MUST-READS

• Exploring the unseen: Desert X AlUla uncovers beauty of Saudi Arabia’s desert canvas

  Contemporary art finds a gallery amid the dunes of Saudi Arabia’s ancient city as Desert X AlUla returns to the Kingdom for its third edition on Friday. Running until March 23, the event will feature 15 commissioned artworks exhibited under the curatorial vision of Maya El Khalil and Marcello Dantas, with artistic direction from Raneem Farsi and Neville Wakefield.

• Employees of western firms could face jail time for cooperating with LIV-PGA senate probe

  Western executives defended themselves, saying that Saudi courts warned them company employees will face jail time if they comply with Congress. The executives said they have launched lawsuits against PIF, which is chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, to release more information. "The PIF has been explicit that the disclosure of information relating to BCG’s work for PIF is a violation of Saudi law, which ‘imposes criminal penalties for disclosing or disseminating such information including imprisonment for a maximum of 20 years’,” Rich Lesser, of BCG, told lawmakers.

• The hopes and fears of employees across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

  Our 2023 Hopes and Fears Middle East survey revealed a young, ambitious and hyper-aware generation of employees who are comfortable with the rapid transformation around them. Drawing responses from 521 individuals in the KSA and over 1,500 in the region, the survey highlighted prominent themes, including the workforce’s enthusiasm to adopt new skills and positivity around AI and sustainability.

• Desert X AlUla 2024: Exploring Unseen Art in Saudi Arabia’s Desert Region from February 9 to March 23

  Desert X AlUla will open its latest exhibition themed “In the Presence of Absence,” from February 9th to March 23rd, 2024. Featuring 15 commissioned artworks that explore the unseen, the festival takes place bi-yearly in the desert region of Saudi Arabia. This edition of Desert X AlUla is curated by Maya El Khalil, renowned for her art advisory and MENA-focused curation, and Marcello Dantas, an award-winning curator known for his interdisciplinary practices. Returning for its third edition, Desert X AlUla 2024 invites artists to engage with the landscape, nature, and heritage of AlUla. The exhibition aims to position AlUla as the hub for monumental art experiences in the region. This year’s theme, “In the Presence of Absence,” challenges the concept of deserts as “empty spaces.” Artists worldwide are encouraged to investigate conceptual ideas of the invisible, engaging in a dialogue with AlUla’s environment.

• Gulf thaw with Syria gains steam: UAE sends envoy, Saudi diplomats plan visit

  The restoration of diplomatic ties between Arab Gulf countries and Syria is currently witnessing renewed impetus more than a decade after President Bashar al-Assad’s regional isolation due to his government’s brutal crackdown of peaceful anti-regime protests. A delegation of Saudi diplomats is reportedly heading to Damascus later this week, days after the UAE dispatched its first ambassador to the Syrian capital in more than 10 years. The pro-government Syrian Al-Watan newspaper said in a Wednesday report that Saudi charge d'affaires Abdullah al-Haris, along with several other diplomats, will arrive in Damascus on Saturday to resume Saudi consular services. Read more: https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2024/01/gulf-thaw-syria-gains-steam-uae-sends-envoy-saudi-diplomats-plan-visit#ixzz8QV41JpbP

• Opinion: We did not help build women’s tennis for it to be exploited by Saudi Arabia

  That work is now imperiled. WTA Tour officials, without adequate consultation with the players who are the very foundation of the sport, are on the verge of agreeing to stage the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia. This is entirely incompatible with the spirit and purpose of women’s tennis and the WTA itself.

• Saudi Arabia prepares to open first alcohol store for diplomats
  Saudi Arabia is preparing to open its first alcohol store in the capital Riyadh which will serve exclusively non-Muslim diplomats, a source familiar with the plans and a document showed on Wednesday.
  Customers will have to register via a mobile app, get a clearance code from the foreign ministry, and respect monthly quotas with their purchases, the document said.
  The move is a milestone in the kingdom's efforts, led by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to open the ultra-conservative Muslim country for tourism and business as drinking alcohol is forbidden in Islam.

• Work permits and visas in Saudi Arabia: an employer’s guide

  Saudi Arabia is undergoing massive employment and digitization. It's phasing out of a sponsorship system and improving the overall employment ecosystem with modifications to the Labor Code and an ambitious Vision 2030.

• Employment of Saudis in real estate sector surges to 26,000 after localization push

  The Saudi real estate sector has seen a substantial increase in local employment, with over 26,000 citizens now working in the industry, a significant leap from just 12,000 in July 2021. This 116% surge follows the government's decision to focus on localizing the sector, as announced by Eng. Ahmad Al Rajhi, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development.

  Addressing the Real Estate Future Forum in Riyadh, Al Rajhi highlighted the overall growth in the private sector workforce, with numbers rising from 1.7 million in 2019 to a record 2.3 million in 2023. Notably, 361,000 of these workers are entering the job market for the first time.

• Saudi Arabia won’t recognize Israel without a path to a Palestinian state, top diplomat says

  Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat said the kingdom will not normalize relations with Israel or contribute to Gaza’s reconstruction without a credible path to a Palestinian state — a nonstarter for Israel’s government. Prince Faisal bin Farhan’s remarks in an interview with CNN broadcast late Sunday were some of the most direct yet from Saudi officials. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — who faces mounting domestic pressure over the plight of Israeli hostages, including an angry protest inside a parliamentary committee meeting on Monday — has rejected Palestinian statehood and described plans for open-ended military control over Gaza.

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