LONDON: British entrepreneur Richard Branson, who recently paid a visit to Saudi Arabia, has praised the move to allow women to drive — and described citizens of the Kingdom as “charming and hospitable.”
The self-made billionaire and founder of the Virgin business empire had a dip in the Red Sea during his trip and visited a railway targeted by Lawrence of Arabia — Branson’s self-confessed childhood “hero.”
“Just enjoyed a fascinating visit to Saudi Arabia, a country where great change is taking place step by step,” Branson wrote in a blog posted Friday.
“It was quite an experience to be there on the day that women were given the right to drive for the first time. In a country where women’s rights still lag behind the West, this was a huge announcement and a much-welcomed sign of progress and one welcomed by every woman we met.
“It’s one of many incremental reforms driven by Saudi Arabia’s young and charismatic Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who, with his father, is committed to moving his country into the modern world, and bringing its citizens with him.”
Branson pointed to Saudi Arabia’s “wonderful, charming and so incredibly hospitable people.”
During his trip he went for a swim in the Red Sea and visited the “incredible” UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mada’in Saleh.
“As a kid if I was asked who my hero was, I would say Lawrence of Arabia. So it was a real treat to visit the railway that was once a target for Lawrence of Arabia in the revolt against Ottoman domination,” he wrote.
Richard Branson welcomes Saudi move to lift ban on women driving
Richard Branson welcomes Saudi move to lift ban on women driving
Vince Zampella, video game pioneer behind ‘Call of Duty,’ dies at 55
Vince Zampella, one of the creators behind such best-selling video games as “Call of Duty,” has died. He was 55.
Video game company Electronic Arts said Zampella died Sunday. The company did not disclose a cause of death.
In 2010, Zampella founded Respawn Entertainment, a subsidiary of EA, and he also was the former chief executive of video game developer Infinity Ward, the studio behind the successful “Call of Duty” franchise.
A spokesperson for Electronic Arts said in a statement on Monday that Zampella’s influence on the video game industry was “profound and far-reaching.”
“A friend, colleague, leader and visionary creator, his work helped shape modern interactive entertainment and inspired millions of players and developers around the world. His legacy will continue to shape how games are made and how players connect for generations to come,” a company spokesperson wrote.
One of Zampella’s crowning achievements was the creation of the Call of Duty franchise, which has sold more than half a billion games worldwide,
The first person shooter game debuted in 2003 as a World War II simulation and has sold over 500 million copies globally. Subsequent versions have delved into modern warfare and there is a live-action movie based on the game in production with Paramount Pictures.
In recent years, Zampella has been at the helm of the creation of the action adventure video games Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
