World

Saudi Arabia will prove doubters wrong about NEOM’s ‘THE LINE’: Crown Prince

Saudi Arabia will continue to prove wrong doubters who do not think the Kingdom’s megaprojects, including THE LINE in NEOM, can be built, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a Discovery Channel interview aired on Monday.

“They say about a lot of projects happening in Saudi Arabia ‘It can’t be done [and] this is very ambitious.’ They can keep saying that and we can keep proving them wrong,” the crown prince said.

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The revolutionary THE LINE project is a 170-kilometer-long city that is expected to house as many as 10 million people and will be the beating heart of the Kingdom’s NEOM’s $500 billion megaproject.

The project is a vertical interconnected city, which will be free of cars, have zero carbon emissions, be powered entirely on clean energy, and be run by artificial intelligence.

ولي العهد السعودي الأمير ⁧#محمد_بن_سلمان⁩ : أعدكم بأن ⁧#نيوم⁩ ستكون شيئًا جديداً ومبدعاً، ولكن ما هو؟ فهو من غير المعروف.. وسنرى ذلك"#السعودية pic.twitter.com/eMdSaKPsLI

— العربية السعودية (@AlArabiya_KSA) June 27, 2023

Bringing ambitious goals to life

In the documentary, the crown prince revealed how the design of THE LINE came to be, the ideas behind the project, and what the futuristic city will mean for Saudi Arabia and the world.

According to the leader, the Kingdom’s population in 2030 is expected to be between 50 to 55 million – a big jump from the current 33 million.

A depiction of the Mirror Line in NEOM, Saudi Arabia. (Twitter)

“In 2030, we are going to reach the full capacity of the existing infrastructure of Saudi Arabia. That raised a very important question that we need to create a new city,” the crown prince said.

“Since we have an empty place, and we want to have a place for 10 million people, then let’s think from scratch,” he added.

Saudi Arabia began brainstorming ideas and launched a competition with some of the world’s best designers to help bring its ambitious goal to life.

“We talked about a lot of ideas, ‘why can’t we build a circle?’, and we can connect it with mobility… and build it slowly until it was completed for 10 million people,” the Crown Prince recalls in the documentary.

A rendering of NEOM's THE LINE (supplied)

“They provided us with cities based on the existing methods but with better solutions,” he said.

One designer then adopted that idea but said: “let’s turn it from a circle to a line.”

While the Crown Prince loved the idea, he suggested a small change that would transform THE LINE’s design into what we know it to be today.

“I told the team, how about if we take those 2 kilometers and flip it [so that it is] two towers [across] the whole line, is that going to work, or will it be too massive?”

A new civilization for a better tomorrow

Construction on the vast site began in April 2022, and the first city district, the Hidden Marina, is set to welcome residents and visitors by or before 2030.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman presented on July 25, 2022, the designs of THE LINE, a city located in NEOM. (Supplied)

But THE LINE will not only be technically possible, it will also be beautiful too, the crown prince said.

“Engineering and design is not enough without art. We don’t want to create a city without having the whole city as a piece of art.”

Every city in the world is structured on a constant problem-solution model, but a top-down solution allows for the building of something as expansive as THE LINE, according to the Crown Prince.

“Any new city is going to have to be top-down,” he said.

THE LINE will be the centerpiece of NEOM, one of the world’s most ambitious sustainable urban developments. When completed, NEOM will be home to smart towns, ports, research hubs, sports and entertainment venues, and tourism centers.

“We have the cash. We have the land. We have the stability. We have a good infrastructure. We are a G20 country. We want to create new civilization for tomorrow and we need to encourage other nations to keep doing the same things for a better planet.”

Saudi Arabia’s NEOM secures $5.6 bln for workforce housing

NEOM’s green hydrogen plant will secure Saudi Arabia’s clean energy transition: CEO

World

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

World

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.

World

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