Saudi Arabia's economic diversification efforts under its Vision 2030 plan, which seeks to reduce the kingdom's reliance on oil revenue and nurture local industries, feature a number of big projects that are well under way around the country.
They are set to open up new areas of economic activity and create thousands of jobs, with a stronger focus on the future.
Here's what's in store for the kingdom:
Neom
A central project in Saudi's Vision 2030 and the most ambitious is the $500 billion Neom smart city in the north-western part of the kingdom.
It will be powered entirely by clean energy as the kingdom moves away from an oil-based economy.
First unveiled by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2017, it will challenge the traditional concept of cities and lifestyle with its offerings.
So far, four major projects within Neom have been announced — The Line, Trojena, Oxagon and Sindalah.
The Line
It doesn't get much more ambitious than this.
Residents will live in a 170km-long, 500m-tall city designed to house nine million people. The structure is planned to have a mirrored facade.
It will be a new way of living in interconnected societies run by artificial intelligence.
Work is under way, with drone footage released in October showing heavy equipment clearing the site ready for construction.
The Line project is the first time in 150 years that a major urban development has been designed around people, not roads.
All essential daily services — such as schools, medical clinics, leisure centres and green spaces — will be within a five-minute walk.
Sindalah
This is set to be the first destination in Neom that will be open to the public.
It is a resort island and yachting paradise spread across about 840,000 square metres in the Red Sea, with views over the Neom mainland, luxury hotels, a large marina, beach club, yacht club, spa and wellness centre.
Sindalah is set to open early in 2024. The island is expected to receive 2,400 visitors a day by 2028. About 3,500 jobs are expected to be created in the process.
Trojena
Skiing in a desert region? Yes, that's right.
Tabuk province is mountainous, with snowfall in the winter. And Neom is taking advantage of the climate to offer outdoor sports and what will be the first major outdoor skiing destination in the GCC.
Trojena will host the 2029 Asian Winter Games, making it the first nation in western Asia to do so, with more than 32 countries due to take part.
The project's planners have divided Trojena into distinct districts and expect to attract different types of tourists, according to the time of year.
Bechtel, one of the world's largest industrial contractors, has been appointed as the project management consultant for Trojena.
Oxagon
The final segment of Neom (for now) is a futuristic industrial city, which is planned to be the largest floating industrial complex in the world.
“It will contribute to Saudi Arabia’s regional trade and commerce, and support creating a new focal point for global trade flows,” said Prince Mohammed.
It is expected to have a population of 90,000 and create 70,000 jobs by 2030.
As with the rest of Neom, Oxagon will be a net-zero city fully powered by clean energy.
AlUla
The heritage site with its preserved tombs and sandstone outcrops is already a popular tourist destination, but there is more to come.
Nine new hotels are set to open, including a boutique resort at Unesco-listed Hegra.
AlUla is expected to contribute about 120 billion riyals ($32 billion) to Saudi Arabia’s economy.
The Royal Commission for AlUla forecasts that the population of the area will triple to 130,000 by 2035, generating about 38,000 new jobs.
Red Sea Project
A key part of Saudi's tourism movement, the project is set in a 28,000-square-kilometre area that includes an archipelago of 92 islands, 50 dormant volcanoes, mountain ranges and sand dunes.
The first phase is due to open this year, with 16 hotels offering 3,000 rooms, an international airport, a marina, an 18-hole championship golf course, luxury second homes and retail and entertainment centres.
It has been labelled “one of the world’s last true hidden treasures” by developer Red Sea Global, and it is expected that 75 per cent of the destination’s islands will be preserved for conservation.
Amaala
Another tourism-focused project, this one will feature yachting and wellness activities, and have a strong sustainability ethos.
Located on the north-western coast, it will be within three hours flying time for 250 million people.
The first phase of development, Triple Bay, is set for completion in 2024 and will consist of six hotels and more than 1,000 rooms.
When fully complete in 2027, it will offer about 3,000 rooms in about 25 hotels, as well as 200 high-end retail establishments, fine dining, and wellness and recreational amenities, set across three communities.
Qiddiya
The Public Investment Fund project is set to become the capital of entertainment, sports and arts, and is expected to become a global tourism destination.
Its features will include a Six Flags theme park, a Jack Nicklaus championship golf course, a water park, a speed park and a sports stadium.
The developed area, located outside Riyadh, will encompass 223 square kilometres and is set to have a metro line linking it to the capital.
Ad Diriyah
The 300-year-old city, considered to be the birthplace and capital of the first Saudi state, is being transformed into an educational, cultural, recreational and hospitality centre.
One of the main objectives of the project is to preserve and protect the Unesco World Heritage Site of At-Turaif, the mud-brick city.
There are plans for a new 20,000-seat performance arena, a new opera house, a contemporary Saudi art museum and a new convention centre.
Diriyah Gate I will feature 18 hotels within the mixed-use traditional urban community that is to be created in an authentic Najdi architectural style, typical of Saudi villages, using the same mud bricks and plaster used centuries ago while providing modern amenities.
Diriyah Gate II is envisioned as a Parisian scale, pedestrian-focused, mixed-use development with all the cultural entertainment assets, while Diriyah Gate 3 will have a huge residential aspect.
Ad Diriyah was once an ancient trade and pilgrimage route and a meeting point for those travelling to or from Asia, Africa or Europe.
The $50.6 billion heritage mega project has set a target of 27 million domestic and international visitors by 2030.
King Salman Park
King Salman Air Base, formerly Riyadh Airport, is being transformed into one of the biggest city parks in the world.
Last year, excavation work and construction activities for the Visitors Pavilion and the Royal Arts Complex were completed. Bridges and tunnels will be completed this year, plus the first-phase infrastructure.
The park is envisioned as Riyadh's “green lung” and will stretch to 16 square kilometres, with sports amenities, a golf course and an equestrian centre.
PAKISTAN SQUAD
Abid Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali (test captain), Babar Azam (T20 captain), Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Imran Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Kashif Bhatti, Shadab Khan and Yasir Shah.
SPECS
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Switching%20sides
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2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
Saturday results
Qatar beat Kuwait by 26 runs
Bahrain beat Maldives by six wickets
UAE beat Saudi Arabia by seven wickets
Monday fixtures
Maldives v Qatar
Saudi Arabia v Kuwait
Bahrain v UAE
* The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Vaccine Progress in the Middle East
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Norway
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Canada
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Read more about the coronavirus
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
TO%20CATCH%20A%20KILLER
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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EMIRATES'S%20REVISED%20A350%20DEPLOYMENT%20SCHEDULE
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
