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  • Underground in Arabia
     

    Born and raised in Dhahran, I thought I had seen most of the natural wonders of the Eastern kingdom from the towering dunes of the Rub’ Al Khali to the pristine reefs of the Gulf, so it was a true surprise to read the manuscript for John Pint’s Underground in Arabia. I had visited the […]

     
  • Al Jubayl Saudi Arabia As Seen From Orbit at Night
     

    The city of Al Jubayl (or Jubail) is located on the coast of Saudi Arabia, along the Persian Gulf. The city has a history extending back more than 7,000 years, but since 1975 it has been associated with the petrochemical, fertilizer, and steel industries. At night, these industrial areas form a brightly lit region (image […]

     
  • Why Saudi Arabia’s Travel and Tourism Sector Is Ripe for Growth
     

    Saudi Arabia’s travel and tourism sector is poised for rapid growth in the next decade and beyond, and both Saudi and international corporations are looking to cash in on the opportunities ahead. A product of the changing economic and social landscape in Saudi Arabia, the coming tourism boom is likely to contribute to the Kingdom’s […]

     
  • Saudi, UAE, Qatar top Cleantech list
     

    Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Jordan are the most attractive markets for clean technologies, thanks to their government plans, budgets and long-term strategies, said a report by Ernst & Young. These countries have also demonstrated investments in large initiatives such as KACARE, Masdar and the ‘Green’ Fifa World Cup 2022, said E&Y in the […]

     
  • Saudi Mortgage Law Approved – Jadwa Flash Note
     

    Jadwa Investments released a flash note discussing the recently approved mortgage law in Saudi Arabia, which the bank believes “is a very important step in broadening home ownership.” The new mortgage law “will help to tackle one of the most pressing social issues for many in the Kingdom and will generate significant benefits to the economy. However, […]

     
  • The Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh is Arguably the World’s Nicest Hotel
     

    If you look at pictures of the new Ritz Carlton, it might not look like it belongs in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Not because the arguably world’s nicest hotel isn’t worthy for the Kingdom, but because the style of the hotel makes it look like a king’s palace in old Europe, with a […]

     
  • Sulaiman Al-Rajhi’s life a rags to riches story
     

    Al-Rajhi is a billionaire who chose last year to become a poor man at his own will without having any cash or real estates or stocks that he owned earlier. He became penniless after transferring all his assets among his children and set aside the rest for endowments. In recognition of his outstanding work to […]

     
  • How Oil Has Driven Global Conflict For The Past 100 Years
     

    Michael T. Klare recently gave a presentation titled “The Geopolitics of Oil: Old and New” at the Association for the Study of Peak Oil conference in Vienna, in which he speaks about how no other substance in the world is as closely aligned with geopolitics as oil is. Klare describes the geopolitics of oil — the intersection […]

     
  • Hoteliers Expand in Saudi Arabia as Mecca Goes Upscale
     

    “I wish I could have more hotels in Mecca,” said Jan Smits, InterContinental’s chief executive officer for Asia, Middle East and Africa. “In four months, you make 70 percent of your income. It’s a really strong market and it’s one of the most unique in the world.” The company has been in the country since […]

     
  • The problem with taxing foreign-earned income
     

    Eritrea is one of only two countries in the world that applies citizenship-based taxation in addition to residence-based taxation.  The other? The United States of America. In fact, the US is the ONLY industrialized country in the world to impose citizenship-based taxation. The immediate result for American expatriates is a blizzard of confusing and complex […]

     

MUST-READS

  • McKinsey and BCG warn staff face jail if they reveal Saudi work

    The heads of consulting giants McKinsey and BCG told US lawmakers on Tuesday that their employees in Saudi Arabia could face jail if the firms handed over details of their work for the country’s sovereign wealth fund without approval from the kingdom. Bob Sternfels of McKinsey and Rich Lesser of BCG had been summoned to appear before Congress, along with the chief executive of smaller consultancy Teneo and the dealmaker Michael Klein, after the four firms failed to comply with a subpoena demanding information about their work for the $700bn Public Investment Fund. A Senate committee is investigating how Saudi Arabia is using “soft power” such as sports investments to extend its influence in the US, and lawmakers assailed the consulting groups for their work in the kingdom at a hearing on Tuesday.

  • Expat remittances in Saudi Arabia at all-time low in a decade

    Remittances of foreigners working in Saudi Arabia showed a downward trend in 2023 for the second year in a row, standing at SR124.9 billion, their lowest in more than a decade, according to a Saudi report. In 2022, the remittances reached SR143.2 billion against SR153.5 billion the previous year. Their highest level was recorded in 2015 when they surged to SR156.9 billion, Al Eqtisadia reported, citing data from the Saudi Central Bank. Last year’s figure was the lowest since 2011.

