The 966

1:19: A slow-reveal of Richard's one big thing this week...but it involves the PMI and Saudi Arabia's economy. 6:02: One of the most interesting men in Saudi Arabia is Turki Al-Sheikh. According to Al-Sheikh's insta, he's written a horror film. The Cello is coming out in 2022, and stars academy award-winner Jememy Irons. Al-Sheikh shared the film’s poster in a Twitter post with the caption “2022.”...

1:18 - A discussion about Boeing's prospects in the Middle East and beyond with a recent issue of its commercial market outlook 3:48 - Saudi Arabia's golf scene is set to come alive with the reported announcement of a partnership with Greg Norman. Saudi Arabia is interested in golf. Regardless of what happens in the coming week, Saudi Arabia is building several new and potentially awesome golf cou...

Dress Code at the Jeddah Grand Prix? The Upcoming Formula One Grand Prix in Jeddah is December 5th, and a new dress code for the event is making the rounds on the internet. The dress code includes "no excessive makeup, no transparent clothing, no clothing which rests above the knee, no miniskirts, no backless dresses, nothing which shows straps, no tight clothing and no bikinis." Saudi may want to...

The 966 interviews Saudi Arabia's Lina Almaeena, who spent well over a decade leading the charge for women’s sports in Saudi Arabia after co-founding Jeddah United in 2006.  Almaeena then served on Saudi Arabia's top legislative advisory body, the Shura Council, and continues to work to advance women's empowerment in Saudi Arabia in line with Vision 2030's reforms.  After the launch of Vision 2030...

4:30 - Topic #1: This week, An Australian company called EV Metals Group Plc plans to invest $3 billion in Saudi Arabia, according to Bloomberg. The investment is a bet on the metals used in batteries for electric vehicles (EVs.)  9:08 - Topic #2: Electricity and Power demand in Saudi Arabia. Electricity demand in Saudi Arabia changing after the implementation of efficiency measures and energy pri...

0:15 --- Saudi Arabia keeps ranking high in Covid mitigation indices, recently ranking second for recovery from the Pandemic by Nikkei 2:49 ---  Saudi Arabian authorities have imposed a permanent ban on planting of palm trees - the symbol of Saudi Arabia - along roads as well as in parks and gardens across the Kingdom. This is part of measures to prevent the spread of the red palm weevil.  The pro...

What was it like to host the G20 in Saudi Arabia, and what was left behind? In 2020, Saudi Arabia became the first Arab nation to assume the G20 presidency. Hosting the G20 is a massive undertaking, involving close to two years of event planning, policy development and strategy, and much more. In the first feature-length interview for The 966, the hosts interview Abdullah AlHassan, who served as S...

3:00 - A Contemporary Art Biennale in Saudi Arabia 7:00 - The future of OPEC and oil in the global energy transition 17:30 - Lucid Air's New Car

In the first episode of THE 966, Richard Wilson and Lucien Zeigler discuss their "one big thing" this week in Saudi Arabia. Then the two hosts discuss the meaning behind Saudi Arabia's National Day, the dramatic increase in new residential mortgages in the Kingdom, and assessing U.S.-Saudi relations under President Biden so far. 

The 966 is a new podcast covering all things Saudi Arabia. In this introduction to the show, hosts Richard Wilson and Lucien Zeigler discuss the origins of The 966, why Saudi Arabia is strategically important and why it’s fortunes – good or bad – matter to the U.S. The 966 explores the news, people, and issues that actually matter for the Kingdom through weekly conversations and interviews with Sa...