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  • KSA sets air traffic records
     

    Saudi Arabia has witnessed remarkable growth in its air traffic during the first half of 2024, according to the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). The Kingdom has reported a significant growth in passenger traffic, flights, air cargo, and connectivity.

     
  • Aquaculture in KSA
     

    Saudi Arabia’s aquaculture sector has witnessed remarkable growth in recent years, with production increasing by 400% between 2015 and 2022. This rapid expansion can be attributed, in part, to a concerted effort from public and private stakeholders to bolster food security in the region, improve economic diversification, and reduce overreliance on food imports.

     
  • NASA Signs US, Saudi Arabia Agreement for Civil Aeronautics, Space Collaboration
     

    The United States and Saudi Arabia signed a framework agreement that opens new possibilities for cooperation with NASA in areas such as space science, exploration, aeronautics, space operations, education, and Earth science. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson signed on behalf of the U.S., and CEO of the Saudi Space Agency Mohammed bin Saud Al-Tamimi signed on behalf […]

     
  • World Bank Lauds KSA for Breakthrough Pension Reforms
     

    Saudi Arabia took a big leap forward in transforming its pension system with the recent announcement of comprehensive reforms, designed with support from the World Bank, aimed at enhancing income protection during old-age, but also promoting gender equality. 

     
  • Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services on the rise in Saudi Arabia
     

    In a recent study, Redseer Strategy Consultants shared that the use of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services is on the rise in the Middle East. The UAE and Saudi Arabia outscored their regional peers. 

     
  • Saudi Arabia rises on Expat Insider 2024 rankings
     

    For its 11th edition of the Expat Insider survey, InterNations surveyed 12,500 expats representing 175 nationalities living in 174 countries or territories on their thoughts on what it’s like to live and work abroad. 

     
  • Saudi trails only Singapore in Emerging Market VC in H1 2024
     

    Magnitt’s H1 2024 Saudi Arabia Venture Investment Report, sponsored by SVC, underscores Saudi Arabia’s leading role in the MENA VC landscape and its continued appeal to both local and international investors.

     
  • The 966, #133, How Working Women are Changing Saudi Arabia with Dr. Jennifer Peck, Swarthmore College
     

    In Episode #133 of The 966 podcast host Richard Wilson welcomes Dr. Jennifer Peck, Swarthmore College, who has done extensive and fascinating research on women in Saudi Arabia’s labor market as well as recently being featured in Foreign Affairs magazine for her superbly researched and written article, Working Women are Changing Saudi Arabia: Reforms Have Made […]

     
  • The Impact of Healthcare Investments on Saudi Arabia’s economy
     

    The Observer Research Foundation, a leading think tank based in India, examined Saudi Arabia’s spending and strategy with regard to improving health care for its citizens. 

     
  • Dollar-priced oil ending? What’s the story?
     

    A claim emerged in Chinese-language social media posts in June that Saudi Arabia terminated a 50-year formal agreement with the United States to conduct oil transactions in U.S. dollars, under a deal called the “petrodollar agreement.”

     

MUST-READS

  • Saudi Tadawul profit surges 60% on higher trading value

    Saudi Tadawul Group, the owner and operator of the kingdom’s stock exchange, reported a 59 percent jump in 2024 profit, as annual trading value and listing services revenues rose by 38 percent and 27 percent, respectively. Net profit was SAR622 million ($166 million) compared to SAR390 million in 2023, the company said in a bourse filing on Sunday. The average daily traded value reached SAR7.5 billion last year and 58 new securities were listed, taking the total to 353, the company said. The Saudi’s bourse capitalisation reached $10 trillion in 2024, the company said. Operating revenue rose 35 percent year on year to SAR1.5 billion in 2024, driven by increased trading services and post-trade services revenues.

  • Trump trade threats compound global ocean shipping uncertainty

    The global ocean shipping industry that handles 80% of world trade is navigating a sea of unknowns as U.S. President Donald Trump stokes trade and geopolitical tensions with historical foes as well as neighbors and allies. That is the backdrop for this week's S&P Global (SPGI.N), opens new tab TPM container shipping and supply chain conference in Long Beach, California, an annual event that marks the start of container shipping contract negotiating season. Trump has already slapped an additional 10% tariff on goods from China, the world's largest exporter, and has proposed million-dollar port entry fees for Chinese-built ships. As early as Tuesday, the U.S. could impose 25% tariffs on familiar goods like avocados and tequila from Mexico, and beef, lumber and oil from Canada.

  • Commentary: Saudi Arabia’s rise signals decline of Europe’s geopolitical centrality This article was published in thejakartapost.com with the title “”. Click to read: https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2025/03/03/saudi-arabias-rise-signals-decline-of-europes-geopolitical-centrality

    It signals a shift away from Europe’s centrality in diplomacy and fits well with Trump’s broader policy of bilateral, pragmatic diplomacy that prioritizes economic and geopolitical gains. The US-Russia discussions in Saudi Arabia also indicate Trump’s strategic use of Saudi Arabia to secure swift diplomatic wins, furthering his domestic and international standing. Trump’s choice of Riyadh for the Ukraine peace talks also shows that Saudi Arabia has strategically positioned itself as a neutral intermediary, leveraging its strong relations with global powers including the US, Russia, China and European nations.

  • Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson Surprisingly Steps Down Without a Planned Successor

    Lucid reported the 2024 financial results, confirming widening losses amounting to $2.7 billion for the year. This brings Lucid's accumulated deficit to $12.9 billion, with no hope of stopping money bleeding soon. On the plus side, Lucid guided for 20,000 EVs produced in 2025 as the Gravity SUV rolls out. The company also announced that CEO Peter Rawlinson stepped down without a successor. Last year, EV startups had a rocky ride, with some of them calling it quits. For 2025, the situation is not projected to get any better amid concerns about an economic slowdown triggered by tariffs affecting the automotive industry. Lucid Motors is among the struggling EV startups, with staggering losses that widen by the quarter and shrinking cash reserves despite the best efforts of its powerful backer, Saudi Arabia Private Investment Fund (PIF).

  • The Riyadh summit will shape global energy geopolitics

    All roads lead to Riyadh, which has replaced Geneva as the epicentre of global diplomacy in 2025.  Presidents Trump and Putin will meet in the Saudi capital amid the most dramatic U-turn in US foreign policy as Washington switches sides in the Ukraine war in favour of the Kremlin, bypassing the EU and the embattled Ukraine state. Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi is in Riyadh to coordinate the Arab League’s counter offer to Trump’s Gaza plan. Saudi Arabia has even offered to act as a mediator to reduce the risk of war between the US, Israel and Iran. Potential sanctions relief on Russia, coupled with a Gaza settlement, will have a seismic impact on the global oil and gas market and impact the energy geopolitics of Europe, China, India and the Middle East.

  • NEOM: Understanding Saudi Arabia’s Visionary Project

    The NEOM Project, announced in 2017, occupies a strategic vantage point along the Red Sea. The word “NEOM” is derived from the Greek term “Neo” (new) and the Arabic word “Mostaqbal” (future), meaning a “New Future”. NEOM encompasses tourist destinations, industrial zones, data and research centers, such as The Line (a linear smart city), Oxagon (a floating industrial city), and Trojena (a sustainable mountain tourism destination). NEOM, situated strategically in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk province, is within a six-hour flight of 40 percent of the world’s population. It presents investment opportunities across 15 sectors, creating scope for substantial job creation and attracting new residents.

  • Commentary: Trump is using the presidency to seek golf deals. Hardly anyone’s paying attention

    On 20 February, Trump hosted a meeting at the White House between Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour commissioner, and Yasir al-Rumayyan, chair of LIV Golf and head of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, along with the golf star Tiger Woods. It was the second meeting convened by Trump at the White House this month with PGA Tour officials involved in negotiating with the Saudi wealth fund. A day before his latest attempt at high-level golf diplomacy, Trump travelled to Miami to speak at a conference organized by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which is managed by Al-Rumayyan but ultimately controlled by the kingdom’s de facto ruler and crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.

  • Saudi Arabia opens first phase of Sports Boulevard

    Saudi Arabia has opened the first phase of Sports Boulevard, marking a major milestone in Riyadh’s transformation into a global athletics and lifestyle destination.  The project, led by the Sports Boulevard Foundation, is now 40 percent complete, with 83 km of the route set to be accessible to visitors starting Feb. 27, according to the Saudi Press Agency.  Chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the board of directors of the SBF announced the launch of the phase, which includes five key destinations: Wadi Hanifah, the Promenade, a section at the intersection of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Rd. and Prince Turki bin Abdulaziz Al-Awwal Rd., as well as the Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University internal loop, and the first phase of Sands Sports Park.

  • Saudi Arabia’s housing supply likely to hit 3.9M units by 2028: Knight Frank

    The residential supply across Saudi Arabia’s five major markets totals 3.5 million units, according to a report by Knight Frank. "Based on our analysis, this figure is projected to reach nearly 3.9 million units by the end of 2028, reflecting the government’s ongoing efforts to enhance housing availability," it noted. To achieve this, government initiatives to increase housing supply within the low to mid-market segments, as well as programs such as “Wafi” and “Sakani”, have been pivotal in boosting home ownership among Saudi nationals. In fact, the Saudi homeownership rate reached 63.7% at the end of 2023. During 2024, the total number of real estate transactions across all asset classes in Saudi Arabia surged by 37% to just over 236,690 deals, while the total value of all deals grew by 27% to SAR 267.8 billion.

  • Saudi Arabia allocates feedstock for new petchem complexes in Jubail

    Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy has allocated feedstock necessary for establishing industrial complexes by National Industrialization Company (Tasnee) and Sahara International Petrochemical Company (Sipchem)  in Jubail Industrial City. Tasnee) received approval from the ministry to allocate feedstock (ethane, propane and butane) on Wednesday. The complex includes a thermal cracking unit for ethylene production with high world-scale capacity, the company said in a statement to the Saudi stock exchange. The project will have a production capacity of nearly 3.3 million metric tonnes of petrochemical products, including high and linear low-density polyethylene and methyl tert-butyl ether (HDPE. LLDPE, MTBE).