fully embracing AI both on the consumer side and on the developer and resource side.

“This is an initiative that we have launched globally and we now are bringing to the region. One of the aims of this initiative is how we are leveling the playing field for AI and AI education and skilling across the entire region,” he added, noting that students will learn to use AI more productively, including skills such as prompt engineering.

To bridge the digital divide in the labor market, Google’s AI Opportunity Initiative aims to upskill underserved workers in AI by offering tailored training materials in Arabic, in partnership with the non-profit Manarat, online course provider Coursera, and other organizations.

Google’s largest AI project in the region, the AI Opportunity Initiative will focus on four key areas: AI skills development, research, products, and infrastructure.

DID YOUKNOW?

• The new AI Opportunity Initiative is Google’s largest AI project in the region.

• It aims to equip 500,000 people in the MENA region with AI skills within two years.

• Google is granting $15 million to local organizations between 2024 and 2027.

• The Saudi government is reportedly creating a $40 billion fund to invest in AI.

“We also worked with local NGOs and local players in the market to ensure that we are also reaching out to different partners,” Jarrar said.

Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, has announced plans to contribute $15 million between this year and the end of 2027, providing funding to organizations across the region to ensure accessibility to AI opportunities.

The AI Opportunity Initiative also aims to equip 500,000 people in the MENA region with AI skills in the first two years. This includes students, academics, developers, entrepreneurs and underrepresented groups.

Speaking about the issue of accessibility, Jarrar said: “We wanted to ensure first that this local initiative does not feel like an initiative that is hard to get for the average user.”

Google’s largest AI project in the region, the AI Opportunity Initiative will focus on AI skills development, research, products, and infrastructure. (Supplied)

He pointed out that both language and local partners, such as Injaz and Raspberry Pi Foundation, play a major role in improving accessibility.

“The content is all in Arabic, we have local examples that we are actually able to showcase,” he said. “We are partnering with local partners that know the market and the community very well and are able to reach more people that are beyond what we can initially reach to.”

The AI Opportunity Initiative enables Google to expand the Maharat min Google program, which targets high school and university students, by introducing a new AI curriculum in Arabic.

As part of its mission to support underserved communities, Google.org is funding Village Capital, a non-profit that supports entrepreneurs tackling environmental, social and economic challenges.

Village Capital will equip business support organizations to offer AI upskilling opportunities to underserved workers. 

The program targets women, youth, migrants and rural communities across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Lebanon, Bahrain and Iraq. 

The Raspberry Pi Foundation will use grant funding from Google.org to train teachers in AI literacy, equipping students aged 11-14 in the region with AI safety skills to better understand and navigate the challenges of AI technologies.

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Speaking at the Google AI Connect Event, Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer for Alphabet and Google, said: “AI is estimated to contribute $320 billion in economic growth for the Middle East by 2030.

“Google is working to ensure that people and communities throughout the region have the skills needed to capture the upside of this emerging technology.” 

She added: “Our local non-profit and university partners will help bring this program to people and communities throughout the region, ensuring that everyone can benefit from the opportunities that AI can deliver.”

 Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer for Alphabet and Google, speaking at the Google AI Connect event. (Photo courtesy of Google)

Since 2005, Google has invested more than $400 million in academic research globally.

The tech giant also announced during its Dubai event the launch of new Arabic AI products, including Gemini Live in Arabic, Gemini for Teens, Imagen3, and Gems on Gemini in Arabic. 

“For the previous year, we have worked hard with partners, with experts globally and from the region, to understand what are the constraints that we need to implement to make this product safer for teens, teens aged 13 to 18,” Jarrar said.

“We worked tirelessly to make sure we have the right guardrails to ensure that we had the right controls and the proper Q and A and testing, and today we are happy to say that Gemini for Teens is available for users and teens here in the region.”

These efforts are expected to support Saudi Arabia’s ambition to become an AI leader, ensuring its population stays aligned with the latest developments in the labor market.

A September report by the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence showed that 75 percent of the Saudi population is familiar with the concept of AI, and 64 percent are aware of its applications.