Episode 76! The 966 welcomes Antonia Carver director of Art Jameel, who discusses her work supporting artists and creative communities in the Middle East region and beyond. Art Jameel was founded by the Jameel family philanthropies and is headquartered in Saudi Arabia and the UAE and works globally. Before the discussion, the hosts talk about Founding Day 2023, the new Riyadh downtown project, and much more.
Feb 24, 2023•2 hr 7 min•Ep. 77
The 966 Episode 75! The hosts discuss the recently-concluded LEAP conference and exhibition in Riyadh and how Saudi Arabia is increasingly becoming a leader in the space in the region. They also discuss how Riyadh is, in general, becoming a more attractive destination for global events, a concept once difficult to imagine before the Kingdom opened up its borders to tourists. The hosts conclude as always with Yallah! A rundown of 6 top storylines this week in Saudi Arabia to get you up to date he...
Feb 10, 2023•45 min•Ep. 76
Episode 74! A conversation with Dr. Doaa Alsaleh MD, a physician-scientist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City on her journey, work, research, and future before returning to work in Saudi Arabia soon. Dr. Doaa was born in Saudi Arabia, got her medical degree in Bahrain, and is now in pursuit of a PHD on top of her medical doctor degree at the prestigious Mount Sinai hospital system in NYC.
Feb 03, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 75
In Episode 73 this week, The 966 features an exclusive conversation with Jacob Mumm, Senior Vice President for Bechtel and Managing Director for Bechtel Saudi Arabia. Bechtel's role in over 300 major projects throughout 80 years in Saudi Arabia, including the world's largest single industrial development project at Jubail, the ambitious Riyadh Metro project, "The Spine" at Neom, Ras Al Khair, and many more, make it a significant part of the story of modern Saudi Arabia. Bechtel was also recently...
Jan 27, 2023•42 min•Ep. 74
[FULL EPISODE 72] - The Riyadh Metro project, the game-changing public transportation project in Saudi Arabia’s capital, “will be opened soon.” A discussion on the hot real estate market in Riyadh and across Saudi Arabia. Then, to kick off the program's "Yallah!" segment, the hosts spend some time talking about the Dakar Rally, which just wrapped up in the Kingdom, and marvel at the risks taken by the participating drivers. 1:24 - Richard's one big thing is the real estate market in Saudi Arabia...
Jan 20, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 73
3:36 - Bloomberg columnist and senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington Hussein Ibish joins The 966 to talk about global diplomacy, U.S.-Saudi relations, energy markets, Saudi Arabia as an emerging power, and so much more. Ibish is a weekly columnist for Bloomberg and The National (UAE) and is also a regular contributor to many other U.S. and Middle Eastern publications. He has made thousands of radio and television appearances and was the Washington, DC correspond...
Jan 13, 2023•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 72
Episode 70! Dr. Aziz Alghashain joins The 966 to talk about Saudi-Israel relations in 2023, the status of the Abraham Accords, and his view on Saudi foreign policy going forward. Before the conversation with Dr. Aziz, the hosts discuss the upcoming Future Minerals Forum 2023 in Riyadh, major developments in Saudi Arabia's water sector and how the Kingdom is getting more mature about water management, and much more in the program's Yallah! segment. 3:06 - Richard's one big thing is the upcoming F...
Jan 06, 2023•2 hr 9 min•Ep. 71
Episode 59! Merry Christmas and happy holidays to our subscribers and listeners who celebrate. The 966 hosts kick off the second annual "Christmas spectacular" with a discussion of green hydrogen and news that Germany may be on of Saudi Arabia's first big customers, and a discussion of Saudi Arabia as a $1 trillion (!) economy. Then the hosts welcome Todd Albert Nims, a key player in the Kingdom’s blossoming film and entertainment scene and co-producer of the film 'Born a King.' Then, the hosts ...
Dec 23, 2022•2 hr 4 min•Ep. 70
Captain Bill Foster, USN (retired) is President of Jones Group Middle East, a wholly owned subsidiary of Jones Group International, and is Chairman of the The American Chamber of Commerce Saudi Arabia (AmCham Saudi Arabia). Foster joins The 966 from Riyadh, where he talks about the changes ongoing in the Kingdom and the important work that AmCham is doing in Saudi Arabia serving as a platform for the American business community to connect, grow and prosper. AmCham's work includes analyzing and p...
Dec 16, 2022•41 min•Ep. 69
[FULL EPISODE 68] The 966 does a full episode on the #worldcup2022 in Qatar. The hosts react to the matches played and the smooth execution of the major sporting event by #Qatar. Then the hosts welcome on Dr. Mohammed Alhajji, who attended several of the matches including #Saudi Arabia's historic win over Argentina.
