Tag: Education

These sources discuss Saudi Arabia’s significant advancements in digital transformation, particularly highlighted by its high Digital Experience Maturity Index score in 2025. The nation is prioritizing digital services in healthcare and education, aiming to enhance quality and accessibility, and is also making strides in the digital gaming industry, fostering local talent and aiming for global leadership. Furthermore, the texts cover various aspects of Saudi economic diversification, including the growth of non-oil exports and support for small and medium enterprises. The sources also touch upon humanitarian efforts, like the “Masam” project for demining in Yemen, and cultural initiatives, such as the establishment of cultural centers. Finally, there’s a reflection on media trends, with discussions on the evolving landscape of sports digital media and the enduring cultural impact of figures like Fairuz.

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Saudi Arabia’s Digital Transformation: Vision 2030 and Global Leadership

Digital transformation is presented as a crucial and strategic pillar driving Saudi Arabia’s future, particularly within the framework of Vision 2030. It is not merely a technological development but has become the “lifeline” fueling global economic growth and determining its future trajectory.

Key Drivers and Initiatives:

• Vision 2030: The Kingdom’s ambitious blueprint explicitly prioritizes digital transformation as a strategic axis for the future, fostering investment in creative industries. It aims to raise the private sector’s contribution to the GDP to 35% by 2030, supported by digital advancements.
• Digital Government Authority (DGA): Established in 2021, the DGA is a key entity leading this transformation. It replaced the “Yesser” program and the National Digital Certificates Center. Its responsibilities include setting technical standards, organizing government cloud computing, preparing the national strategy for digital government, and providing technical support and consultations to government and private institutions.
• Digital Experience Maturity Index (DXMI): Issued annually by the DGA, this index measures the maturity level of digital government platforms and electronic services across four main areas: beneficiary satisfaction, user experience, complaint handling, and technologies and tools. In 2025, Saudi Arabia achieved an “advanced” maturity level of 86.71% after evaluating 50 government platforms, demonstrating national excellence in digitizing services.
• Strategic Transformation: The focus has shifted from merely digitizing procedures to transforming the lives of citizens and residents through smart, fast, and comprehensive digital solutions.

Impact and Achievements Across Sectors:

1. Government Services and Quality of Life:

• Enhanced Service Delivery: Digital transformation has significantly improved the quality and speed of access to health and education services.
• Integrated Platforms: Platforms like “Absher” offer around 280 personal services (e.g., passport renewal, residency permits, traffic, employment) to millions of users. The “Nafath” service, part of this system, has facilitated over 3 billion identity verification operations by November 2024, enhancing security and accessibility.
• Reduced Bureaucracy: Digital services streamline personal, legal, and commercial transactions, saving time and costs for citizens and residents by eliminating the need for physical visits to multiple government agencies.
• Open Data Platform (open.data.gov.sa): Serves as a central repository for over 11,439 datasets from 289 government entities, promoting transparency and supporting research and data analysis.

1. Healthcare Transformation:

• “Sehha” Virtual Hospital: Recognized as the largest virtual hospital in the world by Guinness World Records in October 2024, it connects 224 government hospitals in the Kingdom and offers 44 specialized remote services, including psychological consultations and home monitoring. This model addresses challenges of distance, specialization scarcity, and high costs in healthcare.
• Electronic Health Records (EHRs): The adoption rate of EHRs in Saudi hospitals reached 85%, surpassing the global average of 80%.
• Smart Clinics and AI: The first AI-powered medical clinic, “Dr. Hawa,” was inaugurated in May 2025, using an AI doctor to assess, diagnose, and prescribe treatment. Digital technologies have also contributed to a 30% reduction in medication errors and a 70% increase in patient interaction.

1. Education Sector:

• Digital Learning Environment: The Digital Education National Index monitors the development of digital education and training, aiming to build a high-level digital educational environment aligned with Vision 2030.
• AI Curriculum: A curriculum for Artificial Intelligence will be implemented across all public education stages starting from the 2025-2026 academic year, in partnership with the National Center for Curricula, the Ministry of Education, and SDAIA. This initiative aims to prepare a future generation equipped with modern technologies.

1. Economic Diversification and Efficiency:

• Industrial Efficiency: Digital technologies like AI, IoT, Big Data, Cloud Computing, and Blockchain are revolutionizing industries, enhancing efficiency, and productivity.
• Oil and Gas: Saudi Aramco uses extensive IoT sensors in oil wells and processing stations for real-time data collection, enabling AI systems to predict future production, optimize drilling, and identify potential equipment failures. Digital twin simulations allow engineers to test scenarios without affecting actual production.
• Smart Factories: Manufacturing industries are adopting “smart factory” concepts, utilizing robots and automation to increase production speed, reduce errors, and improve supply chain efficiency.
• Smart Agriculture: Remote sensing, drones, and smart irrigation systems are used to monitor crop health, analyze soil, and precisely determine water and nutrient needs, significantly reducing water consumption and enhancing food security.
• Reduced Operating Costs: Automation of repetitive tasks reduces human intervention, cutting labor costs and increasing human resource efficiency. Smart energy management systems monitor and adjust energy consumption in buildings and factories. Predictive maintenance using data analytics reduces emergency maintenance costs.
• Logistics Optimization: Blockchain technology tracks products from source to consumer, reducing errors, improving inventory management, and cutting storage costs.
• Global Competitiveness: Digital transformation enhances the ability of Saudi companies to compete globally, innovate, and access new markets through e-commerce and digital platforms.

1. Social Empowerment:

• Women in the Workforce: Digital jobs have significantly increased opportunities for Saudi women, enabling them to work from home, balance professional and social roles, and enhance their economic empowerment while maintaining their privacy.
• Women in Digital Industries (Gaming): Saudi women are breaking barriers in the digital gaming industry, with figures like Hanan Makki, Rafeef Kalantan, Inaam Banajah, Ghada Al-Muqbil, and Kholoud Al-Dhahiri leading in research, design, development, and advocacy, achieving international awards and establishing platforms for female gamers.
• Legal Empowerment for Women: The “Know Your Rights” application, launched by lawyer Nisreen Al-Essa, provides smart and free legal guidance on family issues, domestic violence, and other personal status matters, boosting women’s confidence and ability to defend their rights.
• Support for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs): Programs like “Kafalah” and “Tomouh” provide necessary funding and a comprehensive system of services to support the growth of SMEs, which are considered the “heartbeat” of the economy and a major driver of job creation.

Global Recognition: Saudi Arabia has made significant strides, ranking first regionally in the UN ESCWA index for e-government and mobile services (2024), second among G20 nations, and fourth globally in the Digital Services Index (2024). Its efforts are considered a global success story.

Challenges and Future Outlook:

• Legal Frameworks: The rapid expansion of digital jobs, especially remote work and gig economy models, necessitates the adaptation of legal and legislative frameworks to protect worker rights, regulate contracts, and ensure fair and secure work environments.
• Skills Development: There is a critical need for continuous education and training programs to equip the national workforce with advanced digital skills such as data analysis, programming, cybersecurity, AI, and project management.
• AI and Human Dependence: While AI offers immense benefits, there are concerns about its potential to foster “human laziness” and reduce critical thinking and creativity if individuals become overly reliant on it for all tasks.
• Sustained Investment and Innovation: The Kingdom plans to continue its investment in digital infrastructure, advanced technologies, and human capabilities to enhance its global competitiveness and drive innovation.

The digital transformation in Saudi Arabia is characterized by clear vision, precise execution, and a user-centric approach, shifting from a service-centric mindset to one that prioritizes the user’s experience and needs. This robust strategy ensures that the Kingdom remains a leading global model in delivering government services that meet the demands of the modern era.

