New futuristic cities built from scratch. Giga-projects. Major sports investments. Trillions in spending. An economy and society changing so quickly even locals sometimes can’t believe their eyes. Saudi Arabia is on a mission to change itself from a conservative society with an oil-dominated economy to a modern and open society with a diversified economy - and to become a global tourism destination. Such a transformation has never before been attempted, and the stakes for the Middle East - and the world - are high.
The TWENTY30 is a new media network and podcast that explores the seemingly endless dimensions of the social and economic transformations in Saudi Arabia, which few living outside the Kingdom can truly grasp. From the creator and co-host of The 966 Podcast comes a new platform that tackles the news, issues, challenges, and opportunities in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East region as it continues forward in a full-throttle effort to remake itself while the world watches. Featuring exclusive interviews, frank conversations, and in-depth topic exploration, The TWENTY30 is the first bi-weekly english program of its kind dedicated to uncovering and highlighting the road ahead for Saudi Arabia and the region and why it matters.
Hosted by Lucien Zeigler and Dr. Hanaa Almoaibed, The TWENTY30 is a new media network that will expand understanding of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East region through real conversations, research, and insights on a variety of platforms.
All content for The TWENTY30 is the property of Lucien Zeigler and Hanaa Almoaibed and is served directly from their servers
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New futuristic cities built from scratch. Giga-projects. Major sports investments. Trillions in spending. An economy and society changing so quickly even locals sometimes can’t believe their eyes. Saudi Arabia is on a mission to change itself from a conservative society with an oil-dominated economy to a modern and open society with a diversified economy - and to become a global tourism destination. Such a transformation has never before been attempted, and the stakes for the Middle East - and the world - are high.
The TWENTY30 is a new media network and podcast that explores the seemingly endless dimensions of the social and economic transformations in Saudi Arabia, which few living outside the Kingdom can truly grasp. From the creator and co-host of The 966 Podcast comes a new platform that tackles the news, issues, challenges, and opportunities in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East region as it continues forward in a full-throttle effort to remake itself while the world watches. Featuring exclusive interviews, frank conversations, and in-depth topic exploration, The TWENTY30 is the first bi-weekly english program of its kind dedicated to uncovering and highlighting the road ahead for Saudi Arabia and the region and why it matters.
Hosted by Lucien Zeigler and Dr. Hanaa Almoaibed, The TWENTY30 is a new media network that will expand understanding of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East region through real conversations, research, and insights on a variety of platforms.
How Saudi Arabia is building a national skills ecosystem to reshape its economy and elevate its global influence - and leaning on the power of cultural storytelling as it transforms itself.
In this show, Lucien leads a DEEPDIVE on the latest ”Giga Project” coming to Saudi Arabia: The monumental King Salman Gate project—Mecca’s 12 million m² transformation. The new designs and visuals released by authorities are impressive, but so too are the plans for heritage preservation. The move is a play to enhance religious tourism as part of Saudi’s economic diversification. The move also reflects the reality of Saudi Arabia as host to the largest annual human migration event on the planet for millions of followers of Islam, and to make that journey more inspirational, peaceful and safe for visitors to the Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia is now a leading market for education investment. In this conversation, Basma Bushnaq, Partner at PWC, discusses the evolving landscape of schools, the demand for quality teachers, and the future of education in Saudi Arabia and globally.
New laws and a series of regulations has made doing business in Saudi Arabia so much easier than before, and legal reforms have empowered women and redefined social issues for the better for citizens and residents.
Saudi Arabia’s transformative new real estate law opens doors for international ownership and is set to redefine the Kingdom’s property landscape and charm global investors with new opportunities. Faisal Durrani, partner and head of research for Knight Frank Middle East sits down with co-hosts Lucien and Hanaa to discuss the landmark new law, which allows foreign buyers to buy property in Saudi Arabia.
The hosts ask Faisal to break down what’s in this new law and speak to the impact the law might have on prices, foreign investment, and the potential for the new law to catapult Saudi Arabia toward becoming the world’s next hot real estate opportunity.
We’re so back! And so is Ghada Almuhanna Abalkhail, the TWENTY30’s cultural expert, who returns to the show to discuss her latest book series that explores the concept of the Saudi homeland through archival photographs.
Faisal Bin Homran, Chief Product Officer at the Esports World Cup Foundation, is at the forefront of a growing esports movement in Saudi Arabia and globally. In the ever-evolving world of gaming, Saudi Arabia is emerging as a major player, actively positioning itself as a global hub for esports. Faisal joins hosts Hanaa Almoaibed and Lucien Zeigler on the TWENTY30 for an exclusive conversation about his work overseeing what is now the world’s largest esports tournament held annually in Riyadh: the Esports World Cup.
