Apple to launch online store in Saudi Arabia in 2025

Apple plans to expand the coed foundation offerings, with the next cohort scheduled for spring 2025. (REUTERS)
Apple plans to expand the coed foundation offerings, with the next cohort scheduled for spring 2025. (REUTERS)
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Updated 09 December 2024
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Apple to launch online store in Saudi Arabia in 2025

Apple plans to expand the coed foundation offerings, with the next cohort scheduled for spring 2025. (REUTERS)
  • Plans include an iconic store in Diriyah and investments in local tech talent development

RIYADH: Apple announced plans on Monday to expand in Saudi Arabia, starting with an online store launch in summer 2025.

The store will offer the full product range with service and Arabic support.

In 2026, Apple will open flagship retail stores, enhancing customer access to products and services.

As part of this expansion, Apple is planning an iconic retail store in Diriyah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

HIGHLIGHT

Apple is investing in Saudi Arabia, creating jobs and introducing technologies for artists, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and commuters. Over the past five years, it has spent over SR10 billion ($2.6 billion) with local companies.

Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, said: “Our teams are looking forward to deepening our connections with customers, and to bringing the best of Apple to help people across this country explore their passions, build their businesses, and take their ideas to the next level.”

Apple’s retail expansion builds on its investments in Saudi Arabia, including the region’s first Apple Developer Academy, launched in Riyadh in 2021 in partnership with the Saudi government, Tuwaiq Academy, and Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University.

The all-women academy at the university offers world-class training for aspiring coders, designers, and entrepreneurs, preparing them for careers in Saudi Arabia’s growing app economy.

Nearly 2,000 students have completed programming courses and are now publishing apps on the App Store for both domestic and global audiences.

Apple is expanding learning opportunities through academy programs and partnerships. This summer, it hosted Saudi Arabia’s first coed Apple Foundation Program, a monthlong course on coding and app development focused on gaming.

Apple plans to expand the coed foundation offerings, with the next cohort scheduled for spring 2025.

Apple is investing in Saudi Arabia, creating jobs and introducing technologies for artists, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and commuters. Over the past five years, it has spent over SR10 billion ($2.6 billion) with local companies.

With the opening of the new metro earlier this month, Riyadh became the latest city to join over 250 others where users can ride transit with Apple Pay.

 


GACA launches integrated digital platform, unveils new brand identity

GACA launches integrated digital platform, unveils new brand identity
Updated 20 February 2025
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GACA launches integrated digital platform, unveils new brand identity

GACA launches integrated digital platform, unveils new brand identity

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority launched an integrated digital platform and unveiled a new brand identity on Wednesday.

The General Authority of Civil Aviation made the announcements, which also included an updated website, at an event at its headquarters in Riyadh.

The new platform, known as “Ajwaa,” provides all civil aviation services, ensuring quick and efficient access for users and creates a fully digital environment for stakeholders, improving operational efficiency, transparency, and GACA’s regulatory role, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The event was attended by Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Saudi transport minister and chairman of the board of directors of GACA; Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej, president of GACA; and vice presidents, CEOs, as well as other officials.

Al-Duailej said the new identity, slogan “Together for New Horizons,” “Ajwaa” platform, and updated website mark a new era for GACA, shaping the future of aviation in Saudi Arabia with the leadership’s full support, SPA reported.


The geological wonders of Riyadh’s King Khalid Royal Reserve

The geological wonders of Riyadh’s King Khalid Royal Reserve
Updated 20 February 2025
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The geological wonders of Riyadh’s King Khalid Royal Reserve

The geological wonders of Riyadh’s King Khalid Royal Reserve
  • Rock formations hold geological records that reveal the environmental and climatic changes the region has experienced over time
  • Formerly known as the al-Thumamah Wildlife Park, the royal reserve is less than an hour's drive from Riyadh city center

RIYADH: The King Khalid Royal Reserve boasts rock formations shaped over thousands of years by natural erosion and fluctuating climatic conditions, sculpting its varied terrain into one of Saudi Arabia's most significant and captivating nature reserves.

Formerly known as the al-Thumamah Wildlife Park, the royal reserve located northeast of national capital is less than an hour's drive from the city center.

Among the main geological features in the reserve are the Al-Urumah mountains, known for their striking rock formations, including natural caves, rock columns, and stone bridges.

With the arrival of winter and cooler temperatures, the reserve becomes a perfect destination for ecotourism and outdoor adventure enthusiasts. (SPA)

Stretching over 700 kilometers, the dramatic landscape provides an ideal destination for photography and adventure enthusiasts, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

Yet, these landscapes are not just an aesthetic marvel; within their layers, they hold a geological record that reveals the environmental and climatic changes the region has experienced over time.

With the arrival of winter and cooler temperatures, the reserve becomes a perfect destination for ecotourism and outdoor adventure enthusiasts.

