MUST-READS

• Art Week Riyadh 2025: A New Era for Saudi Arabia’s Thriving Art Scene

  The Visual Arts Commission of Saudi Arabia proudly announces the inaugural edition of Art Week Riyadh, a groundbreaking initiative celebrating the Kingdom’s dynamic art scene. Taking place from 6 to 13 April 2025, this event will bring together leading local and international galleries, cultural institutions, artists, collectors, and art enthusiasts under the theme “At The Edge.” As a non-commercial initiative, Art Week Riyadh is designed to foster collaboration, exchange, and innovation within Saudi Arabia’s growing art ecosystem. With programming that honors the past, celebrates the present, and invests in the future, the event will highlight the depth and breadth of Saudi’s artistic landscape.

• Meet the Power Players Leading Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Boom

  Dozens of new art institutions are in the works as part of Vision 2030, a sweeping trillion-dollar initiative to reduce oil dependence by expanding tourism, entertainment, and technology. Among these is the recently opened Diriyah Art Futures (DAF), a digital-art focused institution that is part of the $63 billion Diriyah Gate project, which aims to transform the heritage site on the outskirts of the kingdom’s capital city, Riyadh, into a cultural tourist destination. Meanwhile, in the ancient desert region of AlUla, the Contemporary Art Museum, which is being developed in partnership with Paris’s Centre Pompidou, set to open in 2027. On the west coast, the Red Sea Museum in Jeddah, slated to open before 2030, will showcase historical and contemporary works of art.

• Saudi Arabia Bans 1-Year Visit Visa for 14 Countries to Curb Illegal Hajj Pilgrims

  Saudi Arabia has introduced a new visa policy restricting travelers from 14 countries to single-entry visas. The decision, effective February 1, 2025, aims to curb unauthorized Hajj pilgrims entering through long-term visit visas. The affected countries include Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Tunisia, and Yemen. The move suspends the 1-year multiple-entry visa indefinitely for tourism, business, and family visits. Under the new rules, visitors from these 14 countries can only apply for single-entry visas. These visas will have a 30-day validity with a maximum stay of 30 days. The government has clarified that this policy does not affect Hajj, Umrah, diplomatic, or residency visas.

• Trump’s Gaza plan derails Saudi-Israel ties: analysts

  Trump's proposal to redevelop Gaza and oust the more than two million Palestinians living in the territory prompted a global backlash and enraged the Arab world, making it difficult for the Saudis to consider normalisation. "If this is going to be his policy, he shut the door on Saudi recognition of Israel," James Dorsey, researcher at the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore, told AFP.  They reacted with unusual speed to Trump's proposal, made during an appearance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington. About an hour after his comments, at around 4:00 am Saudi time, the foreign ministry posted a statement on X that "reaffirms its unequivocal rejection of... attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land". In the same statement, the Saudis rejected Netanyahu's comment that normalisation was "going to happen", repeating their insistence there would be no ties without a Palestinian state.

• Saudi Premium Residency: Your Route to Permanent Residency in 2025

  This ‘Saudi Green Card’ provides residency rights to investors, entrepreneurs and high-value workers without the need for a local sponsor. It allows unrestricted freedom of movement, as well as the right to set up and manage businesses. This guide sets out the latest Saudi Premium Residency products and their allowances for entrepreneurs, investors, and skilled professionals looking to expand their operations into Saudi Arabia. Whether you’re seeking to simplify visa processes, optimise tax structures, or streamline HR and relocation, the Premium Residency Program presents a compelling proposition.

• Trump and Jay Monahan meet at White House as PGA Tour deal with Saudis gets closer

  PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said he met with President Donald Trump at the White House this week as the tour moves closer to finalizing a long-sought investment deal with the Saudi Arabian backers of rival LIV Golf. The PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia first agreed to a deal in June 2023, which ended the antitrust lawsuits between them. But that framework agreement drew the attention of the Justice Department, and the year ended without a deal in place. The tour and PIF have been meeting for nearly a year. Trump, just 10 days after he was elected, invited Monahan to play golf at Trump International in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Nov. 15.

• OPEC and Saudi spare oil production capacity
  The International Energy Agency estimates that OPEC's total spare capacity is 5.3 million bpd, of which 3.1 million bpd is held by Saudi Arabia, 1.1 million bpd by the UAE, 600,000 bpd by Iraq and 400,000 bpd by Kuwait. The total is equal to about 5.1% of world oil demand, expected by the IEA to average almost 104 million bpd in 2025. Spare capacity is held by the largest producers in OPEC as well as some of their allies as a consequence of their decisions to cut supply to the world market due to rising output from non-allied producers such as the U.S., Brazil and Guyana. OPEC+, which includes OPEC, Russia and their allies, has deepened cuts, reducing production by almost 6 million bpd in a series of steps since 2022 to support the market. The latest OPEC+ cut of 2.2 million bpd, of which Saudi Arabia is contributing 1 million bpd, remains in place for the first quarter of 2025.

• Saudi Arabia Wants To Supply Europe With Green Hydrogen

  With global interest in hydrogen accelerating, he sees the project as especially well placed to capitalize on Saudi Arabia’s natural advantages. “We have the scale, location, and the partnerships in place that give us a significant lead,” he said, describing NGHC as a potential model for Saudi Arabia’s broader push into renewable energy and a significant part of Vision 2030’s economic transformation goals, NGHC has signed a 30-year distribution contract with Air Products to bring its green hydrogen to international markets in the form of ammonia, which makes it easier to transport and distribute. NGHC is not the only company in Saudi Arabia that is making green hydrogen a central part of its future. Securing Energy for Europe (SEFE) in Berlin, an instrumentality of the German government, has signed a letter of intent with Saudi-based ACWA Power to supply it with 200,000 tons of green hydrogen beginning in 2030. Is there a need for so much green hydrogen? One steel plant in Duisburg is expected to require 143,000 tons of it per year.

• Economic diversification, mega events and culture position Saudi Arabia for tourism boom

  Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector has seen immense growth over the past decade, with substantial efforts to reshape perceptions and open the doors to international visitors. Initiatives such as the introduction of tourist visas in 2019 and the development of large-scale projects like NEOM, the Red Sea Project, and Qiddiya have been central to this strategy. Saudi Arabia has committed over $800 billion to infrastructure development, including world-class airports, the expansion of the Riyadh Metro system, and the creation of luxury and mid-tier hotels. These investments are set to accommodate the influx of visitors, not just during these events but as part of the long-term tourism strategy. Tourism’s contribution to Saudi Arabia’s GDP is projected to rise from 3% in 2019 to 10% by 2030. The long-term economic impact from events like Expo 2030 and the World Cup will generate billions in revenue, particularly for sectors such as hospitality, retail, and transportation. However, the economic benefits will not be limited to these events but will be a sustained growth trend due to ongoing diversification efforts under Vision 2030.

• Industry Minister: Saudi Arabia Seeks to Enhance Partnership with India in Strategic Industries

  Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef stressed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to enhancing its strategic partnership with India across key economic sectors, particularly industry and mining. The minister made his remarks while chairing a roundtable meeting with leaders from India's private sector in New Delhi. Alkhorayef highlighted that the Kingdom is taking serious steps to boost collaboration in vital industries, including automotive, medical industries, biotechnology, chemicals, petrochemicals, machinery, and renewable energy.

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