SUSTG.com / Research

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

Recent stories from sustg

  • Islamic funds seek socially responsible roadmap
     

    The Islamic investment sector can widen its customer base by adopting a socially responsible model, according to industry experts, but distribution channels, a sophisticated investor base and incentive schemes need to be enhanced first. The links between Islamic finance and socially responsible investments (SRI) are not new, but the former needs a similar transformation which […]

     
  • Changing patterns in U.S. crude imports
     

    U.S. crude oil import patterns have been undergoing significant shifts in recent months. While growing domestic tight oil production from the Bakken formation in North Dakota and elsewhere has helped displace imports from some countries, U.S. import volumes from the Canadian oil sands and Saudi Arabia have been on the rise. In total, U.S. crude […]

     
  • At the SACM Career Fair in Washington, Saudi Arabia’s Brightest Are Met With Opportunities (PHOTOS)
     

    Across the United States, around the end of the month of May every year, graduating students from high schools and universities join with families and friends to celebrate their achievements in

     
  • Saudi Satire Ignites YouTube’s Massive Growth in Middle East
     

    Fahad Albutairi never expected a career in broadcast or comedy, and he certainly didn’t expect to emerge as a YouTube star known to millions. Albutairi is the co-founder and star of the La Yekthar Show, a small cadre of YouTube shows shot in Saudi Arabia that have become wildly popular in the last year. His […]

     
  • Saudi female entrepreneurs exploit changing attitudes
     

    In Saudi Arabia, a small but determined number of women are overcoming obstacles to build their own thriving businesses. Social constraints in the conservative Kingdom have not stopped women from amassing substantial individual wealth. An estimated $11.9 billion is held by women primarily in bonds and bank accounts, according to asset managers Al Masah Capital. […]

     
  • Saudi Arabian Airlines Officially Becomes ‘Saudia’, Embraces Privatization
     

    Saudi Arabian Airlines has today been formally renamed Saudia and has become a full member of the SkyTeam alliance while at the same time confirming the first stage of the long-awaited privatisation will go ahead in the next month.

     
  • Saudi construction sector ‘most buoyant globally’
     

    Massive construction projects in the GCC, particularly around social and transport infrastructure, will offer tremendous opportunities valued at up to $500 billion for contractors, Deloitte Middle East’s annual report “GCC Powers of Construction: Five Lessons to Learn From” released Wednesday said. The Deloitte report showed that there is imminent growth in the Saudi Arabian construction […]

     
  • IMAX ARABIA 3D Now Available for Mass Consumption on Netflix Streaming
     

    IMAX ARABIA 3D, the film directed by Hamzah Jamjoom, is now available to watch at any time on Netflix’s instant streaming option for the first time.

     
  • Saudi Budget Needs Less Than $80/Bbl To Be Balanced
     

    Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia would still be able to balance its budget even if oil prices fall to less than $80 per barrel, Al Arabiya television reported Tuesday, citing the kingdom’s finance minister, Ibrahim Al-Assaf. “As you know the oil revenues are affected by two factors; price and production…the price that leads to a […]

     
  • The Gulf Military Balance in 2012
     

    The Burke Chair at CSIS is issuing a new report called the Gulf Military Balance in 2012. The report shows that the Gulf military balance is dominated by five major groups of military forces: the Southern Gulf states, Iran, Iraq, outside powers like the US, and non-state actors like the various elements of Al Qa’ida, the […]

     

MUST-READS

  • As international dollars flow towards AI-powered startups, how has MENA been riding the wave?

    Saudi Arabia-based Intelmatix, a deep tech B2B startup focused on empowering MENA businesses with AI for decision-making, has recently secured a $20M Series A funding round—one of the largest for a regional company of this type. This past week also saw Saudi-based SaaS provider Velents AI join the AI funding frenzy, raising an undisclosed sum from Women Collective to fuel its growth. And just last week, Aramco’s venture arm, Wa’ed Ventures, splashed $15M on South Korean chipmaker Rebellions Inc., marking its debut investment in South Korea following a $6.5M investment in California-based aiXplain. That was Wa’ed Ventures’ second AI deal in one week!

