PODCAST · news
The 966
by The 966
THE 966 explores the news, people, and issues that define the Kingdom through conversations and interviews with business leaders, officials, and newsmakers. THE 966 goes beyond the headlines and tackles the complex U.S.-Saudi relationship, discussing topics like oil and energy, security and defense, Saudi culture and society, and much more.
Episodes
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Clean Hydrogen and Saudi Arabia with Rami Shabaneh, King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC)
Rami Shabaneh, Senior Fellow, King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) joins host Richard Wilson and The 966 for Episode #135. Rami is a senior fellow with KAPSARC’s Oil and Gas program, with a focus on global gas and hydrogen markets. He has nearly 15 years of research and...
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Saudi Arabia’s Booming Construction Sector with Laura Morgan, Market Intelligence Lead, MEA, JLL
The 966 and host, Richard Wilson welcome to Episode #134 Laura Morgan, Market Intelligence Lead, MEA, JLL to discuss Saudi Arabia’s Booming Construction Sector. Ms. Morgan expands on JLL's Q1 2024 KSA Construction Market Intelligence Report which noted that with $1.5 trillion in the Saudi…
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How Working Women are Changing Saudi Arabia with Dr. Jennifer Peck, Swarthmore College
In Episode #133 of The 966 podcast, Dr. Jennifer Peck, Swarthmore College, expands on her excellent article in Foreign Affairs magazine (Working Women are Changing Saudi Arabia: Reforms Have Made the Economy More Productive, Families More Resilient, and Saudis More Tolerant) where she writes…
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The Many Impacts of The Gaza War with Stefanie Ali, Senior Director, Rice, Hadley, Gates and Manuel LLC
On the ground the latest Gaza war has caused untold human carnage and massive damage to buildings and infrastructure. It has also severely damaged the reputation of the United States in the region as well as negatively impacted US company brands. Stefanie Hausheer Ali, senior director at...
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How growing Saudi sports participation is impacting Saudi fashion, with Reiting Lee, Founder, The Oriental Hybrid
Show Notes The 966, episode #131, with Reiting Lee, Founder of The Oriental Hybrid, explores the impact of the growing participation in sports and healthy activities in Saudi Arabia on the fashion industry, particularly sportswear and athleisure. Reiting Lee is deeply involved in the youth,...
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What you need to know to establish a business in Saudi Arabia with Saeed Al-Ansari, CEO, Tawaref
Saeed Al-Ansari, Founder and CEO of Tawaref, a Saudi Arabia-based tech investment community that also provides startup advisory, legal consultancy and due diligence support joins Richard Wilson on The 966 to discuss what is needed to establish a business in Saudi Arabia. Saeed and Tawaref bring…
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The Saudi Film Industry Six Years After Theaters Re-opened with Todd Albert Nims
Saudi cinema re-opened six years ago in April 2018 after a 35-year hiatus. The sector has exploded with revenue during that period close to $1b, over 61 million tickets sold, 1,971 films screened including 45 local productions. Saudi-based director, producer and actor Todd Albert Nims joins The…
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Dr. William Greene, CIO of the Hevolution Foundation, joins The 966 to talk latest investments, strategy for Hevolution
William Greene, MD, Chief Investment Officer (CIO) of the Hevolution Foundation, joins The 966 to talk about Hevolution's investment strategy and role as an investor in the emerging field of Healthspan Science. As CIO, Dr. Greene oversees all aspects of Hevolution Foundation’s investment…
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Ambassador Michael Ratney Joins The 966 to talk U.S.-Saudi Diplomacy
U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney joins The 966 to talk diplomacy and U.S.-Saudi relations. In recent years, he was the Acting Deputy Director of the U.S. Department of State’s training center, the Foreign Service Institute, where he had also been Dean of the State...
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Jobs and the labor market in Saudi Arabia with Dr. Hanaa Almoaibed, Ramadan in Riyadh and more
What is the state of the Saudi labor market today? How do Saudis find jobs, and how are young Saudis viewing their prospects in a changing and modernizing Saudi economy and society? Saudi labor market expert Dr. Hanaa Almoaibed talks with Lucien Zeigler about Saudi Arabia's changing labor force,...
