MUST-READS

• Sunak: British, Saudi trade exchange crosses $21 billion

  British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak revealed that trade exchange between the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia exceeded 17 billion pounds ($21 billion). “Today we are launching the next phase of the deep and growing partnership between Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. Over the next two days, we will hear from Saudi leaders and companies about how to make Vision 2030 a reality, and the tremendous opportunities it presents to all of us,” he said while addressing, through a video conference, the opening session of the GREAT Futures Initiative Conference, which kicked off at the King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh on Tuesday.

• Saudi Arabia expands PPP pipeline

  Speaking at the MEED Mena Construction Summit in Riyadh, Badr said that NCP has a “healthy pipeline” of over 200 approved projects in different stages of development. He noted that another 300 projects are currently under review. It is understood that the pipeline includes more than 180 schools, following the award of contracts to develop and operate 60 schools each in Jeddah and Medina in 2020 and 2022. “New sectors like healthcare and education have been opened up for public-private partnerships beyond the traditional water and power sectors,” said Badr.

• Seven and Qiddiya combine to form Saudi entertainment giant

  Saudi Entertainment Ventures (Seven) and Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) are combining to become a lifestyle and entertainment giant in Saudi Arabia. Seven, a wholly owned public investment fund (PIF) company, has now become a wholly owned subsidiary of Qiddiya, which remains wholly owned by the PIF. By transferring ownership of Seven to Qiddya, the PIF aims to enhance the offerings of both companies and support its wider strategy for the entertainment, leisure and sports sector.

• Saudi Arabia Diversifying Air Defenses And Boosting Local Industries

  Lockheed Martin awarded two subcontracts to Saudi Arabia’s defense industry in February. Under these subcontracts, Saudi companies will manufacture the interceptor canister and missile round pallet for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system. These subcontracts make Saudi Arabia the first country outside the United States to produce THAAD components locally.

• Unemployment rate in Saudi Arabia’s labor market at 8.6 percent, women’s participation reaches 34.2 percent

  The unemployment rate dropped from 12.8 percent in 2017 to 8.6 percent in the third quarter of 2023

• Saudi cement sales up 13% YoY in April

  Saudi Arabian cement sales increased by 12.5 per cent YoY in April 2024 but fell 18.4 per cent compared to the previous month. According to Aljazira Capital, domestic cement dispatches in April stood at 2.92Mt, compared to 2.6Mt in the same month in the previous year, due to the base month having 11 extra days of Ramadan. The 18.4 per cent MoM decrease was due to the Eid Al-Fatir holidays. Total cement and clinker exports in April 2024 came in at 554,000t, down 30 per cent on the 790,000t seen in April 2023.

• Biden Moves Forward on $1 Billion in New Arms for Israel

  The Biden administration notified Congress on Tuesday that it was moving forward with more than $1 billion in new weapons deals for Israel, U.S. and congressional officials said, a massive arms package less than a week after the White House paused a shipment of bombs over a planned Israeli assault on Rafah.

• For Netanyahu, Gaza’s ‘day after’ must wait

  A segment of Israeli society is furious with Netanyahu over his seeming unwillingness to prioritize the release and repatriation of dozens of Israeli hostages remaining in Hamas captivity in Gaza, where Israel has carried out more than a half-year-long relentless military campaign. Families and friends of the hostages staged an alternative “torch-dousing” ceremony to convey their rage and disquiet.

• Jordan foils arms plot as kingdom caught in Iran-Israel shadow war
  Jordan has foiled a suspected Iranian-led plot to smuggle weapons into the U.S.-allied kingdom to help opponents of the ruling monarchy carry out acts of sabotage, according to two Jordanian sources with knowledge of the matter.
  The weapons were sent by Iranian-backed militias in Syria to a cell of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan that has links to the military wing of Palestinian group Hamas, the people told Reuters. The cache was seized when members of the cell, Jordanians of Palestinian descent, were arrested in late March, they said.

• Tiger: ‘progress made’ but ‘long way to go’ in PGA-Saudi talks

  "We're working on negotiations with PIF. It's ongoing. It's fluid. It changes day-to-day," Woods said. "Has there been progress? Yes. But it's an ongoing negotiation so a lot of work ahead for all of us with this process. "We're making steps. It may not be giant steps, but we're making steps."

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