Right on track: Riyadh Metro commuters on board with excitement

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The Saudi capital is ending the year on a high as Riyadh Metro trains officially began running on Dec. 1. (AN photo by Jaafer Alsaleh)
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The Saudi capital is ending the year on a high as Riyadh Metro trains officially began running on Dec. 1. (AN photo by Jaafer Alsaleh)
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The Saudi capital is ending the year on a high as Riyadh Metro trains officially began running on Dec. 1. (AN photo by Jaafer Alsaleh)
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Updated 02 December 2024
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Right on track: Riyadh Metro commuters on board with excitement

  • Arab News speaks to commuters at King Abdullah Financial District Station

RIYADH: The Saudi capital is ending the year on a high as Riyadh Metro trains officially began running on Dec. 1.

Stations were buzzing with excitement across the blue, yellow, and purple lines as commuters celebrated the opening of a project which was 12 years in the making. 

At the King Abdullah Financial District Station, which connects all three lines, Saudis, residents, and tourists spoke to Arab News about their eagerness to try out the city’s new mode of transportation.

Khalid Alohari, who was en route to visit his grandmother, told Arab News: “I live in the north, near to the KAFD Station, and my grandma is in the far east, so going by car was always a hassle. Now the metro will make visiting her so much easier. The experience is just phenomenal. I’ve been waiting for this.”




Medical student Khalid Alohari. (AN photo by Jaafer Alsaleh)

As a medical student at King Saud University, he was eligible for a 50 percent discount on all fares. He plans to use the metro system regularly to attend classes.

He added: “A month (of) using public transport, the metro, the buses, the supplementary cars, for just SR70 ($18) for a student, it’s just something we didn’t imagine could happen. I have a station close to my home. I’m going to take it to the university, and use it for the commute.

“As a medical student, I can use the 30-40 minutes of the commute to study, and it will also have a positive impact on my grades. It’s a win-win for everyone basically.”

He said that the metro will play a crucial role in reducing the growing traffic problem in Saudi Arabia, while also making transportation a greener experience as the system runs primarily on electrical energy rather than oil combustion.

Tourists Greg and Emma Turra were visiting Riyadh from Australia. Unsure how to spend their last day in the city, they decided to hop on the train to see where it took them. They were surprised to learn that the special day was the first they could have accessed the mass transit system.

Greg told Arab News: “We were just looking at a bit of time to waste on our last six hours, and what better way than doing this? It’s not every day you ride a train on its opening day.”




Tourist Greg Turra. (AN photo by Jaafer Alsaleh)

They started their journey from Alinma Bank Station on the blue line and made it to KAFD.

Emma said: “The first thing we saw was that it was brand new, modern, futuristic, and the architectural brilliance of it, really, is quite special.

“Everyone was so excited to be traveling on it — we couldn’t believe that. That’s how we realized that it was obviously the first day.”




Tourist Emma Turra. (AN photo by Jaafer Alsaleh)

She added that the system could be an attraction for tourists as the city’s traffic has been a well-known problem for tourists.

She added: “Before I came to Riyadh I was told the traffic was a nightmare. And when we arrived, we took close to two hours to get to our hotel. This line goes to the airport so that might be another option for people.”

Ameera Alrumaih, a student at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, told Arab News: “I've been thinking about this project for forever.




Ameera Alrumaih, a student at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University. (AN photo by Jaafer Alsaleh)

“I’ve been seeing it being built near our house. Every outing we have, I always see the metro. I’ve been excited for forever to try it.”

Alrumaih and her friend hopped on the train from the university to grab breakfast at KAFD, and headed back to continue their classes.

Alrumaih said: “We traveled from our university to KAFD in less than 10 minutes, which is so much easier, especially for me. I think I would use it. I live in the east so from east to east I’ll still use my car, but from east to north I think I’ll use the metro.

“I’ve tried the metro in Istanbul and London. I think (in Riyadh) it is much clearer, much nicer and well-lit.”




Osama Alharbi. (AN photo by Jaafer Alsaleh)

Commuter Osama Alharbi arrived at KAFD Station from Khurais Road with a sense of pride, and said: “It was so easy to come here. It’s around 15 or 20 minutes around this time but if you take a car from my house to KAFD, maybe an hour.

“When I came to the train station the support was so amazing. The (station managers and assistants) came up to the door to bring me to the ticket (machine) and tell me about the prices.”