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Israel, Gaza, and a region with shifting power dynamics with columnist Hussein Ibish
In Episode 125, the hosts welcome veteran columnist and analyst Hussein Ibish onto The 966 for his third appearance on the program to unpack the implications of Israel's brutal war in Gaza and the shifting regional and global power dynamics since October 7th. Hussein Ibish is a senior resident...
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Ahead of LEAP in Saudi Arabia, MCIT's Abdullah Alshamrani joins The 966 to talk tech, ecosystem development, and more...
Abdullah Alshamrani, General Manager of the Digital Entrepreneurship Center at Saudi Arabia’s MCIT join The 966 to talk ecosystem development in the Kingdom, the entrepreneurship scene, and the Kingdom as a future destination for tech. The conversation comes as the Kingdom's flagship tech event,...
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What it's like to live in Saudi Arabia during Riyadh Season, PIF-backed Alat launches with eyes on a big impact, and more...
The boys are back for their normal format and catch up on just some of the seemingly endless new developments and storylines emerging from Saudi Arabia of late. Lucien's "One Big Thing" this week is a first person perspective on living in Riyadh with his family during Riyadh Season, and all of…
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Discussing Saudi Arabia's growth and construction projects with Waleed Abdel-Fattah, President of the MENA Region at Hill International
Waleed Abdel-Fattah, President of the MENA Region at Hill International, joins The 966 to talk about Saudi Arabia’s building boom and Hill’s traction in KSA since entering the market to help build out what is now known as KAFD. Hill has 100 offices across 42 countries, and its main geographical...
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The Public Investment Fund's Head of National Development, Jerry Todd, talks PIF investment strategy, localization and more...
Lucien Zeigler sits down with an exclusive conversation with Jerry Todd, Head of the National Development Division at the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia, in a new format and program called 966 Live, recorded at PIF studios in a fireside chat style of engagement. Jerry Todd, who is...
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The PIF's biggest event of the year in Riyadh, the latest on the Saudi peace plan, and alcohol in Saudi Arabia?
In episode 120, The 966 once again has on offer a menu of excellence discussing some of the most important topics happening in Saudi Arabia this week -- a tough decision for the editorial team as Saudi Arabia continues to create headlines as it marches forward with economic and social reforms.…
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A new suggested slogan for Saudi Arabia, taking stock of the Saudi Pro League, and much more...
In Episode 119, The 966 hosts Lucien and Richard discuss a variety of topics and some of the latest news and developments on Saudi Arabia. First, the hosts discuss Richard's One Big Thing, an update on the Saudi Pro League and the latest news and developments for football in Saudi Arabia heading...
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The evolution of Saudi Arabia's public diplomacy with Rayan Alyusufi
The 966 speaks with Rayan Alyusufi, a young Saudi researcher in public diplomacy and international communication to discuss the Kingdom’s public diplomacy, "sharp power," and evolution of Saudi as an emerging diplomatic player. Rayan is a PHD Candidate at Bournemouth University in the United...
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What does 2024 have in store for Saudi Arabia and the Middle East?
The 966 hosts kick off the new year after a refreshing holiday break following a successful year for the podcast in which the growth of the audience more than doubled across all platforms, and in some cases, grew significantly more than that! The team thanks all of its listeners and viewers for...
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The Houthis' Red Sea gamble, investment funds grow in KSA, and Princess Noura Bint Turki Al-Saud + Princess Mashael bint Saud Al Shalan talk COP28
The 966 speaks with Princess Mashael bint Saud Al Shalan and Princess Noura bint Turki Al Saud, co-founders of AEON Collective based in Riyadh, to discuss the recently-concluded COP28 meetings in the UAE earlier this month and where the world stands in the fight to combat climate change and...
