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  • Kering Launches its Kering Generation Award in Saudi Arabia in Partnership with the Saudi Fashion Commission

    The first Saudi edition of this Award program will specifically seek to identify start-ups that have an impact on customer engagement, circular economy and water protection. Together, Kering and the Saudi Fashion Commission commit to driving impactful change by promoting sustainable practices and supporting visionary fashion initiatives that shape a responsible future.

  • Saudi Arabia says 540 companies have chosen Kingdom for regional headquarters

    Saudi Arabia’s investment minister said on Tuesday the number of companies in the Kingdom with a regional headquarters had reached 540, ahead of a 2030 target of 500. “Our target was 500 regional headquarters by 2030. I’m glad to announce we have reached 540 by this morning,” Khalid al-Falih said during the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in Riyadh.

  • Saudi Arabia cleared to buy over 1,000 TOW missiles by US State Department

    Saudi Arabia has requested to buy 507 TOW 2A radio frequency (RF) (BGM-71E-4B-RF) missiles (including seven ‘fly-to-buy’ missiles) and 507 TOW 2B RF (BGM-71F-3-RF) missiles (including seven ‘fly-to-buy’ missiles). The following non-Major Defense Equipment is also included in the deal: support and test equipment; simulators; generators; integration and test support; spare and repair parts; communications equipment; software; facilities and construction support; publications and technical documentation; and various aspects of engineering, logistics, technical, training and programme support.

  • High expectations, new players expected to take part in Saudi Arabia’s FII

    “We see some new big players coming to FII for the first time, and these people are the tech guys. So, you see people from Google, Microsoft, and IBM who were not really present before because they thought that FII would be just a world of bankers and private equities. Now we see the tech companies coming, which is great for us,” Attias said.

  • Why Saudi Arabia is emerging as key exit market for start-ups

    In the first half of this year, Saudi Arabia's share of exits rose to 20 per cent, compared with 12 per cent in 2021, says Philip Bahoshy, chief executive of data platform Magnitt. Last year, the kingdom witnessed a total of nine exits, accounting for 21 per cent of the Mena region's M&A transactions and ranking second after the UAE. Start-ups usually take an average of seven years to exit, he adds.

  • Construction starts on world’s largest building in Saudi Arabia

    Construction has begun on the 400-metre-high, cube-shaped Mukaab supertall skyscraper in Riyadh designed by AtkinsRéalis, which will be the world's largest building when it completes. Designed as the centrepiece of the 19-square-kilometre New Murabba development in northwest Riyadh, Mukaab is now officially under construction with excavations underway, according to its development company. The developer, named New Murabba Development Company and funded by Saudi Arabia's central Public Investment Fund (PIF), said groundworks at the site are now 86 per cent complete.

  • Saudi Arabia pumps funding into startups as it vies for Mena No 1

    The VC market across the Middle East and North Africa raised $1.3 billion from January to September 2024 – and Saudi Arabia “led the region”, said startup analyst Magnitt. The kingdom secured “39 percent of Mena’s total funding” and activity was driven by $100 million-plus “deals like SallaApp’s $130 million round” in March, according to Magnitt’s Q3 report. The UAE was the region’s “most active market”, Magnitt added, “with a 12 percent increase in deal volume, accounting for 38 percent of all deals”

  • Saudi Arabia, China forge tourism partnerships to boost investment, travel

    In a post on his X account, Al-Khateeb said: “During my visit to China, I met with Chinese investors and discussed the great potential and investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector and ways for collaboration to elevate the experience of tourists.” In June, the Kingdom announced its official Approved Destination Status, effective July 1, following participation in the second China Roadshow and ITB China in Shanghai.

  • Ericsson and KACST Partner to Launch Advanced 5G Gaming Lab in Saudi Arabia

    Ericsson and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announce their partnership to establish a joint advanced connectivity lab for gaming and beyond at KACST’s premises, named as “Blink Lab”. The lab will feature a private 5G network and serve as a testbed for training, research, product development and commercialization of innovative gaming solutions from from global and local ecosystems.

  • Saudi Arabia Participates in G7 Ministerial Meeting in Italy on Global Health Issues

    The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has participated in the G7 Health Ministers' Meeting held in Ancona, Italy, following an invitation from the Group of Seven (G7). The meeting focused on several pressing global health issues, including antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the impact of climate change on health, and efforts to prolong human life, all aimed at strengthening international collaboration to tackle these critical challenges.