< PreviousIND USTRY | 50 Vol. 23/12, December 2022 As you put down your forks post-Thanks- giving, it is time to pick up your pitchforks to go Black Friday shopping, just like the way it was in the th century. From restless shoppers to angry retail sales- persons, to sacri cing sleep – Black Friday is one of the most anticipated shopping days across the world. And while it is a day for many to get a haul of items for a discounted rate, the history remains dark, with many shoppers dreading inevitable injuries, or worse – death. That being said, here is a closer look at the history of Black Friday. A short history lesson On Friday, September 4, 869, the US stock market crashed as two notorious Wall Street financiers, Jay Gould and Jim Fisk, worked together to buy as much as they could of the nation’s gold. The two wanted to sell the gold for a pro t. However, when their conspiracy unravelled, it sent the stock market into free-fall, bankrupting almost everyone from Wall Street giants to farm- ers. The e ect of this was felt on the US economy for years. According to American television network History, “Fisk and Gould kept mum, but by that point, they personally owned a combined $6 m Black Friday: The dark history behind the world’s biggest shopping season The term ‘Black Friday’ went through constant evolution of meaning, before it became known as a day of shopping for discounted rates $17BN The projected value of the UAE’s ecommerce market in 2025, according to Kearney Ecommerce It is estimated that more than one-third of consumers in the UAE bought a product or service using their smartphone at least once a week in gold – three times the amount of the public supply in New York.” It was during this time, when the whole US called the stock market crash a ‘Black Friday’. As time passed, Black Friday took on a new name around the 9 s in Philadelphia, among policemen. The police would often use the term to describe the chaos that would occur a day after Thanksgiving, when a massive mob of suburban shoppers and tourists arrived in the city, ahead of the annual Army-Navy football game that was held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The police would have to work extra-long shifts dealing with the crowd and tra c, adding to their exasperation of not being able to take a day o . Moreover, shoplifters would take advan- tage of the mayhem ensuing in retail stores, by stealing merchandise. By 96 , many in Philadelphia wanted to change the name from Black Friday to Big Friday, to remove negative connotations associated with it, however the new name failed to stick. Eventually by 98 , retailers reinvented the term to create a more positive impact on customers. “The result was the “red to black” concept of the holiday mentioned earlier, and the notion that the day after Thanksgiving marked the occasion when America’s stores BY SHARON BENJAMIN RETAI L |arabianbusiness.com 51 / BRAND VIEW T ahaluf is a joint venture between the Saudi Feder- ation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP) which seeks to build national and profes- sional capabilities in the fields of cyber security and programming, and Informa, the world’s leading live and on-demand business and consumer events company. Reinforced by the success of two award-winning events in the technology sector, including LEAP and Black Hat, Tahaluf will provide employment opportunities for KSA’s young population. KSA is cultivating an events industry which will not only create new jobs for the country’s young, talented, and digi- tally adept population, but also across the broader creative and digital economies, from communications and branding to digital marketing and digital product development. The the events industry in the kingdom is set to grow further, which will attract foreign investments and will pave the way for international companies to access the biggest market in the Middle East. Mike Champion, regional execu- tive vice president of Informa Markets, explains: “We are honoured to have extended our partnership with SAFCSP to create Tahaluf, and together we aim to create world-class, sustainable events in Saudi Arabia that will be an inter- national showcase for key sectors of the Saudi economy, as well as contrib- uting to a thriving events industry in the kingdom.” The rst events for Tahaluf Tahaluf will be launching events in strategically import- ant sectors in 2023 and 2024. Some of these launches will include the arti cial intelligence focused DeepFest from 6 to 9 February 2023; the food and hospitality event Feast from 4 to 6 November 2023; Cosmoprof Middle East and Cityscape Global from 10 to 13 September 2023, and CPhl Middle East from 15 to 17 January in 2024, amongst others. The objectives for Tahaluf Informa’s flagship events in KSA include LEAP, Black Hat, and Global Health Exhibition. Tahaluf operational teams will be comprised of Informa’s existing KSA management and scale up over the next five years to approx imately 200 employees. Tahaluf-run events are expected to attract around 500,000 visitors each year by 2028 while the Tahaluf Academy will provide young Saudi professionals the opportunity to gain hands-on training and international events experience and benefit from