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Delays in some Vision 2030 projects (and why that's good), a new US Embassy in Riyadh, and a conversation with Dr. Basma Al-Buhairan from Saudi Arabia's C4IR
There's so much that has happened in Saudi Arabia since The 966's last full, normal-format episode. The hosts are back in their normal seats and with a special guest, Dr. Basma Al-Buhairan, Managing Director for the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR), who joins The 966 to talk…
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Hevolution's Launch in Riyadh with HRH Dr. Haya Bint Khaled Bin Bandar Al-Saud and Dr. Mehmood Khan, CEO of Hevolution, who join The 966 for a special episode
The 966 Podcast features a special episode this week for episode 114 with an exclusive, live duo of conversations, first with HRH Dr. Haya Bint Khaled Bin Bandar Al-Saud, Vice President of Organizational Strategy and Development for the Hevolution Foundation, and then with Hevolution's CEO, Dr....
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The future of Fintech and Blockchain with Amit Sharma, CEO of FinClusive
Amit Sharma, CEO and Founder of FinClusive Capital, a hybrid fin-/reg-tech company based in the United States, joins The 966 to talk digital banking, fintech and more. Finclusive, headquartered in New York, New York, is a global compliance, digital identity and payments platform for a new era of...
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An exclusive interview with Dr. Mehmood Khan, founding CEO of Saudi Arabia's HEVOLUTION Foundation
The 966 speaks with Dr. Mehmood Khan, CEO of Saudi Arabia’s Hevolution Foundation, a global non-profit revolutionizing the healthspan field launched by Royal Decree and chaired by HRH the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Dr. Khan shares his journey, Hevolution’s vision and insights into how he…
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The Saudi economy and government spending with former IMF Country Head for Saudi Arabia Tim Callen, big announcements from The 966, and much more...
Tim Callen, ex-IMF Mission Chief to Saudi Arabia and Visiting Fellow at AGSIW, joins The 966 to discuss Saudi Arabia’s budget, government spending, and more. Tim's most recent piece for AGSIW discusses how increased spending in Saudi Arabia raises risks to the Saudi budget. The hosts take…
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MasterCard's Maria Medvedeva joins The 966 to talk payments, fintech and more; plus more on Leyja at Neom
In Episode 110, Maria Medvedeva, Vice President, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain for MasterCard joins to discuss the company’s KSA strategy, fintech, payments, innovation, and her experiences living and working in a changing and evolving Saudi Arabia. Maria, based in Riyadh with her family, is…
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Talking with Mohammed Ghazi and Abdulhadi Azouz, the two guys behind Saudi Arabia's hottest drone and aerial film production company
Chances are if you’ve seen any of the high-quality, professionally-produced promotional videos from Saudi government authorities or leading Saudi companies anywhere online, you've seen some incredible drone footage of Saudi Arabia. The 966 welcomes on to the program for Episode 109 Mohammed Ghazi...
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Discussing Saudi Arabia's Regional HQ program with Mansour El-Zahab and Zeynep Kösereisoğlu from Frontierview and much more...
In episode 108, Mansour El-Zahab and Zeynep Kösereisoğlu from Frontierview, a leading market intelligence and research company, join The 966 to discuss Saudi Arabia’s Regional HQ program (commonly referred to as the "RHQ" program) and dive into some of the legal and practical details ahead of the...
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What the Israel-Hamas War Means for Saudi Arabia and the Middle East
Hamas' horrific and stunning attack in Israel last week has upended the status quo in the region. With Israel now retaliating in Gaza, bombing an already desperate populace in the Gaza strip, leaving hundreds of thousands of people homeless there, and with thousands dead and injured on both…
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The Growing Size and Role of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) in Saudi Arabia with Robert Mogielnicki, FII 2023, Saudi World Cup and more...
Dr. Robert Mogielnicki, Senior Resident Scholar at The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington and professorial lecturer at George Washington University joins The 966 to discuss the growing size and role of the Kingdom's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF). Robert has...
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Discussing the Venture Capital ecosystem in Saudi Arabia and the MENA with investor Amjad Ahmad and much more...
Episode 105! Amjad Ahmad, a leading venture capitalist and seasoned investment professional with extensive experience in VC and private equity in emerging markets, joins The 966. Amjad discusses the VC ecosystem in Saudi Arabia, the MENA region, and globally today. In addition to over two decades...
