MUST-READS

• Over 250 Portuguese companies prepare to enter Saudi market

  Over 250 Portuguese companies, which aspire to make investments in Saudi Arabia, participated in a specialized training program to equip them for market entry. Saudi financial and legal experts made presentations during the program that included two intensive workshops, organized by the Saudi-Portuguese Business Council, at the Federation of Saudi Chambers, in Lisbon, capital of Portugal. This step is part of the council's endeavors to support the relocation of global companies' regional headquarters to the Kingdom. It involves highlighting the business environment and market entry strategies and introducing the companies to investment opportunities and incentives in the Kingdom.

• Saudi Arabia’s inflation slows slightly to 1.9% in December
  Saudi Arabia's annual inflation rate fell slightly to 1.9% in December from 2% in November, according to government data released on Wednesday. Inflation in Saudi Arabia has hovered between 1.5% and 2% for most of the year, with housing rents the main driver of price pressures. Rents for housing increased by 10.6% in December, with villa rental prices rising by 9.9%, the General Authority for Statistics said, which was the primary reason for prices for the combined housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels category climbing by 8.9%.

• Global mining needs $6 trillion over next decade, Saudi Minister says

  Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Bandar Alkhorayef, said Tuesday that countries worldwide are in need of investing $6 trillion over the next decade to meet growing demand in the field of mining and mineral resources, Anadolu Agency reports. Addressing the fourth annual international meeting of mining ministers in Riyadh, Alkhorayef said the world is witnessing a surging demand for minerals due to the increasing demand for renewable energy resources and Artificial Intelligence (AI). He also underscored the urgent need for international cooperation to address increasing demand for minerals.

• Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal announces reconstruction of Beirut’s Four Seasons

  Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal announced Tuesday that his company would reconstruct Beirut’s Four Seasons Hotel and reopen it by the end of next year, citing the election of a new president and a “new era for Lebanon.” Lebanese lawmakers elected Joseph Aoun as president last week. They designated Nawaf Salam to be prime minister and to form a new government this week, marking the first time a government will be led free of Syrian or Iranian hegemony in decades. “On the occasion of a new era for Lebanon, and under the leadership of His Excellency President Joseph Aoun, I am pleased to announce that the Four Seasons Hotel, Beirut, which Kingdom Holding Co. built, will be entirely reconstructed and refurbished by Kingdom Beirut S.A.L and will reopen to the public in Q1 2026.” Prince Alwaleed said in a statement.

• Sotheby’s First Saudi Sale Is Led by Magritte, Botero

  Works by René Magritte, Fernando Botero, and Refik Anadol will headline Sotheby’s debut sales event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Featuring around 100 lots, the two-part auction on February 8 will be held at Diriyah, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and include works by canonical artists from the West and pioneering Arab artists, as well as luxury items such as jewelry and watches, handbags, and sports memorabilia. The sale marks the first international auction in the kingdom’s history, according to the auction house. It will be a test of the strength of the Gulf art market amid increasing investment in the region. “Many of the artists that we are bringing have never been exhibited in Saudi before,” said Ashkan Baghestani, the Sotheby’s specialist heading up the sale, explaining that the house wants “to show a new audience what Sotheby’s can offer, giving a taste of the various fields and artists we represent at auction, and giving them exposure on a fresh and exciting platform.”

• Field for $20 million Saudi Cup horse race could be strongest ever

  When the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia announced plans for a $20 million race on the dirt at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, trainer Bob Baffert was asked if he thought Americans would be willing to send their best horses to a spot then relatively unfamiliar on the world scene. "If they put up $20 million, they'll get good horses in the gate," said Baffert, a veteran of top-level international campaigns. He was right from the very first, as excellent horses from around the world showed up for the initial Saudi Cup program in 2020. And with the infrastructure demonstrated, races and purses upgraded and hospitality second to none, the quality of the runners has only improved.

• Saudi Foreign Minister Meets with EU High Representative

  Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah met today in Riyadh with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas on the sidelines of the Expanded Ministerial Meeting on Syria. The two officials discussed the shared cooperation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the European Union and reviewed regional and international developments of mutual interest.

• Al-Falih: 571 global companies moved their headquarters to Saudi Arabia

  Minister of Investment Eng. Khalid Al-Falih said that the initiative of moving regional headquarters of global companies to Saudi Arabia is proceeding steadily well in a way accomplishing its goals. “The number of international companies licensed to establish their headquarters and moved to the Kingdom has reached 571, most of which have opened their offices in the King Abdullah Financial Center in Riyadh. The largest share of them are industrial companies, and incentives will be provided to these companies through various programs,” he said.

• Saudi Arabia targets 130 GW in renewable energy capacity: Minister

  Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said he is confident Saudi Arabia will reach 44 GW of renewable energy capacity, up from nearly 26 GW currently. Speaking at the iktva Forum & Exhibition 2025, he stated that Saudi Arabia aims to achieve 130 GW of renewable energy capacity with a 20% energy reserve margin. This goal reflects expectations for stronger-than-anticipated economic growth, requiring more energy to support expansion. “Without energy, there is no prosperous or fruitful future,” he said, underlining efforts to build renewable energy infrastructure to support the energy transition.

• Balancing the Saudi books to improve growth

  In Saudi Arabia’s case, the sovereign balance sheet looks fine and ratings agencies are happy-ish. Public debt is around only 28 percent of GDP and the finance ministry projects that it will climb to about 33 percent by the end of 2027. The US and European states can only dream of such metrics. How about north of 100 percent? But cash management is an issue. Contractors and others are worried about being paid – at least being paid on time. The banks are lending as much as they can to the mega-projects, and state oil giant Aramco is tapping the debt markets as a proxy for the state. Ihsan Buhlaiga, an economist and former Shura Council member, told Nadim Kawach that the kingdom wants to build foreign reserves and prefers not to sell down assets such as those held by the Public Investment Fund.

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