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  • Saudi Arabia orders removal of unlicensed hospitality venues from booking sites, warns of $266,000 fines

    This directive is part of a broader campaign aimed at improving adherence to licensing and classification standards within the hospitality sector. The ministry seeks to ensure that all facilities meet the conditions and requirements stipulated in the Tourism Law and its associated regulations. The ministry stressed that all tourist and private hospitality facilities must obtain or renew their licences before commencing operations. Operating without a valid licence will result in penalties, including fines of up to SR1m ($266,000), facility closure, or both. Violations may also be disclosed publicly.

  • Saudi Arabia bans use of ‘sponsor,’ mandates ’employer’ for government and private entities

    The Ministry of Commerce in Saudi Arabia has instructed both government and private entities to refrain from using the term 'sponsor' and instead use 'employer' in all official documents. The ministry emphasised that, according to Article 2 of the Labour Law, the term 'employer' refers to "any natural or legal person who employs one or more workers in return for a wage." This directive was conveyed through a letter sent by the Ministry to the Federation of Saudi Chambers, which subsequently issued a circular to chambers of commerce and industry across the Kingdom.

  • Saudi Arabia launches humanitarian air bridge to Syria to deliver food, shelter and medical supplies

    Saudi Arabia on Wednesday launched a humanitarian air bridge to Syria, delivering food, shelter and medical supplies' The air bridge, established by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), aims to 'alleviate the effects of the difficult conditions currently facing the Syrian people', the official Saudi Press Agency reported. Others, including the European Union and Ukraine, have also announced aid for Syria, where the United Nations said seven out of 10 people need support. Riyadh's air bridge will 'be followed by another land bridge in the coming days,' said Abdullah al-Rabeeah, the head of KSrelief.

  • Saudi Arabia’s mandatory USB Type-C charging port regulation comes into effect

    Saudi authorities have announced the implementation of the first mandatory phase of unified charging ports for electronic devices in Saudi Arabia, effective January 1, 2025. This initiative from the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) and the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) mandates the use of USB Type-C as the standard charging port across various devices. The unified charging ports decision aims to enhance user experience, reduce consumer costs, and promote the adoption of high-quality charging and data transfer technologies. Additionally, it aligns with environmental sustainability goals by reducing electronic waste and supporting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The first phase covers mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, e-readers, portable video game consoles, headphones, earphones, portable speakers, amplified speakers, keyboards, computer mice, portable navigation systems, and wireless routers.

  • Who was Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the suspect in New Orleans truck attack?

    Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the 42-year-old Texas man accused of crashing a truck into New Year's Day revelers in New Orleans, killing 15 and injuring dozens of people, served in the U.S. Army for 13 years including a deployment to Afghanistan, the Army said. Federal officials and local law enforcement in New Orleans said that Jabbar did not act alone and that they are looking for accomplices. The FBI said Jabbar had an Islamic State flag on his truck and view the attack as a potential act of terrorism. The Islamic State, or ISIS, is a Sunni Muslim militant group which has carried out attacks throughout the world. While the investigation is ongoing, so far no information has surfaced to explain why Jabbar, a U.S. citizen raised in Texas, would carry out the New Orleans attack. Jabbar died at the scene in a shootout with police, officials said.

  • Russian gas era in Europe ends as Ukraine stops transit

    Russian gas exports via Soviet-era pipelines running through Ukraine came to a halt on New Year's Day, marking the end of decades of Moscow's dominance over Europe's energy markets. The gas had kept flowing despite nearly three years of war, but Russia's gas firm Gazprom said it had stopped at 0500 GMT after Ukraine refused to renew a transit agreement. The widely expected stoppage will not impact prices for consumers in the European Union - unlike in 2022, when falling supplies from Russia sent prices to record highs, worsened a cost-of-living crisis and hit the bloc's competitiveness. The last remaining EU buyers of Russian gas via Ukraine, such as Slovakia and Austria, have arranged alternative supply, while Hungary will keep receiving Russian gas via the TurkStream pipeline under the Black Sea.

  • Saudi Venture Capital invests in $150 million Global Ventures fund

    Saudi Venture Capital (SVC) announced its investment in Global Ventures III, an early-stage venture capital fund managed by Global Ventures with a fund size exceeding $150 million. The fund will focus on investments in technology and tech-enabled sectors across Saudi Arabia, the MENA region, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Key areas of interest include supply chain technology, agritech, enterprise SaaS, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and deep tech, according to an SVC press release.

  • Syria FM hopes first foreign visit to Saudi opens ‘new, bright page’

    Syria's top diplomat said he hoped to open a "new, bright page" with Saudi Arabia upon arriving in the kingdom Wednesday, the first foreign visit for Syria's new rulers, who seized power last month. "I have just arrived in the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, accompanied by the Minister of Defence Murhaf Abu Qasra and the Head of the General Intelligence Service Anas Khattab," Assaad al-Shibani said in a statement on X. "Through this first visit in the history of Free Syria, we aspire to open a new, bright page in Syrian-Saudi relations that befits the long shared history between the two countries," he added. Earlier Wednesday Syrian state media said the top delegation had come to the kingdom "at the invitation of the Saudi foreign minister", quoting a foreign ministry source.

  • Commerce ministry recalls 28,806 Ford Explorer vehicles

    The Ministry of Commerce announced the recall of 28,806 Ford Explorer vehicles, 2011 – 2019 models. This was attributed to a defect in the installation of the external side covers of the windshield supports, which may lead to their separation from the vehicle, posing a danger to road users and increasing the risk of an accident. The ministry called on users of the vehicles included in the recall to contact the local agents, Al Jazirah Vehicles Agencies Company, on the toll-free number (8007492222), and Mohammed Yousuf Naghi Company, on the toll-free number (8001240218), to carry out the necessary repairs free of charge.

  • GCC states witnessing skewed population growth trends

    The GCC countries are witnessing many developments in a number of sectors, especially in the population sector, which is growing significantly and leaving many contradictions in the Gulf society. According to the figures of the GCC Statistical Centre, in the month of July 2022, the total population of the GCC countries reached 57.3 million people, constituting 0.7 per cent of the total world population of 7.8 billion people at the time. The increase in the population of the GCC countries during the past three years was 1.3 million people. It is expected that 90 per cent of the GCC population will live in cities by 2050, while all GCC countries seek to build more housing units to accommodate them over the next four decades. However, today there are thousands of young Gulf citizens on their way to work in various economic sectors adopted by the Gulf governments in order to reduce the number of expatriate workers and to adjust the current percentages in the total and percentages of the population.