Visitors can hike among towering rocks, enjoy picnics, cycle along scenic trails, stargaze on clear nights, and experience an exceptional environment for astronomical observation.

The preservation of these rock formations is crucial for protecting geological diversity and promoting environmental sustainability, while responsible practices contribute to the safeguarding of natural landmarks for future generations, SP said.

 


Trump thanks Saudi crown prince for hosting Ukraine peace talks in Riyadh

Trump thanks Saudi crown prince for hosting Ukraine peace talks in Riyadh
Updated 20 February 2025
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Trump thanks Saudi crown prince for hosting Ukraine peace talks in Riyadh

Trump thanks Saudi crown prince for hosting Ukraine peace talks in Riyadh

RIYADH: US President Donald Trump said Saudi Arabia did a “great job” in hosting talks aimed at moving toward a resolution of the Russian-Ukraine war, and thanked Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for facilitating the discussions in Riyadh.
Trump said on Wednesday that the conflict, which began three years ago this month, would have never started had he been president.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “talked the US into spending $350 billion to go into a war that that could not be won, that never had to start and never would have started if I was president,” said Trump, adding that Ukraine would never settle the war without US involvement.
Senior US and Russian officials attended a meeting in Riyadh on Tuesday to start working toward ending the war in Ukraine. The meeting was also attended by senior Saudis, but no Ukrainians.
Trump said that Zelenskyy could have attended the discussions in the Saudi capital had he wanted to.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the two sides agreed broadly to pursue three goals: to restore staffing at their respective embassies in Washington and Moscow, to create a high-level team to support Ukraine peace talks, and to explore closer relations and economic cooperation.
Trump, talking at the FII PRIORITY Miami event, which runs between Feb. 19-21, said he hopes that a ceasefire arrives soon.
The president’s speech was wide-ranging, touching on efforts to cut government waste, boosting energy production, and his foreign policy objectives.
Dignitaries included Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the Saudi Public Investment Fund; Elon Musk, the head of a new US federal entity — called DOGE — meant to cut government waste; and Princess Reema bint Bandar, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the US.


Digital Cooperation Organization signs multiple memorandums of understanding as fourth general assembly ends

Digital Cooperation Organization signs multiple memorandums of understanding as fourth general assembly ends
Updated 20 February 2025
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Digital Cooperation Organization signs multiple memorandums of understanding as fourth general assembly ends

Digital Cooperation Organization signs multiple memorandums of understanding as fourth general assembly ends
  • Secretary-general says event marked 4 years of progress

AMMAN: The Digital Cooperation Organization signed numerous memorandums of understanding during its fourth general assembly in Amman, which concluded on Wednesday.

The memorandums were signed between the DCO and the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Foundation, Hewlett-Packard, the Agency for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Sultanate of Oman and 500 Global.

A statement of intent was also signed between the DCO and the UN Office for South-South Cooperation.

The signings came after a delegation from the DCO visited Jordan’s Prime Minister Jaafar Abdel Fattah Hassan.

Sami Smeirat, the Jordanian minister of digital economy and entrepreneurship, and the chairman of the DCO Council, said that Jordan’s presidency of the organization in 2024 had demonstrated the country’s ability to lead global efforts toward building an inclusive digital economy.

He said: “Throughout this year we have launched ambitious initiatives, strengthened public-private partnerships, and laid solid foundations to empower youth and women in the technology sector.”

Smeirat spoke of the 2025 presidency, which was handed to Kuwait.

He said: “We hand over the presidency to our brothers in the State of Kuwait. We reaffirm Jordan’s commitment to remaining an active partner in achieving the organization’s goals. We look forward to continuing our joint efforts to realize our shared vision: a digital world marked by prosperity and fairness for all.”

Deemah Al-Yahya, the secretary-general of the DCO, said that the general assembly marked four years of progress for the organization.

The secretary-general highlighted DCO’s upcoming ambitions, adding: “While we have achieved much over the past four years, there is still important work ahead to drive digital economic growth for all.”

Wednesday’s event featured panels and discussions with leading experts from across the world.

The DCO was founded in November 2020 and currently has 16 nations as members, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Pakistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh and Oman. It also has 39 observer and partner organizations.


Piece of Kaaba’s Kiswah gifted to Uzbekistan’s Center of Islamic Civilization

Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent. (SPA)
Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent. (SPA)
Updated 19 February 2025
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Piece of Kaaba’s Kiswah gifted to Uzbekistan’s Center of Islamic Civilization

Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent. (SPA)
  • Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah is currently on a visit to the Central Asian country
  • He handed over the piece of cloth to Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev

RIYADH: A piece of the holy Kaaba’s Kiswa was gifted by the Kingdom to the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan, Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, currently on a visit to the Central Asian country, handed over the piece of cloth to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the directive of King Salman.

Mirziyoyev commended the Kingdom’s efforts to develop Hajj and Umrah experiences and facilitate the journeys of Uzbek pilgrims to the Kingdom, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said.