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In a leadership rejig, <keyword id="742386" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="food-beverage" source="Orion">food &amp; beverage</keyword> major <keyword id="19953787" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pepsico" source="keywords">Pepsico</keyword> on Friday said <keyword id="4632597" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jagrut-Kotecha" source="Orion">Jagrut Kotecha</keyword> will lead the <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword> business as the CEO, while the incumbent <keyword id="20251990" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ahmed-el-sheikh" source="keywords">Ahmed El Sheikh</keyword> will assume the charge of the Middle East business unit. Kotecha, who is the Chief Commercial Officer for PepsiCo in Africa, Middle East, and South Asia (AMESA) will assume the role of CEO for PepsiCo India in Sheikh's place, the company said in a statement. Ahmed El Sheikh, who led the PepsiCo India business for almost seven years, will move on from his current role and assume new responsibilities as of March 2024, it said. "This leadership change, reflecting PepsiCo's dynamic and forward-thinking global approach, has been meticulously planned and was communicated to the India office employees yesterday (Thursday) as part of a series of leadership changes across AMESA," it said. PepsiCo <keyword id="115930" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="chief-executive-officer" source="Orion">Chief Executive Officer</keyword> -- Africa, Middle East &amp; South Asia -- Eugene Willemsen said India remains a pivotal market for the company, playing a crucial role in our global strategy. "Over the last six years, Ahmed has been instrumental in transforming our business, driving innovation, and steering the team through challenging landscapes. His leadership saw the introduction of pioneering products and various community-focused initiatives, and I look forward to continuing to work with him in his new capacity," he said. Welcoming Kotecha, he said, "We will continue to scale new zeniths of success under his leadership with our Indian consumers." PepsiCo, which owns brands such as Pepsi, Lay's, Kurkure, Tropicana 100%, Gatorade, and Quaker, entered the Indian market in 1989 and has grown to become one of the largest food and beverage businesses here. Pepsico India Holdings revenue from the sale of products and services on a consolidated basis was up 28.47 per cent to Rs 8,127.07 crore, for the financial year that ended on March 31, 2023.

Jagrut Kotecha to lead PepsiCo in India, Ahmed El Sheikh moved to Middle East Business

Dubai, May 10 () The Abu Dhabi BAPS Hindu Temple will participate in the "Prayers for Humanity" initiative called by the Higher Committee on Human Fraternity on May 14 to unite the people in the fight against coronavirus. Head of the BAPS Hindu Mandir, Abu Dhabi, Brahmavihari Swamiji said, "We are honoured to join the Pray for Humanity initiative organised by the Higher Committee on Human Fraternity (HCHF). It is an inspiring call to action which will unite humanity in prayer to the Almighty whose compassion, guidance and protection we all seek in these trying times." The HCHF, an independent body of religious leaders and scholars, runs under the patronage of Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi H H Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The document on human fraternity is signed by Pope Francis and Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb. "Let us all join not just our voices as one, but also our hearts and souls across countries. Let us pray as a single human family to our Creator that together we overcome the current COVID 19 pandemic. May these times also inspire the best in all of us - that the spirit of service, the warmth of compassion, and the strength of patience is granted to us all," Brahmavihari Swamiji said, giving a call to all people irrespective of cultures and communities to participate in the prayer meet. The meeting will start at 9.00 pm on Thursday. It will include prayers from different communities of the Indian diaspora, devotional songs, a video presentation, chanting and meditating. Interested person can log onto "prayer.mandir.ae" to join the service. CORR INDIND

COVID-19: Abu Dhabi temple to host online prayer meeting on May 14

New Delhi, May 5 () PepsiCo India on Tuesday said the first batch of test kits for coronavirus funded by it has started reaching testing sites across India. These kits are being procured and distributed by Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) with funding from PepsiCo India and have been approved by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the company said in a statement. PepsiCo India had volunteered to support the scale up of India's COVID-19 testing capacity through support provided to FIND. Besides, it has taken other initiatives including providing over 7 million meals to families impacted by COVID-19 outbreak in partnership with non-government organisation (NGO) partners. The test kits and reagents have been procured from manufacturers approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) and are run using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technology, which is currently the gold standard for detecting patients with COVID-19, the company said. Commenting on the initiative, PepsiCo India President Ahmed ElSheikh said, "PepsiCo India stands committed to lending its full support to the GoI (Government of India) in its fight