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  • Incredible Photos from North Dakota’s Oil Boom
     

    For fans of high quality photographs, Alan Taylor’s In Focus blog hosted at TheAtlantic.com is worth following. Taylor regularly compiles stunning images on a wide range of subjects, and most recently had excellent posts on the conflict in Mali, the do-it-yourself weapons of Syrian rebels, one man’s journey to Iran, and many others. The blog’s latest collection […]

     
  • Cyberattacks are nation’s top security threat
     

    Yesterday, Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee’s annual hearing on worldwide threats.  Mr. Clapper prioritized the threat of cyber attacks above all other threats.  “Our statement this year leads with cyber, and it’s hard to overemphasize its significance,” said Clapper, reading a statement on behalf of himself, FBI Director […]

     
  • Al-Rabiah to Promote Saudi Auto Industry in U.S.
     

    The U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council (USSABC) issued a press release today to announce a new conference in Michigan to promote the Saudi auto industry. H.E. Tawfiq al Rabiah, the Saudi Minister of Commerce and Industry, is listed as a confirmed speaker of the event, which will “bring together senior Saudi Government officials, major Saudi industrialists, […]

     
  • Top 10 Salaries In Saudi Arabia
     

    The 2013 Gulf Business Salary Survey suggests it is good to be a CEO or managing director in Saudi Arabia; especially if you are a banking professional.  The Survey also examines trends with regard to Arab, Western and Asian professionals and the impact of Nitaqat on small and medium sized companies.

     
  • Saudi Youth Filmmaking on the Rise
     

    Social media continues to catalyze Saudi Arabia in unpredictable ways.  Fatima Al-Arjan takes a look at the rise of video blogging ‘vloggers.’  Short videos – some 36 seconds at maximum – have proliferated.  While sometimes a platform for controversial posts, like many on-line communities, this one seems to be maturing. In a related item, female […]

     
  • Saudi Prince Alwaleed Joins Twitter
     

    HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal has joined Twitter, the microblogging social network in which the Prince holds a 3% stake. In an announcement in both Arabic and English on his official handle, @Alwaleed_Talal, Alwaleed’s office noted that the businessman will soon be active on Twitter:   The Private Office of HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal […]

     
  • Lockheed Nets $253 Million Training Contract
     

    US-based Lockheed Martin will provide Virtual Training Technologies in support of Saudi Arabia’s F-15SA Modernization Program. The news comes on the heels of a recent announcement that the company had set up a branch in Riyadh on February 8th.  — According to a Press Release, Lockheed Martin, the Bethesda, Maryland-based aerospace company, has received a contract […]

     
  • Keystone: Saudi Arabia’s First Idea Translation Lab
     

    Many people are familiar with the King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST) and it’s glittering $20 billion endowment.  Founded in 2009 and sited north of Jeddah on the Red Sea, KAUST intends to be a global caliber research university as well as an educational and social bellwether that allows co-ed education.  The KAUST […]

     
  • Saudi youth, the issue of unemployment and work ethic
     

    Abdulateef Al-Mulhim is a well-known Saudi commentator who is appreciated – at least here at SUSTG – for his willingness to take on sensitive topics and provide his particular perspective.  In this item he addresses the work ethic of young Saudis, a subject of much debate.  Not surprisingly, there are numerous facets to the discussion […]

     
  • Instagramming Riyadh
     

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is a beautiful city – one that is growing and changing at an impressive speed. Yet much of the Kingdom’s capital remains as it has for years. Traditional style housing and buildings, most of which are no higher than two stories, still dominate this sprawling city, but the gargantuan and glitzy new […]

     

MUST-READS

  • Saudi Arabia’s Sovereign Wealth Fund (PIF) to Deploy $70 Billion a Year

    The Public Investment Fund, or PIF, currently puts $40 billion to $50 billion of capital to work on an annual basis, and that’s set to increase after 2025, the fund’s governor, Yasir Bin Othman Al-Rumayyan, said Thursday at the FII Priority conference in Miami.

