Recent stories from sustg

  • Moving forward with nationalisation in Saudi Arabia
     

    “Nitaqat represents an effort to introduce more incentives for companies to employ Saudis and in that sense it is an improvement on what went before,” says James Reeve, an economist at the local Samba Financial Group. “The reason you are hearing more complaints is probably because the system is being enforced with greater vigour.” Despite […]

     
  • More than half of GCC population under age 25
     

    The countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have a low population compared with other regions, totaling 45 million people in 2011, less than 1 percent of the global population, a recently published report read. The report, filed by Kuwait Financial Center (Markaz), highlighting the GCC demographic shift, said the region is young, with 54 […]

     
  • Saudi public sector’s bank credit rebounds
     

    Bank lending in Saudi Arabia is continuing at a generally brisk pace, the National Commercial Bank said in its “GCC Financial Market Quarterly” released Monday.The report said liquidity conditions supporting this credit expansion remain very benign. However, the growing economic confidence has begun to hit deposit growth somewhat and the annual pace of expansion decelerated […]

     
  • Jadwa Investment’s Saud June 2012 Inflation Report
     

    Jadwa Investment’s recently released June inflation report found year-on-year inflation for Saudi Arabia eased again in June, slipping to 4.9 percent from 5.1 percent in May, the first time it has been below 5 percent since August 2011. The Riyadh-based investment firm also found lower rental inflation caused most of the fall. Jadwa’s report is […]

     
  • Saudi Arabia Ghazal Defies Camels as SUV for Desert Market
     

    Saudi Arabia is venturing into a territory normally reserved for automakers. The kingdom is developing the Ghazal, a sport-utility vehicle for the hazards of the desert, to diversify its economy beyond oil. The SUV, built by King Saud University in Riyadh, is an all-wheel drive vehicle with a rugged carbon-fiber frame aimed at taking on […]

     
  • Sarah Attar Is a Saudi Trailblazer, By Way of the U.S.
     

    One of the first women to compete for Saudi Arabia at the Olympics was born and raised in California. The athletes are Wodjan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani, who competes in judo, and Sarah Attar, a 19-year-old junior at Pepperdine University and a graduate of Escondido High School in California. Attar, who trains in San Diego, […]

     
  • Saudi Arabia to Send Olympic Women Athletes for First Time
     

    Saudi Arabia will send female athletes to the Olympic Games for the first time, the International Olympic Committee said, ending a ban by the kingdom where women aren’t allowed to drive. Wodjan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani will compete in judo at the London Games and Sarah Attar will run the 800 meters. The athletes, who […]

     
  • Saudi Arabia Weighs Annual Budget to Boost Clean Energy
     

    An annual budget for renewables would differ from the feed- in tariffs that Germany, Spain, Italy, France and Britain offered to spur solar and wind power in their nations. Germany was first to introduce the feed-in tariff in 2004 and became the world’s biggest market for solar because of the subsidy, which is paid for […]

     
  • Saudi Arabia wins oil battle against Iran
     

    It seems that the first round in the series of the ferocious battles between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the two giant oil-exporting countries, was settled in favor of the latter. The Kingdom continued to produce oil regardless of the Iranian threats warning the Kingdom against filling the shortage in oil supplies that might result from […]

     
  • Showing Pragmatism, Egypt’s Morsi Looks to Saudi
     

    The first official foreign visit of any newly elected president represents a significant symbolic statement. Knowing this, new leaders choose their first visit very carefully, often selecting a country that is either a major strategic ally or an important trade partner. Nonetheless, the Egyptian government’s announcement that President Mohammed Morsi’s first foreign visit will take […]

     

MUST-READS

  • Saudi equestrian team gears up for Paris 2024 Olympics with high hopes and fond memories

    As the Saudi equestrian team prepares for their participation in the Paris 2024 Olympics, they are filled with memories of their last Olympic appearance, where they secured a bronze medal in the team event at the London 2012 Olympics. On Thursday, the team will compete in the mixed team show jumping event at the historic Palace of Versailles arena, established in Paris in 1624.

  • Lawyers for Saudi Arabia seek dismissal of claims it supported the Sept. 11 hijackers

    Lawyers for Saudi Arabia argued Wednesday that the country fought against terrorism and al-Qaida, just like the United States, in the 1990s and should not be a defendant in lawsuits seeking over $100 billion for relatives of people killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. U..S. District Judge George B. Daniels listened Wednesday to arguments about evidence in the two-decade-old Manhattan case, but he did not immediately rule.

  • 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.

  • 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 issued more than 82,000 visas for events in 2023

    Saudi Arabia issued a total of 82,201 entry visas last year for foreigners to attend a calendar of sports, cultural and entertainment events as the kingdom is increasingly opening up to the outside world. The Saudi Ministry of Sports took the lead in the number of visas constituting 63 per cent of the total followed by the General Entertainment Authority with 22 per cent, and the Culture Ministry with 11 per cent, according to a breakdown in the Saudi newspaper Al Watan.

  • 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.

  • U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia to discuss Yemen as Israel-Hezbollah tension grows

    A senior U.S. delegation arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for talks about the situation in Yemen and the recent escalation between Israel and Houthi rebels, three U.S. officials said. The U.S. delegation is headed by Brett McGurk, the White House's top Middle East adviser, U.S. officials said. The State Department's top Middle East diplomat Barbara Leaf, the U.S. envoy for Yemen Tim Lendeking and the Pentagon's top Middle East official Dan Shapiro are also part of the delegation.