SUSTG.com / Research

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

Recent stories from sustg

  • FocusKSA Video: Former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia James Smith on the King Abdullah Scholarship Program
     

    The number of students participating in Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Scholarship Program has skyrocketed over the past decade from around 2,000 students in 2002 to over 80,000 today, comments former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia James B. Smith. In a recent FocusKSA (a joint Saudi-US Trade Group/SUSRIS.com initiative) interview with Pat Ryan, SUSRIS Editor-in-Chief, former U.S. […]

     
  • ‘A New Page’ for Diplomacy between Saudi Arabia and Iran?
     

    In what may be another step in a growing thaw in Saudi-Iranian relations, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian visited Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday and met with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Prince Saud al Faisal. In remarks to Reuters following the meeting, Abdollahian said that both countries agreed that “a new page” was […]

     
  • Where are U.S. Airstrikes Bombing Islamic State Locations in Iraq From?
     

    Craig Whitlock in the Washington Post reports that recent U.S. airstrikes into Iraq on Islamic State targets are taking off from bases in Qatar and the UAE in addition to aircraft carriers in the Arabian Gulf, but neither government is directly admitting it at this time. That the U.S. is using Gulf allies as their […]

     
  • Sfakianakis: Now is the Time for Energy Subsidy Reform in Saudi Arabia
     

    Annual energy subsidies in Saudi Arabia amount to $120 billion; roughly a quarter of all global energy subsidies combined. As with subsidies worldwide, those in Saudi Arabia are in place primarily for political and social reasons. Unfortunately, energy subsidies result in numerous and profound economic distortions that ultimately do not benefit the poor in particular […]

     
  • Saudi Arabia’s Timely Push for Solar to Reduce Oil Consumption
     

    It’s no secret that Saudi Arabia’s energy consumption is soaring, and that to meet increasing demand, the Kingdom is siphoning off more and more of its crude to power the booming Saudi economy. Although Saudi Arabia has plenty of oil, what is consumed to meet domestic power demand cannot be sold on the market. Writing […]

     
  • Sfakianakis: ‘The great giant of the emerging markets has finally awakened’
     

    Saudi Arabia’s stability in contrast to many of its neighbors in the Middle East region is a cause for optimism for the Kingdom’s economy and future, writes John Sfakianakis in the Financial Times’ Beyond Brics blog. Noting that those who argue that the Kingdom is the next destination for turmoil have “been thinking that for […]

     
  • Why Saudi Arabia is ‘The Next Big Thing’ for Global Investors
     

    Leone Lakhani and Alanna Petroff write in CNN Money that Saudi Arabia is the “next big emerging market” following the announcement of the TASI opening to foreign investors. That report cited Saleem Khokhar, head of equities at the National Bank of Abu Dhabi’s asset management group, as saying that the market is “deeply liquid…with lots […]

     
  • Saudi Women’s Share in the Kingdom’s Commercial Activity Records a Sharp Increase
     

    According to a recent report in the Saudi Gazette, the Kingdom’s women are increasing their share in Saudi Arabia’s private sector commercial activity, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in an annual report: The latest in an uptick in female involvement in the workplace, the news follows another report in the Saudi Arabic-daily OKAZ […]

     
  • Stanford, KACST Team Up for Six Year Collaborative Partnership on Aerospace Research
    • August 5,2014
    • •
     

    Stanford University and Saudi Arabia’s KACST have launched a new six-year collaborative research partnership to establish a center to develop new liquid rocket fuels for satellite applications, according to the Northern California-based university.

     
  • Turning the Corner on MERS
     

    When the spread of the deadly coronavirus MERS started making headlines on a daily basis in the Spring, international concern began to mount that the Saudi government wasn’t doing enough to contain the virus. New confirmed cases started emerging in other countries in the region, even reaching the United States. As the death toll mounted, […]

     

MUST-READS

  • HALO Space gears up for groundbreaking test flight in Saudi Arabia this June

    HALO Space, a leading company in the near space tourism sector, has revealed plans for its sixth test flight to take place in Saudi Arabia this June, pending approval from the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST)—the regulatory body for space activities in Saudi Arabia. This event marks a crucial step for both the company and the industry, as it will be the first instance where all the technologies behind HALO Space’s zero-emission flight are tested simultaneously, an achievement unparalleled by any other company in the field. The upcoming test will feature the launch of HALO’s second full-scale prototype capsule to a height of 32 kilometers above the Earth, further advancing their ambitions in stratospheric commercial flights.

