Joining us on The 966 to talk about President Biden’s recent visit to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia is Hussein Ibish, a weekly columnist for Bloomberg and the UAE-based publication The National and Senior resident scholar at…Read more
The #1 podcast on all things Saudi Arabia in English.
The 966 explores the news, people, and issues that define the Kingdom through weekly conversations and interviews with business leaders, officials, and newsmakers. Subscribe to The 966 on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify and more.
Dr. Sean Foley, professor at MTSU and author of the book Changing Saudi Arabia: Art, Culture, and Society in the Kingdom, joins The 966. Dr. Foley specializes in Middle East history and the cultural, political,…Read more
The 966 talks with Raghad Fathaddin, communications analyst for PepsiCo based in Riyadh, an entrepreneur and founder of Sangha "Estidama Hub." Raghad is also a Y20 delegate for Saudi Arabia and also a WIn fellow…Read more
The Dakar Rally returns to Saudi Arabia for 2023 with a longer course, according to Time Out Riyadh. The 45th edition of the rally will be the fourth one to take place in Saudi Arabia.…Read more
Saudi Arabia has lifted its unofficial embargo against #turkish exports, Dr. Majed Al-Qassabi told a group of Turkish and Saudi businessmen in Ankara, #Turkey. #saudiarabia has been imposing a silent embargo on Turkish goods since…Read more
The Saudi Export-Import Bank, also known as Saudi EXIM, approved loans worth $450 million in 2021, with 51 percent of the total financing given to small and medium enterprises, according to the bank’s CEO, Saad…Read more
In episode 51, The 966 chats with our long-time friend and longtime economist and observer of the Kingdom, Dr. John Sfakianakis. John is the chief economist and head of research of the Gulf Research Center…Read more
Episode 50! The 966 talks with Raghad Fathaddin, communications analyst for PepsiCo based in Riyadh, an entrepreneur and founder of Sangha "Estidama Hub", a Y20 delegate and also a WIn fellow. Before that conversation, the…Read more
A new study by KPMG surveys the opinions and insights of Saudi women in family businesses in the Kingdom. Lucien’s one big thing is this study, with features valuable and unique insights into the viewpoints…Read more
Will Saudi Arabia normalize relations with Israel soon? Richard’s one big thing this week is what people are talking about in Saudi foreign policy this week: “normalization.” Are Saudi Arabia and Israel in fact close…Read more
The 966 talks with Jack Fowler, director at the global management consulting firm YCP Solidiance and co-author of a new report on Saudi Arabia’s construction industry, 'Partnering for Success in Saudi Arabia Construction.' The report…Read more
Chris Johnson is one of the top lawyers in Saudi Arabia. He is Managing Attorney at the law firm Johnson & Pump in association with Al Sharif Law Firm, and represents clients seeking to do…Read more
Oil prices are surging, will that derail reforms in oil-exporting Middle East? A recent piece in hellenicshippingnews.com wonders, “In March, Iraq’s oil exports were worth just over $11 billion (€10.5 billion), the most the country…Read more
Saudi Arabia’s non-oil private sector continued to see “robust growth” in April, Reuters reports, citing the headline seasonally adjusted S&P Global Saudi Arabia Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) which stood at 55.7 for the month. A…Read more
There’s a lot going on in Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector... This week, there were two events in the region: A major aviation summit in Riyadh, called the Future Aviation Forum, and a tourism and travel…Read more
A discussion on carbon capture including a recent huge investment by Saudi Aramco into the space...Read more
The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority has launched a new app, Tawakkalna Services, to help improve the quality of life in the Kingdom. It provides 140 services that cover health, education, transport, Islamic and…Read more
A public service advert from Saudi Arabian authorities asking residents not to invite census takers into their homes for coffee is proving a hit with the public. The video, released by the Saudi General Authority…Read more
The Office of the United States Trade Representative has taken the Kingdom off its Priority Watch List in its annual Special 301 Report, after Saudi Arabia tightened up its IP enforcement procedures.Read more
The U.S. State Department's Joshua Yaphe joins The 966 to discuss his book, "Saudi Arabia and Iraq as Friends and Enemies: Borders, Tribes and a Shared History." Yaphe is a foreign affairs officer with the…Read more
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Scholarship Program has a new name and a new, refreshed mandate. The refreshed scholarship program will send 70,000 Saudi students abroad to top-ranked universities and training institutes by 2030. They’ll go…Read more
Saudi Arabia seeks to become a global supplier of hydrogen and create a home-grown industry. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia should (and already are) working together to help Saudi Arabia realize this goal and to…Read more
The venerable Dr. Jon Alterman from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) thinktank in Washington joins The 966 to talk about a changing global order and the Middle East's role in it. The…Read more
The 966 welcomes onto the show Dr. Mohammed Alhajji, Director of the Behavioral Insights and Nudge Unit at Ministry of Health Saudi Arabia, and co-founder of SaudiGenome, onto the program to discuss his journey as…Read more
Dr. Fatimah Alhamlan from King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSHRC) and founder of Rofaida, a Women’s Health Organization, joins The 966 to talk about her life's journey that took her as a young…Read more
Hosts
From the producers of the most widely-read newsletter on Saudi Arabia, The 966 explores the news, people, and issues that actually matter for the Kingdom through weekly conversations and interviews with Saudi business leaders, officials, newsmakers and others.
Richard Wilson
Richard Wilson is President of the Saudi-US Trade Group (SUSTG) and co-host of The 966 Podcast.
Lucien Zeigler
Lucien Zeigler is research director of the Saudi-US Trade Group (SUSTG) and co-host of The 966 Podcast.