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  • Effat University on the Forefront of Change in Saudi Arabia
     

    I was also impressed to see Effat graduating a quarter of its students from its College of Engineering, which it established in partnership with Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering. When I first visited Effat seven years ago, it was still in the early stages of establishing engineering as a degree, a first for women […]

     
  • Saudi Arabia’s First Female Director Brings ‘Wadjda’ to Cannes
     

    Wadjda, the first-ever film shot in Saudi Arabia, hits the Cannes market as The Match Factory begins pre-sales at Cannes’ Marche du Film on the coming-of-age drama from Haiffa al Mansour, the first female Saudi filmmaker. Haifaa wrote and directed Wadjda, which tells the ordinary but uplifting story of Wadjda, an 11-year-old girl growing up in […]

     
  • Global Markets Drag on TASI
     

    The TASI has dipped over the past month, primarily due to global factors. First quarter results of listed companies point to ongoing strength in the domestic economy, with profits 14.9 percent higher than in the first quarter of 2011. Nonetheless, the TASI is down by 10 percent since the end of March, mirroring falls on […]

     
  • Baseball and Saudi Economic Policy
     

    Dr. Muhammad Al-Jasser, Minister of Economy and Planning, recently spoke to the Young Businessmen’s Committee of the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Though the setting would appear innocuous, Dr. Al-Jasser’s remarks were not. The theme was the Future Vision of the Saudi Economy and they are worth reading in full.

     
  • Opening the TASI: What You Need to Know
     

    Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter and the Middle East’s biggest economy, is about to complete a gradual process to open its stock market, known as the Tadawul or TASI, directly to international investors for the first time.  The initial step toward this action was to give other GCC countries the right to invest […]

     
  • Seven years of prosperity and development
     

    Saudi Arabia will mark the seventh anniversary of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s accession to the Saudi throne on May 17 with a variety of programs highlighting the remarkable progress achieved by the Kingdom in education, health, industry, agriculture and other sectors under his wise leadership. King Abdullah’s announcement at the Shoura […]

     
  • Saudi Perspective on the Middle East: Obaid
     

    In this SUSRIS exclusive presentation, the “Saudi Perspective on the Middle East: The View from Riyadh” assessment provides: the background and context for Saudi diplomacy — assets and characteristics; economic and energy data; sources of regional instability; the “New Gulf Union”; profile of Gulf defense configurations; the Kingdom’s role in regional stabilization and its political and […]

     
  • Jadwa: Inflation Report, April 2012
     

    Year-on-year inflation dipped to 5.3 percent in April from 5.4 percent in March. Lower food price inflation was the main reason for the decline. Rental inflation picked up.

     
  • Not a Drop to Drink: The Global Water Crisis
     

    In the next twenty years, global demand for fresh water will vastly outstrip reliable supply in many parts of the world. Thanks to population growth and agricultural intensification, humanity is drawing more heavily than ever on shared river basins and underground aquifers. Meanwhile, global warming is projected to exacerbate shortages in already water-stressed regions, even […]

     
  • Petchem projects lead Saudi industrialization drive
     

    The Saudi project market continues to thrive. Latest data from Meed put the value of projects “planned or underway” at $745 billion in mid-April, around 13 percent higher than a year earlier. These figures need to be treated with some caution: The topline number is some 30 percent larger than the nominal size of the […]

     

MUST-READS

  • Iran-backed militants threaten Saudi Arabia despite thaw in Tehran-Riyadh ties

    The Iranian-backed Iraqi militant group Kataib Hezbollah issued threats against Saudi Arabia, despite the recent détente in Tehran-Riyadh relations. After years of severed diplomatic relations, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to resume their diplomatic relations by signing a China-brokered renormalization deal in March 2023. Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi Shia group closely aligned with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), warned Saudi Arabia, which it termed the "Kingdom of Evil," of consequences for its perceived role in the Israel-Gaza conflict.

