Commerce and sports ministers participate in roundtable on Saudi-British sports cooperation

Saudi Gazette report
LONDON — Saudi Minister of Commerce Dr. Majid Al-Qasabi has affirmed at the Saudi-UK Strategic Partnership Council that Saudi vision 2030 launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman transformed the Saudi economy and created promising opportunities in many vital sectors.
He explained that the Saudi-British partnership is unique, and the UK is the second-largest exporter of services in the world. He added that the two countries can cooperate to establish a global integration system that covers many aspects of sports, tourism, culture, arts, and technology, all of which have become a global language that requires no translation.
The meeting was also attended by Saudi Minister of Sports Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki, and Sir Chris Bryant, UK's Minister of State for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism.
The roundtable, organized by the National Competitiveness Center in cooperation with the UK Department for Business and Trade, focused on introducing companies to the promising opportunities offered by the Kingdom's hosting of international sporting events, such as the 2034 World Cup. It also addressed opportunities for cooperation in areas supporting the sports sector, such as technology, infrastructure, construction, facility operations, and planning and execution of major events.
In a meeting with Jonathan Reynolds, Minister of State for Business and Trade, which was attended by Prince Khalid bin Bandar, Saudi Ambassador to UK, and Neil Crompton, British Ambassador to the Kingdom, Al-Qasabi discussed enhancing cooperation in developing the sports sector in light of Saudi hosting major events such as the 2034 World Cup. They reviewed the progress of initiatives emerging from the economic and social committees of the Saudi-British Strategic Partnership Council, including developments in the negotiations of the Free Trade Agreement between UK and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
During the meeting, the two sides highlighted the importance of the Saudi-British Future Skills Initiative and its impact on developing skills in sectors of mutual interest, in addition to the continuation of the Great Futures Initiative for 2025.
The Saudi delegation's agenda on the first day included a field visit to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and its facilities. The delegation was briefed on the facilities' capabilities and experience in hosting entertainment and sporting events.
The participating entities in the visit included the ministries of Commerce, Sports, Investment and Finance, the Supreme Committee for Hosting the 2034 World Cup, the Public Investment Fund, the National Competitiveness Center, the Saudi Business Center, the National Center for Privatization, and a number of major national companies specializing in sports events, infrastructure, and media.
Al-Qasabi arrived in the British capital, London, on a working visit, accompanied by a delegation comprising officials from nine government agencies and 30 leaders from the business sector and major national companies. The visit aims to build economic partnerships in the sports sector between the two countries, strengthen relations across various priority sectors, and raise the level of commercial partnerships.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Saudi Gazette

an hour ago

• Saudi Gazette

Al Hilal held to goalless draw by Salzburg in Club World Cup group clash

Saudi Gazette report WASHINGTON — Al Hilal kept their Round of 16 hopes alive in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup after a hard-fought 0-0 draw with Austrian champions Salzburg on Sunday at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. The result leaves the Saudi side third in Group H with two points, following an opening 1-1 draw against Real Madrid. Salzburg and Real Madrid top the group with four points each after Los Blancos defeated Mexico's Pachuca 3-1. Al Hilal must now beat Pachuca in their final group game on Friday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. A win, coupled with a victory for either Real Madrid or Salzburg in their meeting, would send Al Hilal through to the knockout stage. A draw between Madrid and Salzburg would still allow Hilal to qualify—provided they win by at least a two-goal margin. Newly appointed head coach Simone Inzaghi described the clash against Salzburg as 'decisive,' but admitted after the game that his team lacked the edge needed to claim all three points. The Austrian side saw their four-match winning streak come to an end but remained unbeaten in the group. Al Hilal started brightly, with Joao Cancelo firing just wide in the third minute and Salem Al Dawsari testing Salzburg goalkeeper Christian Tzavischitzky moments later. Moroccan shot-stopper Yassine Bounou was called into action at the other end, tipping a powerful effort from Karim Onisiwo over the bar. Marcos Leonardo came closest to opening the scoring for Al Hilal in the 22nd minute, but his effort was blocked heroically by Danish defender Jacob Rasmussen. The second half saw a major scare for Al Hilal as Salzburg substitute John Mellberg forced a brilliant save from Bounou before Dorgeles Nene's rebound was cleared off the line by Kalidou Koulibaly in the 48th minute. Al Hilal responded with long-range attempts from Ruben Neves and Cancelo, both denied by the alert Salzburg keeper. Malcolm missed a golden opportunity in the 57th minute after a slick exchange with Al Dawsari, but his shot deflected off a defender for a corner. Sergej Milinković-Savić tried his luck with a late strike from distance, only for Tzavischitzky to collect cleanly, while substitute Yorbe Vertessen nearly stole the win for Salzburg with a curling shot that grazed the post. With fan support strong in the stands, Al Hilal head into their final group match knowing only victory will keep their tournament dreams alive.