Saudi Arabia’s Digital Economy: Vision 2030 and Beyond

The digital economy is recognized as a crucial and strategic pillar driving global economic growth and determining its future trajectory, particularly within Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Vision 2030. In the Kingdom, digital transformation is seen as the “lifeline” for the Saudi economy, playing a fundamental role in enhancing production efficiency, reducing operating costs, and bolstering competitiveness locally and globally.

Strategic Framework and Enablers:

• Vision 2030 explicitly prioritizes the digital economy as a strategic axis for the future, fostering investment in creative industries and aiming to raise the private sector’s contribution to the GDP to 35% by 2030.
• The Digital Government Authority (DGA), established in 2021, is a key entity leading this transformation, working to strengthen the digital economy and foster an environment that encourages private sector participation in designing and delivering digital solutions.
• The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) and other supporting entities also contribute to building advanced technical infrastructure, crucial for the digital economy.

Economic Pillars and Growth Drivers:

1. Advanced Technologies and Industrial Efficiency:

• Digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, Cloud Computing, and Blockchain are revolutionizing traditional productive industries, leading to enhanced efficiency and productivity.
• In the oil and gas sector, Saudi Aramco utilizes extensive IoT sensors for real-time data, enabling AI systems to predict future production, optimize drilling, and identify potential equipment failures. Digital twin simulations allow for testing scenarios without affecting actual production, contributing to a 30% reduction in medication errors and operational costs.
• Smart factories in manufacturing adopt robotics and automation to increase production speed, reduce errors, and improve supply chain efficiency, boosting export capacity, as seen in Jubail’s petrochemical companies.
• Smart agriculture employs remote sensing, drones, and smart irrigation systems to monitor crop health, analyze soil, and precisely determine water and nutrient needs, significantly reducing water consumption and enhancing food security and yield.
• Logistics optimization is achieved through blockchain technology, which tracks products from source to consumer, reducing errors, improving inventory management, and cutting storage costs.

1. Cost Reduction and Competitiveness:

• Automation of repetitive tasks significantly reduces human intervention and labor costs, while increasing the efficiency of human resources.
• Smart energy management systems and predictive maintenance further reduce operating costs.
• Digitalization enhances the ability of Saudi companies to compete globally, innovate, and access new markets through e-commerce and digital platforms. Rapid prototyping with 3D printing accelerates market entry for new products.
• Transparency in digital interactions builds trust with customers and international partners.

1. Support for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs):

• SMEs are considered the “heartbeat” of the economy and a major driver of job creation and economic diversification, contributing to non-oil exports and national development.
• Programs like “Kafalah” and “Tomouh” provide essential funding and comprehensive services to support the growth of SMEs. Digital platforms have drastically reduced the time to secure financing from months to mere days.
• In the first quarter of 2025, investments in startups and SMEs increased, and the total market value of companies participating in the “Tomouh” program exceeded 24.7 billion riyals. Credit facilities for micro, small, and medium enterprises rose by 31% to 383 billion riyals.
• Saudi Arabia ranked first globally in providing opportunities to easily start a business due to economic reforms and infrastructure.
• New commercial registrations saw a 48% annual increase in Q1 2025, with over 1.68 million active commercial registrations. Registrations for cloud computing services grew by 33%, and e-commerce by 6%. Notably, 45% of active e-commerce registrations are owned by women.

1. Non-Oil Export Growth:

• The “Exemption for Export” service, launched in October 2024, aims to boost the competitiveness of industrial facilities and reduce production costs related to exports, contributing to Vision 2030’s economic diversification goals.
• Saudi non-oil exports have made a “record leap,” growing from approximately 178 billion to 607 billion riyals, reaching over 180 countries. The “Made in Saudi” program has connected Saudi exporters with buyers in 74 countries.
• The number of factories in the Kingdom has increased from around 7,200 to nearly 12,500. The non-oil economy is projected to reach 4.9 trillion riyals by 2030.

Workforce and Societal Impact:

• Digital jobs have significantly increased opportunities for Saudi women, enabling them to work remotely, balance professional and social roles, and enhance their economic empowerment while maintaining privacy.
• The rapid expansion of digital jobs, including remote work and the gig economy, necessitates the adaptation of legal and legislative frameworks to protect worker rights, regulate contracts, and ensure fair and secure work environments.
• There is a critical need for continuous education and training programs to equip the national workforce with advanced digital skills such as data analysis, programming, cybersecurity, AI, and project management, shifting towards a “knowledge capital” economy.

Future Outlook: Digital transformation is the foundation of Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation. The Kingdom plans to continue its investment in digital infrastructure, advanced technologies, and human capabilities to enhance its global competitiveness and drive innovation. This robust strategy ensures the Kingdom’s position as a leading global model in an era defined by digital advancement.

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 Tourism Transformation

Tourism development is a pivotal and strategic pillar for Saudi Arabia, aligning closely with its ambitious Vision 2030 goals for economic diversification and growth. The Kingdom is actively transforming its tourism landscape, moving beyond traditional forms to embrace a wide array of cultural, historical, entertainment, and digital experiences.

Strategic Vision and Objectives:

• Tourism is recognized as a vital sector globally, driving economic growth, creating job opportunities, and fostering cultural exchange.
• Saudi Arabia explicitly prioritizes tourism as a major productive sector to attract local and foreign investments, reduce unemployment, and diversify national income.
• Vision 2030 emphasizes investment in creative industries and aims to establish the Kingdom as a leading global model in digital advancement and innovation, with tourism playing a significant role in this transformation.
• The goal is to re-shape Saudi Arabia’s image in global consciousness, moving beyond just displaying achievements to effectively narrating its rich heritage and human identity.

Key Initiatives and Developments:

1. Historical and Cultural Tourism:

• Saudi Arabia has a long history of receiving visitors, initially for religious purposes, but over the past three decades, it has seen an increase in visitors coming specifically for tourism and to explore its archaeological and heritage treasures.
• The Supreme Commission for Tourism (established in 1421 AH / 2000-2001 CE) was instrumental in this shift, aiming to attract Saudi citizens to domestic tourism, increase investment, and develop national human capabilities.
• Jeddah Historic is being revitalized, with its Arbaeen Lagoon adorned with 14 global art sculptures, blending contemporary art with the area’s heritage and attracting visitors. This is part of the Ministry of Culture’s efforts to highlight the city’s cultural identity and rediscover human identity through arts.
• The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (Wirath) offers workshops like “Make Your Souvenir from Traditional Arts” to raise awareness about Saudi traditional arts, support cultural industries, and empower artisans, thereby enriching the tourism experience.
• Museums are highlighted as key attractions that introduce visitors to the country’s history and culture.
• Art inspired by the Kaaba’s aesthetics reflects the spiritual significance for Muslims, implicitly supporting religious tourism.

1. Entertainment and Event-Based Tourism:

• The Riyadh Season has successfully transformed entertainment into a major industry, attracting tens of millions of visitors, with over half coming from outside Saudi Arabia.
• It aims to be a global model for sophisticated entertainment, offering a diverse range of events and programs.
• The Riyadh Season has generated over 100,000 diverse job opportunities and has achieved record-breaking figures in Guinness World Records for some of its events.
• The Kingdom’s strategy includes making Saudi Arabia a leading global destination for entertainment, with streamlined entry, residency, and competitive pricing.
• Riyadh Expo 2030 is viewed as a “golden opportunity” to showcase Saudi Arabia’s cultural narrative on the international stage, with a focus on comprehensive experiential storytelling.

1. Infrastructure and Human Capital Development:

• Saudi Arabia boasts numerous tourist, historical, and natural sites, including deserts, mountains, and marine environments. Specific tourist routes cover regions like Prophet’s Biography, Madain Saleh, Riyadh, Jazan, Tabuk, Al Baha, Sakaka, Dammam, and Al Kharj.
• The Saudi Association for Tourist Guides (established in 1435 AH / 2014 CE) plays a crucial role in qualifying and training a new generation of tourism leaders and guides. It runs an online qualification program, which is a prerequisite for obtaining a tourism guiding license.
• The government actively supports the licensing of culturally and skillfully qualified guides through free courses and tests.
• The growth in tourism is creating new opportunities for various sectors, including the insurance sector, which is encouraged to expand its coverage to tourism and entertainment projects.
• The focus is not just on digitalizing services but on building a holistic digital experience that places user satisfaction and needs at its core.

