x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

The 966

THE 966 explores the news, people, and issues that define the Kingdom through conversations and interviews with business leaders, officials, and newsmakers. THE 966 goes beyond the headlines and tackles the complex U.S.-Saudi relationship, discussing topics like oil and energy, security and defense, Saudi culture and society, and much more.

news news commentary

All Episodes

118:51

Delays in some Vision 2030 projects (and why that's...

The 966 ·

2023/12/15

There's so much that has happened in Saudi Arabia since The 966's last full, normal-format episode. The hosts are back in their normal seats and with a special guest, Dr. Basma Al-Buhairan, Managing Director for the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR), who joins The 966 to talk about tech adoption and the Center's role in enabling Vision 2030's success. Before the conversation, the hosts discuss some key projects for Vision 2030 being delayed, as reported in Bloomberg, and

en

41:48

Hevolution's Launch in Riyadh with HRH Dr. Haya Bint...

The 966 ·

2023/12/08

The 966 Podcast features a special episode this week for episode 114 with an exclusive, live duo of conversations, first with HRH Dr. Haya Bint Khaled Bin Bandar Al-Saud, Vice President of Organizational Strategy and Development for the Hevolution Foundation, and then with Hevolution's CEO, Dr. Mehmood Khan. Lucien and Richard recorded conversations with top Hevolution officials after the launch of Hevolution's "Global Healthspan Summit" in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event was the

en

49:28

The future of Fintech and Blockchain with Amit...

The 966 ·

2023/11/24

Amit Sharma, CEO and Founder of FinClusive Capital, a hybrid fin-/reg-tech company based in the United States, joins The 966 to talk digital banking, fintech and more. Finclusive, headquartered in New York, New York, is a global compliance, digital identity and payments platform for a new era of financial services. The 966 talks about the sector, FinClusive's approach to streamline services for clients, and the rise of the sector in Saudi Arabia.

en

78:47

An exclusive interview with Dr. Mehmood Khan,...

The 966 ·

2023/11/18

The 966 speaks with Dr. Mehmood Khan, CEO of Saudi Arabia’s Hevolution Foundation, a global non-profit revolutionizing the healthspan field launched by Royal Decree and chaired by HRH the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Dr. Khan shares his journey, Hevolution’s vision and insights into how he is working to build the organization’s operations from the ground up. The 966’s conversation with Dr. Khan takes place ahead of Hevolution’s inaugural Global Healthspan Summit on Nov. 29-30 in

en

89:52

The Saudi economy and government spending with former...

The 966 ·

2023/11/10

Tim Callen, ex-IMF Mission Chief to Saudi Arabia and Visiting Fellow at AGSIW, joins The 966 to discuss Saudi Arabia’s budget, government spending, and more. Tim's most recent piece for AGSIW discusses how increased spending in Saudi Arabia raises risks to the Saudi budget. The hosts take advantage of Tim's extensive experience and vast knowledge on how Saudi Arabia's budgeting and fiscal policy works. At the IMF, he was responsible for engagement with the government of Saudi Arabia and for

en

99:38

MasterCard's Maria Medvedeva joins The 966 to talk...

The 966 ·

2023/11/03

In Episode 110, Maria Medvedeva, Vice President, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain for MasterCard joins to discuss the company’s KSA strategy, fintech, payments, innovation, and her experiences living and working in a changing and evolving Saudi Arabia. Maria, based in Riyadh with her family, is responsible for Mastercard's growth strategy and delivering innovative payment experiences for consumers and merchants.Before the discussion with Maria, the hosts discuss Richard’s One Big Thing, which is

en

108:23

Talking with Mohammed Ghazi and Abdulhadi Azouz, the...

The 966 ·

2023/10/27

Chances are if you’ve seen any of the high-quality, professionally-produced promotional videos from Saudi government authorities or leading Saudi companies anywhere online, you've seen some incredible drone footage of Saudi Arabia. The 966 welcomes on to the program for Episode 109 Mohammed Ghazi and Abdulhadi Azouz from the aerial drone production company AZAerials, which films many of these amazing shots for high-profile public and private sector entities including the Ministry of

en

104:02

Discussing Saudi Arabia's Regional HQ program with...

The 966 ·

2023/10/20

In episode 108, Mansour El-Zahab and Zeynep Kösereisoğlu from Frontierview, a leading market intelligence and research company, join The 966 to discuss Saudi Arabia’s Regional HQ program (commonly referred to as the "RHQ" program) and dive into some of the legal and practical details ahead of the effective date of the program starting in 2024. The RHQ program is the requirement that companies seeking to contract with the Saudi government or its affiliates must have their regional

en

60:19

What the Israel-Hamas War Means for Saudi Arabia and...

The 966 ·

2023/10/13

Hamas' horrific and stunning attack in Israel last week has upended the status quo in the region. With Israel now retaliating in Gaza, bombing an already desperate populace in the Gaza strip, leaving hundreds of thousands of people homeless there, and with thousands dead and injured on both sides, the war has thrown the Levant into crisis and threatens to spillover into a wider conflict in the Middle East. The deal that was reportedly close to completion between Saudi Arabia and Israel,

en

76:30

The Growing Size and Role of the Public Investment...

The 966 ·

2023/10/06

Dr. Robert Mogielnicki, Senior Resident Scholar at The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington and professorial lecturer at George Washington University joins The 966 to discuss the growing size and role of the Kingdom's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF). Robert has previously characterized the PIF as, “screaming onto the scene” with an “everything, everywhere, all-at-once investment approach.” The 966 hosts dive into that, and many other PIF related topics and

en

107:29

Discussing the Venture Capital ecosystem in Saudi...

