Beyond IKEA: How Sweden’s culture of innovation affects daily life in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: Sweden: The land of build-it-yourself furniture and the Arctic Circle.

For many in Saudi Arabia, the European Kingdom of Sweden might be synonymous with IKEA, meatballs and the polar night.

But Swedish innovations quietly shape the world in ways most people never realize, from the moment they wake up until the moment they fall asleep, extending far beyond flat-pack furniture and Arctic landscapes.

Ever since Swedish scientist Alfred Nobel invented dynamite and established the legacy of the Nobel Prize, Sweden has positioned itself as a global leader in innovation and knowledge advancement.

And with Saudi scientist Omar Yaghi becoming the Kingdom’s first national to be awarded the prize by Sweden’s king on Wednesday, the ties between the two countries are in the spotlight now perhaps more than ever.