industry-recognised event profes sional accreditation programme. Faisal Al Khamisi, chairman of SAFCSP explains: “Saudi Arabia has hosted an expanding portfolio of global events in recent years, and now, through Tahaluf, SAFCSP is investing to further elevate the Saudi events industry and related creative and digital sectors.” Tahaluf’s commitment to transforming KSA into an events hub Working to build a portfolio of world-class experiences in KSA, Informa and SAFCSP’s new joint venture company Tahaluf will steer the kingdom into transforming into a global events hub to help achieve the Saudi Vision 2030 u Live experiences Tahaluf-run events are expected to attract around 500,000 visitors each year by 2028 u Joining forces Tahaluf, the Arabic word for ‘Alliance’, reflects the strength of the partnership between SAFCSP and Informa52 Vol. 23/12, December 2022 RETAI L | $4.8bn Total ecommerce sales in the UAE in 2021, according to Dubai Chamber of Commerce brands are making around this period. The importance of the White/Yellow Friday sales period to the UAE’s ecommerce retailers is evidenced in the fact that spending during that period largely outstripped that during the subsequent Ramadan and summer shopping cycles which this year saw spending in apps increase by a lower, but respectable 26 percent and 34 percent on Android and iOS respectively,” she says. Azari adds: “As our data shows, White/Yellow Friday has grown to become the most lucrative period annually for the retail industry, and increasingly, consumers are shopping for these sales on their smartphones.” While shoppers eagerly wait for discounted rates on their wish-listed merchandise, logistics management companies in the UAE prepare for a high volume of deliveries during the Black Friday shopping season as it is a challenging time. “Key challenges for logistics rms during peak shopping seasons, such as Black Friday, include scaling on-time deliveries, on-boarding and managing multiple logistics partners to increase serviceability, improving capacity plan- ning, and driving logistics operations cost-ef- fectively and eco-friendly,” Dubai-based logis- tics company Shipsy’s CEO and co-founder Soham Chokshi says. Logistics solution providers embrace smart technologies during the season, Chokshi says, adding that these include “advanced order allo- cation engine examines cost, success rates, serviceability, and other factors to automate the selection of third-party logistics and own eet. The system maps vehicle and consignment data and assigns delivery tasks to drivers using simi- lar reasoning.” nally turned a pro t,” History said. The phrase ‘red to black’ means if someone is ‘in the red’, they are in debt or losing money, whereas if they are ‘in the black’, they are solvent or accumulat- ing money. The darkness behind Black Friday was soon forgotten, until now. Shop more or risk death? Adding on to the drama that surrounds this erratic day, there is almost always one report every year that tells of a shopper getting injured or killed in a dystopian, chaotic situation in a shopping mall. According to data by Black Friday Death Count, there have been at least 17 deaths and 125 injuries so far in the USA from 2006. The cause of this? Stampedes, mall shootings and ghts. Shoppers who misbehave by rushing the door or ghting over a toy car, often experience “feelings of inequality,” according to a 2011 study titled ‘A Perfect Storm for Consumer Misbehavior: Shopping on Black Friday’ by Sharron Lennon, a professor in the merchan- dising programme at Indiana University. Lennon’s study said that when a store’s sale prices weren’t honoured, Black Friday shoppers were most likely to misbehave. These include being denied an early bird discount at checkout even though they were in line before the sale expired, or failing to obtain an advertised item or failing to receive the discounts they expected. Eventually, online shopping took the front seat, with people eagerly waiting for ‘Cyber Monday’ rather than Black Friday. Cyber Monday begins the following Monday after Thanksgiving, and is three days after Black Friday. And, the Middle East is home to many who eagerly wait for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. A mellow Black Friday in the Middle East “While ‘Black Friday’ has long been an estab- lished event in the retail calendar of the West, its Middle East equivalent is a far more recent phenomenon,” US-based analytics company AppsFlyer’s ecommerce industry lead Sue Azari tells Arabian Business. According to Azari, the Middle East goes by ‘White Friday’, which was originally coined by Souq.com in 2014. Variants such as Noon’s ‘Yellow Friday’ has also “steadily gained momen- tum – both with online as well as traditional retailers,” Azari says. “The signi cance of this shopping event is evident in the marketing investments that Consumer goods Retail continues to be a booming sector in Dubai, accounting for 30 percent of UAE’s $71bn total sales in 2021 Mobile marketer Sue Azari, AppsFlyer’s ecommerce industry lead Logistics platform Soham Chokshi, CEO and co-founder of Shipsyarabianbusiness.com 53 / SPOTLIGHT T he burgeoning role of the aesthetics sector As the cosmetic surgery sector in KSA continues to grow