against the pandemic. Our partnership with FIND is all about scaling up access to diagnostics and testing kits across the country." During these challenging times, he further said, "We have been working very closely with FIND to distribute testing kits to public and private healthcare laboratories in India. We believe lending assistance through such initiatives is also one of the best ways to support our real heroes – the healthcare community who are battling on the front lines against COVID-19." FIND India Head Sanjay Sarin said the sheer size of India and the density of urban populations increases the challenges and complexity of scaling up testing capacity quickly and efficiently. "Testing is our first-line of defence against this pandemic – and it is actionable today," he said, adding private sector partnerships such as the one with PepsiCo India are critical to make COVID-19 tests available to everyone who needs it. RKL RVK

PepsiCo India funded COVID-19 testing kits start reaching laboratories

New Delhi, Apr 6 () PepsiCo India, along with its parent company's philanthropic arm PepsiCo Foundation, will provide 25,000 COVID-19 testing kits and over 5 million meals to support families impacted by the coronavirus outbreak in India, the company said on Monday. The food and beverages major on Monday said it has partnered with Akshaya Patra Foundation for distribution of cooked meals, and with Smile Foundation for providing dry food ration to support meals for over 8,000 vulnerable families impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. This initiative is part of parent company PepsiCo's global programme called 'Give Meals, Give Hope'. Further, PepsiCo India has partnered with non-profit organisation Foundation of Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) for providing 25,000 COVID-19 testing kits. FIND is the World Health Organization's (WHO) collaborating centre for laboratory strengthening and diagnostic technology evaluation. It works closely with the Indian government. These testing kits will be deployed across public and private healthcare laboratories identified by the Indian government to scale up access to COVID-19 testing, the company added. Stating that India, like the rest of the world, is facing an unprecedented challenge, PepsiCo India President Ahmed ElSheikh said, "Providing meals to the economically weaker sections and testing kits to the diagnostic units are critical requirements at this stage." He added that the company stands committed to lending its full support to both the central and state governments in their fight to collectively overcome the global health challenge. To further mobilise funds, PepsiCo India said it has launched a double matching gifts programme which involves its employees also lending their support to communities that are impacted by COVID-19. As part of the programme, PepsiCo Foundation will match all employee donations by two-fold and give the total accumulated fund to the NGO partners working with the company. PepsiCo globally has announced its commitment to fight the coronavirus pandemic. The major focus of this global effort includes providing protective gear to healthcare workers, testing and screening services as well as providing 50 million meals through various partnerships. There are over 4,000 COVID-19 positive cases in India at present, as per the government data. LUX ANSANS

PepsiCo commits 25,000 COVID-19 testing kits, over 5 million meals to India

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Jerome Foster is protesting the UN climate conference in Egypt, citing LGBTQ abuses</li><li>The young climate activist also advises the White House on environmental justice issues. </li><li>Foster spoke to Insider as part of its Climate Heroes 2022 event.</li></ul>Jerome Foster is at the forefront of youth climate activism, but he won't be attending the United Nations' climate conference this year in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.Foster, who is gay, and his partner, Elijah Mckenzie-Jackson, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CgB6oqcsJkK/?hl=en">in July asked the UN</a> to move COP27 to another country in Africa, citing Egypt's treatment of LGBTQ people and the government's suppression of its critics. One of the co-signers of the letter was Ahmed Alaa, an Egyptian who was <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/06/18/620110576/after-crackdown-egypts-lgbt-community-contemplates-dark-future">imprisoned for three months in 2018</a> after waving a rainbow flag at a concert."We are in a moment when we have to be intersectional in how we think," said Foster, the youngest member of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/climate-action-30-top-global-leaders-working-toward-climate-solutions-2022">among Insider's Climate Action 30 leaders</a>. Foster spoke as part of an Insider event moderated by Catherine Boudreau, senior sustainability reporter. The event was part of Insider's series Climate Heroes 2022: Working Toward Solutions, which highlighted various leaders' efforts to address the climate crisis. "We shouldn't be scared to go to a climate conference, where we're trying to fight for the right for our planet, but putting our lives at risk just because we love someone," Foster said. "If we have this dialogue with the absence of LGBTQ+ people, we won't have our critical voices at the table."Watchdog groups including <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/09/egypt-human-rights-crisis-deepens-one-year-after-national-human-rights-strategy-launched/">Amnesty International</a> and <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/01/13/egypt-no-end-systematic-repression">Human Rights Watch</a> this year reported a pattern of abuse by the security forces of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, despite his launch of a national human rights strategy in 2021. The pattern includes jailing peaceful political activists and violating people's rights on the basis of sex, gender identity, secual orientation, and religious beliefs. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry <a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-politics-africa-sameh-shoukry-ef68f280f3fadcbb337f673ee55a2762">told the Associated Press in July</a> that there will be a "facility adjacent to the conference center" for activists. Foster told Insider that isn't enough."Their response is really inadequate, because it isn't just about the people that are going to this conference," he said. "It's about the people that are in Egypt and that are suffering and that are in prison right now."Foster is advocating for an intersectional approach to climate action in the US, too. His White House advisory role involves implementing <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/environmentaljustice/justice40/">President Joe Biden's Justice40 initiative</a>, a promise to spend 40% of certain climate and clean energy funding in communities that are overburdened with pollution and historically underinvested in — typically Black and Brown communities.This is a major lift following the enactment of the Inflation Reduction Act, which authorizes nearly $370 billion in climate spending over a decade. "A lot of what comes down to whether bills are good or bad is how they're implemented and how communities actually benefit from them," Foster said. "It's often universities or white-led organizations that have had hundreds of years to operate that get this funding, even though it's intended for marginalized communities."Ending fossil fuel subsidies would also go a long way, a policy Foster is pressing the Biden administration on. He warned that continuing to hand out tax breaks for fossil fuel expansion could wipe out a lot of the climate progress to date. Ultimately, what drives Foster today is advocating for communities around the world that contributed the least to the climate crisis, yet are experiencing the most devastating impacts. "Climate change often is only seen as a recent issue," he said. "But actually, we have to think back to the roots of it, and it starts with that mindset of colonialism, that mindset of extraction. That has to be rethought."

Youth activist Jerome Foster is skipping the UN's climate conference in Egypt because of the country's record on LGBTQ rights

<ul><li>Finance Minister of India Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget on February 1, 2022.</li><li>Struggling with high inflation and tepid rural demand, FMCG companies were hopeful for some positive news, steps and reforms that would help boost consumption in the economy.</li><li>However, with no changes in personal tax, there isn’t for hope for a drastic change in consumption and demand.</li><li>At the same time, there are enough subsidies to support the rural areas of the country.</li><li>Here’s what leading FMCG companies have to say about the Union Budget 2022-2023.</li></ul>The Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitaraman presented the Union Budget for 2022-2023 on February 01, 2022. The government announced that 5% of the annual collections under the Universal Service Obligation Fund will be allocated to improve broadband and mobile service penetration in rural India. This move will allow Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) brands and all businesses to cast their net a little wider in rural areas via mobile services. The government’s plan to expand the National Highway network by 25,000 KM, the Gati Shakti plan to strengthen seven engines of infrastructure, the launch of 100 new cargo terminals, will further open up new roads for brands and improve logistics efficiency. It will also create new job opportunities in rural areas, improving consumption and demand. The finance minister also mentioned that the government intends to pay ₹2.7 lakh crore worth of minimum support price (MSP) direct payments to wheat and paddy farmers. The government is also looking to deploy drones for agriculture monitoring, crop assessment, digitisation of land records and spraying of insect pesticides. These initiatives will help boost rural incomes and aid the growth of FMCG companies. The Union Budget aims to facilitate ease of doing business and give a push to consumption by providing employment opportunities, improving infrastructure, focusing on technological advancement and accessibility. Here’s how these subsidies for rural India will pave the way for FMCG growth: Mayank Shah, Senior Category Head, Parle Products: First of all, putting money in the hands of consumers really helps, so they go out and buy products. So that was more on the front of ensuring that the demand remained robust given that we have gone through two years of pandemic. That was something that industry expected, either by tax cut, or by increasing the slabs tax brackets or by probably increasing the standard deduction limit. Those were the things that we expected but not much has been done there. However, on the second front of job creation, the government has done a lot. The budget talks about seven engines driven by PM GatiShakti that will definitely boost employment and increase the number