NEW YORK: Economic development is a key factor in deterring young people in the Middle East and elsewhere from becoming involved in violent extremism, a gathering of world leaders heard in New York.
A one-day youth forum on tolerance — held under the joint auspices of the MiSK Foundation, the Saudi Arabian philanthropic organization headed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and the UN Development Program — was told that economic advancement would encourage young people to participate in civil society and peaceful dialogue.
Abdullah Al-Mouallimi, Saudi ambassador to the UN, told the forum that the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 strategy aligned with the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“Both have not only economic parameters, but are also about the potential in society, the environment and in justice. The Saudi strategy describes a vision of how to move from dependence on one commodity and how to develop a more coherent society with integrity in its approach to social issues, which are also the goals of the UN,” Al-Mouallimi said.
He highlighted the role of young women in the transformation. “Saudi women comprise 60 percent of the college population in Saudi Arabia, and they are going to come to the workforce and make a dramatic difference,” Al-Mouallimi said.
Bader Al-Asaker, secretary-general of the MiSK Foundation, said: “Our aim is to shine a light on the transformative power of youth, to lift them up and prove a platform for young people to create positive change.”
Michael Bloomberg, the media entrepreneur and former mayor of New York, said that he was in partnership with MiSK in Saudi Arabia to train young citizens in economics and finance. He said that the growing number of young people who live in cities, both in the Middle East and the rest of the world, would help promote tolerance and peace.
“Some people call them the millennial generation, but I’d rather refer to them as the metropolitan generation. Now 50 percent of the world’s population live in cities, and nothing has done more than cities to spread tolerance and peace in the world. Cities also encourage innovation and sustainable development,” he added.
Achim Steiner, administrator of the UN Development Program, also stressed the role of economic development in nurturing tolerance. “For young people, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals means the possibility of attending school, having access to health care, participating in their civic and political discourse, and living free from conflict. It means having hope and prosperity.”
The one-day MiSK event in New York consisted of high-level panel discussions, speeches and workshops, with more than 20 youth leaders from round the world.
A senior adviser to MiSK said the event was part of the Kingdom’s global outreach program, and that there would be further cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the UN on specific development initiatives.
“The younger generation is driven by the desire to create an impact, and if you don’t give them opportunities in entrepreneurship they’ll find another way to do that,” the adviser said.
The MiSK-UN event, which was attended by more than 400 people from 60 countries, coincided with the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
A panel moderated by former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw and featuring former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright focused on the information revolution and what she called the “disaggregation” of news. Albright advised the young audience to be skeptical about the information they encounter, especially on social media.
Two other panels discussed the challenges faced by refugees around the world and how best to counter violent extremists. Panelists on the latter panel stressed the importance of engaging with youth and offering them a sense of hope and purpose.
One memorable moment came when Saudi writer Kawthar Al-Arbash recounted the moment she learned that her son had been killed after he stopped a suicide bomber from carrying out an attack inside a mosque in the city of Dammam. Her moving, personal account was met with a standing ovation.
Economic growth key to fight against extremism, Saudi MiSK forum in New York hears
Economic growth key to fight against extremism, Saudi MiSK forum in New York hears
Saudi women tackling, kicking their way into football
- Ministry of Sports has reported a 150 percent increase in women’s participation
RIYADH: Women are finding new territories in various industries as the Kingdom sets diversity and inclusion goals, and football is no different.
There are currently 1,100 female football players registered with Saudi clubs through the leagues, three regional training centers, and four active national teams.
Today, the Women’s Football Department focuses on various areas of grassroots development, like five upcoming local competitions including the Premier League.
The head of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation’s Women’s Football Department, Aalia Al-Rasheed, told Arab News: “Today, we’re witnessing with Vision 2030 a whole transformation when it comes to the country in general. The Ministry of Sports reported a 150 percent increase in women’s participation (since 2015). The game is growing everyday."
Al-Awwal Park Stadium lit up with fireworks Sunday night as Al-Nassr were crowned champions against Al-Ittihad, ending their season on a high with a 1-0 victory.
As the 2023-2024 Premier League concludes, the spirit of celebration still lingers in the air. Female trailblazers in the football sector came together on Monday to champion the incredible women of the Kingdom who are breaking boundaries in the realm of football at Hiwar, PepsiCo’s signature annual event for women empowerment.
In the 2024 Hiwar, hosted in collaboration with the SAFF’s Women’s League, industry drivers spoke about their experiences in pushing the boundaries of women inclusion in the sport, during a panel discussion that evening moderated by Mo Islam, featuring Al-Rasheed alongside Al-Nassr’s goalkeeper Sara Khalid, Al-Ittihad’s women’s team head coach Kelly Lindsey, and PepsiCo.’s senior marketing manager, Anfal Al-Duhilan.
Khalid, one of the Kingdom’s star female football players, reflected on her team’s first-ever international victory last year, winning the premier league twice in a row, and her current, vivid reality in leading the industry into international territory.
But when Khalid left her day job to pursue a football career, she knew she had an example to set and responsibility on her back.
She told Arab News: “Today, I can say I’m one of the first players to represent the national team and my country on an international level, and now with us winning the league and participating in the AFC champion’s league, it’s definitely a huge weight on my shoulders.
“Every decision I have to make must be made thoughtfully and in consideration of everything else, and to always inspire and be inspired by the people around me.”
