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  • 77% of Saudi businessmen expect economy to grow in next 12 months: PwC survey

    PwC Middle East's 28th Annual CEO Survey showed that 77% of business leaders in Saudi Arabia expect the local economy to grow over the next 12 months, outpacing their peers in the GCC (71%), the Middle East (64%), and the world (57%). The Kingdom continues to implement its ambitious plans under Vision 2030, strengthening the investment climate and making it the top destination for regional investments. Non-oil revenue growth increased by 4.9% in the second half of 2024, recording the highest growth rate to date, the report said. Economic risks for business leaders are changing, as inflation stabilized at 2% by the end of 2024 from its peak of 3.4% in January 2023. However, cybersecurity risks rose to 49%, compared to 20% a year earlier.

  • Saudi banks banned from using WhatsApp for their communications with customers

    The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) has decided to ban the use of instant messaging applications such as WhatsApp by the local banks for their communications with customers. SAMA noted that these applications are unreliable channels, according to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper. SAMA's decision is based on the powers assigned to it and other related regulations, and out of its keenness to enhance the quality of practices and procedures followed by financial institutions subject to its supervision, in a way bringing the risks to the minimum. It is learnt that the Central Bank has asked financial institutions to examine the availability of alternative and secure channels such as benefiting from activating instant messaging services such as Live Chat or ChatBot, within the application, or the financial institution's website, taking into account compliance with the requirements for protecting personal data.

  • Former Saudi ambassador weighs in on Trump’s approach to Gaza and the Middle East: Video

    Israel is blocking humanitarian aid from reaching Gaza until Hamas agrees to a proposal to extend phase one of the ceasefire, which expired Saturday. John Yang speaks with Prince Turki Al-Faisal, a former Saudi ambassador to the U.S. and U.K., about the latest developments and the Trump administration’s involvement in Gaza.

  • 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.

  • Saudi dissidents welcome to return to Kingdom: Head of state security

    Saudi dissidents who have been exploited by external entities to attack Saudi Arabia are welcome to return to the Kingdom, the Head of the Presidency of State Security Abdulaziz al-Howairini said. Speaking on MBC’s Hikayat Waad program, al-Howairini said that dissidents are welcome to return without facing any consequences if their opposition remained at the level of ideological influence and they were not implicated in criminal cases within the country. Saudi Arabia will not expose or publicize their names, he said, adding that the Kingdom focuses on rehabilitation rather than punishment. Dissidents wishing to return to Saudi Arabia can contact the designated number (990) to provide their identity and location for assistance, al-Howairini said. Alternatively, they can also delegate a family member to coordinate with the relevant authorities.

  • Commentary: Saudi Arabia’s rise signals decline of Europe’s geopolitical centrality This article was published in thejakartapost.com with the title “”. Click to read: https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2025/03/03/saudi-arabias-rise-signals-decline-of-europes-geopolitical-centrality

    It signals a shift away from Europe’s centrality in diplomacy and fits well with Trump’s broader policy of bilateral, pragmatic diplomacy that prioritizes economic and geopolitical gains. The US-Russia discussions in Saudi Arabia also indicate Trump’s strategic use of Saudi Arabia to secure swift diplomatic wins, furthering his domestic and international standing. Trump’s choice of Riyadh for the Ukraine peace talks also shows that Saudi Arabia has strategically positioned itself as a neutral intermediary, leveraging its strong relations with global powers including the US, Russia, China and European nations.

  • Commentary: Trump is using the presidency to seek golf deals. Hardly anyone’s paying attention

    On 20 February, Trump hosted a meeting at the White House between Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour commissioner, and Yasir al-Rumayyan, chair of LIV Golf and head of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, along with the golf star Tiger Woods. It was the second meeting convened by Trump at the White House this month with PGA Tour officials involved in negotiating with the Saudi wealth fund. A day before his latest attempt at high-level golf diplomacy, Trump travelled to Miami to speak at a conference organized by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which is managed by Al-Rumayyan but ultimately controlled by the kingdom’s de facto ruler and crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.

  • Al-Ittihad and CUE Redefine Fan Engagement with Saudi Arabia’s First CUE Light Show

    Based in Nashville, Tennessee, CUE partners with major organizations across the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB, and expanded to Europe in 2022, working with renowned clubs like Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, the Boston Celtics, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Kansas City Chiefs. Partnering with a club of Al-Ittihad’s stature marks a significant milestone for CUE’s growing presence in the Middle East. One of the night’s standout moments was Saudi Arabia’s first-ever CUE-powered smartphone light show, sponsored by ROSHN Group. On the first day of promoting the event, over 8,000 fans downloaded the app by scanning a QR code. By the end of the match, more than 33,000 fans had downloaded it. The synchronized phone lights transformed the stadium into an immersive visual experience, ranking this activation among CUE’s largest fan-driven light shows.

  • Saudi Crown Prince congratulates Lebanese PM on forming new government

    Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman congratulated Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on forming a new government, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Thursday. MBS sent a cable to Salam, expressing “sincere congratulations and wishing [Salam] goodluck and success and for the brotherly people of Lebanon further progress. ”The Crown Prince’s cable to the prime minister comes after the newly formed Lebanese government won the lawmakers’ vote of confidence on Wednesday. Salam was serving as president of the International Court of Justice before his designation as prime minister in January. It came after the country’s army commander, Joseph Aoun, was elected as a president.

  • Commentary: What the ‘Trump Gaza’ fantasy is meant to tell to the Arab world

    US President Donald Trump appears to have finally accepted that his scheme to expel all 2.2 million Palestinians permanently from Gaza and have the US turn it into a "riviera" is unworkable. A week ago, Mr Trump was still insisting the Palestinians must be expelled, potentially never to return. However, this weekend he confirmed that Egypt and Jordan had refused to take the Palestinians, and the idea was now merely "a recommendation". But Mr Netanyahu’s plan has become clear during phase one. By continuing to refuse to discuss any alternative Palestinian civic administration he has made a strategic choice to leave Hamas in power. This is effectively a continuation of his traditional divide-and-rule policy towards Palestinians to thwart what the Israeli right fears most: Palestinian statehood. By dividing Palestinians between Islamist control in Gaza and secular nationalist rule by Fatah in the West Bank, the Palestinian movement is crippled and Israel can disingenuously claim it doesn't know who to talk to.