Huge support seen in Davos for Saudi Expo 2030 bid, says Riyadh City’s Fahd Al-Rasheed

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Updated 23 January 2023

Huge support seen in Davos for Saudi Expo 2030 bid, says Riyadh City’s Fahd Al-Rasheed

Huge support seen in Davos for Saudi Expo 2030 bid, says Riyadh City’s Fahd Al-Rasheed
  • Saudi capital is “most exciting place to be” and soon-to-be released strategy will showcase how, he says
  • He tells “Frankly Speaking” he respects the competitors, but is confident of Riyadh city’s Expo 2030 bid

DAVOS: The chief executive of the body overseeing the expansion of the Saudi capital is confident that the rights to host the World Expo in 2030 will go to Riyadh, which he described as “probably the most exciting place to be in the world today.

“It’s very exciting time in the city of Riyadh,” Fahd Al-Rasheed said on “Frankly Speaking,” Arab News’ current affairs talk show that dives deep into regional headlines to speak with leading policymakers and business leaders.

Spelling out the advantages of the Saudi capital has as the Expo 2030 host over its rivals — Odessa, Rome and Busan — he said: “Riyadh is a global city, the 40th largest city economy in the world, with 8 million residents, a third of which are not Saudi. We have over 30 projects in the city. So, I think the world would really enjoy a different experience seeing Riyadh, getting to know its people, enjoying our hospitality and friendliness.”




CEO of the Royal Commission of Riyadh City Fahd Al-Rasheed. 

As CEO of the Royal Commission of Riyadh City, Al-Rasheed’s targets include doubling the city’s population by 2040 and placing the capital among the world’s biggest city economies. “We are developing and putting the final touches on the Riyadh Strategy, which will be announced in a few months after we get the right approvals from the government,” he said. “We’re very excited. We will start by basically pushing the economic engine of the city even further, improving livability and increasing the competitiveness of the city.”

Al-Rasheed spoke to “Frankly Speaking” as he returned from a series of engagements during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos. Asked about any learnings from the summit that might help enhance Riyadh’s Expo bid, he said: “The feedback that we received was incredible. We have friends all around the world, whether at the state government level, on corporates, and on civil society and other sectors. And so, we feel that there is huge support for our bid and huge interest.”




A copy of Saudi Arabia’s “candidature dossier” to organize World Expo 2030 in Riyadh was formally handed over by RCRC CEO Fahd Al-Rasheed to Dimitri Kerkentzes, BIE secretary general, on Sept. 7. (Supplied)

With regard to the bids by Odessa, Rome and Busan, Al-Rasheed acknowledged that they “all have their own cases” and that he has “the utmost respect for their teams’ efforts and their bids.”

Nevertheless, he said: “It’s not about that. We believe Expo 2030 should be about something different. It shouldn’t be just about the site. It shouldn’t be just about experiences within the site. The Expo is moving onto a new level of engagement. We want this Expo to be a global conversation about the future — about how we can manage the challenges and opportunities that the future brings. We want to work with the world.”

Al-Rasheed added: “It’s really a global partnership. That’s why our bid has a theme of ‘Together for a foresighted tomorrow,’ and we are focused on three sub-themes. The first is a different tomorrow. We need to project 2050 and all the challenges it will bring about in terms of technology, but also how to embrace them. The second is climate action. We believe that this is a very important element of tomorrow, and we need to actually address it jointly, not at the level of the state, but at the level of the individual. And third, we believe in prosperity for all, giving everybody in the world the same opportunity.”

Should Riyadh win the Expo 2030 bid, authorities will aim to receive 30 million visitors over a period of six months. The question naturally arises as to whether the city will have enough hotel rooms, taxis and the other facilities needed to host such an event in just seven years. As per Al-Rasheed, the answer in short order is: “Riyadh is ready, ready today.”

He told “Frankly Speaking” host Katie Jensen: “The Riyadh Season, held last year, hosted 20 million people.