  • Pakistan to ban Imran Khan’s party, file treason case against ex-PM

    Pakistan is planning to ban former Prime Minister Imran Khan's political party and move the country's top court to press treason charges against him, the information minister said on Monday. The move to ban Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was based on the proven charge of the party receiving foreign funds from sources that are illegal in Pakistan, as well as rioting by the supporters last year that targeted military installations, Minister Attaullah Tarar said.

  • Saudi wealth fund picks JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley for Nupco IPO

    SAUDI Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund has picked banks for the planned initial public offering of the kingdom’s largest medical procurement firm, as it hunts for cash to finance the crown prince’s ambitious economic agenda. JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and SNB Capital have been hired to work on Nupco’s IPO, according to people familiar with the matter. The deal could come as soon as this year, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information is not public.

  • The Next Big Things in Retail Summit will explore how the Middle East’s retail industry is being transformed

    The Middle East is on the cusp of a retail revolution. Driven by ambitious economic diversification plans and a growing young population, the region offers a dynamic opportunity for retailers and innovators. As consumer expectations evolve and reshape the industry, Fast Company Middle East’s Next Big Things in Retail summit, scheduled for 12th November in Riyadh, will serve as a crucial platform to explore and shape the future of retail in the region with a deeper focus on Saudi Arabia.

  • Food and beverage sector dominates Saudi POS spending

    According to a report by the Saudi Central Bank, restaurants and cafes in the Kingdom have spearheaded a notable increase in point-of-sale (POS) transactions from June 30 to July 06. The food and beverage sector held the largest share of POS spending, with an 8.8 percent increase to SR2.05 billion, up from SR1.88 billion the previous week. This was followed by the restaurant and cafe sector, which saw a 9 percent rise in spending, reaching SR1.96 billion. This highlighted a resilient economic recovery.

  • Saudi Arabia to host inaugural Olympics Esports Games in 2025, says IOC

    The decision will be ratified at the IOC Session to be held on the eve of the Olympic Games in Paris, after which work will begin on selecting a host city for the inaugural edition. “We are very fortunate to be able to work with the Saudi NOC on the Olympic Esports Games, because it has great – if not unique – expertise in the field of esports with all its stakeholders,” IOC president Thomas Bach said in a statement.

  • Saudi Pro League to focus on younger signings, homegrown talent

    The Saudi Pro League is encouraging its clubs to foster homegrown talent and switch focus to wooing promising young internationals after making headlines for big name signings for huge money, a document outlining plans for the new season said. The league signed 97 foreign players last season and boasts 39-year-old global soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and 32-year-old Brazil forward Neymar among other household names.

  • Saudi Prince’s Trillion-Dollar Makeover Faces Funding Cutbacks

    A government committee led by the de facto Saudi ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, is close to completing a sweeping review of mega projects including the sprawling desert development known as Neom, people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified as the information is private.

  • Why Saudi Tourism’s Future Depends on Strong Private Sector Partnerships

    While Saudi’s tourism industry is currently keeping pace, it requires significant efforts to reach these future goals. Many of its new destinations are still developing their travel infrastructure or catering to niche markets. The country also faces the challenge of integrating these emerging markets into its existing tourism framework and effectively marketing them to attract the right visitors.

  • Saudi-Chinese partnership wins $2bn Diriyah deal

    Work will begin on a new mixed district at the Saudi giga-project Diriyah in the third quarter of 2024 after a SAR7.8 billion ($2 billion) construction contract, the largest yet, was awarded to a Chinese-Saudi partnership. Saudi contractor El Seif Engineering and China State Construction Engineering will build the district, which will contain educational institutions, cultural venues, offices and a luxury hotel in the northern part of Diriyah, the official Saudi Press Agency said. “This represents a major step in our accelerating development strategy and commitment to making Diriyah one of the most important and prominent tourist, humanitarian, and cultural destinations in the world,” Diriyah’s CEO, Jerry Inzerillo, said.