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The CEO of KAFD, Riyadh's financial district, Gautam Sashittal, joins The 966 to talk about the Kingdom's original giga-project and the city of the future
Gautam Sashittal, the CEO of Riyadh's financial district that has redefined Riyadh’s skyline and is the city’s most sought-after business address and lifestyle destination, joins The 966 podcast. The district is home to many of Saudi Arabia’s largest companies and regional headquarters of...
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King Salman's pivotal role in Saudi Arabia's past and present with author and columnist David Rundell; plus, archaeology in Al Ula, Wa'ed's new investment, and more...
Author David Rundell joins to discuss King Salman's incredible impact on Saudi Arabia. King Salman has played an enormously pivotal role for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the development of the modern Saudi state. Before the conversation, the hosts discuss an archaeology summit taking place in…
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Understanding Vision 2030's impact on media perceptions of Saudi Arabia's with Rawan Hashem; also, Hevolution's rise, Tourism in KSA and much more
Episode 102! Rawan Hashem from the data insights firm Carma joins The 966 to discuss evolving media perspectives of Saudi Arabia and Vision 2030. Before the conversation, the hosts discuss the new organization in Saudi Arabia, called Hevolution, and its $1 billion mission to advance humanity's...
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Saudi giga-projects and construction with MEED editor Colin Foreman, an update on the New Murabba and the Saudi Pro League, and more
Colin Foreman, journalist and editor for the Middle East Economic Digest (MEED), joins The 966 to talk about construction, giga-projects, and Saudi Arabia's economic development. MEED is a leading resource for executives with a highly-respected publication for the MENA region. Before the...
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Episode 100! Saudi Arabia gets a BRICS invite, a lightning strike on Mecca's clocktower, and leading Riyadh-based architect Nadia Maqbool Al Lawatiya joins The 966
Nadia Maqbool Al-Lawatiya, a leading Riyadh-based architect and urban designer who is closely familiar with Salmani architecture, joins The 966 to share her journey and discuss some of the themes and thinking behind the new style emerging from Saudi Arabia. Nadia listened to a previous episode of...
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Princess Mashael bint Saud Al Shalan joins The 966, Saudis rush to theaters to See 'Barbie', an update on The Line and more...
Episode 99! Princess Mashael bint Saud Al-Shalan, Founding Partner, Aeon Strategy, joins The 966 to discuss her work heading one of the leading consultancies in Saudi Arabia in the field of sustainability. Aeon Strategy played a key role in support of the Kingdom's Net-Zero targets under the…
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More on Saudi-Israel normalization reports, Lucid's future, and Kuwait University's Bader Al-Saif joins The 966
Episode 98! Dr. Bader Al-Saif, founding President at Al-Saif Consulting and Assistant Professor at Kuwait University joins The 966 to talk about Saudi Arabia as an emerging economic and diplomatic power in a changing region. Al-Saif is also a visiting researcher at Georgetown University, where he...
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Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and former publisher of the Wall Street Journal Karen Elliott House joins The 966
American journalist, author, media executive, and pulitzer prize winner Karen Elliott House joins The 966. Elliott House discusses her recent work, a paper entitled 'Saudi First', for the Belfer Center at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, as well as her experiences traveling to and from…
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PepsiCo Middle East CEO Aamer Sheikh joins The 966, plus a full update on Saudi football, King Saud University's overhaul and more...
Episode 96! The 966 speaks with PepsiCo Middle East CEO Aamer Sheikh for a conversation about the company's strategy to plug into Vision 2030's opportunities and continue to stay on top as the number one food and beverage brand in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Mr. Sheikh, who is Pakistani-American...
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The MENA region gets hotter as a global heat wave hits 3 continents, Saudi Arabia outranks the US in expat survey and much more...
Episode 95! Following several weeks of amazing special guests on the program (with many more to come in the weeks and months ahead) the hosts fly solo this week and discuss some of the biggest storylines and topics on Saudi Arabia this week. First, the hosts discuss Richard's one big thing this...
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Physician and media commentator Dr. Qanta Ahmed joins The 966 to talk about 'colossal' changes in Saudi Arabia and much more
Physician, non-fiction author, and broadcast media commentator and writer Dr. Qanta Ahmed joins The 966 from New York to discuss the “colossal” changes in Saudi Arabia since Vision 2030 was launched and her view that Saudi Arabia has emerged as an increasingly important and influential global...
