Danish prime minister reaches out to Trump over Greenland remarks

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen gives a press conference in Copenhagen on January 9, 2025, following a meeting with party leaders regarding Greenland. (Ritzau Scanpix / AFP)
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Updated 10 January 2025
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Danish prime minister reaches out to Trump over Greenland remarks

COPENHAGEN: Denmark’s prime minister said Thursday she had reached out to US President-elect Donald Trump following his remarks about taking control of Greenland, which Denmark said were being taken seriously.
Trump, who takes office on January 20, set off alarm bells on Tuesday when he refused to rule out military intervention to bring the Panama Canal and Greenland under US control.
Denmark has said it is open to talks on US interests in the Arctic, but the prime minister has insisted that “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.”
European leaders have also supported the sovereignty of the Arctic island that is an autonomous Danish territory. Russia has voiced concern for maintaining peace and stability in the region.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen summoned leaders of the parties in Denmark’s parliament, including Greenland’s two representatives, to a meeting Thursday to brief them on the government handling of events.




Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (C), Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen (L) and Foreign Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen give a press conference in Copenhagen on January 9, 2025, following a meeting with party leaders regarding Greenland. (Ritzau Scanpix / AFP)

Few details emerged from the two-hour talks, but Frederiksen told reporters after that her office had reached out to Trump though the two had not spoken yet.
“We have proposed a conversation between us. I don’t think anything concrete will happen until the president-elected is installed,” she said.
She reiterated that she did not believe Trump would try to seize Greenland by force.
“We have no reason to believe that would happen.”
The head of the right-wing Danish People’s Party, Morten Messerschmidt, told TV2 television after the talks he was “completely confident that the (Danish) government wants to work closely with the United States... our most important economic and defense political allies.”
But another right-wing populist leader, Inger Stojberg of the Denmark Democrats, said her impression was that the government had “no concrete plan” and appeared “paralyzed.”
“I hope the government will be more active toward Trump when he takes office,” she said.
One of the Greenland representatives, Aki-Mathilda Hoegh-Dam, praised Frederiksen for a “good dialogue.”
“I think it’s important to keep a cool head and remember that we have... a good partnership and this doesn’t change that,” she said.




Greenland's Prime Minister Mute B. Egede attends a New Year's Reception at the Greenlandic Representation in Copenhagen on January 9, 2025. (Ritzau Scanpix / AFP)

Before the talks, Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told reporters that Denmark has “no ambition whatsoever to escalate a war of words with a president on his way into the Oval Office.”

“My own attitude is that you should take Trump very seriously but not necessarily literally. We take it so seriously that we are also working on it,” he added.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also dismissed speculation the United States might use force to take Greenland.
“I feel like I can rule out that the United States in the coming years will try to forcefully annex territories that interest them,” Meloni told a press conference in Rome.
She said Trump’s remarks were “more of a message to... other big global players.”
Rivalry between the Uniited States, China and Russia is growing in the Arctic, as ice melts due to climate change and opens up new shipping lanes.




Illustration map of Greenland. (AFP)

In addition to its strategic location, Greenland, which is seeking independence from Denmark, holds massive untapped mineral and oil reserves, although oil and uranium exploration are banned.
The United States has a military base in northwest Greenland.
Trump first said he wanted to buy Greenland in 2019 during his first term as president, an offer swiftly rebuffed by Greenland and Denmark.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz insisted that “borders must not be moved by force. This principle applies to every country, whether in the East or the West.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday said Russia was following events “very closely.”
“We are interested in preserving peace and stability in this zone and are ready to co-operate with any parties for this peace and stability,” he added.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede, speaking in Copenhagen on Thursday, said the territory was “entering a new era, in a new year where Greenland is in the center of the world.”
In a statement Wednesday, the government said “Greenland’s development and future are decided solely by its people.”
At the same time, it said it would continue to cooperate with the United States “as one of our closest partners.”
“Greenland has had more than 80 years of defense cooperation with the US for the benefit of the security of Greenland, the US and the rest of the Western world,” it said.
 


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 3 min 36 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.


Pakistan PM uses World Governments Summit to call for independent state of Palestine

Updated 17 min 24 sec ago
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Pakistan PM uses World Governments Summit to call for independent state of Palestine

  • Gaza war has been paused since January 19 under ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas
  • Palestinian territory, encompassing Gaza Strip and West Bank, has been occupied by Israel since 1967

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday used the pulpit at the World Governments Summit in Dubai to call for the creation of an independent state of Palestine, saying it was the only path toward a “durable and just peace.”
The latest Gaza war, which began after an Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, has been paused since Jan. 19 under the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that was brokered by Qatar and Egypt with support from the United States.
More than 48,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, the Gaza health ministry says, and nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million population has been internally displaced by the conflict, which has caused a hunger crisis.
Some 1,200 people were killed in the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israeli communities and about 250 were taken to Gaza as hostages, Israeli tallies show.
“This gathering could not have come at a more opportune time as the region begins to recover from the tumultuous aftershocks of the tragic conflict in Gaza, which has claimed [lives of] over 50,000 innocent Palestinians,” Sharif said as he addressed the WSG.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addresses the audience at the plenary hall during the World Governments Summit in Dubai on February 11, 2025. (AFP)

“It is now our hope that the genocidal operation will be followed by a lasting peace. However, Pakistan believes that durable and just peace is only possible through a two-state solution in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions, that is the creation of an independent state of Palestine, with pre-1967 boundaries and Al-Quds as its capital.”
Palestinian territory – encompassing the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem – has been occupied by Israel since 1967.
Pakistan does not recognize Israel and has consistently called for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters.”


