Learning space science has delivered significant environmental benefits worldwide, helping many countries better understand and manage climate challenges. 

Saudi Arabia is now taking steps not only to explore the galaxy but also to invest in future generations who can apply space science to pressing environmental issues at home.

Last November, the Space Academy, part of the Saudi Space Agency, launched a series of seminars designed to enhance knowledge and develop skills in space science and technology, with a particular focus on Earth observation.

Running for nearly a month, the program formed part of a broader strategy to nurture national talent, raise scientific awareness, and build data capabilities that support innovation and research across the Kingdom.

Developing space sector can eventually help reduce some of the critical climate issues such as drought and air pollution. (AFP)

As efforts to strengthen the sector continue, important questions remain: How can space science translate into tangible environmental benefits? And how large is the global space economy?

In an interview with Arab News, Fahad Alhussain, co-founder of SeedFord, highlighted the scale of the opportunity and its environmental impact.

“To be frank, the slogan that we always use in space is that ‘saving the Earth from the space.’ It is all about this,” Alhusain told Arab News.

You can recall a lot of related environmental issues like global warming, related to forests, related to the damage that happens to the environment. Without space, it would be almost impossible to see the magnitude of these damages.”

According to Alhussain, satellites have transformed how experts observe environmental changes on Earth, offering a comprehensive view that was previously impossible.

“By collecting data and using satellites… You can better analyze and measure so many things that help the environment,” said Fahad Alhussain. (Supplied)

He said that “the transformation of technology allows even the non-optical ways of measuring, assessing, and discovering what is going on in the environment … you can even anticipate fire before it happens in the forest.”

“You can detect the ice-melt down, you can get huge amount of information and can see it through the weather maps…there is a huge section in the economy for the environment,” Alhussain commented.

A 2022 report by Ryan Brukardt, a senior partner at McKinsey & Company, published by McKinsey Quarterly, found that more than 160 satellites currently monitor Earth to assess the impacts of global warming and detect activities such as illegal logging.

Brukardt cited NASA as an example of how advanced satellite tools are used to track environmental changes, including shifts in ocean conditions, cloud cover, and precipitation patterns. He also noted that satellite data can help governments determine when immediate action is needed, particularly in response to wildfires.

Story by Arab News

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz on Thursday launched Ceer, the kingdom’s first automotive brand to design and manufacture electric vehicles in the country.

The company, a joint venture between the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. — also known as Foxconn — will design, manufacture and sell a range of vehicles including sedans and sports utility vehicles to consumers in the MENA region.

Vehicles are scheduled to be available in 2025.

Ceer hopes to attract over $150 million of foreign direct investment, and create up to 30,000 direct and indirect jobs. The company is projected to directly contribute $8 billion to Saudi Arabia’s GDP by 2034.

The company will licence component technology from BMW for use in the vehicle development process. The electrical architecture of the vehicles will be developed by Foxconn.

“Saudi Arabia is not just building a new automotive brand, we are igniting a new industry and an ecosystem that attracts international and local investments, creates job opportunities for local talent, enables the private sector, and contributes to increasing Saudi Arabia’s GDP over the next decade, as part of PIF’s strategy to drive the economic growth in line with Vision 2030,” Mohammed bin Salman said.

Chairman of Hon Hai Technology Group, Young Liu, said: “Foxconn is excited about our partnership with PIF to create a new automotive company that will focus on designing and manufacturing electric vehicles in and for Saudi Arabia. We will leverage Foxconn’s technological expertise to support Ceer’s vision of creating a range of iconic electric vehicles that are built around the themes of connectivity, infotainment and autonomy. We want to make electric vehicles mainstream, and that is what Ceer is going to achieve in Saudi Arabia and the wider region.”

Story by Gulf News

Meta, owner of Facebook, is currenty experimenting with limiting non-verified users to just two organic posts with external links per month.

Beyond that, users may have to pay a fee.

Starting December 16, “Meta Verified” subscription is require for unlimited sharing.

Q: What is ‘Meta Verified’?

Meta Verified is a paid subscription service on Meta platforms like Facebook and Instagram that offers a verified badge (similar to X Premium | or Twitter Blue), impersonation protections, and (in theory) enhanced account support and features for creators and businesses who subscribe.

This shift aims to prioritise “native” content, i.e. the user never leaves the Facebook ecosystem, reduce clickbait from low-quality sites, and keep users longer on the platform rather than driving traffic elsewhere.​

Q: When is it rolling out?

The test began this week for select profiles in “professional mode,” with notifications warning of limits from December 16. It’s limited now, but analysts predict broader changes by 2026, transforming Facebook into a brand-building hub over a traffic driver.​

Q: How much is the charge?

Meta Verified pricing starts around $11.99/month (web) or $14.99/month (app) for individuals.

Costs vary by region and plan (Standard, Plus, Premium, Max), with higher tiers offering more features like increased support and impersonation protection, while business plans have different structure.

Check within your Facebook or Instagram app for exact local pricing is best. 

Q: Why now, and what’s the future impact?

Years of “deprioritising” links evolved into monetising them, boosting platform retention amid declining referral traffic.

Experts foresee adaptation: pay up, go native, or diversify — heralding a controlled, ecosystem-focused Facebook era.​

Q: What are the implications for news organisations?

#1. Verified badge is not the same as ‘Meta Verified’

Many established news outlets already have platform-verified accounts due to Facebook/Instagram’s existing verification systems. These legacy verified accounts are different from the newer Meta Verified paid subscriptions.

Verified badges given before the paid program remain intact without requiring a subscription.

So existing news organisation verification status isn’t automatically tied to having a Meta Verified subscription.

#2. Link posting limits could indirectly affect news sharing

Meta is still testing limits on how many external links users can post unless they subscribe to Meta Verified; non-verified profiles may be restricted to only two link posts per month on Facebook, as per Hypebot.

While news orgs themselves are currently not included on this test, the policy could indirectly affect how users share news articles — because friend/reader accounts without Meta Verified might struggle to share links widely, The Guardian reported.

If similar tests expand later to include more professional pages, the result could be:

• Lower organic distribution of news links without paying the subscription
• Reduced referral traffic back to news sites, adding stress to publishers already contending with lower social-platform referral rates, The Guardian added.

3. Algorithmic prioritisation unchanged

Meta has been deprioritising news links in feeds for years in favour of short-form videos and viral content, long before Meta Verified. This trend has significantly cut traffic from Facebook to news sites. 

Meta Verified does not automatically boost the algorithmic reach of posts; it mainly affects verification and certain account privileges, not how widely content is recommended in feeds.

4. Impersonation protection and brand safety

One benefit for organisations considering Meta Verified is stronger brand protection:

• Impersonation safeguards that make it harder for fake accounts to mimic the news brand, in theory.
• Potentially better customer support access (though reported support quality is mixed).

This can be valuable for newsrooms concerned about fake accounts spreading misinformation using their name, especially in highly contentious political or crisis environments.

5. Support reliability issues

Although Meta markets Meta Verified as offering access to priority support, some subscribers report that support responses can be slow, unhelpful, or ineffective — even for serious issues like account bans, as per Gadgets 360.

For news organisations, that means: Meta Verified doesn’t guarantee fast or effective problem resolution during account or posting issues

Here’s a summary of what it means for news organisations or when Facebook users regularly post external news links:

Story by Gulf News