Tourism development in Saudi Arabia is characterized by strong leadership support, continuous investment in infrastructure, diverse cultural and entertainment offerings, and a commitment to nurturing local talent to meet the demands of a burgeoning global tourism market.

Gaza Famine and Yemen Mine Clearance: A Tale of Two Crises

Humanitarian aid is discussed in the sources primarily through two critical contexts: the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the vital mine clearance efforts in Yemen.

Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

The situation in Gaza is depicted as catastrophic, marked by widespread famine and a severe health crisis.

• Causes of the Crisis: The ongoing blockade of crossings by the occupation has prevented the entry of essential food, medical, and humanitarian supplies, occurring amidst a “comprehensive war of annihilation”. Gaza has been described as an “open-air prison” where inhabitants suffer from hunger and extreme poverty. People who have not died from the direct conflict are dying from starvation due to lack of basic necessities like bread or water.
• Impact on Health and Children:Hospitals are functioning at less than 20% of their capacity due to severe shortages of fuel, medical supplies, and electricity, leaving children without effective treatment.
• Child mortality among children under five increased by a shocking 45% compared to the previous year.
• Over 900,000 children in Gaza are suffering from varying degrees of malnutrition, with 17,000 experiencing acute malnutrition. The World Food Program estimates that a quarter of Palestinians in Gaza face near-famine conditions, and 100,000 children suffer from acute malnutrition.
• UNICEF has warned that all Gaza residents are experiencing hunger, with children “suffering the most”.
• Obstacles to Aid Delivery:The primary challenge is the Israeli occupation’s control over all border crossings and inspection points, which leads to a “complex and lengthy” inspection process, effectively hindering the flow of aid.
• The governmental media office in Gaza stated that Israel has prevented the entry of milk for children for over 150 days.
• Over 1,500 people have been killed since May while attempting to reach food aid distribution points.
• About 90% of Gaza residents lack access to potable water.
• Urgent Calls for Action:International organizations and officials have issued desperate pleas. The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator stated that one in three people in Gaza had not eaten for days, urging an immediate and permanent ceasefire and unimpeded aid delivery.
• UNICEF called for the immediate entry of humanitarian aid without obstacles.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed alarming rates of malnutrition and stressed the possibility of avoiding the crisis if aid flows widely and without impediments.
• “Save the Children” highlighted that air drops are “random and limited,” with one air drop equating to roughly one truck of aid, emphasizing the need for land-based aid through recognized crossings.
• The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned that opportunities to save lives are dwindling daily, calling for rapid and unimpeded aid flow and the facilitation of its passage.
• A member of the National Council for the Liberation Organization, Muhammad Al-Lahham, condemned the famine as a “war crime” and “crime against humanity,” asserting that Israel is using starvation as a tool. He called for activating international legal force to compel aid into Gaza.

Mine Clearance in Yemen (Masam Project)

Humanitarian aid in Yemen is exemplified by the “Masam” project, a Saudi initiative dedicated to clearing landmines.

• Objective and Scope: Masam is described as a comprehensive humanitarian effort aimed at saving lives, creating a safe environment for people to return, and enabling them to resume normal lives. It is carried out in cooperation with the Yemeni National Mine Action Program.
• Operations and Achievements: The project employs highly trained field teams with international expertise, utilizing modern techniques to detect and dismantle various types of explosives according to international standards.
• Since its launch, Masam has cleared over 69 million square meters of Yemeni land, which previously threatened thousands of Yemenis daily.
• In just the first half of August, teams removed nearly 3,000 mines and unexploded ordnance, clearing over 580,000 square meters.
• Impact on Communities: This work has brought life back to areas previously inaccessible due to mines. It has allowed displaced families to return home safely and reopened schools, enabling children to resume their education in a secure environment. Farms have become usable, and abandoned wells now supply water to villages.
• Dangers and Challenges: The widespread mine contamination makes Yemen one of the most affected countries globally, with over 19.5 million people at risk, including women, children, farmers, and displaced persons. Mines do not differentiate between military and civilian targets, severely impeding the return to normalcy in newly liberated areas. The project has suffered significant casualties, with over 30 team members killed, including five foreign experts.
• Capacity Building and Awareness: Masam is directly supported by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center. It focuses on training and qualifying Yemeni cadres, transferring knowledge and field expertise to achieve gradual self-sufficiency, empowering Yemen to have its own permanent mine clearance teams. The project also conducts awareness campaigns in schools, using simple educational materials to educate children about the dangers of mines and how to avoid them.
• Coordination: Masam’s teams coordinate directly with other humanitarian organizations to facilitate the entry of aid, open roads, and enable residents to return, thereby accelerating recovery in affected regions.

In summary, the sources present humanitarian aid as a critical endeavor to alleviate suffering and rebuild communities in war-torn regions. While the “Masam” project in Yemen demonstrates successful, life-saving mine clearance and capacity-building efforts, the situation in Gaza highlights severe, man-made impediments to aid, resulting in a devastating and rapidly escalating crisis for its population.

Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Renaissance for Vision 2030

Saudi Arabia is actively pursuing a comprehensive strategy to develop its cultural landscape, positioning it as a central pillar of its Vision 2030 for economic diversification and enhanced quality of life. These initiatives span heritage preservation, arts promotion, and leveraging digital and creative industries to foster a vibrant society and a leading global cultural presence.

Key cultural initiatives and their objectives include:

