World

Olympic champion skater Keegan Palmer on designing Aljada Skate Park in Sharjah

Keegan Palmer, park skateboarding’s first ever Olympic gold medalist, sat down to discuss how he helped to bring a world-class skatepark to a city underserved by the sport.

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“Look where we are right now,” said Palmer. “Winning gold has changed my life exponentially.”

He was speaking at the Aljada Skate Park in Sharjah, a venue hosting himself and the other participants of the Olympic qualifier Park 2022 World Championships.

It is a venue that Palmer, while fresh from his gold medal success in Toyko, helped create.

“We’re sitting in the UAE at a park I helped design,” added Palmer, “and I never thought I’d say that, honestly… This wouldn’t happen if I didn’t win a gold medal. It’s super sick.”

Palmer enthusiastically pointed out the various parts of the Aljada Skate Park that have helped make it a world-class favorite among skaters.

Included are the two Salt Lake City style walls from the Vans Park Series, and the big wall that is “the exact one at the Olympics I skated on.”

There are also “a couple of things from home,” like the square corner that acts as a “little tribute” to Bowl-A-Rama, a skateboarding event that took place at Bondi Beach in Sydney.

“I wanted to integrate them into this park but mix it instead of having them at separate parks,” Palmer explained.

However, when it initially came to the design of Aljada Skate Park, things didn’t quite go to plan.

“We wanted someone who really knows what they’re talking about,” said Saudi Arabia’s Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal, vice chairman of Arada, the Sharjah-based real estate developer who constructed Aljada Skate Park.

“But I’ll let you into a little secret – Keegan designed it the first time and we thought we implemented it well. He rode on it, and he did his tricks and we said, ‘how is it?’ and he replied, ‘yeah, it’s okay.’ And we felt something was wrong. So, we said ‘no, tell us what’s wrong’.”

“He kept looking at so many small details here and there and being like ‘this needs to change, this needs to change, the concrete here needs to change’. So, we gutted the entire thing, redid it all over again and now – from what we hear from Keegan and other star competitors – it’s a skate park that sets the bar for skate parks around the world.”

Being able to travel the world doing what he loves each day is “the nicest thing” and “super cool.” To listen to Palmer talk, you would imagine his gold medal came while representing the USA, not Australia. Beneath the California twang though lies an athlete immensely proud of his Australian upbringing.

“I was born in the US, a lot of people don’t realize that, but I moved to Australia when I was six months old and I lived in Australia for 15 years,” said Palmer. “Everything I know how to do came from Australia – how to walk, talk, skate, surf. It just felt right and what I needed to do. I wanted to bring a gold medal home for Australia.”

“I’m trying to go for four gold medals,” he says. “A lot of skateboarders like Tony Hawk (the legendary American skateboarder) and the older guys, they have these really cool legacies and I want to do the same thing.”

“Building a legacy is a dream of mine. I’ve always grown up wanting to have a family and, when I have one, for people to be like ‘oh, you’re the son of this guy?’ – the kind of legacy that people two generations from now say ‘do you remember when Keegan skated?’. Like how the soccer players have.”

“That would be amazing.”

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World

Saudi Fund for Development Celebrates 50 Years of Global Impact with Over $20 Billion in Development Contributions

The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) celebrated its 50th anniversary in Riyadh today, under
the theme “50 Years of Global Impact.”The event brought together key development partners to
reflect on the SFD’s significant contributions to sustainable development worldwide. Over the
past five decades, the SFD has allocated over $20 billion, financing more than 800 development
projects and programs in vital sectors, including social infrastructure (education, healthcare,
water and sewage, and housing and urban development), communication and transportation
(roads, railways, airports and seaports), energy, agriculture, mining and industry, and others.
Since its inception in 1974, the SFD has been the international development arm of the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia and has provided critical support to over 100 developing nations around the
world. With a strong focus on supporting countries to achieve the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs), the SFD has played a pivotal role in driving sustainable development in Least
Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
During the event, SFD Chairman H.E. Ahmed Al-Khateeb emphasized the importance of
collaboration in driving global development. He highlighted that SFD’s success is deeply rooted
in its partnerships, with 27 development projects and programs in 23 developing countries in
2023 co-financed with other funders. He also underscored the need to forge new partnerships and
strengthen existing ones to create a world where every individual has the opportunity to reach
their full potential.
Reflecting on this significant milestone, the SFD CEO , Mr. Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-
Marshad, stated: “As we celebrate five decades of impactful work, we are committed, now more
than ever, to supporting developing countries on their journey to economic self-reliance and
resilience. Our goal is to ensure that all children can go to school, that education is not a
privilege but something every child should have access to, and that families have access to
healthcare and basic vital services. Equally, we focus on critical infrastructure development, like
building roads and enhancing airports and sea ports, so that countries can thrive and engage in
economic activities and trade. This work is not just about financing; it’s about tangibly
improving lives, creating opportunities, empowering communities, and building a more
prosperous future.”
On the sidelines of the 50 th Anniversary Gala, the SFD and the Asian Development Bank (ADB)
signed a new $25 million agreement to co-finance a renewable energy development project in the
Solomon Islands. This marks the first project for SFD in the Solomon Islands. The primary aim

