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  • “Norah”: A Groundbreaking Saudi Film Makes Its Mark at the Cannes Film Festival

    The 77th Cannes Film Festival marked a significant milestone for Saudi cinema with the inclusion of ‘Norah’ in the Un Certain Regard section. This recognition is noteworthy as "Norah" is the first Saudi film, entirely shot in AlUla and featuring an all-Saudi cast, to be officially selected at Cannes.

  • Saudi Arabia’s King Salman congratulates Muslims on Eid al-Adha

    King Salman, who is also the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, said in a post on X that he prayed that God accepts the Hajj pilgrimage of all those who performed the ritual this year “and to perpetuate security and stability for our homeland and our people, and for our Islamic and Arab nations and the entire world.”

  • Over a year in making, Aramco stake sale brings rare foreign investment to Saudi

    Saudi Arabia began preparing more than a year ago to sell a new chunk of state oil giant Aramco (2222.SE), opens new tab, targeting foreign investment that has lagged goals for years and is needed for an ambitious economic transformation.
    The preparations led by CEO Amin Nasser paid off.
    Over half of the $11.2 billion Aramco shares were sold to foreign investors, a far cry from five years ago, when they largely shunned its $29.4 billion initial public offering, citing concerns about risks around governance, regional geopolitics and the environment.

  • Saudi Arabia to enforce ban on working under direct sunlight

    Authorities in Saudi Arabia will begin enforcing a ban on working under direct sunlight for all private sector establishments from 12 PM to 3 PM, starting Saturday, June 15, 2024, until September 15, 2024. The ban will be implemented by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, in collaboration with the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health.

  • Saudi and Qatari universities lead the region in global education rankings

    Universities from Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been ranked the best in the Arab world in a new global higher education league table.

    Seven institutions across the region made the top 250 of the QS World University Rankings 2025, with three from Saudi Arabia and two from Qatar making up the top five in the Middle East.

    King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals led the way in 101st position – up from 180th last year – out of 1,500 universities worldwide.

  • 2023-24 Roshn Saudi League – in record-breaking numbers

    The recently concluded 2023-24 Roshn Saudi League was one for the history books, with a slew of records tumbling and new benchmarks set. Al Hilal were rampant title winners, Cristiano Ronaldo showed once more why for many he is considered the greatest of all time, while the rapidly growing league encouraged more fans to attend in person and, at the same time, reached a bigger worldwide audience than ever before.

  • Cristiano Ronaldo in tears after losing King’s Cup final in penalty shootout

    Cristiano Ronaldo was left sobbing on the pitch after Al-Nassr lost the Saudi King’s Cup final in a penalty shootout to rival Al-Hilal on Friday.

    The agonizing defeat, after the penalty shootout finished 5-4, meant that Al-Nassr finished the season without a trophy, while Al-Hilal triumphed in three competitions – the Roshn Saudi League, the Saudi Super Cup and the Saudi King’s Cup

  • Saudi King Salman heads cabinet meeting after medical treatment

    Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz headed a cabinet meeting on Tuesday after he underwent medical treatment for lung inflammation last week, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

  • ‘Norah’ Review: A Striking Debut About Artistic Repression in ’90s Saudi Arabia

    The first Saudi Arabian film ever selected for Cannes, the tender rural drama “Norah” is writer-director Tawfik Alzaidi‘s first feature film. The story of a schoolteacher tasked with introducing literacy to an isolated village and his unlikely relationship with a precocious young girl, the movie suffers from a few early-career filmmaking tics, which prevent all its pieces from all neatly fitting together. However, it’s also underscored by the kind of optimism and poetry about art that one often finds in novice works from directors destined to make more polished and accomplished films (if perhaps more cynical ones).

  • Saudi Arabia’s open banking strategy a game-changer

    In May 2022, the institution, also known as SAMA, went live with its open banking initiative, which has altered the future of financial technology in the Kingdom and the wider region. Open banking is a technological innovation that enables customers to securely share their data with third parties. “Open banking changes the very nature of relationships across the financial ecosystem for Saudi Arabia and for the region as a whole. This is only a good thing,” said Al-Moayed.