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  • ‘World’s largest’ coral-restoration project unveiled in Saudi Arabia

    One of Saudi Arabia's top universities has announced a Red Sea project described as the world’s largest coral reef restoration.

    The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology initiative aims to produce hundreds of thousands of corals each year.

    The scheme “represents a significant step towards restoring reefs globally”, according to the university, and is seen as important because many reefs have suffered from bleaching events due to rising temperatures.

    Called the Kaust Coral Restoration Initiative, the project already has a functioning nursery on Saudi Arabia’s north-west Red Sea coast capable of generating 40,000 corals per year.

    It is a pilot project for a larger scheme set to be completed by the end of next year, with an annual capacity of 400,000 corals.

  • Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports surge by 4.4%: GASTAT

    Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports, including re-exports, saw a surge of 4.4 percent in February compared to the same period of 2023, official data showed. According to the General Authority for Statistics, the total value of this sector reached SR21.86 billion ($5.83 billion), marking a rise from SR20.93 billion in the same period of the previous year.

  • First Iran group in nine years heads to Saudi Arabia for umrah pilgrimage

    The first group of Iranian pilgrims in nine years made its way to Saudi Arabia on Monday for the umrah, or minor pilgrimage, Iran's official news agency reported, as a result of improving ties between the two Middle Eastern powers.
    Iranian media had said in December that Saudi Arabia had lifted restrictions on Iranians wanting to perform umrah but flights were delayed until now due to what Tehran called "technical problems".

  • Saudi Arabia’s air transport sector sees 26 percent passenger growth, exceeding 112 million in 2023

    The air transport sector in Saudi Arabia achieved in 2023 remarkable growth, as announced by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). Passenger traffic reached a record-breaking 112 million, reflecting a significant 26 percent increase compared to 2022 and exceeding pre-pandemic levels (2019) by more than 8 percent. This robust performance underscores the successful recovery of the transportation sector from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • This Lava Tube in Saudi Arabia Has Been a Human Refuge for 7,000 Years

    When ancient humans pushed into the Arabian Peninsula, they found a world marked by magma. Swaths of it once erupted from volcanoes, leaving a landscape of craters and frozen lava flows. Many of these seemingly otherworldly volcanic fields are adorned with archaeological remains — from small dwellings to colossal animal-corralling structures called kites — that date back millenniums. Little is known about the identities and lives of those humans. But a study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One has revealed that their occupation of this volcanic realm extended underground. Archaeologists at a site in northwestern Saudi Arabia have excavated a lava tube — the naturally hollowed-out subterranean remnant of a lava flow.

  • Saudi Arabia’s “pride” at hosting the FEI Dressage World Cup Final 2024

    The finals will be held in the Arabian Peninsular for the first time, and this is a golden opportunity for our sport to shine in what has become one of the world’s most ambitious major events markets. The Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center will welcome global stars such as Henrik von Eckermann and Isabell Werth as well as home favourite Abdullah Alsharbatly between today’s opening rounds in Dressage and Jumping and the medals being awarded on Friday and Saturday.

  • Inaugural Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia, worth more than $60M, hopes to send ‘positive message’ to struggling industry

    Boasting the largest prize pool in esports history, this year’s inaugural 2024 Esports World Cup (EWC) could prove to be a pivotal moment for the industry.

    Organized by the Esports World Cup Foundation – and with the latest details announced on Tuesday – the EWC will bring together gamers, publishers and fans from across the world under one roof for an eight-week competitive gaming bonanza in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

    The tournament will include top global clubs competing against each other across 19 esports titles, including Apex Legends, Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, EA Sports FC 24, Fortnite, League of Legends, Rocket League, StarCraft II, Street Fighter 6 and TEKKEN 8.

  • Miss Universe organization disputes reports of Saudi Arabia’s participation in 2024 pageant

    The Miss Universe Organization is disputing a flurry of what it calls “false and misleading” reports of Saudi Arabia’s participation in its 2024 pageant — news that, were it true, would have marked the Middle Eastern country’s debut. “No selection process has been conducted in Saudi Arabia, and any such claims are false and misleading,” the pageant said in a statement provided to CNN and released on its official website.

  • Saudi Arabia’s air and space forces merger to happen this year: Sources

    Saudi Arabia plans to merge its air and space forces into a single organization sometime this year, three Saudi military officials told Breaking Defense, in part of what experts say is an ambitious but ultimately long-term plan for the Kingdom to develop robust space-based defense capabilities. While plans can always change, one of the Saudi Ministry of Defense officials — who like the others spoke with Breaking Defense on the condition of anonymity at the World Defense Show outside Riyadh earlier this year — said, “We need space for deterrence. In 2024, MoD will merge air and space forces to defend the assets it has.”

  • Saudi Arabia, Pakistan accelerate implementation of $5 billion investment package

    This was announced in a joint statement following a meeting between Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah on Sunday. This move is a significant step toward bolstering economic ties and is indicative of the strong relationship between the two countries.