of jobs. The budget also talked about 60 new jobs to be created in the next five years. That is relatively a longer process compared to the first expectation which was putting money in the hands of consumers, which would have yielded immediate results. A 20,000 crore boost in transportation infrastructure will definitely help in terms of job creation going forward. Another thing the government would have ensured on the rural front was increased allocation to MGNREGA or direct benefit transfer. In Fact they chose the other way. In terms of rural demand, when you're talking about putting money in the hands of rural consumers by increased MSP and increased MSP allocation, it is also going to have an impact on the inflation because if you increase the MSP, that eventually is going to increase the cost of agri products, primary inputs in food processing. So procurement is going to be increased. The current challenge ahead of most FMCG companies, which is managing inflation, probably would be aggravated, so I consider it to be neutral. Probably placing this money in the hands of consumers through MGNREGA or DBT would have ensured demand to remain robust. Ahmed ElSheikh, President, PepsiCo India: Reviving economic growth, increasing consumption, and fostering investment to fuel post-pandemic growth have been key objectives for the government, and the <keyword id="12134566" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="union-budget-2022" source="Orion">Union Budget 2022</keyword> reflects this very intent. This year's Union Budget lays forth a vision for India at 100 years. The Government is leading from the front by raising public sector spending to keep the economic recovery on track. Digitization combined with infrastructural creation will accelerate economic development, stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship enhance living standards while keeping sustainability at its core. The increased outlay for PM Gati Shakti projects for multi-modal connectivity including 100 new railways logistics hubs coupled with steps like enhancing local oilseed production, extending the last date for starting production for new manufacturing units, encouraging alternate cropping will aid growth of the FMCG sector and further strengthen Govt’s vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat. Saugata Gupta, MD and CEO, Marico Limited: With this Union Budget, the government has laid out a growth oriented, future focused blueprint for India. By prioritising job creation, infrastructure growth and strengthening digital capabilities while making ‘inclusive development’ and ‘financing of investments’ two of the key focal points of the Budget, the government is successfully laying the groundwork for faster financial inclusion and expansion of the credit ecosystem. It has undertaken some key initiatives targeted towards credit growth, farmer welfare, improving the health and education infrastructure, digital currencies and start-ups which will benefit young aspirational Indians. If executed well, the budget will trigger the virtuous cycle of economic growth and employment creation, leading to momentum in growth. I believe that the budget has several inclusive measures and policies that balance consumer needs with industry requirements. It encapsulates the spirit of an Atmanirbhar Bharat and takes strong steps towards fulfilling that vision. Venkatesh Vijaraghavan, Director &amp; CEO - FMCG, CavinKare: We welcome the futuristic, investment-led, growth-oriented Budget with a strong impetus to infrastructure and capability building, which would boost GDP, Atmanirbartha, economic stability and job creation, thereby reaping demographic dividend. Ghanshyam Khandelwal, Chairman, BL Agro: The budget was as expected. We didn't anticipate the industry to take centre stage because several schemes for the FMCG sector have already been implemented in recent years. However, the mention of a rationalised strategy to improve domestic oilseed production and minimise reliance on imports was welcomed. A more promising statement was the package that centers on farmers adopting appropriate fruits and vegetables, as well as proper harvesting practices. The move will go a long way towards uplifting the food processing sector. Harsha V. Agarwal, Director, Emami: A very forward-looking budget with focus on capital expenditure which should drive growth. The ease of business in India has also been prioritised. So over all the budget pulls no surprises and focuses on growth of the Indian economy. Amrinder Singh, Director, Bonn Group of Industries: As the social security benefit of state and central government employees has been enhanced in this Union budget 2022, we are expecting that it will spur the consumption. The government has put money in consumer’s hands and ensured that the demand is not getting affected by increasing the tax deduction limit by 14 percent of the state government employees. Vikram Agarwal, Managing Director, Cornitos: The Union Budget 2022-23 is a progressive budget, our Government is concentrating on infrastructure, employment generation, and future developments. This appears to be a growth-oriented budget as efforts are being made to reduce compliance burdens and improve ease of doing business. The Budget has given an extension of the ECLGS Scheme which would provide much-needed help to the MSME sector especially the hospitality and related food processing segments. The past few years have been tumultuous for the hospitality segment and I am hopeful that this initiative gives the industry a much-needed boost.

