MUST-READS

• Will Iran’s new president pursue dialogue with the west?

  Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian has beaten hardliner Saeed Jalili in the Iranian presidential race. The July 5 runoff drew some six million more voters than the first round of polling on June 28, pushing up turnout to just under 50%. While President-elect Pezeshkian will begin receiving calls and hold discussions with foreign counterparts from July 8, he will not be sworn in before the parliament until early August. This has not, however, stopped Iranian veteran diplomats from immediately backing any effort by Pezeshkian to engage the west and revive the 2015 nuclear deal.

• Riyadh among top 15 fastest-growing cities: Report

  Riyadh has emerged as one of the top 15 fastest-growing cities by 2033, according to the Savills Growth Hubs Index. The report, part of Savills’ global thought leadership programme Impacts, highlights Riyadh as the only non-Asian city in the top 15 list. The city’s growth potential is linked to a projected 26 percent population increase, expected to reach 9.2 million from the current 5.9 million over the next decade.

• DARPA wants to use AI to find new rare minerals

  Secure access to rare Earth minerals is a critical national security issue, as the entire United States' economy is highly dependent on minerals—and the majority of them discovered so far are in China. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, has partnered with a company called HyperSpectral that applies artificial intelligence to spectroscopic data, which could be key to using satellites or drones to find minerals that would be difficult to detect otherwise.

• Saudi banks post $1.95 billion in aggregate profits for May 2024, reaching 14-month high

  The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) reported that these profits are before zakat and taxes. Cumulatively, banks recorded a total profit of SAR34.78 billion ($9.27 billion) in the first five months of 2024, compared to SAR31.12 billion in the same period last year.

• “Saudi consumers are developing a more sophisticated palate”

  Clients (brands) are demanding more effective marketing strategies in the face of a booming domestic market. The  ever-increasing number of homegrown brands is pushing the boundaries, forcing established players to up their game. This translates to a growing need for data-driven campaigns and innovative experiences that deliver measurable results. The government’s own digital transformation efforts have set a high bar, raising client expectations across industries.

• Saudi Aramco Jackup Suspensions And The Story So Far

  Saudi Aramco’s ambitious post-Covid jackup fleet expansion programme, in which the operator looked to increase its fleet size from approximately 49 jackups in June 2022 to 90 in just two years, seemed a daring feat. But fast forward to March 2024 and the Saudi Arabian National Oil Company (NOC) almost met its target having 89 jackups at work.

• Saudi Arabia set to participate in 2024 UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development

  The Saudi delegation, headed by His Excellency Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal F. Alibrahim, will include representatives from 13 entities from the government. The delegation includes the Ministry of Economy and Planning, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, National Center for Vegetation Coverage and Combatting Desertification, National Center for Environmental Compliance, General Food Security Authority (GFSA), Royal Commission for Riyadh City, Royal Commission for Al-Ula, Al Madinah Region Development Authority, Quality of Life Program, and Qassim Urban Observatory.

• Saudi Couple Stuns With Epic Formula 1 Inspired Wedding Entrance

  “We both love doing things differently,” said 32-year-old Abdulaziz to Arab News. “The whole experience was iconic and incredibly special. We’re so grateful for making our night as memorable as our relationship,” added 26-year-old Amirah.

• Did a deal between Saudi Arabia and US to sell oil in dollars expire?

  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.” But the claims are false. No known formal deal stipulating that Saudi Arabia must sell oil in U.S. dollars exists. While not formally bound by agreement, Saudi Arabia has in practice conducted all its oil deals over the past several decades entirely in U.S. dollars.

• Saudi sports ministry offers six pro clubs to domestic and foreign private investors

  Al Okhdood, Al Orouba and Al Kholoud, will all play in the 18-team Pro League next season, while the Saudi sports ministry said that Al Zulfi, Al Nahda and Al Ansar were selected for the next round of privatisation based on their “operational readiness, financial health, administrative capabilities, and athletic facilities”. They would also step into the top tier.

• 10 of 44010 results<< 1 … 314 315 316 … 4,401 >>