“Up until I started attending school, at age 7, I used to help my father take care of the camels. He entrusted me with small tasks that were within my ability. I often went with him to visit his friends. I got to know them and listened to their stories about the challenges they faced in the desert. And I helped my father prepare for guests when they came to us. I was allowed to be present with the adult men. As the youngest male in the group, my duty was to serve coffee and tea for the guests and welcome them to our tent. If my father was absent, I helped my mother provide breakfast or lunch for our guests.”
Tales of the Bedouin – Part XXII: The Remarkable Life of Bdah Al Hajri – Part 2 [Aramco Expats]
“Across the country, 555,000 new residential units, more than 275,000 hotel rooms, 4.3 million square meters of retail space, and 6.1 million square meters of office space are expected by 2030, according to property consultancy Knight Frank. This means the number of beds – which was 78,600 in 2020 – will need to expand to 98,000 by 2030, according to Colliers.”
Saudi Arabia needs 20,000 extra hospital beds by 2030 amid growing population: Report [Al-Arabiya]
“Nearly 40 million people worldwide work in jobs related to clean energy, according to a Sept. 8 report from the International Energy Agency. That number represents 56% of total energy sector employment, meaning that, for the first time ever, clean energy jobs outnumber those involved in producing, transporting, and burning fossil fuels.”
[Quartz]
“This has completely shaken things up. The Portugal and Spain bid looked a dead cert, and that’s even why England pulled out. But a lot of African and Asian federations would probably vote for this especially as Egypt is involved.”
Saudi Arabia to bid $40 billion for FIFA 2030 World Cup [Arabian Business]
“The members have trusted that the chairman [Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman al-Saud] can intervene whenever necessary to bring more stability and this can be beyond October until the end of the (OPEC+) agreement.”
-An unnamed source to Reuters discussing how OPEC+ members have trusted the Saudi Energy Minister as chairman “to intervene whenever necessary to stabilize crude markets through calling for a meeting at any time if necessary.” [Reuters]
“A recent survey carried out by KuCoin noted that there are over 3 million digital asset investors in Saudi Arabia, and 45% of respondents planned to increase their holdings. Seventeen percent of respondents stated their intention to buy virtual currencies.”
Saudi Arabia central bank hires digital asset expert to grow industry [Coingeek]
“A Saudi delegation led by CEO of Royal Commission for Riyadh City, Fahd Al-Rasheed, submitted on Wednesday in Paris the Bid Book to host World Expo 2030 in Riyadh to Dimitri Kerkentzes, secretary general of BIE. Four countries have submitted candidature dossiers to organize World Expo 2030. The Republic of Korea, Italy, Ukraine, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia now all enter the examination phase of the candidature process.”
“Since the launch of Vision 2030, the number of licensed female lawyers has risen from 10 in 2013 to 118. By mid-2020, that number had further risen to 785. Currently, we believe there to be more than 1,000 female lawyers, representing approximately 12% of all Saudi licensed lawyers in the Kingdom.”
Gender Diversity in Legal in KSA and MENA Is on the Rise [MLA Global]
“Restoring the visa-on-arrival program marks the final step in returning Saudi to a pre-pandemic level of openness and makes it one of the most accessible destinations in the world for leisure, business and religious travel. This decision by the government will further support the many thousands of people who depend on tourism for their livelihoods while welcoming the world back to the destination with the warm hospitality for which the Saudi people are renowned.”
–Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of STA. [LiveMint]
“We are talking about a brand-new airline that aims to do what Emirates did in a quarter of the timescale. It’s unprecedented in the history of aviation. It’s also why they have yet to appoint a CEO – whoever takes this job will have to deliver the most ambitious targets you can imagine.”
-Saudi Arabia to launch new airline ‘RIA’ with $30bn war chest to rival Emirates [Arabian Business]
