Saudi Arabia investing in its own future space missions

Ray Hanania Show - Fahad Nazer 1
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Updated 01 June 2023
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Saudi Arabia investing in its own future space missions

  • Only a matter of time, says Kingdom’s US embassy spokesperson
  • Current partnership with NASA, Axiom to continue

CHICAGO: The 10-day trip of two Saudi astronauts to the International Space Station this week is part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan and the goal to launch the country’s own space missions, the nation’s US Embassy spokesman Fahad Nazer said Wednesday.

Nazer, during an interview on The Ray Hanania Radio Show, said Saudis were “very proud” of the achievements of Rayyanah Barnawi, the first female Saudi astronaut, and her colleague Ali Alqarni, who are part of a growing Saudi Space Commission.

Barnawi and Alqarni were following in the footsteps of Prince Sultan bin Salman, the first Arab and Muslim to travel to outer space as a member of the weeklong Space Shuttle Discovery mission which launched on June 17, 1985.

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“The astronauts were actually able to conduct some experiments along with 12,000 students in Saudi Arabia. So, they had a livestream with them, a webchat, and they conducted basic experiments with the students. But obviously part of the mission, part of the purpose of space exploration is that we are trying to encourage young Saudi men and women students and to pique their interests in science and technology and mathematics and physics, and we are hoping that we achieved some of these goals in addition to the goals of the mission itself,” Nazer explained.

“The Kingdom does have its own Saudi Space Commission. It has a pretty rigorous program of research but also it has a program for selecting and training astronauts. So, we believe that space exploration is very much consistent with our investments in science, technology and innovations that is a part of our Vision 2030. For the foreseeable future we will continue to partner with NASA and Axiom and other organizations. But … it is ultimately a matter of time that we will launch our own space missions.”

Barnawi and Alqarni lifted off in the Axiom 2, or AX-2, from Houston’s Axiom Space Center on May 21 for the ISS, the second private mission to the orbiting outpost, and returned in the SpaceX Capsule, Crew Dragon spacecraft Freedom, splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico near Panama City, Florida, minutes before midnight Tuesday May 30. The first all-civilian space mission was in April 2022.

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“As you know Saudi Arabia is undergoing a remarkable transformation known as Vision 2030. The vision is a package of economic and social reforms that has a number of objectives. One of them, or some of them include improving healthcare, improving (the) education system, the transportation system and also combatting climate change among many objectives.

“So (we have) a number of these objectives. We believe that the keys to achieving them is through investing in science, technology and innovation, and certainly our interests in space exploration is very consistent with these goals. In fact our interest in space exploration goes back decades. Back in 1985 His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Salman was the first Arab and first Muslim to go into space when he joined the crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery,” Nazer told Arab News during the radio interview.

“More recently, obviously, we had two Saudi astronauts including the first woman ever, Rayyanah Barnawi, and her colleague Ali Alqarni, who went on this 10-day mission to the International Space Station … this was part of the Axiom Space Mission. They were in space for approximately 10 days.

“They conducted 14 different research experiments in different scientific fields including cloud seeding. Six other experiments, is my understanding, (were) focused on the brain and the nervous system and four others focused on the immune system. And like you said they just came back to Earth earlier this morning. They returned to Houston Airport. So, this was a great moment for our space program and a great moment for the Kingdom. We are proud of them.”

The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying Barnawi and Alqarni parachuted down into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, after a 12-hour return flight and blazing reentry through Earth’s atmosphere.

Nazer said Saudis around the world were excited and proud of the two astronauts and what they accomplished during the mission.

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“People back in the Kingdom were essentially able to see almost every move that the astronauts made from the launch to the return. The astronauts like I said, did a few webchats and livestreams with the Saudi students. Much of their experience was captured on camera,” Nazer said.

“They (the astronauts) shared everything, from what they ate to their (living) quarters including some of the experiments. So, in that sense I think it was certainly very different than when his royal highness went to space back in 1985. But this was a very proud moment for us. I think it was an indication of the commitment of our leadership to science and technology and innovation. And we are certainly hoping it will encourage a lot of young Saudi men and women to go into, whether it is space exploration or other scientific fields going forward.”

