The 966

Episode 76! The 966 welcomes Antonia Carver director of Art Jameel, who discusses her work supporting artists and creative communities in the Middle East region and beyond. Art Jameel was founded by the Jameel family philanthropies and is headquartered in Saudi Arabia and the UAE and works globally. Before the discussion, the hosts talk about Founding Day 2023, the new Riyadh downtown project, and much more. 

The 966 Episode 75! The hosts discuss the recently-concluded LEAP conference and exhibition in Riyadh and how Saudi Arabia is increasingly becoming a leader in the space in the region. They also discuss how Riyadh is, in general, becoming a more attractive destination for global events, a concept once difficult to imagine before the Kingdom opened up its borders to tourists. The hosts conclude as always with Yallah! A rundown of 6 top storylines this week in Saudi Arabia to get you up to date heading into the weekend.

4:05 - Richard's one big thing is all the international events ongoing in Saudi Arabia and its capital, Riyadh, these days, making it a global destination for events.

10:30 - Lucien's one big thing is LEAP, the four-day long event in the Kingdom that welcomed thousands of visitors and over 700 speakers to talk tech, VC, and next-generation industries. The event also saw 900 exhibitors. The event kicked off with some headline-grabbing major announcements of large investment figures by Minister of Communications and Information Technology in Saudi Arabia Abdullah Alswaha, in a keynote. The minister announced investments worth $9 billion to support future technologies, digital entrepreneurship, and tech startups, all with the overall goal of advancing the Kingdom’s position as the largest digital economy in the Middle East and North Africa region.

19:14 - Yallah! 6 top storylines to get you up to date on Saudi Arabia heading into the weekend.

Hajj 2023: Saudi Arabia extends Nusuk programme to more countries

Saudi Arabia has expanded its Nusuk programme for Hajj pilgrims to more countries around the world. Nusuk is a unified government portal that helps pilgrims to apply and pay online for electronic visas, book flights and pay for accommodation and transport. The move will benefit pilgrims from Europe, the US, Australia and more than 58 countries and will, “raise the quality of the services provided to enrich the religious and cultural experience, while also achieving the objectives of the kingdom’s Vision 2030 programmes.” the Saudi Press Agency quoted the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah as saying.

The Big 5 Saudi 2023 doubles in size in its new venue

The 11th edition of The Big 5 Saudi, organized by dmg events, will take place at the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Conference Center from 18-21 February 2023. This largest construction event in Saudi Arabia will bring together 28,000+ attendees and over 750 local and international exhibitors from 40 countries, showcasing the latest in construction innovations and technologies.  Twelve country pavilions will shine the spotlight on construction solutions from Italy, Germany, Greece, Poland, Spain, Egypt, China, Kuwait, Turkiye, Qatar, Austria and India.

Saudi MBS offers to build stadiums in Greece, Egypt if they join World Cup bid

Saudi Arabia has offered to pay for new football stadiums in Greece and Egypt in return for their alliance in jointly bidding to host the 2030 World Cup. The joint bid between the three friendly countries is in competition with a joint European bid by Spain, Portugal and Ukraine, and a joint South American bid by Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile. The window for bids opened in June last year, and the decision on the tournament will be voted on by the 200-member FIFA congress in 2024.

Saudi Arabia FDI inflows up 10.7% in third quarter 2022 -investment ministry

Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into Saudi Arabia rose 10.7% in the third quarter of 2022 over the same period a year earlier, figures from the investment ministry showed. FDI inflows totalled 7.2 billion riyals ($1.9 billion) in the third quarter of 2022, according to the investment ministry's latest monthly bulletin published on Monday, versus 6.5 billion riyals in the third quarter of 2021.

Al Hilal beat Flamengo to become first Saudi club to reach Club World Cup final

Salem Al Dawsari scored two penalties as Al Hilal beat Flamengo 3-2 to become the first Saudi Arabian club to reach the Fifa Club World Cup final. Al-Hilal football club will go head-to-head against 5-time Fifa Club World Cup winner Real Madrid in the final this Saturday after the Spanish team’s 4-1 win over Egypt’s al-Ahly.

