MUST-READS

• Why Is Saudi Arabia Seeking To Mediate A Deal Between U.S. And Iran?

  “Riyadh is looking for a way to address concerns around Iran's nuclear program, as well as its regional activities and its support for proxies,” says Gregory Brew, senior analyst at the U.S.-based Eurasia Group. “Given Riyadh's interest in avoiding an escalation in the Gulf, it probably sees diplomacy as a more effective means of addressing these issues, rather than military action,” he added. “Saudi Arabia's willingness to moderate between Tehran and Washington was not borne of a political vacuum,” said Behnam Taleblu, senior director of the Iran Program at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). “By stylistically accommodating Tehran through diplomatic normalization but substantively remaining in the Western orbit, Riyadh is hoping to insulate itself from being the place where a larger regional conflict involving Iran is adjudicated.”

• From oil to futures: Why the Gulf is well placed to play a key role in global decision-making
  The GCC is transitioning from an energy hub to a future-focused leader in global technology, investing in emerging tech, economic diversification and cultural outreach. By leveraging sovereign wealth funds, advancing AI governance and launching projects like Saudi’s new city NEOM and Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City hub, the region is shaping tomorrow’s economy and strengthening its role in future tech revolutions. As global power structures shift, the GCC also has an unprecedented opportunity to redefine its role in global decision-making. Through inclusive dialogues and multi-stakeholder engagement, the Gulf region can set a new standard for resilient governance in a complex, multipolar world.

• One Year of Alat: A Bold Vision Taking Shape

  This February marks one year since Alat’s launch—a year of bold ambition, breakthrough innovation, and rapid growth. From multi-billion-dollar partnerships to industry expansion, Alat is driving Saudi Arabia’s rise as a global manufacturing leader. We’re at a pivotal moment where technology, sustainability, and automation are reshaping industry. Saudi Arabia isn’t just keeping pace—we’re leading the charge. And this is just the beginning. Here’s how Alat is shaping the future of advanced, sustainable manufacturing and setting new standards for industrial excellence.

• Rethinking Business Expansion: What GCC Companies Can Learn from Saudi Arabia

  Many GCC economies still rely heavily on hydrocarbon revenues. Saudi Arabia’s success in diversifying into tourism (e.g., NEOM, Red Sea Project), entertainment, and financial services highlights the importance of expanding into high-growth sectors. GCC companies can adopt a similar approach by investing in industries with strong long-term growth potential, developing capabilities in emerging sectors such as green energy, logistics, and fintech, and encouraging intra-regional trade to create interconnected markets. Saudi Arabia has streamlined its business regulations to create a more investor-friendly environment. The introduction of the Saudi Green Card (Premium Residency) and relaxed foreign ownership laws have made the Kingdom more attractive to international firms. Other GCC nations can enhance their appeal by reducing bureaucratic barriers to entry for foreign businesses, implementing policies that promote transparency and efficiency, and enhancing legal frameworks to support corporate governance and investment security.

• PIF backing proposed $5 billion basketball league

  Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund has been named as a strategic partner to a group of investors looking to create a new basketball league that will span Asia and Europe to one day rival the NBA, with Swiss bank UBS serving as an advisor. The Financial Times reported Friday that the $5 billion competition plans to create six men's teams and six women's teams that will compete in eight host cities. Macau and Singapore are set to be hosts, while organisers are also looking for European venues. The league hopes to lure top players from around the world, especially Europe, and give them an alternative to the NBA. Byron Deeter and venture capital firm Quiet Capital are among the investors, with Maverick Carter, NBA great LeBron James's business manager, and Skype co-founder Geoff Prentice also on board.

• Saudi Arabia appreciates condemnations of Netanyahu proposal for Palestinian state in Kingdom

  Saudi Arabia has expressed its appreciation of the positions adopted by Arab and Islamic countries in condemning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal to ethnically cleanse the Palestinians and establish a state for them in the Kingdom. “The Kingdom values the positions that emphasise the centrality of the Palestinian issue to the Arab and Muslim countries,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Riyadh on Sunday. “This extremist, occupation mentality does not understand what the Palestinian land means to the people of Palestine and their emotional, historical and legal connection to it.” The ministry pointed out that such statements are rejected, and aim to divert attention from the Israeli occupation regime’s ongoing crimes against the Palestinians in Gaza, especially the ethnic cleansing.

• Sotheby’s Establishes a Foothold in Saudi Arabia After Hosting the Kingdom’s First Major Auction

  The results were like the two-part evening sale’s lineup: a mixed bag. The house took in $17.3 million (estimate: $14 million–$20 million) across 117 lots, with works of fine art, luxury objects, and sports memorabilia among them. However, the value of the house’s foray into the desert kingdom was never going to be confined to the depth of bidding alone. The historic outdoor auction served as a portal into the Saudi art and luxury markets (terra incognita for international auction houses), and it will be appraised against the long-term success of Sotheby’s in the country.

• Alat and Lenovo Break Ground on Major New Manufacturing Facility in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

  The new manufacturing hub, which is expected to begin production in 2026, will be located just 15 minutes from Riyadh´s international airport in the Kingdom’s Special Integrated Logistics Zone (SILZ). It will complement Lenovo’s extensive manufacturing footprint of 30+ factories around the world spanning Argentina, Brazil, China, Germany, Hungary, India, Japan, Mexico, and the USA, and further increase supply chain resilience and flexibility. The new manufacturing hub will also enable Lenovo to be closer to customers in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. The factory will be constructed on a 200,000 sqm campus site at “Riyadh Integrated” operated by Special Integrated Logistics Zone (SILZ) and will produce millions of “Saudi Made” laptops and desktops, as well as servers in a factory designed, constructed, and operated to high standards of sustainability. Today’s celebration follows the deal closing that was announced on January 8^th 2025, following shareholder and regulatory approvals, and marks the completion of the US$2 billion investment (via three-year zero-coupon convertible bonds) alongside the strategic collaboration agreement that was initially announced in May 2024.

• Influencers’ role in helping Saudi Arabia end the scourge of smoking

  A recent forecast by Euromonitor International suggests that cigarette consumption in Saudi Arabia will hold steady this year. The research firm also predicts that the market for vapes, heated tobacco, and smokeless tobacco is about to explode, quintupling in size by 2028.^[1] Given that up to one in three young Saudi adults is thought to use e-cigarettes, this comes as no surprise. In short, smoking remains stubbornly popular in the Kingdom, as does vaping among young adults. Bending the curve will require the adoption and skillful deployment of social media influencer techniques that better align with how our youth absorb information.  The good news is that any such effort can – and should – build on the laudable stop-smoking efforts ongoing in the Kingdom. Since launching its first anti-smoking campaign in the early 2000s, the Kingdom has banned smoking in public places, imposed a 100% duty on cigarettes, and set up more than 1,000 smoking cessation clinics across the country.^[2] Last year, the Public Investment Fund launched Badael, which sells Saudi-made nicotine pouches and is developing other tobacco alternatives for smokers. These policies, among many others, have been overwhelmingly successful.

• Saudi Arabia’s Billion-Dollar VC Boom: How SVC Is Shaping The Kingdom’s Financial Future

  Saudi Arabia has solidified its position as the top destination for venture capital (VC) investments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region for the second consecutive year. According to data from MAGNiTT, the Kingdom secured $750 million in VC funding in 2024, accounting for 40 percent of total regional VC capital. The nation also witnessed a 16 percent increase in deal flow, closing 178 deals—the highest in the region. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) followed with $613 million in VC investments across 188 deals, leading the region in deal volume and achieving 12 exits.

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