MUST-READS

• Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia explore funds to track Hong Kong stock indices

  Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia are exploring the creation of an exchange-traded fund (ETF) tracking Hong Kong indices, Hong Kong Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong said in a statement on Thursday. The Hong Kong government is currently working with several financial institutions to develop the ETF, Wong said. The statement was released on the sidelines of an event jointly held by the Saudi Tadawul Group, the owner of the Saudi Exchange, and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd (HKEX).

• Saudi Arabia’s $100bn tech investment shows global leadership on AI, says Microsoft executive

  Saudi Arabia’s plan to invest $100 billion in technology is propelling the Kingdom to the forefront of innovation and talent development worldwide, said a senior Microsoft Arabia executive. In February, the Kingdom launched Alat, a technology and artificial intelligence firm backed by the Public Investment Fund, with the aim of pouring funds into Saudi Arabia’s technological sector.

• Saudi Arabia broadens e-visa eligibility to include visitors from three new countries

  Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism announced on Wednesday it has expanded its e-visa ambit to include nationals from three new countries, as the Kingdom moves forward with its efforts to boost its tourism sector. Nationals of Barbados, Commonwealth of Bahamas, and Grenada can now apply for a visitor visa electronically or upon arrival at one of the Kingdom’s ports, the ministry said in a post on X.

• Saudi Arabia leads Q1 IPO activity in MENA: EY report

  Saudi Arabia emerged as a dominant force in initial public offering activity for the region in the first quarter of 2024, according to multinational professional services EY. With nine IPOs launched during this period, the Kingdom, along with the UAE, contributed to a total of 10 listings, generating combined proceeds of $1.2 billion, as detailed in the MENA IPO Eye Q1 2024 report.

• Saudi Arabia records 16% surge in credit card loans in Q1 2024

  Saudi Arabia recorded a 16 percent annual surge in credit card loans in the first quarter of 2024 to reach SR27.25 billion ($7.3 billion), the latest central bank data showed. The Saudi Central Bank, also known as SAMA, figures indicate a shift in consumer behaviors about cashless payment options and show that the Kingdom is on track to become a cashless society. Advertisement In an April report by GlobalData, Ravi Sharma, a banking and payments analyst, emphasized the transition from cash to electronic payments, noting: “While cash has traditionally been a preferred method of payment in Saudi Arabia, its usage is on the decline in line with the rising consumer preference for electronic payments.”

• Saudi Industrial Production Index drops 8.7% in March

  Saudi Arabia’s Industrial Production Index (IPI) declined by 8.7% year-on-year (YoY) in March. Data issued by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) showed that Saudi IPI fell to 104.48 points in March 2024, according to the base year 2021, compared to 114.47 points in March 2023. The index was directly affected by the decline in the mining and quarrying activity, which accounts for 61.4% of the index, the authority said. The IPI measures the relative change and reflects the production quantities of materials and goods, which have been converted from raw materials to consumables in their final form as goods, for the purpose of achieving a return.

• UN Warns of Four-Month Lean Period in Yemen

  The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned that Yemen would be facing a lean period from June to September due to a decrease in humanitarian food assistance in Houthi-controlled areas and a projected increase in food prices in areas held by the legitimate government. In its quarterly food security update, the FAO said that despite a brief relief experienced from mid-March through April this year due to augmented social support (zakat) during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, food security is anticipated to deteriorate from June to September, marking “the peak of the lean period in the country.” FAO noted that during the first quarter of 2024, the food security situation deteriorated compared to the same period last year.

• PGA Championship invites 7 LIV players to get top 100 in the world

  The PGA Championship officially has Tiger Woods in a field released Tuesday that includes invitations to seven players from Saudi-funded LIV Golf, giving the major 99 of the 100 in the world ranking at Valhalla next week. The PGA of America strives to have the top 100 in the world to maintain its reputation for having the strongest field of the four majors, although it is not part of the criteria. Those hopes ended late Tuesday when Rikuya Hoshino (No. 94) withdrew. The PGA leans on a catch-all category of “special invitations.” The group of LIV players includes Patrick Reed, whose tie for 12th in the Masters moved him inside the top 100. He is at No. 92, and the invitation keeps alive his streak of playing every major since the 2014 Masters.

• Italy and Libya sign co-operation agreements

  Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni signed three agreements with Libya during an official state visit on Tuesday, in which she met officials from the Tripoli and Benghazi-based governments in the conflict-torn country. The agreements are part of the Mattei plan, a project in which Italy promised a €5.5 billion ($5.92 billion) investment package for projects in Africa at a summit in Rome in January. Ms Meloni initially met Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, who leads the National Unity Government in Tripoli.

• Podcast: A Plan to Remake the Middle East

  If and when Israel and Hamas reach a deal for a cease-fire, the United States will immediately turn to a different set of negotiations over a grand diplomatic bargain that it believes could rebuild Gaza and remake the Middle East. Michael Crowley, who covers the State Department and U.S. foreign policy for The Times, explains why those involved in this plan believe they have so little time left to get it done.

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