• Revitalizing Heritage and Arts:
• Jeddah Historic City is undergoing revitalization, with its Arbaeen Lagoon featuring 14 global art sculptures that blend contemporary art with the area’s rich heritage. This is part of the Ministry of Culture’s efforts to highlight the city’s cultural identity and rediscover human identity through artistic expression.
• The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (Wirath) offers interactive workshops, such as “Make Your Souvenir from Traditional Arts,” aimed at raising awareness about Saudi traditional arts, supporting cultural industries, and empowering artisans. Wirath is recognized as a leading entity in showcasing Saudi national identity and enriching its traditional arts both locally and internationally.
• Museums are highlighted as crucial attractions that introduce visitors to the country’s history and culture. Saudi Arabia possesses numerous archaeological and heritage treasures that attract visitors.
• Art inspired by the Kaaba’s aesthetics, as seen in the work of artist Mohammed Al-Shehri, uses Islamic motifs and Arabic calligraphy to convey spiritual and sacred feelings, reflecting an important aspect of national and religious identity.
• The sculpture “Ambition” by Khaled Al-Anqari utilizes local natural marble to symbolize Saudi Arabia’s current transformation from vision to reality and dream to a foundation of infrastructure, culture, and art. It embodies the philosophy of ambition as a human and national value, reflecting the aspirations of Vision 2030 to ascend towards unlimited possibilities.
• Broadening Cultural Access and Engagement through Cultural Houses:
• The Ministry of Culture, through the Libraries Authority, has launched “Cultural Houses” (Bayt Al-Thaqafa) to transform traditional libraries from static museums into dynamic, living spaces where cultural meaning is actively produced and experienced daily.
• These houses encourage reading as a social experience, integrate art into collective memory, and connect technology with aspirations for the future.
• Since their inception, Cultural Houses have hosted over 93 diverse events and 1704 programs, attracting more than 31,000 visitors. These programs include workshops, poetry evenings, intellectual seminars, and art exhibitions.
• Their impact has extended beyond the capital, with the first Cultural House opening in Dammam (attracting over 52,000 visitors in three months) and others in Abha and Riyadh. These initiatives have garnered international recognition, including the Bronze Award for Best Educational Experience in “The Best Brand Award 2025” and the “Saudi Customer Experience Award” for their visual identity.
• They are viewed as “roots that nourish society,” affirming that culture is a fundamental element for community growth and development.
• Leveraging Digital and Creative Industries, with a Focus on Women’s Empowerment:
• The digital gaming industry is recognized as a powerful medium that reflects societies and cultures, reshaping the interaction between humans and technology, education and art, and identity and modernity. Saudi Arabia is emerging as a significant player in this sector, aligning with Vision 2030’s strategic focus on the digital economy and creative industries.
• Saudi women are at the forefront of this transformation, demonstrating leadership and global impact in various roles within the digital gaming sector:
• Dr. Hanan Makki, a pioneering researcher, has established an academic program in games and founded the “Qandil” studio, producing culturally resonant games and winning the “Best Promising Game” award at Leap 2022. She also serves as an “Ambassador of Women in Games” in the UK.
• Rafif Kalantan has achieved international recognition, winning BAFTA awards for her narrative game designs, after receiving a NEOM grant for her Master’s studies in the UK.
• Inam Banajah integrates graphic design with cultural identity in her game projects, advocating for games as a medium for cultural learning and knowledge exchange.
• Ghada Al-Muqbil founded GCON to create a dedicated platform for Saudi girls in gaming and is now building an investment ecosystem for the industry, aiming to empower Saudi women as developers, players, and decision-makers.
• Kholoud Al-Dhahiri focuses on integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into game development, designing educational and cultural games to protect children and promote values.
• This strong presence of Saudi women underscores a genuine leadership in reshaping creative industries, making a global impact beyond symbolic participation.
• Strategic Vision for Global Cultural Presence:
• Riyadh Expo 2030 is considered a “golden opportunity” to present Saudi Arabia’s cultural narrative on an international stage. The aim is not merely to display achievements but to effectively narrate the Kingdom’s rich heritage and human identity through a comprehensive experiential story.
• The goal is to rebuild Saudi Arabia’s image in the global consciousness, moving beyond traditional symbols to deeper historical, geographical, and human identity, requiring a team that understands the depth and mastery of storytelling.
• Saudi Arabia’s efforts in cultural development are integral to its broader economic diversification goals, as exemplified by tourism being a vital sector for economic growth and cultural exchange. Events like the Riyadh Season have successfully transformed entertainment into a major industry, contributing significantly to job creation and attracting international visitors.

In summary, Saudi Arabia’s cultural initiatives represent a holistic and forward-looking approach that intertwines heritage, modern arts, digital innovation, and strategic global engagement, all supported by strong leadership and aimed at achieving the ambitious goals of Vision 2030.

Columns: Saudi Visions: Digital Future and Cultural Flourishing

Here are the titles of all columns written in this newspaper and their first two paragraphs of detail, presented in English:

Word In the shadow of the current widespread Arab work, especially Egypt, the summit between Neom and Cairo comes at a very important time. The Palestinian issue in Gaza, with its ongoing events, necessitates important coordination between Riyadh and Cairo to enhance security and stability in the region. The relations between Riyadh and Cairo represent a strategic weight, both politically and economically, which the two countries seek to consolidate and expand to broader horizons, emphasizing their shared commitment to continuous consultation that promotes common interests in all fields. Their partnership has elevated to a strategic level – and the Kingdom, as it always has, remains a main supporter of Egypt, politically and economically, contributing to the strengthening of its security and stability.

Axis of Balance: Language of the Future.. A Vision Achieved The Digital Experience Maturity Index in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia represents one of the most important tools for measuring the quality of government digital services in the Kingdom, as it is issued annually by the Digital Government Authority to monitor the level of maturity of electronic platforms and services in four main aspects: beneficiary satisfaction, user experience, complaint processing, and technologies and tools. The results of the index for 2025 revealed that the digital maturity rate in the Kingdom reached 86.71%, which is an “advanced” level after a comprehensive evaluation of 50 government platforms, reflecting a national superiority in the digitization of services. The Digital Experience Maturity Index continues to highlight the quality of access to services across digital platforms in the Kingdom, shedding light on the most prominent achievements, as digitization works to improve the quality of healthcare and education.

Leading Model In an era where digital transformation accelerates and competition intensifies among nations to achieve top ranks in digital government and user experience indicators, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has emerged as an astonishing global model in redefining the relationship between citizens and technology. The Kingdom did not merely digitize services, but embarked on building an integrated digital experience that places user satisfaction and needs at the heart of the equation. Within a few years, led by the Digital Government Authority, the Kingdom has achieved remarkable qualitative leaps in the United Nations E-Government Development Index, achieving an advanced rank of 25 globally and an “advanced” classification in the Digital User Experience assessment for 2025 with a rate exceeding 86%. This achievement is not measured by numbers alone, but by the transformation of the reality of citizens, residents, and investors, who now interact with the state through a simple, smart, and seamless experience, reflecting a real institutional shift in administrative and service thinking.

Digitization.. The New Lifeline for the Saudi Economy: Improves Internal Efficiency and Enhances the Competitiveness of Saudi Companies Digitization is no longer just a technological development; it has become the lifeline that fuels the growth of global economies and defines their future trajectory. In the Kingdom, as it diligently strives to achieve Vision 2030, digitization emerges as a fundamental driving force in increasing production efficiency, reducing operating costs, and enhancing competitiveness at both local and global levels. This report reviews how digitization is transforming the Saudi economic landscape, positioning it among the most dynamic and innovative global economies. The Saudi citizen is keen to follow the latest technologies. The Kingdom employs technology tools to serve citizens and residents, increasing production and exports through the use of modern technologies.

Women’s Presence in the Labor Market and Preserving Their Privacy and Social Role In an era of rapid digital transformation, job roles are no longer confined to traditional office work, especially in fields like programming, data analysis, and cybersecurity, which now act as integral supporters of the contemporary economy. Digital jobs have also opened up opportunities for women to work from home, allowing them to balance their careers with their various social roles. Regarding Saudi jobs, digital transformation has enhanced employment opportunities for women, making them a supportive and enabling force in the digital economy. With this expansion, the question arises about the readiness of the current judicial framework to keep pace with these developments, concerning legislation, contract regulation, ensuring workers’ rights, and securing a fair and safe working environment. What role can the judiciary play in this context to ensure a balance between digital innovation and the protection of rights? Perhaps this transformation is not merely a shift from a traditional model to a digital one; rather, it represents a change in the philosophy of work itself, where success is no longer tied to physical presence in offices, but to an individual’s ability to possess technical skills and adapt to flexible work environments.

Digital Economy Between Judicial Empowerment and Rights Protection Previous studies have highlighted the importance of the role that digital technology can play in developing and growing the labor market in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This study focused on several axes, most notably: monitoring the level of digital infrastructure in the Kingdom, analyzing the relationship between digital technology and the labor market, and evaluating the current and future situations of this market. Based on the descriptive and analytical approach, the study’s results showed rapid growth in digital infrastructure indicators, reflecting the Kingdom’s keenness to strengthen its capabilities in this field. The results also highlighted the positive impact of educational strategies and training programs adopted by the state in supporting the integration between digital technology and the labor market. The study also concluded that digital technology is capable of effectively contributing to reducing unemployment rates, with predictions that the rate in the Kingdom will approach 6% by 2026, a target the Kingdom seeks to achieve.

