DAVOS: Saudi Arabia is primed to position itself at the forefront of the global industrial transformation, leveraging its scale, strategic vision, and competitive energy infrastructure to become a leader in sectors such as clean industries and advanced technologies, experts said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Rayan Fayez, deputy CEO at NEOM, highlighted how the Kingdom’s industrial city, Oxagon, is driving diversification and clean manufacturing.
The city is already home to several key sectors, including green hydrogen, renewable manufacturing and AI data centers.
The world’s largest green hydrogen project, a collaboration with ACWA Power and Air Products, is 90 percent complete and expected to be operational by 2027, Fayez said.
Renewable manufacturing partnerships are also taking off, with Chinese companies establishing solar and wind production outside China for the first time.
Fayez highlighted that NEOM’s success rests on four core competitive advantages: digital infrastructure, abundant renewable energy, ready-to-use land and strategic location.
“The location is not only strategic for the Kingdom, but also in connection to the rest of the world through the port of NEOM,” he said, adding that the city is poised to serve as a hub for both domestic and export-oriented industries.
Panelists also discussed how global industrial forces are evolving.
Frederico Torti from the WEF highlighted the structural volatility in supply chains, driven by geopolitics, technological change, natural disasters, cybersecurity risks and talent shortages.
He highlighted the importance of agility, collaboration and holistic operational transformation.
“The only way to make this happen is through collaboration, dialogue, and cooperation across public and private sectors,” he said.
Saudi Arabia’s strategic position, combined with its low-cost energy and infrastructure readiness, make it a magnet for industrial investment, Torti said.
“Countries that invest in the right factors will attract manufacturing investments and create value for the next decade,” he said, pointing to NEOM as a prime example of this approach.
ACWA Power CEO Marco Arcelli highlighted why Saudi Arabia is a compelling market for gigascale renewable energy and water desalination projects.
“In a world of uncertainty, Saudi Arabia is a country where you can really smell the hope,” he said.
“It speaks with China and the US, with Russia and Ukraine, with Europe and Southeast Asia and Africa, and looks to partner to solve problems and to develop domestically but also abroad.”
ACWA Power is now the largest water desalination company in the world, with operations across the Middle East and new projects in Azerbaijan, Senegal and China, he added.
Arcelli highlighted the water-energy nexus, where low-cost renewable power enables large-scale, sustainable desalination.
“Countries that are moving faster in these sectors are typically countries that will enjoy higher economic growth,” he said.
Looking ahead, panelists highlighted that the future of competitiveness will rely less on scale and more on speed and collaboration.
“You cannot be good at everything,” Arcelli said. “It’s going to be more about cooperation. It’s an economy of speed, not economy of scale anymore to thrive and be the best around.”
Torti reiterated the need for cross-border partnerships and dialogue, adding: “Open up, connect and make best use of forums like this to get different perspectives on solving problems. Collaboration is invaluable.”
Fayez added that investing in talent remains a critical element to drive industrial transformation in the Kingdom as well as globally, alongside infrastructure and technology.
‘Speed over scale’: Saudi Arabia positioned to shape future of industry, say experts
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‘Speed over scale’: Saudi Arabia positioned to shape future of industry, say experts
- WEF panelists also discussed how global industrial forces are evolving
Rooted in memory: How Rola Daftardar turns Saudi heritage into living art
- Ma Maison by Rola curates, produces home accessories
- Aim to reflect Kingdom as ‘authentic, layered and artistic’
RIYADH: For Rola Daftardar, creativity is not simply about design — it is about memory, emotion and belonging.
Saudi by birth, originally from Madinah and raised in Jeddah, Daftardar carries a layered identity shaped further by her Lebanese mother. That blend of cultures, she says, taught her early on to see beauty in contrast and turn it into strength.
“My identity has always been a mix,” she said during a recent interview. “It taught me how to appreciate detail, emotion and storytelling through objects.”
From childhood, she was drawn to art and pieces with soul — objects that feel lived with rather than merely displayed. She went on to study arts, history and media, developing a philosophy that creativity is not only aesthetic but deeply emotional.
“Design is a way of sharing parts of myself,” she explained. “It’s storytelling through material, color and scent.”
Four years ago, that philosophy became Ma Maison by Rola — a brand that began as a personal creative outlet and gradually grew, season by season, into a carefully curated world of home accessories and tablescaping pieces.
Each year, she approaches her collections as chapters. “Every season has its own breath,” she said. “Every year carries a new intention.”
Her work comes most alive during Ramadan and national occasions, when gatherings take center stage and homes become spaces of shared ritual. Between winter and summer, ideas quietly bloom. But this year’s message feels especially personal.
Daftardar’s latest collection is deeply rooted in Saudi heritage, inspired by cities including Jeddah, Riyadh, AlUla and Taif — places she sees as emotional landscapes as much as geographic ones.
“With Saudi Arabia opening to the world, I felt a responsibility to present my country as I see it — authentic, layered and artistic,” she said.
Candles became the starting point of that story. More than fragrance, they are tributes to memory. Musk reflects the warmth of Jeddah, rose captures the calm elegance of Taif, and oud represents the depth and strength of Riyadh.
Hand-painted details and carefully chosen colors complete the sensory narrative.
The idea for her foldable side tables emerged during a walk along Jeddah’s corniche. Watching families gather spontaneously by the sea reminded her of the informal spaces that connect people — a feeling she also associates with historic Al-Balad.
“I wanted to create something simple and functional that carries that spirit of gathering,” she said.
The concept expanded to Diriyah — old and new — and to AlUla, where history and futurism coexist.
Yet it is tablescaping that remains closest to her heart. “I never choose pieces randomly,” she said. “I imagine the people around the table, the dishes being served, the conversations happening.”
For Daftardar, every bowl, riser and glass element forms part of a complete narrative. Every table tells a story.
Her ultimate aim is clear: to reflect Saudi Arabia as she feels it — warm, generous and deeply rooted. A place where modernity meets origin, and tradition evolves without losing its soul.
That is where Ma Maison by Rola lives — in the space between memory and modernity — and it is a story she is proud to tell.
