Happy Holidays to The TWENTY30’s growing community of listeners and viewers! In Episode 39, co-hosts Dr. Hanaa Almoaibed and Lucien Zeigler are joined by Dina Amin, CEO of Saudi Arabia’s Visual Arts Commission to talk about how Saudi Arabia is developing homegrown artistic talent and the work she’s doing in building an art ecosystem from the ground-up. The Visual Arts Commission, as part of the Ministry of Culture, is tasked with ensuring Saudi Arabia develops into a vibrant creative community - and in appointing Dina in 2020 - are already full speed ahead. Dina spent over two decades in the space as part of Christie’s and other art houses around the world, and brought her energy and deep experiences from New York, London and Dubai to the role. With year-round events and activities now happening in Saudi Arabia, and a concerted effort to develop and foster local artists, Saudi Arabia is now emerging as a force on the global arts scene.

Before the conversation, Lucien and Hanaa catch up on the Holiday season, Lucien’s forthcoming annual move to Riyadh, and an interesting find Dr. Hanaa made recently in her home town of Al-Khobar, where she is spending the holiday season. Hanaa also gives us her review of Riyadh’s new metro, which she rode this week for the first time.

After the conversation with Dina, Lucien and Hanaa catch up on the latest news, including a British broadcaster’s planned walk across Saudi Arabia, a big dig project at Diriyah, Saudi Arabia’s efforts to become a producer of batteries, and a discussion about the status of job creation in Saudi Arabia.

📈 The TWENTY30 is the #1 podcast on Saudi Arabia in English. Subscribe for free wherever you get your podcasts:

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The TWENTY30 Podcast is a production of The TWENTY30 Media Group, LLC.

Saudi Arabia has soared up in UN rankings on digital government and e-government, jumping 25 places in the latest UN E-Government Development Index (EGDI) 2024. Not only that, but Riyadh city is - amazingly - now ranked 3rd GLOBALLY among 193 cities worldwide. The high rankings are welcomed in Saudi Arabia, but for residents and regular visitors, it is not all that surprising. The Kingdom’s e-government services across a variety of platforms are impressive, efficient and reliable - and used with ease in everyday life in Saudi Arabia.

In EPISODE 28, Hanaa leads a DEEPDIVE on the newest rankings and talks about the role of the Digital Government Authority (DGA) in driving these changes, the new 'Platform Code' initiative, and the comprehensive report on digital transformation strategies touching on governance, efficiency, and critical data management and security challenges.

Before the DEEPDIVE, the hosts catch up on holiday season preparations, discuss upcoming travel to the region and discuss Dubai as a place to visit with Children.

After the DEEPDIVE, the hosts get to some of the latest and most interesting news on Saudi Arabia, including, of course, the news that Saudi Arabia is finally confirmed as host for the 2034 FIFA WORLD CUP (!), a flurry of activity on sustainability in Saudi Arabia, Tim Cook’s visit to the Kingdom and the opening of the first Apple store, and the RED SEA FILM FESTIVAL with a notable face missing from the action on the red carpet.

📈 The TWENTY30 is the #1 podcast on Saudi Arabia in English. Subscribe for free wherever you get your podcasts:

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0uuKNWrgbQPMBIx3XY6YGU

Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-twenty30/id1742574206

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@thetwenty30

Get episodes and exclusive content delivered to your email inbox free:

https://thetwenty30.com

📧 You can also email the show’s hosts with their first names (Lucien @TheTWENTY30.com) or (Hanaa @thetwenty30.com) or email Hosts @ TheTwenty30.com.

Much of the talk inside and outside of Saudi Arabia is about the Kingdom’s giga-projects. Can they be done? Will their impact match or exceed the investment? Although 6 giga-projects are now actively being built in Saudi Arabia, none are the first. Jubail Industrial City is the original, and as the first successful giga-project, offers a blueprint for the successful completion and economic payoff of other giga-projects as the Kingdom transforms.

Jubail Industrial City in Saudi Arabia is hosting the Sixth International Conference on Learning Cities 2024. Representatives of UNESCO learning cities from around the world are descending on Jubail to attend the event and discuss strategies for promoting climate action through lifelong learning.

The important conference comes as Jubail celebrates 50 years since its inception - from a greenfield desert and remains of an old fishing village to the world’s largest industrial city, accounting for an astonishing 7% of Saudi Arabia’s GDP. Through one of the greatest collaborations in Saudi history between U.S.-based Bechtel, with a long track record of success in Saudi projects, and the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, the city of Jubail is a story of achievement for ambitious projects in Saudi Arabia.

Before the DEEPDIVE on Jubail, the hosts discuss Thanksgiving in Saudi Arabia and traditions during the American holiday week, and also discuss the successful opening of Riyadh’s metro project this week.

After the DEEPDIVE, the hosts get to some of the latest news topics driving the day in the Kingdom.

The TWENTY30’s Saudi real estate guru, Faisal Durrani, partner and head of research at Knight Frank Middle East, is back! Faisal joins hosts Lucien and Hanaa to discuss some of the latest research and findings from Knight Frank, the leading consultancy on real estate in the Middle East region, and to give listeners an update on the booming real estate market in Saudi Arabia. There’s been a 38% surge in real estate transactions across all asset classes in the country, and the conversation covers the complex factors driving the housing market, including government initiatives under Vision 2030, the rise in home ownership rates, and the challenges faced due to an increasing number of young Saudis and expats moving to Riyadh. Faisal also provides an update on the hospitality sector in Saudi Arabia as tourism booms, noting the rising hotel room rates and the demand for more diverse accommodations is driving the discussion on the ground. The conversation also delves into the complexities of meeting the housing demand in the face of rapid urbanization and changing cultural expectations among Riyadh's residents.

