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  • A Tadawul Opening Road Map
     

    Jadwa Investments is a well respected Shariah-compliant investment bank based in Saudi Arabia.  Jadwa’s market studies and regular updates can be counted on to be highly informed and concise analyses of the topic at hand. Their monthly ‘Chartbooks,’ quarterly GDP updates, annual budget report and specific sector analysis are regular features on the Saudi-US Trade […]

     
  • FocusKSA Video: Former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia James Smith on the King Abdullah Scholarship Program
     

    The number of students participating in Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Scholarship Program has skyrocketed over the past decade from around 2,000 students in 2002 to over 80,000 today, comments former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia James B. Smith. In a recent FocusKSA (a joint Saudi-US Trade Group/SUSRIS.com initiative) interview with Pat Ryan, SUSRIS Editor-in-Chief, former U.S. […]

     
  • ‘A New Page’ for Diplomacy between Saudi Arabia and Iran?
     

    In what may be another step in a growing thaw in Saudi-Iranian relations, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian visited Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday and met with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Prince Saud al Faisal. In remarks to Reuters following the meeting, Abdollahian said that both countries agreed that “a new page” was […]

     
  • Where are U.S. Airstrikes Bombing Islamic State Locations in Iraq From?
     

    Craig Whitlock in the Washington Post reports that recent U.S. airstrikes into Iraq on Islamic State targets are taking off from bases in Qatar and the UAE in addition to aircraft carriers in the Arabian Gulf, but neither government is directly admitting it at this time. That the U.S. is using Gulf allies as their […]

     
  • Sfakianakis: Now is the Time for Energy Subsidy Reform in Saudi Arabia
     

    Annual energy subsidies in Saudi Arabia amount to $120 billion; roughly a quarter of all global energy subsidies combined. As with subsidies worldwide, those in Saudi Arabia are in place primarily for political and social reasons. Unfortunately, energy subsidies result in numerous and profound economic distortions that ultimately do not benefit the poor in particular […]

     
  • The Good Stuff
     

    So, Walid, this Saudi student at the University of Southern California was in Pennsylvania talking with some Amish farmers about their camels… A lot has been made of the King Abdullah Scholarship Program (KASP) established in 2005 to encourage Saudi students to study abroad. It is a truly ambitious enterprise that has propelled 150,000+ Saudi […]

     
  • Saudi Arabia’s Timely Push for Solar to Reduce Oil Consumption
     

    It’s no secret that Saudi Arabia’s energy consumption is soaring, and that to meet increasing demand, the Kingdom is siphoning off more and more of its crude to power the booming Saudi economy. Although Saudi Arabia has plenty of oil, what is consumed to meet domestic power demand cannot be sold on the market. Writing […]

     
  • Sfakianakis: ‘The great giant of the emerging markets has finally awakened’
     

    Saudi Arabia’s stability in contrast to many of its neighbors in the Middle East region is a cause for optimism for the Kingdom’s economy and future, writes John Sfakianakis in the Financial Times’ Beyond Brics blog. Noting that those who argue that the Kingdom is the next destination for turmoil have “been thinking that for […]

     
  • ‘Clash of Investment Cultures’ Awaits Foreigners in Saudi Stock Market
     

    Marwa Rashad and Andrew Torchia report on the impact on the Saudi stock market in the wake of the announcement that the Tadawul will open to foreign investors, and interview stock trader Mohamed al-Otaibi on his current “shorter-term approach” to investing in the market:

     
  • Why Saudi Arabia is ‘The Next Big Thing’ for Global Investors
     

    Leone Lakhani and Alanna Petroff write in CNN Money that Saudi Arabia is the “next big emerging market” following the announcement of the TASI opening to foreign investors. That report cited Saleem Khokhar, head of equities at the National Bank of Abu Dhabi’s asset management group, as saying that the market is “deeply liquid…with lots […]

     

MUST-READS

  • Saudi Pro League brings in Webook to manage electronic ticketing

    The Saudi Pro League (SPL), which kicks off its new season tomorrow, has signed a three-year deal with ticketing platform Webook.com. The SPL said the aim was “to streamline the fan experience for partnering clubs, offering early access to tickets, and season passes. Fans within the Kingdom and abroad will be able to purchase tickets well ahead of matchday.” As well as administering the tickets sales process, Webook.com will support clubs with technical assistance and ongoing ticket promotions, working towards integrating Webook into their own sites.

