MUST-READS

• Saudi Arabia amends labor law, extends maternity leave

  announced new amendments to its labor law, including implementing a longer maternity leave period. The new amendments, which came into effect on Thursday, allow female employees to take up to 12 weeks of maternity leave. Six weeks are mandatory after delivery, and the remaining six can be taken at their discretion, according to the ministry. Another update provision allows employees to have three days of leave upon the death of a sibling. Moreover, employers may now offer days off as compensation for overtime, subject to the employee’s consent. Termination notice periods for indefinite contracts have also been updates and now state that employees must provide at least 30 days’ notice, while employers must give 60 days’ notice. The probation period has also been standardized at 180 days, allowing either party to terminate the contract during this period.

• From Oil to Hydrogen: Saudi Arabia’s Journey to Net-Zero by 2060

  As of 2024, the NGHC has achieved an impressive 60% completion across key infrastructure elements, including a state-of-the-art hydrogen production plant, a wind farm, a solar energy facility, and an integrated transmission grid. These advancements position the project well on its path to producing up to 600 tonnes of green hydrogen daily. Among the critical milestones recently accomplished is the preparation of “Electrolyser 1,” a pivotal component expected to commence operations in 2025. The integration of cutting-edge technologies and innovative design is set to revolutionize green hydrogen production. The facility’s ability to generate clean hydrogen for applications such as powering buses, heavy trucks, and industrial processes underscores its potential to significantly decarbonize traditionally high-emission sectors.

• Frankly Speaking: How did Saudis become mediators for global conflicts?

  Appearing on the Arab News current affairs program “Frankly Speaking,” Dr. Abdulaziz Sager, founder and chairman of the Gulf Research Center, highlighted the significance of the US-Russia talks in Riyadh, noting that Saudi Arabia’s neutral stance had positioned it as an ideal convener. “Saudi Arabia has taken an important position that has led to this meeting, which means Saudi Arabia originally refused to take a side — neither with the Russians nor with the Ukrainians,” Sager said. Global media outlets have highlighted Saudi Arabia’s unique positioning, noting that it has maintained positive ties with both Russia and the West throughout the Ukraine conflict, which began on Feb. 24, 2022, when Russia launched what it called a “special military operation.”

• Kingdom of Saudi Arabia confirms US$ 500 million commitment to global polio eradication effort

  The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia today reaffirmed its US$ 500 million pledge to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in a signing event during the fourth Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum. H.E. Dr. Abdullah al Rabeeah, Supervisor General of King Salman Relief and Humanitarian Centre, was joined by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization; Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF; Dr. Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; Dr. Chris Elias, President of Global Development at the Gates Foundation and Chair of the Polio Oversight Board; and Aziz Memon, Pakistan Polio Plus Chair, Rotary International, to sign an agreement that will help the GPEI and its partners to reach 370 million children with polio vaccines each year and stop transmission of the virus for good. The funds were initially pledged in April 2024 at the first-ever World Economic Forum Special Meeting hosted in Riyadh.

• Olam to sell 44.6% stake in agribusiness to Saudi Arabia for $1.8bln, shares jump

  Singapore-based Olam Group on Monday said it will sell a 44.58% stake in its agricultural products business Olam Agri for $1.78 billion to state-owned Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company (SALIC). Shares of the company jumped as much as 8.9% in early trading to S$1.230, their highest level since January 6. The transaction values Olam Agri at $4 billion, higher than the $3.5 billion valued at the transaction in December 2022 when it sold a 35% stake, and will give SALIC an 80% controlling stake in the business. It will result in a gain of $1.84 billion for Olam Group, the firm said in an exchange filing. Olam Group will divest its remaining 19.99% stake in the unit three years after the completion of the first phase, giving SALIC full control of Olam Agri, it said.

• Saudi FM meets with counterparts on sidelines of G20 meeting in Johannesburg

  Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met with his counterparts from the UK, China, Australia, and France separately in Johannesburg on Thursday. On the sidelines of a meeting of G20 foreign ministers held for the first time in Africa, Prince Faisal discussed regional and international developments with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy. With Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Prince Faisal discussed intensifying coordination on issues of common interest.

• Would an end to the Ukraine war be bad news for Saudi Arabia and oil prices?

  The US’s whirlwind bid to resume relations with Russia and end the war has left Europe reeling. The Arab Gulf will be closely watching what that could mean for energy prices and the oil trade. Oil-rich Gulf states were directly impacted by the US’s and European Union’s decision to sanction Russia, which, along with Saudi Arabia, leads an alliance of oil producers dubbed Opec+. A rapid end to the war in Ukraine could mean cheaper commodities, from oil to metals and everything in between, like fertiliser, which requires natural gas for production. “Russian normalisation is a huge boost to get any commodity cheaper than it was before. Vast chunks of the commodity market will be made easily available again,” Viktor Katona, the head of oil analysis at the intelligence firm Kpler, told Middle East Eye.

• Top 30 FAQ about investing in Saudi Arabia

  The legal framework governing foreign investment in Saudi Arabia has traditionally been based on the Foreign Investment Law of 2000. However, on August 11, 2024, the Kingdom introduced a new Investment Law, which repealed the existing Foreign Investment Law. This New Investment Law has taken effect six months after its publication in the official gazette, in February 2025, marking a significant shift in the regulatory landscape. The new law streamlines the investment process by replacing complex licensing requirements with a simplified registration system, creating a more inclusive and transparent environment for domestic and international investors. Key features of the New Investment Law include guarantees of equal treatment for investors, protections against expropriation, and the free transfer of capital. Additionally, it addresses national security concerns through a transparent and internationally compliant framework.

• Saudi Arabia: Businesses put on notice over Saudisation
  The Saudi Ministry of Human Resources has asked establishments to comply with rules employing Saudis and ensure they make up no less than 75% of their overall workforce. The ministry said establishments must attract Saudis, employ them, and provide them with appropriate work opportunities. The ministry has already set up the “Nitaqat” (Ranges) programme to calculate the job localisation rates and automatically classify establishments. The programme comprises the “Platinum Range”, a category which includes businesses that excel in localisation; and the “High Green Range” which includes establishments that are average in terms of Saudization rates within the top third. There are, moreover, the “Yellow Range”, a category covering entities that have not achieved the required localisation rates, and the “Red Range” covering entities with the lowest percentage of localisation.

• Saudi Billionaire Olayan Bets on Female Founders in Deal Spree

  Dara Holdings, billionaire Lubna Olayan’s family office, has made a series of investments since mid-2024 in United Arab Emirates-based startups founded by women. Her firm participated in a $10 million seed funding round disclosed this month for qeen.ai, a Dubai-based artificial intelligence startup co-founded by former Google executive Dina Alsamhan. The family office plans to continue making investments that empower women in the Middle East and is supporting the establishment of a social-impact fund at Alfanar, a UK-registered charity Olayan, 69, helps to lead, according to Dara Chief Investment Officer Walid Haram. “If an investment ticks the boxes, and it supports women in the region, that for us is a big additional plus,” Haram, 44, said in a statement. “It’s a big focus.”  The former JPMorgan Chase & Co. analyst is a principal of Olayan Group, a multibillion-dollar international conglomerate founded by her father in 1947 that she owns alongside members of her family. She served for decades as chief executive officer of its Middle East holding company, Olayan Financing Co., until stepping down in 2019. She now serves as chair of its executive committee and also leads the board of directors for Riyadh-based lender Saudi Awwal Bank.

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