exponentially, cosmetic procedures and aesthetic injectables including Botox injections, lipo- suction, llers, rhinoplasty, and laser hair removal have become not only more common but accepted, Dr Iman Sadik, aesthetics experts in KSA. And as KSA climbs the trajectory toward achieving Vision 2030, the kingdom is leveraging its investment power to create a more diverse and sustainable economy, which includes the aesthetics segment. Increasing acceptance in KSA society According to an online article Plastic and Reconstruc- tive Surgery — Global Open, social media platforms are imperative in the promotion of cosmetic surgery. Globally, McKinsey research has demonstrated that the aesthetics injectables market could expand by 12 to 14 percent a year over the next ve years if manufacturers and providers leverage these underlying trends. Some of the reasons cited for the expansion of the aesthetics injectables market includes expanded access to med spas and aesthetic centres; an increased consumer purchasing power; shifting consumer attitudes about healthy aging, wellness, and beauty which have helped to boost the acceptance of aesthetics. “Also, increased awareness from social media trends, which is stimulating demand from new patient segments, including millennials and men,” says Dr Sadik. The importance of digitisation Cosmetic surgery is rapidly gaining popularity among Saudi people, fuelled by Western in uences and the pres- sure to look good on social media. According to Dr Sadik, as the growing demand for inva- sive and non-invasive procedures is leading to a hugely pro table cosmetic market across the Middle East, KSA represents one of the biggest markets for clients seeking out aesthetic procedures. “This is driven by the decreasing cultural stigma of aesthetic enhancements among Saudi women, while Insta- gram and other types of social media platforms are the impetus for this increase amongst millennials,” she says. Helping to boost the Saudisation agenda As KSA becomes a potential hub for aesthetic treatments, the next-generation products and procedures are contin- ually expanding the range of o erings and making greater inroads into demographic groups, for example, in the case of dermal llers and biostimulators. Globally, the gures are promising, says Dr Sadik. She adds: “An October 2021 McKinsey survey of 10,000 consumers and 500 health care practitioners in the main aesthetic markets, reveal that growth could be as high as 14 percent.” Aligned with Saudi Vision 2030, the transformation in digital technology will continue to bolster the aesthetics sector’s development and growth due to high level commit- ment, public-private investments, and marketing trends. Cosmetic treatments help drive Saudi economic diversity The consumer-driven investment value of the cosmetic treatments industry plays a key role in KSA’s economic diversi cation and growth innovations, reveals aesthetics expert Dr Iman Sadik, as cosmetic procedures become increasingly accepted in the kingdom u Emerging trends Dr Sadik believes digital technology will continue to bolster the aesthetics sector’s development in the regionSUSTAI NABILITY | 54 Vol. 23/12 December 2022 With the COP27 (Conference of the Parties) climate change summit having drawn to a close, all eyes are on the MENA region as the world commits to combatting climate change. With the UAE gearing up to host COP28 a year from now in November 2023, marking a further global stocktake of climate progress since the Paris Agreement, the nation is focused on delivering its target to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. This promise, under the UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative, will make the Emirates the first Middle East and North Africa (MENA) nation to be carbon neutral. As a global challenge that requires global solutions, the fight against climate change continues to intensify. UAE railway will help in the ongoing battle against climate change Etihad Rail is committed to driving forward practical solutions within the public and private sectors to fast-track the move towards a green economy, support positive impact, achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals and deliver upon the vision of a better future for all Mobility Etihad Rail is one of the largest infrastructure projects in the UAE and in the GCC region BY ADHRAA AL MANSOORI, HEAD OF REGULATIONS AND POLICIES DEPARTMENT, ETIHAD RAILarabianbusiness.com 55 | SUSTAINABILITY With science showing that climate change is moving faster than we are, the 12-day conference will seek to amplify global e orts and reinforce collective actions as the world aims to achieve the UN Sustainable Develop- ment Goals (SDGS) of ensuring that ‘no one is left behind’. The vision of a carbon neutral future Across the world, governments have set ambitious plans and established carbon neutrality targets in line with the Paris Agreement, whilst building new strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as solutions to build resilience to the impacts. