https://arab.news/pzzwj
Jeddah: Omar Al-Ansari, a 13-year-old boy from Jeddah, recently went viral when the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah gave him the opportunity to report on this year’s Hajj.
His journey as the ministry’s reporter began at King Abdulaziz International Airport when the youngster was presented with the chance to switch from his typical tourism coverage to conducting interviews with international pilgrims upon their arrival.
“I was so happy to be assigned (this task) by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and be part of their media team,” he told Arab News while he was reporting in Mina.
Tasked with conducting interviews in English with Muslims who came to the Kingdom to perform Hajj, he asked them all “about their experiences, from making preparations to putting on ihram and seeing the Kaaba for the first time, together with the emotions and meaningful realizations (that accompanied) completing the rites of Hajj,” he said.
He continued: “My Hajj stories (comprised) short interviews detailing the personal experiences and feelings of those pilgrims who have made the holy pilgrimage of Hajj.”
His father, Essam Al-Ansari, was with him in every step of the way, and together, they created special content for the ministry.
“We were very happy when the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah asked Omar to join their media team to cover this year’s Hajj, and we are very proud of what Omar is doing,” said the father.
Essam told Arab News that covering Hajj will likely be one of the most significant experiences Omar will ever have as it is the largest annual gathering of people on Earth.
“All I can tell you is that he is at the right place at the right time. He gets the job done, and sometimes he has to go to all places in Makkah in order to get these people.”
Following his interviews, the young reporter has gone viral, with many followers praising him. He has also garnered the respect of older reporters.
One of his videos, posted on the ministry’s Twitter account, reached over 680,000 views.
“This young man is about to take over. He is focused, well-spoken and has incredible talent at such a young age. Your future is bright young man!!!” said Ahmed Al-Qahtani on his Twitter account.
Samer Al-Shikh said: “We are very proud of you (Omar), you became a distinctive sign in this year’s Hajj due to your skills … during your spontaneous conversations with pilgrims.”
RIYADH: For years, flipping through magazines and passing by billboards guided people to products. Today, technology and innovation have shifted marketing tactics to the digital realm.
Artist and marketeer Jeed told Arab News that “the adverts and typical detergent ads where the little football player falls and they put in the detergent and split the screen … that’s not working anymore.”
Commenting on the sophistication of consumers, he added: “No one is only from Saudi, the Emirates or France. They’re also from the Internet.”
Jeed has made a name for himself regionally as a rapper, but the Saudi creative has much more than sly hooks and fresh sounds under his belt.
For the first time, he talks about the “accidental” founding of the creative marketing agency Hrmny Creative Co., the new age of marketing, and shaping identity as an artist.
In the past, the agency has acquired high-profile clients, including NEOM, Puma, Reebok and Albaik.
• Saudi rapper Jeed is the founder of the marketing agency Hrmny Creative Co.
• The ‘From the Sand’ rapper is on Apple Music’s ‘Rap Life’ playlist, alongside names such as Drake and Lil Baby.
• The agency has acquired high-profile clients, including NEOM, Puma, Reebok and Albaik.
Far from a typical agency, it includes Hrmny + Lab, which offers a library of royalty-free sounds for music production, and Hrmny Records, a label formed in partnership with Empire Inc.
Jeed, producer A’Y, and artist Moh Flow originally came together to collaborate as musicians, and eventually created their own content and event planning. By managing their own social media, community engagement, and analytics, they realized their potential.
Jeed explained the origins of the idea: “It was like a light-bulb moment. These are services that we’re doing. We worked with small companies in the beginning, then we found our way to Saudi.
“We opened an office in 2019, and we were there for a gig, actually. I said, if I get one more client in Saudi, I’m not leaving. And we got one.”
Originally kicking off in Dubai with a focus on social media and music, their work has grown to reflect the nuances of an evolving region by blending corporate and pop culture.
“We walk a fine line between the two. It’s this duality that we have going on which is the new Saudi in my opinion,” he said.
The agency is gaining ground by knowing the Saudi audience.
You have stories in Riyadh, Alkhobar; you have Gen Z, older folks; you have heritage. There are so many layers to unfold. Saudi Arabia also changed. As marketing companies, it’s our job to communicate the new Saudi as well, because that is our direction.
Jeed, Saudi rapper and founder of Hrmny Creative Co.
Last year, for example, Saudia Airlines was criticized for a commercial featuring Senegalese American singer Akon wearing an Emirati thobe on a Eid holiday ad campaign. The ad was turned into a meme, and mocked for its inaccurate representation.
It was a lesson on the importance of local knowledge.
