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  • Saudi Ambassador to EU says Schengen visa issuance unchanged

    Saudi Ambassador to the European Union Haifa Al-Jedea said that the Schengen visa is still issued in the usual way by visiting the headquarters of European embassies, denying the launch of a system to issue it electronically.

  • How to reach Saudi Arabia’s Gen Z, a generation on the ascent

    The Saudi economy is increasingly powered by consumer spending. The country’s GDP per capita, at approximately $70,000, is already above that of many Western countries, such as Germany, Australia and the U.K. And retail sales in the country are projected to be on a steady upward trajectory for the next few years. Willing to spend and optimistic about their prospects, young Saudis are up to twice as likely to opt for higher-priced brands and retailers compared to their peers in advanced economies, according to a recent McKinsey report.

  • Saudi Arabia draws the line: No political agendas at hajj

    Saudi Arabia announced a ban on "misuse of the annual pilgrimage of Hajj for political or sectarian purposes," stressing that no one will be allowed entry to the country for "acts that disturb public security and law and order." According to draft regulations released by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, pilgrims are forbidden from bringing any prohibited items, such as pictures, books, flags, slogans, political publications, or other banned materials, into Saudi Arabia, according to the Saudi Gazette.

  • Saudi Ambassador to EU says Schengen visa issuance unchanged

    Saudi Ambassador to the European Union Haifa Al-Jedea said that the Schengen visa is still issued in the usual way by visiting the headquarters of European embassies, denying the launch of a system to issue it electronically.

  • New Saudi AI initiative aims to train over 7,000 professionals in Generative AI

    Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, in partnership with the Human Capacity Development Program (HCDP), has launched the “Digital Future Readiness Program” with a focus on cultivating and advancing national talent in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI).

  • 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.

  • Top US general says risk of broader war eases a bit after Israel-Hezbollah exchange

    Air Force General C.Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke to Reuters after emerging from a three-day trip to the Middle East that saw him fly into Israel just hours after Hezbollah launched hundreds of rockets and drones at Israel, and Israel's military struck Lebanon to thwart a larger attack.It was one of the biggest clashes in more than 10 months of border warfare, but it also ended with limited damage in Israel and without immediate threats of more retaliation from either side.

  • Saudi Arabia’s NEOM Green Hydrogen Plant launches mass recruitment drive

    NEOM Green Hydrogen Company (NGHC) has initiated a major recruitment campaign for its world-leading green hydrogen plant in Saudi Arabia’s futuristic city NEOM, as the project moves closer to its operational phase. The $8.4 billion facility, set to be the world’s largest green hydrogen production plant, is progressing on schedule for full operations by the end of 2026. The project aims to produce up to 600 tonnes of carbon-free hydrogen daily, potentially eliminating five million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.

  • As China-Saudi ties develop, so will cross-border yuan use, ratings agency says

    “This involves many sectors, larger sums of financial flows both ways and many more companies,” Chang said in an interview. “Economic and strategic alignment in terms of development plans” could further elevate the yuan in Saudi Arabia despite wider geopolitical tensions, he added. The tripling of China’s trade with the Middle East observed over the past two decades, report authors said, adds potential for the broader use of the yuan among Gulf states.

  • Saudi King Salman chairs cabinet meeting, state news agency says

    Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz chaired a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, state media said, for the first time since a royal decree issued by him on Aug. 8 allowing the cabinet to convene in the absence of the king, crown prince or both. Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman chaired the Aug. 13 cabinet session.
    The 88-year-old king of the world's biggest oil exporter, a major U.S. ally in the Middle East, received medical care for lung inflammation in May. Prince Mohammed later postponed an official visit to Japan due to the king's health.