JEDDAH: American singer Alicia Keys took her place in the recent third “Women to Women” initiative in Jeddah, alongside influential Saudi women such as DJ Cosmicat (Nouf Sufyani); Mishaal Ashemimry, aerospace engineer and commercial pilot; visual artist Huda Beydoun; Noura bin Saidan, a street artist; and Raha Moharrak, the first Saudi woman to scale Mount Everest.
Organized by MDLBEAST on International Women’s Day, the event aimed to unite female leaders and focus on how they can drive cultural progress both in Saudi Arabia and globally.
The diverse group of women shared their experiences in their respective fields, while looking at the challenges they overcame for success.
They looked at what it means to be a woman challenging norms and overcoming obstacles, sharing the inspirations that drove their remarkable accomplishments.
Keys said: “(I’m) so excited to be together. What inspires me is humanity, people; real-life experiences inspire me. Those are the things I write songs about, those are the things that connect me and us.
“It’s all about experiencing life. Meeting new people in this event is such an inspiration (and) to be able to engage in the conversation. My journey has been unique: raised by a single mother who is a rock to me. The will to achieve and discover, to keep going, can happen by trusting yourself.
“The biggest lesson that I would like to share is to keep going. Learn from failure and grow from it.”
She added: “I always keep telling myself to keep trying, and even if it doesn’t work out, at least I tried. I would like to avoid the pressure that I placed on myself and instead believe in personally deciding what is important to me and what success means to me.
“Success, to me, is being an authentic, genuine person who is good-natured, good-hearted, and kind to people, bringing positivity to others. Even if I can positively impact just one person, that is most important to me. It’s all about spreading positivity.”
Keys, who has won 15 Grammys and sold 90 million records worldwide, is renowned for her achievements in music and her dedication to activism, entrepreneurship, and wellness initiatives. She is actively engaged with her beauty brand, Keys Soulcare.
Ashemimry, who draws inspiration from her birth city of Qassim and her childhood fascination with the stars, also shared her journey and insights during the event.
She said: “I wanted to learn deeper about space and the only way to do it was to build rockets. When you are a child, you don’t understand, and breaking stereotypes was very challenging.”
Encouraging others to pursue their own dreams, Ashemimry spoke about her unexpected path to becoming the first Saudi female aerospace engineer and commercial pilot. She added: “In my case, when I had inspiration, I never thought I would be the first. I had the passion to just follow it. When I knew that I was the first Saudi, I felt huge responsibility on my shoulders toward the public.
“So I started social media accounts talking about space and technology development. I had difficulty in Arabic. I had a fear that I wouldn’t be able to explain myself better. But, later on, I started to talk about space by simplifying it in Arabic ... when I spoke about my inspiration, hardships I went through, being away from my family, the struggles, sacrifices to be a rocket scientist, and the history of rockets.
“The impact I left with the content I created was really inspiring to the audience, which motivated me to keep encouraging people to aspire.”
Moharrak, reflecting on her journey and the challenges she faced, said: “The emotional and mental challenge that you don’t fit in is very challenging, and that’s something no one teaches.
“I am so proud that now more and more women are breaking the norm. In my story, the challenge was mentality and (that was) also the biggest driver. If we don’t change the narratives and the story, then who will?
“Yes, I have climbed Mount Everest, but every single woman has an Everest to climb in daily life. It’s about continually proving to yourself that you are capable of achieving extraordinary things and overcoming challenges. So don’t let anyone make you feel that you cannot climb your Everest.”
Other members of the panel shared their sources of inspiration and the paths they took to achieve success, while also discussing strategies for overcoming the negative opinions of others and people’s perceptions.
Rozana Al-Banawi, an entrepreneur specializing in professional training and coaching, conducted sessions with her team to engage the audience, facilitating activities focusing on leadership skills and self-development, creating an interactive and enriching experience for those attending.
American singer Alicia Keys joins Saudi trailblazers in ‘Women to Women’ initiative in Jeddah
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American singer Alicia Keys joins Saudi trailblazers in ‘Women to Women’ initiative in Jeddah

- Organized by MDLBEAST on International Women’s Day, the event aimed to unite female leaders and focus on how they can drive cultural progress both in Saudi Arabia and globally
- The diverse group of women shared their experiences in their respective fields, while looking at the challenges they overcame for success
AI training for 334,000 Saudi citizens completed