Digital Experience.. Quality of a Nation Smart Legislation and Digital Systems Keep Pace with the Era The Digital Experience Maturity Index in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia represents one of the most important tools for measuring the quality of government digital services in the Kingdom, as it is issued annually by the Digital Government Authority to monitor the level of maturity of electronic platforms and services in four main aspects: beneficiary satisfaction, user experience, complaint processing, and technologies and tools. The results of the index for 2025 revealed that the digital maturity rate in the Kingdom reached 86.71%, which is an “advanced” level after a comprehensive evaluation of 50 government platforms, reflecting a national superiority in the digitization of services. The Digital Experience Maturity Index continues to highlight the quality of access to healthcare and education services through digital platforms in the Kingdom, and sheds light on the most prominent achievements. Digitization works to improve the quality of education and health, and it is a model Saudi experience. With the Kingdom registering this index in digital experience maturity for 2025 at an advanced level, government digital platforms have become an effective engine in ensuring citizens and residents access health and education services with high quality and speed.

Tourist Guidance.. Towards a Promising Future As tourists began to arrive in our dear country, we saw many local enthusiasts in heritage and antiquities volunteering to help these visitors and guide them to archaeological, heritage, and tourist sites, providing them with a comprehensive explanation about these landmarks in English for those who mastered it. Their efforts and volunteering were met with admiration and praise from the visiting tourists, and this important task of providing hospitality was often accompanied by tourism guidance without compensation. After the establishment of the Supreme Commission for Tourism, and later the General Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (formerly the Supreme Commission), it succeeded in completing all the requirements of the regulatory framework during that period and built an economic sector that received full support. It succeeded in making a transformation in a number of difficult paths, most notably society’s view of tourism, antiquities, and heritage, and restoring the human element to its place.

Mohammed Al-Shibaily.. The Experienced Diplomat Our personality this week, Mohammed Al-Hamad Al-Shibaily, was one of the famous generous individuals who dedicated themselves to people. His time, money, and diplomatic position were in the service of humanity, making no distinction between old or young, as everyone was equal to him. When he passed away on Safar 13, 1409 AH, tongues praised him for his generosity, chivalry, noble character, and magnanimity. His main concern was the Saudi visitor arriving in the country where he served, although his generosity and giving encompassed everyone. He would not wait for visitors to come to him at the embassy to extend his invitation, generosity, and hospitality. Instead, he would search for Saudi visitors in famous hotels they frequented, and he would pay their hotel bills, even though he only had his salary. Mohammed Al-Hamad Al-Shibaily was born in Unaizah in 1330 AH and studied in its traditional schools. He then traveled to Basra as a consul for his country, where he studied at Al-Rajaa School, from which he would later return to the Kingdom to begin a long journey with many stops, moving between various parts of the world.

Saudi Women Break Global Monopoly: From Passing Entertainment to Crafting a Saudi Digital Identity In academic and applied research, Dr. Hanan Makki emerged as one of the pioneers in this field. She did not treat games as a consumer product, but as a broad research and creative horizon. Makki, who holds a doctorate in video games from Glasgow University and a master’s in innovative design from De Montfort University in Britain, carved a path for herself that combines software engineering, graphic design, and interactive narrative. During her tenure as Program Manager for the Academic Program in Games at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology’s Saudi Digital Games, she led efforts to create a new generation for the game industry in the academic field. She did not stop there; she founded “Qandil” studio, which produced culturally resonant games such as “Train,” “Human,” “Sand City,” “Poem Wiped by Days,” and “Hijaz.” “Qandil” won the “Best Promising Game” award at Leap 2022. Hanan Makki became a Saudi icon, and her influence extended globally through her role as “Women in Games Ambassador” in the UK via the Women in Games organization.

Know Your Rights.. Empowerment and Legal Knowledge A Saudi Achievement In a qualitative step to empower Saudi women and enhance their legal awareness, lawyer Nesreen Al-Eissa launched the “Know Your Rights” application to be a smart and free platform on mobile phones, helping women learn about their Sharia and legal rights in a simple and clear manner. The application, which quickly spread and received widespread acceptance among women, is a pioneering voluntary initiative aimed at supporting women in facing legal challenges within personal status courts. The application provides women with a comprehensive guide on family issues and explains the most common procedures such as divorce, custody, and alimony, with practical steps on how to file a lawsuit and follow up on procedures. It also includes a dedicated legal advice section, prepared by lawyer Nesreen Al-Eissa, which clarifies the legal procedures to be followed according to Saudi regulations regarding forms of domestic violence, giving women confidence and the ability to defend their rights.

Small Enterprises.. The Pillar of the Economy and the Engine of Sustainable Development The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continued to implement several empowerment programs for small and medium enterprises in the first quarter of 2025, within the framework of its diligent efforts to empower the private sector, being one of the main drivers of the national economy and diversification of non-oil exports, and raising its contribution to 35% of the local GDP by 2030. This reflects the advanced level of contribution of this vital sector to achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. This support is evident through several initiatives that had a direct impact on enhancing liquidity for these enterprises. Most notably, modern digital platforms significantly reduced the time to obtain financing from several months to a few days. Digital banks and financing platforms also strongly entered the market, under the encouraging regulatory environment of the central bank, which contributed to an unprecedented expansion of financing options.

Export Exemption: A Quality Service Supporting Non-Oil Exports The Saudi Exports Development Authority, in cooperation with the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, continues its efforts to enhance the competitiveness of the industrial sector and expand the presence of Saudi products in global markets, by adopting numerous services and initiatives, including the “Export Exemption” service launched in October 2024. This service aims to empower industrial establishments by increasing their competitiveness and reducing production costs related to exports, which contributes to developing non-oil exports and achieving the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the economic base. Export plays an important role as one of the sources of foreign currency, which is used to finance imports and reduce the balance of payments deficit. Export also influences the continuous presence and growth of industries, and thus the ability of companies to compete and gain market share in the target markets for Saudi products. Thanks to these initiatives and services, Saudi non-oil exports achieved an unprecedented record leap, growing from approximately 178 billion riyals to 607 billion riyals. Saudi products have now reached more than 180 countries around the world. The “Made in Saudi” program provided more than 3,000 export opportunities by connecting Saudi exporters with buyers in 74 countries.

Riyadh Expo 2030: The Most Prominent Test I smell the scent of oud, and when I taste Saudi coffee, I remember my mother. When I see my father’s picture, I remember happy occasions. During travel, I wonder and keep asking: Do these religious and cultural symbols feel the same way we do, or is there an audience in our major exhibitions that shapes a local cultural narrative for us, constantly repeated without context? I still remember the number of times I attended exhibitions and events where our cultural symbols appeared without context or narrative, embalmed from the past, soulless. Heritage alone is not enough! Saudi Arabia possesses an exclusive treasure whose value is immeasurable. But heritage alone is not enough! It does not automatically transform into a narrative. It must be woven through a contemporary lens that understands the mechanisms of global perception and expertly employs our deep symbols. Imagine with me the story of the Incense Road, not merely as a trade route, but as an infrastructure for cultural exchange that created ancient civilizational bonds between peoples, an intellectual and human connection ahead of its time. Our civilizational heritage is capable of instilling the Saudi human spirit in the place, instead of just giving us information.

Masam.. A Saudi Project Clears Yemen’s Land of Mines and Plants Hope Masam is not just a technical project for mine clearance; it is an integrated humanitarian effort aimed at saving lives, creating a safe environment for residents to return, and enabling them to live their natural lives. The project operates with a Yemeni national program for dealing with mines and includes trained field teams at the highest level. It also utilizes international expertise and modern technologies for detecting and dismantling various types of explosives, according to international standards in this field. Since its inception, the Masam project has cleared thousands of square kilometers in various governorates of Yemen, bringing life back to areas that were forbidden to residents due to the spread of mines. Each square meter cleared offers a new opportunity for a Yemeni family to live safely, and with every mine removed, a new life is written for a child, farmer, or shepherd who was unaware of the hidden danger beneath their feet.

