Recent stories from sustg

MUST-READS

  • How Saudi Arabia is building a sustainable agricultural sector through innovation

    Climate change poses a significant threat to agriculture, with serious implications for food security, livelihoods and access to water. That is why Saudi Arabia is adopting a range of innovative and sustainable farming practices. As summer temperatures become more intense around the world, crop yields are dwindling and water scarcity mounting, raising the specter of food insecurity in some regions and higher prices on domestic and global markets. Agriculture is also a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. About 24 percent of human-induced emissions are the result of agriculture, forestry and land use activities, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

  • Saudi Arabia’s non-oil private sector growth steady with PMI at 56.4

    Saudi Arabia’s private sector non-oil growth remained steady in May, with the Kingdom’s Purchasing Managers’ Index reaching 56.4, a slight decline from 57 in April, official data showed. According to the Riyad Bank Saudi Arabia PMI report by S&P Global, business activity in Saudi Arabia rose at a substantial rate in May, continuing a period of robust output growth across the non-oil economy.

  • The power of innovation and collaboration in Saudi Arabia

    In our industry, ‘innovation’ is a buzzword that’s thrown around a lot, but often falls short in practice. Every conversation and project request seems to demand innovation, but most of the time, it doesn’t deliver. Let’s break it down: there’s basic improvement, which some might call innovation, and then there are big ideas that never actually happen.

  • Private aviation soars in Saudi Arabia as more businesses take to the skies

    Valued at $1.2 billion in 2023 according to TechSCI research, this segment is projected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 8.88 percent between 2025 and 2029.

  • Saudi Arabia anticipates strong investor demand for private jet industry

    Infrastructure plans call for six private jet airports and nine dedicated terminals in commercial airports to improve connectivity. The increased airport capacity will accommodate the forecast growth of 24 business jets per 10,000 inhabitants (it was five jets in 2021) and for 90 per cent of the business jets owned by Saudis to be based in the kingdom rather than abroad.

  • In Saudi Arabia, an all-women psychedelic rock band jams out as its conservative society loosens up

    “We didn’t know how people would react,” said Meesh, the band's bassist, who like other members asked to be identified by their stage names. “We believe strongly in self-expression. To our surprise, they really had open arms for us.”

    The band's name, Seera, can mean “life” or “biography” in Arabic. Band members say they try to embrace the multiple meanings one can draw from a word in the language in its sound, whether through the driving drums and cymbals or the synthesizer backing the guitars.

  • Al-Khateeb: Saudi Arabia has become a global hub for innovations with SR800 billion investments

    Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb said that Saudi Arabia has become a hub for innovations around the world with investments reaching SR800 billion. In his speech at the inaugural session of the GREAT FUTURES initiative conference at King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh on Tuesday, he said that the Kingdom has witnessed a robust growth with regard to the issuance of tourist licenses by about 90 percent. “This vital sector contributes 5 percent of the gross domestic product,” he said. GREAT FUTURES is one of the initiatives of the Saudi-UK Strategic Partnership Council, co-chaired by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

  • Saudi Arabia ‘conservative’ on oil revenue as it pares back Vision 2030 plans

    Speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha on Tuesday, Jaadan warned that being a resource-rich country was a curse as well as a blessing because being dependent on one commodity such as oil can hold a country "hostage" to the volatility of global demand and prices. "We are not complacent; obviously we need to push through the momentum of reforming and transforming our economy, but we see the results," he added.  

  • Saudi Arabia to boost private sector investments in manufacturing: deputy minister

    Saudi Arabia aims to bolster private sector investment in the manufacturing industry, capitalizing on the Kingdom’s swift growth, according to a top official. During his opening speech on the second day of the Riyadh International Industry Week 2024, Deputy Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources for Industrial Affairs Khalil bin Salamah pointed out that partnership with non-government bodies is of great importance in achieving industrial development in the Kingdom.

  • Saudi Arabia and Japan to collaborate on digital economy growth, technology innovation

    Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology Eng. Abdullah bin Amer Al-Swaha recently held a meeting in Jeddah with Taro Kono, Japanese minister for Digital Transformation, along with his accompanying delegation. During the meeting, Al-Swaha and Minister Kono discussed the potential for expanding investment opportunities in the digital field between their respective countries. The aim of this collaboration is to support the growth of the digital economy and foster innovation.