As a coach, Lindsey said the top struggle is creating equilibrium within a team. Her coaching approach blends physical preparation with cultural understanding, acknowledging the importance of nutrition, sports psychology, and family values within Saudi leagues.
While some Al-Ittihad team members struggled to even pass the ball five times just last summer, they have now managed to compete in the first level of the Saudi football pyramid.
She commended Saudi Arabia’s massive investment into women’s sports, with the SAFF allocating SR49.9 million ($13 million) to women’s football cross-country programs just last year.
Lindsey told Arab News: “By investing in sports, women are not only out in society, they are front and center for everyone to watch, judge, and support.
“The dialogue will change about everything that needs to happen around them so that more women can do their passion, live their passion in work and music and art and culture and sport. It will create a natural dialogue and a push for more infrastructure for women to succeed.”
Last October, this support was bolstered even further as PepsiCo. and the SAFF announced that the multinational’s subsidiary, Lay’s potato chips, will sponsor the 2023-24 Saudi Women’s Premier League.
“Our sponsorship is in alignment with the company’s vision, which is to basically drive diversity and inclusion, aligning with the Saudi 2030 Vision. We wanted to make a difference and really give every single Saudi female the opportunity to pursue her dreams in any field and to continue empowering and supporting them,” said Al-Duhilan.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan speaks with Swiss foreign minister
- two ministers discussed developments of common interest and efforts made by both countries in those areas
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan spoke on the phone with his Swiss counterpart Ignazio Cassis on Thursday.
During the call, the two ministers discussed developments of common interest and efforts made by both countries in those areas, Saudi Press Agency reported.
Cassis was in the Kingdom last month to attend the Special Meeting of the World Economic Forum held in Riyadh on April 28 and 29, during which he met with Prince Faisal.
Prince Faisal and Cassis also met earlier in the year in February during UN meetings in Geneva.
Saudi FM discusses preparations for Expo 2030 with BIE chief
- During the meeting, the two officials discussed the Kingdom’s preparations to host Expo 2030 in Riyadh
- “We underlined the importance of careful planning to deliver a transformational World Expo in 2030,” Kerkentzes said
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received the Secretary-General of the Bureau International des Expositions Dimitri Kerkentzes in Riyadh on Thursday.
During the meeting, the two officials discussed the Kingdom’s preparations to host Expo 2030 in Riyadh and coordination to ensure that the exhibition would be “exceptional,” Saudi Press Agency reported.
Writing on social media platform X, Kerkentzes said: “We underlined the importance of careful planning to deliver a transformational World Expo in 2030.”
The BIE chief met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday.
World Expo 2030 will be hosted in Riyadh after the Kingdom defeated challenges from South Korea and Italy to host the prestigious event in November 2023.
Female students take top prizes at university’s Engineering Hackathon
- 88 teams from the Eastern Province took part in the event at Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University
- Team Al-Farahidi took first place with its Aram project, which aims to help prevent sleepwalking
RIYADH: Teams of female students took the top three prizes at Engineering Hackathon 24, which concluded on Wednesday at Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University in Dammam.
A total of 88 teams of male and female students from the Eastern Province took part in the event, which began on April 27, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Murad Al-Thubaiti, dean of the university’s College of Engineering, welcomed the high level of participation by students from universities across the province, and said 16 teams were chosen as finalists to present their projects, which covered a variety of specializations.
Team Al-Farahidi took first place with its Aram project, which aims to help prevent sleepwalking. The members were Nada Al-Dosari, Sarah Al-Nami, Manal Al-Tamimi and Nihal Al-Suhaibani.
Second spot went to Al-Khawarizmi, a team comprising Fatima Shuwaiheen, Fatima Al-Baik, Hawraa Al-Suwaiket, Walaa Al-Sulays and Amani Al-Saeedi, who designed a device that helps isolate cardiac signals from background noise.
Team Al-Battani was awarded third place for its system to help surgeons deal with stress. Its members were Hawraa Al-Wael, Dahhouk Al-Sabaa and Zainab Bou Moza.
Al-Thubaiti said activities such as the hackathon are an essential element for the development of students’ personalities and helping them prepare for the future.
Illegal workers in Riyadh region arrested after changing expiry dates on food products
- Seized products included 248,000 chicken stock cubes weighing 8 grams, 4,600 potato chip products, 2,900 soy sauces, and 1,500 pasta sauces
- A laser device used to print new production dates was also seized
RIYADH: Illegal workers at a farm in Riyadh region’s Huraymila governorate were arrested after they were caught by the Saudi Ministry of Commerce changing the expiry dates on products, Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
A 3.00 a.m. raid was carried out in cooperation with Riyadh region police and Huraymila governorate police after expired products that were seized in the possession of expatriates a few hours earlier were traced back to the farm.
Seized products included 248,000 chicken stock cubes weighing 8 grams, 4,600 potato chip products, 2,900 soy sauces, and 1,500 pasta sauces. The products were later destroyed. A laser device used to print new production dates was also seized.
The workers were referred to the competent authorities so that deterrent measures could be taken against them in accordance with the provisions of the anti-commercial fraud law.
The ministry said that violators of the anti-commercial fraud law could be imprisoned for up to three years, fined up to SR 1 million ($266,623), or receive both punishments. They could also be deported, the ministry added.
