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NEOM Celebrates Student Excellence and Innovation in Chicago

High-performing students from the Tabuk region have been honored by NEOM at a special event held in Chicago, US. (SPA)
High-performing students from the Tabuk region have been honored by NEOM at a special event held in Chicago, US. (SPA)
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NEOM Celebrates Student Excellence and Innovation in Chicago

High-performing students from the Tabuk region have been honored by NEOM at a special event held in Chicago, US. (SPA)
High-performing students from the Tabuk region have been honored by NEOM at a special event held in Chicago, US. (SPA)

High-performing students from the Tabuk region, on scholarship at US universities, have been honored by NEOM, the sustainable regional development taking shape in northwestern Saudi Arabia, at a special event held in Chicago, US, according to a press release from NEOM.
Led by NEOM CEO Nadhmi Al-Nasr, the occasion celebrated the educational achievements of the 130 participants in NEOM’s 2023 Scholarship Program, which sponsors Tabuk students who pursue their tertiary studies, as well as seek valuable work experience abroad, SPA said on Wednesday.
From the 2023 cohort, 118 students made their way to Chicago, where they were feted for their educational accomplishments. Forty-nine of the students were honored for their academic excellence or innovative contributions. The event enabled students to showcase their achievements, connect with NEOM leaders and discuss future collaboration.
This most recent activity of the annual scholarship program built on the success of last year's gathering in Washington, D.C. This year’s Chicago event featured three presentations by students, which offered insights and perspectives into the key NEOM projects of Trojena, Oxagon and ENOWA.
Notable figures from NEOM, including Founding President of NEOM University Professor Andreas Cangellaris, head of Health and Wellbeing Dr. Mahmoud Alyamany, and head of NEOM Digital Media Academy Nada Alshaibani, attended the event alongside the NEOM CEO.
Al-Nasr said: "This event celebrates the remarkable achievements of our scholarship recipients. NEOM takes great pride in being a catalyst for these bright, young minds by fostering academic excellence and vital community involvement. In addition to their studies, the students take part in field trips and internships at NEOM offering them invaluable practical exposure to our diverse sectors and operations. We aim to cultivate a generation that not only excels in their respective fields but actively contributes to Saudi Vision 2030 – building a dynamic society, fueling economic prosperity and shaping an ambitious nation."
The NEOM Scholarship Program targets Saudi students and high-achieving school leavers. Since its inception in 2019, the program has supported 740 undergraduate students and recent graduates.
Students enrolled in the program study at renowned institutions in Saudi Arabia, UK and US. Upon completing their studies, scholarship recipients are offered positions within NEOM's sectors, their knowledge and skills aligned with the expertise required for NEOM's future development.
The initiative underscores NEOM's commitment to nurturing talent, driving innovation, and building a dynamic workforce to realize the ambitious goals of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030.

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Greece's 'Instagram Island' Santorini nears Saturation Point

Tourists queue as they wait to take a picture from one of the balconies. Aris Oikonomou / AFP
Tourists queue as they wait to take a picture from one of the balconies. Aris Oikonomou / AFP
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Greece's 'Instagram Island' Santorini nears Saturation Point

Tourists queue as they wait to take a picture from one of the balconies. Aris Oikonomou / AFP
Tourists queue as they wait to take a picture from one of the balconies. Aris Oikonomou / AFP

One of the most enduring images of Greece's summer travel brand is the world-famous sunset on Santorini Island, framed by sea-blue church domes on a jagged cliff high above a volcanic caldera.
This scene has inspired millions of fridge magnets, posters, and souvenirs -- and now the queue to reach the viewing spot in the clifftop village of Oia can take more than 20 minutes, said AFP.
Santorini is a key stopover of the Greek cruise experience. But with parts of the island nearing saturation, officials are considering restrictions.
Of the record 32.7 million people who visited Greece last year, around 3.4 million, or one in 10, went to the island of just 15,500 residents.
"We need to set limits if we don't want to sink under overtourism," Santorini mayor Nikos Zorzos told AFP.
"There must not be a single extra bed... whether in the large hotels or Airbnb rentals."
As the sun set behind the horizon in Oia, thousands raised their phones to the sky to capture the moment, followed by scattered applause.
For canny entrepreneurs, the Cycladic island's famous sunset can be a cash cow.
One company advertised more than 50 "flying dresses", which have long flowing trains, for up to 370 euros ($401), on posters around Oia for anyone who wishes to "feel like a Greek goddess" or spruce up selfies.
'Respect Oia'
But elsewhere in Oia's narrow streets, residents have put up signs urging visitors to respect their home.
"RESPECT... It's your holiday... but it's our home," read a purple sign from the Save Oia group.
Shaped by a volcanic eruption 3,600 years ago, Santorini's landscape is "unique", the mayor said, and "should not be harmed by new infrastructure".
Around a fifth of the island is currently occupied by buildings.
At the edge of the cliff, a myriad of swimming pools and jacuzzis highlight Santorini is also a pricey destination.
In 2023, 800 cruise ships brought some 1.3 million passengers, according to the Hellenic Ports Association.
Cruise ships "do a lot of harm to the island", said Chantal Metakides, a Belgian resident of Santorini for 26 years.
"When there are eight or nine ships pumping out smoke, you can see the layer of pollution in the caldera," she said.
Cruise ship limits
In June, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis floated the possibility of capping cruise ship arrivals to Greece's most popular islands.
"I think we'll do it next year," he told Bloomberg, noting that Santorini and tourist magnet Mykonos "are clearly suffering".
"There are people spending a lot of money to be on Santorini and they don’t want the island to be swamped," said the pro-business conservative leader, who was re-elected to a second four-year term last year.
In an AFP interview, Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni echoed this sentiment and said: "We must set quotas because it's impossible for an island such as Santorini... to have five cruise ships arriving at the same time."
Local officials have set a limit of 8,000 cruise boat passengers per day from next year.
But not all local operators agree.
Antonis Pagonis, head of Santorini's hoteliers association, believes better visitor flow management is part of the solution.
"It is not possible to have (on) a Monday, for example, 20 to 25,000 guests from the cruise ships, and the next day zero," he said.
Pagonis also argued that most of the congestion only affects parts of the island like the capital, Fira.
In the south of the island, the volcanic sand beaches are less crowded, even though it is high season in July.
'I'm in Türkiye
The modern tourism industry has also changed visitor behavior.
"I listened (to) people making a FaceTime call with the family, saying 'I'm in Türkiye," smiled tourist guide Kostas Sakavaras.
"They think that the church over there is a mosque because yesterday they were in Türkiye."
The veteran guide said the average tourist coming to the island has changed.
"Instagram has defined the way people choose the places to visit," he said, explaining everybody wants the perfect Instagram photo to confirm their expectations.