Via Tim Callen in agsiw.org: Any increase in policy interest rates in the United States would make borrowing more expensive at a time when the Saudi public sector is continuing to borrow heavily to fund the ambitious Vision 2030 projects. Also, higher interest rates would raise borrowing costs for individuals and businesses, potentially slowing private consumption and investment, although these links are hard to identify empirically in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. Last, in a higher interest rate environment, the dollar, to which the Saudi riyal is pegged, may continue to strengthen, hurting the competitiveness of emerging Saudi sectors, such as tourism.

Via Rebecca Anne Proctor in artnet.com: Dozens of new art institutions are in the works as part of Vision 2030, a sweeping trillion-dollar initiative to reduce oil dependence by expanding tourism, entertainment, and technology. Among these is the recently opened Diriyah Art Futures (DAF), a digital-art focused institution that is part of the $63 billion Diriyah Gate project, which aims to transform the heritage site on the outskirts of the kingdom’s capital city, Riyadh, into a cultural tourist destination. Meanwhile, in the ancient desert region of AlUla, the Contemporary Art Museum, which is being developed in partnership with Paris’s Centre Pompidou, set to open in 2027. On the west coast, the Red Sea Museum in Jeddah, slated to open before 2030, will showcase historical and contemporary works of art.

Via Mirna Hamdan in waya.media: Healthcare is one of the main sectors that contribute to the market profits. SNB Capital suggests that healthcare profits will rise by 23% in 2025, compared to an 11% increase in 2024. This development is linked to a 20% revenue increase due to new expansions easing pressure on profit margins. Currently, some government initiatives aim to privatize parts of the healthcare system, and they play a significant role. The Saudi government hopes that the private sector will represent 45% of healthcare spending by 2030. The tourism and construction sectors are increasingly influential in reshaping Saudi Arabia’s economy. In 2023, the tourism sector contributed $118.4 billion to the country’s GDP, accounting for 11.5% of the total economy.

in saudimoments.com: Talk about a wedding of the century! Riyadh just pulled off the most epic mass wedding, uniting 300 Saudi couples in a night full of love, music, and jaw-dropping surprises. Hosted by the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) as part of Riyadh Season, the “Night of a Lifetime” has left the internet in total awe. Talk about a wedding of the century! Riyadh just pulled off the most epic mass wedding, uniting 300 Saudi couples in a night full of love, music, and jaw-dropping surprises. Hosted by the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) as part of Riyadh Season, the “Night of a Lifetime” has left the internet in total awe.

Via Jeff Mason, Matt Spetalnick, Steve Holland and Nidal Al-Mughrabi in reuters.com: Barely two weeks in the job, Trump shattered decades of U.S. policy on Tuesday with a vaguely worded announcement saying he envisioned transforming Gaza into the Riviera of the Middle East where international communities could coexist after nearly 16 months of Israeli bombardment devastated the coastal strip and killed more than 47,000 people, according to Palestinian tallies. At a White House briefing on Wednesday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt hailed his Gaza proposal as historic outside of the box thinking but stressed that the president had not committed to putting boots on the ground in the territory. She declined, however, to rule out the use of U.S. troops there. At the same time, Leavitt walked back Trumps earlier assertion that Gazans needed to be permanently resettled in neighboring countries, saying instead that they should be temporarily relocated for the rebuilding process. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said the idea was for Gazans to leave the territory for an interim period of reconstruction and debris-clearing.

Via John Duerden in theguardian.com: It was striking that in a month when Neymar left Saudi Arabia after costing Al-Hilal hundreds of millions of pounds and playing only seven games in return, the Saudi Pro League’s clubs turned more and more to youth. The transfer window closed on Friday with a couple of big deals but there was activity before; it just happened to be quieter and less headline-grabbing. “Many players dream of playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and I have now fulfilled that dream,” Jhon Durán said on Monday after making his Al-Nassr debut, perhaps inadvertently emphasising the age gap between them. At 21, the Colombian is very much a football generation or two removed from the five-time Ballon d’Or winner. The reported £71m the Riyadh club paid to Aston Villa for Durán is the second biggest in the league’s history, second only to Neymar’s deal. And as that Brazilian left Al-Hilal in came another, Kaio César joining from Portugal’s Vitória de Guimarães. The winger, who scored on his debut, is only 20.

