SUSTG.com / Research

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

Recent stories from sustg

MUST-READS

  • How Saudi Arabia became the world’s plastic cheerleader

    Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest crude oil exporter, was the ringleader of a group of oil-rich nations including Russia and Iran that successfully blocked efforts to limit plastic production during last month’s talks in Busan, South Korea. And there’s no reason to think they won’t try to pull the same thing this year. “Saudi Arabia is now investing heavily in its environmental diplomacy,” said one negotiator from within the self-named high-ambition coalition, who was granted anonymity to discuss the closed-door talks. “I think there aren’t many delegations that can boast such a talented team of negotiators. [It] has the firing power.” For nations like Saudi Arabia, whose wealth depends on oil, it’s existential. The $700-billion-per-year-and-growing  plastics industry is set to become a key driver of oil demand as the world slowly switches from gas to electric modes of transport.

  • Riyadh seeks to become ‘rule shaper, not rule taker’ in mining

    The fourth Future Minerals Forum opens in Riyadh on Tuesday, highlighting Saudi Arabia’s non-oil natural resources and the mining industry that seeks to extract them. The forum, held in the King Abdulaziz International Conference Centre attached to the famous Ritz-Carlton hotel, has become progressively bigger. Now the target is 9,000 attendees, putting it on a par with the autumn gathering of the Future Investment Initiative Institute. That is a sign of the importance attached to minerals and mining as part of the Vision 2030 transformation. The message – as propounded by Bandar Alkhorayef, the minister of industry and mineral resources – is twofold.

  • Arab investments in Egypt’s economy reach nearly $40bn

    Foreign direct investments from Arab countries in Egypt totalled $39.5 billion in the final quarter of the fiscal year 2023-24, led by the UAE. The UAE’s investments in the construction sector stood at $37.5 billion, accounting for 95 percent of the total, Al Arabiya Business reported citing data from Egypt’s central bank. Last February Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund ADQ unveiled plans to invest $35 billion to build the “largest new city” in Egypt and drive economic growth. The fund acquired the development rights for Ras El Hekma for $24 billion and plans to develop the region as a Mediterranean holiday destination, including a free zone. ADQ will also convert $11 billion of deposits that will be used for investment in prime projects across Egypt.

  • Saudi Arabia set to extend Spanish Super Cup agreement

    Back in 2020, the Spanish Super Cup was moved to Saudi Arabia after the Spanish Football Federation agreed a contract with the Middle Eastern nation. It has been a very controversial move, although there are no signs of the competition returning to Spanish soil anytime soon. The current agreement between the Federation and Saudi Arabia runs until 2029, but there are already plans for it to be extended. As per Diario AS, talks are underway for the Spanish Super Cup to stay where it is for an extra five years, until 2034. It’s noted that both parties are very satisfied with the current arrangement, despite controversies that took place this week during the semi-finals, which saw the wives of some players being harassed, and the same happening to supporters.

  • Saudi Arabia produces over 80% of its vegetable supply; 64% of fruit and 67% of cattle farmed domestically

    Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) issued its Agriculture and Fisheries Accounts publication for 2023, showing that reliance on local vegetable production accounted for 80.6 per cent of the total vegetable supply in the Kingdom. Additionally, the reliance on local fruit production reached 63.7 per cent of the total fruit supply, while 14.8 per cent of the cereals supply was covered by locally available production for consumption. The results also showed that the total value of local crop production in the Kingdom reached SR38.332bn ($10.2bn) in 2023.

  • MENA Countries Face Complex Challenges

    Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) countries confront a complex mix of domestic, regional, and international challenges. The incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump is expected to bring major changes to US foreign policy towards MENA governments and in terms of American engagement on pressing regional issues. Wealthy and stable MENA countries are cautiously seeking opportunities with international partners outside the volatile region, primarily driven by domestic imperatives. The most dramatic development of late 2024 involved the spectacular collapse of the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, where a rebel offensive led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) toppled his dictatorship after a grueling 14 years of civil war. Syrians now confront the challenges of forming an inclusive and stable government, addressing mounting humanitarian needs, and initiating economic recovery efforts.

  • Riyadh hosts high-level international meetings on Syria’s future

    Key Arab and international figures convened in Riyadh for critical meetings on the future of Syria, focusing on humanitarian and political support one month after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan chaired the Arab foreign ministers’ meeting, which included the Arab League Secretary-General, the Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General, and top diplomats from Egypt, Syria, Qatar, the UAE, Jordan, Oman, Lebanon, and Bahrain. Western foreign ministers and the UN special envoy to Syria are set to join the discussions later, alongside the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock highlighted the opportunity for unified international action to rebuild Syria, calling for a Syrian-led political process.

  • Saudi university signs 15 new agreements to research defense, AI, and nuclear technologies

    One of the Kingdom’s leading universities has signed 15 new agreements with government entities and major corporations to advance research in areas including defense, artificial intelligence, and nuclear energy. The King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals signed the agreements at a recent ceremony in Dhahran attended by Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, minister of energy and chairman of KFUPM’s Board of Trustees. Among the highlights is a memorandum of understanding with the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy to advance technology in nuclear and renewable energy, hydrogen, and AI.

  • Stable, if lacking excitement: the outlook for Gulf banks

    Gulf banks have not suffered as a result of the regionalisation of the Gaza war and their financial efficiency has enabled them to maintain earnings in the face of falling international interest rates.  Overseas operations have caused losses for some institutions in recent years: currency devaluation in Egypt, financial crisis and hyperinflation in Lebanon and economic difficulties and high levels of inflation in Turkey all had to be reflected in the profit and loss statements of banks that are active in those countries. However among the larger banks the financial write-downs were easily digested within full earnings statements. More importantly, as we look ahead, the economies of Egypt and Turkey appear to have stabilised and after more than five years of economic depression in Lebanon, the scope for further losses is small.

  • Saudi Arabian women break into the Rally-Dakar world

    In parallel to the Rally-Dakar 2025 competition, which is being held for the sixth consecutive year in Saudi Arabia, the Arab giant has organised for the first time a training programme for promising young Saudi sportsmen and women called ‘Saudi Next Gen’, in which women such as Merryhan Albaz, an influencer, sports enthusiast and the first female mechanic in the world of motorsport, also took part.  Five pairs of drivers took part in this first edition: four male and one female. The young participants, chosen by the Saudi Automobile Federation, will enjoy a coaching session and will fight for a place in next year's Dakar Rally, which will also be held in Saudi Arabia.