  • Saudi Arabia joint venture heralds big sea farming expansion

    The aquaculture industry in Saudi Arabia is set for significant growth following the announcement of a new joint venture between NEOM, Saudi Arabia’s development organisation, and fish farming business Tabuk Fisheries Company. Trading as Topian Aquaculture, the new venture will include a hatchery that is expected to become the largest in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region by the end of 2024. The hatchery has a planned capacity of 42 million fingerlings and marine-pen production facilities, with production of finfish in the pens projected to reach 20,000 tonnes per year.

  • What Israeli Soldiers’ Videos Reveal: Cheering Destruction and Mocking Gazans

    Since Israel’s invasion in October, soldiers have shared videos from Gaza on social media, offering a rare, unsanctioned look at operations on the ground. Some have been viewed by small circles of people; others have reached tens of thousands. The New York Times reviewed hundreds of these videos. Some show unremarkable parts of a soldier’s life — eating, hanging out or sending messages to loved ones back home.

  • Hamas proposes 135-day Gaza truce with complete Israeli withdrawal

    Hamas has proposed a ceasefire to quiet the guns in Gaza for four-and-a-half months, during which all hostages would go free, Israel would withdraw its troops from the Gaza Strip and an agreement would be reached on an end to the war. The militant group's proposal - a response to an offer sent last week by Qatari and Egyptian mediators and cleared by Israel and the United States - came during the biggest diplomatic push yet for an extended halt to the fighting.

  • Saudi Arabia to US: No Israel ties until recognition of an independent Palestinian state within 1967 borders

    Saudi Arabia has clearly communicated to the United States that it will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without substantial progress on the Palestinian issue. The Kingdom is demanding the recognition of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital. Additionally, it has called for an end to Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip and insisted on the withdrawal of all Israeli occupation forces from the enclave as a prerequisite for any future diplomatic engagement with Israel.

  • Saudi economy on track to surpass Vision 2030 targets: Al-Falih

    The Saudi economy is poised to grow from SAR 2.6 trillion to exceed the digital target of SAR 6.4 trillion by 2030, Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih said. During the second edition of the PIF Private Sector Forum held today, Feb. 6, Al-Falih underscored that the private sector's contribution to the economy is expected to reach 65% by 2030, marking a quadruple increase compared to pre-Vision levels. The minister emphasized that the Public Investment Fund (PIF) serves as the engine of growth for the private sector, and each entity in this journey represents a robust company enhancing opportunities in the Saudi economy. The private sector benefited from opportunities exceeding SAR 300 billion through partnerships with the fund and government initiatives, he added.

  • Saudi Arabia says no relations with Israel before recognition of Palestinian state on 1967 borders

    Saudi Arabia clapped back at the United States’ claims that discussions on a Saudi-Israeli normalization deal were moving forward separately from talks on a Gaza cease-fire. In a statement released early Wednesday, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said the kingdom has informed Washington that it will have no diplomatic relations with Israel until an independent Palestinian state is established on the 1967 borders with east Jerusalem as its capital and Israel ends its offensive on the Gaza Strip and withdraws its troops from the enclave. “Saudi Arabia has always been steadfast on the Palestinian issue and the necessity that the brotherly Palestinian people obtain their legitimate rights,” the statement added. Read more: https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2024/02/saudi-arabia-says-no-relations-israel-recognition-palestinian-state-1967-borders#ixzz8R3rLeUiv

  • Saudi SAL partners with Space Age for drone-based shipments

    Drones will be utilized to enhance transportation and shipment efficiency in Saudi Arabia, thanks to a new agreement signed by the Kingdom’s SAL Saudi Logistics Services Co. The logistics and supply chain solutions provider signed a memorandum of understanding with the Saudi-based technology firm Space Age on the second day of the World Defense Show 2024. The agreement aims to provide the technical solutions and infrastructure necessary to transfer and localize the drone industry, as stated by SAL in a post on X.

  • Saudi Arabia’s Defense Industry Seeking Local Assembly Of Helos

    During the World Defense Show here, both Leonardo and Turkish Aerospace signed agreements with Saudi entities on Feb. 4 to explore the potential of assembling aircraft for the domestic market. Fellow OEM Airbus Helicopters signed a similar agreement during last year’s Paris Air Show with Scopa, a Saudi defense company establishing agreements with Western defense companies.