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Prince Faisal at FII Priority: Gaming thrives in Saudi Arabia, offering new careers


The Chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan highlighted, in a panel at the FII Priority summit in Miami, the positive aspects of gaming, its increasing popularity in Saudi Arabia and how it is opening up new career paths for the next generation.

He discussed the shift from pay-to-play to free-to-play models, as well as the advent of new technologies enabling gamers to earn money. He also emphasized the role of the younger generation in driving innovation and the importance of providing them with the necessary tools.

Prince Faisal said: “With the advent of new technologies, new social medias, Web3, you’re starting to move from free-to-play to paid-to-play, where actually playing becomes the way you earn money, not just the way you spend money… This next generation, they are living [the new trend]; they are the ones that are pushing the innovation. Our job, and what we are doing in Saudi Arabia and globally, is putting the tools in place for them to take it and run with it, and take the lead, and we can get out of their way.”

He also mentioned the growth of indie gaming, with more diverse stories and accessible tools for game creation. Comparing revenues between the film and gaming industries, he noted the immense reach of gaming on a global scale.

He emphasized his point with an example: “When we talk about the interaction between media, TV, film, music, gaming is bigger than all three combined… To break it down to its simplest terms: Avatar was one of the biggest movie franchises of all time and its revenues have almost reached $3 billion. [Meanwhile], Pokémon – the game – is one of the more popular games, not the most, but one of the more popular games. Its revenues have reached around $90 billion in the same amount of time. The reach is just in a different scale.”

He discussed the topic of inclusivity in gaming, stating that in Saudi Arabia, the gaming community is almost evenly split between men and women, and online personalities and streamers have similar gender ratios. However, there is still room for improvement in the professional gaming arena, especially for female players. The success of Najd Fahd, who won the collegiate FIFA world ladies championship and became the Kingdom’s first international champion, serves as an inspiration for young Saudi women.

“She is one of our role models to showcase that this is a valid career path, not just for our young men, but also for our young women. And what we need to do is give more room for our young men and women to showcase that they are the heroes of the future and let them be the voice of the next generation,” Prince Faisal said.

He went on to emphasize the need to showcase esports and gaming as valid career paths, not only for professional players but also for those interested in game creation, storytelling, production, law, and finance. He also stressed the importance of addressing the physical, mental, and social health of young gamers, using esports as a tool to develop their skills and prepare them for future opportunities.

“And once our young men and women see that this a valid career path… we can showcase to them the healthy way to do it and move forward, and we focus on that consistently in Saudi Arabia: we talk about not just the physical health, [but also] the mental health and the social health.”

“We [can] use this as a tool to give them a career for the future, and not just as a professional eSports player but in the industry… There are so many different avenues that literally anything you have a passion for, anything that you enjoy doing, there’s a career path within gaming for it.”

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Read more:

Gamers8 festival highlights Saudi Arabia’s emergence as a global eSports dynamo

FII Priority: PIF Governor says motivation, unity key success factors for Vision 2030

Princess Reema at FII Priority: Saudis unite under Vision 2030 in shared wellbeing

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Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi meets with CEOs of leading Norwegian companies

H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met with a group of CEOs from leading Norwegian companies, as part of their participation in the UAE-Norway Investment Forum, held alongside his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway.

During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed underscored the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with its international partners.

He highlighted that investment in innovation and knowledge is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, noting that enhancing collaboration with Norwegian companies across key sectors will open new avenues for mutual economic growth between the two countries.

The UAE-Norway Investment Forum, taking place in Oslo, aimed to highlight available investment opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Norway, fostering shared interests and supporting innovation and knowledge-based economic visions.

