Recent stories from sustg

  • Vela-Bahri merger creates one of the world’s largest shipping firms
     

    Vela International Marine Limited, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabian Oil Company, signed a landmark merger agreement with the National Shipping Company of Saudi (Bahri), resulting in the creation of one of the world’s largest shipping companies.The signing of the agreement was held Sunday and attended by executive officials of both parties including Khalid A. Al-Falih, […]

     
  • Commentary: Saudi Arbitration Court in the UK?
     

    In a recent Financial Times article Caroline Binham and Helen Warrell reported that, “Saudi Arabia will lobby the UK government as early as November to set up a confidential court in London that would settle multimillion pound commercial disputes arising from the Middle Eastern kingdom. The Saudis hope that a London-based arbitration centre would help counter investor […]

     
  • What’s the foreign policy agenda for the next four years?
     

    Is it too early to talk about the foreign policy and national security agenda that will face the next president? No matter who wins on November 6, the feature that is going to dominate U.S. national security planning over the next four years is constraint. Even if we avoid going off the sequestration cliff, there […]

     
  • US Election Note: Middle East Policy after 2012
     

    The Middle East will be a significant challenge to US foreign policy-makers during the next administration – whether with regard to further transitions of the Arab Spring, Iran’s appetite for nuclear weapons, Israel’s posture towards Palestine and other Arab powers in its neighbourhood, or the rise of political Islam. Despite the US tilt to Asia, […]

     
  • A Conversation with Prince Turki Al-Faisal
     

    Few can be said to have been more influential in forging cooperation and building bridges in the relationship than Prince Turki Al-Faisal. He is currently Chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies and is one of the founders of the King Faisal Foundation, the namesake of which was his father. His […]

     
  • 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 […]

     

MUST-READS

  • Saudi Arabia to establish 10 private colleges

    The Council of Ministers on Tuesday approved the establishment of 10 private colleges in Saudi Arabia. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman chaired the weekly session of the Cabinet in Riyadh.

  • LGBTQ fans welcomed in Saudi, says 2034 World Cup bid chief

    Hammad Albalawi, head of Saudi Arabia's 2034 World Cup bid unit, said his country welcomes all visitors, including LGBTQ people and their bid to host the 48-team showpiece event has nothing to do with 'sportswashing' their human rights record. Global governing body FIFA limited the 2034 contest to bidders from the Asian and Oceania confederations as Morocco, Portugal and Spain will share the hosting of the 2030 tournament.

  • Desert Diplomacy: Saudi Arabia’s Quest for Regional Harmony

    By prioritizing dialogue, diplomacy, and economic cooperation over conflict and confrontation, the Kingdom hopes to reduce tensions in the Middle East and create a more stable environment for its ambitious domestic reforms. While challenges remain, the early successes in mending relations with Iran, Qatar, and Yemen offer hope that Saudi Arabia’s new foreign policy could contribute to lasting peace and stability in the region.

  • Saudi Arabia Eyes Satellite Partnership with Nigeria for TV Channel Expansion on NigComSat-1R

    The Saudi Arabian Embassy in Nigeria has initiated discussions to host four television channels on Nigeria’s NigComSat-1R satellite. This development follows a visit by Saudi Arabia’s Head of Media, Mohammed Alsahabi, to the NigComSat offices on Friday. During the visit, Alsahabi engaged in talks with NigComSat officials, focusing on the potential for collaboration in satellite broadcasting. Abiodun Attah, NigComSat’s Executive Director of Technical Services, received the Saudi delegation, emphasizing the importance of the discussions.

  • Saudi Arabia launches 3 GW solar tender

    SPPC has launched the sixth round of the Saudi Arabian government's National Renewable Energy Program (NREP). It has issued an RFQ in relation to 3 GW of solar capacity across four projects. One facility will have a capacity of 1.4 GW (AC) near Hima in Najran province, in addition to a second 600 MW (AC) plant near Ad Darb, Jizan province. SPPC is also seeking to assign a 600 MW (AC) project planned in Jazan and a 400 MW (AC) project near Al Sufun, Hail province.

  • Hezbollah’s tunnels and flexible command weather Israel’s deadly blows

    Hezbollah's flexible chain of command, together with its extensive tunnel network and a vast arsenal of missiles and weapons it has bolstered over the past year, is helping it weather unprecedented Israeli strikes, three sources familiar with the Lebanese militant group's operations said. Israel's assault on Hezbollah over the past week, including the targeting of senior commanders and the detonation of booby-trapped pagers and walkie-talkies, has left the powerful Lebanese Shiite militant group and political party reeling.

  • Climate change doubles chance of floods like those in Central Europe, report says

    Climate change has made downpours like the one that caused devastating floods in central Europe this month twice as likely to occur, a report said on Wednesday, as its scientific authors urged policymakers to act to stop global warming. The worst flooding to hit central Europe in at least two decades has left 24 people dead, with towns strewn with mud and debris, buildings damaged, bridges collapsed and authorities left with a bill for repairs that runs into billions of dollars.

  • Chinese esports firm launches multi-title tournament in Asia with Saudi Arabia backing

    The Esports Asian Champions League (ACL) will kick off next year, with tens of thousands of professional players set to compete across the continent in a six-month season each year, VSPO announced on Tuesday. The Tencent Holdings-backed company is the biggest esports operator in Asia.

  • Saudi Aramco begins issuing dollar-denominated sukuk

    Saudi Aramco has started on Tuesday issuing US dollar-denominated international sukuk or Islamic bonds. The sukuk offering, which is part of the Trust Certificate Issuance Program of the SA Global Sukuk Limited, will run through until October 2. The value of the offering will be determined according to market conditions and investor demand at the time of the offering, Aramco said in a filing on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul). The minimum subscription will be $200,000 with integrated multiples of $1,000 in excess of that amount, subject to market conditions.

  • PwC report finds that youth in Saudi Arabia are prepared to drive sustainable development in the region

    The report indicates that youth across the Middle East are showing higher awareness and engagement with SDGs than their global peers. Around 91% of youth respondents in Saudi are familiar with the SDGs. The findings present a valuable opportunity to bolster youth involvement within relevant programmes and policy making, especially within Saudi Arabia.