President and Chairwoman of the Saudi Mixed Martial Arts Federation join co-hosts Hanaa and Lucien for an exclusive interview, shedding light on her journey from being the first Saudi woman certified as a boxing coach to holding prominent positions in international sports organizations and her new role as head of the Saudi MMA Federation
Charles Hallab, President and CEO of the US-Saudi Business Council, joins The TWENTY30 co-hosts Lucien Zeigler and Dr. Hanaa Almoaibed to react to the impact and importance of U.S. President Trump’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia.
The innovation landscape in Saudi Arabia just got a big boost on the back of news highlighting a significant increase in patent filings in Saudi Arabia, which has significant long-term economic implications and serves as a promising data point on the development and diversification of the Saudi economy.
Lucien leads a DEEPDIVE into the Vision 2030 report for 2024, released this week. Over the past year, several Vision 2030 targets have been reached ahead of schedule. Others have been exceeded entirely. Progress includes achievements in tourism, employment, and PIF’s gains, but the report also addresses areas needing improvement like FDI.
There are misconceptions about the Eastern Provinces’ progress and development, especially in relation to other areas of the Kingdom. In this Episode, the hosts address this head-on, and talk about how Saudi Arabia’s growth is not just limited to Riyadh.
In this episode, hosts Lucien and Hanaa take a moment at the start to celebrate the 50th episode milestone of the TWENTY30 Podcast. Now with 45,000+ subscribers, the hosts reflect a little on the journey so far while noting it is just the beginning. Dr. Hanaa leads a DEEPDIVE, with a discussion on the findings in the recently released the Global Youth Index 2024, which assesses youth development across 40 countries. They delve into Saudi Arabia’s performance in youth development, highlighting improvements in education and entrepreneurship.
In a landmark episode of The Twenty30 Podcast, co-hosts Lucien Zeigler and Dr. Hanaa Almoaibed sat down in person for an exclusive interview with Suliman Almazroua, CEO of Saudi Arabia’s National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLP), one of the 13 powerful ‘Vision Realization Programs’ identified as “the driving force behind Vision 2030.”
Mawhiba’s success is part of a broader effort to advance Saudi education as part of Vision 2030 - one that’s paying off. The hosts discuss the transformative changes in Saudi Arabia’s education system, the rise of universities, and the empowerment of youth as future leaders.
How far has Saudi come in the development of its entrepreneurship and tech ecosystem? Hussein Atar, a leading venture capitalist and tech influencer who has been on the ground floor of the movement in Saudi Arabia, discusses the significant progress and road ahead for Saudi Arabia’s goals of becoming a global technology powerhouse.
Well well well look who’s back! In episode 45 of The TWENTY30, the hosts catch up at the start to talk about the start of Ramadan, leading to a discussion about how the month typically changes lives, working hours, and of course, dining habits for Saudis. After the hosts catch up from a short break, Hanaa leads a DEEPDIVE into Saudi Arabia’s booming nonprofit sector, which is ahead of Vision 2030 targets and increasingly contributing to Saudi Arabia’s GDP.
Meet Omar AlMaeena and Safwan Modir, founders of RedSea Camel Company and stars of the hit Netflix series ’Camel Quest.’ Tired of their jobs and longing for something new, Omar and Safwan took a big leap in 2021, leaving their previous work in finance, entertainment and hospitality and founded a camel breeding farm in the largely-bucolic Qassim region of Saudi Arabia - not an easy leap for two guys from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia’s second largest city.
New futuristic cities built from scratch. Giga-projects. Major sports investments. Trillions in spending. An economy and society changing so quickly even locals sometimes can’t believe their eyes. Saudi Arabia is on a mission to change itself from a conservative society with an oil-dominated economy to a modern and open society with a diversified economy - and to become a global tourism destination. Such a transformation has never before been attempted, and the stakes for the Middle East - and the world - are high.
The TWENTY30 is a new media network and podcast that explores the seemingly endless dimensions of the social and economic transformations in Saudi Arabia, which few living outside the Kingdom can truly grasp. From the creator and co-host of The 966 Podcast comes a new platform that tackles the news, issues, challenges, and opportunities in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East region as it continues forward in a full-throttle effort to remake itself while the world watches. Featuring exclusive interviews, frank conversations, and in-depth topic exploration, The TWENTY30 is the first bi-weekly english program of its kind dedicated to uncovering and highlighting the road ahead for Saudi Arabia and the region and why it matters.
Hosted by Lucien Zeigler and Dr. Hanaa Almoaibed, The TWENTY30 is a new media network that will expand understanding of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East region through real conversations, research, and insights on a variety of platforms.