Union Budget 2022-2023: Here’s how FMCG brands reacted to the budget

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="50996" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Saudi-Arabia">Saudi Arabia</keyword>, the home of Islam, has outlawed churches and punished Christian worship for decades.</li><li>The kingdom's 1.4 million Christians meet in secret, but authorities are signaling more openness.</li><li>This is the inside story of the American mission to woo MBS to build the kingdom's first church.</li></ul>On a sunny, cloudless October morning in 2019, twenty-five American Christians gathered at the base of Jabal al-Lawz, an umber-colored mountain in northwest Saudi Arabia. Their leader, the evangelical author and preacher Joel Richardson, took out a Bible he'd brought from back home in Kansas, and started to read out loud.Soon after, he and his congregation began singing hymns, while their hired Saudi tour guides pulled out their smartphones, and started to film.Richardson was leading the first-ever Christian tour to Saudi Arabia, the home of Islam where the public practice of any other religion is famously forbidden.Still, the preacher was taken aback when his phone rang that evening. It was the State Department with a message: "Be careful."Richardson is to this day bemused. "I guess some of the videos went viral on Saudi social media or something," he told Insider in a recent interview.<h2>Saudi Arabia is liberalizing, but Christians still worship underground </h2>The scene at Jabal al-Lawz, which some Christians believe to be the true location of Mount Sinai, illustrates the rapid social change underway in Saudi Arabia, as well as the dangers that still face the <a href="http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/countries/saudi-arabia#/?affiliations_religion_id=11&amp;affiliations_year=2020&amp;region_name=All%20Countries&amp;restrictions_year=2016ns_year=2016">1.4 million Christians</a> living there. In the past decade, those caught in the act of worship have been punished, arrested, jailed, or deported, and the sight of Christians brandishing Bibles and singing hymns in broad daylight would have riled many devout Muslims.In 2014, the kingdom's religious police deported 12 Ethiopian Christians caught worshipping in Dammam in February, and raided a home in September after hearing it was used for church services, <a href="https://www.refworld.org/topic,50ffbce40,50ffbce469,562105556,0,,,SAU.html">the State Department said</a>. In 2011, 35 Christians were arrested at a private gathering in Jeddah, <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2012/01/30/saudi-arabia-christians-arrested-private-prayer">Human Rights Watch reported</a>, adding that 29 women among them were "subjected to arbitrary body cavity searches."Saudi Arabia's millennial crown prince, <keyword id="2750192" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mohammed-bin-Salman">Mohammed bin Salman</keyword> - known also by his initials, MBS - has reformed his country since taking power in 2017. Yet advances in religious freedom have come slowly, clearly posing a more existential issue for the crown prince to tackle than <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/female-solo-traveler-went-to-saudi-arabia-heres-what-i-saw">mass tourism</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-arabia-censors-black-pather-first-movie-in-35-years-2018-4">Hollywood blockbusters</a>, or <a href="https://www.insider.com/influencers-criticized-for-saudi-arabian-music-festival-trips-2019-12">music festivals</a>.<div type="image" title="Saudi and foreign media representatives listen to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman remotely addressing a press conference, at the G20 summit's Media Center in the capital Riyadh, on November 22, 2020. (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP) (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)" height="2464" width="4928" msid="80749477" hostid="261"></div>"There are no churches here," one Christian who has lived in Saudi Arabia all her adult life told Insider. "We choose to lay low in respect to their <keyword id="24504" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="culture">culture</keyword> and religion." The person requested anonymity over fears for her safety, but her identity is known to Insider.As more non-Muslim expats arrive for work, the kingdom has increasingly turned a blind eye to their faith - <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-police-idUSKCN0XA24Y">neutering the religious police</a> in 2016 - while maintaining that Bible preaching or proselytizing Muslims is unacceptable.But MBS has also enforced a near-total silencing of opposition to his rule, comprising <a href="https://www.insider.com/princess-basmah-saudi-arabia-humanitarian-prisoner-mystery-kidnap-mbs-2020-5">arbitrary detentions</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bezos-saudi-hack-report-boycott-amazon-trending-social-media-2020-1">bot armies</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-arabia-mbs-lawsuit-denies-ordering-hit-squad-claims-immunity-2020-12">alleged assassinations</a>, <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-murder-of-jamal-khashoggi-2019-10">alleged murder</a>, and widespread efforts to spy on or hack <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-saudi-dissident-suing-breach-whistleblower-deaths-ali-al-ahmed-2020-8">opponents at home</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-hack-jeff-bezos-phone-mohammed-bin-salman-months-gigabytes-2020-1">abroad</a>.The State Department's warning to Richardson was clear: As a Christian in Saudi Arabia, tread carefully.<h2>A yearslong courtship</h2>The US government has for years asked Saudi Arabia to end the ban on churches, with little success."I have gone there and talked to top leaders about opening up a church for these people and they have always said, 'Saudi Arabia is different and it is the land of the two holiest shrines of Islam,'" Nina Shea, a former US Commissioner on International Religious Freedom, told Insider. "The whole country is a shrine, in a sense, and therefore they cannot have a church built."David Rundell, a former chief of mission at the US Embassy in Riyadh, added: "It's something that we have spoken to the Saudis about on numerous occasions." Since MBS's ascension, a group of US evangelical heavyweights have taken the baton. In October 2018, Joel Rosenberg, one of America's prominent evangelical authors, accepted an invitation from the prince to meet him in Riyadh.With Rosenberg came the Rev. Johnnie Moore, a religious advisor to President Donald Trump, and a string of other <a href="https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/televangelist">televangelists</a>. (Trump's 2016 victory was largely thanks to evangelical support, and top officials like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is an evangelical, have close ties to Rosenberg.)It was the first time a group of American evangelicals had entered a Saudi royal court in 300 years and, in a two-hour meeting conducted off the record, MBS "discussed virtually every controversial issue," <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/joel-rosenberg-saudi-arabia-and-iran">Rosenberg later wrote for Fox News</a>, without specifying.Rosenberg said he also asked MBS when he would let a church be built."Not now," MBS replied, as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=526252704506858">Rosenberg later told Israel's i24News</a>. "This would be a gift to al-Qaeda," the prince added, referencing the fact that the terrorist group has often <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2015/04/24/world/terrorists-attacks-on-christianity/index.html">targeted Christians</a> and <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2010/11/2/al-qaeda-claims-iraq-church-attack">churches</a>.<div type="image" title="A delegation of US evangelicals meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) in Riyadh on September 10, 2018.." height="650" width="1300" msid="80749480" hostid="261"></div>As Saudi Arabia's leaders, Crown Prince Mohammed and his father King Salman are tasked with defending Islam, and the feasibility of a church on their land concerns a disputed saying of the Prophet Muhammad: That no two religions should exist on the Arabian peninsula. Some clerics have argued that the rule only applies to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. According to Rosenberg, MBS also told the 2018 meeting he had "asked my scholars" to define the Arabian peninsula.Not deterred, Rosenberg and his group returned to Saudi Arabia in 2019, and left once again with evidence that change was afoot. The delegation was briefed about the historic existence of churches on the peninsula, Moore told Insider recently, adding: "It is a very significant thing - open conversations about archaeological evidence of churches that existed at the time of