Opportunities to Save Lives in Gaza Dwindle.. Famine Ravages Children Famine ravages children in Gaza due to the continued closure of crossings by the occupation, preventing the entry of food, medical, and humanitarian aid to the Strip amid a comprehensive war of annihilation. However, the famine faced by Gaza’s children is not just a food problem; it is part of a complex crisis engineered by the occupation that includes the collapse of services, the disruption of the economy, health services, and the deterioration of the environmental, social, and psychological conditions. The continued closure of crossings by the occupation and restrictions on the entry of food, medicine, and fuel have turned Gaza into an open prison, where its residents suffer from hunger and extreme poverty. Whoever does not die from the Israeli war machine and destruction, dies from severe hunger due to lack of access to a piece of bread or a sip of water. With chronic hunger, children’s bodies waste away significantly, and the risk of death increases directly or indirectly due to malnutrition and related diseases. Hospitals operate at less than 20% of their capacity due to fuel shortages and medical supplies, leaving children without effective treatment.

Techniques of the Self Philosophy, in its early appearances, was known by its methodological and systematic approach, meaning a mental and theoretical path according to which it was viewed. Even if it was conceptual, it was within a linguistic and cultural context. It compared practical philosophical approaches to their extracted meanings from their frameworks, though to a lesser degree. Philosophy has evolved through stages of glorification, marginalization, and positioning until contemporary calls emerged from the starting points of ethics, or forms of social living, or contemplation, to reconsider the value of the practical approach in philosophy, especially its connection to ethical values, or how to live to achieve happiness, which is called “practical reason” or “ethics”. With the proliferation of specializations, the overlap of some of them, and the deepening of many in the study of the human being in all its dimensions, internal and external; reviving “practical reason” will take contemporary intellectual paths closer to depth and scrutiny, to which approaches are judged, whether it is called “the good life,” “quality of life,” “techniques of happiness,” “the doctrine of reduction/self,” or “asceticism”… or other orientations; drawing from advanced sources, the most important and prominent of which is the Hellenistic source. Indeed, this Hellenistic borrowing, or its Greek origins, may be deceptive in appearance, because it is a borrowing that reshapes sources according to today’s parameters.

Fairuzian Mornings Our Arab mornings, despite the differences in their geographies, people, and natures, all open their windows to the scent of coffee and converge on one melody; a melody almost inseparable from the first cup of coffee and the pouring of the morning. It is the voice of Fairuz… It has extended for long decades, and many wonder about this relationship and its continuation across generations and ages. Perhaps the first secret of this connection lies in the nature of her voice, for Fairuz possesses a voice that is neither loud nor faint, neither boisterous nor soft, but a balanced, moderate voice, resembling the dawn as it filters from behind mountains and houses. It is a voice that embraces longing and holds hope, a voice that gently addresses the inner human being, awakening the soul from its slumber without violence. Therefore, it was natural for people, despite their varying interests and ages, to find in it an ideal start to a new day, as if they borrow from its tone the softness of the transition from night to morning. Furthermore, Fairuz’s songs themselves were crafted with a spirit that resonates with nature. For instance, the Rahbani brothers wrote and composed texts inspired by nature, clouds, dew, and villages sleeping on the edges of roads.

Smile as a Civilized Act We almost stop talking about the will to live and the hardships of life when we are in states of euphoria, full of hope, and with a great sense of belonging to love. But how do we create that existential state that makes us feel that we overflow with happiness for ourselves and for others? During the search for the answer, I was struck by the meaning of Allah’s saying: “It is He who made the earth subservient to you; so walk among its regions and eat from His provisions. And to Him is the resurrection.” [Al-Mulk: 15] Life, in its essence, is a unique experience given to us, made easy, and receptive, provided we possess the ability to embrace it with a sincere smile. A smile is not merely an emotional state, but an existential horizon that opens up energies before us and grants us the realization that we are the ones who choose ease or difficulty, and that the absence of a smile is merely an act of creating distress and unnecessary harshness. The smile, in its deep meaning, is a civilized human act par excellence and a manifestation of the beauty of behavior in every society. It is part of our daily discourse with the world, establishing affection and a key to communication, regarded as a symbol for approaching others.

Saudi Cultural Houses: Roots Nurturing Society Since humanity began, it has been searching for a way to defeat oblivion. The library, in its essence, was an attempt to preserve what we fear and to grant ideas a longer life than our own. The question that haunts every culture lover is: How do we create a life for meaning that does not perish? We always want an idea to outlive us; but in its traditional form, the library remained largely a silent museum, where memory is observed but not experienced. What we see are crowded shelves resembling a large memory that preserves ideas, but rarely brings them to life. The library was, and still is, a place that restricts knowledge, not for experience, even in the heart of the Saudi cultural transformation that overturned this equation; it brought it out of its silence, from being a guardian of those texts to a living space where meaning is reproduced every day. It transforms into a house of culture, a home for humans before books, where reading becomes a social experience, art a part of memory, and technology an extension of the dream. When I saw and heard about the beauty of these cultural houses, launched by the Ministry of Culture through the Libraries Authority, it reflected this deep transformation.

Cultural Systems and Maps of Meaning I watched a film titled “1BR” a few days ago, directed by David Marmor in 2019; it’s the kind that is dominated by symbolism, horror, and perhaps it may not appeal to some greatly, as the film revolves around a girl who decides to break free from her father’s grasp and her community, but she falls into various troubles. When reflecting on what it is and the reality of systems theories in this article: every culture is nothing but a pulsating system, but it is a system that works on shaping meanings, like a hidden heart. The structure appears in the veins of reality. The system is the deep rules that govern what is produced in culture from actions and behaviors without individuals necessarily being aware of them. It is not limited to what is said or done, but extends to “how” and “why” it is said and done. Human thought has attempted through several theories to deconstruct this enormous entity called “culture” into systems, into structures, and into what resembles maps… and to grasp, not what can be grasped, for perhaps it defines what cannot be defined. The first major attempts were structuralism, which viewed culture as stripped of its randomness. It saw language, myths, customs, and rituals of marriage as nothing more than linguistic structures within a larger system in ancient times.

Books We Leave Aside Not every book completes the journey with me. Sometimes I close it quietly after a few pages, without regret or remorse, as if something inside me said: I don’t feel like it now… and I move on to another, setting it aside. And there are books that need more waiting. Reading books when my mood changes, or my taste changes, like the ones that hide between their lines phrases we want, but only when we are ready for them. For a long time, I used to think that a book I started must be read to the end. Perhaps it’s a subtle feeling of guilt, or a kind of unstated compulsion that drives us to finish reading, even when we don’t want to. We treat the book as a duty to be fulfilled, not as a journey that we can stop whenever we want. But with time, I started to see things differently. Some books give you what you want in the first chapter, and some give you nothing, and there is no harm in leaving it without waiting for the end.

Human Consciousness as a Cumulative Experience Since man began to turn to himself and question his existence, consciousness has remained his first and last mirror. Consciousness is not merely a reflection of reality, nor just a cerebral trick for capturing images and sounds. Rather, it is the spark that enables man to think, to see himself thinking, and to see himself seeing. Here lies the greatest paradox: man has no means of knowing himself except through his consciousness, and at the same time he cannot place this consciousness outside himself to analyze it as he would anything else. From this paradox arises the perennial dilemma: how does consciousness understand itself when it is imprisoned within its own limits? But the dilemma has not prevented man from trying. Indeed, perhaps it was what drove him to embark on his long journey in philosophy, science, religion, and art. Consciousness has never been a philosophical luxury, but an existential necessity. The knowledge that man will die is enough to make him search for meaning in what is alive.