  • Saudi budget deficit at $4.09 billion in Q2 2024, finance ministry says

    Saudi Arabia’s budget deficit was 15.341 billion riyals ($4.09 billion) in the second quarter of 2024, the finance ministry said on Wednesday. Saudi oil revenues came in at 212.99 billion riyals in the same quarter, up 18 percent compared with the same quarter a year earlier, while expenditures were up 15 percent at 368.932 billion riyals, the ministry added.

  • Prince Abdulaziz hosts official dinner for Saudi delegation at Paris 2024 Olympics

    Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, Chairman of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and head of the Saudi delegation participating in the 33rd Summer Olympic Games (Paris 2024) hosted an official dinner for the Saudi delegation in Paris. In his speech at the event, Prince Abdulaziz welcomed all the distinguished guests, including the heads of national Olympic committees, international federations, and sports leaders from around the world who attended the Saudi delegation's dinner.

  • Investment Minister highlights $13.3bln in opportunities for Tabuk region

    Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih announced that the volume of ready investment opportunities in the Tabuk region, displayed on the “Invest in Saudi Arabia” platform, is worth more than SR50 billion. This statement was made during a meeting organized by the Tabuk Chamber of Commerce with investors and businessmen in the region on Monday.

  • Korea-Saudi Business Forum Highlights Expanding Cooperation Beyond Oil

    Since establishing diplomatic relations with Korea in 1962, Saudi Arabia has seen its trade volume increase 400-fold, becoming Korea's largest oil supplier and the largest trading partner in the Middle East. The cooperation, which was previously centered on infrastructure construction, has recently expanded to include fields such as eco-friendly energy and artificial intelligence (AI).

  • Vision 2030 is moving along just fine

    Since the launch of Vision 2030 in 2016, the kingdom has made tangible progress towards its targets, despite the challenges posed by the Covid pandemic, volatile oil prices, a surge in inflation and higher interest rates. Steady growth in the non-oil sector is a major area of success, as it benefits from higher domestic investment and improved competitiveness. Stronger investment remains central to the shift in the economy. The approach comprises several investment initiatives under the National Investment Strategy, which aims to lift the contribution of investment to 30 percent of GDP in 2030.

  • World reacts to killing of Hamas leader Haniyeh in Tehran

    The assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in the early hours of Wednesday morning in Iran drew regional and global reactions, raising fears of wider escalation in a region shaken by Israel’s war in Gaza and a worsening conflict in Lebanon. Hamas said that Haniyeh was killed in an Israeli strike in Iran, where he was attending the inauguration of the country’s new president.

  • Iran, its proxies will meet to discuss retaliation against Israel, say sources

    Top Iranian officials will meet the representatives of Iran's regional allies from Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen on Thursday to discuss potential retaliation against Israel after the killing of the Hamas leader in Tehran, five sources told Reuters. The region faces a risk of widened conflict between Israel, Iran and its proxies after Ismail Haniyeh's assassination in Tehran on Wednesday and the killing of Hezbollah's senior commander on Tuesday in an Israeli strike on the outskirts of the Lebanese capital Beirut.

  • Mohammed Deif: Hamas military leader and Oct 7 mastermind was killed in Gaza airstrike, Israel says

    The head of Hamas' military wing, Mohammed Deif, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza last month, the Israeli military said on Thursday, a day after the group's political leader was assassinated in Tehran. Deif is believed to have been one of the masterminds of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel which triggered the Gaza war. "The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) announces that on July 13th, 2024, IDF fighter jets struck in the area of Khan Yunis, and following an intelligence assessment, it can be confirmed that Mohammed Deif was eliminated in the strike," the military said.

  • Saudi, Iranian foreign ministers discuss regional developments

    Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Iranian counterpart Ali Bagheri-Kani have discussed the latest regional developments in a phone call, according to a foreign ministry statement. Prince Faisal and the acting Iranian foreign minister also discussed bilateral relations, the statement said. The call between the two officials follows escalating regional tensions, including Wednesday’s assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.