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, governments are incorporating targets towards net zero within their country visions. In line with the UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative, the UAE will host COP 28 in November 2023 at Expo City, the legacy district of the six-month Expo 2020, which shares similar objectives to the conference – achiev- ing sustainability and delivering international action as essential steps towards facing global challenges. The role of the transport and logistics industry in enabling positive change One signi cant contributor to green- house gas output is the transportation and logistics industry, which accounts for almost a quarter (24 percent) of global CO2 emissions. Yet whilst companies within this sector have a significant role to play in driving economic growth, it is a challenging sector to decarbonise, particularly for developed countries, many of which are firmly locked into high-carbon infrastructures and lifestyles. As economies and populations grow, so does the demand for goods and the desire to travel. With a high reliance on certain modes of transport that produce higher carbon emissions, such as road trucks and air transport, exploring other methods of transport can help drive positive change. As an example, companies transporting goods for long distances through road Putting sustainability at the fore- front, Etihad Rail is building a compre- hensive infrastructure and transpor- tation ecosystem that will improve the efficiency of freight movement and provide integrated transportation and logistics solutions across the UAE and wider region, thus reducing the carbon footprint of freight and supporting the UAE’s sustainability targets. In fact, the rail network can contribute to an overall reduction in CO2 by 21 percent per year in 2050, while reducing pollution, lowering fuel and maintenance costs, and increasing road safety and security. Aligned with the National Climate Change Plan of the UAE 2017–2050 and the Abu Dhabi Transportation Mobil- ity Management Strategy, Etihad Rail is focused on strengthening and supporting the UAE’s economic, social and environmental development, and supporting the UAE’s commitment to achieving the UNSDGs and contribut- ing towards the UAE’s NetZero 2050 strategic initiative. The journey to net zero With the climate crisis impacting the world in a myriad of ways, everyone across the world – from nations to business leaders, to individuals – is seeking ways to reduce carbon emis- sions. Small steps can lead to big changes, but practical solutions need to be implemented now. As one of the most significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, the trans- port and logistics industry has a huge role to play, and projects such as Etihad Rail are leading this change. As we count down to COP28 in the UAE next year, public and private sectors must unite to play a vital role in reducing emissions, whilst imple- menting robust policies which support long-term sustainable development goals and ensure a seamless transition to net zero. Only then will practical solutions be implemented which miti- gate the impacts of climate change, but also unlock new opportunities to transform the fortunes of future generations and guaranteeing that no one is left behind. Solutions Al Mansoori says exploring other methods of transport can help drive positive change 1,200KM Etihad Rail’s network that will extend across the UAE Public and private sectors must unite to play a vital role in reducing emissions, whilst implementing robust policies which support long-term sustainable development goals trucks, could switch to trains, with one fully loaded train being equivalent to taking 300 trucks off the road, producing lower CO2 emissions to transport the same tonnage. The rail network that is leading the charge in the UAE A transportation and logistics project making a positive impact in the sector is Etihad Rail, one of the largest infra- structure projects in the UAE and in the GCC region - providing a state-of- the-art passenger and cargo railway network that will transform the face of the UAE logistics sector.IND USTRY | 56 Vol. 23/12, December 2022 carbon emissions by . “Our study reiterates the crucial importance of increasing the repre- sentation of women in boardrooms in driving corporate performance along with accelerating capabilities to ght against climate change. With COP 7 and 8 taking place in the MENA region, it is important that all stakeholders collaborate and formu- late policies that encourage diver- sity,” APICORP director of corporate communications and outreach Raeda Al Sarayreh said. “Despite commendable initiatives around gender diversity in the MENA region, industry data suggests that over $ 7 bn is lost annually due to legal and social barriers that exist for women’s access to jobs and they are often excluded from many high-level government and corporate discus- sions on climate related issues,” the study said. Women leaders key to Middle East climate change battle Female investors and policymakers on the corporate and public level are twice as likely to consider ESG investing when compared to men, a study reveals Empowering women The APICORP study reiterates the crucial importance of increasing the representation of women in boardrooms in driving corporate performance SUSTAI NABILITY | BY ARABIAN BUSINESS STAFF Anew study by Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP) in collaboration with % Club, The American Univer- sity in Cairo (AUC) and Arabian Busi- ness has revealed that the inclusion for female representation in organi- sations is essential to meet net zero It is important that all stakeholders collaborate and formulate policies that encourage diversity arabianbusiness.com 57 $575BN+ The annual loss due to legal and social barriers that exist for women’s access to jobs | SUSTAINABILITY According to the study, female investors and policymakers on the corporate and public level are twice as likely to consider ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance) investing when compared to men. The presence of women in conser- vation and natural resource manage- ment led to “stricter and more sustainable extraction rules, greater compliance, more transparency and accountability, and better conflict resolution,” as per a review of 15 stud- ies conducted across the world. As per the study, women, girls and marginalised communities are Leader ENGIE CEO Catherine MacGregor Communicator APICORP director Raeda Al Sarayreh Gender equality Founder of the Women on Boards Observatory Dr Ghada Howaidy Mentor Founder of 30% Club MENA Farah Foustok significantly impacted by climate change. Due to this, they must be involved in the “design and imple- mentation of climate response actions to ensure the equal sharing of bene ts.” The UAE government taken conscious steps to promote gender equality and access of women to lead- ership roles. As of now, about 53 percent of the UAE’s total workforce include women, with two-thirds of government jobs held by women. Additionally, in the government, a third of the portfolios are with women. “Diverse perspectives and ways of thinking are necessary to face the complexity and instability of the current world. We need all talents and not only half of the population to succeed in the fight towards a sustainable economy,” ENGIE CEO Catherine MacGregor said. The same sentiment echoed in American University in Cairo’s associ- ate dean executive education, and founder of the Women on Boards Observatory Dr Ghada Howaidy, who said: “Diversity is important because it means that we would look at issues such as ESG with a di erent perspec- tive. A diverse boardroom would be better equipped to face challenges thrown by climate change or other risks.” According to the study, “networking groups are playing an inspiring role in empowering women and encouraging them to have a vision for their success. Similarly offering women access to mentorship programmes can help pave their path towards career growth.” “We believe in identifying the need for mentorship and in having female mentors to help accelerate the personal and professional development of our young female workforce,” founder of 30% Club MENA and CEO of Lazard Asset Management GCC Farah Foustok said. Diverse perspectives and ways of thinking are necessary to face the complexity and instability of the current world 58 Vol. 23/12 December 2022 pancy levels of hotels reaching 72.3 percent in October 2022, hitting the highest levels for any month since March of the same year, according to STR. As the country moves forward at a pace faster than ever, Riyadh’s current supply of hotel rooms will increase tenfold in the next eight years. With that in mind, development is at full speed with a high volume of infra- structure works and upgrades being done in major business hubs such as Riyadh and Jeddah, as well as a number of secondary cities. The hubs continue to receive more visitors as exhibitions and national conventions take place, accelerating the overall pace of business. In parallel, entertainment facilities and major food and beverage (F&B) companies have also established a solid presence to respond to the in ux of business trav- ellers as well as the increasingly sophisticated tastes and spending power of local population. This only rea rms the strong position business travel still has in the country, with these mature markets receiving massive levels of investments. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), Saudi Arabia will grow an aver- age of 11 percent annually over the next decade, making it the Middle East’s fastest-growing tourism market. Addi- tionally, recent data released by global hospitality insight provider, STR, revealed the Middle Eastern region’s pipeline activity is focused mainly in Saudi Arabia. In line with the kingdom’s vision to attract 100 million visitors by 2030, Saudi Arabia is leading the hotel construction market in the region with 39,070 rooms being built at the end of the second quarter of 2022, followed by UAE with 32,373 rooms. This development of the hospitality market for domestic and international tourism is forecast to cost approxi- mately $110bn, according to an anal- ysis by global property consultant Knight Frank. Rising business hubs The Saudi capital continues to register improved performance, with the occu- Saudi Arabia is a rising force for good in the global tourism market Vision 2030 is pushing the kingdom in its goal to become a global hub for tourism Booming industry Employment in Saudi Arabia’s travel and tourism sector could double over the next 10 years, creating