“You have to tell the Saudi story. You can’t sidestep that at all. I find some agencies struggle when they first go (to Saudi Arabia). It’s because they may not have lived there,” Jeed said.
In a customs and culture-driven country, the key to a successful marketing strategy lies in highlighting its homegrown roots.
“You have stories in Riyadh, Alkhobar; you have Gen Z, older folks; you have heritage. There are so many layers to unfold. Saudi Arabia also changed. As marketing companies, it’s our job to communicate the new Saudi as well, because that is our direction.”
Music, like other products, is also sold as a commodity on the global market. But the post-2000s digital revolution has made it more accessible than ever, creating a more intimate experience for fans. According to Jeef, rather than marketing music itself, the artist is now the face of the product.
As a musician taking on the role of a marketeer, he emphasizes the importance of narrating a story, unlike the past where the public found exclusivity and mystery more intriguing.
He said: “Now, the face sells everything. That goes back to artistry as well. I come from the era where your face doesn’t matter so much, where you don’t do too many interviews, you don’t do behind the scenes too much.
“People had mystique. In today’s world, you can’t do that anymore. They want way more than the music.”
However, with a more flexible mold for advertising, one bolstered by creativity, artists have become more of a self-standing brand. International artists such as Frank Ocean rarely share posts, and when they do, it’s the talk of their fanbase, while others like SZA have made a habit of posting nonchalant photo dumps, making their brand much more personal, like their music. Jeed, meanwhile, has kept a minimal online presence.
“I know what works, and what brands should do is very different from what your personal brand should do,” he said.
The tactic has seemed to work for the “From the Sand” rapper, landing him on Apple Music’s “Rap Life” playlist, alongside names such as Drake and Lil Baby, on the “New Gulf” playlist, and others on Spotify and Anghami.
He has performed on the Soundstorm Music Festival stage in Riyadh, Sole DXB in Dubai, and most recently at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creatives in Cannes in June. He was not always the type to flaunt his nationality, but quickly realized what a positive impact that could create.
He said: “Putting myself out there changed so much by saying I’m Saudi. That was step one. Step two was how could I incorporate that musically?”
While Jeed sometimes gets criticized for claiming to be a Saudi rapper while promoting English lyrics, his songs are littered with Saudi cultural anecdotes: the chicken nuggets from Albaik, pronouncing Pepsi as “Bebsi,” and getting Nova chewing gum at the baqala instead of change in coins.
His latest single “Spaceship” includes the lyrics “I’m so Saudi, man, I’m so Vimto,” and others that are relatable to locals.
Jeed’s message to upcoming artists is to just be yourself.
“There’s nothing called you’re ‘not Saudi enough,’ or you’re ‘too Saudi.’ There’s nothing called only do it in Arabic or only do it in English. What makes sense for you?”
It wasn’t long ago when Afrobeat and Latin pop were niche genres, but now they top the global charts. With an authentic approach, he believes Saudi talent could go much further than the region.
RIYADH: New global trends such as micro-credentials, virtual reality and augmented reality, and artificial intelligence chatbots such as ChatGPT and Jasper, are reshaping the future of higher education in the Kingdom and beyond.
Online learning became dominant after the COVID-19 pandemic, and academic institutions with prior investment in digital technologies emerged as more resilient and agile.
Professor Santiago Iniguez de Onzono, executive president of IE University in Madrid, said: “Legislation here has been reluctant to bring in online education in pair with other traditional arrangements of education.
“But the fact is that we at IE University have experienced that the best methodology for enhancing skills and developing attitudes and upskilling is using the blended format, that combines presence with an online form of education.”
It (Saudi Vision 2030’s Human Capability DevelopmentProgram) will render lots of positive results in future generations.
Santiago Iniguez de Onzono, IE University executive president
Iniguez is a pioneer in business education, actively contributing and participating in various forums and networks to foster innovation and development in higher education.
He was described by the Financial Times as “one of the most significant figures in promoting European business schools internationally.”
According to the professor, among the challenges facing higher education is preparing faculty, traditionally a group “that are difficult to move because they normally hold tenure for life, and they are sometimes quite comfortable doing their traditional research.” That can result in not prioritizing teaching, engaging with students and participating in class.
“I guess the challenge here to embrace these new opportunities for technology is to prepare the faculty to become the orchestrators of the whole learning process and the best possible managers of artificial intelligence,” he said.
The Human Capability Development Program, one of the Vision 2030 programs, focuses on developing a solid education base for all Saudis from an early age, by instilling values, developing current and future skills, enhancing their knowledge, and preparing them for the future local and global labor market.
