Saudi Arabia, China emerge as comprehensive strategic partners as Chinese President Xi Jinping wraps up state visit

Special Saudi Arabia, China emerge as comprehensive strategic partners as Chinese President Xi Jinping wraps up state visit
Chinese President Xi Jinping was received by King Salman. (SPA)
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Updated 10 December 2022
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Saudi Arabia, China emerge as comprehensive strategic partners as Chinese President Xi Jinping wraps up state visit

Saudi Arabia, China emerge as comprehensive strategic partners as Chinese President Xi Jinping wraps up state visit
  • Agreement reached on harmonizing Vision 2030 with Belt and Road Initiative and boosting non-oil trade
  • Deepening ties with China does not mean the Kingdom is turning its back on the US, says Saudi foreign minister

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and China agreed to strengthen their strategic relations and expand commercial ties during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s three-day state visit to the Kingdom.

Xi and his delegation held talks with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and the heads of key ministries, resulting in 35 memorandums of understanding and deals worth $30 billion.

The two sides signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement, committing to support each other’s core interests, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to defend the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of states.

Addressing the media at the conclusion of Xi’s visit on Friday, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the Saudi minister of foreign affairs, said the deepening of relations with China did not mean the Kingdom was turning its back on the US and other Western allies.




China is Saudi Arabia’s largest trading partner. (SPA)

He said: “Saudi Arabia’s main focus is how to grow economically, and through the work with strategic partners we will continue to find ways to enhance bilateral cooperation with all.

“The Kingdom is a member of the G20 and is aiming to become one of the top 15 economies globally. We have to be open to cooperation with everyone.

“There is no doubt that working together with the second largest economy in the world is vital to Saudi Arabia’s growth, but that does not mean that we cannot continue to work with the world’s largest economy.

“We strive to work with all large economies and others around the world. By working with various partners, it will ensure the transition of the Kingdom to another level of growth that cannot happen by declining opportunities from one country to another.

“We have to be open to cooperating with others and that has been the Kingdom’s philosophy to achieve mutual interests.”

The Saudi side reaffirmed its adherence to the one-China principle during the summit, while the Chinese side expressed support for the Kingdom in maintaining its security and stability, and rejected any attacks targeting civilians, civilian infrastructure, territories, and Saudi interests.

“We look to enhance our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with China and find means to develop it beyond trade,” said Prince Faisal. “The partnership supports the Kingdom’s development and serves its interests.”

Regarding regional and international issues, the two sides welcomed the first China-GCC Summit and the first Arab-Chinese Summit, both of which were also held in Riyadh on Friday.

The two sides stressed the importance of enhancing cooperation through the high-level Saudi-Chinese Joint Committee to achieve common goals, enhance cooperation, and intensify communication between government and private sectors.

Both sides stressed the importance of stability in the global oil markets and agreed to explore common investment opportunities in petrochemicals, and to enhance cooperation in solar, wind, and other sources of renewable energy.

They also agreed to cooperate on hydrocarbons, energy efficiency, localization of energy sector components and supply chains, in addition to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and the development of technologies like artificial intelligence.

In particular, the delegations stressed the importance of deepening cooperation with regard to the Belt and Road Initiative, including involvement in energy and investment partnerships and making use of the Kingdom’s location as a regional center.

The two sides welcomed the signing of the “harmonization plan” between the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 social reform and economic diversification agenda and China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Xi announced the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative — formerly known as One Belt One Road — in 2013.

The initiative sets out to connect the markets and manufacturers of East Asia to those of Europe via a vast logistical and digital network running through Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa in a modern-day reimagining of the ancient Silk Road.

China’s Belt and Road Initiative shares the same goal of boosting interconnectivity through cooperation in energy, trade, investment and technology as Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 agenda, launched in 2016 by the Saudi crown prince.

FASTFACTS

Saudi and Chinese officials signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement, committing to support each other’s core interests.

• Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the Saudi minister of foreign affairs, said deepening ties with China did not mean the Kingdom is turning its back on the US.

• Chinese President Xi Jinping and his delegation took part in summits on Friday with GCC representatives and Arab heads of state.

China is Saudi Arabia’s largest trading partner. According to Reuters news agency, bilateral trade between the two countries hit $87.3 billion in 2021, with Chinese exports to the Kingdom reaching $30.3 billion and China’s imports from Saudi Arabia totaling $57 billion.

