MDLBEAST opens HQ in Diriyah, reveals findings of socio-economic impact study

MDLBEAST opens HQ in Diriyah, reveals findings of socio-economic impact study
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MDLBEAST inaugurates its headquarters in Diriyah, announces findings of its socio-economic impact study. (Supplied)
MDLBEAST opens HQ in Diriyah, reveals findings of socio-economic impact study
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Ramadan Alharatani, CEO of MDLBEAST, said that there is a reciprocal operation to promote MDLBEAST globally within the music capitals around the world. (Supplied)
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Updated 30 August 2023
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MDLBEAST opens HQ in Diriyah, reveals findings of socio-economic impact study

MDLBEAST opens HQ in Diriyah, reveals findings of socio-economic impact study
  • Saudi music and entertainment company MDLBEAST has opened its new headquarters in the JAX district of Diriyah, in Riyadh

RIYADH: Saudi music and entertainment company MDLBEAST has opened its new headquarters in the JAX district of Diriyah, in Riyadh.

During an official inauguration ceremony on Tuesday, officials revealed the results of a study highlighting the firm’s socio-economic impact in Saudi Arabia over the course of 2022.

Operating from its new location, MDLBEAST supports the music industry as an enabler to the Kingdom’s creative economy. It will foster local talent and aid businesses, while also aiming to improve quality of life and the global ranking of Saudi cities.

Ramadan Alharatani, CEO of MDLBEAST, said: “Our headquarters’ location at the heart of Saudi cultural heritage and creativity, positions us at the epicenter of the cultural, social, and economic developments happening in Riyadh.

“As a Saudi company, our contribution to creativity and music makes the Saudi people feel proud. It also cements our leadership in the music sector and our capacity to interact with local and global talents, introducing Saudi music to the world.

“Moreover, this new locale will bolster MDLBEAST’s presence at crucial regional events,” he added.

The study’s finding showed that 63 percent of MDLBEAST’s spending had been dedicated to support Saudi businesses, artists, and employees, and that in 2022 it created 18,000 direct and indirect job opportunities.

The survey also revealed that 83 percent of people questioned considered a career in music and entertainment a viable option, 85 percent felt the diverse offerings made the Kingdom an attractive job market, and 82 percent of respondents noted the role of the activities in prompting broader women’s participation in the workforce.

Alharatani said: “This study emphasizes MDLBEAST’s broad, positive impact extending beyond the music industry economically and socially, presenting sustainable development and growth opportunities.

“Our ability to generate such a positive impact within and beyond the Kingdom reaffirms our fundamental aim to address a pressing demand within the Saudi audience, successfully establishing a steadily increasing customer and partner base.”

According to the study, in addition to a wide base of visitors from neighboring countries, MDLBEAST events attracted 10,000 tourists from further afield, with around 35 percent of that number from Europe, and 30 percent from the Americas.

Of those quizzed, 77 percent considered MDLBEAST festivals instrumental in reinforcing Saudi Arabia as a tourist destination.

“The event that we offer is the only event locally that has an economic impact similar to major events, such as F1, and promoting the event is done by attracting the target audience from countries that have easy access to visas, nearby and neighboring countries, and musical capitals in the world, and it is known that its audience travels and discovers music festivals.

“We aspire to meet international music venues and begin to introduce local talents to global talents. We have an ongoing process of talent coming here and learning about our culture and our music.

“We carried out a reciprocal operation this summer in Spain, in Ibiza, Tomorrowland (music festival) in Belgium, and in America, in Berlin, and we sell tickets in international forums. We hope that the global audience knows about us, buys a ticket, and visits us in Saudi Arabia,” Alharatani added.

MDLBEAST collaborates with relevant Saudi entities to support the country’s music sector through education, production, performance, distribution, licensing, and intellectual property rights protections.

The company has hosted musical events in tandem with major Saudi occasions, such as Formula 1 and Formula E.

More than 750,000 people attended the Soundstorm Festival, a special event which involved at least 200 local and international music stars.


World tourism leaders meeting in Riyadh highlight need for investment in people

World tourism leaders meeting in Riyadh highlight need for investment in people
Updated 12 sec ago
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World tourism leaders meeting in Riyadh highlight need for investment in people

World tourism leaders meeting in Riyadh highlight need for investment in people
  • Experts and leaders from around the world agreed that investment in talent was crucial to creating a sustainable sector
  • In 2020, more than 62 million jobs were lost globally due to the pandemic, many of those being in the tourism and hospitality industry