According to its website, Vision 2030 was launched under the leadership of King Salman, as “a roadmap” by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “to harness the strengths God bestowed upon us — our strategic position, investment power and place at the center of (the) Arab and Islamic worlds. The full attention of the Kingdom, and our leadership, is on harnessing our potential to achieve our ambitions.”

Nazer’s comments were made during an appearance on The Ray Hanania Radio Show broadcast Wednesday May 31 live in Detroit and Washington D.C. on the US Arab Radio Network and sponsored by Arab News. 

You can listen to the radio show’s podcast by visiting ArabNews.com/rayradioshow.


Qatari emir invites Saudi leaders to attend global social development summit

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Qatari emir invites Saudi leaders to attend global social development summit

  • The 2nd World Summit for Social Development will take place in Doha from Nov. 4 to 6

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have each received an invitation to attend the Second World Summit for Social Development, which will take place in Doha from Nov. 4 to 6.

The letters, sent by Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, were presented by the nation’s ambassador to the Kingdom, Bandar Al-Attiyah, to the Saudi minister of foreign affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, in Riyadh on Monday.

Other officials present at their meeting included Abdulrahman Al-Rassi, the undersecretary for multilateral international affairs at the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.


Saudi Arabia topped MENA region in e-government services for third successive year in 2024

Updated 05 May 2025
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Saudi Arabia topped MENA region in e-government services for third successive year in 2024

  • Kingdom outperformed 16 other countries, achieving maturity rate of 96% in delivering services
  • Governor of Digital Government Authority praises achievement

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia ranked first for the third successive year among countries in the Middle East and North Africa region in the 2024 Government Electronic and Mobile Services Maturity Index.

The index, published by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, measures the maturity of government services provided through electronic applications and portals.

Saudi Arabia ranked first in the 2024 index, outperforming 16 other countries and achieving a maturity rate of 96 percent in delivering digital government services, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Ahmed Alsuwaiyan, the governor of the Digital Government Authority, praised the achievement on Monday, saying it was the result of collaboration among government agencies, the use of technologies and artificial intelligence, and the introduction of digital products to deliver government services.

The Kingdom ranked fourth in the index in 2020 and second in 2021 before taking the top spot in 2022 and 2023. Alsuwaiyan noted that the progress was due to significant improvements in digital services across essential sectors, including health, education, and smart cities.

Saudi Arabia has made significant strides in the healthcare sector by offering citizens and residents digital prescriptions, appointment bookings, and telehealth services, while remote learning platforms and electronic university admissions have been established in the education sector.


Saudi minister receives copy of Omani ambassador’s credentials

Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji receives a copy of the credentials of the newly appointed Omani ambassador.
Updated 53 min 37 sec ago
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Saudi minister receives copy of Omani ambassador’s credentials

RIYADH: Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji has received a copy of the credentials of the newly appointed Omani ambassador to the Kingdom Sayyid Najib bin Hilal Al-Busaidi.

Al-Khuraiji welcomed the ambassador and wished him success in his new duties, Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday. 


Fintech founder describes journey in shaping Saudi finance

Updated 05 May 2025
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Fintech founder describes journey in shaping Saudi finance

  • Adel Alateeq: Entrepreneurship is part of me. I’ve always wanted to do something on my own, to have the freedom to do creative things out of the boundaries of large organizations
  • Adel Alateeq: I think today, the transformation that Saudi is going through is probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

Adel Alateeq, co-founder and CEO of Awaed, reflected on a career that has witnessed the evolution of Saudi Arabia’s investment landscape.

In a discussion with The Majlis podcast produced in partnership with Arab News, Alateeq described his career path from traditional finance to fintech startup cofounder.

Alateeq’s early roles involved managing public equity funds, an area significantly affected by Saudi Arabia’s market crash in February 2006.

“The market was booming, a lot of Saudis were participating in the Saudi markets,” he said.

“But, then, all of a sudden, came February 2006, a crash happens, and a lot of people lost trust, lost money, a lot of money in the market, and then they started looking for other things, and they started deserting the local markets.”

