Taif represents Saudi Arabia at UNESCO Creative Cities literature network meeting in Slovenia    Saudi Arabia joins global initiative to strengthen independence of supreme audit institutions    Saudi Arabia graduates 3,948 security personnel after completing training in Riyadh and Makkah    Government launches platform to offer residential land in Riyadh at SR1,500 per sqm    GCC–Russia Ministerial Meeting condemns Israeli aggression against Qatar    Belarus pardons scores of prisoners 'at the request' of Trump, Lukashenko says    Ryan Routh cut off by judge as trial over attempted Trump assassination begins    South Korea workers detained in US raid head home    Summer 2025 sees 32 million tourists in Saudi Arabia with over SR53 billion spending    Al-Futtaim BYD KSA hosts first Super Hybrid Tech Day in Saudi Arabia First event of its kind in the region showcases breakthrough super hybrid technology    Saudi Industrial Production Index rises 6.5% in July 2025    King Charles and Prince Harry finally reunite after 19 months apart    PIF chief says Saudi transformation could outpace China's, outlines 'filtration' investment process The Fund to unveil its next five-year strategy soon    Anastacia: Arnold Schwarzenegger made me sing Whatta Man 12 times    Thousands pay their last respects to Giorgio Armani, private funeral on Monday    French doctor goes on trial for poisoning 30 patients, 12 fatally    The key to happiness    Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather Jr. set to meet in exhibition boxing match in 2026    Al Hilal sign Turkish defender Yusuf Akcicek on €22m deal until 2029    Al Qadsiah sign German midfielder Julian Weigl to strengthen defensive midfield    Al Ahli secure Flamengo starlet Matheus Gonçalves in long-term deal through 2027    Sholay: Bollywood epic roars back to big screen after 50 years with new ending    Ministry launches online booking for slaughterhouses on eve of Eid Al-Adha    Shah Rukh Khan makes Met Gala debut in Sabyasachi    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Pandemic encourages safer food alternatives, boosts food-tech industry, says Prince Khaled
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 20 - 01 - 2021

The coronavirus pandemic has encouraged governments and people to look for safer food alternatives, which will boost the regional and global food-tech industry, according to Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud, founder, and CEO of KBW Venture, a prominent venture capital firm in the Gulf.
In an exclusive interview with the Emirates News Agency (WAM), the member of the Saudi Arabian royal family also added that the global financial crisis unleashed by the pandemic will not hamper investment flows into cleantech and green energy.
Pandemic induces food-tech alternatives
"With the proliferation of zoonotic disease, and the growing public awareness about the benefits that food-tech alternatives can provide, the pandemic has created a ripple effect: people want to know more about their food systems, and they want better, safer alternatives," he said in a telephone interview on Tuesday from Riyadh.
"This is why I'm so excited about acting as an advisor to XPRIZE's Feed the Next Billion challenge," Prince Khaled added, referring to the competition sponsored by ASPIRE, an arm of Abu Dhabi's Advanced Technology Research Council, which seeks food-tech solutions around chicken breast and fish filet. The organizers have sought entries for plant-based, cell-based, 3D printed, or even a combination of solutions.
"These are the exact types of companies that we invest in; plant-based and cell-based solutions meant to give the world cleaner, healthier, more sustainable alternatives," said the 42-year-old venture capitalist who advocates for and invests in food technology, including alternative proteins and cellular agriculture.
Born in California, he spent his youth in Riyadh under the mentorship of his father, philanthropist Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud, Chairman and founder of Kingdom Holding Company.
He is extremely engaged with the food technology and food sciences industry, promoting emerging technologies that serve as potential solutions to food security and sustainability concerns facing today's global community.
Growing food tech in Gulf
Prince Khaled finds a bright future for food tech in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
"In both Saudi and the UAE, the governments are looking more towards biotechnology (food-tech sources) and agtech (agricultural solutions like vertical farming) to prepare for and meet any food security issues that may arise," he said.
"Both governments are also looking at these tech-based alternatives because they are sustainable and help to reduce GCC's impact on the climate crisis. Science is going to be the answer to most of the problems we are dealing with now, so we better all get on board."
Prince Khaled has invested in multiple rounds in four separate cellular agriculture start-ups, numerous plant-based start-ups, as well as other parts of the food supply chain.
He thinks more awareness is needed among all investors and businesses about emerging technological ventures.
"There are answers to the world's big problems, but investors are always needed to help propel these scientists and technologists in their missions," he pointed out.
Investments in cleantech and green energy
Asked whether the global financial crisis caused by the pandemic might hinder investment flows into cleantech and green energy, he said, "I disagree. Similarly, there were predictions that venture capital would stop moving in general, regardless of the industry. That proved untrue; KBW Ventures has invested quite a bit since the onset of the pandemic, and so did many other venture capital firms."
Some of his co-investors in food tech made sizeable investments in many other impact ventures as well, showing that the climate crisis was top of mind.
"Global decarbonization is a pressing issue, and investors who are backing companies relevant to that are ramping up due to the pandemic, not slowing down," he said.
Prince Khaled was the speaker at a panel discussion on Tuesday at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), an annual global event for accelerating the world's sustainable development.
ADSW seeks to answer global issues
"My last time at ADSW in 2019, we were discussing the impact of investing and how technology can improve the world. I consider my conversation in this edition and the previous edition intrinsically linked as several of our investments are in technologies that seek to answer pressing global issues — like food security," he explained.
"I believe that ADSW plays a very important role on the global stage, bringing together so many different viewpoints and stakeholders annually. Abu Dhabi is really taking a leadership role in how governments can draw on science and technology to improve society and how it can improve life on earth for all," he said. — WAM


Clic here to read the story from its source.