CST, MWAN Partner to Achieve 90% E-Waste Recycling by 2040
CST's Strategy and Digital Sector Deputy Governor, Naif Sheshah, signed the MoU, while MWAN was represented by Planning and Development Vice President, Dr. Mohammad Alassem.
The partnership focuses on fostering local and international collaborations in e-waste recycling, facilitating knowledge exchange, and conducting research to support the circular economy. It also includes developing regulatory frameworks to streamline implementation in Saudi Arabia.
This initiative aligns with CST's commitment to sustainable environmental practices and digital waste reduction. Key programs include the 'Unified Charging Ports' initiative, which has reduced charger-related waste by over 15,000 tons annually, and the 'Recycle Your Device' campaign, launched in partnership with MWAN. The latter has collected and recycled more than 100,000 devices, benefiting over 120 schools and charities while reducing e-waste by over 240 tons.
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Arab News
10-08-2025
- Arab News
The great corridor conundrum
It is a truth universally acknowledged — or at least universally marketed — that the Middle East is once again poised to be the beating heart of global commerce. Enter the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, known as IMEC, a vision unveiled in September 2023 with the flourish of a G20 communique and the optimism of a startup pitch deck. India, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the EU, France, Italy, Germany and the US all signed on, proclaiming IMEC not just as a trade route but as proof that geography in the 21st century can still be redrawn. The idea is seductive: a twin corridor network, one stretching from India to the Arabian Gulf, the other from the Gulf to Europe, sewn together by ports, railways and digital cables. In theory, the scheme could shave eight to 10 days off shipping times compared to the Suez route, reduce freight costs and serve as a 'values-based' counterweight to China's Belt and Road Initiative. In practice, however, bold lines on a map are the easy part; turning them into steel, concrete and functional customs regimes is where so many grand visions are lost. Early cost estimates place IMEC's price tag between $20 billion and $30 billion, a figure almost certain to rise once engineering, land acquisition and security needs are taken into account. The project began as an Indian initiative, later embraced by the EU and Saudi Arabia. Yet, unlike the Belt and Road Initiative or the International North-South Transport Corridor, India has not set up a dedicated implementing body, nor has it committed actual funding. That omission is more than a bureaucratic footnote: without clear governance and committed capital, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor risks becoming a PowerPoint concept rather than a functioning trade artery. Financing will almost certainly rely on India-EU partnerships, with Saudi Arabia and the US playing indispensable roles. Washington's stance is broadly positive, though it views IMEC through the lens of a larger strategic agenda tied to the Abraham Accords. For India, the calculus is more complex. A faster, more reliable route to Europe could boost exports, yet New Delhi's domestic infrastructure ambitions — from high-speed rail to renewable power grids — already stretch fiscal resources. Adding to the equation, President Donald Trump's recently announced 50 percent tariffs on certain Indian exports has introduced a strategic wrinkle: can a corridor partly championed by Washington truly offset the economic sting of US protectionism? The new corridor's backers frame it as a cleaner, more transparent alternative, but politics and geography are not easily tamed Dr. John Sfakianakis The IMEC plan enters a crowded field. The Belt and Road Initiative, since its launch in 2013, has channeled an estimated $1 trillion into more than 150 countries, financing everything from deep-water ports in Pakistan to railways in East Africa. The International North-South Transport Corridor is already moving goods across Eurasia and the Suez Canal — IMEC's implicit rival — still handles more than 12 percent of global trade and is investing heavily in capacity upgrades. The new corridor's backers frame it as a cleaner, more transparent alternative, but politics and geography are not easily tamed. European shippers may think twice if tensions with Iran escalate. India's commitment could waver if EU carbon tariffs trigger a deeper trade rift. For Greece, IMEC presents a more parochial contest: who gets to be the European gateway? The port of Piraeus is the obvious candidate, but it is majority-owned by a Chinese company, an awkward fact for a project marketed as a hedge against Beijing's influence. Thessaloniki might offer an alternative, yet both ports face the same structural flaw — an underdeveloped railway network with poor links to the Balkans and beyond. In the hard reality of freight logistics, ports are only as useful as the railways that feed them. Without a robust and interconnected backbone, the dream of containers rolling smoothly from Mumbai to Munich will remain stubbornly out of reach. Security risks loom just as large. The corridor skirts maritime zones where Iran has flexed its naval muscles more than once, while the overland legs could be vulnerable to cyberattacks, drone strikes and political unrest. The recent military conflicts in the Middle East have already slowed planning for the corridor, effectively 'freezing' parts of its development. The Red Sea's recent spate of security incidents has shown how quickly global supply chains can be thrown off course by a single attack. The Belt and Road Initiative has learned to build redundancy into its networks — alternative ports, backup lines, diversified shipping lanes — and IMEC will need to do the same if it hopes to withstand inevitable shocks. The economic logic is also not as clear-cut as its boosters suggest. Rail freight from India to Europe might be faster than sea, but it is more expensive — often 30 percent to 50 percent higher per container — and speed alone may not convince shippers to absorb the cost premium. Digital and energy links, another selling point of IMEC, may produce returns sooner, but they lack the visual and political symbolism of a freight train gliding across the desert. Clear governance structures, dependable funding and disciplined execution are what will make or break this project Dr. John Sfakianakis And yet, even in its current state, the corridor is a modest diplomatic success. It has brought India and the Gulf states closer, signaled Europe's willingness to invest in non-Chinese infrastructure and given Washington a convening role in a grouping that is neither a formal trade bloc nor a military alliance. But diplomacy alone cannot move freight. Clear governance structures, dependable funding and disciplined execution are what will make or break this project. The real challenge will be execution. Coordinating engineering standards, securing rights of way, harmonizing customs rules and aligning digital protocols will require a level of bureaucratic choreography that even Brussels might find daunting. The oft-cited 'phased implementation' risks becoming a euphemism for indefinite delay and, unless each segment of the corridor can operate viably on its own, the entire chain could stall. The Belt and Road Initiative's history offers no shortage of cautionary tales: gleaming ports that sit empty, railway lines mired in debt and high-profile launches followed by quiet decay. IMEC's planners would do well to study these examples — and place less emphasis on ribbon-cutting ceremonies and more on the unglamorous business of making infrastructure work in practice. So, can IMEC deliver? Possibly — but only if it exchanges vision statements for procurement schedules, diplomatic handshakes for binding contracts and high-level endorsements for on-the-ground problem solving. The world has no shortage of trade corridors. What it lacks are corridors that deliver on their promises. IMEC has the map, the mandate and the moment. Whether it has the machinery — and the mettle — remains the billion-dollar question. • Dr. John Sfakianakis is chief economist at the Gulf Research Center.
