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  • Is the Saudi Health Ministry Failing to Meet Targets?
     

    Saudi Arabia is in danger of failing to meet crucial targets set out in the Kingdom’s ninth development plan for 2010 to 2014, according to a post published in the Saudi Gazette, based on information from the Arabic-language Al-Eqtisadiah. “With only two months left until the end of 2014, the ministry is far from reaching […]

     
  • 23rd NCUSAR Policymaker’s Conference Begins Tomorrow in Washington
     

    The National Council‘s 23rd Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference begins tomorrow, September 28th-29th at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. Saudis scheduled to speak at the event include HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal, H.E. Dr. Abdullah I. El-Kuwaiz and others.  For a full list of speakers and the agenda, click here. You can […]

     
  • #FocusKSA: What to Expect from the Opening of the Saudi Stock Market: Fahad al-Turki of Jadwa Investment
     

    In part 2 of our FocusKSA conversation with Dr. Fahad al-Turki, Head of Research for Jadwa Investment, discusses what to expect from the opening of the Saudi stock market to foreigners in 2015. Jadwa is a well-regarded, Shariah-compliant, investment firm based in Riyadh and Dr. Fahad spearheads a superb analysis team that publishes very informative reports […]

     
  • Opinion: Teaching Religious Tolerance in Schools
     

    In recent months, much attention has been given to the expanding influence of jihadist groups and religious extremists in the Middle East. The rise of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq has been attributed, in part, to former Prime Minister Maliki’s sectarian policies. The Houthis, a Shiite rebel group in Yemen have occupied Sanaa and […]

     
  • #FocusKSA: Jadwa Investment’s Head of Research Fahad al-Turki on the Saudi Economy
     

    In another edition of the FocusKSA discussion series, Saudi-US Trade Group President, Richard Wilson, speaks with Jadwa Investment’s Head of Research, Dr. Fahad al-Turki, about the Saudi economy and investment in the Kingdom (Part 1, video below) as well as the planned opening of the Saudi stock market to qualified foreign investors (Part 2 to be […]

     
  • Murder of Abdullah Alkadi in California Hits Home for Saudi Students, Families
     

    The suspected murder-carjacking death of Saudi Arabian national Abdullah Alkadi has caused tremors through the vast, tightly-knit community of Saudi students in the United States. In comments to SUSTG, Ghadah Alghunaim, co-founder of the popular Saudi student social networking group, Saudis in USA, said that the event shook many Saudi students in the US and […]

     
  • Cracking the Online Payments Puzzle in MENA
     

    Online payments have been at the center of electronic commerce challenges in the Middle East and North Africa since the first regional e-commerce sites came online. In many cases, they’ve kept both investors and founders worried about venturing into e-commerce businesses, and prevented many consumers from enjoying the benefits. Research shows that 47% of people […]

     
  • Body of Saudi Student in the USA Abdullah Abdullatif Alkadi Found in California Desert
     

    Saudi students in the USA and others on social media are mourning Abdullah Abdullatif Alkadi, whose body was found in Palm Desert, California alongside a freeway more than a month after he disappeared. The 23 year old California State University, Northridge student was an electrical engineering student on the King Abdullah Scholarship Program. His brother […]

     
  • Saudi Labor Reform and a Supermarket Checkout Line
     

    Last month SUSTG featured a Summer 2014 Report Card analysing the Nitaqat Program to significantly increase the number of Saudis in the workforce.  In that article Nathan Field assessed the structural reform required simply to implement the Nitaqat initiative as well as the array of regulatory changes and their impact on the Saudi labor environment. In […]

     
  • PHOTOS: Saudi Commando Forces Train in the Alps
     

    Saudi Arabia’s commando forces are training in the Alps with their French counterparts. The forces included “Saudi commando units, surveillance units of paratroopers and special forces units from the Royal Saudi Land Forces, joined by French commandos, all took part in the high-altitude drills dubbed ‘Shamrakh 1,’ Al Arabiya reports. [CLICK HERE TO VIEW A […]

     

MUST-READS

  • Dragon Ball Theme Park to Open in Saudi Arabia

    While anime fans might still be grieving over the recent loss of Dragon Ball creator, Akira Toriyama, it’s been heartwarming to see the community rally together and share their love for the beloved mangaka and his work through in-game and real life tributes. One piece of news that dropped recently that might perk everyone up is the announcement of the very first Dragon Ball theme park.