“My first reaction is of admiration regarding the very ambitious objectives of the program,” Iniguez said.
The program includes early childhood education and the Kingdom now requires and promotes preschool education.
“That will render lots of positive results in future generations. It is already proven how the Chinese young generation has become much more competent, and motivated in areas like math and languages because of this emphasis on kindergarten education,” he said.
The program works to align the education output with labor market needs, which is another challenge facing many countries.
According to Iniguez, one of the criticisms of the US has been that universities do not prepare graduates to directly join the labor market. However, he believes that “universities should not just prepare employable graduates, but also global citizens, and part of the university has to do with putting and instilling these skills and global feelings, of belonging and respecting basic norms of tolerance to learn from others, to learn from diversity.”
He has closely worked with the higher education sector in the Kingdom as a consultant. In increasing the presence of IE University, Iniguez has worked with Saudi governmental agencies and has attracted several Saudi students to programs directed by the university.
“We are currently already running a master’s degree program, collaborating masters for a number of companies here including Aramco and stc (Saudi Telecom Company),” Iniguez said.
Iniguez was in Riyadh recently to launch his book “Philosophy Inc.: Applying Wisdom to Everyday Management.”
The book revolves around the central idea of management as philosophy in action.
“Behind any major management decision, there’s always a vision of the world, there’s a vision of what is business and how should business be,” Iniguez said.
The book discussions include leadership, the types of leaders the world needs, how to manage uncertainty, and how to make a good atmosphere at work as “two-thirds of our life is spent working, if we are not happy at work, then we have a problem,” he said.
With a vision to build over 200 sq. km of integrated neighborhoods that embody the Kingdom’s cultural heritage and the aspirations of its inhabitants, ROSHN has established the Enterprise Portfolio Management Office to oversee and manage its diverse range of projects.
Hadi Sami Eissa leads the implementation of ROSHN’s EPMO while collaborating with various functions and departments within the organization. Eissa has been a key contributor to the ROSHN portfolio since joining in 2018.
Over the course of his 22-year career in the US and Saudi Arabia, Eissa has developed expertise in managing large-scale projects and driving programs to completion. He has proven himself as a seasoned EPMO professional capable of leading cross-functional teams.
One of Eissa’s key contributions to ROSHN is the optimization of its portfolio management efforts through the implementation of a robust operational governance framework. Heading a dedicated team, he oversees a comprehensive range of services for ROSHN’s portfolio.
With Eissa at the helm of ROSHN’s EPMO, the organization is poised to effectively manage its extensive portfolio, ensuring that projects are delivered on time and in line with approved plans and targets.
Prior to joining ROSHN, Eissa worked for international consultancies such as Parsons and Faithful + Gould.
He holds a master’s degree in project management from the University of Maryland and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from California State University, Sacramento. Eissa has earned certifications as a project management professional and a professional engineer from the State of California.
LONDON: The Saudi Falcons Aerobatic Team have arrived in the UK to participate in the Royal International Air Tattoo, one of the world’s largest airshows, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday. The event runs from July 14 to 16 at the RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.
The Falcons — the Royal Saudi Air Force’s official demonstration team — will perform at the event, flying Airbus 330 MRTTs, BAE Systems Hawks, and Lockheed C-130H Hercules.
The tattoo, which was first staged in 1985, will include hundreds of modern military aircraft alongside classic aircraft from all corners of the globe.
This year’s event is being held under the theme “Skytanker23” and will focus on the vital role of air-to-air refueling in modern military aviation.
“We aim to display the history of air-to-air refueling from its humble beginnings in 1923, evolving through the last century to the modern aircraft which we see in service around the world today,” the RIAT website states.
RIYADH: The Saudi minister of commerce and chairman at the General Authority for Foreign Trade chaired in Riyadh this week a preparation meeting ahead of upcoming Free Trade Agreement talks between Gulf States and the UK, Saudi Press Agency reported.
The meeting, headed up by Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi, aims to prepare for the fourth round of free trade agreement negotiations between Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the UK taking place from July 17-28.
The fourth round will be held in two sessions; remote as well as in-person meetings in London.
During the meeting, deputy governor of the Commission for International Organizations and Agreements, Farid bin Saeed Al-Asali, reviewed the progress of the negotiations.
He outlined the terms of the agreement with the heads of the negotiating technical teams in addition to discussing topics related to commodities, rules of origin, investment, and services, electronic commerce, and general texts and provisions, the SPA report said.
The Saudi negotiating team is working to ensure their compatibility with the Kingdom’s commercial goals and policies, to participate in trade negotiations to include its negotiating positions and coordinate with countries with similar orientations in international trade, the report added.