After the conversation with Faisal, the hosts catch up on some of the latest news in Saudi Arabia.

Episode 35! Co-hosts Lucien and Hanaa kick off the episode discussing the recent addition to Lucien's family, and catch-up on Hanaa's recent travels to Saudi Arabia to speak at a CSR Forum in Riyadh, as well as visit her hometown and family in the Eastern Province.

Then, joining the hosts on the MAINSTAGE is Faris Al-Sulayman, co-founder at Haala Energy, a leading Saudi solar energy company that installs solar power projects for commercial, industrial, and agricultural clients. Faris joins The TWENTY30 for an exclusive conversation about the growth of Haala, the challenges and opportunities in solar power in the Kingdom, and Saudi Arabia’s broader green goals with the Saudi Green Initiative. They also discuss his journey as a first-mover in the solar space in Saudi Arabia, Haala's incubation at KAUST just north of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, and how the business plans to grow as solar becomes a viable option for commercial and residential clients in the coming decade.

A graduate of Georgetown University with a Masters from the London School of Economics, Faris is active with Haala while pursuing a PhD from LSE in London.

After the discussion, the hosts catch up on some of the latest news in Saudi Arabia, and conclude with a unusual SHOUTOUT to cap Episode 35.

It's FII week in Riyadh! 📈 That means the who's who of the finance, investment, and business world are descending upon the Saudi capital for Saudi Arabia's largest annual event - the 8th Future Investment Initiative held at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center (KAICC).

Co-hosts Dr. Hanaa Almoaibed and Lucien Zeigler talk about the event and discuss some elements of the program and speakers, as well as the surrounding events and vibe of the city as it hosts visitors from around the world.

Before the DEEPDIVE on FII, the hosts discuss a new NEWS format for The TWENTY30, which allows the hosts more space to discuss and engage on the topics that matter for Saudi Arabia. User and data feedback and input from 33 Episodes prompted the slight modification to the segment, which the hosts note is already significantly more enjoyable for hosts and listeners alike. The TWENTY30 team hopes you agree!

After discussing FII, in the new format for the NEWS segment, the hosts cover a range of interesting developments in Saudi Arabia, including:

•Sindalah Island is the first Neom project to open doors, and a handpicked selection of guests are getting the first glimpse of the place ahead of FII, according to Bloomberg.

•Saudi Arabia is setting its sights on the Chinese outbound tourism market as part of its strategy to transform the kingdom into a global tourism hub, according to SKIFT.

•Roberto Mancini walks away from Saudi Arabia as head coach of the national team after 14 pretty unsuccessful months as coach...

•Ground has officially been broken in Saudi Arabia for what is expected to be the “world’s largest building" - The New Mukaab, part of the new murraba project.

Lama Khaiyat, CEO of Awtada, a boutique Saudi consultancy and public policy advisory firm, joins hosts Hanaa and Lucien to discuss the world of consulting in Saudi Arabia and the rapid growth of her firm.

The consultancy market in Saudi Arabia reached $3.2 billion in 2023. The market grew by 17.5% in 2022, and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.5% through 2029. But recently, multiple outlets have reported of a "recalibration" of Vision 2030 projects that involves a reprioritization of spending, putting a pinch on some of the larger consultancies operating in the Kingdom. But the recalibration is an opportunity for boutique consultancies to step up, Khaiyat tells the TWENTY30.

Lama shares her journey from Oxford to the Big 4 and how she felt that her best path toward growth and success was through founding her own firm and providing a Saudi-first lens for clients.

After the conversation with Lama, the hosts get to some of the latest news on Saudi Arabia, and conclude with SHOUTOUTS to the exceptional people driving the Kingdom's transformation.

In Episode 32, co-hosts Hanaa Almoaibed and Lucien Zeigler share thoughtful feedback from Episode 31 and the TWENTY30's exclusive conversation with entrepreneur Iyad Aldalooj, which elicited tons of comments and excitement from many in and outside of Saudi Arabia. Then the hosts get to a DEEPDIVE on Saudi women in the workforce, and how the labor market transformation in Saudi Arabia has significantly advanced opportunities for women to work and pursue careers in various fields and sectors throughout the Kingdom.

The hosts conclude with the latest news on Saudi Arabia, including:

•The Saudi stock market is struggling after a summer rally, with the Riyadh bourse enduring its worst fourth-quarter start in years as regional tensions soar.

•Will Smith is set to give a talk on the opening day of the sophomore edition of the Saudi Film Confex, taking place in Saudi Arabia’s capital of Riyadh between Oct. 9-12.

•Saudi Arabia is preparing to make a multibillion-dollar bet on hydrogen and will launch a new company to produce the much hyped low-carbon fuel

•Saudi Arabia has consolidated its branding push with Atlético Madrid by paying for naming rights to the Spanish club’s stadium for the next nine years. Atlético, which has been sponsored by Saudi state-owned Riyadh Air since last season, said Wednesday that its Metropolitano stadium will be known as the Riyadh Air Metropolitano henceforth until 2033.

The hosts conclude as always with the SHOUTOUTS segment, and in this episode, combine their shoutout together to wish a very important person in Saudi Arabia well after surgery.