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Saudi businesswoman Dana Alajlani joins The 966, the PIF eyes a new sports investment arm, perceptions of Saudi and much more
Saudi businesswoman Dana Alajlani, Head of Public Affairs for the GCC at Sanofi, the French multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company headquartered in Paris, joins The 966 to share her professional journey and story. Dana is also Co-Chairwoman of the American Chamber of Commerce in…
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Discussing Saudi Arabia's sporting ambitions and investments with expert Simon Chadwick, a NEOM update, and much more
Episode 92! Saudi Arabia’s sporting ambitions and investments have been dominating global coverage of the Kingdom in recent months. The 966 speaks with Simon Chadwick, Professor of Sport and Geopolitical Economy, SKEMMA Business School, Paris, about all of the interest and investments by Saudi...
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Global HVAC and smart home leader Johnson Controls Arabia CEO Dr. Mohanad Alshaikh joins The 966
The 966 speaks with Dr. Mohanad AlSheikh, CEO of Johnson Controls Arabia, a leading player in Saudi Arabia and the MENA region’s growing HVAC and smart building market. The 966 hosts ask Dr. Mohanad about the growing business opportunities in the HVAC and smart buildings space in the Kingdom and...
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The Saudi PIF Invests in Saudi football, Messi to Miami, and Saudi entrepreneurs Sara Bin Laden and Renad Aljefri join The 966
Saudi entrepreneurs Sara Bin Laden and Renad Aljefri, recent WIN fellows, join The 966 from Jeddah to discuss their experiences and journeys to-date. Renad and Sara recently took part in the second cohort of the Atlantic Council’s Women Innovators Fellowship, known as the WIN fellowship - a…
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An Absolute Shocker: LIV Golf and the PGA will MERGE and form one entity, with Yasir Al-Rumayyan as Chairman and the Saudi PIF with investment rights
It's a story The 966 has covered in almost every one of its 90 podcasts in one form or another: the PIF-backed LIV Golf tour's founding and rise. So the news breaking today that the PGA Tour and Saudi-backed rival LIV Golf are combining in a shocking, earth-shattering merger, ending a dispute...
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Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration CEO Dr. Hamed Merah joins The 966, LIV Golf in DC and much more...
The 966 talks about the state of business dispute resolution in Saudi Arabia with the CEO of the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration, Dr. Hamed Merah, who joins from Riyadh. The 966 talks with Dr. Merah about the SCCA’s rise as a leading dispute resolution body in the region and increasingly,...
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An update on the VC scene in Saudi Arabia with Eyad Albayouk, Saudis in space, Newcastle United rises and much more...
Episode 88! Venture capitalist Eyad Albayouk returns to The 966 to talk about the latest developments in the VC sector in Saudi Arabia as well as the closing of his new startup seed fund with Flat6Labs in Saudi Arabia. The hosts discuss with Eyad the rocky start for new funding rounds in the...
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'Salmani' Architecture, VIA Riyadh opens, rainfall record shattered in Saudi Arabia and much more...
Episode 87! The hosts explore overlapping topics in Salmani architecture and an evolving Riyadh city under King Salman for decades. Kicking things off, Richard's One Big Thing is the rise of Salmani Architecture - a term the hosts have come across in recent months that is important in…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
THE 966 explores the news, people, and issues that define the Kingdom through conversations and interviews with business leaders, officials, and newsmakers. THE 966 goes beyond the headlines and tackles the complex U.S.-Saudi relationship, discussing topics like oil and energy, security and defense, Saudi culture and society, and much more.
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The 966
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The 966 have?
The 966 currently has 135 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The 966 about?
THE 966 explores the news, people, and issues that define the Kingdom through conversations and interviews with business leaders, officials, and newsmakers. THE 966 goes beyond the headlines and tackles the complex U.S.-Saudi relationship, discussing topics like oil and energy, security and...
How often does The 966 release new episodes?
The 966 publishes regularly with 135 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The 966?
You can listen to The 966 on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The 966?
The 966 is created and hosted by The 966.
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