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  • Sabalenka praises WTA’s new mission, welcomes Saudi investment

    World number one Aryna Sabalenka praised on Friday the WTA's mission to highlight the personalities of its athletes and called Saudi Arabia's investment in the women's tennis tour an important part of growing the game. The WTA rebranding, complete with a new logo and "Rally the world" tagline, comes amid a rise in global viewership and a record $4.8 million prize awarded last year to Coco Gauff for winning the WTA Finals in Riyadh, a tournament sponsored by Saudi's Public Investment Fund (PIF).

  • Saudi Arabia Introduces Seventy E-Gates at Jeddah Airport to Speed Up Travel

    Saudi Arabia has taken another major step in modernizing its aviation sector with the launch of seventy AI-powered e-gates at King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) in Jeddah. The new system, inaugurated by Deputy Emir of the Mecca Region, Prince Saud bin Mishaal, is set to enhance travel efficiency, improve security, and reduce wait times for 175,000 passengers daily. Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport follows King Khalid International Airport (Riyadh) and Neom Bay Airport in adopting AI-powered e-gates, reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s commitment to smart airport solutions.

  • Saudi Arabia denounces Israel’s blocking of aid into Gaza; calling it ‘blackmail and collective punishment’

    Saudi Arabia condemned on Sunday the decision of the Israeli occupation government to block the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed Saudi Arabia's condemnation and denunciation of the decision of the Israeli government to stop the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, and its use as a tool of blackmail and collective punishment. The ministry stated that it is a flagrant violation of international law and a direct violation of the rules of international humanitarian law, in light of the humanitarian catastrophe that the Palestinian people are facing. Saudi Arabia reiterated its call to the international community to stop these serious Israeli violations, in addition to activating international accountability mechanisms, and ensuring sustainable access to aid.

  • Trump trade threats compound global ocean shipping uncertainty

    The global ocean shipping industry that handles 80% of world trade is navigating a sea of unknowns as U.S. President Donald Trump stokes trade and geopolitical tensions with historical foes as well as neighbors and allies. That is the backdrop for this week's S&P Global (SPGI.N), opens new tab TPM container shipping and supply chain conference in Long Beach, California, an annual event that marks the start of container shipping contract negotiating season. Trump has already slapped an additional 10% tariff on goods from China, the world's largest exporter, and has proposed million-dollar port entry fees for Chinese-built ships. As early as Tuesday, the U.S. could impose 25% tariffs on familiar goods like avocados and tequila from Mexico, and beef, lumber and oil from Canada.

  • Saudi Arabia says Israel seeking to ‘destabilize’ Syria with airstrikes

    Saudi Arabia condemned on Thursday recent Israeli strikes targeting Syria, accusing it of attempting to destabilize the situation in the country. The Kingdom’s foreign ministry issued a statement on X saying that Israel was attempting “to destabilize [Syria’s] security and stability in repeated violations to the international agreements and laws.” Israel on Tuesday struck southern Damascus and in southern Syria near the Jordan border, the latest in a series of Israeli attacks on what it says are Syrian military targets. Israel moved forces into a UN-monitored demilitarized zone within Syria after opposition groups toppled former President Bashar al-Assad in December.

  • Saudi Arabia allocates feedstock for new petchem complexes in Jubail

    Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy has allocated feedstock necessary for establishing industrial complexes by National Industrialization Company (Tasnee) and Sahara International Petrochemical Company (Sipchem)  in Jubail Industrial City. Tasnee) received approval from the ministry to allocate feedstock (ethane, propane and butane) on Wednesday. The complex includes a thermal cracking unit for ethylene production with high world-scale capacity, the company said in a statement to the Saudi stock exchange. The project will have a production capacity of nearly 3.3 million metric tonnes of petrochemical products, including high and linear low-density polyethylene and methyl tert-butyl ether (HDPE. LLDPE, MTBE).

  • Lulu to retail popular Saudi brand Milaf Cola

    An iconic Saudi F&B brand, Milaf Cola, will now be available at LuLu outlets in the GCC – and with the possibility of taking it to India as well. This comes after the Abu Dhabi headquartered hypermarket operator Lulu signed a deal with Al Madina Heritage, part of the Saudi wealth fund PIF’s holdings. "Sourcing and selling world-class products globally has always been our key strength,” said Yusuffali M. A, Chairman of Lulu Group. With our sourcing network spanning 23 countries, we are further strengthening our product portfolio by signing various MoUs with top suppliers.” What makes Milaf carve a different niche in an intensely fought over cola market is its use of carbonated date-sweetened formula. This replaces the traditional sugars or sweeteners with date extracts.

  • Red Sea Global brings sustainable aviation fuel to Saudi Arabia in landmark deal

    Red Sea Global (RSG), the developer behind Saudi regenerative tourism destinations The Red Sea and AMAALA, announced a deal to bring Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to the Kingdom for the first time. RSG and daa International, the operator of The Red Sea International Airport (RSI), struck the deal with the airport’s fuel supplier, Arabian Petroleum Supply Company (APSCO), to enable airlines operating at RSI to have the option of refuelling using SAF. As part of its ambition to achieve net zero, RSG’s subsidiary air operator, Fly Red Sea, which provides seaplane transfer, charter and scenic tour services across its destinations, will also refuel its fleet exclusively with fuels that ensure aviation is more sustainable such as SAF and Lower-Carbon Aviation Fuel (LCAF).

  • US Air Force Partners with Saudi Arabia to Train Chiefs

    A mobile training team of U.S. Airmen assigned to Air Forces Central (AFCENT) led the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) in completing its inaugural Chief Leadership Course (CLC) Jan. 23, 2025 at a training center in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). “This course is one of many efforts placing emphasis on the professional development of their enlisted force,” said Chief Master Sgt. Joshua Wiener, AFCENT command chief. The 17-day course was led by a team of two U.S. Air Force chief master sergeant instructors with support from 9th Air Force. The curriculum was modeled after the USAF’s own CLC, and incorporated lessons from the First Sergeants’ Academy and Noncommissioned Officer Academies. The material was then tailored to meet RSAF needs.

  • More than 1,000 Syrians died in airport prison under Assad, report says

    More than 1,000 Syrians died in detention at a military airport on the outskirts of Damascus, killed by execution, torture or maltreatment at a site that was widely feared, according to a report to be published Thursday tracing the deaths to seven suspected grave sites. In the report, shared exclusively with Reuters, the Syria Justice and Accountability Centre said it identified the grave sites by using a combination of witness testimony, satellite imagery and documents photographed at the military airport in the Damascus suburb of Mezzeh after the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad in December.