“So, we feel that the infrastructure we have in the city of Riyadh, again, a city for 8 million people, is significant and is adequate even for hosting the Expo. Today we have a metro and public transport network that we will open in 2023, and we have all of the facilities required for the Expo bid. On top of that, we’re building one of the largest airports in the world, so we feel quite ready with all of the elements required for the technical elements of the bid.”




Visitors queue outside the Saudi Pavilion on the last day of Expo 2020 in Dubai. (File/AFP)

The Middle East, of course, was the site of Expo 2020, held in the UAE’s commercial capital from October 2021 to March 2022. “There are lots of lessons learned,” Al-Rasheed said when asked to share his thoughts on how Dubai fared. “They set the bar very high, which is great. We’ve learned from their experience, and we’ll incorporate a lot of the learning into our bid and into our project.”

As far as Riyadh’s bid is concerned, Al-Rasheed said: “Our effort is going to be focused not just on the physical visits. Yes, we’ll have 40 million visitors on site. They will have a great curated experience between all of the different pavilions. But we really believe that more people should be engaged. That’s why we made the commitment to invest in the metaverse and bring the Expo to the world. There will be 1 billion visitors in our metaverse, and that will make it the largest participation in the Expo ever.”

Disclosing that some financial assistance would be offered for the construction of pavilions, he said: “We are committed to supporting developing countries in the development of their pavilions, whether it’s financially or even with curating their experiences. We believe that this is a very important element of the Expo, that all of the pavilions should have a minimum level of quality. Our commitment to the world is that you don’t come to the Expo just to see Saudi Arabia and explore Riyadh, but you come to Riyadh to see the world.”

Appearing on “Frankly Speaking” late last year, Simon Anholt, founder of the Good Country Index, said research had shown that events like the World Cup in Qatar do not have a significant impact on a nation’s brand. Al-Rasheed, however, disagrees with the conclusion.

“First and foremost, I want to congratulate our friends in Qatar,” he said. “They did a great job and the whole world was talking about the World Cup experience that they had, and I didn’t get to go. But the people who did said it was an amazing experience.”

Explaining why he thinks countries and cities that are building their brand benefit significantly from hosting a big event, Al-Rasheed said: “If you are already a very well-known city that has millions and millions of visitors like Paris, for example, probably it’s less of an impact on your brand. But the city of Riyadh, now with the country opening to tourism, would benefit significantly, even on a brand basis, from hosting a big event like the Expo. On top of that, there is the socioeconomic benefit of jobs and investment in the site both during and after the hosting of the Expo.”




CEO of the Royal Commission of Riyadh City Fahd Al-Rasheed speaks to “Frankly Speaking” host Katie Jensen. 

Al-Rasheed was categorical in his assertion that the investment needed to host Expo 2030 in order to enhance the image of Riyadh is worth the expected return. “In terms of the investment, the site is a premier site in the city of Riyadh. It’s on The Gateway,” he said.

“We’re going to invest about $8 billion in the development of (the Expo) site, but it is an investment that is integrated into the master plan of the city. We are thinking about that site, not in terms of a site for six months, but exactly what the role of that site will be post-bid. And most of the investment we will make in the site will be actually used later as workspace, as academic institutions, and also focused on entertainment and hospitality. So, the site itself is not just an Expo site. It’s part and parcel of the city of Riyadh.”

Explaining why he wants human engagement, not buildings, to be the main legacy, Al-Rasheed said: “Expos have been typically architectural marvels, or buildings and pavilions. That is the minimum we should offer in the Expo. (But) we would have that and more in our Expo. What we are committing to the world is that this Expo would actually maximize engagement of the citizens of Riyadh and that of the global visitor, and, beyond that, maximize impact through the metaverse.

“We believe that the 1 billion visitors to our metaverse would also be able to engage on the pertinent issues that we should all be dealing with, such as prosperity for all, climate action and a different tomorrow. We are working together for a ‘foresighted tomorrow.’”

Asked what he thought Riyadh is, or would be, most associated with in the mind of the international traveler, in the sense that New Yorkers have the Empire State Building and London has Big Ben, Al-Rashed said that the Saudi city is “a global city,” “the 40th largest city economy in the world,” and “has an 8 million population.