Saudi Arabia's gaming sector gets $488m funding to boost talent and development

Saudi Arabia's gaming industry received a boost with new funding worth $488 million, as the kingdom pushes forward in positioning itself as a global leader in the industry. The financing is being provided by the Saudi Esports Federation, National Development Fund and the Social Development Bank. It targets both the gaming and e-sports sectors. The gaming industry in Saudi Arabia, the Arab world's biggest economy, is poised to grow 250 per cent by 2030, with e-sports leading the growth, a recent study from YouGov found.

Episode 74! A conversation with Dr. Doaa Alsaleh MD, a physician-scientist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City on her journey, work, research, and future before returning to work in Saudi Arabia soon. Dr. Doaa was born in Saudi Arabia, got her medical degree in Bahrain, and is now in pursuit of a PHD on top of her medical doctor degree at the prestigious Mount Sinai hospital system in NYC. 

In Episode 73 this week, The 966 features an exclusive conversation with Jacob Mumm, Senior Vice President for Bechtel and Managing Director for Bechtel Saudi Arabia. Bechtel's role in over 300 major projects throughout 80 years in Saudi Arabia, including the world's largest single industrial development project at Jubail, the ambitious Riyadh Metro project, "The Spine" at Neom, Ras Al Khair, and many more, make it a significant part of the story of modern Saudi Arabia. Bechtel was also recently chosen for a project management role in the building of Trojena, an alpine-themed resort area within Neom. The hosts also ask Jake about the engineering marvel that is the late Zaha Hadid-designed metro station at KAFD, whether the Riyadh metro will help alleviate traffic woes in a growing Riyadh, the increasing number of Saudi women working for Bechtel, and the importance of developing local talent in the Kingdom.

[FULL EPISODE 72] - The Riyadh Metro project, the game-changing public transportation project in Saudi Arabia’s capital, “will be opened soon.” A discussion on the hot real estate market in Riyadh and across Saudi Arabia. Then, to kick off the program's "Yallah!" segment, the hosts spend some time talking about the Dakar Rally, which just wrapped up in the Kingdom, and marvel at the risks taken by the participating drivers.

1:24 - Richard's one big thing is the real estate market in Saudi Arabia, and discusses recent information shared by the global real estate consultancy Knight Frank on the market in the Kingdom as well as the expanding giga-developments being undertaken across Saudi Arabia. Faisal Durrani, Partner – head of Middle East research for Knight Frank, said: “A bold new vision is unfolding in Saudi Arabia. The phenomenal transformation taking place in the world’s fastest growing economy is clearly visible across the entire urban landscape. With over 555,000 residential units, more than 275,000 hotel keys, in excess of 4.3 million square metres of retail space and over 6.1 million square metres of new office space expected by 2030, the planned construction in the kingdom will easily make Saudi Arabia the largest construction site the world has ever known."

“What’s more, healthcare, education and wellbeing sit at the core of the transformative plans, which will contribute to an extraordinary evolution in the kingdom’s physical realm, making it unrecognisable from what we see today by the end of the decade.”

16:16 - Lucien's one big thing is the big Riyadh metro project, priced at $22.5 billion, which is almost complete. The Riyadh Metro project, the game-changing public transportation project in Saudi Arabia’s capital, “will be opened soon,” Rai Al Youm reported on Wednesday, citing the German News Agency (DPA). The project is the largest for public transport networks in the world. The announcement was reportedly made by Fahd Al-Rasheed, the chief executive officer of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City.

Al-Rasheed, in a statement to DPA, said that the King Abdulaziz Public Transport Project will open “its first phase at the beginning of this year, to be followed by other phases at close intervals.”

The first phase of Riyadh Metro is reportedly expected to start in March and the final operation will take place before the year ends.

23:55 - Yallah! 6 top storylines to get you up to date headed into the weekend.

Al-Attiyah holds off Loeb to win Dakar Rally 2023

Nasser Al-Attiyah captured his second straight Dakar Rally on Sunday in dominant fashion, moving into second place in the event's all-time list in the process. Al-Attiyah now has five wins in what has been considered rally racing's top event. Stephane Peterhansel holds the all-time record with 14 Dakar wins, eight of which came in the premier car category. Sébastien Loeb finished in second place but was more than 80 minutes behind in the overall standings.

