Recent stories from sustg

MUST-READS

  • Saudi culture ministry to honor scholarship graduates

    The Ministry of Culture will hold a ceremony on Thursday to honor graduates of the Cultural Scholarship Program, which offers high-quality education in cultural and arts disciplines at prestigious international universities. Under the patronage of Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, the ceremony will celebrate the graduates’ achievements and contributions in their fields. The event will also show the program’s impact on nurturing cultural talent and advancing the cultural sector, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

  • 59% of Saudi family businesses have no succession plan: CEO of NCFB

    The regions of Qassim and Riyadh lead in the presence of family businesses in Saudi Arabia, constituting 95% of the active commercial establishments and employ 57% of the private sector's workforce, accounting for 48% of the total workforce in Saudi Arabia, Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper reported. Moreover, 69% of family businesses are concentrated in Riyadh, Makkah, and the Eastern Province, which is a natural reflection of the economic activity in Saudi Arabia.

  • Saudi Arabia’s economy set to grow in second half of 2024

    Saudi Arabia’s economic growth is anticipated to recover in the latter half of 2024, as per research firm CreditSights. The kingdom’s GDP is projected to increase by 1.7% in 2024, with a further acceleration to 4.7% in 2025. This follows a 0.4% contraction in the second quarter of 2024, after a 0.8% contraction in 2023 and a 7.5% expansion in 2022.

  • No longer a financial reservoir? Saudi Arabia’s spending confirms clear shift in strategy

    The fund’s investments in domestic infrastructure and real estate development grew 15% year-on-year to 233 billion riyals, while its foreign investments increased 14% to 586 billion riyals. At the same time, the Saudi government introduced laws and reforms to facilitate and even mandate investment in the country as it builds out its Vision 2030 plan to diversity its oil-reliant economy.

  • What Maersk’s $250M logistics park means for Saudi Arabia

    Danish shipping and logistics company Maersk is building a 225,000-square-meter facility in Saudi Arabia's Red Sea-facing Jeddah Islamic Port. The company is investing $250 million in developing a key logistics hub with the Saudi Ports Authority, also known as Mawani. The facility allows for connectivity over land, sea and air. It has warehouses for e-commerce and business requirements and caters to a wide range of sectors such as fast-moving consumer goods, frozen food, automotive, retail and lifestyle, petrochemicals, electronics and pharmaceuticals. The logistics hub will also provide and first- and last-mile deliveries, as well as custom services.

  • Saudi father’s simple post on social media goes viral

    Abdulkarim Al-Kazraj, a respected author and passionate advocate for social and cultural issues, recently took to X to share a poignant moment from his family’s life. What began as a simple post to mark his daughter Laura’s first day of middle school quickly went viral, capturing the hearts of thousands and sparking meaningful conversations across the nation. Al-Kazraj’s post featured a side-by-side photo comparison of Laura on her first day of school in 2018 and her first day of middle school in 2024.

  • Saudi World Cup bid bucks global trend for sporting events

    While other events at the games were held at existing venues, the swimming was the best example of how the Olympics has shifted from being an expensive construction endeavour to a more sustainable event that relies on a city’s existing infrastructure. Football’s Fifa World Cup is edging the same way with its requirement for countries bidding to host the event to use four existing stadiums.

  • Saudi Arabia crude oil exports drop in June

    The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is set to begin unwinding a level of production cuts of 2.2 million barrels per day from October. Earlier this month OPEC lowered its demand growth outlook for the first time in a year, citing softer expectations for China. Meanwhile, China and Saudi Arabia were the top destinations for Russian seaborne fuel oil and vacuum gasoil (VGO) exports in July.

  • Saudi Arabia’s series of law changes eases entry for investment and companies

    Two important laws that came out in the past week include an update to the new investment law which puts Saudi and non-Saudi investors on an equal footing and the amendments to the labour law that are expected to benefit employees and employers and enhance their relationship. As part of the law, there will no longer be a system of getting a foreign investment licence, instead, there will be an investment register that's operated by the Ministry of Investment.

  • Who are the Saudi Pro League’s biggest transfers of summer 2024?

    A blockbuster summer transfer window in 2023, which saw global superstars like Neymar, Karim Benzema and Riyad Mahrez join Cristiano Ronaldo in the Kingdom, contributed to an explosion of interest in the Saudi Pro League – putting it on the world football map like never before. Fast forward 12 months and the fanfare has subsided somewhat as clubs scaled back their signings this summer, with many opting instead to consolidate their existing personnel. Still, there have been plenty of notable forays into the transfer market, with Al Qadsiah and Al Ittihad particularly active – the former spending more than $50 million on reinforcements.