50 executive summary theibcdaily The visionaries
“Syria, before the recent problems, had a terrific
creative sector. We need to get that back”
Renaissance man P
His Highness Prince Fahad al Saud Region: Saudi Arabia
Interview by Chris Forrester
rince Fahad is not your everyday type of Saudi prince. For example, he and his team helped translate
Facebook for Arab-speaking users, and he founded Na3M (New Arabic Media) as a games-focused incubator for online Arab entertainment. He is an international traveller, and has a passion for technology that stems from his childhood. “As a small child the first thing I would do with a new toy was to take it apart, to see how it worked,” he recalls. “And I haven’t changed. Just about everything in technology interests me. This is my first IBC and everyone had said such
good things about the event. I was just excited to be part of it. “My session’s focus was very much on the youth of the world. Obviously in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia young people are our future. But we also need to remember that while many of us look to Silicon Valley as a starting point for all things technological, the truth is that it is the young people of the world who are the new creatives. And this includes the Gulf region. Indeed, as well as a
generational shift, I believe the next five years will see a creative shift away from Silicon Valley.”
Prince Fahad says this is
where he tries to help with the tools and perhaps guidance for
young entrepreneurs who often have brilliant ideas but may not be in the best position to exploit them. “We need to do so much
more. We need to start teaching basic computer skills – and even application-writing skills – at much earlier ages. It is these core tools and understandings of the
technology – the taking apart, if you like – that will enable youngsters to know where they are going with an idea or concept.
“Specifically I try to focus on the Middle East. There have been plenty of headlines this past year or two about the Arab Spring, and how the youth of the Arab world have tapped into things like Facebook and YouTube and other social media to enter the political arena. This is fine, but I believe what we are seeing is a renaissance of new ideas for creativity, spreading to art, technology, to computing and the web. The average age
of Saudi Arabia’s citizens is just 25, and this new generation needs peer guidance, from other young people to help achieve their goals and ambitions.”
He points to the King Abdullah University of Science & Technology and the new Media City in Jeddah as institutional examples. “Their message is simple: ‘Through inspiration, discovery’ and this is a great model for us all,” he says. “In the next two to three years there will be more organised creativity coming out of Saudi Arabia.”
He suggests that the largest number of YouTube downloads in the world comes from Saudi Arabia. “We have a thirst for content, and we are creating new content, new ideas and new solutions. Our young people need some recognition and some steering in the right direction. And I am helping in that role.”
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