Orange Business to offer subscription-based Smart City services in Saudi Arabia

Updated 18 min 17 sec ago
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Orange Business to offer subscription-based Smart City services in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: Digital system integrator Orange Business is set to roll out “Smart City-as-a-Service” in Saudi Arabia, aiming to drive significant financial and time savings, a senior company official said.

Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of LEAP 2025 in Riyadh, Mohammed Al-Jeraisy, managing director for Saudi Arabia and Africa, said the service will develop Smart City applications for cloud deployment, capitalizing on the sector’s rapid growth.

The Saudi Smart Cities market is projected to expand considerably, with revenue expected to hit $560 million by 2025, according to data firm Statista. Globally, the US is forecasted to generate the highest revenue in the segment at $27.06 billion in the same year.

“This is something that is known — it’s a challenge. When you implement a Smart City solution, deployment is costly and time-consuming. These projects typically take years to develop and build. What a Smart City-as-a-Service solution does today is help customers adopt the solution quickly, saving both time and costs,” Al-Jeraisy said.

He added that the new model could cut costs by 40 to 60 percent and reduce adoption time by up to 80 percent.

Al-Jeraisy also highlighted the flexibility of the subscription-based model, which allows customers to choose specific Smart City services as needed.

“When it comes to Smart City services, there are many — plenty of them. You can think of major services like a city’s command and control center, which is essential. You also need solutions for the environment and applications for traffic management. Today, you can start using these services immediately and access them through the platform,” Al-Jeraisy said. 

The model enables customers to opt in and out of services as required. “You can subscribe to the service today, use it for as long as you need, and stop whenever you decide. You can then go for another service. I think that’s one of the key benefits we offer to customers,” he added.

Despite the name, Smart City-as-a-Service is not limited to cities, Al-Jeraisy said. “It can be used for campuses, stadiums, events, and even universities because what truly matters are the applications and use cases we build on the platform,” Al-Jeraisy said, noting that both small and large cities, as well as airports and schools, can benefit from these services.

Saudi Arabia is emerging as a leader in Smart City and AI adoption, he noted, adding that the global adoption rate for Smart City-as-a-Service currently stands at 33 percent and is expected to rise as more customers recognize its benefits.

Orange Business has been involved in large-scale Smart City projects in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East for more than a decade. It is engaged in major regional developments, including projects in Egypt and the Arabian Gulf states, and contributes to the SMART Africa initiative to accelerate sustainable socio-economic development across the continent.

The company signed a deal in September 2023 with the King Abdullah Financial District Development & Management Company to design, build, and operate a Smart City platform integrating existing digital technologies at Saudi Arabia’s prime business district, KAFD. 

The platform leverages AI and data analytics while providing Digital Master Systems Integration services. Orange Business is also orchestrating a partner ecosystem to drive new use cases and seamless integration.


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

Updated 23 min 8 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.


LEAP 2025 announces $7.5bn in tech and AI investments on Day 2

Updated 24 min 41 sec ago
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LEAP 2025 announces $7.5bn in tech and AI investments on Day 2

LEAP 2025, the global tech event, witnessed a series of groundbreaking investments on Day 2, exceeding $7.5 billion, in data centers, submarine and fiber-optic cable networks.

These investments are focused on enhancing digital infrastructure and promoting innovation in artificial intelligence, further establishing Saudi Arabia as a regional hub for technology and innovation.

DataVolt, in collaboration with NEOM, announced a significant investment of $5 billion to establish the first fully sustainable AI data center in Oxagon, with a capacity of 1.5 GW. This cutting-edge facility aims to become a global hub for advanced computing and innovation.

Alfanar revealed a $1.4 billion investment to develop four data centers, with a total capacity of 88 MW. This initiative will support the growth of the digital economy and the development of business solutions in Saudi Arabia.

In a strategic initiative to improve the Kingdom’s digital infrastructure, Mobily committed $905 million to develop key projects, including submarine cable networks and advanced data centers. 

In addition, Zoom has pledged $75 million to drive AI innovation and establish new data centers, strengthening support for tech enterprises and government entities, which will further fuel digital expansion in the region. 

Saudi Arabia Railways has announced a $51 million investment in a private fiber-optic network, which will enhance digital connectivity and expand the country’s communications infrastructure. 

In addition, SkyFive has highlighted Saudi Arabia’s growing role as a regional hub for technological innovation by unveiling a $100 million investment in non-terrestrial network services. This will focus on pioneering advanced air mobility solutions and driving innovation in this field. Also, HPE announced the expansion of “Made in KSA” in the region, and the localization of HPE Aruba solutions to enhance infrastructure with security-first and AI-powered networking.

LEAP 2025 is organized by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology; the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones; Tahaluf, an alliance between SFCPD and Informa PLC; and the Events Investment Fund. The event brings together global tech leaders to exchange insights, foster connections between investors and startups, and highlight innovative technologies. 

LEAP features educational experiences, workshops, and thought leadership sessions, including the “LEAP Into Innovation” by the Research, Development, and Innovation Authority. Discussions explore future-focused topics such as green hydrogen, carbon-neutral cities, sustainable mining, and space exploration. 

LEAP 2025 continues to solidify Saudi Arabia’s leadership in the global technology landscape, driving forward a future of innovation and sustainable digital transformation.