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  • Uproar, Confusion, Debate over Tobacco Tax in Saudi Arabia
     

    Saudi Arabia’s decision to impose a 100 percent tax on restaurants that serve tobacco products like shisha has ignited criticism on social media and caused confusion among restaurant owners on how to charge the tax, according to a report in France 24/AFP and accounts on Twitter. The situation has also revealed how Saudis express feedback about new […]

     
  • Saudi Aramco delays planned IPO until after earnings update, seeks local listing
     

    Saudi Aramco has delayed the planned launch of its initial public offering “in hopes that pending third-quarter results will bolster investor confidence in the world’s largest oil firm,” Reuters reports, citing two sources familiar with the matter. The slight delay allows Saudi Aramco to reassure investors by first presenting results covering the period in which two […]

     
  • Saudi Arabia, Palestine to Set Up Joint Business Council
     

    Saudi Arabia and the Palestinians agreed on Thursday to establish a joint economic committee and a business council, the SPA reports. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visited Riyadh on Wednesday and met with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The official Saudi Press Agency said that the leaders reached “an agreement on the establishment of a […]

     
  • Venture Capital Set for Ten-fold Growth Over the Next Six Years in Saudi Arabia
     

    Venture capital investments in Saudi Arabia are set to grow ten-fold over the next six years, according to a new report by Saudi Technology Ventures published by The National. The report says that Venture funding investments are at a “positive inflection point” and are set to grow to $500 million annually by 2025, from $50m last […]

     
  • To the Delight of Fans, Saudis Play Soccer Match in West Bank for First Time in Decades
     

    Saudi Arabia’s soccer team will play against the national team in Palestine in the West Bank for the first time in over a decade, delighting fans from both sides. The match, planned for Tuesday, has “electrified Palestinians” not just because it’s a World Cup qualifying match, but because it’s a home game actually played at […]

     
  • Russia’s Putin Arrives in Saudi Arabia to Discuss Oil Market Stability, Regional Tensions
     

    Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is in Saudi Arabia to visit with top Saudi leaders, his first trip to the Kingdom in over a decade. The visit is a sign of Russia’s “growing Middle East clout,” Reuters reports, as tensions brew in regional hotspots where Russia and Saudi Arabia’s interests diverge. Putin will sign oil agreements, which will […]

     
  • Law Firm Pillsbury Analyzes First Cases in Saudi Arabia’s New Bankruptcy Law
     

    Law firm Pillsbury published a research note highlighting the recently passed bankruptcy law in Saudi Arabia that incorporated modern alternatives to liquidating businesses in the Kingdom, using the first cases decided by the Saudi judiciary as case studies. “For several years now, judges in [bankruptcy] courts have been involved in seminars and training work­shops to help prepare them to rule […]

     
  • U.S., Saudi Officials Discuss Regional Security and Military Cooperation
     

    Saudi Arabia’s deputy defense minister said on Thursday he discussed “regional security and military cooperation” with senior U.S. government officials, Reuters reports. Deputy Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, who previously served as Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the United States, met separately with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. Deputy […]

     
  • Saudi Arabia, France Announce ‘Major Partnership’ for Al-Ula Development
     

    France and Saudi Arabia have announced a “major partnership” to develop the area of Al-Ula, a historic site in the Kingdom that is part of its push to bring in tourists and open the Kingdom up to investment. According to The National, the new partnership will take place in three phases, with the first being completed in […]

     
  • Saudi Arabia introduces measures to ‘facilitate the entry of foreign issuers to the Saudi stock market’
     

    Saudi Arabia has introduced measures to facilitate the entry of foreign issuers to the Saudi stock market, Reuters reports, in the latest reforms to attract overseas share buyers and issuers as part of its Vision 2030 economic and social reform plans. Saudi Arabia’s Capital Markets Authority (CMA) said on Sunday it had “adopted rules that will […]

     

MUST-READS

  • China prioritizes Saudi Arabia in overall diplomacy, particularly in Middle East – Chinese premier

    China puts the development of relations with Saudi Arabia as a priority in its overall diplomacy, especially in its Middle East diplomacy, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here on Wednesday. He called on both sides to further expand bilateral trade, deepen cooperation in traditional areas such as oil and gas, petrochemicals and infrastructure, explore collaboration in emerging fields like new energy, information and communication, and the digital and green economies, while encouraging their respective companies to invest in each other's countries and working together to maintain global industrial and supply chain stability.