-wam

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At the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS inaugurates 10th global office, releases four books

As part of its Asian research tour, partnership with Aletihad News Center, and
primary sponsorship of the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS
Research & Advisory inaugurated its office in Jakarta, marking its 10th location
worldwide. It also released four books in Indonesian.
The inauguration event was attended by ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, and
Jordan to Indonesia, chairpersons of the UAE and Indonesian Publishers’
Associations, the Director of TRENDS’ Jakarta office, and a group of researchers
and academics.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS
Research & Advisory, stated that TRENDS’ international offices—set to reach 15
by the end of 2024—aim to enhance the Center’s research efforts and deepen its
role in disseminating knowledge, thus serving as a global knowledge bridge.
He emphasized, “At TRENDS, we believe in the importance of cooperation
between think tanks and prioritize this endeavor. We believe the TRENDS office in
Jakarta will enhance the exchange of knowledge and ideas between think tanks in
Asia and the Middle East, opening new horizons for collaboration in various
fields.”

Four books in Indonesian
As part of the Jakarta office’s inaugural activities, four books were released in
Indonesian, including the 11th and 12th books of the Muslim Brotherhood
Encyclopedia and Global Trends in AI and Automation and the Future of
Competition between Man and Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision.

Hostility to Arab states
The 11th book of the Muslim Brotherhood Encyclopedia, The Concept of the State
According to the Muslim Brotherhood, highlights its hostile stance toward Arab
states since its inception. The group views them as an obstacle to its ascent to
power. It opposed the modern principles upon which these states were built,
considering them incompatible with the group’s unique interpretation of Islam,
which it claimed to embody exclusively.

Exclusion of nonconformists
The 12th book, The Muslim Brotherhood: Rejection of Tolerance and Exclusion of
Nonconformists, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s stance towards
nonconformists, individuals, and entities. The book reveals the group’s binary view
of the world, categorizing others as allies or adversaries. It ties these relationships
to the Brotherhood’s internal power struggles and self-serving interests.

Global Trends in AI
The third book, Global Trends in AI, explores significant developments in AI and
its impact on various aspects of life, including the economy, society, and
governance. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of technological advancements
in AI, its applications across sectors, the ethical and social challenges it presents,
and its future trajectory.

Automation

The fourth book, Automation and the Future of Competition between Man and
Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision, addresses the growing challenges
faced by the human workforce in the face of widespread automation and AI
applications. The book concludes that while automation presents a significant
challenge to the labor market, it simultaneously creates new opportunities. It
emphasizes the importance of preparing for this shift through skills development,
continuous education, and adopting economic and social policies that support the
workforce.

Prominent pavilion and active presence
The TRENDS’ pavilion at the Indonesia International Book Fair has attracted
numerous visitors, including academic researchers and officials, such as the
ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey. Additionally,
chairpersons of Arab and Indonesian publishers’ associations, authors, publishers,
and students visited the pavilion. All were impressed with and praised TRENDS’ diverse, valuable publications. They also commended TRENDS’ active
international presence and ability to address global developments with rigorous
analytical research.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali honored the esteemed guests, including
ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain to Indonesia, Wedha Startesti Yudha,
Chairperson of the Indonesia International Book Fair Committee, Arys Hilman
Nugraha, Chairman of the Indonesian Publishers Association, and others,
presenting them with TRENDS’ publications and commemorative shields.
Additionally, he awarded TRENDS’ Research Medal to Ni Made Ayu Martini
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Marketing, Tourism and Creative Economy
It is worth noting that during its current Asian research tour, TRENDS announced
the launch of the TRENDS Research Medal, awarded to individuals who make
significant contributions to the development of scientific research and promote collaboration with TRENDS in strengthening a culture of research across various fields.

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US determined to prevent full-scale war in Middle East, Joe Biden tells UNGA79

US President Joe Biden highlighted the US Administration’s determination to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire Middle East region, noting that a diplomatic solution “remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely”.

In remarks he made today before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), the US President said, “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” adding that a diplomatic solution is still possible.

He also touched on “the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank”, and the need to “set the conditions for a better future”, which he said featured “a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalised relations with all its neighbours, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own”.

President Biden underscored the ceasefire and hostage deal put forth by Qatar and Egypt, which the UN Security Council endorsed. He said, “Now is the time for the parties to finalise its terms, bring the hostages home,” adding that this would help ease the suffering in Gaza, and end the war.

-WAM

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