“First and foremost, these cities are not about their buildings. They are about their people. And these citizens and residents are probably the most hospitable people in the world. And what you see in the city of Riyadh is they are working together with our partners all around the world on reshaping the future of Riyadh,” he added.




“Frankly Speaking” host Katie Jensen.

“We have more than 30 projects as we speak today in Riyadh. We’re building the largest single-phase metro and public transport system in the world. We have just announced the largest airport in the world.

“We’re building Al-Ghadeer, which is Entertainment and Theme Park 2.0 in the world. So, it is going to be the largest hub for art, sport and culture. And we are building Diriyah area, which is an example of how to protect, preserve heritage and celebrate it, and many, many, many more things. In the next few years, the city’s livability and excitement is just going to multiply. We are very excited about these times.”

Given that Expo 2030 cannot be separated from Saudi Vision 2030, could the event be an opportunity to rebut critics who have repeatedly said that some of the reform plan’s targets are unattainable or overly ambitious?

Al-Rasheed said: “Vision 2030 is equipment by the country to transform itself. And in some cases, we have actually exceeded what we expected in some of the areas and sectors within Vision 2030.”

He added: “For example, on women’s participation in the workforce, we’ve achieved 37 percent, which is higher than most OECD countries. So, on these key performance indicators that we’ve already achieved or exceeded, we will revise them for those that we have not yet achieved. What we want to achieve, we would actually work harder on them.”

Al-Rasheed said: “You have to understand that Vision 2030 is a transformation led by the whole country, not just by the government. All of us are working across the board. Every Saudi individual is working across the board. Residents who are not Saudi are partaking in this Vision 2030.

“So, we believe that it’s a transformation we should share with the world. And the idea of hosting Expo 2030, which is in the culmination of Vision 2030, is also for us to share with the world our experiences and how we aim to look at the future beyond 2030, 2040 and 2050.”

 

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Bisat Al-Reeh festival returns to Jeddah for 22nd year

Bisat Al-Reeh festival returns to Jeddah for 22nd year
Updated 26 March 2023

Bisat Al-Reeh festival returns to Jeddah for 22nd year

Bisat Al-Reeh festival returns to Jeddah for 22nd year
  • More than 170 exhibitors from 15 countries including Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Turkiye, Egypt, London, India and Jordan are taking part

JEDDAH: One of the biggest festivals in the Islamic world dedicated to women is holding its 22nd event in Jeddah as part of the Kingdom’s Ramadan Season.

The National Charity Foundation for Home Health Care, also known as We Care, is holding its ‘Bisat Al-Reeh’ event for six days starting on Monday at the Jeddah Superdome under the slogan “Everlasting Goodness.” 

The annual exhibition this year has two days for families and four dedicated exclusively for women to promote their creativity in fashion, jewelry and furniture and nurture young talent.

Bisat Al-Reeh is held under the patronage of Princess Adelah bint Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz and in the presence of Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan.

More than 170 exhibitors from 15 countries including Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Turkiye, Egypt, London, India and Jordan are taking part. Uzbekistan will also be represented for the first time. 

We Care said Bisat Al-Reeh encourages entrepreneurs to exchange knowledge and experience with elite society members and promotes the display of various related industrial sectors.

Proceeds have supported We Care charitable programs and activities in home healthcare and hospitals.

Princess Adelah, the chairwoman of the foundation’s board of trustees, told Arab News at last year’s event: “The foundation works for noble goals, as today it serves ten different regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“Its goals fall within providing home health care in addition to providing patients’ psychological and social needs and supporting them with medical equipment and supplies, as well as enhancing the functional capabilities of the patients and supporting them until they regain their independence.”

Ramadan Season also offers a series of cultural experiences and events in Riyadh, Jeddah and Makkah organized by the Saudi Ministry of Culture.

The season aims to celebrate areas of the Kingdom’s historical and cultural heritage that relate to the holy month.