World Economic Forum opens in Davos

 The 53rd edition of the World Economic Forum opened on Monday in Davos, Switzerland where leaders from across the globe will meet to discuss the global economy. The meeting follows a tumultuous year for the global economy with rising food prices driven by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which began in February 2022, and which saw numerous countries imposing sanctions on many Russian politicians and oligarchs. A number of high-ranking officials from Saudi Arabia including Saudi ambassador to the US, Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud and Economy Minister Faisal Alibrahim will attend the conference and participate in a number of panel discussions.

More Saudi Women Assume Diplomatic Posts

The number of Saudi women assuming diplomatic positions has increased to five, with the addition of Ambassadors Nisreen Al-Shibel and Haifa Al-Jedia to the list of Saudi representatives in the Kingdom’s embassies abroad. They join Princess Rima bint Bandar Al Saud, who took over the duties of the Saudi embassy in Washington, becoming at that time the first Saudi woman to hold the position of ambassador. She was later joined by Amal Al-Mouallimi, ambassador to Norway, and Enas Al-Shahwan, ambassador to Sweden.

Saudi Arabia keeps up pace of women’s development hosting first international tournament

Saudi Arabia, who have launched a bid to host the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026, have taken a further step forward with the women’s game in the country, with Dammam hosting the Kingdom’s first-ever women’s 11-a-side international tournament. The four-team tournament featuring Saudi Arabia, Comoros, Pakistan, and Mauritius, kicked off January 11 and runs until January 19. The hosting of the tournament in Dammam is being hailed as a major milestone for the women’s game as the country seeks to achieve a first FIFA ranking. A women’s first division is to follow, while the Saudis have also launched a school’s league for young women.

Defending its crown: Saudi issuers line up deals ahead of big ECM year

After a strong IPO year across the GCC, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is poised to strengthen its claim as the region’s strongest IPO hub in 2023 fueled by a pipeline of mega listings and private mandates to be won. According to Dialogic data, there was USD 9.37bn worth of IPO issuance on the local exchange Tadawul last year, just above the USD 8.5bn recorded in Dubai and USD 4.6bn on the ADX. January is already proving busy for the kingdom’s capital markets. Last week, four private sector issuers — manufacturer Al Watanian for Industries Company, Jamjoom Pharma, Mawarid Manpower Company, and Murabaha Marina Financing Company — gained regulatory approval from Saudi Arabia’s Capital Markets Authority (CMA) to list on the Tadawul.

Saudi Arabia launches Events Investment Fund, SPA reports

Saudi Arabia has launched an investment fund to support the culture, tourism, entertainment and sports industries, state news agency SPA reported on Tuesday. The Events Investment Fund (EIF) will focus on developing and increasing direct foreign investment opportunities for a contribution of 28 billion riyals ($7.45 billion) to the country's gross domestic product by 2045, SPA added.

3:36 - Bloomberg columnist and senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington Hussein Ibish joins The 966 to talk about global diplomacy, U.S.-Saudi relations, energy markets, Saudi Arabia as an emerging power, and so much more. Ibish is a weekly columnist for Bloomberg and The National (UAE) and is also a regular contributor to many other U.S. and Middle Eastern publications. He has made thousands of radio and television appearances and was the Washington, DC correspondent for the Daily Star (Beirut). Many of Ibish’s articles are archived on his Ibishblog website. Following the conversation, the hosts wrap up the show with a discussion of six topics in the program's Yallah segment, including more on Ronaldo (and now Messi?) to Riyadh, tourism earnings in Saudi Arabia, and more.

1:03:23 - Yallah! Six top storylines to get you up to speed heading into the weekend...

•Messi and Ronaldo likely to meet in friendly in Saudi Arabia
French champions Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed plans for a mid-season trip to the Middle East. PSG will leave France on January 17 and visit Doha in Qatar and then Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, where they will play a friendly match at King Fahd Stadium on January 19. Recent Al Nassr signing Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to play for the Saudi all-star XI, while Lionel Messi will likely line-up for PSG.

