JEDDAH: Northern Borders Gov. Prince Faisal bin Khalid bin Sultan has said that establishing the Saudi-Iraqi Al-Jadidah Arar border crossing will be a big boost to both countries.
He received in his office Customs General Authority Gov. Ahmad Al-Hakbani, on Sunday.
Al-Hakbani briefed Prince Faisal about the services provided by the Customs sector and reviewed the results of the custom
s’ plan developed for this year’s Hajj season in coordination with the relevant authorities.
The plan ensures all means of convenience and safety for pilgrims, along with completing their procedures in a very short time.
Prince Faisal said: “Establishing and improving the Saudi-Iraqi Al-Jadidah Arar border crossing will contribute to developing the Northern Border region that links Saudi Arabia to brotherly Iraq. The project is set to allow all people crossing the border to benefit from all services and facilitate intraregional trade between the two countries.”
Prince Faisal called for the organization of a workshop that includes Customs, the Chamber of Commerce, the region’s businessmen and all services administrations to study facilitating Customs procedures.
He praised the efforts exerted by Saudi Customs in seizing illegal goods and preventing their entry into the Kingdom.
He stressed the importance of the role assigned to the authority as well as the services and facilities it provides to people arriving in the Kingdom through the different land, air and sea border crossing points, noting the authority’s great responsibility to protect the Kingdom’s borders.
Saudi-Iraqi border crossing to boost bilateral trade
Saudi-Iraqi border crossing to boost bilateral trade
- Establishing and improving the Saudi-Iraqi Al-Jadidah Arar border crossing will contribute to developing the Northern Border region that links Saudi Arabia to brotherly Iraq
- The plan ensures all means of convenience and safety for pilgrims
SDAIA president says Saudi Arabia is building an integrated AI ecosystem
RIYADH: Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority President Abdullah Al-Ghamdi says that Saudi Arabia is moving steadily to establish artificial intelligence as a trusted national capability, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Guided by the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, Al-Ghamdi said the goal is to use AI to help develop government services, enhance competitiveness, build human capacity and improve quality of life through a comprehensive strategy based on three main pillars that unlock the potential of this technology and achieve sustainable developmental impact.
“The first pillar focuses on building human capacity and enhancing readiness to engage with AI technologies,” he said.
The second pillar is building an integrated national AI ecosystem that drives expansion and innovation by developing advanced digital infrastructure that enables various sectors to adopt AI applications efficiently, consistently and with effective governance, Al-Ghamdi said.
The third pillar, he said, is governance that ensures responsible and measurable AI through a national framework aligned with international standards.
This came during Al-Ghamdi’s speech at a high-level ministerial session held on Thursday on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi.
He is heading the Saudi delegation, and the session saw broad participation from heads of state, decision-makers and technology leaders from around the world.
Al-Ghamdi also had a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday evening, discussed AI cooperation and expressed his gratitude for hosting the summit and for the hospitality extended to the participants.
