RIYADH: The Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) has announced the formation of the company’s board of directors, chaired by Ahmed Al-Khatib, as well as appointing Andreas Schwer as chief executive for his solid experience in establishing and managing global defense companies.
“I am honored to chair this new national company, which will play a key role in diversifying the country’s economy according to Vision 2030,” Al-Khatib said.
The company’s board of directors includes Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih and Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, a senior adviser to the Saudi ambassador to the US, in addition to three international experts who will join the board of directors at a later date.
SAMI’s appointment of government officials to its board as well as experts from diverse backgrounds highlights its commitment to localizing 50 percent of the country’s military expenditure by 2030, thus creating more job opportunities for Saudi citizens.
Schwer, who will join SAMI in December 2017, is the chairman and CEO of Rheinmetall International, which employs 6,000 people with revenues of $1.5 billion. Before joining Rheinmetall he held several senior executive positions at Airbus.
SAMI aims to create 40,000 jobs and contribute SR14 billion ($3.7 billion) to the Saudi economy by 2030.
SAMI also signed an MoU with Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport to buy S-400 surface-to-air missile systems and other weapons during a recent visit to Moscow by Saudi King Salman.
SAMI has recently signed memoranda of understanding with a number of the world’s largest defense contractors, including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, General Dynamics and Rosoboronexport.
The company is following a clear strategy that supports its goal to become one of the world’s largest 25 defense companies by 2030.
Saudi Arabian Military Industries announces new CEO and board
Saudi Arabian Military Industries announces new CEO and board
Lucia festival lights up Swedish Embassy in Riyadh
RIYADH: A celebration of light and traditional choir singing illuminated the Swedish Embassy in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter on Wednesday evening for the country’s Lucia festival.
Based on ancient pre-Christian traditions intertwined with the story of Saint Lucy, who is depicted wearing a crown of candles, the festival is cherished for bringing some respite from the dark Scandinavian winter.
The Riyadh embassy hosted a number of dignitaries and members of the Swedish community in Saudi Arabia, with catering provided by Ikea.
Swedish Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Petra Menander spoke to Arab News about the significance of the festival.
“It's a very, very old tradition that leads back to our peasant times when we needed to fight the darkness with light,” she said.
“And so we actually adopted an old tradition from Italy where Lucia comes with light in her hair and that made us all feel very, very comfortable.
“And it’s something that we actually celebrate just as much as the other holidays, like Christmas or so on. It’s inescapable, at all schools, everywhere.”
Holding the festival in Riyadh was particularly special as it not only brought a glimpse of Swedish culture to Saudi Arabia, but also helped Swedish nationals living in the Kingdom reconnect with their homeland.
“I think it’s a very nice way to bring Swedish culture overseas, but it’s also a nice way of getting the Swedish community together,” said Menander.
“We just have many people who come from mixed backgrounds and they’re very happy that they can introduce their children to this tradition even if they’re living very far away from Sweden. So, it’s a very warm feeling for me.”
