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  • KAUST, NEOM, And ENOWA Partner To Boost Saudi Arabia’s Green Hydrogen Economy

    A strategic partnership has been established between King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), NEOM’s Education, Research, and Innovation Foundation (ERIF), and ENOWA to support Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning hydrogen economy. The collaboration aims to advance hydrogen technology and contribute to the Kingdom’s vision of becoming a global leader in renewable energy and hydrogen production.

  • Saudi Arabia’s residential landscape changing as smart cities rise

    Saudi Arabia was represented five times in the 2024 edition of the International Institute for Management Development Smart City Index — with Riyadh, Madinah, and Makkah making the list along with Jeddah and Al-Khobar. With the $500 billion giga-project of NEOM set to lead the way with smart technology, it is no surprise the number of high-net-worth individuals flocking to Saudi Arabia is set to rise, with a report released by Henley & Partners in June projecting over 300 millionaires would be moving to the Kingdom in 2024.

  • BlackRock partners with Saudi Arabia to develop kingdom’s property finance market

    “We look forward to partnering with the Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company to advance mortgage securitisation and other capital markets solutions,” a BlackRock representative told The National. “SRC and BlackRock share the objective of enabling and unlocking institutional capital in this growing, high quality fixed income asset class.” The new deal comes after BlackRock announced a partnership with PIF in April to open a multi-class investment firm in Riyadh, anchored by an initial investment mandate of up to $5 billion from the Saudi wealth fund, to drive further growth of the kingdom's capital markets and attract more investment.

  • Delivery partner appointed for construction of world’s largest airport in Saudi Arabia

    UK-based construction company Mace has won the role of delivery partner for Saudi Arabia’s King Salman International Airport, which is expected to be the world’s largest airport once completed. Mace will oversee the planning and construction of the airport in Riyadh and will work alongside the King Salman International Airport Development Company (KSIADC), which is owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). The six-runway airport is expected to be ready to transport people travelling for Riyadh Expo 2030 and the FIF World Cup 2034.

  • Saudi Arabia’s surge in female workforce participation drives economic impact

    It comes as the Gulf Cooperation Council experiences unprecedented momentum in women’s participation in the workforce. According to the latest figures from the World Bank, the female labor force participation rate in Saudi Arabia stands at 34.5 percent, compared to 79.9 percent for males. Anne-Laure Malauzat, a partner at Bain & Co. in the Middle East, told Arab News that the statistic has surpassed the original target of 30 percent, prompting the Kingdom to set a new goal of 40 percent by 2030.

  • Saudi Arabia’s PIF partners with CONCACAF to boost football development

    The Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) has announced a strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) to elevate football development across the region. The multi-year collaboration will focus on bolstering grassroots football, expanding youth championships, and nurturing young talent. By investing in programs like the CONCACAF under-15, under-17, and under-20 championships for both men and women, the partnership aims to create more opportunities for aspiring footballers.

  • Qiddiya’s Performing Arts Centre: Where innovation meets culture in Saudi Arabia

    The Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) is set to redefine the cultural and entertainment landscape of Saudi Arabia with the launch of the Qiddiya Performing Arts Centre. As the first cultural asset of the newly announced Qiddiya City, this state-of-the-art venue is designed to become a symbol of creativity and a cornerstone of the Kingdom’s cultural evolution. In an exclusive interview with Saudi Gazette, Majed Aldusaimani, Director of Public Relations and Media Liaison at QIC, shared insights into the vision, technological advancements, and future aspirations for the Performing Arts Centre.

  • King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism Award Announces 2024 Winners in Saudi Arabia

    The King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism Award has just announced the winners for 2024. Recognizing outstanding achievements in architecture and urbanism in Saudi Arabia, The King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism Award is an initiative designed to celebrate projects that are aligned with the values of the King Salman Charter in Saudi Arabia. This year, since projects were honored with the award from three categories: built projects, unbuilt projects, and student projects.

  • Only a quarter of Saudi Arabia’s $1 trillion capex plan will go into oil

    In what Goldman Sachs Research calls a “capex super-cycle,” Saudi Arabia is expected to invest $1 trillion across six strategic sectors by 2030. But the oil industry is likely to receive a smaller portion of this than previously forecast. Roughly 73% of the investment funds will go to non-oil sectors, Faisal AlAzmeh, who heads CEEMEA equity research and covers natural resources, chemicals, and infrastructure in the Middle East, writes in his team’s report. An earlier forecast pegged non-oil investment at 66%.

  • Saudi Arabia’s NWC starts implementing water and wastewater infrastructure projects worth $586 m

    Saudi Arabia’s National Water Company (NWC), through its Eastern Cluster, has initiated the implementation of 17 major projects across the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, with a total investment exceeding 2.2 billion Saudi Riyals ($586 million). In a press release, the company explains that the projects aim to enhance the region's environmental and water services infrastructure, focusing on wastewater treatment plants, pumping stations, power lines, and network replacements to improve service delivery in various cities and governorates.