Riyadh Cables Group eyes business in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is looking to encourage more foreign investment. (AFP)
Updated 19 October 2019
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Riyadh Cables Group eyes business in Bangladesh

  • RCGC exports its electricity cables worldwide and the company is the fourth largest electric cable producer in the world

DHAKA: Riyadh Cables Group Company (RCGC), a Saudi cable producer, has expressed interest in expanding its corporate footprint in Bangladesh. A high-powered RCGC delegation completed a 6-day visit to Bangladesh on Thursday.

RCGC exports its electricity cables worldwide and the company is the fourth largest electric cable producer in the world.

The visiting delegation comprising Engineer Moaaz Ali Younes, business development manager at RCGC, and Bassam Maes, the marketing director, visited different government agencies in Dhaka with a view to exploring investment opportunities.

During their meeting with officials of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) on Wednesday, the RCGC delegation expressed potential interest in investing in the overhead electricity cable producing sector of the country.

“We had a successful discussion with the RCGC, although it is still at a primary level. We have briefed them about all the benefits for the foreign investors ensured by the Bangladesh government,” director of BIDA Mohammad Ariful Hoque told Arab News.

Hoque said that after returning to Saudi Arabia the RCGC will move forward with the investment proposal and submit the final idea to the Bangladesh embassy in Saudi Arabia.

“Most probably, it is going to be a joint venture form of investment with the state-owned Eastern Cable Company. If everything goes well, we hope the investment will start coming into Bangladesh by next year,” Hoque said.

“The amount of investment from RCGC is yet to be finalized. However, we can expect it will be around $30 million,” another source from BIDA said, requesting not to be named.

Bangladeshi economists said they welcomed the investment proposal from RCGC, stating it will work as a “confidence builder” and create a “signaling value” among other foreign investors.

Zahid Hussain, former lead economist of the World Bank in Dhaka, said that Bangladesh’s economy was expanding at a very fast rate and there was a huge internal demand for overhead cables for building new transmission and distribution lines.

“This new investment will help the country in rebuilding the image crisis in terms of FDI (foreign direct investment). We are still not doing very well in attracting FDI. If this sort of foreign investment starts coming here, it will definitely boost the economy at a significant level,” Hussain said.


Saudi Arabia leads outcome-based education to prepare future-ready generations: Harvard Business Review

A Harvard sign is seen at the Harvard University campus in Boston, Massachusetts, on May 27, 2025. (AFP)
Updated 10 February 2026
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Saudi Arabia leads outcome-based education to prepare future-ready generations: Harvard Business Review

  • The Riyadh-based school group developed a strategy that links every classroom activity to measurable student competencies, aiming to graduate learners equipped for the digital economy and real-world contexts

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s education system is undergoing a sweeping transformation aligned with Vision 2030, shifting from traditional, input-focused methods to outcome-based education designed to equip students with future-ready skills, Harvard Business Review Arabic reported.

The transformation is being adopted and spearheaded by institutions such as Al-Nobala Private Schools, which introduced the Kingdom’s first national “learning outcomes framework,” aimed at preparing a generation of leaders and innovators for an AI-driven future, the report said.

Al-Nobala has leveraged international expertise to localize advanced learning methodologies.

The Riyadh-based school group developed a strategy that links every classroom activity to measurable student competencies, aiming to graduate learners equipped for the digital economy and real-world contexts. The school’s group approach combines traditional values with 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, communication, innovation and digital fluency.

According to the report, the shift addresses the growing gap between outdated models built for low-tech, resource-constrained environments and today’s dynamic world, where learners must navigate real-time information, virtual platforms, and smart technologies.

“This is not just about teaching content, it’s about creating impact,” the report noted, citing how Al-Nobala’s model prepares students to thrive in an AI-driven world while aligning with national priorities.

The report noted that Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Education has paved the way for this shift by transitioning from a centralized controller to a strategic enabler, allowing schools such as Al-Nobala to tailor their curriculum to meet evolving market and societal needs. This is part of the long-term goal to place the Kingdom among the top 20 global education systems.

Al-Nobala’s work, the report stated, has succeeded in serving the broader national effort to link education outcomes directly to labor market demands, helping to fulfill the Vision 2030 pillar of building a vibrant society with a thriving economy driven by knowledge and innovation.

Last February, Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan, Saudi Arabia’s minister of education, said that the Kingdom was making “an unprecedented investment in education,” with spending aligned to the needs of growth and development. He said that in 2025, education received the second-largest share of the state budget, totaling $53.5 billion.