DAVOS, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 21, 2026--
For economies to remain competitive in the future, they must prioritize investments in human capital, Her Royal Highness Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States of America, told the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2026.
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Speaking on a Saudi House panel, HRH commented: “Human capital today is the key driver if you want a competitive modern economy.”
She added: “If you empower people and you give them the space to lead, they will take that drive and they will deliver. And when you place the right people in the right place at the right time, absolute magic happens. The Kingdom is the place, we have the people, and the time is now.”
His Excellency Ahmed A. Alkhateeb, Minister of Tourism, said: “We set a 2030 goal of welcoming 100 million tourists annually. We reached that target seven years early, and since 2023 we have continued to exceed it annually along with sustained growth in tourist spend year-on-year.”
His Excellency Khalid A. Alfalih, Minister of Investment, commented: “Our FDI is 5X what it was before Saudi Vision 2030; our local investors are voting with their own money, local investment has doubled, and we have reached the level of China and India in terms of capital formation as a percent of GDP.”
His Excellency Mohammed A. Aljadaan, Minister of Finance, described how Saudi Vision 2030 has provided a blueprint for credible national transformation: “True reform is not measured by speed or early wins, but by whether it becomes permanent—changing how institutions and markets behave.”
His Excellency Bandar I. Alkhorayef, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, said youth is a resource in short supply in developed economies, adding that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is “blessed with its youth”.
His Excellency Faisal F. Alibrahim, Minister of Economy and Planning said: “Moving forward towards being more resilient and more sustainable, the private sector is playing a bigger role, a co-leading role; innovation and R&D are a bigger part of our economic activity, and we’re connecting and integrating with global markets.”
The Ministry of Economy and Planning announced that it will launch the SUSTAIN Platform in beta version in 2026 during a NextOn talk at Saudi House. SUSTAIN is an AI-enabled matchmaking partnership network designed to strengthen cross-sector collaboration and accelerate the delivery of sustainable development initiatives. The platform was developed in collaboration with WEF and Bain & Company.
The Quality of Life Program Center and UN-Habitat jointly announced the outcomes of the Quality of Life Initiative, a global platform that supports a people-centered approach to urban development.
SDM announced a partnership with Weill Cornell Medicine – Cornell University, called the Frontier Science for Human Health: A Saudi–U.S. Space Research Collaboration. The agreement focuses on advancing innovative space and computational biology technologies, with a focus on space research and human health missions.
Source:AETOSWire
Her Royal Highness Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States of America, speaks on human capital and youth empowerment during the opening Saudi House session at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 (Photo: AETOSWire)
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn't scoring the way he usually does, but the Oklahoma City Thunder are still winning the way they normally do.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA MVP, averaged 31.1 points during the regular season. In the Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers, he is averaging 20 points and taking only 14 shots per game.
Oklahoma City has still won the first two games by an average of 18 points. Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren each scored 22 points, and the defending champion Thunder beat the Lakers 125-107 on Thursday night.
Ajay Mitchell, starting in place of injured Jalen Williams, is averaging 19 points on 50% shooting in the series for Oklahoma City.
“I think the coaching staff does a good job at just getting all of us ready,” said Mitchell, a second-year guard. "And we have a lot of competitors. Like, everyone’s a competitor on our team. So every time the lights are bright, everyone’s ready to go.”
Holmgren is the leading scorer for the Thunder in the best-of-seven series with 23 points per game. The 2026 All-Star also is averaging 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks.
Jared McCain, a midseason acquisition from the Philadelphia 76ers, barely played in the first round against Phoenix but has averaged 15 points and made 8 of 10 3-pointers in the series.
“He goes in there, stays in character, stays aggressive," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "He’s going to shoot the next shot. He makes the right plays, plays inside the team. He competes defensively, has had good defensive possessions for us. And he was huge tonight. You need that in a playoff series.”
The Lakers again were without scoring champion Luka Doncic, who is out indefinitely with a strained left hamstring. They also were missing forward Jarred Vanderbilt, the reserve forward who dislocated the pinkie on his right hand during the second quarter of Game 1. The Lakers had three players finish with five fouls, limiting their aggressiveness late in the game.
Los Angeles guard Austin Reaves, who struggled with his shot in Game 1, scored 31 points on 10-for-16 shooting in Game 2. LeBron James, coming off a 27-point effort in Game 1, followed that up with 23.
With the Lakers up 63-61 early in the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander got tied up with Reaves and was called for his fourth foul. Upon review, it was upgraded to a flagrant 1 for Gilgeous-Alexander's follow through. Oklahoma City's Alex Caruso was called for a technical foul as the situation was being sorted out.
Gilgeous-Alexander left the game with the Lakers up 65-61, but the Thunder rallied and took control without him. On a fast break, Holmgren found a trailing Jaylin Williams, who hit a 3-pointer and was fouled. His free throw put the Thunder up 85-74.
The Thunder outscored the Lakers 32-15 while Gilgeous-Alexander was out in the third quarter to take a 93-80 lead into the fourth.
“It was amazing," Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They strung together stops, they’re playing the right way offensively and things are going their way. Full confidence in those guys. They know how to win basketball games. And we've proven that. They’ve proven that no matter who’s on the floor, they know how to get the job done. And they just did it again tonight."
The Lakers cut Oklahoma City's lead to five in the fourth quarter before the Thunder pulled away again.
Los Angeles will host Game 3 on Saturday.
“We just stuck with it,” Holmgren said. “It’s the game of basketball. It’s not always going to go your way. It’s about how you respond. And this team has proven many times that we know how to respond. And we did so tonight.”
This story has been corrected to show that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 20, not 19, points per game against the Lakers.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Oklahoma City Thunder's Chet Holmgren (7) shoots over Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves (15) in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell, front, works for a shot as Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves, rear, defends in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James stands on the court in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Oklahoma City Thunder Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket past Los Angeles Lakers' Deandre Ayton (5) and LeBron James, rear, in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) works to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