the Prophet."There, MBS also acknowledged that the Prophet had "lived peacefully among Jews and Christian monks," wrote attendee Skip Heitzig, the senior pastor of Calvary of Albuquerque, in a subsequent <a href="https://www.assistnews.net/an-evangelical-pastor-and-a-saudi-crown-prince/?fbclid=IwAR2W5mxHqNhc1GTK8bfeGlE4ASsWMhI-AoVhJVuFg3NMzpMxYLOdRFj6mvQ">blog post</a>.The delegation was set to visit MBS once again in 2020, but the pandemic put an end to those plans, a representative for Rosenberg told Insider, adding that a 2021 trip may be derailed for the same reason. Despite the hurdles, the group have kept steady pressure on Saudi officials. On September 28, 2020, Rosenberg and seven other evangelicals from the 2018 and 2019 trips traveled to McLean, Virginia, to dine at the home of Princess Reema bint Bandar al-Saud, the Saudi ambassador to the US, the representative said.The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC, did not respond to Insider's request for comment for this article.<h2>A possible location</h2>Though efforts to secure a church in Saudi Arabia have seemed fruitless to date, experts say it is a matter of when, not if."Definitely, I think it's coming," Prince Abdullah bin Khaled al-Saud, a Saudi academic, told Insider. "Especially in the diplomatic quarter in Riyadh or <keyword id="5920297" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="NEOM">Neom</keyword>."Neom is a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/neom-what-we-know-saudi-arabia-500bn-mega-city-2019-9">$500 million, carbon-neutral, 10,230-square-mile</a> megacity due to be completed in 2025, and MBS's pet project. Promotional brochures shared with Insider show Neom would have a diverse population "from a mix of homelands, religions and backgrounds," and a "progressive law compatible with international norms." <div type="image" title="NEOM Saudi" height="960" width="1920" msid="80749481" hostid="261"></div>Ali Shihabi, a member of Neom's advisory board, told Insider: "The issue has been mentioned for Neom," adding that a church was "certainly on the to-do list of the leadership."Rundell, the former diplomat in Riyadh, told Insider that Neom is a feasible location for the first church due to the unique nature of the legal system. "Neom is creeping toward being a non-Saudi entity in many regards," he said.However, others think placing a church in Neom will be meaningless."It's going to be a PR stunt," Ali al-Ahmed, a Saudi analyst, told Insider. "You need to have one where most of the Christians living in the big cities are: Jeddah, Riyadh."Shea, the former US commissioner on religious freedom, said that while most Christians living in those cities would find little use for a church hundreds of miles away, "it would be helpful to have a symbol of tolerance ... that isn't a mosque in Neom.""It's something."While Neom is believed to be the leading contender for the first Saudi church, Shihabi said the diplomatic quarter in Riyadh is another likely setting. "That allows an element of 'diplomatic cover' for public consumption," he said.For religious leaders like the Catholic bishop Paul Hinter, whom Pope Francis appointed last May as Apostolic Administrator for the Northern Vicariate of Arabia, it is important that the flock in Saudi Arabia have a church that they can actually access. "My wish is that such churches or worship places be located where the expat workers and employees are living," he told Insider, "and not only in the future showcase city or cities."Rosenberg has not publicly commented on the feasibility of a church in Neom. However, during the 2019 visit, he was taken to see the site, <a href="https://www.arabnews.com/node/1553726/saudi-arabia">telling Arab News</a> he was "eager to come back and bring others when the time is right."<div type="image" title="FILE PHOTO: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman announces a zero-carbon city called &quot;The Line&quot; to be built at NEOM in northwestern Saudi Arabia, January 10, 2021. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY/File Photo" height="1806" width="3612" msid="80749483" hostid="261"></div><h2>The quest for a church in Saudi Arabia is long and contentious</h2>Rumors that Christian leaders of various denominations have negotiated with the Saudis for a church have swirled for decades, long before MBS's rise. Each Christian denomination has its own house of worship, and the ultimate goal is for each to have their own church in Saudi Arabia.In 2008, Catholic Archbishop Paul-Mounged el-Hashem <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/mar/18/religion.saudiarabia">told The Guardian that</a> "discussions are under way" about building a church. And in 1973, Pope Paul VI sanctioned the building of the first Saudi-funded mosque in Rome, believing a reciprocal gesture would come from the kingdom. It did not.In Washington, the necessity for securing a church in Saudi Arabia has gone in and out of fashion as different administrations passed through the White House. "It was quite an important issue during the Bush administration because they had a strong domestic constituency amongst religious conservatives," Rundell said, adding the issue was also important to the Trump administration.President Joe Biden's plans are less clear. <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/why-trump-still-ignoring-saudi-arabia-s-brutal-human-rights-ncna989806">Unlike his predecessor</a>, he has promised to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for its actions, vowing <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-reviews-us-saudi-relations-pressure-rises-remake/story?id=75475490">during his election campaign</a> to make the kingdom "the pariah that they are." The State Department declined to comment.<div type="image" title="Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets with Lebanese Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi in Riyadh, November 14, 2017. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY." height="928" width="1856" msid="80749485" hostid="261"></div>MBS has shown greater willingness to embrace different religions, having already met with Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai, Coptic Bishop Ava Morkos, Catholic Cardinal Jean-Louis Pierre Tauran, and the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.But before MBS, religious authorities in the Middle East had little success in engaging their Saudi counterparts on the issue.Bishop Paul Hinder, who as a Catholic envoy in the region visited Saudi Arabia every year from 2004 to 2011, told Insider it was "almost impossible to get in touch with civil or/and religious authorities" at the time.The kingdom is now showing willing, Hinder said, though adding that the reality for Christians remains "far from being 'normal.'" Moore added: "I personally believe religious freedom is possible in Saudi Arabia and I didn't believe that before."<h2>MBS will make the call, but some will object</h2>If MBS ends the ban on churches, it will not go unopposed."Is there going to be a pushback? I definitely think there will be," Prince Abdullah, the academic, told Insider. "[But] are they going to be violent? I doubt that because of the efficiency and strength of the security apparatus in the kingdom."One opponent is Sheikh Assim al-Hakeem, a leading Saudi cleric. "Do you see any mosques in the Vatican? No. Likewise, we are not allowed to have any churches," he told <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85qkjxrRoAA">his YouTube channel</a>."These lands are holy lands."<h2>A labor of love</h2>Christian tours to Saudi Arabia, like Richardson's in October 2019, are growing in popularity as the kingdom becomes more tolerant. Living Passages, a leading Christian tour company, is already offering <a href="https://livingpassages.com/christian-tours/saudi-arabia/">four trips in 2021</a>, while others are <a href="https://discoveredsinai.com/trip/midian-tour-arabia/">seizing the moment.</a>"This could be one of the top [Christian] tourist sites in the world, especially in the northwest where they're trying to develop the Neom project," said Ryan Mauro, who leads Christian tours to Saudi Arabia. A church is coming for Saudi Arabia, experts are sure, but the timeline is unclear. Even Rosenberg, who spent hours pressing MBS on religious freedom, is hopeful but not holding his breath."The crown prince's plan, after all, is Vision 2030, not Vision 2020," <a href="https://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2019/09/19/We-visited-Saudi-Arabia-on-the-eve-of-9-11-the-Kingdom-is-changing-for-good">he wrote</a> after his 2019 visit. For the Christian community, the quest for a church is a labor of love."I should be happy on the day when the hundreds of thousands of Catholics living in Saudi Arabia will have their churches and the possibility to gather and pray in freedom," Bishop Hinder said.

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