تعزيز مكانة السعودية أنموذجاً عالمياً للسياسات الاقتصادية التحولية

The National Center for Competitiveness and the London Business School have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at developing academic content and case studies based on the reforms and initiatives implemented by the Kingdom in economic and developmental fields, and integrating them into the executive education curricula at the school, thereby enhancing the Kingdom's position as a leading model for transformative economic policies at the global academic level.

Today, the Minister of Commerce and Chairman of the National Center for Competitiveness, Dr. Majid Al-Qasabi, and the Dean of the London Business School, Professor Sergey Maratovich Guriev, participated in the signing ceremony held in the British capital, London.

During a meeting with the President of University College London, Dr. Michael James Spence, they discussed opportunities for collaboration to create joint programs and executive courses tailored for leaders in the Kingdom in the fields of innovation and entrepreneurship, in addition to starting training and capacity-building programs that include the participation of Saudi experts in executive programs in the United Kingdom, exploring the expansion of knowledge exchange programs, and enhancing research partnerships.

Al-Qasabi met yesterday with the Dean of the Business School at Imperial College London, Peter Todd, and the President of the London School of Economics and Political Science, Professor Larry Kramer. In both meetings, they discussed cooperation with Saudi educational institutions, particularly in the fields of entrepreneurship, small and medium-sized enterprises, linking Saudi startups with innovation centers and research incubators, and reviewing the possibility of benefiting from the qualitative expertise and knowledge that both schools possess to contribute to the transformation towards a knowledge-based economy. They also discussed cooperation in technical fields, artificial intelligence, and efforts to develop Saudi talents, as well as collaboration in applied research, in addition to hosting a number of Saudi students studying in the United Kingdom.

The meetings were part of the activities of a Saudi delegation that included officials from nine government agencies and 35 leaders from the business sector and major national companies, headed by the Minister of Commerce, who is also the Chairman of the Economic and Social Committee of the Saudi-British Strategic Partnership Council. The aim was to follow up on the progress of initiatives arising from the Council's committees, enhance relations in various priority economic sectors, and elevate the level of partnership between the two friendly countries.

The first day of the visit included the delegation's participation in a roundtable on Saudi-British sports cooperation in London, organized by the National Center for Competitiveness in collaboration with the UK Department for Business and Trade, to inform companies about the promising opportunities provided by the Kingdom's hosting of international sporting events, such as the 2034 World Cup.

The roundtable, which is part of the GREAT Futures initiative, discussed cooperation opportunities in supporting sectors for the sports sector such as technology, infrastructure and construction, facility operation, and planning and executing major events, in addition to a field visit to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, where the delegation reviewed the facilities and capabilities of the venues and their experience in hosting entertainment and sports events.

It is noteworthy that the participating entities in the visit include the Ministries of Commerce, Sports, Investment, Finance, the Supreme Authority for Hosting the World Cup 2034, the Public Investment Fund, the National Center for Competitiveness, the Saudi Business Center, the National Center for Privatization, and several major national companies specialized in the field of sports events, infrastructure, and media.