Arab News
05-08-2025
- Arab News
9 teams make finals of Jameel Deep Tech Initiative startup contest
RIYADH: Nine teams have advanced to the finals of the SR2.25 million ($600,000) Jameel Deep Tech Initiative startup competition, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday. The teams that advanced are Plansulin, Queed, iRama, Quantasphere Ltd., Advanced Future Technology, Novo Genomics, Larimar, Visi Ground, and iBoat. The King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology hosted the semifinal stage at its Academy 32 facility, the SPA reported. The event was set up to support 30 teams in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics to transform research projects into market-ready startups. Jameel, organized by StartSmart Entrepreneurship Center, and implemented through partnerships with KACST, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, and the Research, Development and Innovation Authority. It targets deep tech innovations in the health, energy, environment and climate sectors, aligning with Saudi Vision 2030 objectives to empower research-based startups. The semifinal event featured sector-specific training sessions, interactive product development challenges within fixed timeframes, cross-disciplinary workshops and business model refinement exercises. Participants received specialized mentorship to overcome technical and commercial hurdles. Radwan Noor, KACST's general manager of Venture Attraction, said in a statement that they are enabling researchers to convert scientific outputs into viable tech companies with tangible market impact. KACST supports this through scientific expertise, mentorship, judging, and access to laboratories and research infrastructure. He said several participating startups graduated from KACST's Ventures Program, demonstrating successful pathways from national labs to market solutions. Mohammed Abdulghaffar, senior general manager at Community Jameel, added that this collaboration empowers scientists and innovators to commercialize research.
Saudi Gazette
04-08-2025
- Saudi Gazette
Saudi economy praised by IMF for resilience, diversification progress
Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The International Monetary Fund's Executive Board has commended Saudi Arabia's strong economic performance, resilience to external shocks, and success in advancing diversification strategies, saying the Kingdom's medium-term outlook remains robust despite global uncertainty and weaker commodity prices. In its concluding statement following the 2025 Article IV consultations, the IMF said Saudi Arabia's non-oil sector is driving growth, inflation remains contained, and unemployment among Saudi nationals fell to a record low of 7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024. The IMF attributed the gains to fiscal discipline, structural reforms, and continued investment under Vision 2030, which have helped balance fiscal stability with economic transformation goals. Non-oil GDP expanded 4.5 percent in 2024, led by retail, hospitality, and construction, while oil GDP contracted 4.4 percent due to OPEC+ production cuts, resulting in overall GDP growth of 2 percent. The current account shifted from a 2.9 percent surplus to a 0.5 percent deficit, financed by external borrowing and reduced foreign asset accumulation. Saudi foreign reserves remain strong at $415 billion, covering 187 percent of the IMF's reserve adequacy metric. The IMF raised its growth forecast for Saudi Arabia to 3.6 percent in 2025 from 3 percent in April, projecting real GDP to accelerate to 3.9 percent by 2026 as oil output gradually recovers. Non-oil growth is expected to exceed 3.5 percent over the medium term, supported by Vision 2030 projects and major international events. While warning of risks from weaker oil demand, lower government spending, or regional security tensions, the IMF said upside potential exists if oil production rises or additional Vision 2030 investments are made. Board directors praised progress in strengthening public finance institutions, the shift to five-year medium-term fiscal planning, and proactive expenditure ceilings through 2030. They encouraged counter-cyclical fiscal policy to support growth and welcomed the resilience of the banking sector, which remains well-capitalized and profitable with non-performing loans at 1.2 percent in 2024. The report also highlighted preparations for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, estimating $26 billion in infrastructure investment that could contribute $9–14 billion to GDP, and noted a modernized investment law ensuring equal treatment for domestic and foreign investors. IMF directors called Saudi Arabia's structural reforms since 2016 'impressive,' citing improved regulatory and business environments, rising female workforce participation, and human capital development. They urged continued efforts to attract private investment and diversify the economy regardless of oil price fluctuations. The IMF also acknowledged the Kingdom's regional leadership and active participation in multilateral forums, including the G20, stressing its role in addressing global challenges.
