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QUOTED
“The workforce is undergoing a profound demographic shift. Globally, Millennials and Gen Z now make up about half of all employees, and this figure is projected to rise to 70 per cent by 2030. In Saudi Arabia, with its youthful population, this transition is happening even faster. For businesses, this means meeting the expectations of a tech-savvy workforce is no longer optional — it’s essential.” Why businesses must bridge the ‘generational gap’ to align with Saudi’s AI ambitions [Gulf Business]
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TOP STORY
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun arrived in Riyadh on Monday afternoon on his first official foreign visit nearly two months after being elected as president of the country. [more]
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MORE TOP STORYLINES
Via Hadeel Al Sayegh, Federico Maccioni and Abinaya V in reuters.com: PwC is working with Saudi Arabia and its sovereign wealth fund to mend relations with the kingdom, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the kingdom as a whole are major clients for PwC, with over 2,600 of the consulting firms global workforce dedicated to projects in the country. The kingdom has suspended activities between the $925 billion funds holding company and PwC, while its portfolio companies can still engage the consultant, one of the people said. PwC told its employees in a memo on Friday, that the situation with Saudi Arabia related to a client matter, and not a regulatory issue, one of the sources told Reuters. Reuters could not establish how much business is at stake. PwCs Middle East activities generated 1.97 billion pounds ($2.5 billion) of revenue in its last set of full-year accounts to 30 June 2024. It did not provide a breakdown for Saudi Arabia.
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Via Gopi Krishna Bhamidipati in agsiw.org: South Asia – India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives – remains one of the most strategically critical yet least integrated regions in the world, both politically and economically. With one-quarter of the world’s population, abundant natural resources, and large consumer markets, South Asian countries have significant economic potential. However, intraregional trade amounted to just $23 billion in 2025, far below the projected $67 billion threshold and a miniscule fraction of India’s over $130 billion annual bilateral trade with China. South Asia occupies the strategic land bridge between the booming economies of East Asia and the energy-rich Gulf Cooperation Council countries. These regions are connected by the Indian Ocean and separated only by the Arabian Sea, making the subregion a vital transit hub for trade and energy flows. Nevertheless, despite this strategic location, regional trade blocs do not reflect strong trade figures for the subregion.
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Via Dana Taib Menmy in newarab.com: Iraq’s media regulator has banned the broadcast of the historical drama Muawiya during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on the Saudi Arabian television channel MBC Iraq, citing concerns that it could incite sectarian tensions. The Iraqi Media and Communications Commission (CMC) announced the decision on Saturday, stating that it was exercising its legal authority to regulate the countrys media sector. The broadcast of historically controversial content may provoke sectarian debates, which could threaten social harmony and disrupt the fabric of society, particularly during Ramadan, the commission said in a statement. Muawiya explores the life of Umayyad Caliph Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan, who played a central role in the First Fitna—the civil war that followed the assassination of Caliph Uthman ibn Affan in the 7th century. Despite the Iraqi ban, Muawiya is set to air during Ramadan on MBCs main channels, ensuring its availability to audiences across the region.
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MORE ON THE KINGDOM AND BEYOND
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Saudi Aramco will distribute a dividend of SAR80 billion ($21.4 billion) for the fourth quarter of 2024 despite full-year...[By Pramod Kumar via agbi.com]
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“Saudi Arabia welcomes those who were misled and manipulated for ulterior motives, as long as their opposition remained ideological and they were not implicated...[By Khitam Al Amir via gulfnews.com]
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Saudi Aramco and Algeria's Sonatrach have cut March's official selling prices (OSPs) for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by 0.9-3.2% from the previous month because...[via yahoo.com]
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PIF and Goldman Sachs Asset Management today announced the signing of a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) for PIF to act as a strategic anchor...[via spa.gov]
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The Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company (SRC) has signed a 3.4 billion riyals ($907 million) agreement with Saudi National Bank (SNB) to acquire a mortgage...[By Brinda Darasha via zawya.com]
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Saudi Arabia, one of the key grain markets in the Middle East, is likely to maintain steady domestic growth in 2025, supported by a positive...[via hellenicshippingnews.com]
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There has been a 67 percent increase in commercial registrations, bringing the total number to 1.6 million during the fourth quarter of 2024. According to...[via zawya.com]
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Saudi Arabia’s 2025 budget will see the Kingdom continue to invest in the transformation of strategic sectors – including healthcare, tourism and logistics – under...[By Riyadh AlNajjar via pwc.com]
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A significant challenge lies in bridging the generational gap in AI adoption. Younger generations, particularly Gen Z, have grown up immersed in technology and tend...[By Fernando Castanheira via gulfbusiness.com]
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Sudan’s deadly war has dragged on nearly two years, killing around 150,000 people, displacing more than 11 million, according to some reports,...[By Anna L. Jacobs via agsiw.org]
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Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Education has opened applications for 10,494 teaching positions for the coming academic year, as part of a nationwide initiative to...[By Khitam Al Amir via gulfnews.com]
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KAUST has sent the first researchers from Saudi Arabia on a scientific mission to Antarctica since signing on to the ...[via kaust.edu]
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The General Directorate of Civil Defense has issued a weather warning for most regions of Saudi Arabia. Moderate to heavy rain is expected to continue...[via saudigazette.com]
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