Delays in some Vision 2030 projects (and why that's good), a new US Embassy in Riyadh, and a conversation with Dr. Basma Al-Buhairan from Saudi Arabia's C4IR

The 966

There's so much that has happened in Saudi Arabia since The 966's last full, normal-format episode. The hosts are back in their normal seats and with a special guest, Dr. Basma Al-Buhairan, Managing Director for the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR), who joins The 966 to talk about tech adoption and the Center's role in enabling Vision 2030's success.

Before the conversation, the hosts discuss some key projects for Vision 2030 being delayed, as reported in Bloomberg, and why that is a good thing. Richard reads from a recent Bloomberg item highlighting the delays based on comments from Mohammed Al-Jaddan, Minister of Finance. "The government, which is forecasting budget deficits every year out to 2026, has decided on the extension to build capacity and avert huge inflationary pressures and supply bottlenecks, Finance Minister Mohammed Al Jadaan said Thursday. He didn’t specify which projects would be affected..."

Then the hosts discuss Lucien's One Big Thing, the new US Embassy building in Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh. The United States has officially broken ground on its new embassy project in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh, a sprawling new building blending traditional and modern architecture on a 27.5 acre site.

When completed, it will be the largest embassy in Riyadh. U.S. and Saudi officials participated in a ceremony to break ground on the new compound this week, marking a milestone in the longstanding U.S.-Saudi bilateral relationship. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arabian Peninsula Affairs Daniel Benaim and Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister, His Excellency Mr. Waleed bin Abdulkarim Al-Khuraiji, joined U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney for the event.

Next, Lucien and Richard welcome onto The 966 Dr. Basma Al-Buhairan, Managing Director for the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR). Dr. Basma discusses her work leading Saudi Arabia's efforts at developing what is called "Industry 4.0" or "the Fourth Industrial Revolution" or "4IR" which is the next phase in the digitization of the manufacturing sector, driven by disruptive trends including the rise of data and connectivity, analytics, human-machine interaction, and improvements in robotics. The center supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 by being a platform for public-private, multi-stakeholder collaboration to maximize technological benefits to society and minimize the risks associated with 4IR technologies in The Kingdom.

Dr. Basma is also an adviser and part of the founding team of the Research Development Innovation Authority (RDIA)

Lucien and Richard conclude as always with a jam-packed "Yallah!" segment, covering 6 top storylines from Saudi Arabia from the last few weeks, including Expo2030 in Riyadh, a new type of Saudi-made sustainable firewood, and much more...