The only issue he noted was that there was no clear direction between the standard and first-class sections so travelers could easily hop in any of the cars.


Saudi FM heads Kingdom’s delegation at Paris AI Summit

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan attends the AI Action Summit being held in Paris. (SPA)
Updated 8 sec ago
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Saudi FM heads Kingdom’s delegation at Paris AI Summit

  • Prince Faisal is attending the global summit on behalf of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, SPA said

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan is heading the Kingdom’s delegation to the AI Action Summit being held in Paris, Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

Prince Faisal is attending the global summit on behalf of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, SPA added.

The summit is bringing together almost a hundred countries and more than one thousand private sector and civil society representatives from across the world, invited on an inclusive basis in recognition of their commitment to the action promoted by the summit and their desire to contribute actively to debate.

India will host the next international summit on artificial intelligence after co-hosting with France in Paris on Monday and Tuesday, President Emmanuel Macron’s office said.


Pepsico set to expand in the Kingdom, with new HQ opening in Riyadh

Updated 19 min 40 sec ago
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Pepsico set to expand in the Kingdom, with new HQ opening in Riyadh

  • President said PepsiCo had made investments of up to $2.5 billion in the last 10 years

DUBAI: The soft drinks manufacturer Pepsico is set to open its new regional headquarters in Riyadh this month as part of its expansion, President and General Manager of PepsiCo MENA Ahmed ElSheikh told Arab News on Monday.

“We are opening a new office at King Abdullah Financial District, which is going to be the key head office,” ElSheikh said

PepsiCo is also investing in a research and development facility in KAFD, he added, describing Riyadh as “the hub of the Middle East” with an ever-growing market.

The president said PepsiCo had made investments of up to $2.5 billion in the last 10 years. Recently, $55 million was invested to expand their capabilities.

“So, this is about investment: investment in offices, investment in R&D, and investment in capacity,” he said.

“We’re bullish about the growth in the Middle East.”

Pepsico currently has two manufacturing plants in the Kingdom: one in Damam and one in Riyadh, which exports to the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

When asked how rapid market changes are affecting the brand, ElSheikh said Pepsico adapts to trends quickly.

“Health and wellness and fitness is a new trend, especially for Gen Z,” he said, referencing products such as Forno (baked potato) chips and Gatorade, which are growing in popularity among the demographic.

“The reason behind this is sports. People are very active,” he explained.

Each demographic has different needs, with Generation Z seeking healthier and more convenient products, said ElSheikh.

“Gen Z are looking for not just healthier products but also looking for on-the-go consumption versus at-home consumption,” he added.


Saudi Arabia developing unified ESG guidelines to raise reporting standards, official says

Updated 11 February 2025
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Saudi Arabia developing unified ESG guidelines to raise reporting standards, official says

  • Robust ecosystem will help prepare for sustainable future
  • Saudi companies need to improve accuracy of reports, says Sindi

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is developing unified national environmental, social, and governance guidelines that aim to bring reporting up to international standards, an official said.

“By developing a robust ESG ecosystem, we can address current challenges while preparing for a more sustainable future,” Yara Sindi, general manager of monitoring, reporting, and policies for sustainability, and director of corporate sustainability at the Ministry of Economy and Planning said during a conference in Riyadh.

“With 30 percent of our top companies already reporting on sustainability and growing awareness globally, we have an incredible opportunity to capitalize on this momentum,” Sindi said.

Despite this progress, Sindi noted that the quality of these reports remains a challenge. Many are not aligned with international standards, resulting in weak ratings and limited investor engagement, she said.

While there are multiple existing national guidelines that have been developed by different jurisdictions, Sindi pointed out that there is still no unified approach.

She emphasized the need for Saudi companies to improve the accuracy and transparency of their sustainability reports.

“It’s essential to equip our corporates with the tools and frameworks they need to produce high-quality reports,” she said.

Sindi added that this will allow them to better translate their efforts into measurable outcomes that investors can trust.

To tackle these challenges, Saudi Arabia is developing its own national sustainability reporting standards.

“These guidelines, informed by international best practices, aim to provide a unified approach that simplifies reporting for companies while ensuring alignment with global expectations,” she added.

Sindi made the comments during a panel discussion titled “The Evolving Landscape of ESG: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities” at the fifth World Environmental Social and Governance Summit in Riyadh this week.

