SUSTG.com / Research

Discover stories, topics, and more about Saudi Arebia faster.

Recent stories from sustg

MUST-READS

  • Chess: Carlsen wins again as he qualifies for the $1.5m Saudi Esports World Cup

    Magnus Carlsen’s dominance of online chess has continued this week as the world No 1 is in pole position for the concluding stages of the Chessable Masters, the first leg of the annual Champions Tour which the Norwegian has won every year since it was launched in 2020. For 2025, the tour is also a qualifier for the Esports World Cup at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in July-August, where the chess prize fund will be $1.5m.

  • Trump calls Saudi Arabia a ‘special place with special leaders’

    US President Donald Trump thanked Saudi Arabia on Wednesday for hosting talks between Washington and Moscow last week, calling the Kingdom a “special place with special leaders.” Speaking at the opening of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute, Trump said it was “a tremendous honor” to be the first American president to address the FII Institute. The US president singled out Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for his efforts in this regard. “But in particular, we have to thank [Crown] Prince Mohammed bin Salman for hosting these historic talks that went very, very well,” Trump said. Launched in 2017, FII brings together investors, policymakers, government officials and international private sector executives from across the globe.

  • Saudi Arabia’s Shrewd Embrace of Ahmed Al Sharaa

    In late December, Al Sharaa sat down with the Saudi pan-Arab news channel Al Arabiya for his first television interview as Syria’s leader. Al Sharaa’s choice of venue did not go unnoticed on the Syrian street and around the region. In the interview, the new president echoed MBS’s view that the region should focus on economic cooperation and investment over armed conflicts, praised Saudi Arabia’s crucial role regionally and globally, and made a point to reminisce about his childhood in Riyadh and his wish to walk its streets again. On the Saudi side, this opening gambit of the new Syrian administration is a smart one for the Kingdom’s own interests. MBS has made clear his desire for more calm in the region, allowing him to focus Saudi Arabia’s resources on his domestic reform agenda and economic diversification campaign rather than regional problems. The fall of the Assad regime has benefited Riyadh in a second crucial way: it has meant the near-total destruction of Assad’s captagon trafficking ring, which had impacted Saudi Arabia more than any other country in the region. Ensuring Syria’s stability to prevent a vacuum that allows for the continuation of the drug trade is a core Saudi national interest.

  • Saudi Arabia’s Shrewd Embrace of Ahmed Al Sharaa

    In late December, Al Sharaa sat down with the Saudi pan-Arab news channel Al Arabiya for his first television interview as Syria’s leader. Al Sharaa’s choice of venue did not go unnoticed on the Syrian street and around the region. In the interview, the new president echoed MBS’s view that the region should focus on economic cooperation and investment over armed conflicts, praised Saudi Arabia’s crucial role regionally and globally, and made a point to reminisce about his childhood in Riyadh and his wish to walk its streets again. On the Saudi side, this opening gambit of the new Syrian administration is a smart one for the Kingdom’s own interests. MBS has made clear his desire for more calm in the region, allowing him to focus Saudi Arabia’s resources on his domestic reform agenda and economic diversification campaign rather than regional problems. The fall of the Assad regime has benefited Riyadh in a second crucial way: it has meant the near-total destruction of Assad’s captagon trafficking ring, which had impacted Saudi Arabia more than any other country in the region. Ensuring Syria’s stability to prevent a vacuum that allows for the continuation of the drug trade is a core Saudi national interest.

  • Saudi Arabia’s rise as a global diplomacy broker

    Saudi Arabia is solidifying its position as a global and regional diplomatic hub. On Friday, Riyadh will host the leaders of the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, in addition to Jordan and Egypt, to discuss an Arab plan for the reconstruction of Gaza without displacing its 2.2 million inhabitants. Once approved, the plan will be presented at the meeting of Arab leaders in Cairo at the end of the month. It will become a counterproposal to President Donald Trump’s plan to displace the people of Gaza while taking over the beleaguered enclave and turning it into a regional riviera. So, when Jordan’s King Abdullah met with Trump at the White House last week, his response to Trump’s idea was that Arab leaders had been invited by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose country has rejected any attempt to displace the Palestinians from their land, to work on an Arab plan for the reconstruction of Gaza without the displacement of its people.

  • Trump’s message is clear: US free speech principles don’t apply to Palestine supporters

    Recent years have seen increasing efforts to go beyond the informal methods of suppressing pro-Palestinian perspectives such as often false accusations of anti-Semitism, ostracism, or negative professional consequences. States and state-run institutions have been increasingly attempting to legislate financial, professional, contractual and other penalties for criticism of Israel and its occupation that began in 1967. During last year’s election campaign, US President Donald Trump vowed to crush such views. He described student opposition to the Gaza war as part of a “radical revolution” that “has to be stopped now”, so “we’re going to set that movement back 25 or 30 years”. This did not appear to phase the numerous Arab and Muslim Americans who voted for Mr Trump or, at least, helped him by staying home or supporting irrelevant candidates.

  • Multinational Exercise Spears of Victory 2025 in Saudi Arabia Concludes

    The Saudi Arabian annual multinational exercise, Spears of Victory, was held this year from Jan. 26 to Feb. 6 by the Royal Saudi Air Force’s (RSAF) Air Warfare Center, located at King Abdulaziz air base near Dhahran. The exercise is considered one of the largest multinational exercises in the Middle East and aims to strengthen military partnerships, with 15 nations involved. RSAF Maj. Gen. Mohammed bin Ali Al-Omari, the commander of the exercise, said that the aim was to enhance allied combat readiness (especially in the electronic warfare field), provide a ground for the exchange of expertise in planning and implementation, and to promote joint operational strategies. This year, more than 70 air assets from nine countries took part in the large-scale exercise: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Greece, France, Qatar, the UK, the US, the UAE, and Pakistan. Furthermore, seven additional countries participated as observers: Australia, Egypt, Italy, Jordan, Morocco, South Korea, and Spain.

  • Full Donald Trump speech at Miami FII investment summit hosted by Saudi Public Investment Fund

    President Donald Trump spoke at an investment summit in Miami on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund hosted the conference, which brought together global financiers and tech executives, including Elon Musk.

  • Saudi Arabia’s SMC Plans IPO in Latest Health-Care Offering

    Saudi Arabia’s SMC Hospitals is planning an initial public offering iSaudi Arabia’s SMC Hospitals is planning an initial public offering in Riyadh, joining the host of health-care firms going public in the kingdom.n Riyadh, joining the host of health-care firms going public in the kingdom. The hospital operator is working with SNB Capital and EFG Hermes on the potential share sale, people familiar with the matter said. The deal could come as early as the second quarter of this year, the people said, declining to be named while discussing confidential information. SMC operates two hospitals in Riyadh and has a third one under construction, in addition to 250 outpatient clinics, according to its website.

  • From oil to futures: Why the Gulf is well placed to play a key role in global decision-making

    The GCC is transitioning from an energy hub to a future-focused leader in global technology, investing in emerging tech, economic diversification and cultural outreach. By leveraging sovereign wealth funds, advancing AI governance and launching projects like Saudi’s new city NEOM and Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City hub, the region is shaping tomorrow’s economy and strengthening its role in future tech revolutions. As global power structures shift, the GCC also has an unprecedented opportunity to redefine its role in global decision-making. Through inclusive dialogues and multi-stakeholder engagement, the Gulf region can set a new standard for resilient governance in a complex, multipolar world.