SUSTG.com / Research

Discover stories, topics, and more about Saudi Arebia faster.

We can't find results matching your search.

Adjust your search and try again or browse topics and stories below.

Recent stories from sustg

  • Hard Choices Ahead for MENA Energy Pricing
     

    In order for Saudi Arabia to effectively address some of its most pressing challenges it will need to make some hard, unpopular and, quite likely, disruptive choices.  The current uproar over the expulsion of illegal foreign workers, for example, doesn’t change the fact that it is a necessary step in re-ordering the incentives of private-sector […]

     
  • A Kingdom’s Thirst: The Saudi Water Challenge
     

    It’s no secret that Saudi Arabia is a dry place in a particularly arid region of the world. The dearth of water resources in the Kingdom is among its foremost challenges, with some estimates predicting full depletion by 2050 if nothing is done.

     
  • Energy policy: What we need to talk about
     

    For starters, the United States is already over 80 percent (up from 70 percent a decade ago) self sufficient when it comes to energy production and use. We are routinely described as the Saudi Arabia of coal, and have the largest nuclear fleet in the world. We are the world’s largest natural gas producer and […]

     
  • Abdullah Alireza speaks at C3 Summit
     

    SUSTG attended the C3 Summit in New York City September 13-14, 2012. This was the inaugural event in what the organizers anticipate will be an annual gathering to ‘build new relationships, foster existing partnerships and exchange best practices’ between the U.S. and the Arab world. C3 (Community, Collaboration and Commerce) is looking to host the […]

     
  • Saudi Aramco to invest in new energy ventures
     

    Saudi Aramco has launched an investment arm to buy into companies that have developed technologies of strategic importance to Saudi Arabia and speed their deployment in the kingdom, the state-run energy group said. Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures LLC (SAEV) plans to invest in start-up and high-growth ventures offering new technologies to the upstream and downstream […]

     
  • In Major Shift, Saudi Aramco Dabbles in Oil Trading
     

    Saudi Arabia has long been a dominant force in global oil markets, “but has never been an oil trader.” That changed on January 1st, 2012, when Saudi Aramco began operations at Aramco Trading, a wholly owned company subsidiary. The new Aramco Trading marks an expansion in Aramco’s downstream investment portfolio in the Kingdom and overseas, […]

     
  • “Milestone” oil manipulation case unsettles traders
     

    U.S. regulators’ $14 million settlement with high-frequency trading firm Optiver over oil price manipulation in 2007 is a “milestone” victory in their toughening stance on market malfeasance which is being closely watched by traders. In its first major case against an algorithmic trader, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission said late on Thursday that a court […]

     
  • Saudi tops in job creation in GCC
     

    The Gulf region continued to create jobs despite the impact of Arab Spring in 2011 with the regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia topping the list followed by Qatar and Oman, according to a new survey. The oil and gas industry, healthcare and retail sectors enjoyed the largest headcount expansion in 2011, while banking and construction fared the […]

     
  • Chart of the Day: A Short History of 200 Years of Global Energy Use
     

    If you want to tell the story of worldwide energy consumption over the past 200 years, you need three chapters. Chapter 1: The Coal Age. Chapter 2: The Oil Age. Chapter 3: The China Age. In the early days of industrialization, the use of biofuels such as wood declined as the West learned to live […]

     
  • Saudi Aramco Rethinks Global Communications Strategy
     

    Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, is rethinking its global communications strategy as it undertakes an ambitious corporate transformation. The company is understood to be actively seeking public relations agency support across a wide range of areas, including media relations, internal communications, and event management. The review covers Saudi Aramco’s operations in the Gulf, North […]

     

MUST-READS

  • Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman reaffirm commitment to market stability on healthier oil market outlook

    The eight OPEC+ countries, which previously announced additional voluntary adjustments in April and November 2023, namely Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman met virtually on March 3, 2025, to review global market conditions and the future outlook. Taking into account the healthy market fundamentals and the positive market outlook, they re-affirmed their decision agreed upon on December 5, 2024, to proceed with a gradual and flexible return of the 2.2 mbd voluntary adjustments starting on 1st April, 2025, while remaining adaptable to evolving conditions. Accordingly, this gradual increase may be paused or reversed subject to market conditions. This flexibility will allow the group to continue to support oil market stability.

  • Saudi Arabia to consider resuming Lebanon imports, lifting travel ban

    Saudi Arabia will review “obstacles” to resuming Lebanese imports and ending a ban on its nationals visiting Lebanon, the two governments said. The announcement was made in a joint statement released after Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) in Riyadh on Tuesday – Aoun’s first trip abroad since taking office in January. “The two sides agreed to start studying the obstacles facing the resumption of exports from the Lebanese Republic to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the measures necessary to allow Saudi citizens to travel to” Lebanon, the statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency said. In April 2021, the kingdom suspended fruit and vegetable imports from Lebanon, charging that shipments were being used for drug smuggling and accusing Beirut of inaction.