Semantic Distinction Between ‘Khalaqa’ (Create) and ‘Ja’ala’ (Make) In this article, we reflect on the phenomenon of repeated sequences of certain verbs, such as “Khalaqa” (create) and “Ja’ala” (make), in the Quranic verses, and we pause at the semantic distinction between each of them. By returning to Arabic dictionaries, we find that “Khalaqa” means: bringing something into existence from nothing, or creating on an unprecedented model. And “Ja’ala” means: directing and transforming, or determining and organizing. It may also relate to a state, function, or arrangement. And in reference to some uses of “Ja’ala” in the language: making something into something else (transformation), or placing it in a certain place (enabling), or making it in a certain form (estimation). Thus, we find that “Ja’ala” has a wide connotation and comes subsequently to “Khalaqa” in the Holy Quran if they occur together. For example, at the beginning of Surat Al-An’am: “Praise be to Allah, who created the heavens and the earth and made the darkness and the light.” Allah says: “created the heavens and the earth” because they are created entities from nothing. And He said: “made the darkness and the light” because they have a specific, inherent existence as phenomena resulting from a cosmic system. They are not material entities in themselves, but arrangements or states. This style indicates a precise distinction and sequential synchronicity between these two words, representing creation and management.

Implicit Systems When we enter the world of cultural criticism – as a critical methodology, or a new critical trend – we must first understand the concept of “implicit systems,” as it is a collection of systems. And “system” in the most important and oldest Arabic dictionaries, Kitab Al-Ain by Al-Khalil bin Ahmed Al-Farahidi (died 170 AH), refers to “al-nasaq min kull shay’,” meaning: “that which is on a single, general order in things. We say: things were arranged, and I arranged them, with arrangement.” From this, we understand that a system is a single order in a group of meanings, ideas, and everything related to each other, maintaining its coherence. Perhaps the use of this meaning, close to the common understanding of a system in general discourse for cultural criticism, refers to what is contained within it. As for describing a system as “implicit,” it is not something that the ordinary recipient can feel or intend. Rather, it is felt by those who seek it, examine it, or sense it, when the critic, researcher, or reader tries to grasp the hidden meaning, or senses it from behind textual barriers and rhetorical veils. We can say that the Saudi critic and theorist, Professor Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghathami, in his project “Cultural Criticism,” built the concept of the implicit system in depth, and highlighted its most important characteristics by which it is known, and its most prominent features, as he says in his book “Cultural Criticism: A Reading of Arab Cultural Systems,” are: “of a hidden and implicit nature, and therefore it moves in a tight plot to always hide, and uses many masks, the most important of which – as we mentioned – is the mask of linguistic aesthetics, and through rhetoric and its aesthetics, systems pass safely and confidently from under this encompassing umbrella, being active and influential.”

Challenges of Creativity: Between Hours of Enjoyment and Seconds of Following In a world whose pace is accelerating and reception habits are rapidly changing, a significant question arises about the relationship between time and creativity. Does a timeless artistic work, which may take hours or even days of contemplation and enjoyment, still hold its place in an age governed by seconds, for viewing and following short video clips? This article delves into an intriguing paradox that combines the eternal human creativity and the short attention span in our contemporary era. Perhaps one of the strange paradoxes and continuous attempts to define or classify the creative and artistic product, whether it is an artistic work, a book, a story, a novel, or a cinematic film, is by defining it temporally, relying on specialized bodies, and for each field separately. For example, UNESCO defined a book as having more than 40 pages, and anything less than that is considered a “brochure” or a published pamphlet. The same applies to stories, short stories, and very short stories, which are classified temporally, as well as films, which are long, short, and very short, and other distinctive creative products.

Five Books Abdullah Al-Asmari Recommends Reading Dr. Abdullah Al-Asmari will take us in this column on a journey of reading and narration through what he has recently read and recommends reading. Dr. Abdullah Al-Asmari holds a Ph.D. from King Saud University, interested in American public universities in Tennessee, and has several published and translated books. This is an introductory paragraph to the whole section, so it serves as the second detail paragraph. (The subsequent text details individual book reviews under this general column title.)

Queue Society Queuing theory is used by researchers to understand the causes of service delays and thus limit long queues of vehicles or people, or services, or requests. This theory, whose basis is in mathematics, gives a negative indicator about any entity providing services. However, it can be employed in a reverse commercial and promotional way to give a reversed meaning; the extension of a queue outside a coffee shop or a store selling any commodity is evidence of strong demand and product quality. From an expert’s perspective regarding the lack of crowding in a particular store, he can advise by instructing the employee to delay registering the order by a few seconds for each customer or reducing the number of order registrars, which can achieve the idea of extending the order completion time to increase the probability of another customer coming, followed by another, and then another, to create the idea of a waiting queue! This is one of the ideas of suggestion by employing various theories to impress a targeted mental image, and there are many other theories, such as mathematical, administrative, or economic theories, that can be dealt with from reversed or opposite angles to reflect the given social reality in a way that serves a commercial or promotional goal.

“Ambition Sculpture”.. A Testament to the Era of Saudi Excellence Through soft flowing lines and an ascending composition pulsating with movement, the sculptor Khaled Al-Anqari presents his sculpture titled “Ambition,” blending the aesthetics of sculpture with the depth of symbolism. In “Ambition,” the current Saudi stage is embodied through the transformation of vision from a document to reality, and from a dream to infrastructure, culture, and art. The sculpture, titled “Ambition,” is made from local natural marble and installed in a way that reflects the artist’s ability to manipulate the solid stone to convey emotions and ideas, embodying identity. Al-Anqari says that “Ambition” is a stone testament to a Saudi era, representing the distinctive art. It is a sculptural work that rises above the base of the nation and whispers in the language of the earth that everything can begin… and reach its peak.

Artificial Intelligence and Human Laziness How often have we rationalized our inventions to reach useful innovations, or to find solutions for many chronic diseases in our world, or to treat life problems? We look to science as a savior and a glimmer of hope for the future, believing that science will develop so that we can enjoy an easier life without thorny paths and complexities. The world has become a small village that communicates through an electronic space, and artificial intelligence, invented by humans, is now the master of the situation and technology. It has solved many difficult problems; it has opened up horizons for innovation and speed in performing tasks and overcoming difficulties. A simple search or conversation with GPT can be your helper in understanding matters that are difficult to grasp through traditional research methods or by visiting a doctor, library, or any place to obtain information or advice. GPT will give you information with certainty in a few simple seconds. However, despite its many advantages, it has drawbacks that can greatly shift the balance. Most of my negative observations about those who use the artificial intelligence application are that they have made it their world to which they resort, relying on it over others.

The Self at the Moment of its Existence Under the whispers of the night and its blazing details, like a flying dream that wishes to soar beyond its boundaries, the soul contemplates its resting place, wanting everything in existence. For human existence is not a luxury or an illusion, but fear, loss, and despair. In its actions and natures, there are degrees between souls… a soul that does not beautify itself and another that beautifies itself and others, and there is a third that cares only about its existence and nothing else; as if it says, “the vastness is wide, rejoice and play alone, and ask nothing from me.” In this type of person, the ego appears in a restless ascent, for not all moments of their life are like this; there are moments of weakness depending on the degree of its weakness. It is not as strong as its owner thinks; rather, it is weaker than a spider’s web (And your Lord revealed to the bee: Make your homes in the mountains and in the trees and in what they construct. [Al-Ankabut: 41], Say, “Who rescues you from the darkness of the land and sea? You call upon Him humbly and secretly, ‘If He rescues us from this, we will surely be among the thankful.’” [Al-An’am: 63]) Here the soul emerged from its weak hiding place, calling with every sincere breath; with a strong, manifest feeling in every moment. As if this real moment negates the arrogant and haughty moment that yearns for nothingness. Prayer and supplication revealed the soul from its depths with all its manifestations, strength, and existence.