She said that investors’ awareness of national ESG initiatives is not where it should be, due to the disconnect between companies and investors regarding sustainability efforts.

“We are working to bridge this gap by fostering conversations and knowledge-sharing between corporates and investors.”

Abdulaziz Al-Ghamdi, director of sustainability at Ardara, also participated in the discussion, emphasizing a critical aspect of proper ESG implementation.

“A lot is going on — the landscape on the policy and the implementation of the strategy — and there’s lots of effort and work to be thanked for.”

Al-Ghamdi added that where most companies fail to address proper ESG implementation strategy, and the way that it can aid decision-making, is in identifying, primarily, many different materiality topics and the sustainability mandate.

“That being said, ESG is a metric for those who have not been involved in it — to calculate, to measure, to track, and to assess the performance of a company towards this broader stakeholder engagement,” he explained.

Al-Ghamdi said that there is a lot of work that has been completed to do that, but there are significant challenges in implementing these kinds of ESG strategies.

Neil Atkinson, senior vice president and head of ESG and sustainability at Riyadh Bank, added further insights into how ESG opens new opportunities for Saudi Arabia’s rapidly transforming sectors such as construction, energy, and real estate.

“I’d say, with the mass transformation we have here in Saudi Arabia for all sectors, how ESG in collaboration with this transformation can provide new opportunities for us here in the Kingdom,” Atkinson said.

He identified four key trends shaping the ESG landscape from a banking perspective.

“The first one is the increasing growth of green, social, sustainability, and sustainability-linked instruments,” Atkinson said.

He noted that in the US, self-identified assets under management in ESG reached $6.5 trillion in 2024, reflecting a significant year-on-year rise.

Atkinson pointed to the scaling of clean energy technologies, particularly solar, hydrogen, and wind, as a second major trend.

The third trend Atkinson highlighted was the increasing demand from investors for measurable ESG metrics.

“There are innumerable macro studies that demonstrate the strong positive correlation between sustainability performance and financial performance,” he said.

This drives investor interest in companies’ ESG integration into corporate planning and strategy. Atkinson linked this trend to regulatory developments.

He added: “Sustainability performance equals financial performance, which equals financial stability. And that’s a trend we see continuing.”

Atkinson said that there are 3,000 Saudi companies impacted by the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive requirements.

“This will influence how businesses set up their exports and how we in the financial sector help companies transition to meet these requirements.”


Islamic coalition partners with UN to strengthen global efforts against terrorism

Updated 11 February 2025
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Islamic coalition partners with UN to strengthen global efforts against terrorism

RIYADH: The Islamic Military Counter-Terrorism Coalition and the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism signed a memorandum of understanding in New York to bolster international efforts against terrorism and promote global security and stability.

The MoU aims to unify efforts in addressing terrorist threats in line with the regulations of both parties, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

The coalition was represented by secretary-general, Maj. Gen. Mohammed Al-Moghedi, and the UN office by under-secretary-general Vladimir Voronkov.

The MoU will support joint counter-terrorism projects focusing on capacity-building, training, awareness initiatives, and tackling emerging challenges.

It also outlines strategic cooperation in areas such as specialized law enforcement training and tailored technical assistance to member states.

Al-Moghedi emphasized that the MoU highlights the coalition’s commitment to combating terrorism and enhancing international cooperation for global security.

He added that working with the UN will facilitate the exchange of expertise and strengthen member states’ abilities to address security challenges effectively.


Saudi fund grants $20m loan for Suriname power grid 

Updated 11 February 2025
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Saudi fund grants $20m loan for Suriname power grid 

RIYADH: The Saudi Fund for Development has signed its first concessional loan agreement with Suriname, allocating $20 million to expand the country’s electricity transmission and distribution networks.

The agreement was signed by Sultan Al-Marshad, the fund’s CEO, and Kermechend Stanley Raghoebarsing, Suriname’s minister of finance and planning, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

The project aims to expand the electricity network in the capital Paramaribo, and the city of Nickerie, improving energy accessibility and grid efficiency. 

It will also extend electricity to farms and factories across multiple regions, with transmission lines covering approximately 50 km, the SPA reported.

This agreement marks the first collaboration between the Saudi fund and Suriname, reflecting the former’s 50-year commitment to supporting developing nations’ economic, social, and developmental challenges.

The project aligns with the fund’s ongoing efforts to enhance infrastructure and economic prosperity worldwide, the SPA added.