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  • Saudi Arabia, EU Hold Roundtable Discussion to Enhance Trade Partnership

    The Saudi General Authority of Foreign Trade (GAFT) hosted a roundtable with EU here, from December 9 to 10. Chaired by GAFT's Deputy Governor for International Relations Abdulaziz Alsakran and head of the Trade and Economic Affairs Department at the EU Delegation to Saudi Arabia Dr. Thomas Jorgensen, the meeting gathers representatives of various Saudi public and private entities. It aims to strengthen the trade partnership between Saudi Arabia and the EU, one of the Kingdom's major trading partners, and secure a marked increase in the volume of trade between the two sides. Discussions are slated to focus on common challenges and ways to tackle them, enhanced cooperation in trade and investment, and better global economic partnership.

  • How Saudi Arabia is leveraging artificial intelligence to tackle land degradation

    The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction defines land degradation as the reduction or loss of land’s biological or economic productivity caused by human-induced activities, including deforestation, overgrazing and unsustainable agricultural practices. Saudi Arabia’s Climate Envoy and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir believes land degradation is driving the displacement of millions and destabilizing entire regions across the globe. “When people cannot grow food, they migrate,” he told delegates at the COP16 summit in Riyadh on Tuesday.

  • France and Saudi Arabia partner on SAF development

    A new collaboration to develop sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production in Saudi Arabia has been announced during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to the Kingdom. The agreement involves Aramco, TotalEnergies, and the Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC), a major player in transforming organic waste into sustainable products. The agreement, signed in the presence of Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, will see the three partners assess plans for a production facility utilising residues from the circular economy, such as used cooking oil and animal fats. The announcement reflects deepening cooperation between France and Saudi Arabia in advancing energy innovation and sustainability in aviation, particularly as SAF gains traction as a critical part of global decarbonisation efforts.

  • Macron announces France-Saudi partnership to co-host conference on creating Palestinian state

    French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday, December 3, that he and Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, would co-chair a conference on the establishment of a Palestinian state in June. "We have decided to co-chair a conference for the two states in June next year," Macron said, referring to Israel and a potential Palestinian state. "In the coming months, together we will multiply and combine our diplomatic initiatives to bring everyone along this path," he added.

  • Saudi NEOM partners with CarbonCure and Gulf Cryo on low-carbon concrete push

    Efforts to integrate carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) technologies into construction in Saudi Arabia’s futuristic Neom city have taken a major step forward as CarbonCure Technologies, Saudi construction firm Abdullah Abdin, and regional gas company Gulf Cryo join forces to deliver lower-carbon concrete for Neom’s ambitious developments. The collaboration, supported by the Saudi Ministry of Energy, aligns with the Kingdom’s Circular Carbon Economy (CCE) framework and broader Vision 2030 goals. It aims to address the environmental impact of construction by embedding sustainability into projects like Neom and The Line.

  • Macron and Saudi crown prince sign partnership deal, call for Lebanon elections

    President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed a strategic partnership on Monday aimed at deepening bilateral ties and de-escalating conflict in the Middle East, including Lebanon, where the two leaders called for presidential elections.  Macron's state visit is the first by a French president to Saudi Arabia since Jacques Chirac in 2006, cementing what the presidency calls a "very close relationship". In 2021, Macron became one of the first Western leaders to meet Prince Mohammed in Saudi Arabia after the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul.

  • Saudi’s Regional Headquarters (RHQ) Program

    As the year draws to an end, it is evident that a vast number of corporate giants consider the RHQ program a worthwhile one. To date, over 540 multinational companies have become participants, exceeding Saudi Arabia’s original target of 500 companies by 2030. Participants span a number of sectors and include technology firms like Amazon and Google, as well as the professional services companies PwC and Deloitte. More recently, the asset management giant BlackRock announced that it received approval to set up its regional headquarters in Riyadh ahead of its plans to launch an investment platform called BlackRock Riyadh Investment Management (BRIM), which aims to bring more FDI into the Kingdom.

  • Charting Saudi Arabia’s Rise as an SMEs Hub

    Earlier this year, the Kingdom ranked third in the 2023-2024 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report. Meanwhile, its National Entrepreneurship Context Index score has increased from 5.0 in 2019 to 6.3 in 2023, reflecting its progress in fostering a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem that drives economic growth. Crucially, the National Investment Strategy (NIS) has been established, as part of the Kingdom’s transformation plan, to drive the growth and diversification of the national economy. NIS aims to increase the private sector's contribution to GDP to 65%, raising the contribution of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to GDP to 5.7%, by 2030.

  • Car-centric Saudi to open first part of Riyadh Metro

    All six lines are expected to be operating by January 5, the statement said. "The network has been developed to transport over 3.6 million passengers at maximum capacity and operates on a fully automated (driverless) metro system," the statement said. Services will be provided by 183 trains with 448 carriages manufactured by Siemens of Germany, Bombardier of Canada and Alstom of France, the statement said, adding that they feature "a modern and unified design" by French firm Avant Premiere.

  • Flat6Labs invests in 10 Saudi startups, includes them in Riyadh Seed Programme

    MENA’s seed and early-stage VC Flat6Labs has invested in 10 Saudi-based startups for the fourth cycle of the Riyadh Seed Programme, spanning various sectors such as transportation, e-commerce, logistics, cybersecurity, SaaS, consumer tech, and talent acquisition. The startups include CAMION, Colada, Devsy, dPhish, Hollat, Mrrha, Fezlee, Cyberni, Units, and Zofa, bringing the total number of Flat6Labs' Startup Seed Fund portfolio in Saudi Arabia to 41 since its inception in 2023. Each startup has received $133,000 in cash.