Recent stories from sustg

  • 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.]

     
  • MENA solar to exceed 3GW annually by 2015: Saudi leads
     

    GTM Research’s report states that Saudi Arabia and Turkey will have the highest demand, with Saudi Arabia looking to be the region’s first gigawatt-scale market by 2015. Nearly 70% of the demand is expected to come from Saudi Arabia and its K.A. CARE program and secondly, Turkey.

     
  • Islam and science: The road to renewal
     

    The tide of money is bearing a fleet of results. In the 2000 to 2009 period Turkey’s output of scientific papers rose from barely 5,000 to 22,000; with less cash, Iran’s went up 1,300, to nearly 15,000. Quantity does not imply quality, but the papers are getting better, too. Scientific journals, and not just the […]

     
  • Saudi Arabia’s Six New Economic Cities
     

    Except for King Abdullah Economic City, each of the cities has its own area specialization being developed around at least one globally competitive cluster or industry. They are also being developed according to environmental guidelines using state-of-the-art greenfield solutions. The aim is to create opportunities for the private sector by way of jobs and attractive […]

     
  • Must-see interactive 360° view from top of Burj Dubai
     

    On the heels of last month’s viral photograph of the World’s Tallest Mountain, Mount Everest, which was captured in astounding interactive detail so much so that you can zoom in and out and see the entire mountain, it looks like a similar project was done on top of Dubai’s impressive Burj Khalifa tower, currently the […]

     
  • Saudi investment in education tripled in just a decade
     

    In Saudi Arabia, the government appropriated SR204 billion ($54.4 billion) for education in its budget for 2013, from SR168 billion ($44.80 billion) in 2012, and SR150 billion ($40 billion) in 2011. Investment in human capital has become a top priority for the Saudi government, as spending on education has more than tripled since 2000. The […]

     

MUST-READS

  • Saudi Arabia launches National Kidney Exchange Program between families

    The program enables reciprocal kidney transplant between a pair of patients and their donors for the first time in the Kingdom, between families at King Fahd Specialist Hospital in Dammam, and King Abdulaziz Medical City at the National Guard in Riyadh, under the supervision of the SCOT.

  • Saudi firm plans hydrogen-powered skyscraper in Egypt’s new capital

    A Saudi-controlled real estate firm says it plans to break ground early next year in Egypt's new capital on a $1 billion, 50-storey office tower that aims to be the first of its kind to be powered by clean hydrogen. The sophisticated design and high price tag represent a bet by Magnom Properties, a subsidiary of Saudi industrial group Rawabi Holding, that international clients will be drawn to the new capital, a city for over 6 million people being built from scratch in the desert east of Cairo.

  • Commentary: The Saudi Crown Prince is Talking About An Assassination. His Own.

    “The way he put it was, ‘Saudis care very deeply about this, and the street throughout the Middle East cares deeply about this, and my tenure as the keeper of the holy sites of Islam will not be secure if I don’t address what is the most pressing issue of justice in our region,’” said one of the people with knowledge of conversations MBS has had with regional and American leaders.

  • Al Wahbah Crater: Saudi Arabia’s Magnificent Natural Anomaly

    On a dark and stormy night, a lightning bolt illuminated the beauty of Qitn Mountain, making Tamya Mountain fall deeply in love with it. Promising to reunite with its beloved, Tamya’s jealous cousin, Shelman, shot it with an arrow. The heartbroken mountain fell into the ground, leaving a bowl-shaped depression behind. Or so goes the local folklore behind the Al Wahbah crater in Saudi Arabia.

  • Commentary: What Was the Biden Doctrine?

    Biden’s response to the most pressing emergency of his term—Russia’s brutal full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022—has been both skillful and innovative, demonstrating a grasp of the traditional elements of statecraft along with a willingness to take a few unconventional steps.

  • Growing Restaurant Sector Attracts International Investment in Saudi

    Point-of-sale operations using the Mada payment system have shown an annual growth rate of 13.6%, increasing from SAR 78 billion in 2022 to SAR 89 billion in 2023. The growth in the restaurant market is projected to continue, reaching approximately SAR 168 billion by 2030.

  • Riyadh Deputy Governor Receives Mexican Ambassador to Saudi Arabia

    Riyadh Region Deputy Governor Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz received the Ambassador of Mexico to Saudi Arabia Anibal Gomez-Toledo today. Prince Mohammed welcomed the ambassador and wished him success in his endeavors.

  • Saudi Arabia’s digital health market to be valued at $6.8b by 2030

    Saudi Arabia’s digital health market is projected to reach $6.8b by 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.3%, said Research and Markets. The sector’s growth is influenced by the increasing integration of digital technologies into the country’s healthcare system, driven by government initiatives to boost infrastructure and patient care.

  • Saudi markets overflowing with 11 types of locally produced fruit

    Saudi Arabia’s markets are currently brimming with 11 varieties of fresh, locally grown fruits, thanks to the government’s campaign for self-sufficiency in food production, according to the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. The produce includes figs, dates, grapes, pomegranates, bananas, cantaloupes, watermelons, papayas, guavas, citrus fruits and apples, said the ministry in a report carried by the Saudi Press Agency recently.

  • China added more solar power last year than America has, period

    Citing data from Bloomberg and the Chinese Department of Energy, Semafor says that China built out infrastructure capable of generating nearly 217 gigawatts of power last year, to make for a total capacity of more than 609 gigawatts. America’s solar capacity pales in comparison at a mere 175 gigawatts. (For perspective, a gigawatt is enough energy to power about 100 million LED light bulbs.)