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Recent stories from sustg

  • Needed Changes at Saudi Arabia’s Majlis As Shura Council
     

    A parliament is a legislature. More generally, “parliament” may simply refer to a democratic government’s legislature. The term is derived from the French parlement, the action of parler (“to speak”): a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which such a discussion took place. It acquired its modern meaning as […]

     
  • Saudi Arabia’s Upcoming 10th Economic Development Plan is of Critical Importance
     

    Saudi Arabia’s two most important national economic goals are diversification and the creation of jobs. Simply, if the economy fails to diversify and doesn’t create enough jobs for Saudis, prospects for Saudi Arabia’s post-oil future will be severely diminished.  An economic development plan is only as good as its implementation.

     
  • SMEs in Saudi Arabia: How the Supreme Economic Council Can Support SME Growth in the Kingdom
     

    SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) are key to an economy’s growth and account for 60% to 70% of jobs in most Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, with a particularly large share in Italy and Japan, and a relatively smaller share in the US. The percentage contribution of SMEs to GDP/total value added […]

     
  • Tourism in Saudi Arabia: How the SCTA Can Help the Saudi Economy
     

    In 2012, 1 billion tourists visited countries all over the world, and this movement led to the generation of more than $1.3 trillion for the global economy. More than half of tourists used air travel to reach their destinations. In 2010, the total contribution of tourism toward the global GDP reached $6.6 trillion (9.3% of […]

     
  • KACARE and Saudi Arabia’s Frightening Consumption of Energy
     

    Four years ago, King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE) was established by a royal decree. Public statements highlighted the numerous nuclear and solar power plants that would be built and entered into production during the next 15 to 20 years. Large sums of money have been paid for advisers and global consulting […]

     
  • The 10 Best SPA Photos This Month – February 2014 Edition
     

    Saudi Arabia’s state-run press agency, the SPA, is a valuable resource. Continuing with our new series on the best photos from the SPA from the previous month, click here to see a slideshow of the best photos from this month’s events.  The SPA is similar to the press offices of U.S. and other government offices […]

     
  • High Performance Government and MILE: Delivering on the Promise of eGovernment
     

    In a country with 185% mobile device penetration and some of the highest levels of Web usage in the world, how do Saudi officials deliver on the promise of eGovernment? Dr. Mohammed Mustafa Mahmoud, CEO of the Madinah Institute for Leadership and Entrepreneurship (MILE), says it’s not an easy task, given the high expectations of […]

     
  • Is the Saudi Arabian Economy Productive?
     

    Over the past few years, key macroeconomic indicators point to remarkable breakthroughs by the Saudi Arabian economy. The Kingdom’s economy maintained high GDP growth rates, a budget surplus, growth in the Kingdom’s current account, all while the ratio of public debt to GDP remained minimal. Saudi Arabia’s inflation rate remained low amidst a large influx […]

     
  • Is Saudi Arabia Too Dependent on Management Consultants and Think Tanks?
     

    During the past ten years, major think tanks and global management consulting firms came to different government agencies and ministries in Saudi Arabia to provide them with recommendations and plans in return for huge wages – in the millions of Riyals. This makes me wonder whether these governmental bodies and ministries are managed by those […]

     
  • The 10 Best SPA Photos This Month – January 2014 Edition
     

    For those that follow Saudi news closely, the state-run Saudi Press Agency is a valuable resource. Similar to the press offices of U.S. and other government offices and ministries around the world, the SPA is updated daily, and features local, national and international news from the official feed on its website in Arabic and English.  […]

     

MUST-READS

  • Saudi Arabia builds first road using recycled construction waste

    Saudi Arabia's Roads General Authority (RGA) has achieved a significant milestone in sustainable infrastructure development by completing the kingdom’s first road built with recycled construction and demolition (C&D) waste in its asphalt mixture. The innovative project carried out in collaboration with Al Ahsa Municipality and the National Centre for Waste Management (MWAN), saw recycled C&D materials incorporated into the asphalt paving layers of a road in the Al Ahsa Governorate. This initiative aligns with Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Vision 2030 goals, emphasizing the transition to a circular economy. The kingdom aims to achieve a 60% recycling rate of C&D waste by 2035, significantly reducing environmental impact while promoting resource efficiency.

  • Saudi Aramco Sees Oil Demand Growth at 1.3 Million Bpd in 2025

    Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil exporter, expects global oil demand to grow by a steady 1.3 million barrels per day (bpd) this year compared to 2024, the chief executive of the biggest oil firm in the world told Reuters. Oil demand is set to hit nearly 106 million bpd this year, up from about 104.6 million bpd last year, Saudi Aramco’s chief executive officer Amin Nasser told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. “We still think the market is healthy ... last year we averaged around 104.6 million barrels (per day), this year, we're expecting an additional demand of about 1.3 million barrels ... so there is growth in the market,” Nasser told Reuters

  • Top Saudi diplomat says Trump administration is not looking for war with Iran

    The top Saudi diplomat on Tuesday played down fears that the incoming Trump administration was looking for war with Iran and called on Tehran to engage with the US to address the issue of its nuclear weapon program. “I don’t see the incoming US administration as contributory to the risk of war. On the contrary, I think President Trump has been quite clear that he does not favor conflict,” Prince Faisal bin Farhan said at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. Prince Faisal admitted that the Middle East was abundant in risk factors, but it also had huge potential. “I hope that the [Trump administration’s] approach will be met, also on the Iranian side, by addressing the issue of the nuclear program, by being willing to engage with the incoming administration in a way that can help us stay on track with this positive momentum,” he said.

