Saudi Ranks 2nd in Providing G20 Research Corpus

Recommendations in the T20 communiqué will be presented on Sunday, Asharq Al-Awsat
Recommendations in the T20 communiqué will be presented on Sunday, Asharq Al-Awsat
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Saudi Ranks 2nd in Providing G20 Research Corpus

Recommendations in the T20 communiqué will be presented on Sunday, Asharq Al-Awsat
Recommendations in the T20 communiqué will be presented on Sunday, Asharq Al-Awsat

The Think 20 summit (T20), which provides the intellectual backbone of the Group of Twenty international forum (G20), on Saturday revealed that Saudi Arabia ranked second in terms of countries which provided the largest corpus of research, paperwork and proposals at the G20.

Saudi Arabia convened the first day of the T20 on Saturday, with panelists and speakers calling for nations to work together around the world to help solve the unprecedented crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

In his remarks on the T20 sidelines, Prince Turki al-Faisal, chairman of the board of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, confirmed that Saudi Arabia achieved second place with the quality and quantity of research it presented to G20 leaders this year.

He said that the Kingdom’s high ranking proves the ability of Saudi nationals, both male and female, to offer humanity ideas that service everyone.

Prince Turki stressed that G20 and T20 works were carried out under unprecedented challenges brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. He, however, said that the T20 summit alongside other G20 forums, held under Saudi presidency, have been a success.

More so, Prince Turki highlighted that the T20 summit was attended by more than 60 countries and over 150 global think tanks.

Fahad Alturki, the vice president of research at King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), and chair of T20, noted that it was a first for Saudi Arabia to rank second internationally in providing research for the G20.

Alturki said that the participation of local and gulf centers reflected the region’s vision.

Recommendations in the T20 communiqué will be presented on the final day of the meeting on Sunday. The document comprises of 32 policy proposals across seven categories for consideration by G20 leaders.

It will also be presented before the G20 leaders’ summit on Nov. 21-22.



Saudi-British Air Connectivity Expands with New Virgin Airlines Route

The agreement was signed in the presence of Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb. (Photo: Turki Al-Aqili)
The agreement was signed in the presence of Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb. (Photo: Turki Al-Aqili)
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Saudi-British Air Connectivity Expands with New Virgin Airlines Route

The agreement was signed in the presence of Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb. (Photo: Turki Al-Aqili)
The agreement was signed in the presence of Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb. (Photo: Turki Al-Aqili)

Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom are set to launch a direct route connecting Riyadh and London, following the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Air Connectivity Program and Virgin Atlantic.

The agreement, which was signed on Monday in Riyadh in the presence of Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb, aims to enhance air connectivity between the two kingdoms, facilitating access to various cities in Saudi Arabia. The route will operate daily between London Heathrow Airport and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh starting in March 2025, using Airbus A330 aircraft.

Virgin Atlantic’s entry into the Saudi market marks the tenth airline to collaborate with the Air Connectivity Program since the beginning of 2024.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Majed Khan, the CEO of the Air Connectivity Program said that the agreement will help bring visitors to and from Riyadh and other areas of Saudi Arabia, such as Jeddah, Dammam, and Madinah as major cities, and then to the Red Sea, Jazan, and Al-Baha, supporting the national tourism strategy.

He further explained that Virgin Atlantic’s direct flights between London and Riyadh will support the growth of inbound international tourism from the UK and North America’s airline network.

As a member of the SkyTeam alliance, Virgin Atlantic will enhance air connectivity alongside Saudi Arabia’s national carrier, Saudia Airlines, between Riyadh, London, and other destinations within the network.

Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Kingdom is experiencing rapid growth driven by Vision 2030, noting that he looks forward to introducing UK customers to Saudi Arabia’s rich culture, heritage, and commercial hub.

Weiss noted that the new services will offer great opportunities for connecting friends, relatives, and businesses, not only within the UK but also in the US, thanks to the partnership with Delta Airlines.

He continued that the agreement will boost the codeshare with its SkyTeam partner, Saudia, further expanding connectivity across the region and beyond while offering new benefits to frequent customers.

Weiss also highlighted the positive impact this step will have in attracting more tourists to Saudi Arabia, which is developing its tourism industry.

Virgin Atlantic, which has a fleet of 45 wide-body aircraft, announced last month the purchase of seven additional Airbus aircraft.

The Air Connectivity Program aims to boost tourism growth in the Kingdom by enhancing connections between Saudi Arabia and the world, through the development of current and potential air routes.