Espanyol club welcomes Saudi Future Falcons in Barcelona
Young Saudi team defeats La Liga’s club’s reserve team 3-2 at Dani Jarque Sports City
Saudi Future Falcons program seeks to provide experience, skill development for teams and players from the Kingdom
Updated 21 min 30 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: Espanyol became the latest Spanish club to welcome a delegation of the Saudi Future Falcons program, with a friendly match between the La Liga reserve team and the Falcons.
The Falcons have returned home after a successful trip which saw them win the match 3-2 at the Dani Jarque Sports City on Wednesday.
The Saudi Future Falcons program is overseen by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, and aims to provide experience and skill development for teams and players from the Kingdom
CEO of Espanyol Club, Mao Yi Wu, welcomed the Saudi delegation led by the program’s General Manager, Ghassan Felemban.
The meeting between the representatives of both sides marked the first step in a relationship. Espanyol Club, known as a developmental club, nationally and internationally, is looking to generate new avenues of growth through this relationship.
Felemban said that this step is one of the Future Falcons program’s initiatives to enhance relations with Spanish and European clubs.
The program has several partnerships in Spain with clubs such as Real Sociedad, Valencia, and Nastic Tarragona, as well as cooperation with Almeria and Leganes.
It aims to prepare and develop young talents born in 2005 to serve the Saudi U-19 national team, under the supervision of the technical director of the federation, Nasser Laghari, and the program’s technical team led by the Croatian Romeo Gozak.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday met with Saudi Arabia’s ministers of finance, investment and industry in Riyadh on the sidelines of a World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting, Sharif’s office said, adding that the Saudi ministers assured him of the Kingdom’s support for Pakistan’s development.
The Pakistan prime minister arrived in Riyadh on Saturday to attend the WEF meeting on global collaboration, growth and energy on April 28-29, after being extended an invitation by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Professor Klaus Schwab, the WEF executive chairman.
On the sidelines of the WEF meeting, Sharif held separate meetings with Saudi Arabia’s Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan, Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih, and Industry and Mineral Resources Minister Bandar Alkhorayef, according to the Pakistan PM’s office.
In his meeting with the Saudi finance minister, the two sides agreed that Saudi Arabia would explore more opportunities for investment in Pakistan.
“The Saudi finance minister reiterated Saudi Arabia’s support for Pakistan’s economic development,” Sharif’s office said in a statement.
Saudi Minister for Finance Mohammad Al Jadaan (2R) along with his team meets Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (R) on the sidelines of a special meeting of the World Economic Forum in Riyadh on April 28, 2024. (Photo courtesy: PMO)
The Saudi investment minister acknowledged PM Sharif’s efforts for Pakistan’s growth and prosperity.
“A delegation of Saudi investors will soon visit Pakistan,” he was quoted as saying by Sharif’s office.
“Pakistan is our priority in terms of investment. Both sides will continue to fully cooperate in agriculture, information technology (IT) and energy sector.”
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong trade, defense and cultural ties. The Kingdom is home to over 2.7 million Pakistani expatriates and serves as the top source of remittances to the cash-strapped South Asian country.
Both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have been closely working to increase their bilateral trade and investment, and the Kingdom recently reaffirmed its commitment to expedite an investment package worth $5 billion discussed previously with Islamabad.
In his meeting with the prime minister, Saudi Arabia’s Industry and Mineral Resources Minister Bandar Alkhorayef expressed “deep interest” in cooperation with Pakistan in agriculture, minerals, IT and other sectors, according to Sharif’s office.
“I am in touch with Saudi private companies regarding investment in Pakistan and [representatives of] these companies will visit Pakistan very soon,” the Saudi minister was quoted as telling PM Sharif.
“Cooperation between private sectors of the two countries is among our top priorities.”
PM Sharif thanked Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as well as the Saudi ministers for supporting Pakistan in every difficulty.
“During my previous government, our economic situation improved, thanks to Saudi Arabia’s support and assistance,” he said, describing both countries as strategic partners.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and other members of PM Sharif’s cabinet were also present at the meetings.
Saudi FM: Commitment to two-state solution only way to prevent Gaza war reoccurring
‘It’s good that we hear most of our partners and the international community support that notion,’ Prince Faisal says
Updated 34 min 59 sec ago
Zaynab Khojji
RIYADH: Only a real commitment to a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict can prevent the war in Gaza from reoccurring, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Sunday.
“We in the region are not going to focus only on solving the crisis of the moment, we’re going to look at how we can solve the bigger problem in the context of Gaza. That is, a real commitment to a two-state solution, that is, a credible, irreversible path to a Palestinian state,” he told the World Economic Forum’s special meeting in Riyadh.
“That’s the only reasonable and credible solution that guarantees us from not having to come back to this same situation two, three, four years down the line.”
He added that it was up to the international community, especially those countries that have the most influence, and the UN Security Council to help implement the solution.
“It’s good that we hear most of our partners and the international community support that notion. Now we have to translate that into reality.
“We need to move from talk, to action, to concrete steps. And it can’t be left up to the warring parties. We, the international community, and especially those countries that have the most influence, the most impact, the Security Council have to step in,” he said.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Ali Sabry echoed Prince Faisal’s call and said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would not be resolved until a two-state solution came into effect.