•Saudi Arabia says this year's hajj pilgrimage will return to pre-COVID levels
Islam's annual hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia will return to pre-pandemic levels this year after restrictions saw the annual religious commemoration curtailed over concerns about the coronavirus, authorities say.

•Saudi Arabia's Ma'aden forms JV with the PIF to invest in mining assets abroad
Saudi Arabian Mining Co, the Gulf's largest miner, said on Wednesday it agreed to form a joint venture with the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund to invest in mining assets globally.
Ma'aden will own 51% in the venture while the Public Investment Fund (PIF) will own 49%, the company said in a regulatory filing.

•Saudi Arabia includes Diriyah tourism project in PIF's portfolio
Saudi Arabia has included a Diriyah tourism project in the portfolio of its sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), to improve investment efficiency and public-private cooperation, state news agency SPA reported on Monday.
The development of Diriyah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was previously under Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA), which will continue its supervision, SPA said, citing an announcement by the Saudi crown prince.
 
•Visitors to Saudi Arabia spend $7bn in six months
Visitors to Saudi Arabia spent 27 billion riyals ($7.19 billion) during the first six months of 2022, making tourism one of the kingdom's most promising sectors.The Ministry of Investment said 3.6 million foreign tourists visited the kingdom during the second quarter of the year, greatly contributing to a plan to diversify sources of income as part of Vision 2030.
 
•Saudi Arabia aims to create Formula 1 hub in Kingdom
Saudi Arabia signed a 10-year contract with Formula 1 that will see teams race in Jeddah for a few more years before a brand-new complex in Qiddiya becomes the country's permanent F1 venue.
But Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al Faisal, president of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, wants to take the Kingdom's involvement in motorsport to the next level by establishing in the future a veritable hub similar to the racing nerve center located in the UK.
"We want to create a hub," Prince Khalid told Motor Sport magazine. "We have big companies that can help the future of motorsport."

Episode 70! Dr. Aziz Alghashain joins The 966 to talk about Saudi-Israel relations in 2023, the status of the Abraham Accords, and his view on Saudi foreign policy going forward. Before the conversation with Dr. Aziz, the hosts discuss the upcoming Future Minerals Forum 2023 in Riyadh, major developments in Saudi Arabia's water sector and how the Kingdom is getting more mature about water management, and much more in the program's Yallah! segment.

3:06 - Richard's one big thing is the upcoming Future Minerals Forum 2023

14:54 - Lucien's one big thing is water! Rain has fallen across Saudi Arabia in recent weeks. That lead Lucien to thinking about the recent maturity of Saudi Arabia's water sector, including innovative techniques in desalination and opportunities for the private sector in the coming years. The subject also ties in with Saudi Arabia's national farming policies, including a recent story from Arizona about a Saudi-owned company, Almarai, and its local subsidiary using groundwater for alfalfa production.

30:45 - The 966 welcomes Dr. Aziz Alghashian, a Saudi researcher and writer focused on Saudi-Israel relations. Dr. Aziz is often quoted in media outlets like the NYT, France24, Sky, BBC about the developments in this interesting area of Saudi foreign policy. The hosts also talk with Dr. Aziz about his story growing up just out of Washington, D.C. and his studies and work in the UK.

1:41:00 - Yallah! 6 top storylines to get you up to speed headed into the weekend...

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo joins Saudi Arabia club Al Nassr

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has joined Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr on a 2-1/2 year deal, a month after the 37-year-old forward became a free agent when his contract with Premier League club Manchester United was terminated. Al Nassr said the five-time Ballon d’Or winner will join on a deal until 2025 but did not disclose any financial details. Ronaldo’s contract with the team has been estimated by media to be worth more than 200 million euros ($214.5m).

Hyundai Motor to be first Korean carmaker with factory in Middle East

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry has signed a memorandum of understanding with the South Korean company “Hyundai Motors” to build a factory for the complete assembly of electric cars in the Kingdom. The memorandum of understanding stipulates planning to build a complete assembly plant with the “CKD” system for electric cars and internal combustion engine cars, to be located in Saudi Arabia.

