SUSTG.com / Research

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

Recent stories from sustg

  • 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 […]

     
  • Women Transforming the Middle East
     

    In this thoughtful interview with SUSRIS, Dr. Isobel Coleman, Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow, characterizes King Abdullah as a ‘committed incrementalist.’ An accurate description based on his steady push of reforms that are meaningful but are not, as some critics point out, decisive. Why doesn’t the King just declare that it is legal for […]

     
  • US most preferred destination for Saudi students
     

    According to an article in Arab News, the Ministry of Higher Education “recently issued a statement revealing that most of the students selected for the King Abdullah Foreign Scholarship Program preferred to go the United States of America to pursue their higher studies, while the least number of students chose Holland. The ministry’s statement provides figures […]

     
  • New President for KAUST in Saudi Arabia
     

    In a press release today, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, announced a new president in Dr. Jean-Lou Chameau, who will be the second to serve in that post since the university’s inception. Dr. Chameau previously served as President of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

     
  • 5 More Years for Booming King Abdullah Scholarship
     

    Al Arabiya reports that the King Abdullah Scholarship Program, which has sent thousands of Saudi students to the United States and elsewhere, has been renewed for another five years in an important step that will strengthen US-Saudi cultural and economic ties. According to Al Arabiya, Minister of Higher Education Khalid Al Angari said the move was “clear […]

     
  • Drone Revelation Underscores Defense/Security Bonds
     

    The recent news reports that American remotely operated aircraft are operating against Al Qaeda targets in Yemen should come as no surprise to those who have followed the close collaboration between the United States and Saudi Arabia over the course of the historic relationship. The revelations may be uncomfortable to those who seek to keep […]

     
  • Samsung and Galaxy chocolate top brands in Kingdom in 2012
     

    Samsung ranked first in the 2012 BrandIndex Buzz Rankings for Saudi Arabia, scoring 54.9 points, YouGov market research agency said Tuesday. Galaxy Chocolate, produced by Mars Inc and Al-Qur’an Al-Kareem, a channel owned by the Saudi government, ranked second and third, scoring 53.7 and 47.4 points respectively. Sony, which ranked sixth, dropping from second place in […]

     
  • Saudi Arabia Strong Market for U.S. Companies, Ex-Im Head Says
     

    Saudi Arabia, the Arab world’s biggest economy, represents an “exceedingly” strong market for U.S. companies, Export-Import Bank Chairman Fred Hochberg said. “Part of that has been driven by in this part of the world a diversification of economies,” Hochberg said in an interview yesterday in Riyadh. “We see a lot of opportunity here. U.S. companies […]

     
  • Saudi Chartbook – February 2013
     

    Jadwa Investment’s recently released Saudi Chartbook for the month of February 2013 assesses a number of key aspects of the Saudi economy including the real economy, bank lending, banking indicators, inflation, trade, oil, exchange rates, the TASI (Saudi Stock Market), sectoral performance, and more. [The full report from Jadwa Investment can be read here.]

     

MUST-READS

  • Saudi IPO rush set to continue in second half of 2024, top corporate lawyers say

    This follows analysis by Kuwait’s Financial Centre, also known as Markaz, indicating that more than half (59%) of total IPO proceeds in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) were derived from Saudi Arabia, the largest economy in the GCC, in the first half of 2024. Saudi Arabia raised US$2.1 billion from 19 offerings in the six months to the end of June. These included US$1.95 billion listed in its main market, Tadawul, and US$143 million in the parallel market, also known as Nomu.

  • Saudi Arabia makes significant progress in WEF skilled employees index

    Saudi Arabia has been strengthening its labor market for the last few years. The number of Saudi nationals working in the private sector increased from 1.7 million in 2019 to over 2.3 million in 2024, and the unemployment rate dropped to 7.6% during Q1 2024.

  • Over 25,000 beehives spread across Saudi royal reserve for honey production season

    The Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Nature Reserve Development Authority has said that 25,737 beehives spread across 256 sites in the reserve are participating in this year’s honey production season. The season, which opened at the beginning of July, will close at the end of April 2025, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

  • Ceasefire hopes recede, after assassination in Tehran

    Last Thursday, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met President Biden at the White House, along with families of Israeli American hostages held by Hamas, several of the families, American officials and some observers thought there might be higher hopes for soon getting a hostage release/Gaza ceasefire deal over the finish line. That was in part because the Israeli Knesset was due to break on Sunday (July 28) for a few months, giving Netanyahu more political breathing room to strike a deal without immediate risk of his governing coalition collapsing, it was thought.

  • The regional impact of Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination

    The killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and the killing of a Hezbollah senior commander in Beirut could be designed to allow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare some victories and move toward winding down the war in Gaza, or they may signal his intentions to escalate the conflict and possibly drag the US into a wider regional contest with Iran and Hezbollah.

  • Saudi Arabia allows employment of expatriate dependents in health and education sectors

    The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has introduced a new initiative to enable the employment of expatriate dependents holding dependent visas in the health and education sectors, Okaz newspaper reported. The ministry outlined the steps to access this service. Users need to log into the Ajeer platform, select the Ajeer Dependents Service, fill out and submit the contract, and issue a dependents' permit.

  • Saudi Arabia allows 100% foreign ownership in most business sectors

    Saudi Vice Minister of Commerce and CEO of the National Competitiveness Center (NCC) Dr. Eman Al-Mutairi noted that the Kingdom allows 100% foreign ownership in most business sectors, a significant factor in attracting international investment. This was highlighted during the Saudi-Korean Business Forum on Tuesday, where Commerce Minister Dr. Majid Al-Qasabi emphasized that Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 has led to substantial economic diversification, fostering sustainable and inclusive growth, and encouraging innovation across various business sectors.

  • Saudi Arabia Advances Globally in Several Indicators Per WEF Reports

    According to reports released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) for 2024, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has achieved significant global progress in indicators of flexible working arrangements, ease of finding skilled employees in the labor market, and equal pay for equal work.

  • Saudi deeptech Intelmatix scores $20 million Series A

    Founded in 2021 by a group of MIT graduates led by Anas Alfaris, Almaha Almalki and Ahmad Alabdulkareem, Intelmatix provides both public and private sectors with accessible AI and advanced analytics that delivers technologies to improve operations, productivity, growth, and sustainability.

  • Oil Prices Soar After Israel Kills Hamas Leader and Hezbollah Senior Commander

    Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, said Hizbollah had “crossed the red line” with the attack, and days later launched three rockets into the Haret Hreik neighborhood in Beirut. Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned "blatant Israeli aggression" and Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the attack as “a blatant violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.