  • Voices of the Desert: A Collaborative Journey in the Saudi Arabia Pavilion

    The National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia at the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia presents a powerful collaboration between curators Jessica Cerasi, Maya El Khalil, and Shadin AlBulaihed, alongside renowned artist Manal AlDowayan. Together, they have created “Shifting Sands: A Battle Song,” an evocative multimedia installation that delves into the complexities of identity, media representation, and the voices of Saudi women.

  • As China-Saudi ties develop, so will cross-border yuan use, ratings agency says

    “This involves many sectors, larger sums of financial flows both ways and many more companies,” Chang said in an interview. “Economic and strategic alignment in terms of development plans” could further elevate the yuan in Saudi Arabia despite wider geopolitical tensions, he added. The tripling of China’s trade with the Middle East observed over the past two decades, report authors said, adds potential for the broader use of the yuan among Gulf states.

  • Draw announced for inaugural big-money Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters

    A new professional ranking event on the World Snooker Tour, the inaugural edition takes place at Green Halls in Riyadh between Friday 30th August to Saturday 7th September. The much-publicised tournament is in conjunction with the Ministry of Sport for Saudi Arabia and the Saudi Arabian Billiard & Snooker Federation, with an aim to increase visibility and participation of cuesports in the country. Both the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters and the World 9-Ball Pool Championship - which was held in the Kingdom for the first time earlier this year - have reported 10-year contracts.

  • Saudi Arabia is building world’s largest solar-storage microgrid

    Saudi Arabia is building a 400-MW solar microgrid backed by 1.3 GWh of energy storage capacity to ensure clean energy supply for the Red Sea Project on the west coast of the Kingdom. Located in a 28,000-sq-km area in Tabuk province between the cities of Umluj and Al-Wajh, the project is being developed by Red Sea Global, a company owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).

  • Saudi Arabia Unveils New Umrah Program to Enhance Pilgrim Experience

    In 2023, Saudi Arabia recorded 13.5 million pilgrims. The new program seeks to improve these figures by supporting service providers. It encourages companies to adopt professional destination management and trip organization strategies. The ministry collaborated with the Pilgrim Experience Program, an integral part of Saudi Vision 2030, to organize the second Umrah organizations’ gathering in Makkah. Led by Hajj and Umrah Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, the meeting focused on enhancing the Umrah experience and empowering the private sector to provide year-round services.

  • Saudi POS hits $3.6bn as education spending surges with academic year start

    Saudi Arabia’s point-of-sale transactions climbed to SR13.5 billion ($3.61 billion) between Aug. 11 and 17, reflecting a 3.6 percent increase from the previous week, official data showed. According to the latest figures from the Saudi Central Bank, also known as SAMA, the education sector led the charge, recording a 127.5 percent surge in spending, with total transactions reaching SR1.01 billion.

  • Peregrine falcon chick sells for record $106,601 at Saudi auction

    A peregrine falcon chick named Ultra White has been sold for a record SR400,000 ($106,600) this year after an initial price of SR100,000 at the 2024 International Falcon Breeders Auction, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday. American breeder Pacific Northwest Falcons, the owner of Ultra White, sold another peregrine chick named Super White for SR86,000 after an opening price of SR40,000 during the bidding on Tuesday night.

  • Jobs in Saudi Arabia: NEOM announces major recruitment drive

    NEOM Green Hydrogen Company (NGHC), the company building the world’s largest green hydrogen plant at Oxagon, in Saudi Arabia’s northwestern region of NEOM, has announced a significant recruitment drive for its construction and operations phases.

  • Cristiano Ronaldo breaks YouTube records, shares videos of life in Saudi Arabia

    Cristiano Ronaldo has broken YouTube records with the launch of his own official channel on the platform. The channel launched on Wednesday, August 21 and broke records for the most subscribers gained in an hour and reached a million subscribers in just 90 minutes. At the time of writing the channel has 7m subscribers after just a few hours and it is set to continue rapid growth rate.