Dec 09, 2022•58 min•Ep. 68
An interview and conversation with the legendary HRH Prince Turki Al-Faisal Al-Saud, who joins The 966 to share some stories and his anecdotes about his late father, King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. King Faisal's death lead his sons to create the King Faisal Foundation to honor his visionary legacy and generous spirit. HRH Prince Turki also discussed Saudi Arabia's progress with Vision 2030 and answers a question famously asked of his late father nearly 50 years ago. The former Ambassador, top...
Dec 02, 2022•53 min•Ep. 67
Robert Mogielnicki from AGISW and adjunct professor at Georgetown and GWU joins The 966 to talk NEOM, the PIF, the Saudi economy and so much more. The hosts talk about our neighbors – all 8 billion of them and counting - on planet Earth as the world's population passes 8 billion. Lucien's one big thing is the Crown Prince's recent trip to Asia, including Indonesia and South Korea, ahead of Chinese President Xi's planned visit to Saudi Arabia in December. The hosts conclude as always with Yallah!...
Nov 18, 2022•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 66
Episode 65! Prince Waleed Bin Nasser Al Saud joins The 966 -- Prince Waleed is CEO of Mukatafa, a consultancy based in Riyadh that brings together the public and private sectors in Saudi Arabia, forming an ecosystem that enables the private, public, and third-party sectors to collaborate, integrate, and grow together as the Kingdom drives forward with Vision 2030. Mukatafa means standing shoulder to shoulder in Arabic, and the growing organization founded by Prince Waleed has worked specifically...
Nov 11, 2022•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 65
The 966 interviews Reem Philby and Alan Morrissey, two of the four team members set to embark on the ‘Heart of Arabia’ expedition, a 1,300km journey across Saudi Arabia following the route of Harry St John (Abdullah) Philby that took place 105 years ago. Philby and Morrissey join The 966 to discuss the history of Philby’s 1917 mission to Ibn Saud, which earned him the Royal Geographical Society Founder’s Medal, as well as the journey and challenges ahead.
Nov 04, 2022•46 min•Ep. 64
Episode 63! The hosts welcome Jeffrey Beyer, Managing Director, Zest Associates, a Dubai-based consultancy that develops sustainability solutions for governments and private companies for the low carbon economy. First, the hosts discuss Richard’s one big thing this week, which is Saudi Arabia’s forthcoming Saudi Games, the largest single sporting event ever in Saudi Arabia. Lucien’s one big thing this week in Saudi Arabia is the progress on the Red Sea with major milestones reached for The Red S...
Oct 21, 2022•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 63
3:13 - The census in Saudi Arabia is starting to reveal interesting data points on Saudi Arabia’s population. Saudi Arabia’s population reached 34 million people in 2021, according to a recent report by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health and published in the Saudi Gazette, at an annual growth rate of 9.3%. Saudi Arabia’s population has grown 16.8% during the past ten years in which data are available and published by the Ministry (2012-2021). 12:18 - Riyadh Season details are here, and it’s going...
Oct 14, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 62
2:38 - Richard's one big thing is Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Commerce has announced ten initiatives to develop the e-commerce retail industry, and the initiatives are based on the results of a survey “Consumer’s Voice”, conducted by the Ministry of Commerce to gauge the level of consumer satisfaction with the performance of online stores. 14:39 - Lucien's one big thing is actually two big things. First, Lucien comments on a changing Riyadh having just returned from the Saudi capital, and why muc...
Oct 07, 2022•1 hr 41 min•Ep. 61
Episode 60! The 966 wishes everyone a fun and safe Saudi National Day. This week, the hosts re-connect after a two week hiatus for the 60th episode of the show. First, the hosts discuss Richard's one big thing, which is a deep dive on Saudi-Greece relations of late and why that bilateral relation is one to watch. Then the hosts discuss Lucien's one big thing: the uptick in news and activity in the MENA region's airline deals and development of tourism in Saudi Arabia. The hosts conclude as alway...
Sep 23, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 60
2:38 - Saudi Arabia has been ranked 3rd top destination for migrants for the second year in a row, According to the UN World Migration Report 2022. Richard’s one big thing is the World Migration Report 2022, the eleventh in the world migration report series, which has been produced to “contribute to an increased understanding of migration throughout the world.” The report can be accessed here: https://worldmigrationreport.iom.int/wmr-2022-interactive/ 12:58 - Big cats! Saudi Arabia welcomes birt...