Employment in Saudi Arabia's non-oil sector rises at strongest pace since 2018

Hiring at companies in Saudi Arabia's non-oil sector increased at its strongest pace in about five years in December, driven by "robust” business activity. The acceleration in sales growth drove businesses in the kingdom to increase hiring in December to boost operating efficiency. The rate of job creation was the fastest recorded since January 2018, while the increase in staffing capacity helped companies to reduce outstanding work for the seventh month running.

Saudi Arabia Gains Majority Stake in Magic Leap in $450M Deal

Saudi Arabia has taken majority share of the US-based augmented reality company Magic Leap, The Telegraph reports, widening the stake via its state-owned sovereign wealth fund with a deal amounting to $450 million. The investment puts the country’s ownership of Magic Leap over 50 percent, giving it overall majority control. To date, Magic Leap has raised $4 billion, with minority investors including Google, Alibaba, Qualcomm, AT&T, and Axel Springer.

Gulf Cup gives Iraq chance to draw closer to Arab neighbors

From Jan. 6-19, the southern city of Basra will host the 25th edition of the Arabian Gulf Cup (AGC), a biennial football tournament amongst Gulf Arab states first held in 1970 in Bahrain. Iraq will be the venue of a major international football competition for the first time since it both hosted and won the AGC in 1979. Eight regional teams—Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen—will participate in the tournament. Matches will take place at the Basra International Stadium and the Al-Minaa Olympic Stadium, venues with capacities of 65,000 and 30,000 spectators respectively.

Saudi Arabia to launch kingdom's version of Airbnb

Saudi Arabia is to allow its citizens to operate Airbnb-style property rentals after the kingdom announced a new portal similar to the global lettings marketplace. Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb approved the tourism law this week. Properties will be advertised through an official tourism service provider in line with the regulations set by the ministry, which will publish prices inclusive of taxes. Strict guidelines have been issued on maintaining tourists' privacy, with constant surveillance of authorities on security, health and safety measures, including ambulance and evacuation procedures.

Episode 59! Merry Christmas and happy holidays to our subscribers and listeners who celebrate. The 966 hosts kick off the second annual "Christmas spectacular" with a discussion of green hydrogen and news that Germany may be on of Saudi Arabia's first big customers, and a discussion of Saudi Arabia as a $1 trillion (!) economy. Then the hosts welcome Todd Albert Nims, a key player in the Kingdom’s blossoming film and entertainment scene and co-producer of the film 'Born a King.' Then, the hosts finish up with Yallah! 6 top storylines in Saudi Arabia this week to cap off an excellent first year. The 966 thanks all who listen and watch our program - a growing number of you - and are appreciative of the support and all comments we receive.

The hosts discuss Richard's one big thing: Saudi Arabia as a $1 Trillion economy, a development which has been years in the making but was pushed forward in part by Russia's war in Ukraine. Saudi Arabia's economy is growing at an impressive clip, and will be the fastest growing economy in the G20 in 2022.

Lucien's one big thing is green hydrogen. Saudi Arabia saw traction in two ways this week, first, in a potentially large buyer in Germany, and second, in the agreement to secure financing for the work to produce ammonia for export at Neom. Air Products, along with Neom and ACWA Power, entered into a deal in July 2020 to produce ammonia at Neom for export. The three companies are betting big that Europe would be one of the largest importers of green ammonia. The three industrial heavyweights created the Neom Green Hydrogen Company (NGHC), NEOM’s NGHC announced yesterday that it had inked facility agreements with local, regional, and international banks and Saudi Arabia’s SIDF to finance the construction of the plant.

The 966 welcomes Todd Albert Nims. Mr. Nims, born in Saudi Arabia, is a leader in the Kingdom's film industry. He co-produced the major feature film Born a King, shot in London and Saudi Arabia which broke box office records for the Gulf.  He held the Film Producer position at the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's state-of-the-art hub for inspiring creativity and global culture, Ithra, for six years where he established the Kingdom's first cinema and assisted in launching the first Saudi Film Days (saudifilmdays.com) program to provide funding and development to Saudi filmmakers while screening their films in Hollywood. Mr. Nims owns an entertainment company based in Riyadh with several scripts and projects in development and a creative consultancy business based in the USA. He also sits as chairman of the Arts, Culture & Entertainment Committee for the American Chamber of Commerce in KSA.

Yallah! 6 Top Storylines this week...