Saudi Arabia participates in Global Children’s Designathon to create sustainable environmental solutions

Saudi Arabia participates in Global Children’s Designathon to create sustainable environmental solutions
Updated 26 March 2023

Saudi Arabia participates in Global Children’s Designathon to create sustainable environmental solutions

Saudi Arabia participates in Global Children’s Designathon to create sustainable environmental solutions
  • The children focused on innovative stories and solutions for protecting the existing ecosystems and tackling some of the environmental issues facing the planet

RIYADH: The Global Children’s Designathon, a competitive program championing design thinking and sustainable environmental solutions, took place on March 25 at King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh.

The Saudi Rukun Creative Exchange partnered with Designathon Works, a developmental and knowledge institution based in Amsterdam concerned with issues of sustainable development, to bring the event to the region.

Princess Noura Turki Al-Saud, co-founder of Rukun Creative Exchange, told Arab News: “As a certified design thinker myself, I see the power in this tool and this method, and I believe in empowering children from as early as possible.

“If we include them in the conversation from early on, they become the change-makers of the future.

“The designathon works in enabling and empowering the ability of all children, no matter their background or their abilities or their race, to be part of this conversation.”

Designathon Works launched the international competitive design program in 2014, and since its inception it has been characterized by its wide geographical scope and diversity of participants.

The task at hand on Saturday was to find ways to restore and enhance biodiversity within the Kingdom.

The children focused on innovative stories and solutions for protecting the existing ecosystems and tackling some of the environmental issues facing the planet today.

The designathon awarded categories based on values rather than a ranking system: problem-solving, the clever mind, the young innovator, and team spirit.

The children, aged 8 to 12, were put into nine groups, launching first into a research and ideation phase, and then determining the main idea and creating a tangible prototype demonstrating its functionality in the real world, before presenting their work to a panel of judges.

Princess Noura said: “I was so impressed by the ideas that [the children] showed, and their enthusiasm more than anything.

“I knew they were very happy and open, and they were very receptive to working together.”

Hussam Al-Saud won the young innovator award after creating a robot that helped with planting seeds across farmlands. Generated by solar panels, his solution utilized the Saudi sun.

He said: “I chose this so I can fulfill the Saudi Vision 2030 for a greener future.”

The problem-solving champions were team one, who prioritized the preservation of wildlife in the desert.

Ibrahim, one of the team’s members, said: “There’s no food for animals in the desert, like snakes and camels. Over 50 animals die of heat exhaustion. We came up with this [idea] where there are seeds on the drone.”

Their theory was that seeds are planted and watered using drones, and the children predicted that in just a few months, the seedlings would sprout, providing a sustainable food supply for the desert animals.

Group six triumphed in the team spirit award, with members inventing a tube that connected rivers in the desert to cities, acting as a main water source.

The children equipped their project with solar panels which chimed in the event of a power outage.

Judges commended the students on their excellent presentation skills and strength in team collaboration.

Team five took the clever mind award after members designed an area, powered by a windmill, where polluted water is treated.

Their study showed what the choices are: neglecting or nurturing the environment.

One of the team’s members said: “Our project shows what happens if you care or do not care about the environment, and informs people to take care of the environment, maybe even make a podcast and show how you can stop this from happening.”

The GCD contributes to developing children’s skills and gives them the space to participate in thinking toward building a better future.

Its values are in line with both the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and initiatives.

Rukun Creative Exchange has revealed plans to make the GCD an ongoing event.

Princess Noura said: “[We’re] looking at doing more throughout the year so it’s not just a one-time thing, but actually keeping it going throughout the year and collaborating with schools and other entities.

“Seeing this today just reinforces how much this needs to become systemized throughout schools and in part of the programs, and even teaching teachers this kind of method.”


KSrelief continues to clear land mines, rehabilitate Yemeni people

KSrelief continues to clear land mines, rehabilitate Yemeni people
Updated 26 March 2023

KSrelief continues to clear land mines, rehabilitate Yemeni people

KSrelief continues to clear land mines, rehabilitate Yemeni people
  • 400k removed from 2018 to mid-March 2023 in the country
  • 45,588 people helped with prosthetic and rehab services

RIYADH: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has continued to provide humanitarian aid to nations across the globe, including education, health, shelter, water, and demining operations, which has recently focused on Yemen.

The Masam project and the prosthetic limb program in Yemen have been able to provide much-needed support for those injured by explosive devices in the country.