Aug 26, 2022•43 min•Ep. 59
1:35 -- The IMF this week maintained its economic growth forecast for Saudi Arabia at 7.6% this year, likely placing it among the top growing economies in the world in 2022. Richard's one big thing this week is the release of the report, in which The IMF said it expected the kingdom’s non-oil gross domestic product to grow by 4.2% this year. Also, Saudi Arabia's fiscal surplus is likely to be 5.5% of GDP. 9:46 - Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) bought shares in Alphabet, Zoom Video, a...
Aug 19, 2022•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 57
2:36 - Saudi Ministry of Investment Releases Q2 Investment Highlights Report; 49 Deals Worth More Than $925m Inked. Richard's one big thing is the release 13th edition of ”Investment Highlights.” The report examines investment developments and focuses the tourism sector. MISA says it oversaw 49 major deals valued at $925 million, which are set to create around 2000 new jobs in the local economy. The report includes an opening by H.E. Ahmed AlKhateeb, Minister of Tourism, and includes a dedicated...
Aug 12, 2022•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 56
3:31 - Richard's one big thing is a new agreement between IBM and Saudi Arabia’s IT authority that will upskill 100,000 young Saudis in the digital sector. The MoU to implement eight initiatives seeks to “bolster the Kingdom’s position as a hub of technology and innovation in the Middle East and North Africa region,” according to SPA. 9:32 - Lucien's one big thing is a look at the latest data coming out on the Saudi economy in 2022, which is one of the fastest-growing globally. Saudi Arabia's Ge...
Aug 05, 2022•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 55
1:40 - Richard's one big thing is the Kingdom's newly announced national aspirations and priorities for the research, development and innovation sector to enhance the kingdom’s competitiveness and add 60 billion riyals ($16bn) to its gross domestic product by 2040. Dr. Munir El Desouki, president of King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) in Riyadh, sat down with The National to explain what these plans for the RDI sector entail. The hosts discuss the importance and impact of thi...
Jul 29, 2022•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 54
2:00 - First up, The 966 speaks with Hussein Ibish , columnist for Bloomberg and The National and Senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. Hussein discusses his view, shared with the Washington Post, that “[a]nyone expecting a checklist of achievements was looking at the wrong visit. Biden didn’t go with a list but a long-term agenda." 33:49 - Next, The 966 welcomes Dr. Jon Alterman to the program to talk about the visit and its significance. Jon notes that there ...
Jul 19, 2022•1 hr 54 min•Ep. 53
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, and religious trends in the wider Islamic World. Before that discussion, the hosts do a small preview of President Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia this weekend, and discuss The 966's plans for next week which include a special format in which the hosts solicit views from many experts on the...
Jul 15, 2022•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 52
The 966 asks John about the state of the Saudi economy, economic reforms ongoing in the Kingdom, the PIF, and much more.
Jul 08, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 51
1:50 - The Saudi Ministry of Hajj announced all potential pilgrims from the West must apply through ‘Motawif’ platform. Richard’s One Big Thing is this new disruptive portal became the only place to buy accredited Hajj packages across 57 western countries. 8:15 - OPEC+ has delayed a big decision on oil production quotas, but just how much spare capacity does the group and Saudi Arabia in particular have left? Lucien’s One Big Thing is the Saudi-led OPEC+ group of oil producers, which includes Ru...
Jul 01, 2022•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 50
3:17 - Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman landed in Turkey for the first time in several years on Wednesday for talks with President Erdogan, after visiting neighboring Egypt and Jordan as part of a regional tour. The visit to Turkey, a member of NATO, is aimed at fully normalizing ties that were ruptured after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Richard's one big thing this week is the significant changes in Saudi foreign policy in the previous 18 months, including how Crown Pri...
Jun 24, 2022•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 49
1:46 - Richard's one big thing this week is a new report from Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Investment that highlights all the reasons to invest in Saudi Arabia now. In the 12th edition of ''Investment Highlights'', the Invest Saudi team discusses a record-breaking Q1 2022. The deals overseen by MISA are expected to drive investments worth more than $4 billion and create 5,816 new jobs in the local economy, and things are just starting to heat up. Saudi Arabia’s economy is proving to be one of the ...
Jun 17, 2022•56 min•Ep. 48
1:43 - Richard's one big thing this week is a new report highlighting how Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 is shifting Saudi Arabia’s global perception. Vision 2030 has become the largest single contributor to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s global media coverage, a recent report indicated. The research, titled “KSA Reputation: How Vision 2030 is Rebranding the Nation,” released last month by global media intelligence provider CARMA, showed that the Kingdom’s "transformative vision had put it in a more ...
Jun 10, 2022•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 47
