BEIRUT: The European Union has offered Lebanon a financial package of 1 billion euros ($1.07 billion) to support its faltering economy and its security forces, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday during a visit to Beirut.
Von der Leyen said the package would help bolster basic services, including health and education, though she added it was crucial for Beirut to “take forward economic, financial and banking reforms” to revitalize the business environment and banking sector.
Speaking alongside Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, she said support to the Lebanese army and other security agencies would be focused on providing training, equipment and infrastructure to improve border management.
Lebanon’s economy began to unravel in 2019 after decades of profligate spending and corruption. However, vested interests in the ruling elite have stalled financial reforms that would grant Lebanon access to a $3 billion aid package from the International Monetary Fund.
As the crisis has been allowed to fester, most Lebanese have been locked out of their bank savings, the local currency has collapsed and public institutions — from schools to the army — have struggled to keep functioning.
In parallel, Lebanon has seen a rise in migrant boats taking off from its shores and heading to Europe – with nearby Cyprus and increasingly Italy, too, as the main destinations, researchers say. Both Syrians and Lebanese are on board.
Both Von der Leyen and Christodoulides said they hoped Lebanon would conclude a “working arrangement” with Frontex, the EU’s border agency.
Lebanon is home to hundreds of thousands of Syrians fleeing the conflict in their homeland since 2011. Echoing other Lebanese officials, Mikati said on Thursday they were further straining Lebanon’s collapsed economy and that most of Syria was now safe enough for them to go back.
But the United Nations says Syria is still too dangerous for displaced nationals to return. Last year, Syrians were still being arrested or conscripted when they were being forcibly returned by Lebanese authorities.
Christodoulides said the protracted presence of Syrians in Lebanon needed to be addressed.
“Let me be clear, the current situation is not sustainable for Lebanon, it’s not sustainable for Cyprus and it’s not sustainable for the European Union. It hasn’t been sustainable for years,” he told reporters.
EU offers $1 bln in economic, security support to Lebanon
https://arab.news/gbtcu
EU offers $1 bln in economic, security support to Lebanon
- The funds would be available from this year until 2027
- Von der Leyen said the support package would help bolster basic services in Lebanon, including health and education
Saudi Arabia scales AI in national education
- Kingdom accelerates plan to lead the region in digital skills
RIYADH: As Saudi Arabia accelerates toward the goals of Vision 2030, the Kingdom is positioning technology, particularly artificial intelligence, as a cornerstone of its education reform strategy.
By embedding AI across the national curriculum, policymakers aim to equip more than 6 million general education students with future-ready skills by 2025.
To achieve this, government bodies and private sector leaders have aligned efforts to integrate AI education into classrooms across the country.
A collaborative initiative launched in 2025 brings together the National Centre for Curriculum, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority. The initiative is designed not only to teach students how to use AI tools, but to enable them to learn through AI-driven platforms. Teachers, too, are central to the transformation.
At the International Conference on Data and AI Capacity Building organized by SDAIA, participating entities outlined their progress and future ambitions, underscoring Saudi Arabia’s drive to become a global hub for AI-enabled education.
Offering a public sector perspective, Bedour Alrayes, deputy CEO of the Human Capability Development Program under Vision 2030, highlighted the importance of embedding AI into learning pathways early and systematically. “It’s not about how they learn AI, it’s about how they practice it,” Alrayes told Arab News.
DID YOU KNOW?
• Saudi Arabia plans to equip over 6 million students with AI skills nationwide.
• IBM has trained 500,000 in AI — targeting 1 million Saudis by 2030.
AI tools are being used not only to teach students but to help teachers design lessons.
She described a structured model that begins in elementary school. “When we talk about K-12, we start by enabling digital curriculum from the fourth grade, also AI curriculum in schools. We enable teachers to know how to use AI tools, and we have gamification tools where they use AI, including after-school activities and customized learning journeys,” she said.
Alrayes stressed the importance of maintaining a balance between technological advancement and human engagement, describing the approach as a “human-centric partnership” between people and AI. The strategy spans the full education continuum — from K-12 to university — and extends into lifelong learning and professional development, ensuring Saudi citizens remain competitive in a rapidly evolving global economy.
SDAIA has further strengthened this ecosystem with the introduction of the Saudi Academic Framework for AI Qualifications, a national benchmark guiding the development, evaluation and accreditation of AI programs in higher education. The framework has drawn interest from international technology firms eager to contribute to the Kingdom’s transformation.
Justina Nixon-Saintil, IBM’s vice president and chief impact officer, pointed to growing demand for AI capabilities in the local market.
“We launched our AI skilling programs just a few years ago, and as of last year we had already skilled 500,000 people,” she told Arab News.
“What I love is that there’s such demand here. People are eager to learn, eager to grow and eager to take advantage of AI skills. It’s also because it’s being led by the government, corporations and universities; everyone is aligned with Vision 2030 and they want to make sure their citizens are ready to take advantage of those opportunities.”
IBM collaborates with leading institutions including King Saud University and Princess Nourah University, delivering AI education and certification programs to faculty and students alike.
Nixon-Saintil underscored the necessity of close coordination between industry and academia.
“We do not implement any programs without input from the private sector. When we look at the training pathways and hands-on projects, we partner with the private sector to understand what skills they’re looking for and how jobs are evolving, because they are changing very quickly,” she said.
Reflecting the scale of ambition, she revealed IBM’s goal of equipping 1 million Saudis with AI skills by 2030.
Private sector innovators are also contributing to classroom transformation. Alex West, founder and CEO of Manifest XR, described how the company’s AI-powered tools are helping educators create dynamic learning content.
“The AI tools that we provide can produce content for teachers based on simple text prompts. They can upload documentation and create videos, assessments, quizzes and an entire course for students to then learn from. We provide structured training programs around how you can safely introduce AI technology, and we provide certificates for teachers,” he said.
West emphasized the urgency of narrowing the gap between workforce demands and the pace of educational adaptation.
“I think educators, if they want to stay ahead and remain competitive, should be introducing this technology so that their students can be prepared for industry work placements and the 2030 vision. In the next few years, things are going to look even more different. The Kingdom wants this technology everywhere and wants to improve the quality of learning. We allow this to scale not only for high-end international schools, but this can be used in any schools across the country, even in resource-deprived areas.”
Anees Ahmad, regional manager at Spectrum Networks, echoed that commitment to nationwide transformation.
“As part of Vision 2030 of the Kingdom, we are here to cater to all government, semi-government and enterprise customers in fulfilling the requirements of the transformation,” he told Arab News.