Despite the danger, the Masam project teams have cleared 400,000 mines in Yemen from its launch in 2018 to mid-March 2023.

The prosthetic centers have provided over 142,000 services including physical and psychological counseling for those affected. It has benefited 45,588 people in Taiz, Aden, Marib and Seiyun from Jan. 1, 2020, to Feb. 28, 2023.

On the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action on April 4, KSrelief, along with the international community, UN and global organizations, will raise awareness of the dangers of these devices. They will seek collaboration with countries worldwide to help people.

Yemen is among the top beneficiaries of KSrelief assistance. The center has implemented 797 projects in Yemen worth over $4.2 billion.

Its programs include food, health, emergency relief, water, sanitation, shelter, education and telecommunications.


Career guidance on the agenda at Saudi human resources fund, Diriyah workshop

Saudi Human Resources Development Fund’s workshop, held in cooperation with the DGDA, saw participation of 15 education offices.
Saudi Human Resources Development Fund’s workshop, held in cooperation with the DGDA, saw participation of 15 education offices.
Updated 26 March 2023

Career guidance on the agenda at Saudi human resources fund, Diriyah workshop

Saudi Human Resources Development Fund’s workshop, held in cooperation with the DGDA, saw participation of 15 education offices.
  • The workshop aimed at reviewing vocational guidance initiatives and analyzed needs in the education sector
  • It focused on developing plans to be presented to school students and mentors

RIYADH: The Saudi Human Resources Development Fund’s workshop, which was held in cooperation with the Diriyah Gate Development Authority, saw the participation of 15 education offices.

The workshop aimed at reviewing vocational guidance initiatives and analyzed needs in the education sector. It focused on developing plans to be presented to school students and mentors.

Those in charge of the education offices were briefed on the ideas at the event, which took place at the headquarters of the DGDA.

Discussions were also held regarding the skills and needs of the labor sector to help equip students with the necessary capabilities.

Career guidance initiatives aim to empower students through integrated counseling and training, in order to help develop their skills and increase their readiness to enter the labor market.

The workshop was an extension of efforts to consolidate the concept of vocational guidance and its methods to serve the country and society in line with Saudi Vision 2030, which stipulates in its programs and objectives the promotion and development of human capabilities.


European Moroccans to compete in Qur’an recitation contest

European Moroccans to compete in Qur’an recitation contest
Updated 26 March 2023

European Moroccans to compete in Qur’an recitation contest

European Moroccans to compete in Qur’an recitation contest
  • The show, supervised by the GEA and broadcast on MBC1 and the Shahid digital platform, has a total prize pool of SR12 million ($3.2 million)

RIYADH: The third episode of the “Otr Elkalam” TV show’s international Qur’an recitation and adhan competition witnessed a rivalry between European Moroccan contestants in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on Saturday.

In the recitation section, Ahmed Al-Hasnawi, based in France, competed with Mohammed Al-Habti, who lives in Spain, where he leads the prayers at a mosque and teaches children the Holy Qur’an.

Al-Habti, with his voice consistent with the words of the Qur’an and its verses, qualified for the next stage at the expense of Al-Hasnawi, who has participated in several Qur’an recitation competitions in countries including Morocco and the UAE.

In the adhan section, Rayan Hawsawi, a Nigerian who resides in Makkah, emerged victorious over Tariq Deeb, an electrical engineer from Syria. Deeb has regularly raised the adhan in mosques in his country from a young age, but was overcome on Saturday by Hawsawi, whose voice imitates the muazzins of the Grand Mosque in Makkah.

The “Otr Elkalam” competition is designed to highlight the rich diversity of cultures in the Islamic world, and the vocal methods of reciting the Qur’an and raising the call to prayer.

The show, supervised by the General Entertainment Authority and broadcast on MBC1 and the Shahid digital platform, has a total prize pool of SR12 million ($3.2 million).

More than 50,000 entrants from 165 countries were whittled down to just 50 for the finals, held in Riyadh.

The latest stage, overseen by the main jury, has left just 32 remaining contestants — 16 for each competition.