The 966 ·

2023/09/29

Episode 105! Amjad Ahmad, a leading venture capitalist and seasoned investment professional with extensive experience in VC and private equity in emerging markets, joins The 966. Amjad discusses the VC ecosystem in Saudi Arabia, the MENA region, and globally today. In addition to over two decades of experience investing in the region, Amjad is also chairman and founding director of the EmpowerME initiative at the Atlantic Council, a program which empowers entrepreneurs, women, and the

en

80:14

The CEO of KAFD, Riyadh's financial district, Gautam...

The 966 ·

2023/09/22

Gautam Sashittal, the CEO of Riyadh's financial district that has redefined Riyadh’s skyline and is the city’s most sought-after business address and lifestyle destination, joins The 966 podcast. The district is home to many of Saudi Arabia’s largest companies and regional headquarters of international corporations doing business in the region, as well as the Kingdom’s finest restaurants and real estate. KAFD is now owned by Saudi Arabia’s PIF whose headquarters, the PIF tower, is now

en

89:52

King Salman's pivotal role in Saudi Arabia's past and...

The 966 ·

2023/09/15

Author David Rundell joins to discuss King Salman's incredible impact on Saudi Arabia. King Salman has played an enormously pivotal role for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the development of the modern Saudi state. Before the conversation, the hosts discuss an archaeology summit taking place in Al Ula this week, an interesting and exciting new investment made by Saudi Aramco's VC arm, Wa'ed, into a company that is building new homes using 3D printing, and much more as always in the

en

86:57

Understanding Vision 2030's impact on media...

The 966 ·

2023/09/08

Episode 102! Rawan Hashem from the data insights firm Carma joins The 966 to discuss evolving media perspectives of Saudi Arabia and Vision 2030. Before the conversation, the hosts discuss the new organization in Saudi Arabia, called Hevolution, and its $1 billion mission to advance humanity's fight against aging based on a recent Wall Street Journal article from this week. Then the hosts discuss the recent data out on Saudi Arabia's tourism industry which show the Kingdom's important new

en

101:40

Saudi giga-projects and construction with MEED editor...

The 966 ·

2023/09/01

Colin Foreman, journalist and editor for the Middle East Economic Digest (MEED), joins The 966 to talk about construction, giga-projects, and Saudi Arabia's economic development. MEED is a leading resource for executives with a highly-respected publication for the MENA region. Before the conversation with Colin, the hosts discuss the latest with the Saudi Pro League and dispelling some myths and facts about the growing football league in the Kingdom, an update on the New Murraba project in

en

116:57

Episode 100! Saudi Arabia gets a BRICS invite, a...

The 966 ·

2023/08/25

Nadia Maqbool Al-Lawatiya, a leading Riyadh-based architect and urban designer who is closely familiar with Salmani architecture, joins The 966 to share her journey and discuss some of the themes and thinking behind the new style emerging from Saudi Arabia. Nadia listened to a previous episode of The 966 on Salmani architecture and joins for this episode to discuss the style and answer some questions from the hosts. We learn about the underlying thinking and strategic vision behind the

en

115:10

Princess Mashael bint Saud Al Shalan joins The 966,...

The 966 ·

2023/08/18

Episode 99! Princess Mashael bint Saud Al-Shalan, Founding Partner, Aeon Strategy, joins The 966 to discuss her work heading one of the leading consultancies in Saudi Arabia in the field of sustainability. Aeon Strategy played a key role in support of the Kingdom's Net-Zero targets under the Saudi Green Initiative and the Circular Carbon Economy Framework. The company aims to lead Saudi Arabia towards a sustainable future by designing and scaling pioneering, science-backed, researched based

en

123:15

More on Saudi-Israel normalization reports, Lucid's...

The 966 ·

2023/08/11

Episode 98! Dr. Bader Al-Saif, founding President at Al-Saif Consulting and Assistant Professor at Kuwait University joins The 966 to talk about Saudi Arabia as an emerging economic and diplomatic power in a changing region. Al-Saif is also a visiting researcher at Georgetown University, where he completed his PHD in history, and a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington (AGISW). Al-Saif is frequently quoted in the largest publications and media outlets around

en

121:49

Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and former...

The 966 ·

2023/08/04

American journalist, author, media executive, and pulitzer prize winner Karen Elliott House joins The 966. Elliott House discusses her recent work, a paper entitled 'Saudi First', for the Belfer Center at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, as well as her experiences traveling to and from Saudi Arabia for decades and her views on Saudi Arabia as an emerging regional power. Elliott House has served as publisher of The Wall Street Journal, former senior vice president of Dow Jones, and on

en

109:48

PepsiCo Middle East CEO Aamer Sheikh joins The 966,...

The 966 ·

2023/07/28

Episode 96! The 966 speaks with PepsiCo Middle East CEO Aamer Sheikh for a conversation about the company's strategy to plug into Vision 2030's opportunities and continue to stay on top as the number one food and beverage brand in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Mr. Sheikh, who is Pakistani-American and grew up in the United States, shares his story and how he rose to the top position for the company in the Middle East region. The PepsiCo MENA CEO also discusses how he works to position

en

135 results

Similar Podcasts

Expres Ráno

Expres FM

PBS News Hour - Full Show

PBS News

CD Voice

China Daily

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report

Noa Levi

Jeffrey Epstein: The Coverup Chronicles

Bobby Capucci