  • Conor Benn and Manny Pacquiao in talks over summer fight in Saudi Arabia

    British boxer Conor Benn is in talks to fight Manny Pacquiao in a remarkable summer bout in Saudi Arabia. The 27-year-old welterweight's career has stalled amid efforts to clear his name after two failed drugs tests in 2022, which saw a grudge match with Chris Eubank Jnr cancelled. Benn has since fought two low-key fights in the United States and now hopes to take on the 45-year-old boxing legend, who has not been in a fight since losing to Yordenis Ugas in 2021. His last victory came against Keith Thurman in 2019.

  • Navigating Transfer Pricing for Regional Headquarters in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    The setup and operation of an RHQ in Saudi Arabia entail intricate transfer pricing considerations. These include assessing business restructuring for compliance, developing equitable cost allocation methods, and analyzing subcontracting and remuneration mechanisms to align with the arm's length principle. These steps are vital to prevent potential penalties, double taxation, and safeguard the company’s reputation while adhering to local laws.

  • Focus on Saudi Arabia: KSA produced nearly double the wheat expected between 2022-2023

    Saudi Arabia produced nearly double the wheat expected in the 2022-23 marketing year and is on track for similar results in 2023-24 as government purchase prices remain high.  Production totaled 1.18 million tonnes in 2022-23 and is estimated at 1.2 million tonnes in 2023-24, according to a report from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The government offered a purchase price of $466.70 per tonne.  Still, the nation will need to import an estimated 4.63 million tonnes of wheat in 2022-23 and 4.8 million tonnes in 2023-24. 

  • Inside Cristiano Ronaldo’s family vacation to Saudi Arabia

    Vacation goals. Cristiano Ronaldo shared a sneak peek of his family’s luxurious beach getaway to a private Saudi Arabian island. The soccer star, his partner, Georgina Rodríguez, and their children stayed at the St. Regis Red Sea Resort on Ummahat Island, according to photos and videos shared by the couple this weekend.

  • Saudi Arabia Tackles How to Pay for Vision 2030; UAE-Egypt Deal Dynamics

    Saudi Arabia is embarking on an unrivaled spending spree on everything from mega projects to sports and technology in a bid to prepare for a post-oil future. It appears the country is only just getting started, with annual deployment of capital by the powerful sovereign wealth fund set to hit $70 billion a year from 2025. But even the giant petrostate has limits to what it can afford and that’s prompting the Public Investment Fund, the government and local banks to look for new ways to raise money.

  • Blinken To Visit Saudi Arabia, Egypt To Discuss Gaza Ceasefire: Spokesman

    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Saudi Arabia and Egypt this week to discuss efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and increase humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory, a State Department spokesperson said Tuesday. Blinken will hold talks with Saudi leaders in Jeddah on Wednesday before travelling to Cairo on Thursday for talks with Egyptian authorities, spokesman Matthew Miller said from the Philippines, where Blinken is touring. This will be Blinken's sixth trip to the Middle East since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7.

  • Discover Riyadh: Why now is the time to visit Saudi Arabia

    "It's not just going to be a traditional travel or airline experience… it's a full end-to-end digital journey management solution," says Adam Boukadida, Riyadh Air's CFO.

  • Alvarez & Marsal Releases Saudi Arabia Banking Pulse For Fy2023

    Leading global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) has released its 4th annual edition of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) Banking Pulse for fiscal year 2023. The performance of the top 10 banks in the Kingdom is largely robust and positive. Operating income grew by 9.5 percent reflecting the effect of higher Non-Interest Income (NII). The year also saw NIMs improving by 3.5 percent with both the cost-to-income ratio (C/I) and the COR showing improvement. Overall, return on equity (ROE) increased to 14.5 percent while return on assets (ROA) stayed constant at a healthy 2.0 percent. Looking ahead, we expect the outlook for Saudi banks to remain stable to positive.

  • Future-proofing Saudi Arabia’s workforce

    Saudi students will soon have greater access to top-quality higher education following a series of agreements allowing international academic institutions to open branches in the Kingdom. Agreements were signed with Australia’s University of Wollongong, and American schools Arizona State University and Cintana Education to establish new campuses in the Kingdom, making their world-class programs available to Saudi students. The deals were announced during the Human Capability Initiative conference held in Riyadh on Feb. 28-29.