Recent stories from sustg

  • Saudi to maintain oil supply if U.S. draws stocks
     

    Saudi Arabia is likely to maintain high oil production in the event consumer countries release emergency stocks, but it will not seek to lure buyers for more oil by discounting its crude, industry sources said. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Saturday in Riyadh sought an assurance from Saudi King Abdullah that the kingdom […]

     
  • Hillary Clinton: Time running out for diplomacy with Iran
     

    U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made clear Saturday that time is running out for diplomacy over Iran’s nuclear program and said talks aimed at preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon would resume in mid-April. With speculation over a possible U.S. or Israel military attack adding urgency to the next round of discussions […]

     
  • Water Brings Green to Saudi Arabia
     

    Over the last two-and-a-half decades, a series of NASA’s Landsat satellites have captured these pictures of the growing agriculture industry in the northern reaches of the Syrian Desert in Saudi Arabia, not far from Jordan. Farmers use a technique called center-pivot irrigation to bring up water from below the desert floor to grow wheat and […]

     
  • U.S. Might Have More Oil Than Saudi Arabia, But…
     

    People are often confused about the overall extent of U.S. oil reserves. Some claim that the U.S. has hundreds of billions or even trillions of barrels of oil waiting to be produced if bureaucrats will simply stop blocking development. In fact, in a recent debate between Republican candidates contending for Gabrielle Giffords’ recently vacated House seat, one candidate […]

     
  • Five short stories from World Energy Outlook
     

    The IEA’s World Energy Outlook (WEO) is an annual tradition, the result of much work, data analysis and presentation. A formative volume is produced for all to read and digest, but few of us have the time to do so in the detail required.  As such we rely to some extent on IEA presentations and summary documents. […]

     
  • Saudi Arabia will act to lower soaring oil prices
     

    In an op-ed in the Financial Times, Ali Al Naimi writes, “High international oil prices are bad news. Bad for Europe, bad for the US, bad for emerging economies and bad for the world’s poorest nations. A period of prolonged high prices is bad for all oil producing nations, including Saudi Arabia, and they are […]

     
  • “Out in the Blue” Part 9 of Video Series “Distant Arabia”
     

    In this clip excerpted with permission from the documentary The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power based on the book of the same name by Daniel Yergin, the story of Tom Barger’s first journey to Saudi Arabia is related through his movies and letters. The complete story is told in Barger’s book […]

     
  • GE wins $200mn power plant conversion contract in Saudi Arabia
     

    GE said it has received a contract for nearly $200 million to supply steam turbine technology, power generation services and distributed control systems for the conversion of Saudi Electricity Co.’s (SEC) PP10 power plant from simple to combined-cycle operation. The project will add 1,300 MW to the plant’s capacity. “The conversion to combined-cycle operation is […]

     
  • Secretary of State Clinton to Visit Saudi on Friday and Saturday
     

    Clinton will be in Saudi Arabia’s capital of Riyadh Friday and Saturday. There, she’ll meet with Saudi King Abdullah and participate in an event dedicated to the “strategic cooperation” between the U.S. and Gulf Arab states. Washington and many of its allies say Syrian President Bashar Assad has lost all legitimacy in a year of […]

     
  • 10 Saudi women take fight against breast cancer to Mount Everest
     

    Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan and the Zahra Breast Cancer Association launched a campaign on Tuesday where 10 Saudi women will climb to the Mount Everest base camp in May. The 10 climbers include Jude Al-Aitani, Asma Al-Sharif, Mashael Alhegelan, Mona Shahab, Noura Bouzo, Raha Al-Moharrak, Lina Almaeena, Samaher Mously, Hatun Madani, Alya Al-Sa’ad, […]

     

MUST-READS

  • Why Gulf National Oil Companies Are Investing in U.S. LNG

    Saudi Aramco and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company are investing in U.S. liquefied natural gas projects, signaling their confidence in long-term gas demand and ambitions to become global gas players. These deals reinforce the commercial appeal of U.S. LNG and suggest that Gulf national oil companies represent a new pool of capital for global gas investment. It is notable that some of their first forays into international LNG have occurred in the United States, especially in a period of shakier policy support in Washington for LNG exports. The deals suggest that Washington’s relations with Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are improving.