“I’ve always advocated the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, because that’s the underlying problem. Until you resolve that … you will probably have a short-term pause, but it will recur with even greater vengeance. So we don’t want that, we want a solution to this once and for all,” he said.
Prince Faisal said the Kingdom would do everything it could to push in the direction of a two-state solution and that he was hopeful the international community would do the right thing and make the concept a reality.
“If we all agree that the Palestinian state and giving the Palestinians their right, is the solution that gives everybody what they need: security, stability, their rights, then we should all decide we’re going to invest all of our resources in making that happen.
“If we make that decision, the pathway will unfold before us, even if there are those that will try to stop it. There are levers clear, there are levers hidden, that can push us in that direction. So I want to be hopeful … and I know that we as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will do everything we can to push in that direction.
“And hopefully, the international community, given everything that has happened and given the risks involved in not doing the right thing, will come along, and we’re working with our partners, the Europeans among them and many others, to try and translate that intent into reality,” Prince Faisal said.
Saudi Arabia to host 28th World Investment Conference in Riyadh
Updated 48 min 35 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is on track to host the 28th World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies’ World Investment Conference from Nov. 25 to 27 in Riyadh.
The forum themed “Future-ready IPAs: Navigating digital disruption and sustainable growth,” will bring together leaders from investment promotion agencies, corporates, multilateral institutions, and other stakeholders to discuss global financial trends and opportunities, according to a statement.
The Kingdom’s selection as a host underscores its position as an international funding hub, according to Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih.
“We are honored to be welcoming the global investment community to Saudi Arabia. Our strategic location at the crossroads of three continents, coupled with our world-class investment ecosystem and long-term political and economic stability, has seen the Kingdom develop into a global investment hub,” Al-Falih said.
“The World Investment Conference will serve as a platform to showcase our nation’s potential and forge partnerships that will shape the global investment landscape for years to come,” the minister added.
On WAIPA’s behalf, Executive Director and CEO Ismail Ersahin said: “WAIPA is honored that the 28th WAIPA World Investment Conference will be held in Riyadh, a city with a rich history and culture.”
Ersahin added: “With each edition, the WIC reaffirms its status as a guiding force for sustainable and inclusive development.”
He went on to stress how the conference is poised to be an impactful gathering aimed at the future readiness of IPAs.
Since 1995, the annual gathering has provided a forum for stakeholders to exchange insights and best practices and forge partnerships that drive economic development globally.
Human capital a ‘key challenge’ for Kingdom’s tourism sector, says Saudi minister
Saudi Arabia's tourism sector is 'heading to achieve $80 billion this year' in private investment, Al-Khateeb told a WEF panel
Updated 52 min 58 sec ago
ANAN TELLO
LONDON: Developing human capital is a key challenge for Saudi Arabia’s travel sector, the country’s tourism minister has said on Sunday.
Ahmed Al-Khateeb, speaking during a two-day meeting of the World Economic Forum in Riyadh, discussed the Kingdom’s burgeoning tourism industry, which has boomed over the past half-decade.
To address the human capital challenge, the Saudi leadership has encouraged young people across the Kingdom “to join the sector,” he said.
“We are spending a lot to train (young Saudi talents) and scale them, and involve them in the sector,” he told the “Vacationomics” panel discussion, adding that hiring local experts is essential for delivering better tourism experiences.
“You get the best experience and you know more about other people’s culture and other nations’ cultures when you deal and interact with locals,” he said. “We want to make sure that our guests are served by local people.”
Saudi Arabia has delivered “strong growth in Q1 this year, and we are moving to deliver our 2030 numbers,” the minister said.
The Kingdom’s tourism sector “has come a long way” since the launch of the National Tourism Strategy as part of efforts to diversify the economy, Al-Khateeb said, adding that the industry is “heading to achieve $80 billion this year” in private investment.
Last year, Saudi Arabia attracted about $66 billion in private investment into tourism.
“We doubled the number of visitors coming from outside — 100 million in total … 77 million domestic (and) 27 million international,” he said. “This is double the number that we achieved before we launched our National Tourism Strategy.
“We have the funding. We have a great country. We have everything that the international tourists would like to see and experience.”
Jerry Inzerillo, chief of the Diriyah Gate Development Authority, told the panel: “What the Gulf and its leadership will do in the next 10 years is going to be breathtaking to allow people to come from all over the world.”
With “so much to do in the region,” Inzerillo said he believed the “warmth and hospitality” of the Saudi people is serving as a strong selling point for tourism in the Kingdom.
Though the traditional Gulf tourism market in Saudi Arabia is well developed, European tourism is “now activating” through new business with the Kingdom, he added.
“And as we sign more and more airline deals and… (the) Ministry of Tourism has done a brilliant job in getting bilaterals, you’ll see those numbers grow very exponentially.”
Other panelists included Abdulla Bin Touq Al-Marri, UAE minister of economy; Thiago Alonso de Oliveira, CEO of JHSF Participacoes; and Aireen Omar, president and CEO of RedBeat Capital.