Per Bloomberg: Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product expanded an annual 8.8% in the third quarter, keeping the oil-rich kingdom on track to be the fastest-growing among the Group of 20 economies this year. The final figure was slightly higher than a preliminary estimate of 8.6% due to further expansion in the non-oil economy, data from the General Authority for Statistics showed Sunday. All sectors displayed positive annual growth.Saudi Arabia has previously said it anticipates full-year economic growth of 8.5%, as well as its first budget surplus in nearly a decade.

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According to Reuters, Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Aramco) and TotalEnergies will join forces to build a new petrochemicals complex in Saudi Arabia, the French energy group said on Thursday. The project involves investment of about $11 billion, of which $4 billion will be funded through equity by Aramco (62.5%) and TotalEnergies (37.5%), the statement said.

 
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Per CNBC, Electric vehicle maker Lucid Group said Monday that it has completed a planned $1.5 billion equity offering. The company first announced the offering in November, when it reported its third-quarter results.
 
Lucid raised the majority of that cash, about $915 million, via a private sale of nearly 86 million shares to an affiliate of its largest investor, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The remaining $600 million was raised via a traditional secondary stock offering, in which Lucid sold an additional 56 million shares.

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Saudi's Water and Electricity Holding Company (Badeel) and energy company ACWA Power have signed power purchase agreements to develop the largest solar energy plant in the Middle East, Reuters reports. The 2,060 megawatt solar facility will be built in Al-Shuaibah, in the Makkah province, and is expected to become operational by the fourth quarter of 2025.

 
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According to a report in MEMO, Saudi Arabia plans 2km high 'megascraper' – Saudi Arabia is planning to build a 2,000 metre high tower in the capital Riyadh. If the plans go ahead, it will be the tallest building in the world, eclipsing the UAE's Burj Khalifa in Dubai which stands at 828 metres high. The estimated cost is around $5 billion according to a report by Middle East business intelligence (MEED). A design competition is currently underway with a participation fee of $1 million, the report said, citing sources close to the contest who also disclosed that several of the world's leading architecture firms have already been invited to take part.
 
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Eurofruit reports that “Indonesia is the main focus of the latest marketing drive for Saudi dates, along with Morocco, France, the UK and the US, as the Kingdom aims to be the first choice for date consumers globally.” According to Abdullah Al-Yahya, marketing department manager at the National Centre for Palms and Dates (NCPD), Saudi Arabia alone produces more than 400 kinds of dates. “There are more than 400 kinds of dates in Saudi Arabia, but we are focusing on a dozen or so. We are trying to educate people on the different kinds available, how tasty, how juicy, how healthy they are. We are focusing on organic dates as a super fruit and a healthy fruit.”

Happy new year!

Captain Bill Foster, USN (retired) is President of Jones Group Middle East, a wholly owned subsidiary of Jones Group International, and is Chairman of the The American Chamber of Commerce Saudi Arabia (AmCham Saudi Arabia). Foster joins The 966 from Riyadh, where he talks about the changes ongoing in the Kingdom and the important work that AmCham is doing in Saudi Arabia serving as a platform for the American business community to connect, grow and prosper. 

AmCham's work includes analyzing and providing insights on policies and structural changes impacting American business interests through its eleven sector committees that represent established industries and emerging markets in Saudi Arabia. AmCham Saudi Arabia is a Kingdom-wide organization, with headquarters in Riyadh and active chapters in the Eastern Province and Jeddah. 

AmCham members and sponsors engage in leadership roles within its committees, participate in industry panels and policy forums, network at social events, and contribute to its monthly newsletters and social media platforms. AmCham Saudi Arabia is a registered nonprofit and NGO. 

In Bill Foster's role with the Jones Group Middle East, Foster manages the firm’s business in the Middle East-North Africa region and leads a growing Riyadh-based team of consultants, focused primarily on the defense, security, and healthcare markets.

[FULL EPISODE 68] The 966 does a full episode on the #worldcup2022 in Qatar. The hosts react to the matches played and the smooth execution of the major sporting event by #Qatar. Then the hosts welcome on Dr. Mohammed Alhajji, who attended several of the matches including #Saudi Arabia's historic win over Argentina.