Three weeks into a cross-country visit to the US, Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman sealed a number of agreements from tech to energy aimed at overhauling the kingdom’s oil-dependent economy and beefing up the private sector.
A pact between Boeing and Saudi’s defence manufacturing company for a joint venture to develop the country’s nascent military industry was the latest accord reached during the visit. The venture, signed March 30 during the crown prince's visit of the US planemaker’s facilities in Seattle, will localise more than half of the maintenance services for fixed and rotary-wing military jets in the kingdom, transfer technology and produce spare parts domestically. “It’s a great opportunity, Saudis have to move from simple manufacturing of food and perishable goods to something more high-tech,” said Mustafa Alani, senior advisor and director of security and defence at Gulf Research Centre. “We’ve put it on the shelf for so long.”
The crown prince held a flurry of meetings as part of his first official visit to the US since becoming heir to the throne last year. Beyond military deals, 36 memorandums of understanding worth $20 billion were signed at the Saudi-US CEO Forum. Deals included partnerships in sectors spanning healthcare, manufacturing, education and technology. During his visit the crown prince signed an MoU to build a $200bn solar power development, the world’s largest project, with Japan’s Softbank Group in New York.
Developing industries, including defense manufacturing, is part of the kingdom's Vision 2030 transformation plan that seeks to diversify the economy beyond oil revenues, create jobs for young Saudis and expand the role of the private sector. It also features allowing greater participation of women in the workforce.
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The young prince with big ideas will set the course for the modern development of Saudi Arabia well beyond 2030
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Building a home-grown military industry is one of the key goals of the kingdom's economic reform plan. With that in mind, the country’s sovereign wealth fund established Saudi Arabian Military Industries, or SAMI, in May. It plans to manufacture equipment and provide MRO services. The ultimate goal is ambitious: Half of Saudi’s military procurement must be done locally by 2030, up from about two per cent currently. Saudi Arabia has earmarked $56bn for military spending this year, the biggest item on its budget.
SAMI’s target includes contributing $3.7bn to the Saudi economy by 2030, creating 40,000 jobs and investing $1.6bn in research and development, according to its website. The venture with Boeing is expected to generate revenues exceeding $22bn and create 6,000 jobs by 2030, according to a company statement.
It will likely take Saudi another five years to build a viable domestic military industry and up to 20 years to transfer knowledge and train a generation of engineers, according to security analysts.
Building a military industry from scratch means Saudi Arabia could potentially look to expand its market beyond local requirements.
“No doubt the decision behind indigenous defense industry is aimed at sale to regional neighbours and perhaps beyond,” Theodore Karasik, senior advisor to Washington-based Gulf State Analytics, said.
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures:
Monday, 1st 50-over match
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match
If you go
The flights Etihad (www.etihad.com) and Spice Jet (www.spicejet.com) fly direct from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Pune respectively from Dh1,000 return including taxes. Pune airport is 90 minutes away by road.
The hotels A stay at Atmantan Wellness Resort (www.atmantan.com) costs from Rs24,000 (Dh1,235) per night, including taxes, consultations, meals and a treatment package.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
Company%20Profile
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THE SPECS
Aston Martin Rapide AMR
Engine: 6.0-litre V12
Transmission: Touchtronic III eight-speed automatic
Power: 595bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh999,563
'Dark Waters'
Directed by: Todd Haynes
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, William Jackson Harper
Rating: ****
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Eyasses squad
Charlie Preston (captain) – goal shooter/ goalkeeper (Dubai College)
Arushi Holt (vice-captain) – wing defence / centre (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Olivia Petricola (vice-captain) – centre / wing attack (Dubai English Speaking College)
Isabel Affley – goalkeeper / goal defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Jemma Eley – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Alana Farrell-Morton – centre / wing / defence / wing attack (Nord Anglia International School)
Molly Fuller – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Caitlin Gowdy – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Noorulain Hussain – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai College)
Zahra Hussain-Gillani – goal defence / goalkeeper (British School Al Khubairat)
Claire Janssen – goal shooter / goal attack (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Eliza Petricola – wing attack / centre (Dubai English Speaking College)
The five pillars of Islam
Salah in numbers
€39 million: Liverpool agreed a fee, including add-ons, in the region of €39m (nearly Dh176m) to sign Salah from Roma last year. The exchange rate at the time meant that cost the Reds £34.3m - a bargain given his performances since.
13: The 25-year-old player was not a complete stranger to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool this summer. However, during his previous stint at Chelsea, he made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of which were off the bench, and scored only twice.
57: It was in the 57th minute of his Liverpool bow when Salah opened his account for the Reds in the 3-3 draw with Watford back in August. The Egyptian prodded the ball over the line from close range after latching onto Roberto Firmino's attempted lob.
7: Salah's best scoring streak of the season occurred between an FA Cup tie against West Brom on January 27 and a Premier League win over Newcastle on March 3. He scored for seven games running in all competitions and struck twice against Tottenham.
3: This season Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the player of the month award three times during a term. He was voted as the division's best player in November, February and March.
40: Salah joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players in Liverpool's history to have scored 40 times in a single season when he headed home against Bournemouth at Anfield earlier this month.
30: The goal against Bournemouth ensured the Egyptian achieved another milestone in becoming the first African player to score 30 times across one Premier League campaign.
8: As well as his fine form in England, Salah has also scored eight times in the tournament phase of this season's Champions League. Only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 15 to his credit, has found the net more often in the group stages and knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
TOP%2010%20MOST%20POLLUTED%20CITIES
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if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
