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Oslo, Riyadh Look to Boost Trade, Cooperation in Green Energy, Aquaculture Fields

Norwegian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Thomas Lid Ball (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Norwegian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Thomas Lid Ball (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Oslo, Riyadh Look to Boost Trade, Cooperation in Green Energy, Aquaculture Fields

Norwegian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Thomas Lid Ball (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Norwegian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Thomas Lid Ball (Asharq Al-Awsat)

A Norwegian diplomat revealed that his country is actively seeking to enhance economic cooperation with Saudi Arabia, particularly in the fields of green energy and aquaculture, amid ongoing efforts to increase trade and investment, highlighting the deep bilateral relations.

Thomas Lid Ball, Norway's ambassador in Riyadh, expected that the coming years would witness further advancements on all fronts.

Ball drew attention to the promising investment opportunities presented by Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

He also emphasized the strong desire of numerous Norwegian investors to operate in the Saudi market and take advantage of the vast opportunities it offers as one of the largest markets in the region.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Ball anticipated an increase in activities and meetings between business sectors, as well as an exchange of visits by trade delegations.

This aims to explore investment opportunities in both Norway and Saudi Arabia, enhance trade and investment cooperation, and capitalize on the promising prospects available in various sectors for developing business partnerships.

Moreover, Ball highlighted Saudi Arabia’s economic advancements and its favorable investment environment, emphasizing the efforts to explore significant opportunities for economic cooperation between Norway and the Kingdom.

This extends beyond the oil and gas sectors to encompass healthcare, tourism, seafood industries, aquaculture, maritime industries, renewable energy, solar energy, and water sectors.

Ball reiterated his commitment to work towards achieving development and further enhancing bilateral trade relations.

He also anticipated the entry of new Norwegian companies into the Saudi market.

Ball stated that there are significant opportunities in the Kingdom that are currently undergoing a phase of transformation and development for sustainable growth. He emphasized the potential for expanding cooperation in various industries, including the seafood sector.

The diplomat clarified that Norway has made significant strides in the aquaculture industry, producing over half of the world’s farmed Atlantic salmon.

These salmon are exported to more than 100 countries, with total Norwegian salmon sales to Saudi Arabia reaching $27 million in 2019.

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Interviews

Hevolution CEO Discusses Career in Innovation, Medicine, and Business

Dr. Mehmood Khan, CEO of the Hevolution Foundation
Dr. Mehmood Khan, CEO of the Hevolution Foundation
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Hevolution CEO Discusses Career in Innovation, Medicine, and Business

Dr. Mehmood Khan, CEO of the Hevolution Foundation
Dr. Mehmood Khan, CEO of the Hevolution Foundation

Dr. Mehmood Khan, CEO of the Hevolution Foundation, the largest philanthropy organization funding aging medicine in the world, expressed that receiving Saudi citizenship will boost his scientific and practical capabilities.
He said this new status will help him advance his research, especially in addressing aging.
This comes as part of a recent royal decree granting Saudi citizenship to several notable scholars, doctors, researchers, and innovators.
“Our Chairman, his Royal Highness (Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman), has very high expectations of our work and the impact we need to do; We were created in part because of his vision,” Khan told Asharq Al-Awsat.
“Living up to the expectations and challenges we get faced with is itself exciting, but it is challenging,” revealed Khan, affirming that Hevolution’s team is “up to that task.”
Khan, who has experience in both corporate and medical fields, told Asharq Al-Awsat that his work across academic, public, and private sectors has been a continuous learning process, with each area enhancing the others.
According to the CEO, these industries are interconnected, and combining their strengths often leads to the best solutions.
This insight inspired the Hevolution initiative, which brings together the scientific community, NGOs, pharmaceutical companies, policymakers, academia, biotech firms, CEOs, and others to promote healthy aging.
Khan highlighted the value of integrating insights from different sectors.
Academia provides detailed research, the public sector offers insights on population health and regulations, and the corporate world brings innovation and efficiency, explained Khan, adding that by merging these perspectives, the world can tackle complex health challenges more effectively.
“We’ve been working through, and are now investing, funding and partnering with over 200 scientists around the world, and over 150 different university labs,” said Khan.
Hevolution uses this integrated approach to advance healthy aging.
This initiative embodies my passion for addressing major challenges and offers a significant opportunity to make a global impact.
Khan talked about the first $400 million commitment Hevolution made in the last 23 months, calling it “unprecedented.”
“There has never been a non-profit organization in the world that has gone from not existing to now becoming the largest philanthropy funding aging biology and medicine in the world,” affirmed Khan.
Khan stressed that work at Hevolution not only pushes scientific boundaries but also promotes cross-sector collaboration to improve global health outcomes.
Since Khan’s early days in medical school, he’s been deeply interested in nutrition and population health, which was an unconventional focus back then. This journey set the foundation for his later work in community health.
Khan’s time as an endocrinology faculty member at the Mayo Clinic was crucial. He led programs on diabetes, endocrine diseases, metabolism, and nutrition, which strengthened his expertise in designing disease prevention systems.
In the private sector, Khan took on a key role at Takeda Pharmaceutical as the global head of R&D, which shaped his approach to innovative healthcare solutions.
At PepsiCo, as Chief Scientific Officer, he learned crucial principles of scale, impact, transformation, and tackling global challenges.
As CEO of Hevolution, Khan uses all his professional experience to advance the foundation’s mission of developing health sciences to address age-related diseases.
Khan serves on the boards of Reckitt Benckiser and the Saudi Research, Development, and Innovation Authority (RDIA).
He is the CEO of Life Biosciences, a member of Saudi Arabia’s biotechnology strategy committee, and the chair of the advanced technology visiting committee at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Khan told Asharq Al-Awsat that he feels honored to have recently become a Saudi citizen by royal decree, while also holding dual US and UK citizenship. This helps him lead Hevolution effectively and work closely with international partners.
Khan commented on his recent Saudi citizenship, saying that in addition to feeling honored to receive Saudi citizenship by royal decree, alongside other distinguished individuals, this recognition is a great privilege.
Being a Saudi citizen, as per Khan, is a significant milestone and acknowledges the progress in his work in aging science and global health. It also strengthens Khan’s commitment to the work at Hevolution.
Khan noted that this new status enhances his ability to build relationships and collaborate within the Kingdom and internationally. It offers a deeper connection with the local community and better opportunities to engage with policymakers and leaders.
He also said that this recognition boosts Hevolution’s global presence and credibility, making the foundation’s collaborations with international scientists and business leaders stronger. It positions Hevolution as a key player in addressing age-related diseases.
Khan emphasized that this honor reflects the hard work and innovation of Hevolution’s entire team.
The CEO said that it was collective efforts that have made this achievement possible.
Khan also said he is excited to engage more deeply with the scientific and medical community in the Kingdom, adding that his new citizenship helps him contribute to Vision 2030 and the national biotechnology strategy, promoting innovation and attracting top global talent.