  • Saudi Wealth Fund Pitches Mohammed Bin Salman’s Kingdom As AI Hub Outside US: ‘We Are Fairly Well Positioned’

    In a recent development, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the head of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), is positioning Mohammed bin Salman‘s kingdom as a potential hub for artificial intelligence (AI) activities outside the U.S.

  • Water Challenges in the Emerging Hydrogen Economy

    Global shifts have revitalized the move toward hydrogen as an energy source. However, discussions often center on cost and technical barriers, neglecting critical questions regarding water as a feedstock in hydrogen production.

  • Analysis: How Israel’s war went wrong

    For quite some time after the war began, Israel refused to even conceive of a postwar plan. Some sources told me that preparations are getting underway, but there are still no firm conclusions nor any clear route to them. Netanyahu has publicly rejected an American proposal to place the Palestinian Authority (PA), led by the moderate Fatah faction based in the West Bank, in charge of Gaza after the war. He has offered no alternative in its place. Without a postwar plan, Israel risks something worse than failing to defeat Hamas: bolstering it.

  • Saudi Foreign Minister calls for G20 action on Gaza

    Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has urged G20 countries to exert pressure for meaningful actions to end the war in Gaza and support a credible, irreversible path towards a two-state solution. The Saudi minister participated in the first session of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, under the theme “The G20's Role in Addressing Ongoing International Tensions.” Prince Faisal congratulated Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira on Brazil's assumption of the G20 presidency for 2024. In his speech, the minister stated that the escalation and spread of global conflicts have put pressure on international cooperation and weakened the credibility and trust in the multilateral framework.

  • Saudi Media Ministry and Google partner for digital shift

    The Ministry of Media in Saudi Arabia and Google have announced a strategic collaboration to support the digital transformation of the media sector in the Kingdom. The announcement, which was made during the 3rd Saudi Media Forum, coincided with the declaration of Minister of Media Salman Al-Dosary that 2024 is the year of media transformation in Saudi.

  • Saudi Wealth Fund Plans to Buy Binladin Stake Amid Building Boom

    Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund is seeking to acquire a stake in the kingdom’s biggest construction conglomerate as it leans on local firms to build key mega-projects and infrastructure needed to host showcase events such as the World Expo. The Public Investment Fund is working with Morgan Stanley on a potential deal to buy into Saudi Binladin Group, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The PIF, as the $700 billion wealth fund is known, is considering acquiring part or all of the 36% stake owned by the ministry of finance, the people said, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private.

  • Saudi Arabia celebrates its monumental origin: Founding Day marks 3 centuries of unity and cohesion

    The royal decree heralds February as a month of reflection, celebrating the commencement of Imam Muhammad Bin Saud's reign and his pivotal role in establishing the first Saudi State. This era, beginning in the heart of the 18th century, was characterized by its commitment to the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), guiding the nation towards unity and security amidst a landscape marred by disunity and division.

  • SoftBank to Create Industrial Robots for Saudi Arabia

    The robots created under the new SoftBank venture will be used for a range of manufacturing and assembly tasks and will “radically transform” the manufacturing industry. The partners will invest up to $150 million to establish a fully automated manufacturing and engineering hub in Riyadh that will serve local and global demand. Under the venture, the partners will build industrial robots based on intellectual property developed by SoftBank Group and its affiliates, according to a statement.

  • Saudi Arabia unveils new tax rules for the Regional Headquarters program

    Under the RHQ Tax Rules, RHQ entities established in Saudi Arabia that meet the relevant criteria are granted a 30-year renewable tax incentive of 0% corporate income tax (CIT) and 0% withholding tax (WHT). The WHT exemption applies to the following payments the RHQ makes to nonresidents: (i) dividends; (ii) payments to related persons; and (iii) payments to unrelated persons for services that are necessary for the RHQ's activities.