Joining The 966 this week is a special guest, Dr. Ghadah Al-Harthi from London. Ghadah is Senior Consultant at Barker Langham, Associate Director MA Innovation Management, Central St Martins, and Young Adviser at Chatham House. This week, the hosts talk about the start of the Saudi international golf tournament, the announcement of a new holiday in Saudi Arabia, social entrepreneurship and much more…

1:48 – Richard’s one big thing is the announcement of Saudi Arabia’s Founding Day – a new holiday in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers has chosen Feb. 22 to commemorate the Founding Day of Saudi Arabia.
Annual celebrations will recognize the foundation of the first Saudi state in 1727 by Imam Mohammed bin Saud, a move that brought unity, peace, and stability to the Arabian Peninsula following centuries of fragmentation and dissension.

11:44 – Lucien’s one big thing is the one big golf tournament that happens in Saudi Arabia every year begins this week. The tournament itself is growing, with a $5 million purse and superstars like Bryson and Dustin and many others teeing it up on the Red Sea. But it is Saudi Arabia’s wider golf ambitions that have the world watching this weekend.
Greg Norman is again pushing his (and the PIF’s) vision to grow the game of golf internationally.
At a press conference this week, Norman said the PIF and LIV Golf is increasing its annual investment in a series of 10 Asian Tour events from $200 million to $300 million. Those events, called the International Series, will be played in Thailand, England, Korea, Vietnam, the Middle East, China, Singapore and Hong Kong, LIV Golf said in a press conference.
Norman said that was just the start.

23:43 – Social entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia and the social enterprise sector in Saudi Arabia – where is it now, and where is it going?
The importance of entrepreneurship for Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Vision 2030 social and economic reform program is well-known. And in that respect, the Kingdom is experiencing measurable success: The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report 2020/2021 said the kingdom ranked 7th in entrepreneurship, and 9 out of 10 asked said it was easy to start a business in Saudi Arabia.
But what about social entrepreneurship?
This sector sits between philanthropy and private enterprise, using commercial methods to address social needs in innovative, financially sustainable ways.
A recent report by the consulting firm PWC noted that social entrepreneurship in developed economies leads to economic activity…and although the social enterprise sector is in its infancy in Saudi Arabia, it presents a significant opportunity.
The hosts tap into Ghadah’s research experience in this space in Saudi Arabia and talk about what the future holds for Saudi Arabia’s social entrepreneurs.

45:45 – Yallah! 🐪  The 966’s finishing segment to get you informed before the weekend.
•According to Bloomberg’s recently released Covid Resilience Ranking, Saudi Arabia ranks second among countries ‘best coexisting with COVID-19 pandemic.’ The top five countries are UAE, Saudi Arabia, Finland, Turkey and Singapore.

•Neom is set to issue its first tenders to build a renewable power grid later this year, according to the executive director of Neom Energy. The first tender packages to be issued will be in the range of 400 MW to 800 MW. Ultimately, Neom is planning to install 8 to 10 GW of wind power and 16 to 20 GW of solar power generation.

•Red Sea Farms, which is backed by investors from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, is expanding into the US through its new agriculture technology that tackles food security problems by helping countries to grow crops in areas with scarce water resources. The University of Arizona’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences will evaluate the company’s latest technology with the aim of introducing it in the world’s largest economy. 

•The 2021 Riyadh Season which was launched on October 20 has attracted over 10 million visitors and 1 million tourists in roughly 100 days. The five-month Season lasts until March 22.

•The Saudi Shura Council unanimously approved on Monday a draft amendment to the flag, emblem and national anthem system. The proposed changes aim to more clearly define the proper uses of the state emblem, raise awareness about the importance of the flag and anthem and protect the flag from infringement or neglect. 

•If you have not noticed how fast Saudi Arabia’s art scene is moving, we recommend Rahel Aima’s recent article for ArtForum – Stepping Stones: The Saudi Scene Takes the World Stage – a terrific report on the current state of the Jeddah and Riyadh art scenes.