China’s main exports to Saudi Arabia are textiles, electronics and machinery, while China mainly imports crude oil and primary plastics from the Kingdom. In the first 10 months of 2022, China’s Saudi oil imports reached 1.77 million barrels per day, valued at $55.5 billion, according to Chinese customs data.

The delegations agreed to boost the volume of non-oil trade, increase joint investments, expand capacity for commercial airlines, motivate private sector investment, and create an attractive investment environment.




The two sides stressed the importance of enhancing cooperation through the high-level Saudi-Chinese Joint Committee to achieve common goals. (SPA)

In particular they agreed to deepen cooperation in the automotive industry, supply chains, logistics, water desalination, infrastructure, manufacturing, mining, and the financial sector.

The Saudi side said it hopes to attract Chinese expertise to participate in the Kingdom’s forthcoming mega-projects, and for Chinese companies to open regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia.

The two sides also welcomed agreements concerning hydrogen energy, the judiciary, Chinese language education, housing, direct investment, radio and television, the digital economy, economic development, standardization, the news media, tax administration, and anti-corruption.

The Chinese delegation also expressed its keenness to deepen investment cooperation in the digital economy and green development, enhance cooperation in e-commerce, and explore means of joint economic and trade cooperation with Africa.

Regarding the shared challenge of climate change, the Chinese delegation welcomed the Kingdom’s Saudi Green Initiative and Middle East Green Initiative and expressed its support for Saudi Arabia’s application of the circular carbon economy.

They also agreed to urge developed countries to take their historic responsibilities seriously, through the fulfillment of their obligations by greatly reducing emissions before the target date, and to tangibly help developing countries through financial, technical, and capacity-building support.

The two sides stressed the need to strengthen partnership in communications, digital economy, innovation, and space, to achieve better digital infrastructure for the future generations in both countries.

They also stressed the importance of enhancing cooperation and joint action on developing the air and sea transport sectors, modern transport modes and railways, and expediting the completion of studies on the Saudi land bridge project.

Both delegations affirmed their determination to develop cooperation in defense to combat organized crime, terrorism, and cybercrimes.

They also stressed the importance of strengthening health cooperation to combat current and future health threats and pandemics, and agreed to develop cooperation in the areas of heritage, culture, sport, tourism, and science.


Red Sea ecosystem’s ‘pristine’ preservation requires global attention, says director of new documentary

Red Sea ecosystem’s ‘pristine’ preservation requires global attention, says director of new documentary
Updated 02 October 2023
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Red Sea ecosystem’s ‘pristine’ preservation requires global attention, says director of new documentary

Red Sea ecosystem’s ‘pristine’ preservation requires global attention, says director of new documentary
  • Red Sea project and NEOM bringing scientists together to provide information as the development of tourism is being planned

LONDON: The Red Sea should be the most pristine sea in the world but its ecosystem also contains ancient endangered species and this should be treated as a global issue, according to the director of a new documentary.

The film, “RED, A sea worth protecting,” highlights the efforts of scientists and conservationists to save endangered species including the dugong, turtles and sharks, listed under the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list of threatened species.

“The point we are trying to make is that it is a global issue and you can have what is supposed to be the most pristine place in the world, like the Red Sea, which is a very strong sea, (but) you still have problems and it’s important that the governments, officials, policymakers, NGOs and scientists communicate that and do something accordingly,” said Philip Hamilton, the film’s director.

“It’s one planet, the species migrate and they move (and) the problems of either coral bleaching, temperature rising or acidity is actually a global problem,” he told Arab News on the sidelines of a preview screening in London hosted by the Saudi embassy to the UK.

“So when we look at, for instance, the Red Sea, we should think about how we can protect the migratory species, how we can protect the pollution, moving from one place to another due to currents.”

Above, Philip Hamilton, director of ‘RED, A sea worth protecting’. (Supplied)

The documentary, produced by UK-based Ocean Souls Films, focuses on ocean conservation. It starts with an introduction to the history of the Red Sea and its geography, highlighting its exceptional coral formations, mangrove forests and seagrass beds.

The film moves on to more specific details about the extraordinary, but critically endangered, marine species that make the Red Sea their home and provides an insight into what should be one of the “least concerning” seas in the world.

It follows the inspiring journey of a group of people dedicating their lives to protecting the Red Sea, sharing their frustrations and sacrifices, and their achievements and hopes.

“Even in the most remote places — thousands of kilometers south of the Antarctic Peninsula, you couldn’t possibly imagine that (after testing) certain animals who have never seen humans are infected with metals and microplastics and so on,” said the filmmaker, photographer and author.

