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  • Saudi Arabia firmly rejects extremist Israeli statements on displacing Palestinians

    The Saudi Council of Ministers reiterated its firm rejection of extremist Israeli statements regarding the displacement of the Palestinian people. Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman chaired the Cabinet session in Riyadh on Tuesday. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the session, Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary said that the Cabinet, while discussing the latest regional and international developments, reaffirmed the centrality of the Palestinian cause to Saudi Arabia and stressed that lasting peace can only be achieved through the acceptance of peaceful coexistence based on a two-state solution.

  • Saudi Arabia aims to become mining powerhouse

    Saudi Arabia is making significant investments in exploration to discover new mineral deposits. Al-Mudaifer noted the increase in exploration companies operating in the country: "The number of companies on exploration has increased in Saudi Arabia from 23 in 2023 to 132, 4 times in just one year because the potential is there and the enablement is here." To support exploration efforts, the Kingdom has launched a regional geological survey and established exploration incentives. "We have completed most of it," Al-Mudaifer said about the survey. "65% of the data that we acquired is in our national geoscience database." The country also provides financial support to exploration companies, covering up to 25% of their initial costs.

  • Neuralink competitor Paradromics secures investment from Saudi Arabia’s Neom

    Texas-based neurotech startup Paradromics on Wednesday announced a strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Neom and said it will establish a Brain-Computer Interface Center of Excellence in the region. Paradromics is building a brain-computer interface, or a BCI, which is a system that deciphers brain signals and translates them into commands for external technologies. The company will work with Neom to “advance the development of BCI-based therapies” and set up the “premier center for BCI-based healthcare” in the Middle East and North Africa, it said in a release.

  • Saudi media shifts tone on Israel and Hamas after Trump’s Gaza plan

    Saudi media have launched an unprecedented wave of criticism against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump following their recent remarks on plans for the forced displacement of the Palestinians from Gaza. The reaction has marked a noticeable significant shift in the kingdom's media coverage of Israel and Hamas, which has been picked up on by several pan-Arab outlets. This is significant given that Saudi media is generally seen as towing the government line on key issues and has a record of echoing state foreign policy. What stood out in the official response was the deliberate omission of Netanyahu's official title, with the state-run Al-Ikhbariya channel later confirming that it was intentional. "The name of the state no longer applies to Israel," a commentator on the channel said, reinforcing a stronger Saudi stance following years of talk on normalisation.

  • PIF becomes title sponsor of Saudi Ladies International

    Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is the new title partner of the renamed PIF Saudi Ladies International, a partnership which also sees the prize money for the tournament being increased to match that offered for the equivalent men’s tournament. The PIF Saudi Ladies International returns February 13-15 at Riyadh Golf Club and will also see a new format with tour professionals taking part in both an individual and team competition.

  • Trump says he might meet Putin in Saudi Arabia after call on Ukraine

    Trump made the comment a few hours after speaking with Putin in their first publicly disclosed call since Trump took office. Trump said they had agreed on "starting negotiations immediately" to end the war in Ukraine, which is approaching its third anniversary. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump floated the idea of meeting Putin in Saudi Arabia, along with the Saudi crown prince. He did not lay out a timeline and said he would deal with Putin on the phone in the meantime. In an interview with the Economist published on Wednesday, Zelensky had said he'd had little contact with Trump's team and raised concerns about "any decision-making" on Ukraine taking place without Kyiv's involvement.  

  • Trump says he and Putin expect to meet, probably in Saudi Arabia

    US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he did not think it was practical for Ukraine to join NATO and that it was unlikely Ukraine will get back all of its land. Trump discussed the war in Ukraine on Wednesday in phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in the US president’s first big step toward diplomacy in a conflict he has promised to end. Trump said he and Putin expect to meet in the future, probably in Saudi Arabia.

  • How LEAP 2025 is Driving AI Investment Across Saudi Arabia

    Michael Champion, CEO of Tahaluf, states: “The massive volume of new investments announced on day one builds on the progress made at LEAP and across the Kingdom in previous years, reaffirming Saudi Arabia’s undisputed status as the primary digital accelerator in the Middle East and North Africa.” Arvind Krishna, Chairman & CEO of IBM, took to the stage to predict quantum computing breakthroughs are “three to five years away”, for significant impacts for pharmaceuticals, energy and AI. Quantum computing emerges as a prominent topic of discussion, exploring how this will solve problems rapidly to drive efficiency and innovation.

  • Saudia and Saudi Research and Media Group Announce a Strategic Partnership

    Saudia, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's national flag carrier, has announced a strategic partnership with Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG), the largest integrated media group in the Middle East and North Africa. This collaboration aims to offer a selection of the group's curated and premium content, including original productions, exclusive documentaries, and cultural and entertainment programs tailored for guests worldwide, to Saudia's BEYOND in-flight entertainment system.

  • AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies

    The AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies is an annual economic policy conference, held in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, organized by the Ministry of Finance of Saudi Arabia and the IMF Regional Office in Riyadh. The conference will convene a select group of emerging markets’ ministers of finance, central bank governors, and policymakers, as well as public and private sector leaders, international institutions, and academia. It will offer a unique platform to exchange views on domestic, regional, and global economic developments and discuss policies and reforms to spur inclusive prosperity and build resilience supported by strong international cooperation.