Universality of Values Between Concept and Reality The debate between the particular and the universal is not merely a scientific, cognitive, human, or cultural difference; rather, it is a debate fraught with civilizational contradictions, material conflicts, and ideological interests. In the name of universality, the Western camp seeks to impose its policies on the countries of the South to extend its hegemony and influence, as happened with the Eastern bloc that collapsed under the Western media influences in the name of human rights and freedom of peoples, which resulted in the creation of new systems committed to Western choices, which inspired Fukuyama to declare the “end of history,” meaning the end of the rest of civilizations and the demise of the socialist system, and the American capitalist system’s domination of the world. After the globalization project had extended its influence and power, with the support of its advocates who succeeded in creating an intellectual and economic power and a global environment that hardly steps outside its philosophical boundaries, except for a very small minority of philosophers. The problem, for those who do not hesitate to criticize their intellectual and philosophical capabilities, is that the debate we face today between the particular and the universal is not a scientific or human debate, but an ideological and civilizational battle par excellence, albeit under an academic or humanitarian banner. This is confirmed by Husserl’s explicit call in one of his lectures that the peoples of the world should emulate Europeans, while they do not need to emulate anyone, as they are the origin and the rest of the peoples are just copies scattered by the winds on the roadside of history.

Culture of Peace and Developmental Theater I borrowed this title from a book by the writer and critic Prof. Dr. Abu Al-Sudan, who has delved into the realms of criticism and philosophy and taught it in several Arab and foreign universities, in addition to Khartoum University. The Arab Authority for Theater has recently published it. The culture of peace has become mandatory and obligatory due to what media outlets broadcast about the terrifying amount of violence we live with today in televised and cinematic productions, as well as in media discourse, whether at the individual level or even at the level of states and institutions, as we see today in wars. The writer attributes this violence in theater to Western drama, which has its roots deep in Greek drama and is passed down by writers from generation to generation, following Aristotle’s theory of catharsis. This has endowed Western drama with a kind of modern violence, which in turn extended to contemporary theater. Therefore, he says in his book: “But as we see, Aristotle’s theory of catharsis led to the development of tragedy through terrible events, where heroes suffered greatly, and the concept of violence developed in the drama of history, which led to the development of violent drama, such as televised and cinematic drama and its modern tools. This violence in Western theater can be considered one of the elements of the culture of war in the world. Violence in Western theater is authentic and deeply rooted in the theory of Western drama.”

Insurance Sector.. Hostage to Two Products! The insurance sector constitutes one of the fundamental pillars in any modern economy. With the rapid development witnessed by the Kingdom, a crucial question arises about the maturity of this sector and its ability to keep pace with future ambitions. In this context, an expert in the sector, Mayouf bin Suleiman, revealed pivotal statistical data in his interview with Al-Ekhbariya channel, stating that 60% of the Saudi insurance market relies exclusively on health insurance, while the remaining 40% is distributed among vehicle insurance and other products. This statement, though seemingly just a number, carries profound implications about the structural challenges and wide opportunities awaiting the sector. Although the dominance of “health insurance” in the market appears logical, as it is the primary entry point for establishing the concept of insurance in Saudi society, this excessive concentration places the sector at the mercy of economic fluctuations. Heavy reliance on two main products (health and vehicle insurance) makes it vulnerable to external shocks; health insurance is directly affected by government spending and healthcare policies, while vehicle insurance is linked to the changing traffic accident rates and regulations. Any change in these factors can threaten the stability of the entire market, which necessitates an urgent need to rebalance and diversify the product base.

Between Life’s Burden and the Sublimity of Purpose In the midst of life’s clamor, we are constantly faced with responsibilities that never end; social, emotional, and psychological, leading us to believe that life is nothing but a race to please everyone and fulfill others’ expectations. However, the profound truth lies in the fact that humans are not responsible for everything placed upon their shoulders, but rather for specific boundaries that form the core of their existence and define their path. From the first moment of consciousness, humans learn that error is part of the human experience, and that mistakes are a stepping stone for growth, not a mark of shame. But the problem begins when we burden ourselves with what we cannot bear, as if we live watching others’ mistakes, or we feel guilty because someone chose the wrong path, despite our philosophical and Sharia advice emphasizing that responsibility is not built on what you do not control; for every human being is endowed with reason and will, and granted freedom to decide their destiny. What exhausts the soul most is the pursuit of pleasing everyone, for hearts are fluctuating waves, and what pleases one may provoke another. No matter how much you try to be kind and ideal, you will find someone who confronts you with hatred or disapproval.

Has Your Manager’s Expiry Date Passed? Years ago, during my time as a Saudi cultural attaché in Japan, I visited a Japanese university with a department dedicated to Arabic studies. The purpose was to encourage professors to send their students to Saudi universities, hold joint scientific seminars, and enhance scientific research cooperation. I was shocked by the Japanese department head, who held a negative view of the Kingdom and Gulf countries. It became clear to me that the reason was his studies in the seventies of the last century in an Arab country that had political disagreements with Gulf countries, which reflected on the academic and media discourse there. Despite the passage of years and changes in circumstances, it seemed as if the department head was still living in another era. After the meeting, I took a tour of the department and met several students who had studied in a Gulf university. One of the esteemed former graduates from the seventies told me about the control of the department head over the department’s decisions and their insistence on cooperating with universities from non-Gulf countries, and sending Japanese students to those universities only, despite the strategic importance of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries to Japan, and the economic and academic progress there compared to other countries in the region.

Riyadh Season.. The Secret of Difference Entertainment has “transformed” into an industry and trade, invading wider doors, and events and programs have developed to become distinguished attractions. But who can create sophisticated entertainment, full of values, capable of elevating culture and values, and obtaining pure, wonderful enjoyment? The answer is: here in Riyadh, through values and by striving for the best content, Riyadh has established itself, through its annual season, as a global model in sophisticated entertainment, after registering an effective presence in human movement towards it, socially and economically. The World Entertainment Organization confirms that when entertainment is done correctly, it forms a central force in improving the human and economic condition. The head of the General Entertainment Authority, Advisor Turki Al Al-Sheikh, confirms that they support the establishment of a society that enjoys a high quality of life, because entertainment is an integral part of social, economic, and cultural development for individuals and communities, with an emphasis on sustainable and environmental well-being, welcoming the world to Riyadh in line with achieving sophisticated well-being for all.

Improve Skin Appearance.. Healthy Lifestyle Practices It is no secret that a healthy lifestyle provides the body with a vital feeling and a good appearance. Sugars, simple carbohydrates, and harmful fats, including saturated and unsaturated fats, are part of our dietary system. Saturated fats are found in whole milk, cheese, red meat, poultry skin, and even in some plant-based foods like coconut oil and palm oil. Trans fats are manufactured fats that are able to accumulate and stay for a longer period and are used in the production of processed foods and snacks to increase their shelf life. They are very common in processed foods and are listed under names such as hydrogenated oils. Most fried foods and potato chips contain high levels of these unhealthy fats. Saturated fats are described as being among the primary causes of many inflammatory skin conditions. The intake of saturated fats should be reduced to less than 10% of daily calories. The alternatives to these harmful fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are considered good fats due to their ability to lower internal cholesterol levels.

Localizing Western Sports Media in Saudi Arabia The major transformations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the fields of sports, culture, and entertainment highlight the need for a pioneering media project that goes beyond the traditional model for news coverage and programs. It should be a analytical and strategic tool for shaping a new local and international reality for the Kingdom and its position as a global leader. It is not limited to creating a sports media platform, but rather focuses on smart acquisition of established, well-known international media platforms in the sports industry, and localizing them to serve the national vision on various levels, redirecting their impact and messages to be powerful and influential. Here we are not talking about mere localization in the sense of transferring and investing global media networks to Saudi Arabia and expanding local content. Instead, it is about owning and controlling the impact, not dependency, and exporting, not importing. Platforms such as The Athletic, Bleacher Report, and even some regional entities like COPA90, DAZN, and ESPN are all models for acquisition or strategic partnership that open huge gates to audiences and professionals in more than 30 countries, and grant the Kingdom immediate access to hundreds of millions of followers around the world.

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By Amjad Izhar
Contact: amjad.izhar@gmail.com
https://amjadizhar.blog

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