SUSTG.com / Research

Discover stories, topics, and more about Saudi Arebia faster.

Recent stories from sustg

  • U.S. Approval Eroding in MENA Before Film Controversy
     

    Approval of U.S. leadership in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region was already slipping before the recent wave of anti-U.S. protests across the region. An average of 20% of adults across 12 MENA countries Gallup surveyed between January and May 2012 approved of the job performance of the leadership of the U.S. This […]

     
  • Abdullah Alireza speaks at C3 Summit
     

    SUSTG attended the C3 Summit in New York City September 13-14, 2012. This was the inaugural event in what the organizers anticipate will be an annual gathering to ‘build new relationships, foster existing partnerships and exchange best practices’ between the U.S. and the Arab world. C3 (Community, Collaboration and Commerce) is looking to host the […]

     
  • Wealth Management in the Middle East: Boon or Bust?
     

    Middle Eastern policymakers and bankers will develop an indigenous wealth management industry which keeps the super-wealthy’s investments at home. Developing a local national wealth management industry requires letting in foreign competition, changing banking and securities laws, and growing local companies whose shares are worth buying. The first part of the article reviews trends in wealth […]

     
  • Living Social
     

    In their pursuit to be where the young consum­ers are, brands have long identified social media as a crucial place to establish a presence. Where else will you find huge numbers of youngsters highly active and engaged? Results from market research company TNS indicate that 68 percent of MENA youth spend 12 hours per  week […]

     
  • Why Saudi Arabia’s Travel and Tourism Sector Is Ripe for Growth
     

    Saudi Arabia’s travel and tourism sector is poised for rapid growth in the next decade and beyond, and both Saudi and international corporations are looking to cash in on the opportunities ahead. A product of the changing economic and social landscape in Saudi Arabia, the coming tourism boom is likely to contribute to the Kingdom’s […]

     
  • Saudi, UAE, Qatar top Cleantech list
     

    Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Jordan are the most attractive markets for clean technologies, thanks to their government plans, budgets and long-term strategies, said a report by Ernst & Young. These countries have also demonstrated investments in large initiatives such as KACARE, Masdar and the ‘Green’ Fifa World Cup 2022, said E&Y in the […]

     
  • Internet in the Middle East Still Short of Its Potential
     

    Last week’s third ArabNet conference for digital entrepreneurs in the MENA region was, by the standard of these things, a modest affair. But nonetheless it showed how the regional digital economy has grown, and how it is poised to take off. As one commentator said: “Jordan for the talent, Lebanon for the creativity, Egypt for […]

     

MUST-READS

  • Saudi Arabia reports ‘phenomenal’ increase in NFC mobile payments

    “In September 2020, 91% of transactions were contactless, compared with 66% in 2019. There are also now over 614,000 POS terminals across the country, 96% of which are NFC enabled.”

  • MENA M&A Reached US$58 billion in the first nine months of 2020

    According to the report, investment banking fees generated in the Middle East and North Africa reached an estimated US$895.7 million during the first nine months of 2020, up 4% from the same period in 2019 to the highest year-to-date total since 2008.  US$361.4 million worth of advisory fees were earned from completed M&A transactions in the region during the first nine months of 2020, up 23% from last year to the highest year-to-date total since our records began in 2000.

  • Saudi Arabia to be 24pc of Mena pharma market

    In recent years, a range of healthcare reforms has taken place in Saudi Arabia to support and incentivise pharma manufacturers. These include 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) into the sector, efforts to increase the total local pharmaceutical production by 20% by the end of 2020, the launch of e-visas to make the country more accessible, as well as opportunities for business expansion, due to the country’s reliance on imported pharmaceuticals.

  • Saudi’s King Abdulaziz remains top university in Mena

    The THE World University Rankings 2021 sees 141 universities qualify for the first time. Furthermore, an additional 18 institutions from across Mena qualify since last year, with Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates all seeing new entrants in the 2021 ranking.

  • MENA markets recovering but an uphill battle remains

    As we approach the final quarter of the year, policymakers worldwide remain on a high-wire balancing act of containing both Covid-19 and the resulting economic fallout. Even with the relaxing of mobility restrictions and the stimulative effect that will undoubtedly have, there will likely be a lingering impact on consumer behaviour and some permanent economic damage. This looks set to weigh on global economic growth prospects well beyond 2020.

  • Analysis: MENA stock markets recovering, but uphill battle remains

    Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) numbers have improved over the past two months in select MENA markets, bouncing back from their April lows, as business activity resumed. The UAE posted the strongest recovery followed by Egypt, with activity edging higher than the pre-pandemic February numbers. Saudi Arabia’s reading was relatively muted, but not declining.

  • WARC Prize for MENA Strategy 2020 winners announced

    Two of the winning entries are regional campaigns, with the other award-winning work for national markets – Saudi Arabia (6 awards), United Arab Emirates (4), Lebanon (2), Egypt (1), Tunisia (1).

  • MENA fund managers to increase Saudi investments with eye to recovery – Reuters poll

    “We are looking for opportunities ... across sectors less impacted by both the oil price slump and the pandemic,” said Jai Lawrence, asset management analyst at Almal Capital.

  • EY survey shows 54% of MENA executives plan to pursue M&A in the next 12 months despite COVID-19

    62% of MENA executives optimistic that global M&A market will improve in the next 12 months • 77% of MENA executives expect the pandemic to have a severe impact on the global economy • 80% of MENA executives say their company is undergoing a significant business and technology transformation to meet profitability goals • 92% of MENA executives are considering or making changes to their global supply chain

  • Saudi Arabia hosts Mena tourism recovery strategy talks

    Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism is today convening all Arab League nations to agree unified measures for the tourism sector’s recovery. The virtual meeting, chaired by Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism, will address the pressing issues facing the sector as a result of Covid-19 and present opportunities for coordinated regional action.