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  • Saudi Arabia narrowly fails to win seat on U.N. Human Rights Council

    Saudi Arabia narrowly failed on Wednesday to win a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council, a blow to Riyadh's efforts to boost the country's rights reputation abroad and four years after it was rejected in a 2020 bid to join the 47-member body. Saudi Arabia is spending billions to transform its global image from a country known for strict religious restrictions and human rights abuses into a tourism and entertainment hub under a plan its Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman launched, known as Vision 2030. The Asia-Pacific group, which included Saudi Arabia, was the only competitive race on Wednesday with six candidates vying for five seats. Marshall Islands came in fifth with 124 votes, while Saudi Arabia missed out with 117 votes.

  • Saudi Arabia executes Filipino convicted of murder despite Philippine presidential appeal

    A Philippine official with knowledge of the case, however, said the Filipino was arrested by Saudi Arabian authorities in 2020 after being accused of the killing. The death penalty was handed down with finality last year and the execution was carried out on Saturday, the official said. The Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said the Philippine government provided legal help “and exhausted all possible remedies, including a presidential letter of appeal” to try to stop the execution, but that the victim’s family had refused to accept “blood money,” a financial settlement to secure forgiveness.

  • Saudi Arabia’s PIF cuts stake in Nintendo after report said it was considering increase

    Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) trimmed its holding in Nintendo Co., a day after reports that a senior executive at the kingdom’s mammoth sovereign wealth fund said it was considering upping its stake. The PIF reduced its stakehold in the Japanese video game giant to 7.54% from 8.58% previously, according to a Japanese regulatory filing on Tuesday. Nintendo has been grappling with a slowing console gaming market and an aging product by way of its flagship Switch hybrid console — its best-selling gear ever, which sold 143.4 million units worldwide. At seven years old, it’s lost some of its sheen, as gamers look to more advanced machines from the likes of Microsoft and Sony.

  • Saudi Arabia to funnel at least $10bn into low-carbon hydrogen via ‘new’ subsidiary: report

    And some investments from ESC are set to be made with state oil firm Saudi Aramco, which is currently tasked with delivering the kingdom’s ambitions to deliver 15% of the world’s blue hydrogen (made with fossil gas and carbon capture and storage). The obscure subsidiary has no visible web presence but appears to have been in existence since at least June last year, when PIF congratulated it on becoming a 6% shareholder in German electrolyser maker Thyssenkrupp Nucera, which is 50% owned by its holding company Thyssenkrupp AG.

  • Will Smith to Be Guest of Honor at Saudi Arabia Movie Biz Trade Show Saudi Film Confex

    Will Smith is set to give a talk on the opening day of the sophomore edition of the Saudi Film Confex, taking place in Saudi Arabia’s capital of Riyadh between Oct. 9-12. The event, which will welcome the Oscar-winning actor as its guest of honor, will gather both local and international industry experts to discuss how to advance and strengthen the Saudi film industry.

  • Iran foreign minister to visit Saudi Arabia, regional countries

    Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will visit Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region starting on Tuesday to discuss regional issues and work on stopping Israel's "crimes" in Gaza and Lebanon, Iran's state media reported. Gulf Arab states - most of them major energy exporters like Iran - have sought to reassure Tehran of their neutrality in the Iran-Israel conflict, sources told Reuters last week.

  • Saudi Arabia leads region in green building projects with 2k registrations

    Saudi Arabia has made significant strides in sustainable construction, registering 2,000 of the 5,000 green building projects across the Arab world, according to a top official. Speaking at the opening of the 14th annual Saudi Green Building Forum, held in Riyadh from Oct. 6-8, Minister of Municipalities and Housing Majed Al-Hogail highlighted the Kingdom’s numerous milestones in this sector, reported the Saudi Press Agency. The Saudi green building market is projected to generate $16.4 billion in revenue this year and is expected to grow at a compounded annual rate of 12.3 percent, reaching $33.0 billion by 2030, according to market research firm Prescient & Strategic Intelligence.

  • CEO of Air Connectivity Program: Over 60 New Air Routes Connect Saudi Arabia to Global Destinations

    The Air Connectivity Program, launched in 2021, has played a significant role in boosting Saudi Arabia's tourism sector by establishing new air routes and enhancing connectivity with international destinations. The program has positioned the Kingdom as a leading hub for global air tourism. During an interview with the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) at the Routes World 2024 Exhibition and Conference in Bahrain, Chief Executive Officer of the Air Connectivity Program Majid Khan highlighted the strategic importance of Saudi Arabia's geographic location, which allows access to Europe, Asia, and Africa within an eight-hour flight radius. This, he said, offers multiple international options for aviation industry players to establish routes to the Kingdom.

  • Supermarkets of Saudi Arabia: Ensuring Food Security and Economic Diversity

    Saudi Arabia has a strong growing consumer demographic and the grocery retail sector is estimated to be around 55 percent of the total retail market of the sector. In 2025, while the online grocery shopping sector is forecast to reach 10 percent of the total grocery sales, the overall size of the retail market is projected to reach USD 31.4 billion. This growth is majorly attributed to the growing popularity of modern retail formats such as supermarkets and hypermarkets.

  • Pentagon chief underscores US commitment to Saudi Arabia’s defense

    Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said Monday that he had spoken to Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman to affirm Washington’s commitment to the Kingdom’s defense and to thank him for Riyadh’s work to promote calm in the Middle East. Prince Khalid said the pair reviewed the Saudi-US strategic partnership and ways to bolster defense cooperation. The Pentagon said Austin underscored the United States’ longstanding commitment to Saudi Arabia’s defense and the importance of the US-Saudi defense partnership to regional security. The call took place on Monday night.