Via Peter Oborne and Richard Sanders in middleeasteye.net: Jordan is ready to declare war on Israel in the event that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempts to forcibly expel Palestinians into its territory, Middle East Eye understands. The warning comes in the wake of repeated statements from US President Donald Trump that he would like to see Jordan and Egypt take in Palestinians as part of a move to clean out the Gaza Strip. Well-placed sources in Amman and Jerusalem told MEE that the last thing Jordan wants is war and it is eager for a peaceful solution. But they are adamant that the Jordanians will close the border if refugees begin to cross into the country. If the Israelis seek to re-open it, that would be a casus belli, one source said.  The Jordanians are under no illusion they could win a war with Israel, but believe they would have no choice but to fight.

in politico.eu: U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to turn the war-torn Gaza Strip into the “Riviera of the Middle East” met condemnation Wednesday morning in the Arab world. In an overnight statement, the Saudi Arabian foreign ministry said it had warned “former and current U.S. administrations” about the Palestinian people’s rights — and reiterated it would not establish diplomatic relations with Israel if certain conditions were breached.  “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also reaffirms its unequivocal rejection of any infringement on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, whether through Israeli settlement policies, land annexation, or attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land,” the ministry said.

in saudigazette.com: In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated that the Kingdoms commitment to Palestinian statehood is deeply rooted and unshakable. This firm stance was explicitly affirmed by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman during his address at the opening of the first year of the ninth session of the Shoura Council on September 18, 2024. In his speech, the Crown Prince made it clear that Saudi Arabia will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is established, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Saudi Arabia also firmly rejected any actions that undermine Palestinian rights, including Israeli settlement expansion, land annexation, and any attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians from their homeland. The Kingdom called on the international community to take decisive action to alleviate the dire humanitarian conditions faced by the Palestinian people, who continue to stand resilient in defense of their land and rights.

Via Agnes Helou in breakingdefense.com: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has allocated $78 billion for defense spending in 2025, up from $75.8 billion spent in 2024, Governor of the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) Ahmad Al-Ohali said in a statement Saturday. “The Kingdom allocated approximately $78 billion to the military sector in the 2025 budget, which constitutes 21% of total government spending and 7.1% of Saudi Arabia’s gross product,” he said, according to the statement. The statement further noted that the Kingdom has witnessed a 4.5 percent annual defense growth since 1960, adding that it has become the fifth largest defense spender worldwide and the largest in the Arab world.

Via Tala Michel Issa in arabianbusiness.com: Strategic inbound and domestic M&A activity in the region surged 88 per cent year-on-year to reach $36 billion during the first 10 months of 2024, according to new research from Bain & Company, contrasting sharply with more modest global deal growth of 7 per cent. “The Middle East’s exceptional M&A growth underscores the region’s transformation into a global investment powerhouse,” Grégory Garnier, Middle East Head of Bain’s Private Equity and Sovereign Wealth Fund practices, told Arabian Business. The surge was particularly pronounced in key sectors throughout 2024, with energy and natural resources seeing a 140 per cent increase, technology investments rising 90 per cent, and advanced manufacturing services recording a remarkable 300 per cent growth compared to 2023.

Via Yara Abi Farraj in economymiddleeast.com: Saudi Arabia’s non-oil economy started 2025 on a high as business conditions improved substantially. This improvement was largely due to the fastest increase in total new orders since June 2011, which encouraged rapid expansions in activity and stocks. The headline seasonally adjusted Riyad Bank Saudi Arabia Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 60.5 in January, from 58.4 in December. Not only did the index signal a considerable expansion in operating conditions at the start of 2025, but it was also at its highest since September 2014. “This strong performance underscores the resilience of the non-oil private sector, fueled by surging new orders and a significant rise in business output,” stated Naif Al-Ghaith PhD, chief economist at Riyad Bank.

Via Giorgio Cafiero in amwaj.media: Turkey and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states appear to be filling the void in Syria as Iran’s influence after the fall of Bashar Al-Assad dramatically diminishes. Ankara’s coordination with Gulf Arab capitals stands to bring about growing alignment. Turkey has gone to pains to accommodate the interests of all GCC states in the new Syria, including those which previously saw the foreign policy of Turkey’s “neo-Islamist” government as a threat. In particular, Saudi Arabia—the GCC state taking the lead on shoring up and legitimizing the administration of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) on an international level—shares many of Turkey’s interests. These include helping Syria achieve a smooth transition, preserve its territorial integrity, and not become a haven for violent extremist groups that threaten other countries.

in fitchratings.com: Saudi Arabia’s ratings reflect its strong fiscal and external balance sheets, with government debt/GDP and sovereign net foreign assets (SNFA) considerably stronger than both the A and AA medians, and significant fiscal buffers in the form of deposits and other public sector assets. Oil dependence, low World Bank governance indicators and vulnerability to geopolitical shocks have improved but remain relative weaknesses. Deep and broad social and economic reforms implemented under Vision 2030 are diversifying economic activity, albeit backed by large public spending.

in arabnews.com: The Saudi Ministry of Education announced on Friday a new policy requiring secondary school students in public and private institutions to adhere to the national dress code. The policy comes in line with the directives of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi Press Agency  reported. The decision, which aims to reinforce national identity and instill pride in Saudi heritage, mandates that Saudi students wear the traditional thobe along with a ghutra or shemagh, while non-Saudi students are required to wear the thobe, SPA added. The policy does not apply to students enrolled at foreign schools. The move reflects the crown prince’s commitment to strengthening the connection between younger generations and Saudi Arabia’s cultural heritage, SPA reported.