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  • Why did Iran ban the Saudi Ramadan TV series Muawiya?

    Iran’s media regulator (SATRA) has joined Iraq and scholars from Egypt’s Al-Azhar in banning Muawiya, a Ramadan TV series aired by Saudi Arabia’s MBC channel. MBC began airing Muawiya—widely regarded as the most expensive series ever produced in the Arab world—a few days ago. Although completed in 2023, its release was postponed until now due to anticipated controversies. The historical drama focuses on the life of Muawiya, recognized as the first caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate, an early Islamic empire. His reign began after the Prophet’s son-in-law Ali was assassinated in 661 AD, an event that profoundly impacted the political and religious landscape of the Muslim world.

  • Iraq bans Saudi’s MBC over Ramadan series Muawiya due to sectarian concerns

    Iraq's media regulator has banned the broadcast of the historical drama "Muawiya" during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on the Saudi Arabian television channel MBC Iraq, citing concerns that it could incite sectarian tensions. The Iraqi Media and Communications Commission (CMC) announced the decision on Saturday, stating that it was exercising its legal authority to regulate the country's media sector. "The broadcast of historically controversial content may provoke sectarian debates, which could threaten social harmony and disrupt the fabric of society, particularly during Ramadan," the commission said in a statement.  "Muawiya" explores the life of Umayyad Caliph Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan, who played a central role in the "First Fitna"—the civil war that followed the assassination of Caliph Uthman ibn Affan in the 7th century. Despite the Iraqi ban, "Muawiya" is set to air during Ramadan on MBC's main channels, ensuring its availability to audiences across the region.

  • Flow48 Secures $69M Series A Funding to Expand into Saudi Arabia and Scale Operations

    Flow48, a leading fintech transforming SME lending across emerging markets, is excited to announce today the successful close of its $69 million Series A funding round. The round, which is a combination of debt and equity, was led by Breega and has seen further investments from 212, Speedinvest, Daphni, Endeavor Catalyst, Evolution Ventures, and Plus VC, among others. This milestone marks a major step forward in the company’s mission to redefine access to capital for underserved SMEs across the Middle East and Africa.

  • Saudi fintech RasMal closes $4.8 million pre-Series A

    RasMal, the first cap table management and investment governance platform in the MENA region, closes its Pre-Series A investment round led by Syndicate Element Holding Group (SHG), a leading investment firm, with a total value of $4.8 million (18 million SAR) during LEAP 2025 in Riyadh. This investment aims to introduce new tools and services to streamline fundraising processes and equity transfers, aligning with Saudi Vision 2030 to build a technology-driven financial ecosystem.

  • Saudi’s BRKZ closes $17M Series A for its construction tech platform

    Construction procurement is highly fragmented, manual, and opaque, forcing contractors to juggle multiple suppliers, endure lengthy negotiations, and deal with delayed payments. In Saudi Arabia, where trillion-dollar infrastructure and real estate projects are underway, these inefficiencies are even more pronounced.

  • Calo raises $25 million Series B, eying Saudi IPO by 2027

    Saudi Arabia-HQ foodtech Calo has raised $25 million in its Series B funding round, led by Nuwa Capital, with participation from STV and Khwarizmi Ventures, along with regional family offices.

  • Tawaref series: Premium residency for entrepreneurs in Saudi

    The Premium Residency for Entrepreneurs is a pioneering initiative that aims to attract funded tech entrepreneurs who have expanded to Saudi Arabia. Let’s take a closer look at this program. PR for Entrepreneurs targets (mostly tech) entrepreneurs who are funded by a whitelisted VC or angel groups. There are two categories: one offers 5-year fixed-term residency, while the other opens the door to permanent residency. The one-time fee for either category is 4,000 SAR.

  • Niemann wins PIF Saudi International and International Series Rankings title

    Torque GC Captain Joaquin Niemann completed a memorable season by winning the US$5million PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers following a dramatic playoff victory against Ripper GC Captain Cameron Smith and Legion XIII member Caleb Surratt. Niemann made a brilliant birdie following an exquisite lob shot to 12 inches on the second playoff hole to earn the trophy at Riyadh Golf Club, after Smith and Surrat missed their birdie attempts. The victory, worth US$1 million, also saw him finish top of The International Series rankings after an incredibly close finish to the race. It was a thrilling finish to the season-ending event on the Asian Tour and The International Series, which is also the most lucrative event of the season.

  • Tawaref series: Exploring Saudi premium residency system

    The Saudi Premium Residency is a residential permit granted to any non-GCC citizen allowing them to work, live, own property, and operate a business independently. Before this system, any individual who wished to work in the country must be sponsored, where a Saudi citizen would recruit the worker and be responsible for their migration. In the new program, this is no longer required, and interested parties can apply for the visa on the government’s website directly.

  • Saudi Arbitration Law Series: Modernization and Global Alignment

    The Saudi Arbitration Law, issued by Royal Decree No. M/34 on 16 April 2012 and effective from 8 July 2012, represents a major reform in Saudi Arabia's arbitration framework. The law reflects the Kingdom's efforts to modernize its approach to commercial dispute resolution by aligning with international standards while maintaining its unique legal traditions rooted in Shari'a principles. This article provides an overview of these significant changes and their impact on businesses and investors operating within Saudi Arabia.