  • Petaholic.sa Announces Special Initiative to Support Stray Cats in Saudi Arabia

    Petaholic.sa, a leading organization dedicated to pets and their well-being in Saudi Arabia, is proud to announce a special initiative aimed at providing essential aid to stray cats across the country. Understanding the importance of animal welfare and the challenges faced by stray animals, Petaholic.sa is committed to making a positive impact in the community.

  • Saudi Humanoid Robot Won’t Talk About Sex or Politics, Creator Says

    Saudi Arabia's first humanoid robot won't talk about sex or politics because she is Saudi, her creator says. Elie Metri, the CEO of Riyadh-based QSS AI & Robots, told Business Insider that "Sara knows that she's a girl, she's 25 years old, she's 1.62 centimeters, she's wearing Saudi clothing."

  • Australia, Saudi get a chance to advance but Japan has to wait in World Cup Asian qualifying

    Australia and Saudi Arabia are among the Asian Football Confederation heavyweights aiming to secure a spot in the next stage of World Cup qualifying with wins Tuesday, while Japan’s bid to advance will have to wait after North Korea cancelled a home game in Pyongyang. Just hours after a 1-0 loss to Japan in Tokyo last week, the North Koreans informed tournament organizers that they could not host the return match.

  • Blinken cites progress with Saudis on normalising ties with Israel

    The United States and Saudi Arabia have made "good progress" in talks on normalising ties between the kingdom and Israel, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday without providing a timeline for concluding a deal. "I believe we can reach an agreement, which would present a historic opportunity for two nations, but also for the region as a whole," Blinken said at a joint press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Cairo.

  • What’s in store for regional startups in 2024?

    For the first year since MAGNiTT started publishing yearly reports, Saudi Arabia emerged as the region’s most funded ecosystem. Two reasons explain this novelty, and why the Kingdom will likely retain its crown in 2024. First, 2023 saw Saudi host numerous “mega-rounds” (funding rounds over $100M). Due to their disproportionate size, these types of rounds can make or break an ecosystem’s funding performance. In 2023, MENA’s five largest rounds constituted 43% of the region’s total funding. Four of those rounds were led by Saudi-based companies. The remaining one was in Egypt.

  • The Middle East’s Oil Giants Have Entered the Critical Minerals Race

    “This is not about replacing the bedrock of their economic engine away from oil to minerals,” said Ahmed Mehdi, managing director at Renaissance Energy and a visiting fellow at the Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy. “This is more about making sure that they have a seat at the table in the energy transition, especially given how geopolitically charged this industry is.”

  • Opinion: Iran-Saudi ties prove an unlikely Middle East safety valve

    By October 11, Iran’s president Ebrahim Raisi had initiated a phone call with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the first ever between them and the first conversation at this level between the two countries since before the 2016 breakdown in relations. A week later, Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian travelled to Jeddah for a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Iran’s message was understated but clear: we don’t want war. Absent this channel, the risk of misreading intentions of the different players in the region would have been considerable.

  • Saudi Arabia’s $2 trillion gamble: Can Oil wealth fund tech revolution?

    It was just a few months ago that Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund, PIF, had $676 billion in assets under management. As of the month of March, Saudi Arabia transferred a $164 billion stake in Aramco to PIF, propelling it to the second-biggest fund in the Middle East for an astonishing $925 billion. This is up from $595.6 billion in 2022 and is now resulting in PIF 16 percent ownership of Aramco.

  • Toyota’s comedic Ramadan ad taps into the unwavering Saudi hospitality

    A new Ramadan campaign from Serviceplan Arabia and Abdul Latif Jameel Motors – Toyota takes a different approach to the Holy Month. Set in against the corniche of Saudi-city Khobar, the ad takes a more comedic approach while maintaining the spirit of Ramadan and generosity.