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  • Saudi Arabia Expands Absher Platform with New Digital Identity Services for Citizens and Expatriates

    Saudi Arabia has expanded its Absher digital platform with new services that streamline government procedures for citizens and expatriates. The platform recently achieved a milestone of 28 million digital identities in December 2024. Maj. Gen. Saleh Al Murabba, Chief of the Saudi Directorate of Passports, announced new features including digital identity verification for expatriates, photo upload capabilities for dependent passports, and enhanced national ID card management services. Expatriate residents can now display digital identification details to authorities, update passport information, and submit photos for passport-related procedures through the platform.

  • Saudi Prince Steps In as Power Broker in Trump’s New World Order

    MBS, as the oil-rich kingdom’s de facto ruler is known, is one of the few global power brokers to enjoy a close relationship with Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, while most Arab heads of state see him as critical to tackling a more erratic Washington. That has positioned Riyadh as the most likely venue for a Trump-Putin summit on Ukraine, and puts Prince Mohammed at the heart of the regional response to Trump’s controversial proposals for war-ravaged Gaza. Saudi officials believe that positioning MBS as a peacemaker furthers the kingdom’s goal of becoming a middle-ranked global power that’s friends with everyone and pursues a foreign policy that’s mainly in the service of its economic interests and aspirations.

  • Saudi Arabia Emerges as Key Global Player Under Trump

    Saudi Arabia's diplomatic maneuvers reflect its ambitions to assert itself globally while securing its own geopolitical interests. Its support for a negotiated peace in Ukraine could bolster its influence with both Washington and Moscow, while its leadership on Gaza underscores its regional authority. The Kingdom's balancing act will test its ability to navigate the complex dynamics of great power competition and Middle East stability. "Saudi Arabia's recent diplomatic maneuvers reflect a growing maturity from Riyadh that we didn't see during President Donald Trump's first term. The Kingdom appears to have moved on from an unrealistic foreign policy approach towards the region, and instead seems to be using its leverage and embracing diplomacy as a tool for regional stability and strategic influence."

  • Discover a World of Cinematic Opportunities in Saudi Arabia

    The Saudi Film Commission, one of 11 specialized commissions under the Ministry of Culture, plays a pivotal role in empowering the industry and driving its development, further strengthening the Kingdom’s position as a leader in the global film landscape. From the high mountains of the north to the Red Sea’s white beaches in the west, and from vast deserts in the east to green landscapes in the south, Saudi Arabia offers an array of possibilities for filmmakers. The Kingdom’s landscapes, with their modern cities, reflect a blend of heritage and modernity, offering the chance to tell diverse stories. Sites like NEOM, Alula, Diriyah, Riyadh, Jeddah and the Empty Quarter provide a versatile backdrop providing locations that can stand in for a wide variety of settings.

  • Explorer completes first stage of bid to cross Saudi Arabia on foot

    Writer and TV presenter Alice Morrison, from Edinburgh, began her journey on New Year’s Day at the border with Jordan. Accompanied by two camels – named Juicy and Lulu – and local guides, the 61-year-old has now covered the 930 kilometres to the Prophet’s Mosque, also known as Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, in Madinah. The seven-week journey saw the seasoned explorer average about 23km – or 33,000 steps – per day. During the journey, Ms Morrison, who speaks fluent Arabic, explored numerous pieces of the country’s rich history – including ancient ruins, bronze age tombs, and relics from the old Hejaz railway.

  • Saudi Arabia deports 10,822 illegal residents in a week

    Saudi Arabia has deported 10,822 illegal residents during the last week, the Ministry of Interior revealed on Saturday. A total of 29,510 violators were referred to their diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents while 3678 violators were referred to complete their travel reservations during the period between Feb. 06 and 12. The Saudi security forces have arrested a total of 22,663 illegal residents from various regions of the Kingdom during the last week. The arrests were made during the joint field security campaigns that were carried out in collaboration with the relevant government agencies.

  • Cybersecurity market seen to rise 13% in Saudi Arabia: PwC official

    Samer Omar, PwC Middle East Cybersecurity & Digital Trust Leader, said Saudi Arabia's cybersecurity market is estimated at SAR 13-14 billion, of which 31% is dominated by the government & public sector and the remaining 69% by the private sector, as outlined in a 2024 report by the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA). The market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11-13% over the next five years, driven by the continued investments and accelerated technological developments, Omar said in an interview with Argaam on the sidelines of LEAP 2025 Conference.

  • BYD Energy Storage Secures World’s Largest Energy Storage Contracts with Saudi Electricity Company

    BYD Energy Storage has signed a landmark agreement with Saudi Electricity Company for the development of energy storage projects with a total capacity of 12.5 GWh, marking the largest energy storage contracts in the world to date. Combined with the previously delivered 2.6 GWh project, the collaboration now amounts to 15.1 GWh of energy storage capacity, reinforcing their commitment to advancing Saudi Arabia’s renewable energy sector. The agreement is a significant step towards Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals, aiming to enhance the country’s energy infrastructure and accelerate the transition to renewables. The projects will be deployed across five sites, fully integrating with Saudi Arabia’s power transmission network to ensure grid stability, manage peak energy demand, and support the growing adoption of renewable energy sources.

  • Al Ula conference For Emerging Market Economies THE MANAGING DIRECTOR’S OPENING REMARKS

    Now is a time of sweeping transformations in the global economy, in terms of technology, demography and geopolitics, creating a more challenging and uncertain environment for policymakers everywhere, with some specificities in terms of both risks and opportunities for emerging economies. We know, for instance, that trade is no longer the engine of growth that it used to be—unlike the decades of the 1990s and 2000s when global trade grew much faster than global GDP, the two are now growing at roughly the same rate (and trade even lags behind). When global trade slows down, opportunities for regional and cross-regional trade become more important.

  • Saudi Arabia seeks to mediate between Trump and Iran on new nuclear deal

    Saudi Arabia is open to mediating between the Trump administration and Iran in pursuit of a new deal to limit Tehran’s nuclear program, CNN has learned. The kingdom is concerned that Iran may be more inclined to pursue a nuclear weapon now that its regional proxies – long viewed as a deterrent against Israeli attacks – have been significantly weakened. Saudi Arabia hopes to leverage its close ties with President Donald Trump to provide Iran with a diplomatic bridge to the White House. It is unclear whether Saudi Arabia has made a formal offer, but the move underscores Riyadh’s desire to build on its improved relations with its former foe and secure a seat at the negotiating table for a potential new deal.