RIYADH: Global tourism officials meeting in Saudi Arabia have highlighted the importance of investing in people to safeguard the future of the sector.
With the industry getting back on track following the coronavirus pandemic, renewed efforts are being made to promote careers in tourism and hospitality.
Experts and leaders from around the world, gathered in Riyadh for the UN World Tourism Organization’s World Tourism Day, agreed that investment in talent was crucial to creating a sustainable sector.
Speaking on Wednesday during a panel session titled “Investing in Our People,” Indonesia’s deputy minister for tourism product and events at the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Rizki Handayani, said: “Human capital development is the most important aspect that plays key roles in the success of sustainable, or green tourism.
“We really need to put our efforts into the development of our human capital, their skill, their knowledge, as well as their capability and entrepreneurship.”
In 2020, more than 62 million jobs were lost globally due to the pandemic, many of those being in the tourism and hospitality industry. Saudi Arabia has since managed a return to work for 80 percent of the sector’s employees. But for many, job security fears are holding them back.
Haitham Mattar is managing director for the Middle East, Africa, and Southwest Asia at IHG Hotels and Resorts, the largest operator and employer in Saudi Arabia with more than 18,000 rooms in around 40 hotels.
He said: “It is now a critical task for both the government and private sector to re-instil the confidence in giving employees job security, but also financial certainty.”
While employment in hospitality can offer fast-tracked career opportunities, and international work, many people were now looking for flexibility, work-life balance, and well-being with jobs in areas such as hotels and airlines.
One of the biggest challenges currently being faced by companies was providing education and training for future employees. But CEO of Sommet Education, Benoit-Etienne Domenget, said globally these were not among the key investment areas.
“For too long, our community players of hospitality, tourism, and travel have considered human capital as a commodity,” he added.
Delegates at the session debated the need for expanded education beyond hospitality skills to ensure content was locally relevant and through the encouragement of entrepreneurial mindsets.
Christine Bockelmann, dean of Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, said: “From a study in Portugal, we know that 50 percent of all people who have an education in tourism do not subsequently work in this field, so we have a problem with the attractivity of the jobs in this area.
“Education is very important and sustainability, and prosperity is very important. My key point is that we have to create a connectivity between these three topics,” she added.
 


Women’s empowerment is vital to success, says UNWTO executive director

Women’s empowerment is vital to success, says UNWTO executive director
Updated 27 September 2023
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Women’s empowerment is vital to success, says UNWTO executive director

Women’s empowerment is vital to success, says UNWTO executive director
  • UNWTO announces winners of Women in Tech Startup Competition: Middle East
  • The competition saw 143 applicants from across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, and Syria

RIYADH: The UN World Tourism Organization on Wednesday, World Tourism Day, announced the winners of its Women in Tech Startup Competition: Middle East, being held in Riyadh.
Launched in March to celebrate International Women’s Day, the competition sought women-led startups with innovative approaches to provide services and solutions with a positive social impact.
The competition saw 143 applicants from across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, and Syria.
The winner of the Social Impact Category was Saudi national Nouf Al-Hazmi, CEO of Plastus Biotech, which specializes in making PHA biodegradable bioplastic by re-purposing organic waste.
Al-Hazmi said: “They’ve only selected four from all over the world … It’s huge. It means a lot to us, for young Saudi women and women around the world.”
Plastus Biotech’s concept falls in line with the Kingdom’s circular carbon economy goal for 2030 and the carbon neutrality agreement of 2060.
She said: “There are many opportunities. We can replace so many products that are fossil-based with more sustainable products that are actually carbon negative, and everyone will benefit.”
The winner of the Tourism and Travel Experience category was Kirti Chandel, chief product officer at SparkleHaze, for creating an enterprise-based, artificial intelligence assistant speaker named Woo-Hoo, as an in-room voice assistant for hospitality.
Chandel says Woo-Hoo creates a personalized experience for guests while remaining sustainable and easy to use.
She said: “We are boosting green hospitality. We are moving away from all the different devices that are used in hotels that are more cluttered. So, we combine them into one single form factor and also, we are digitizing your compendium menu. So, all the paper that is there within the room is gone.”
The winner of the Future Tech Category was Serbian national Zeljana Babic, CEO of Xenios Academy, an AI-powered training program with the mission to help hospitality businesses boost revenue by investing in employee training.
She said: “I feel extremely empowered. I feel very humbled. I am still shocked. To be honest. This might be one of the happiest moments of my professional career …
“We cannot invest in hospitality without investing in people and without investing in their education. And only once we do that, they will be able to provide services to their guests.”
The winner of the Events and Community category was Menna Ayad, CEO of Fosha, an AI-powered app for booking personalized experiences in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Executive Director of UNWTO Natalia Bayona said that Saudi Arabia is “booming when it comes to tourism.”
Bayona is a frequent visitor to the Kingdom and has collaborated with the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Education to boost the tourism industry.
She said: “I have to say that … (Saudi Arabia) has those values — the values of investment in people through education, investment in the planet through a better futuristic city for the next generations, and of course, investing in prosperity, in youth, and in technology and innovation.
“I have been working a lot with the ministry to foster education to create together a strategy of human capacity development and to strengthen the power of partnerships again with the private sector for innovation and technology and investments.”
Bayona said that the Financial Times’ joint report with the UNWTO reported that Saudi Arabia has been growing its foreign direct investment by 80 percent. “That’s crucial and that’s really strong because that means that the country is really into investment and diversifying the economy through tourism.”
With tourism being the top employer of women and youth, Bayona says staying committed and being part of a positive community makes all the difference.
“The most important thing is that I have to be thankful to my bosses,” she said, crediting her employers for empowering and trusting her. “And at the end of the day, that’s what matters. Because of course you can be talented, and you can have a very bright curriculum, but if you are not empowered, you are not (going) anywhere.”
 


