Saudi crown prince visits Cambridge in search of investors

The Cambridge skyline from across the Charles River.

From the New England Council (newenglandcouncil.com)

"Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited  Harvard University, MIT, and IBM during a recent visit to Cambridge. The goal of the prince’s visit was to nurture ties between the private sector and academia between the two nations as well as to seek investors to support his economic and social reforms, changes aimed at reducing Saudi Arabia’s reliance on oil.

At Harvard, the prince participated in two private roundtable conversations. The first roundtable was with Harvard professors who focus on Saudi Arabia and the other with professors whose areas of study are pertinent to the reforms the prince outlined in his Saudi Vision 2030 document. The second meeting included presidents of local universities and colleges who discussed higher education and technology-related education. The prince also attended a MIT forum focused on science and technology, and visited IBM’s Cambridge facility to learn more about artificial intelligence.

“He’s very interested in the connection between research, entrepreneurship and innovation and how they fit together to fuel the economy,” said Harvard Vice Provost of International Affairs Mark C.  Elliott. The prince is impressed by what he saw at Harvard and shares the concerns of some speakers about the need to prepare young people for jobs that do not yet exist. After the prince’s visits, Saudi officials announced new partnerships with MIT and Harvard with a focus on sustainable energy, fellowships for women, and research.''