Saudi Arabia Marks End of 1447 AH with Landmark Achievements and National Milestones

The year 1447 AH marked another remarkable chapter in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s development journey, reflecting achievements and progress across all sectors and at every level. These accomplishments have become a tangible and visible reality, embodied in growth, stability, prosperity, and advancement resulting from the wise decisions and sound directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. Guided by an ambitious vision, the Kingdom has witnessed a significant transformation in its development path, bringing about comprehensive and measurable change in the economy, public services, infrastructure and logistics, and various aspects of social life, positioning Saudi Arabia as a focal point of global attention.

 As the Hijri year comes to a close, the Kingdom looks ahead to a new phase with the launch of the third and final stage of Saudi Vision 2030. Over the next five years, Saudi Arabia will build on its achievements, empower its people to compete on the global stage, create new opportunities, and continue its path toward innovation, excellence, and international leadership.

 On the international front, the historic visit of HRH the Crown Prince to the United States and his meeting with President Donald Trump of the United States of America at the White House reaffirmed the deep-rooted friendship and strategic partnership between the two nations. During the visit, HRH the Crown Prince and the US president held the Saudi–US Summit, where they underscored their strong commitment to the historic bonds of friendship and strategic partnership between the two countries and explored ways to further strengthen cooperation across all fields.

 The visit also resulted in several landmark agreements, including a strategic defense agreement and a strategic AI partnership. During the Saudi–US Investment Forum, both sides announced and signed agreements and memoranda of understanding valued at nearly $270 billion.

 Saudi Arabia also continued to play a leading role on the international stage through its principled stances on global issues, particularly its longstanding support for the Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. Reflecting this commitment, Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah co-chaired, alongside French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, the opening session of the High-Level International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution in New York.

 At the conclusion of the conference, the minister of foreign affairs approved the conference’s final document and called on all countries to support it. The Kingdom also welcomed the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of the New York Declaration, issued by the High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution.

 Continuing its trajectory of achievement, 1447 AH was marked by significant national accomplishments, particularly in advancing the global competitiveness of Saudi talent. His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, received Professor Omar Yaghi at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh following his receipt of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, shared with two fellow scientists.

 Saudi Arabia also reinforced its standing in science and innovation, ranking as the second-largest participant at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) for the third consecutive year after the United States. Saudi students won 24 international awards at ISEF 2026, including first place globally in computational biology and bioinformatics, as well as 12 special awards. In higher education, Harvard University celebrated the graduation of 70 Saudi students from its academic programs.

 In another milestone, the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) announced the discovery of 34,000 newly identified gifted students, earning a Guinness World Record. Meanwhile, the Saudi artificial intelligence team secured four medals in its first international competition, underscoring the Kingdom’s growing prominence in emerging technologies and innovation. On the economic front, the Capital Market Authority announced the opening of the Saudi stock market to all categories of foreign investors. Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports also reached a record SAR624 billion, up from SAR543 billion in 2024, reflecting annual growth of 15%.

 The Public Investment Fund’s annual report showed its assets under management rising 19% year-on-year to SAR3.42 trillion (approximately $913 billion) by the end of 2024. For the second consecutive year, the fund retained its position as the world’s most valuable sovereign wealth fund brand.

 Further underscoring the Kingdom’s economic momentum, the Saudi Export-Import Bank surpassed SAR100 billion in credit facilities. During the opening day of TOURISE 2025, projects and private-sector partnerships worth SAR2.9 billion were announced through the Tourism Development Fund to support the development of integrated tourism destinations, enhance the diversity of the Kingdom’s tourism offerings, and contribute to sustainable economic growth.

 The year 1447 AH witnessed several landmark developments, including the laying of the foundation stone for the world’s largest government data center by power capacity, spanning more than 30 million square feet in Riyadh. It also saw the official opening of Six Flags Qiddiya City, inaugurated under the patronage of Governor of Riyadh Region Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, and the launch of Riyadh Air’s inaugural flights to London.

 The World Bank Group, in partnership with the National Competitiveness Center, inaugurated the knowledge hub at its headquarters in Riyadh. Minister of Investment Fahad Al-Saif inaugurated the regional headquarters of Lenovo for the Middle East, Türkiye, and Africa in Riyadh, and Minister of Transport and Logistic Services Saleh Al-Jasser inaugurated the main center of FedEx for logistics and express transport services in Saudi Arabia.

 A number of agreements were also signed, including a project agreement between the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the regional center for quality and excellence in education, and an agreement to establish a branch headquarters of ACSAD in Riyadh.

 Saudi Arabia achieved new international accomplishments, including winning membership of the Executive Committee of the International Federation of Journalists — which will lead the federation's work for the next four years — as well as the presidency of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) during 1447 AH, membership of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the presidency of the Executive Office of the Council of Arab Ministers of Housing and Urban Development, membership of the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), election by consensus to membership of the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD), membership of the Administrative and Investment Councils of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), co-chair of the United Nations Data Governance Working Group, SDAIA's membership of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), and Maaden's membership of the International Council on Mining and Metals.

 With the participation of 173 member states of UNIDO, Riyadh hosted the 21st General Conference of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), concluding with the Riyadh Declaration to enhance international industrial cooperation. In the environmental field, the Kingdom achieved a qualitative milestone by rehabilitating the first one million hectares of degraded land under the Saudi Green Initiative.