The crew began filming the documentary — being presented at major international film festivals and soon to become available on social media channels — during the COVID-19 pandemic, which provided an opportunity to work in locations that would otherwise be crowded or full of tourists.

The Red Sea is a narrow strip of water lying between Africa and Asia, and which connects Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, Israel, Eritrea and Djibouti.

Hamilton said that the team worked extensively with Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, which is doing extensive work via their coral research and development accelerator platform — launched in 2020 during the Kingdom’s presidency of the G20 to fast-track research and development solutions to save the world’s corals.

“I know they are doing a lot (and) the reality is that they are top in the world in terms of the technology, the know-how, and the people they have,” said Hamilton, who has more than 30 years diving and sailing experience and has documented most marine animals on the planet.

“When you highlight the work of one scientist or one NGO, it’s very important for me that it inspires other people around the world because then you have the leverage effect that you really want,” he said.

“It’s great if you are an inspiration and you do great work in one place, and then you are being copied 100 times around the world and you have a real important effect.

“I would love to see KAUST or plenty of other organizations be better known, not only by the scientific community, but people need to see all the great work they are doing.”

Hamilton called on the global community to increase collaboration and implement more marine protected areas. There was a need to replicate what happened in the Galapagos, Malpelo, Cocos and Coiba, he said, “where four countries got together and united to protect their own different individual zones and created one large corridor for species to migrate and be protected” throughout the migratory year.

“I think that’s what we need going forward,” he said. “We need countries to cooperate and go and act together.”

Hamilton was speaking with particular reference to the UAE’s hosting of the UN Climate Change Conference, also known as COP28, which will be held in November. The UAE will be the second consecutive Arab country to stage the annual global gathering, after Egypt held it last year in the resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh, which also lies on the Red Sea.

“We need to protect certain species before it’s too late,” Hamilton said, calling for more integrated planning. “I would expect not only this film to inspire solutions, but for instance, if you want to further develop your tourism, have a look at what could be causing certain problems to certain species, so when you grow, you do it properly.”

Hamilton said the Red Sea project and NEOM were bringing scientists together to provide information as the development of tourism was being planned.

Territorial waters extended to a limit of 12 nautical miles, he said. After that, areas were considered exclusive economic zones but there was a lack of sufficient marine protection laws protecting them.

“When we think about nature, we need to think about no borders, no frontiers, no passports, no visas, no religion, no race. We need to think about the animals and ecosystems in a totally different way.

“But from there to implementing high seas policies and (doing this) worldwide, it is very, very hard (and) that’s a little bit frustrating,” he said.


Saudi artist expresses faith, culture at Kosovo exhibition

Saudi artist expresses faith, culture at Kosovo exhibition
Updated 02 October 2023
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Saudi artist expresses faith, culture at Kosovo exhibition

Saudi artist expresses faith, culture at Kosovo exhibition
  • Ghadeer Hafez has hints of blue on black and white paintings, which portrays ‘hope’ when turning humbly to God

Jeddah: Saudi Arabia’s Ghadeer Hafez says her recent exhibition in Kosovo showcases her belief that faith can restore balance, meaning and purity in one’s life.

Her work was displayed at the Euro Kosovo International Art Festival from Sept. 22 to 29, which was held under the title “My Creative World in Kosovo,” and featured the output of 30 renowned artists from 20 countries.

Hafez was the only artist from Saudi Arabia invited to participate in the festival by Kosovo’s Ministry of Culture.

In an interview with Arab News recently, she said: “I am very keen to represent my country in international artistic forums around the world, and I consider this an integral part of my duty toward my country as a Saudi citizen and visual artist.”

In her latest work, Hafez departed from her previous style — characterized by vibrant colors depicting the hustle and bustle of life — with hints of blue on largely stark black and white paintings.

“We may get confused sometimes, but we find ourselves when we return to God. The works were dressed in two colors, black and white, as it distinguishes between the psychological state that a person experiences when he elevates his heart with God and a little ... the blue color is an expression of hope in life.”

“The goal of my artistic works is the human being and how God takes care of him.”

Hafez also believes that her work expresses Saudi Arabia culture, which she says speaks to all areas of life.


Saudi Arabia’s chief of staff meets Bahraini counterpart in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia’s chief of staff meets Bahraini counterpart in Riyadh
Updated 02 October 2023
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Saudi Arabia’s chief of staff meets Bahraini counterpart in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia’s chief of staff meets Bahraini counterpart in Riyadh

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s chief of staff held discussions with his Bahraini counterpart on Sunday in Riyadh, and the two officials also visited the injured Bahraini soldiers receiving treatment in the capital.

