Work in progress is your monthly guide to the main highlights and development updates happening in Riyadh. Learn more about Vision 2030, ministry projects and how it impacts our lovely city.

SNOW CITY OPENS IN RIYADH

Snow in the middle of the desert? You bet! No need to fly out to get your winter feels, you can do it all year long just by heading out Othaim Mall in Rabwa. Within this latest entertainment attraction, you’ll get to ride snowmobiles, tube tracks and bumper cars on ice. We’re happy with just getting to build a snowman anytime we want, top that off with so many other activities and we are giving this a double, triple thumbs up! Snow City is just one of the many entertainment projects happening in the city. It will surely add to the goal of improving local tourism and yes, we encourage you to breakout your coats, now.

HIGHER INSTITUTE FOR PLASTIC FABRICATION (HIPF) ARMS SAUDIS WITH NEW SKILLS

While it has operated since 2007, HIPF is proving to be an integral component in the Kingdom’s drive to reduce unemployment rates. This training institute focuses on teaching and honing skills related to plastic manufacturing. Industrial centered vocational firms are still at this point, quite limited. As such, with 1,000 graduates as of writing, HIPF can be a platform to steadily introduce a stream of young Saudis to various industries that has yet to achieve a substantial level of localization.

UPDATE: The National Transformation Program’s target for reducing unemployment within the next five years is 11 to 7 percent.

TECH GIANT MICROSOFT SIGNS MoU FOR VISION 2030

In partnership with the government, Microsoft has agreed to help boost Saudi Arabia towards a strong digital, knowledge based and innovative future. Under the said memorandum, Microsoft will be training young Saudis to bolster human capital in addition to providing its technological expertise to transform the Kingdom into a digital society.

SAUDI PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND INVESTS $3.5 Billion in UBER

Considered to be the biggest single investment ever received by a private company, PIF’s decision to own 5 percent of UBER is deemed to be a signal of the progressive approach the government is undertaking. Funding startups, technology based ones at that is considered to be riskier than any of the previous investments the Kingdom has so far undertaken. However, if successful, we are looking at an economic strategy that can change the tech landscape the world over.