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  • Salesforce Expands Presence in Saudi Arabia with New Regional Headquarters in Riyadh

    Salesforce, the world’s #1 AI CRM, today announced plans to expand its presence in Saudi Arabia with a new regional headquarters in Riyadh. Salesforce also announced plans to partner with IBM to open a Center of Excellence in Riyadh. Separately, it pledged to provide upskilling opportunities to 30,000 Saudi citizens by 2030. These investments underscore Salesforce’s growing presence in the region as more companies invest in Agentforce, the digital labor platform for enterprises.

  • PwC: GCC CEOs Embrace Optimism and Reinvention Amid Disruptive Change

    A recent survey by PwC revealed that CEOs in the GCC, including Oman, are among the most optimistic globally about revenue growth in 2025. Despite their confidence, regional leaders are acutely aware of the challenges posed by AI, climate concerns, and intensifying competition as industries evolve and boundaries blur. PwC Middle East Senior Partner Hani Ashkar commented that the Middle East’s optimism reflects its ability to adapt and innovate amid global challenges. He noted that regional CEOs are implementing bold strategies to drive growth, enhance competitiveness, embrace sustainability, and integrate AI, which collectively strengthen the region’s position as a dynamic business hub.

  • SAR, Arsenale Unveil the Final Designs of ‘Dream of the Desert’ Luxury Train: A Masterpiece of Art, Hospitality

    Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) and Italian hospitality company Arsenale have officially unveiled the final designs of the Dream of the Desert train, the first five-star luxury train in the Middle East. This milestone marks a significant step forward in redefining luxury rail travel in the region, seamlessly blending contemporary opulence with the rich cultural heritage of Saudi Arabia. This announcement coincides with the visit of the prime minister of the Italian Republic to the Kingdom. Inspired by the desert landscape and traditional Saudi architecture, the interiors feature refined craftsmanship, with earthy tones, luxurious textiles, and intricate decorative details. Architectural elements and motifs from iconic Saudi landmarks—including Madain Saleh and Hail—are elegantly woven into the train's design, offering passengers a journey that is both visually and culturally enriching.

  • Saudi edtech UpLevel secures pre-Seed round

    The Saudi edtech startup UpLevel has raised an undisclosed pre-Seed funding round from a group of angel investors. The company provides intelligent solutions aimed at empowering individuals and organisations to achieve sustainable professional growth and enhance institutional performance. This is achieved through specialised career guidance, innovative mentoring, and training programs designed according to global standards. Founded in 2024 by Idris Alshayea and Hamad AlLuhaidan, UpLevel helps companies improve employee performance by connecting them with a network of experienced professional coaches

  • Global sports pitches leader to design stadium in Saudi Arabia for World Cup 2034

    SIS Pitches, the team behind the record-breaking Kingdom Arena pitch in Riyadh, has announced it will design another major stadium in Saudi Arabia that will host some of the matches at the World Cup 2034. The company, which produces premium hybrid, synthetic, and natural pitches for a variety of sports, has partnered with Aramco Stadium in Al-Khobar. “A year on from the Kingdom Arena, our flagship project for the region, we’re thrilled to be able to announce another major project,” David Ball, Managing Director at SIS Middle East, said in a statement.

  • NEOM Green Hydrogen project reaches key milestones in energy transition

    In 2024, NGHC reported achieving 60% completion across its key sites, which include a hydrogen production facility, wind garden, solar farm, and transmission grid. The installation of critical technology and the preparation of “Electrolyser 1” for a 2025 launch marked key construction milestones. NGHC is also expanding its workforce, launching a recruitment drive that attracted over 9,000 applicants and forming partnerships with educational institutions to train future talent in the sector.

  • Careem Pay launches fee-free remittance service, undercuts traditional exchanges

    Careem has launched a new remittance feature through Careem Pay that offers zero-fee international transfers and better-than-market exchange rates, challenging traditional exchange houses in the UAE’s remittance market. The move comes as conventional exchange houses increased their fees by 15 per cent last year, according to the company. The new service, which primarily benefits Careem Plus members, enables customers to save up to AED 400 per transaction when sending money abroad.

  • White House envoy met senior Palestinian official in Saudi Arabia

    President Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff met on Tuesday in Riyadh with a senior adviser to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, according to two sources with knowledge of the meeting. This was the first meeting between a Trump administration official and a Palestinian official since November's election. The sources said the meeting was the result of several weeks of back-channel talks between Trump administration officials and Palestinian leadership. According to one source, Saudi Arabia helped broker the meeting, which took place in its capital.

  • Saudi Telecom Company signs $9bn deal to build telecom infrastructure

    Saudi Telecom Company, the kingdom's biggest mobile operator, has signed a contract worth Saudi riyals 32.64 billion ($8.7 billion) with a government entity to build, operate and provide telecoms infrastructure services. STC, which offers digital products and services across the Middle East and North Africa region, did not disclose the name of the government entity. The agreement includes an 18-month preparation and execution phase, followed by a 15-year operational period for the project, STC said in a statement on Tadawul, where its shares are traded. STC shares rose more than 2.24 per cent on Tuesday after the announcement as this deal marks a significant step in enhancing the kingdom's telecom infrastructure.

  • Minister AlRajhi: increased Saudi-ILO cooperation fosters decent work, social justice and inclusive development

    As we continue to build a labour market that serves all who live and work in the Kingdom, we are acutely focused on eradicating abuse and exploitation in all its forms. Effective global collaboration is imperative to achieve this goal, and the Kingdom is aligned with key international labour standards, including through the ratification of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention on the Protection of Wages No. 95 and the Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention No. 29. Building on these commitments, the Kingdom has now introduced a National Policy for the Elimination of Forced Labour – the first of its kind in Arab countries.