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  • The road ahead for banks in the GCC region: 7 priorities

    The financial sector in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has managed to outperform the global average on several financial metrics, according to the McKinsey & Company study, including on return on equity (by three or four percentage points), margins, and cost-to-asset ratios.

  • Saudi Arabia is now self-sufficient in fig production, says agriculture ministry

    Saudi Arabia has achieved self-sufficiency in fig production, with annual output exceeding 28,000 tonnes on 1,421 hectares of land across the country, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has announced. In a statement posted on its website over the weekend, the MEWA said Jazan and Riyadh are the biggest producers with annual production in tonnes of 9,906 and 8,010, respectively.

  • Minister Al-Sheikh hails Saudi leadership for championing moderate Islam and combating extremism

    Ministers of Islamic affairs and endowments as well as muftis, heads of Islamic councils, associations and institutions from 60 countries are taking part in the 9th Conference of Ministers of Endowments and Islamic Affairs from Islamic Countries, which began in Makkah on Sunday. The Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance, is hosting the conference under the theme of “the role of ministries of endowments and Islamic affairs in promoting and consolidating the principles and the values of moderation.”

  • E-sports World Cup and Olympics: Lasting Impact of E-sports on the Economy is in Full Display

    Revenues in the Saudi gaming sector are projected to hit $10.6 million in 2024, registering a growth rate (CAGR) of 8.90% over the next eight years, between 2024 and 2032. Much of this growth is largely driven by supportive government policies and investments, a rise in business expansion activity in Saudi Arabia, and the uptick in the popularity of e-sports among Saudis. Roughly two-thirds (67%) of the Saudi population consider themselves gamers. This signifies the rise in demand for consumption as the gaming culture continues to unabashedly take hold.

  • Market value of listed Saudi companies falls by $47.03bln, impacted by sharp drop in global markets

    The shares of 223 Tadawul listed Saudi companies declined at the end of their trading on Sunday. This is in the first trading session after the collapse recorded by global markets at the end of their weekly trading, coinciding with the decline in oil prices by more than three percent.

  • Saudis joining private sector doubled to over 34600 in July

    The number of Saudi citizens joining the private sector for the first time doubled in July to exceed 34600 citizens, compared to 16500 in June. This figure shows their number increased more than two times within just one month. A recent report, released by the National Labor Observatory, revealed that the total number of workers in the private sector reached 11.473 million last month, compared to 11.409 million workers in the previous month of June, while the number of citizens exceeded 2.342 million, compared to 2.340 million in June.

  • Saudi cities announce 57 investment opportunities for commercial and residential sectors

    Saudi Arabia’s Hail, Qassim, and Asir municipalities have launched 57 new investment opportunities across various sectors such as entertainment, sports, commercial, and residential. The purpose of this initiative is to boost economic development, promote the private sector and improve the living standard within these regions.  

  • Lucid gets up to $1.5 bln in funding ahead of electric SUV rollout

    Lucid Group (LCID.O), opens new tab said on Monday its largest shareholder, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, will inject up to $1.5 billion in cash, as the electric vehicle maker looks to ramp up production of a new SUV. The EV maker's shares jumped about 6% in extended trading after closing down 3.9% in the regular session.
    The deal comes just ahead of Lucid's planned production of its much-awaited Gravity SUV later this year and keeps the EV maker sufficiently funded till the fourth quarter of 2025.

  • Lebanon housing costs surge amid property crunch as conflict fears spark exodus, echoing 2006 war

    Panic set in among many residents following a recent strike near Beirut and the killing of a senior Hezbollah commander, reigniting fears of a wider conflict and prompting many to seek temporary accommodations in northern Lebanon and mountainous regions.

  • US personnel wounded in attack against base in Iraq, officials say

    At least five U.S. personnel were injured in an attack against a military base in Iraq on Monday, U.S. officials told Reuters, as the Middle East braced for a possible new wave of attacks by Iran and its allies following last week's killing of senior members of militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah. Two Katyusha rockets were fired at al Asad airbase in western Iraq, two Iraqi security sources said. One Iraqi security source said the rockets fell inside the base. It was unclear whether the attack was linked to threats by Iran to retaliate over the killing of the Hamas leader.