Saudi development program restores sports facilities in Yemen

Saudi development program restores sports facilities in Yemen
Updated 27 September 2023
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Saudi development program restores sports facilities in Yemen

Saudi development program restores sports facilities in Yemen
  • Projects aim to support sport activities and strengthen social integration in Yemen

RIYADH: The Saudi Program for the Development and Reconstruction of Yemen has launched four projects to restore and upgrade sports club facilities in Aden governorate, Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

The launch ceremony was attended by Nayef Al-Bakri, Yemen’s minister of youth and sports, as well as Aden Gov. Ahmed Lamlas and other officials.

The projects aim to support sport activities and strengthen social integration in Yemen.

Previously, the program renovated Martyr Ali Asaad Muthanna Sports Hall in Aden, as well as 31 basketball and volleyball courts in other governorates. It also organized a celebration after the Yemeni national junior football team won the West Asia Confederation championship in 2021.

So far, the program has funded 229 development projects and initiatives in Yemen.
 


Saudi delegation attends international public prosecutors conference in London

Saudi delegation attends international public prosecutors conference in London
Updated 27 September 2023
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Saudi delegation attends international public prosecutors conference in London

Saudi delegation attends international public prosecutors conference in London
  • Event in London examined strategies for countering transnational crimes

RIYADH: A Saudi delegation led by Attorney General Sheikh Saud bin Abdullah Al-Mua’jab participated in the 28th Annual Conference and General Meeting of the International Association of Prosecutors, which took place in London from Sept. 24-27.

The four-day event, which gathered public prosecution delegations from around the world, was themed “The Changing Nature of Crime in the 21st Century: Challenges and Responses.”

It examined strategies for countering transnational crimes, including terrorism and human trafficking, mutual legal aid procedures, and criminal extradition requests.

Al-Mua’jab met with his British counterpart Victoria Prentis, and Max Hill, director of public prosecutions, to discuss judicial cooperation, Saudi Press Agency reported. He also held bilateral meetings with a number of public representatives to propose ways to collaborate to improve judicial work mechanisms, emphasizing the Kingdom's expertise in digitizing criminal justice procedures.

Al-Mua’jab also met with UK Minister of State for the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and the UN Lord Tariq Ahmad to review relations between the two countries.
 


Saudi Arabia announces inaugural Riyadh School for Tourism and Hospitality

Saudi Arabia announces inaugural Riyadh School for Tourism and Hospitality
Updated 27 September 2023
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Saudi Arabia announces inaugural Riyadh School for Tourism and Hospitality

Saudi Arabia announces inaugural Riyadh School for Tourism and Hospitality
  • The facilities will then move to a larger campus in Qiddiyah scaled at 5 million square meters (50 million square feet) in 2027
  • The project will cost over USD1 billion to build

RIYADH: The Saudi Arabian Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al-Khateeb, announced the inauguration of the Riyadh School for Tourism and Hospitality At the 2023 United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) World Tourism Day celebrations in Riyadh.
“Yesterday I was so touched with the Secretary General (of UNWTO Zurab Pololikashvili) to visit the schools and meet with the students… This school is a gift from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the world because it will be open to everyone to enjoy the best training in tourism and hospitality,” Al-Khateeb said during the announcement.
The facilities will then move to a larger campus in Qiddiyah scaled at 5 million square meters (50 million square feet) in 2027. The project will cost over USD1 billion to build.
The school initiative hopes to shape the future of industry education by attracting the brightest minds and employing cutting-edge technologies in an innovative facility.
It will offer a lead vocational and academic study program that places students at the heart of its curriculum, and provide a rich, diverse, and global learning experience through real-world practice.
Last year, the Ministry revealed alongside Pololikashvili, that they will be sending 100,000 Saudi talent every year for training across the globe throughout a five-year period, equipping them with the skills to work in the tourism and sustainability sector. “We will extend it to the next 10 years,” Al-Khateeb said.
“We are committing USD100 million every year to train them…Those who come back will work in the private sector and I’m encouraging them and other groups of investors to also join the government in investing in talent,” Al-Khateeb said.
While the Saudi industry lost over 60 million jobs due to the pandemic, the Kingdom is investing over USD800 billion in the sector and working to create 1 million jobs across the next 10 years, and is expecting international arrivals to double by 2032.
Al-Kateeb said: “It’s easy to put policies and procedures and systems (into place), but the most difficult thing that you need to have is the people…We need to have enough young people to join our industry today and I believe we need to double them in the future.
“We’re trying to make our sector, work in travel and tourism, as attractive and we need to make it a career for life for people to come and stay, and progress, and prosper throughout their life.”
The Kingdom continues its ambitious journey to become a global tourism hub by 2030 by investing in human capital, and the school is one of its latest initiatives to achieve the goal.
The 2023 WTD, held from Sept. 27-28, will explore potential avenues of collaboration between world tourism leaders by placing people, sustainability, and prosperity at the forefront of its discussions under the theme “Tourism and Green Investments.”