  • Saudi markets receive over 29 tonnes of seasonal produce from Qatif oasis farms

    The farms of Qatif Oasis are playing a crucial role in supplying fruit and vegetable markets throughout Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province. From Al-Khafji in the north to Al-Ahsa in the south, they provide a wide variety of seasonal produce including vegetables, fruits and fresh dates. Spanning some 800 sq. km from Safwa to Dammam, Qatif governorate is home to over 3,700 farms of which 2,454 are actively producing a variety of crops, reported Saudi Press Agency.

  • Jeddah waterfronts, 442 lush parks elevate Saudi summer experience

    Jeddah Municipality has prepared five waterfronts and 442 parks across the city for visitors during the summer, offering high-quality leisure spots designed to the highest standards, reported SPA.  Jeddah has become a popular destination for visitors from both inside and outside the Kingdom. People come to enjoy its beautiful waterfronts, parks, and various amenities, as well as to attend the Jeddah Season events, said the report citing senior officials.

  • Saudi Red Sea Authority Rolls Out Innovative Training Initiatives for Luxury Coastal Tourism

    The second initiative fostered cooperation between the public and private sectors by partnering the Ministry with the Authority to identify top talent from luxury coastal resorts and tourism agencies specializing in luxury cruises. These professionals underwent an advanced training program on a European cruise ship, accredited by Plymouth University and facilitated by Dale Carnegie UK, under the supervision of Umm Al-Qura University. This program aimed to provide the trainees with essential hospitality skills, focusing on guest service excellence and managing hospitality operations on board.

  • How restaurants navigate the quiet summer in Saudi Arabia

    As summer ushers in scorching temperatures and changes in customer behaviour, restaurants in Saudi Arabia are strategically modifying their operations to stay competitive. By adjusting operating hours, refreshing menus, leveraging digital platforms, and implementing innovative marketing tactics, industry leaders are employing different strategies to attract and retain customers.

  • India Saudi Arabia hold first meeting of High-Level Task Force on Investments

    India and Saudi Arabia on Sunday discussed various opportunities for bilateral investments in diverse areas in the public and private sectors, including refining and petrochemical plants, new and renewable energy, and power.  They reviewed measures aimed at promoting two-way investments in a mutually beneficial manner at the first meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia High-Level Task Force on Investments, co-chaired by the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister PK Mishra and the Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in the virtual mode.

  • Saudi Arabia to acquire logistics, sustainment systems in US foreign military sale

    The possible sale includes follow-on logistics support and services, Joint Mission Planning Software hardware and support, KIV-77/78 cryptographic devices and support, spares and repair parts, consumables and accessories, repair and return support, calibration support and test equipment, ground and personnel equipment, classified and unclassified software and software support, classified and unclassified publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, US Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services.

  • China’s Baosteel ups investment in Saudi steel plate venture to $1B

    Baosteel, a subsidiary of the world’s largest steelmaker, China Baowu Steel Group, said in Shanghai Stock Exchange statement that it will have a 50% stake in the Saudi venture, based in the kingdom’s special economic zone Ras Al-Khair Industrial City on the northeast coast of the country. The venture will process commodities and supply construction, gas, oil and shipping industries across the Middle East and North Africa, Baosteel said in the statement.

  • Saudi Investors Acquire Crowd Analyzer to Boost Innovation and Expand Data Analysis Markets

    Abdullah Al-Tuwaijri, the official spokesperson for the investment group, commented, “Crowd Analyzer’s growth and innovation potential make it an attractive investment. The company’s innovative AI technology and focus on the Arabic language align perfectly with our vision of empowering high-growth tech companies in the region. We believe the acquisition will accelerate the company’s expansion and development of a broader range of data solutions, ultimately benefiting businesses throughout the Kingdom.”

  • Saudi Arabia turns to Kuwait for fuel oil in rare move to meet summer demand

     Saudi Arabia imported fuel oil from Kuwait for the first time in more than two years in July to help meet peak summer power demand while discounted supplies from Russia fell, according to trade sources and shipping data. Imports of Kuwaiti high sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) exceeded 180,000 metric tons (about 37,000 barrels per day), data from shipping analytics firms Kpler and Vortexa showed, the kingdom's first fuel purchase from Kuwait since May 2022.