During the meeting, Saudi Arabia’s Lt. Gen. Fayyad bin Hamid Al-Ruwaili and Bahrain’s Lt. Gen. Dhiyab bin Saqr Al-Nuaimi discussed ways to strengthen ties on the military front, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The generals later visited the Bahraini soldiers who were injured in the Houthi drone attack on their positions last week, at Prince Sultan Military Medical City.

Al-Nuaimi wished the soldiers a speedy recovery.


Saudia reveals bold rebranding for a tech-infused future

Saudia reveals bold rebranding for a tech-infused future
Updated 02 October 2023
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Saudia reveals bold rebranding for a tech-infused future

Saudia reveals bold rebranding for a tech-infused future
  • Top official says new look represents airline’s commitment to digital advancement
  • Saudia introduces option for female passengers to request seating next to other females

RIYADH: The unveiling of a new brand identity for Saudi Arabian Airlines is more than a change in its appearance, as according to a top official it is but a part of a huge transformation in the company’s approach in line with the ongoing digital transformation.

Khaled Tash, group chief marketing officer at Saudia, told Arab News on Sunday the new look represented the airline’s commitment to digital advancement and an array of new services and products in the pipeline.

He said the rebranding signifies the company’s embrace of the developing tech industry, reflecting the Kingdom’s broader ambitions.

The official said: “This is not about changing our logo or changing our colors.” It is, he added, more about improving our services and introducing new products.

“We are very keen to accelerate the transition…the overall reaction from the market” has been overwhelming, Tash said.

Elaborating on how the update reinforces the airline’s digital transformation, Tash noted that Saudia stands out as one of the pioneering airlines in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa to integrate artificial intelligence into its customer experience.

“The Travel Companion is an AI-driven personal aide. When users access the Saudia app, it intuitively recognizes them without requiring manual data input and promptly aids with all travel-related queries,” elaborated Tash.

Highlighting its capabilities, he mentioned that users can ask Saudia’s travel companion bot for holiday recommendations, which will engage in an interactive dialogue to understand preferences before offering tailored suggestions.

Additionally, users can seamlessly book their flights directly within the chat interface when conversing with the travel companion, eliminating the need to navigate away from the conversation.

The AI-driven bot is slated for launch by the end of this year, coinciding with an enhanced version of the airline’s application.

“Digital transformation is not just a buzzword that we use, we aim to improve the customer experience using new innovations,” Tash stated.

He elaborated that, guided by that motto, the company has pinpointed 260 features and services for introduction or enhancement if they already exist.

The airline has also launched a VIP meet-and-greet service. Tash expects this addition to boost revenue from booking services by 10 percent.

In alignment with Arab culture, the airline has introduced an option for female passengers to request seating next to other female passengers on specific, long-duration flights.

Tash said the unprecedented growth in the Kingdom’s tourism sector is also proving to be fruitful for the airline and it is part of the ongoing transformation. He specifically mentioned the fact that Saudia is the first airline to begin operations to and from the Red Sea International Airport.

The marketing head also revealed that the airline has ambitious goals to more than triple its passenger count over the next seven years.

Clarifying the shift in Saudia’s vision, Tash mentioned that historically, the airline’s objective was to connect the Kingdom’s citizens to the world. However, the current goal emphasizes bringing the world to Saudi Arabia.


AlUla Date Festival garners $1.6m in auction sales

AlUla Date Festival garners $1.6m in auction sales
Updated 02 October 2023
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AlUla Date Festival garners $1.6m in auction sales

AlUla Date Festival garners $1.6m in auction sales
  • Events will take place every Friday and Saturday through Nov. 11
  • The first-place, 2nd-place and 3rd-place winnerswill get prizes worth SAR 75,000, SAR 50,000 and SAR 30,000, respectively

RIYADH: The AlUla Date Festival has garnered SR6 million ($1.6 million) in auction sales since it began on Sept. 8, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

Organized by the Royal Commission for AlUla, the annual event is a celebration of the region’s culture and a boon for the economy. Events take place every Friday and Saturday until Nov. 11.

Now in its fourth edition, it includes awards for farmers for the quantity and value of their produce sold.

The winners will be selected by the royal commission, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, National Center for Palm and Dates, and Agricultural Development Fund.

The first-place winner will get SR75,000 ($19,997), while the second- and third-place finishers will receive SR50,000 and SR30,000 respectively.