  • Nvidia AI Chips Headed to Saudi Arabia, US Reassesses Export Ban

    The U.S. initially imposed advanced semiconductor sanctions on China in 2023, citing national security concerns. In 2024, the embargo on Saudi Arabia followed for its alleged proximity to China. Interestingly, Nvidia AI chips continue to enter China via smuggling and other channels. Saudi Arabia’s engagement in the AI sector has increased, as evidenced by its participation in AI-driven initiatives and partnerships to reduce its reliance on Chinese firms. This has prompted the U.S. to reevaluate its embargo on the country.

  • Aramco Digital partners with Accenture for AI-skilled workforce in Saudi Arabia

    At the core of the partnership lies building an AI-ready workforce. Aramco Digital will adopt Accenture’s LearnVantage’s AI-native platform, which uses a generative AI recommendation engine to curate learning content and offer deep capabilities – from skill gaps assessment and personalized learning to certifications – to ensure individuals gain the skills to become tech-savvy and succeed in their changing role.

  • Saudi Arabia expects to get access to Nvidia’s high performance chips ‘within the next year’

    “I think within the next year,” Habib, Deputy CEO of SDAIA’s strategy management office, told CNBC’s Dan Murphy after being asked about a potential timeline. It’s a significant expectation given that the United States’ strict export controls have thus far prevented the chips’ export to the kingdom. Habib made the comments on the sidelines of GAIN, Saudi Arabia’s international AI summit, which took place in Riyadh this week.

  • Three takeaways as Saudi Arabia begins 2026 World Cup qualifying with draw and win

    The third round of Asian qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup began for Saudi Arabia last week and after a pair of matches against Indonesia and then China this Tuesday, the Green Falcons are sitting in second place on four points in Group C, behind leaders Japan. With rival Japan winning both of its opening matches, it sets up a fascinating clash between the two sides atop Group C next time out in Jeddah on October 10. Here, Al Arabiya English highlights three key takeaways from Saudi Arabia’s opening fixtures as it aims for a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in USA, Canada and Mexico.

  • Pakistan requests Saudi Arabia to provide $1.2bn oil facility

    The Saudi government wants to invest in the Reko Diq project to procure 15 percent stakes in two phases but the transaction is yet to be accomplished. Pakistan had struck a staff level agreement with the IMF under the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) but it is yet to be placed before the Fund’s Executive Board for approval of the loan.

  • Chinese Premier vows stronger trade, investment ties with Saudi Arabia

    “China and Saudi Arabia should further expand the scale of bilateral trade, deepen cooperation in traditional areas such as oil and gas, petrochemicals and infrastructure construction … [while expanding] to new energy, information and communications, digital economy, green economy … and work together to maintain the stability of the global industrial supply chain,” the premier said, according to the official People’s Daily newspaper.

  • Travelex looks at expansion into Saudi Arabia amid kingdom’s $800bn tourism push

    Travelex, the UK-based foreign exchange company, is exploring opportunities for its entry into Saudi Arabia as the kingdom aims to invest $800 billion to develop its tourism sector, attract international visitors and diversify its economy away from oil revenue. The global travel money services business is currently in discussions to enter the lucrative market and is considering airports across the country as part of wider plans to expand into high-growth markets in the Middle East and Asia, Richard Wazacz, chief executive of Travelex, told The National.

  • Top Arabic chatbot title claimed by Saudi Arabia’s updated Allam

    Saudi Arabia’s Arabic language artificial intelligence (AI) chat model, Allam, is now the largest Arabic-language chatbot in the world and will be available on prominent platforms by Microsoft and IBM, officials announced this week.  Allam is a “large language model”, or LLM, that was first launched by a subsidiary of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) in 2023. Now the SDAIA is about to roll out its most advanced versions.

  • Saudi Arabia targets 12% GDP contribution from AI by 2030

    Saudi Arabia aims to have artificial intelligence (AI) contribute 12% of its GDP by 2030, with the sector projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 29%. According to the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) State of AI report, the Public Investment Fund (PIF) will spearhead the development of a robust AI ecosystem in the kingdom.