more than 1.4 million jobs BY TATIANA VELLER, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF STIRLING HOSPITALITY ADVISORS HOSPITALITY |arabianbusiness.com 59 | HOSPITALITY Growing religious tourism Religious tourism in Saudi Arabia continues to see an upward trend. The Holy Cities (occupancy increase of 177 percent in Makkah and 122 percent in Madinah) indicated the greatest increase in YTD occupancy and ADR change in Q2 2022. This surge comes after the introduction of online Umrah visa services, which helped secure over 23 million Umrah permits in the rst half of 2022. With Vision 2030 aiming to host 30 million religious tourists by the end of the decade, this segment is only set to grow exponentially in the near future. This high level of interest makes the Holy Cities an attractive market for the world’s leading hotel groups and a great investment opportunity for the real estate players in the region. Evidently, to cater to the exponentially growing tourist numbers, the market supply in these locations will continue to grow, responding with increasing volumes in terms of room count. Innovating giga-projects With such energy and commitment to becoming one of the leading driving forces of travel and tourism, Saudi Arabia’s strong asset is the astonishing diversity it beholds with its vast land- scape across the country. From seaside resort locations and mountain retreats to heritage villages and artisanal sites, the kingdom possesses the ideal envi- ronment to transform and innovate. The mega-projects are mainly being developed where there is no infrastructure existent, and the reasons are manyfold. First and fore- most, it’s the desire to provide comfort and increase the living standards for the growing population, create jobs, and ensure the youth don’t leave the country. Today, the Kingdom puts forward a highly attractive job market for international expatriates and the local population. Employment in Saudi Arabia’s travel and tourism sector could double over the next 10 years, creating more than 1.4 million jobs, to reach almost 3 million employed within the sector by 2032, the WTTC forecasts. Most recently, the country won the bid to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games at NEOM. The futuristic approach to all this construction is astounding to the world, making the kingdom a space to watch. Furthermore, we are envisioning private developments to pop up around the bigger government-sponsored and led destinations, or closer to the cities, lling in the niches overlooked by the giants, or adding some creativity to the facilities and solutions o ered by the mega-projects. Shaping a new destination for discerning travellers Saudi Arabia is one of the largest coun- tries in the world, with an almost 40 million population, which is also amongst the youngest in the world. The median age is around 30 years, with a gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of close to $55,000, ranking in the top 30 in the world. The population is educated, well-informed with the help of all the modern-day technolo- gies, hungry for consumption, and has a lot of energy and some expendable income, making for the perfect recipe for having a great domestic market. It is a country rich in natural resources, with a government pushing the national agenda in innovation across technology, science, sustain- ability, culture, tourism and hospitality, creating valuable legislative framework and further stimulating the private sector’s investment as well as begin- ning to attract the foreign direct invest- ment (FDI) in growing numbers. The market is going from the phase of creating visions to building strate- gies, and taking it to the next level of tactical steps and implementation plans. Being deeply rooted in the desti- nation development and tourism and hospitality advisory sector, Stirling Hospitality Advisors holds a unique positioning and is currently working closely with governmental entities, family o ces and private investors in Saudi Arabia, assisting on various stages of several projects, ensuring the objectives of the destination or a proj- ect are achieved. Growth market Stirling Hospitality Advisors are currently working closely with partners in Saudi Arabia, Veller says $13BN The value of the NEOM mega project to be built in Tabuk Province in Northwestern Saudi Arabia Secondly, with such a wide array of choices amongst varied destinations, tourists will be encouraged to stay longer, and experience the wide variety of impressive activities. Third, but certainly not least, is the strive to create di erent hubs around the country, which will help cluster talent, and attract like-minded people for incubating synergetic communi- ties for innovation, sustainability, creativity, and research and develop- ment (R&D). The largest among these projects is NEOM with a $13bn investment, followed closely by the combined Red Sea Project and AMAALA presenting close to $9bn investment together, and others like Qiddiya, Diriyah Gate, and AlUla following close by. All these projects are looking at almost sci- levels of innovation and scientific advancements that will ultimately shape the future of tourism, as well as placemaking and urban development. Next >