Recent stories from sustg

  • Saudi Arabia: Rising steel demand
     

    Steel producers in Saudi Arabia are set for a busy few years, with growth in the industry driven by rising demand due to state-backed investments and increasing activity in the private sector. However, even with additional capacity, the sector is working to bridge the supply gap. The Kingdom is already the largest steel producer in […]

     
  • Roads of Arabia at the Smithsonian’s Sackler in Washington
     

    In archaeology, Saudi Arabia has been something of a slow starter, but a Washington exhibition of more than 200 statues, funerary objects and other relics shows that the study of the region’s past has come of age. Saudi archaeology “really goes back only 40 years,” says Massumeh Farhad, chief curator and curator of Islamic art […]

     
  • Major natural gas find by Saudis. A shift ahead?
     

    Saudi Arabia has announced that they made a major new find in natural gas in the Red Sea. The Saudis are already ranked 5th in the world for their reserves of natural gas, but they are only ranked 9th in terms of production of the commodity. They account for about 3 percent of world natural gas production. Compared […]

     
  • Muslims begin hajj pilgrimage – photo gallery
     

    Hours before sunrise Thursday, thousands of Muslims from around the world stood in the dark on a rocky desert hill, preparing for prayers on the first day of the annual hajj pilgrimage, a central pillar of their faith.

     
  • Anne Habiby: Entrepreneurship and Job Creation in the Arab World
     

    In addition to featured speakers such as President Bill Clinton and Mr. Abdullah Alireza  the recent C3 Summit in New York City presented a number of compelling panel discussions addressing commercial and trade issues related to doing business in the MENA region. SUSTG has featured the remarks at this event of Abdullah Alireza (Global Economic […]

     
  • Saudi best in MidEast for doing business
     

    Saudi Arabia is the best country in the Middle East for doing business, according to a new study published by the World Bank. The Gulf kingdom, the world’s largest oil producer, was ranked 22nd globally in the ‘Doing Business 2013’ report, ahead of neighbour the UAE which placed 26th. Elsewhere in the GCC, Qatar came […]

     
  • The Saudi Economy: Still Shining
     

    A recently released October 2012 economic report by Jadwa Investment finds that a recent flow of data has been generally stronger than expected, and as a result of high oil production (which elevates the hydrocarbon sector growth to 6.1 percent for the year) Jadwa raises its projections for Saudi Arabia’s budget and current account surpluses. […]

     
  • Energy policy: What we need to talk about
     

    For starters, the United States is already over 80 percent (up from 70 percent a decade ago) self sufficient when it comes to energy production and use. We are routinely described as the Saudi Arabia of coal, and have the largest nuclear fleet in the world. We are the world’s largest natural gas producer and […]

     
  • Randa Hudome: How do I get my business over to the Middle East?
     

    In addition to featured speakers such as President Bill Clinton and Mr. Abdullah Alireza the recent C3 Summit in New York City presented a number of compelling panel discussions addressing commercial and trade issues related to doing business in the MENA region.

     
  • Saudi oil sales to U.S. robust despite refinery upsets
     

    Saudi Arabia appears to be keeping its pledge to ensure global markets are well supplied with oil, barely letting up in shipments to the United States even after two of its biggest refining customers suffered crippling glitches. A Reuters analysis of U.S. import data shows sales to the world’s top oil consumer have dipped less […]

     

MUST-READS

  • Staggering 68 pct of Saudi firms plan to use GenAI for enhanced security: Study

    Some 68 percent of organizations in Saudi Arabia plan to use generative AI (GenAI) within the next 12 months to enhance security measures, a new study by exposure management company Tenable found. The data for the study was commissioned in October 2023 by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Tenable.

  • Temporary ban on Brazilian poultry imports will not impact Saudi market, says committee

    The National Committee of Poultry Producers at the Federation of Saudi Chambers has downplayed the impact of the temporary ban on importing poultry products from Brazil due to the outbreak of Newcastle disease on the Saudi market. The committee's chairman, Mohammed Al-Shaya, stated that the temporary ban from Brazil would not significantly affect the quantities available in the Saudi market or the prices. This is because the Kingdom relies on local production to meet its market needs for both fresh and frozen poultry.

  • Communication gaps hinder Saudi gigaprojects

    In hindsight, the lack of detail was due to the fact that their masterplans had either not been completed or approved, which meant that specific project elements could not be publicised. For example, the Red Sea project was first announced in mid-2017, but it was not until early 2019 that its masterplan was approved and more details could be revealed.

  • Saudi Coffee: A New Chapter in the History of Arab Coffee

    The country consumes over 80,000 tons of coffee annually, ranking among the top 10 countries worldwide in terms of consumption per capita. The market imports 70,000-90,000 tons of coffee annually, and Saudis spend over 1 billion Rials on coffee annually. By the end of 2021, the kingdom had 400,000 coffee trees in 600 farms, with plans to plant 1.2 million by 2025.

  • Thousands protest as Netanyahu addresses US Congress

    Thousands of people gathered in Washington DC to protest against Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who delivered a speech to the US Congress on Wednesday. He said America and Israel "must stand together" and prompted several standing ovations in the chamber as he gave his address. Mr Netanyahu also criticised the demonstrators gathered outside, who he called "Iran's useful idiots". Dozens of lawmakers refused to attend his speech in protest.

  • U.S. Exports to the Arab World Jump By 12 Percent to $65.3 Billion

    According to data released last month by the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. goods exports to the Arab world jumped 12 percent to $65.3 billion in 2023, marking the first year-on-year increase in U.S. exports to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) since the COVID era in 2021.

  • Saudi provides food aid to Sudan, Yemen

    The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief has continued to provide food to vulnerable families in Sudan and Yemen, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday. In the River Nile state of Sudan, 1,200 boxes of food were given to 6,900 individuals affected by the ongoing conflict in the country. In the Al-Mansoura district of Yemen’s Aden governorate, KSrelief handed out 413 boxes of food for 2,891 individuals, as a part of its continuing aid project in the war-torn country.

  • Cristiano Ronaldo tops list of highest paid players in Saudi Arabia [See top 10]

    Portugal forward and captain of Al Nassr Cristiano Ronaldo currently tops the list of the highest paid players in the Saudi Pro League. Following his move to Al Nassr in January 2023 after parting ways with Manchester United, Ronaldo has continued to make headlines not just for his on-field performances but also for his staggering earnings.

  • Leonardo expands proximity support services for helicopters in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    One of the largest operators of Leonardo helicopters in the Middle East; Mukamalah Aviation Company has been operating AW139s since 2008 and AW109 light twins since 2006, mainly to perform offshore transport missions in Saudi Arabia to support the oil and gas industry. Today’s Mukamalah Leonardo helicopter fleet consists of 27 units.

  • Turkey returns $5bn Saudi deposit in show of economic confidence

    Turkey’s central bank has handed back to Saudi Arabia a $5bn deposit, underscoring Ankara’s progress in replenishing its foreign currency stores as part of its economic turnaround effort. The deposit agreement Turkey forged with the Saudi Fund for Development in March 2023 was terminated by mutual agreement, the Turkish central bank said on Wednesday. Turkey’s move to unwind the agreement is the latest sign of how President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s pivot to more conventional policies following his re-election in May 2023 is steadying the country’s $1tn economy.