The financial turmoil, coupled with the 2008 global financial crisis, highlighted the vulnerability of relying solely on public equities and spurred a search for alternative investments.

This led Alateeq to work on the first real estate investment trust in Saudi Arabia with Riyad Capital, a project initiated around 2008 and eventually launched in 2016.

Simultaneously, he championed the development of a venture capital fund with Riyad Capital.

Discussions began in 2012, but it took four years to convince investors, primarily due to skepticism about the potential for startups in Saudi Arabia at the time.

“We started talking about the fund back in 2012. We only launched in 2016,” Alateeq said.

“It took us four years to convince investors, and to fundraise for our first VC fund, because a lot of investors did not believe that there would be startups coming out of Saudi.”

Not long afterwards, Alateeq was tapped by the Public Investment Fund to join Jada Fund of Funds, founded in 2018.

He said the mandate was to “catalyze the private equity and venture capital industry” in Saudi Arabia.

Despite the challenges of building a team remotely during the global pandemic, Jada achieved its five-year key performance indicators within just three years.

Speaking about his move to establish the Awaed digital wealth management platform, Alateeq said: “Entrepreneurship is part of me. I’ve always wanted to do something on my own, to have the freedom to do creative things out of the boundaries of large organizations.”

Alateeq believes that Saudi retail clients are “underserved” by existing players who struggle to reach them effectively.

He challenges the notion that Saudis lack financial literacy, arguing that the key issue is one of “access, not knowledge.”

In line with the unique aspects of the Saudi market, Awaed allows users to screen out non-Sharia compliant investment options.

Reflecting on the Saudi banking and investment sector, Alateeq said that its profitability can lead to complacency and a lack of innovation among many established players.

“The market is hungry,” he said. “There’s so much to do. But because of that, creativity is not at its best.”

Alateeq is optimistic about the country’s reforms under Vision 2030. “I think today, the transformation that Saudi is going through is probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he said.


Riyadh International Industry Week 2025 to feature 524 exhibitors from 20 countries

Updated 05 May 2025
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Riyadh International Industry Week 2025 to feature 524 exhibitors from 20 countries

  • Event will cover an area of 20,550 sq. meters and be the largest industrial gathering in the region
  • Activities will include live demonstrations of the latest industrial technologies

RIYADH: The Saudi capital will host “Riyadh International Industry Week 2025” under the patronage of the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center from May 12 to 15. 

It will feature more than 524 exhibitors from around the world, with an expected attendance of over 25,000 visitors, including specialists and those interested in the industrial sector, according to a press release issued by the organizer.

The event will cover an area of 20,550 sq. meters and be the largest industrial gathering in the region, bringing together more than 48,000 products and advanced technologies under one roof. 

It will include national pavilions representing major industrial countries, while the activities will feature speakers and experts, with more than 60 speakers presenting strategic insights in more than 20 sessions and specialized workshops.

The exhibition agenda includes several strategic themes that will highlight the latest global trends in the industrial sector and provide a platform for dialogue with experts, investors, and decision-makers. 

Activities will include live demonstrations of the latest industrial technologies, along with highlighting government initiatives aimed at supporting and empowering the sector, while highlighting key enablers of the industrial environment in the Kingdom.

The events will be spread over four specialized industrial exhibitions. The “Saudi Plastics and Petrochemicals Exhibition,” in its 20th edition, will celebrate its history of supporting these industries and offer a comprehensive platform to show the latest innovations and sustainable solutions. 

The event will also host the “Saudi Print and Pack Exhibition,” featuring the latest advances in printing technology and smart packaging solutions.

It will feature the “Saudi Smart Logistics Exhibition,” highlighting the latest solutions in material handling, storage, and supply chains.

The journey of innovation will continue through the “Saudi Smart Manufacturing Exhibition” dedicated to automation and digital transformation solutions for industrial facilities in the Kingdom.

The Industry Week is a major platform for empowering the national industrial sector and exploring future opportunities in supply chains and advanced technologies. 

It represents an extension of the Kingdom’s longstanding efforts to support national priorities in the industrial sector. It will foster international partnerships, facilitate knowledge transfer, and present innovative solutions that enhance industrial competitiveness regionally and globally, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.