of the project is to develop renewable energy infrastructure, reduce dependency on fossil fuels,
and promote sustainable development in the region.
This agreement builds on SFD’50 years of transformative impact through development projects
that have spanned Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Eastern
Europe.
This includes key projects such as the Metolong Dam in Lesotho, which received $25 million in
funding and now provides potable water to 280,000 people, enhancing water security and public
hygiene and health in the region. This is just one of the 433 projects across Africa, with a total
funding of $11.5 billion, which focuses on critical areas such as infrastructure and water security.
In Asia, the SFD has funded 271 projects with a total funding of $7.8 billion. One notable
example is the SFD’s contribution to the Mohmand Dam Hydropower Project in Pakistan, which
has an overall project cost of $240 million. The projects contributes to the country’s energy
security and flood resilience by generating 800 megawatts of renewable energy and storing 1.6
million cubic meters of water.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, the SFD has financed 21 projects, totaling $951 million
USD. This includes rehabilitating the Water and Sewage System in Havana, Cuba, where the
SFD has allocated $35 million to enhance public infrastructure. Another significant initiative is
the rebuilding of St. Jude Hospital in Saint Lucia, supported by $75 million funding, which will
contribute to providing high-quality health services to citizens in a modern and sophisticated
facility and providing sufficient medical supplies and equipment to support the effective
operation of the hospital.
In Eastern Europe, the SFD has contributed to 14 projects with a total investment of $303
million. A key initiative is the construction of the Tirana-Elbasan-Chokos-Chalf-Ploce Road,
where the SFD provided $73.8 million to rebuild essential roads and bridges, thereby boosting
regional economic activities.
During the celebration, esteemed speakers shared insights on the SFD’s pivotal role in global
development, and in championing critical partnerships and collective action and response.
Keynote speakers included:

 HRH Prince Turki bin Faisal Al Saud, Founder and Trustee of the King Faisal
Foundation
 H.E. Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SFD
 H.E. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group
 H.E. Muhammad Al Jasser, Chairman of the Islamic Development Bank

These global development leaders emphasized the SFD’s commitment to fostering sustainable
growth in countries and communities with the most pressing developmental needs. The gala was attended by more than 500 people, including ministers, heads of regional and international organizations, ambassadors, representatives of the United and other distinguished
guests. As the SFD looks to the future, it reaffirms its mission and pledge to drive international
development efforts, on behalf of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and to contribute to global
stability, social progress, and economic prosperity for future generations.

World

Jordan warns of escalation in southern Lebanon

Jordan warned on Sunday of the increasing escalation in southern Lebanon and a potential regional war in light of the ongoing Israeli aggression in Gaza, Jordan News Agency (Petra) reported.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sufian Qudah discussed supporting Lebanon, its security, stability and the safety of its people and institutions, noting the need to adhere to Security Council Resolution 1701 to reduce and prevent further escalation and protect the region from the risk of slipping into a regional war.

Qudah added that the Israeli war on Gaza and the failure to reach an exchange agreement that leads to an immediate and permanent ceasefire puts the entire region at risk of the conflict expanding.

He discussed launching an effective international movement that imposes an immediate cessation of the aggression on Gaza.

World

China issues guidelines for coordinated digital, green transformation

China’s Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission and nine central departments have issued new guidelines for the coordinated transformation toward digital development and green growth, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Published on Saturday, the guidelines focus on two main areas: promoting the green, low-carbon development of digital industries and accelerating the green transformation of various sectors through digital technology.

They aim to accelerate the coordinated transformation toward digital development and green growth, promote the integration of emerging technologies with green, low-carbon industries, and enhance traditional industries using digital and green technologies.

Outlining fundamental principles, the guidelines specify the roles of authorities, industry associations, universities, research institutes and businesses in driving this transition.

They provide a three-part framework covering the basic capacity, technological systems and industrial systems for digital-green integration.

Regions are encouraged to focus on high-quality development, develop new quality productive forces, leverage local resources and create specialized industries and functional advantages to accelerate coordinated digital and green development.