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  • Move Over Dubai, Saudi Arabia Is Taking Center World Stage

    Behind the headlines, an extraordinary real estate-led development boom has been going on within the country, driven by what the Saudis call ‘giga-projects.’ And for once the scale of these initiatives lives up to the self-dubbed hype because they are enormous in scope, ambition, and size and are threatening to shift the tourism and retail axis away from Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Simply stated, Saudi Arabia is taking center world stage.

  • Solar Spider Targets Saudi Arabia Banks via New Malware

    The sophisticated threat group behind a complex JavaScript remote access Trojan (RAT) known as JSOutProx has released a new version of the malware to target organizations in the Middle East. Cybersecurity services firm Resecurity analyzed technical details of multiple incidents involving the JSOutProx malware targeting financial customers and delivering either a fake SWIFT payment notification if targeting an enterprise, or a MoneyGram template when targeting private citizens, the company wrote in a report published this week. The threat group has targeted government organizations in India and Taiwan, as well as financial organizations in the Philippines, Laos, Singapore, Malaysia, India — and now Saudi Arabia.

  • Dengue outbreak raises concerns in Saudi Arabia as mosquito numbers surge

    Saudi Arabia is grappling with a surge in dengue fever cases, leading to growing concerns among health authorities who say intensified efforts are needed to control outbreaks and raise awareness on preventative measures.

    The virus is spread from the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, primarily the Aedes aegypti species, which thrives in tropical and subtropical climates. It spreads dengue and other viruses, including Zika, making it one of the top three mosquitoes in the world in terms of the number of diseases it can spread.

  • Chinese Tourists May Get Visa Waiver to Visit Saudi Arabia

    Saudi Arabia is planning to introduce more measures to help Chinese tourists visit the country, potentially including visa-free entry, Gloria Guevara, chief special advisor to the country’s tourism minister, told Caixin, as the oil-rich nation looks to capitalize on China’s booming tourism demand to support its economic transformation. “Everything is being analyzed,” Guevara said in an interview when asked whether the kingdom is considering offering some kind of visa waiver to Chinese visitors. “The Chinese market is very important for Saudi Arabia,” she said. The Middle East country received 100,000 Chinese visitors last year and aims to boost the figure to 5 million by 2030, she said.

  • How Saudi Arabia Is Leading the Way for Regenerative Tourism

    When John Pagano arrived in Saudi Arabia in 2018, the country subverted his expectations. "We all paint a picture in our minds of what the Middle East is about," he said. "I found a pristine environment, an archipelago of 90 beautiful islands, and turquoise-colored water. It was truly remarkable." Pagano, who is Canadian, was moving to the Kingdom to take up a role as chief executive officer of Red Sea Global (RSG), a major new developer of ambitious regenerative tourism destinations. Pagano, an engineer by training, has had a long career working on large-scale real estate projects, including the Canary Wharf development in London and the Baha Mar project in the Bahamas. But this was unlike anything he had done before in its sheer scale. "I was persuaded by His Royal Highness and his vision for transforming the country," he said. "I had the opportunity to be part of it."

  • Saudi Arabia banks embark on record bond binge for mega-projects

    Saudi Arabia’s banks could raise a record amount of debt this year as a liquidity squeeze strains Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s multi-trillion dollar economic transformation agenda. Lenders may need to issue at least $11.5 billion in bonds in local and foreign currencies, according to Bloomberg Intelligence, to raise funds for Vision 2030, a plan aimed at transforming Saudi Arabia from an oil-reliant economy to one generating income from everything from tourism to technology. That would be a new high, surpassing the $10 billion raised in 2022.

  • Informatica Launches Saudi Arabia’s First AI-Powered Intelligent Data Management Cloud Platform

    Informatica (NYSE: INFA), the enterprise cloud data management leader, today launched its AI-powered Intelligent Data Management Cloud™ (IDMC) in Saudi Arabia, a first for the Kingdom. The investment includes establishing a new Point of Delivery (PoD) in Riyadh, and reflects a commitment to support local, scalable, cloud-first data management services. The move further strengthens Informatica’s presence in the Middle East, following the launch of its first regional PoD in Abu Dhabi, UAE, in 2023.

  • Saudi Arabia condemns targeting of Iranian consulate in Syria

    Saudi Arabia has condemned the targeting of the Iranian consulate building in the Syrian capital Damascus, a foreign ministry statement said early Tuesday. On Monday, suspected Israeli warplanes bombed Iran’s consulate in Syria, a marked escalation in a war pitting Israel against its regional adversaries, and Tehran said the strike killed seven military advisers including three senior commanders.

  • Rogers, Smith Statement On Return Of Congressional Delegation To Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, And Uzbekistan

    U.S. Representatives Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Adam Smith (D-WA), Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement after returning from a congressional delegation to Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan. Joining them on the delegation were Representatives Salud Carbajal (D-CA) and Veronica Escobar (D-TX), both members of the committee.

  • How Saudi Arabia champions cutting-edge research into unique Red Sea marine environments — blue holes

    In just the first year of a decade-long expedition led by Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Wildlife, 20 extremely deep underwater sinkholes, known as “blue holes,” were discovered along the Kingdom’s southern Red Sea coast. Blue holes, named for their vibrant color, have long been recognized as havens for a diverse array of marine life, attracting researchers eager to study their remarkable biodiversity and leisure divers drawn to their profound natural beauty.