- Launched in September 2024, AI skills program targets citizens of all ages and professional backgrounds
RIYADH: A total of 334,000 Saudi Arabia citizens have benefitted from a government program aimed at empowering citizens with artificial intelligence skills, according to the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority.
The “One Million Saudis in AI” program was set up in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development in September 2024.
During the keynote session of the Non-Profit Sector Forum in Education and Training 2025 in Riyadh on July 2, SDAIA chief Abdullah Alghamdi highlighted key features of the program.
He said the partnerships the authority had forged with other government agencies have positioned the Kingdom globally in empowering women in AI, and community awareness, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.
Launched at the Global AI Summit, the SAMAI initiative targets citizens across all age groups and professional backgrounds.
Alghamdi also cited several national initiatives that resulted from this collaboration, including the National Olympiad for Programming and Artificial Intelligence, or ATHKA Competition.
More than 260,000 male and female students from intermediate and secondary schools participated, with 10,000 advancing to the final stage, he said.
One key initiative cited by the SDAIA chief was the “Road to ATHKA,” which trained more than 570,000 students on AI concepts.
Another was the “Future Intelligence Programmers” initiative, which trained over 10,000 teachers.
The SDAIA and Education Ministry had also established the Center for Excellence in Education.
This was “designed to institutionalize technological integration within the education sector, sustain future-oriented initiatives, and leverage AI to enhance learning outcomes.”
Saudi crown prince receives UAE national security advisor

RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received UAE National Security Advisor Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan at Salam Palace in Jeddah, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The crown prince and Shiekh Tahnoun, who is also the deputy ruler of Abu Dhabi, discussed relations between the Kingdom and the UAE and ways to enhance them.
Saudi authorities close 996 establishments over health violations

RIYADH: A total of 5,912 inspections covering 4,307 establishments were carried out across the Kingdom by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority in April and May.
A total of 996 were shut down due to various violations, while 136 were closed for operating without required licenses and for product safety breaches.
Additionally, production lines at 127 establishments were halted and 1,750 types of products were seized.
The initiative is part of the SFDA’s efforts to ensure compliance with approved regulations and to uphold high quality standards.
At one food establishment, inspectors found raw materials of an unknown origin, employees without health certificates, the absence of a tracking system and inadequate measures being taken to prevent cross-contamination. These led to the closure of the business and the implementation of necessary legal measures.
Need for global collaboration to fight drought stressed

- Saudi Arabia, along with partners, launched the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership on the first day of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development
RIYADH: As part of the Kingdom’s efforts to mitigate the impacts of desertification, improve air quality and achieve its sustainable development goals, Saudi Arabia, along with partners, launched the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership on the first day of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development.
Held in Seville, Spain, from June 30 to July 3, the four-day event saw the participation of 70 countries, including attendance by local and international ministers, environmental organizations and financial development entities.
Among the participants was Saudi Deputy Minister for Environment, Water and Agriculture Osama Faqeeha.
Faqeeha, who is also the adviser to the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties Presidency, emphasized the significance of collaborative efforts and innovation to address the escalating threat of climate change that resulted in complicated and devastating environmental issues such as drought.
Faqeeha said: “The Riyadh Drought Resilience Partnership will serve as a global facilitator, a ‘one-stop shop’ for drought resilience, promoting the shift from reactive relief response after drought hits to proactive preparedness.
“We also seek to amplify global resources to save lives and livelihoods around the world.”
The deputy minister said that solutions should be applied through strategies and mechanisms to ensure enhanced resilience in the areas that were mostly affected by drought and climate change globally.
He praised the partnership with the International Drought Resilience Alliance, a global coalition that aims to build resilience against droughts and climate change.
He said it was fundamental to bridging the gap between the political and financial aspects to ensure the achievement of long-term sustainable development objectives.
The discussion highlighted some of the national efforts and strategies for environmental sustainability, including efforts by the OPEC Fund for International Development, the Islamic Development Bank and the CAF Development Bank of Latin America.
Saudi Shoura Council members visit Turkish parliament

ANKARA: Members of the Saudi-Turkish Parliamentary Friendship Committee of the Saudi Shoura Council met with their counterparts from Turkiye during a visit to the country.
During the meeting, held in Ankara, the two sides reviewed ways to further boost their relations and discussed other topics of common interest.
The Saudi delegation also met with Numan Kurtulmus, president of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.