  • Trump wants an Israel-Saudi normalisation deal. Will he get one?

    Now that US President Donald Trump’s second term has begun, officials in his administration optimistically see the recently implemented Gaza ceasefire as paving the way for a normalisation deal between Israel and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The new US national security advisor Mike Waltz said he has high hopes for the “next phase of the Abraham Accords”, with Israeli-Saudi normalisation a “huge priority” for Trump’s administration. A diplomatic accord between Tel Aviv and Riyadh would be a “tremendous historic region-changing agreement,” he added. One of the main foreign policy legacies of the first Trump administration was the Abraham Accords, which brought four Arab states - the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco - into normalisation deals with Israel.

  • Cristiano Ronaldo nets 2 and leads Saudi league in scoring

    Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice for Al-Nassr in a 3-1 victory over Al-Khaleej on Tuesday to move atop the Saudi Pro League goalscoring standings above Aleksandar Mitrovic and Karim Benzema. The five-time Ballon D’Or winner fired Al-Nassr into the lead after 65 minutes, finding the net with a low shot from the edge of the area for his 100th goal contribution since joining the Riyadh club in December 2022.

  • Saudi Arabia FM Prince Faisal says he plans to visit Lebanon’s Beirut this week

    Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said Tuesday that he plans to visit Beirut this week. “We will need to see a commitment to a Lebanon that is looking to the future, not to the past, in order for us to raise our engagement,” he said at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.

  • Hamas’ tight grip on Gaza complicates plan for lasting peace

    In neighbourhoods levelled by 15 months of war with Israel, Hamas officials are overseeing the clearance of rubble in the wake of Sunday's ceasefire. The group's gunmen are guarding aid convoys on Gaza's dusty roads, and its blue-uniformed police once again patrol city streets, sending a clear message: Hamas remains in charge. Israeli officials have described a parade of jubilant Hamas fighters that celebrated the ceasefire on Sunday in front of cheering crowds as a carefully orchestrated attempt to exaggerate the Palestinian militant group's strength.

  • Israel and Hamas Reach a Ceasefire

    The politics on both sides are fraught. It’s not clear who can speak for Hamas. Israel killed much of the Hamas leadership, and there seems to be a split between what remains of the Hamas leadership in Gaza and the remaining Hamas leadership that is negotiating in Qatar. It is also unclear how many of the Israeli hostages Hamas took on October 7 Hamas actually controls. On the Israeli side, the prime minister’s coalition is divided. Itamar Ben-Gvir, the security minister, resigned over the hostage deal, and other politicians have expressed their deep concerns. Hamas seems bent on reinforcing those concerns. It made a show of force by having fighters parading in the streets with guns, and its police force is very visible. Hamas is clearly more in control of Gaza now than it was a week ago.

  • 90% of GCC CEOs confident of revenue growth in 2025: PwC’s 28th Annual CEO Survey

    CEOs in the Middle East are among the most confident globally about revenue growth in 2025, as revealed in PwC’s 28th Annual CEO Survey. Yet the survey also finds that regional chief executives are acutely aware of the huge wave of disruptive change, primarily driven by AI, climate challenges and an intensifying competition over new domains of growth as industry lines blur. In summary, the survey reveals that our region’s CEOs are striking a difficult balance - capturing the significant market opportunities today while also reinventing their businesses for tomorrow.

  • GCC bond issuances hit record $103bln in 2024

    The GCC countries recorded a landmark year for fixed income issuances in 2024, with total bond issuance in the region rising to a record high of $103.4bn. This marks a 71% jump from $60.5bn worth of bond issuances in 2023, according to the GCC Fixed Income Market 2024 report published by Kuwait-based Kamco Investment. Corporate issuances led the way, with companies in the GCC raising a total of $70.1bn, reflecting a remarkable growth of 74% compared to 2023. Meanwhile, government bond issuances in the region also saw a strong year-on-year increase, totalling $33.3bn, a 65% rise from the previous year. At the country level, the UAE saw the most significant increase in issuances, with bonds totalling $49.7bn in 2024, compared to $31.2bn in 2023. Qatar followed closely, posting a rise of $13.4bn. The UAE also emerged as the region’s largest bond issuer, followed by Saudi Arabia with $30.8bn, and Qatar with $16.8bn.