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  • Saudi Mega Projects Seek Partners in Bid to Hit Crown Prince MBS’s Goals

    Top officials from Saudi Arabia’s mega projects gathered in Riyadh to share progress updates and seek partners to help deliver a key pillar of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s plan to transform the economy. Executives from The Line, New Murabba and Diriyah Company — complex developments ranging from a futuristic mega city on the Red Sea to an urban development housing a cube-shaped skyscraper set to be the tallest in the Saudi capital — discussed challenges with supply chains, costs and finding skilled workers as they underscored the urgent need for experienced partners to assist in completing projects.

  • Saudi crown prince MBS delays visit to Pakistan for unspecified reasons

    Saudi Arabia’s crown prince has deferred his visit to Pakistan for unspecified reasons, dimming the much-anticipated event that Islamabad was hoping would secure further investments and agreements between the two allies.

    Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman had been expected to visit Pakistan on 19 May, but according to media reports, that has now been delayed until a later date while Islamabad and Riyadh continue to work out an agreed-upon schedule.

  • Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if it launches major invasion of Rafah

    “Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers,” Biden told CNN’s Erin Burnett in an exclusive interview on “Erin Burnett OutFront,” referring to 2,000-pound bombs that Biden paused shipments of last week. “I made it clear that if they go into Rafah – they haven’t gone in Rafah yet – if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities – that deal with that problem,” Biden said.

  • Oil climbs as Gaza tensions rise, Saudi Arabia hikes prices

    Oil futures climbed on Monday after Saudi Arabia hiked June crude prices for most regions and as the prospect of a Gaza ceasefire deal appeared slim, renewing fears the Israel-Hamas conflict could still widen in the key oil-producing region.
    Brent crude futures were up 77 cents, or 0.9%, to $83.73 a barrel at 1055 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were at $78.98 a barrel, up 87 cents, or 1.1%.

  • Saudi Arabia Posts Budget Deficit as Capex Spending Climbs

    Saudi Arabia recorded a sixth straight quarterly budget deficit as increased spending on capital expenditure and other areas outpaced growth in revenue.

    The shortfall stood at 12.4 billion riyals ($3.3 billion) in the first quarter, more than four times higher than a year ago, according to a statement from the Ministry of Finance on Sunday. On a quarterly basis, the deficit eased from about 37 billion riyals at the end of 2023.

  • Saudi Arabia Posts Budget Deficit as Capex Spending Climbs

    Saudi Arabia recorded a sixth straight quarterly budget deficit as increased spending on capital expenditure and other areas outpaced growth in revenue. The shortfall stood at 12.4 billion riyals ($3.3 billion) in the first quarter, more than four times higher than a year ago, according to a statement from the Ministry of Finance on Sunday. On a quarterly basis, the deficit eased from about 37 billion riyals at the end of 2023.

  • Banking Giants Race to Riyadh as MBS Steps Up Pressure Campaign

    The move is intended to lure business from international financial centers like Hong Kong and Singapore and particularly nearby Dubai. And bankers say Saudi pressure to expand on the ground goes beyond the new law: During discussions, senior Saudi officials persistently ask if executives plan to spend more time in the kingdom or expand existing offices, while offering to fast track licenses for those committing to live with their families in Riyadh. Government representatives didn’t respond to a request for comment.

  • UK Launches Saudi Investment Drive to Grab Share of MBS’s Vision

    The UK and Saudi Arabia will hold a trade expo in Riyadh next month as Rishi Sunak launches an investment drive aimed at taking advantage of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 project. A delegation of more than 300 British business executives will join Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden at the Saudi Great Futures event on May 14-15, according to a statement from Dowden’s office. The event will mark the start of a year-long campaign to showcase UK firms to Saudi investors with a focus on sectors that support the country’s Vision 2030, which was established by bin Salman eight years ago to diversify the economy away from oil.

  • Doing the work: MBS’ true legacy

    Given our clickbait, short-attention-span media reality, we can’t really be surprised that Saudi Arabia’s splashy external investments and massive ‘giga’ projects are the glitter that catches the eye of the inattentive. In fact, while the Kingdom’s high-profile investments and massive construction projects actually do serve a purpose, the truly meaningful change that should matter to Americans and its elected officials is happening elsewhere.

  • Gulf markets slip on Fed rate worries; Saudi climbs

    Most stock markets in the Gulf slipped on Wednesday as investors turned cautious after strong readings on the U.S. economy tempered bets on interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve this year. Investors' focus is now on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's speech and March private payrolls and services sector data later in the day to get more clues on the rate outlook.