Leaders

6 hours ago

• Leaders

Saudi Crown Prince Discusses Region's Tensions with GCC, French, Italian Leaders

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed the escalating tensions in the region following the US attacks with GCC leaders through a series of phone calls on Sunday, according to the Saudi Press Agency. Series of Phone Calls On Sunday, Saudi Arabia expressed its deep concern over the recent strikes and urged restraint to avoid more escalation, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The Crown Prince held separate telephone calls with several Gulf Cooperation Council leaders including King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa of Bahrain, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman, Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani as well as Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Sabah. Furthermore, the prince received a phone call from UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan. During the calls, the leaders discussed the latest regional developments, such as Israel's ongoing attacks on Iran and the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities earlier on Sunday. They stressed the unity and solidarity of GCC member states and emphasized the significance of collective efforts to exercise restraint, avoid further escalation, and seek diplomatic solutions to the conflict. On Sunday, Prince Mohammed also received a phone call from French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni. The calls focused on the latest developments in the Middle East and the consequences of the escalation of tensions in the region following the US strikes. US Strikes on Iran The US launched airstrikes on Sunday against Iran's nuclear facilities in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. 'The United States showed that they have no respect to United Nations Charter. They have no respect to international law. They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities,' Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said. Moreover, Araghchi accused Trump of not only betraying Iran by abusing its commitment to diplomacy but also deceiving his own voters by implementing the wishes of a war criminal. 'He has betrayed not only Iran by abusing our commitment to diplomacy but also deceived his own voters by submitting to the wishes of a wanted war criminal who has grown accustomed to exploiting the lives and wealth of American citizens to further the Israeli regime's objectives,' he added. Israel-Iran War On June 13, Israel launched a wave of airstrikes on Iran under the name of Operation Rising Lion. The military campaign targeted Iran's nuclear facilities and killed top military commanders and nuclear scientists. As a response, Iran launched a retaliatory wave of missiles against Israel and targeted Tel Aviv. Israel also killed three more Iranian nuclear scientists, bringing the total number of scientists slain to nine, Gulf News reported. Currently, both countries are trading missiles and attacks amid intensifying efforts to halt the conflict. Related Topics: Iranian FM Heads to Moscow for Urgent Talks with Putin What They Said After the US Struck Iran's Nuclear Facilities Saudi Arabia Expresses Deep Concern over US Strikes on Iran Short link : Post Views: 66

Saudi Gazette

6 hours ago

• Saudi Gazette

Saudi Arabia to start implementing sale of livestock by weight from June 26

Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture announced that new regulations and mechanisms for the sale of live livestock, meant for slaughter, by weight will come into force on Thursday, Muharram 1, 1447 AH, corresponding to June 26. This is part of the ministry's efforts to regulate livestock sales in public markets across the Kingdom, ensuring fair value for producers and consumers alike and contributing to environmental and economic sustainability, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. The ministry has set a number of terms and conditions for the sale of livestock by weight. This is aimed at ensuring the implementation of standards that guarantee their movements and sale to consumers, achieving the maximum benefit from this procedure. This will positively impact the livestock sector in the Kingdom, promoting the values of fairness and transparency in the buying and selling of livestock, and improving the quality and sustainability of services provided in public benefit markets. The ministry explained that the regulations for the sale of live livestock by weight include livestock prepared for slaughter inside and outside pens. The controls for selling within pens prohibit the sale of any livestock without determining their weight using approved scales in accordance with the requirements. Pen tenants are required to provide scales, and sellers are required to adhere to the highest standards of accuracy in measuring weight. The scales are also regularly maintained and kept clean to prevent the spread of disease among animals. They are also required to provide a suitable environment to ensure the safety of livestock during weighing, ensuring they are not harmed or stressed. They are also required to accurately record all weighing operations, including the date, animal type, recorded weight, and any other data specified by the supervising authority. The ministry added that the regulations stipulate ensuring transparency in the weighing process, making it visible to both buyers and sellers, while enabling the latter to object and request a reweighing if necessary. They also prohibit tampering with scales or measurements, or engaging in any fraudulent practices that affect the accuracy of the results. The ministry's inspector is granted the right to suspend any scale from use until it is verified that it complies with approved specifications. The ministry's inspectors are also provided with all necessary facilities and information, and employees are trained on the correct use of scales to ensure accuracy and efficiency in weighing. The ministry also outlined regulations for the sale of livestock intended for slaughter outside pens and within public benefit market yards. These regulations prohibit the sale of any livestock without a specific weight, using an approved scale in accordance with the requirements. Market investors are required to provide a sufficient number of scales within market yards and outside pens, commensurate with the number of livestock in each market. These scales must be approved in accordance with the regulations, and a specialized employee must be provided to carry out the weighing process. It is noteworthy that the ministry has set conditions that there should be importers for live livestock, in addition to fulfilling health requirements and obtaining import permits, to prove the implementation of the environmental sustainability program, which helps implement mechanisms for selling livestock by weight.