MIT hosts visit from leading Saudi Arabian minister
MIT hosted Khalid Al-Falih, head of Saudi Arabia’s new Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources, for a wide-ranging talk and discussion on Friday about the country’s long-term directions in economic and human development. The event convened a group of leaders from academic and business circles in Massachusetts, who participated in a discussion after opening remarks by Al-Falih and MIT President L. Rafael Reif. In his introductory comments, Reif called Al-Falih “a visionary, strategic thinker,” adding: “He is passionate about education, human resource development, and science and technology ventures.” Reif also noted that over half the population of Saudi Arabia is under age 25. “It is a country of the future,” he said. Al-Falih’s remarks and the ensuing discussion covered many issues related to Saudi Arabia’s widely-discussed “Vision 2030” project, a new policy agenda released to the public in April. “Vision 2030” seeks to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy beyond its traditional strength in oil,...