  • Saudi oil giant Aramco posts drop in full-year profit, slashes dividend

    Saudi state oil producer Aramco reported on Tuesday a decline in net profit to $106.2 billion in 2024, down from $121.3 billion in 2023. The company said it expects total dividends for 2025 of $85.4 billion — a significant fall from 2024′s total of $124.2 billion. This comes as it cut its total payout for the fourth quarter. The oil giant said its base dividend for the final three months of the year would be increased to $21.1 billion, but its performance-linked payout would be just $200 million. This compares to a third-quarter base dividend of $20.3 billion and a performance-linked dividend of $10.8 billion. Lower oil prices hit the company’s net profit last year as crude production around the world increased and demand slowed. Amarco’s realized oil price — the final price the company receives for selling its crude after accounting for transport costs and other factors — dropped to $80.2 per barrel in 2024 from $83.6 the year prior.

  • Saudi, Lebanese leaders reaffirm commitment to Taif Agreement and Lebanon’s sovereignty

    Leaders of Saudi Arabia and Lebanon emphasized the importance of enhancing Arab cooperation and coordinating positions on regional and international issues, Saudi state news agency SPA reported on Tuesday. Both sides reaffirmed the necessity of fully implementing the Taif Agreement. This agreement, which ended Lebanon’s civil war, was negotiated in Saudi Arabia, in 1989. They also stressed the importance of ensuring Lebanon's sovereignty over all its territories, restricting weapons to the Lebanese state, and supporting the Lebanese army’s national role - calling for the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from all Lebanese territories. These points were highlighted in a joint statement issued following the official visit of Lebanese President, Joseph Aoun, to Saudi Arabia.

  • The 2025 Global Energy Agenda

    The scale of political transformation that took place throughout the democratic world in 2024 will be evident when the Group of Seven (G7) convenes under new Canadian leadership later this year. Ultimately, elections last year led to a notable political shift to the right, laying the foundation for a new international energy and climate architecture. Global affairs are only part of the story, however. The release of generative artificial intelligence (AI) models like ChatGPT and OpenAI illustrate the emergence of novel challenges with global consequences on par with those stemming from foreign affairs. For a world still largely pursuing a net-zero future, its leaders must now also contend with yet another competitive race between the United States and China, this time for dominance over key aspects of the development, deployment, and governance of a technology central to global military and economic primacy.

  • Heavy rains sweep across Saudi Arabia, triggering weather warnings and supension of in-person classes

    Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Civil Defense has issued a weather warning for most regions of Saudi Arabia, forecasting moderate to heavy rainfall across large parts of the country until Friday. The affected regions include Mecca, Riyadh, Medina, Tabuk, Hail, Qassim, the Eastern Province, Northern Borders, Al Jouf, Al Baha, and Asir. The Civil Defence urged residents to take necessary precautions, avoid flood-prone areas such as valleys, and refrain from swimming in them.

  • Estimating the economic impacts of AI in Saudi Arabia

    Since 2019, the World Bank has been actively engaged with Saudi authorities to enhance the Kingdom's digital sector, and with AI adoption spreading at breakneck speed across the globe, this work continues.  Our collaboration has aimed to transform the way people in Saudi Arabia experience everyday online transactions and engage with government services through partnership and technical assistance with four key digital authorities: 1) the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies (MCIT), 2) the Saudi Digital Government Authority, 3) the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, and 4) the Digital Cooperation Organization. And tangible results were achieved. For example, Saudi Arabia successfully implemented key reforms that revolutionized the production and delivery of public services through digital means. These reforms have improved back-end operations related to data and information management, streamlined workflows and processes around people’s needs, and enhanced online user interfaces. As a result, Saudi Arabia recently came up number 6 out of 193 countries in the 2024 United Nations E-Government Survey ranking.

  • Lebanon appreciates Saudi support for its stability: Aoun

    Aoun, in his first trip abroad as president, expressed hope that discussions with the crown prince will further enhance cooperation between the two nations. The Lebanese president said that it was “an opportunity to express gratitude to the Kingdom for hosting Lebanese individuals who have come to it years ago and contributed to its urban and economic development.” Aoun arrived at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh in the afternoon, accompanied by Foreign Minister Youssef Raji. Aoun and his delegation are scheduled to travel to Cairo on Tuesday to participate in the extraordinary Arab summit.

  • Iranians outraged as Turkey warns action in Syria will boomerang for Iran

    Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s warning that Iran will face instability if it makes any destabilizing move in Syria has sparked widespread condemnation in Tehran. As Iran’s longtime Syrian ally Bashar Al-Assad has been toppled by Turkish-backed Sunni Islamists, some Iranians say Ankara now believes that Tehran is too weak to stand up to Turkey.

  • Saudi deficit to rise after $40bn loss in Aramco oil dividends

    A projected 30 percent drop in Saudi Aramco’s oil dividends in 2025 is likely to force the government and state-owned Saudi Public Investment Fund to step up borrowing to fund infrastructure and other projects under the kingdom’s Vision 2030 economic and social strategy, analysts say. The world’s largest oil company intends to cut dividends to shareholders by $38.8 billion in 2025 compared to last year. This would leave the Saudi government and Saudi PIF – which between them own 97.5 percent of Aramco – facing a drop in revenue larger than the GDP of Zimbabwe. Saudi Arabia’s budget deficit is likely to increase as a result, analysts say, although the country should be able to maintain spending on infrastructure projects by tapping international debt markets.