Recent stories from sustg

MUST-READS

  • Technology is transforming the Saudi insurance sector

    The impact of digital transformation has revolutionized the way insurers operate, interact with customers, and manage risks. Automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) streamline claims processing, reducing the time taken to settle claims, and minimizing human error. AI algorithms are also being used to assess risk more accurately, leading to more personalized and fair pricing of insurance policies.

  • Saudi builder delivers homes to 1,000 people. Millions await.

    ROSHN — a company wholly owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund the Public Investment Fund — is tasked with building around 400,000 new homes around the country by 2030, part of a nationwide goal of boosting Saudi home ownership to 70% by the same year.  The developer is changing the face of the capital by building up the northern part of Riyadh — or as many call it, the “New” Riyadh — into a glitzy, modern version of itself featuring integrated communities that include schools, as well as entertainment and commercial districts. ROSHN’s projects aim to house more than 2.2 million people by the end of the decade.

  • Could Trump’s re-election derail the Saudi-Iran rapprochement?

    Addressing the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) and the Arab League at the Riyadh Summit this month, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman also underscored the international community’s responsibility to respect Iran’s sovereignty, a drastic shift from just eight years ago when both countries cut diplomatic relations. Riyadh and Tehran’s recent reconciliation is a product of both states’ pragmatic approach to realising their respective national and regional goals. Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Vision 2030 hinges on a stable and secure wider regional environment which would not be achieved under sustained tensions between Riyadh and Tehran.

  • STC shifts narrative around the Saudi lost generation

    STC, a tech and digital enabler in Saudi Arabia, has unveiled its latest campaign for the “Sawa” prepaid packages, reflecting the evolving spirit of today’s youth. Developed by VML Riyadh, the campaign, titled “For every vibe, there’s sawa,” aims to redefine perceptions around the young generation often labelled as indecisive or “جيل ضايع” (lost generation). Firas Ghamman, Executive Creative Director at VML Riyadh, explained the campaign’s vision: “We’re not just shifting perceptions of this generation, we’re celebrating their freedom to change their minds from one day to the next. They say this generation is lost, we say they’re constant explorers. With Sawa, they can explore without limits.”

  • Saudi minister highlights nation’s leadership in digital innovation and AI during G20 Summit

    Speaking on the sidelines of the opening day of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Brazil, the Kingdom’s minister of communications and information technology, Abdullah Al-Swaha, highlighted Saudi Arabia’s efforts to drive economic growth and productivity through the adoption of AI technologies. He also underscored the nation’s achievements in its efforts to empower women and youth in the technology sector, noting that participation by women increased from 7 percent in 2018 to 35 percent in 2024.

  • Facing the Storm: Gulf States Build Climate Resilience

    The Gulf region, which is one of the world’s most water-stressed areas, has recently been exposed to frequent extreme rainstorms and floods. In April, severe rainstorms swamped the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. At least 21 people lost their lives in Oman and four in the UAE. In Dubai, rainfall on April 15 broke a 75-year record for daily precipitation, forcing Dubai International Airport – the world’s second busiest – to cancel hundreds of flights.

  • First EU-GCC Summit Charts Course for Strategic Partnership

    On October 16, the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council held their first-ever summit. The meeting in Brussels, Belgium gathered leaders and representatives of the two organizations and respective member states at a critical juncture in the interinstitutional relations between the two blocs. The GCC region has rarely topped the EU strategic agenda. However, the acknowledgment of the growing interdependency between the two blocs showcased by global crises, such as the coronavirus pandemic and Russia’s war on Ukraine, and the rising diplomatic role of the Gulf Arab countries in global affairs have prompted Brussels to step up political engagement with the GCC. From a Gulf standpoint, the renewed resolve of GCC countries to diversify partners in a world order tilting toward multipolarity, coupled with the reconciliation after the 2017-21 Gulf crisis, has injected new life into the GCC project, strengthening the bloc’s standing as a meaningful institutional interlocutor.

  • Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud

    Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Rio de Janeiro on the margins of the G20 conference. The Secretary and Foreign Minister discussed efforts to end the war in Gaza, secure the release of hostages, and advance governance and security. The Secretary and Foreign Minister also discussed ongoing efforts to reach a diplomatic resolution to the conflict in Lebanon that fully implements United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 and allows citizens on both sides of the border to return to their homes. The Secretary underscored U.S. efforts to increase the delivery of humanitarian assistance in Gaza and Lebanon and expressed appreciation to the Foreign Minister for Saudi Arabia’s efforts to provide aid.

  • Launch of the Kering Generation Award in Saudi Arabia, a strategic market for luxury

    This Monday, November 18, in Riyadh, marks the start of the competition organised by the luxury group Kering and the Saudi Fashion Commission to reward the most promising start-ups in the field of the circular economy. During the first phase, the 20 selected start-ups will be supported in a three-day boot camp and will participate in workshops designed to encourage their development. A second phase will select the ten best proposals, which will be assessed by a panel of judges on the basis of their capacity to innovate, their relevance to fashion and sustainability, their potential impact on the environment and society, and their commercial viability.

  • Saudi Arabia bans commercial use of symbols and logos of other countries

    Saudi Minister of Commerce Dr. Majed Al-Qasabi issued a decision banning the commercial use of symbols and logos of countries, as well as religious and sectarian symbols and logos. This is aimed at preventing the abuse or misuse of these symbols and logos. The ministry had previously announced the ban on using Saudi Arabia’s flag, which includes the name of God, the word of monotheism, the state emblem (the two swords and the palm tree), and pictures of the leadership and officials and their names in commercial transactions, including “printed materials, goods and products, media bulletins, special gifts, and others.”