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RIYADH: A royal approval has been issued to grant Saudi citizenship to American businessman Travis Kalanick and Chief Executive Officer of Red Sea Global John Pagano.

They join the ranks of distinguished scientists, innovators, experts in rare specializations and entrepreneurs who have been granted Saudi citizenship.

This comes as part of the Kingdom’s commitment to supporting distinguished scientists, researchers and entrepreneurs, in line with the Saudi Vision 2030 directives, which aim to enhance an attractive environment that fosters investment in human capabilities and attracts exceptional and creative individuals.

This is due to the added value they represent for the Saudi economy, which focuses on developing promising sectors and increasing their contribution to the gross domestic product.

Kalanick and Pagano, who recently converted to Islam, have successful careers in establishing technology companies and startups, as well as in developing promising tourism sectors.

Kalanick is one of the most prominent entrepreneurs to have ventured into founding start-ups, with more than 26 years of hands-on experience in the field.

He is the co-founder and former CEO of Uber, which reached a market value of $150 billion between its inception and 2017.

Kalanick currently serves as CEO of CloudKitchens, a leader in cloud kitchens focused on delivery in more than 400 locations worldwide.

The company’s operations include the Middle East under the name KitchenPark (in ��������, Kuwait and the UAE), where Kalanick has led a major deal to attract investors to pump an estimated $1.25 billion into the company, accelerating the company’s expansion.

He is also the founder of the 10100 Fund, aimed at investing in real estate, e-commerce and emerging innovations in China and India.

John Pagano, CEO of Red Sea International, brings more than 40 years of experience.

In 2006, he served as president of Bahama Mar, a luxury resort and residential development company in the Bahamas, and oversaw the $3.6 billion development of the Baha Ma resort.

Currently, he oversees the Red Sea and AMAALA projects, following the 2022 merger of the Red Sea Development Company and AMAALA.

Pagano was also recognized by Forbes Middle East as one of the “Travel and Tourism Leaders” for 2024, in acknowledgment of his pivotal role in the Kingdom’s emerging international tourism sector.

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived in Paris on Thursday to participate in a ministerial meeting on the US plan for Gaza and the next steps toward a ceasefire.

The meeting will be attended by the foreign ministers and representatives of several Arab, Islamic, and European countries, as well as the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Israel and Hamas signed an agreement on Thursday to cease fire and free Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, in the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s initiative to end the war in Gaza.