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  • Saudi Crown Prince ‘reassured everyone’ about King Salman’s health

    Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “reassured everyone about the health of the King” during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, state media reported, after the royal court said on Sunday King Salman bin Abdulaziz would undergo medical tests for a lung inflammation. Earlier this year, King Salman visited King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Jeddah after completing a routine checkup. Citing a statement from the Royal Court, state-media report said at the time that the Saudi leader was admitted “to conduct routine examinations which will take several hours.”

  • In Jerusalem, US Senator Graham urges Israel-Saudi normalisation before year end

    Prominent U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham urged Saudi Arabia and Israel on Tuesday to establish diplomatic ties by the end of the year, warning that the next U.S. administration is unlikely to be able to secure enough votes to support the deal. The Biden administration is seeking to broker a normalisation accord between the two countries that would include U.S. security guarantees for Gulf state Saudi Arabia, among other bilateral deals between Washington and Riyadh.

  • Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III’s Call With Saudi Minister of Defense, His Royal Highness Khalid bin Salman

    Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Saudi Minister of Defense His Royal Highness Khalid bin Salman yesterday to review U.S. efforts to promote security in the Middle East. The Secretary underscored the United States' longstanding commitment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's defense and the importance of the U.S.-Saudi defense partnership to regional security. The Secretary and the Minister committed to continued close bilateral cooperation to enhance deterrence against shared threats, including from Iran and Iran-backed groups, and the Secretary thanked Saudi Arabia for its efforts to promote calm in the region. The leaders discussed the need for all parties to contribute to a restoration of stability and responsible governance in Lebanon. The Secretary underscored that the United States maintains significant capability in the region to support the defense of U.S. regional partners, protect U.S. personnel, and deter aggression.

  • Saudi Arabia to funnel at least $10bn into low-carbon hydrogen via ‘new’ subsidiary: report

    And some investments from ESC are set to be made with state oil firm Saudi Aramco, which is currently tasked with delivering the kingdom’s ambitions to deliver 15% of the world’s blue hydrogen (made with fossil gas and carbon capture and storage). The obscure subsidiary has no visible web presence but appears to have been in existence since at least June last year, when PIF congratulated it on becoming a 6% shareholder in German electrolyser maker Thyssenkrupp Nucera, which is 50% owned by its holding company Thyssenkrupp AG.

  • Will Smith to Be Guest of Honor at Saudi Arabia Movie Biz Trade Show Saudi Film Confex

    Will Smith is set to give a talk on the opening day of the sophomore edition of the Saudi Film Confex, taking place in Saudi Arabia’s capital of Riyadh between Oct. 9-12. The event, which will welcome the Oscar-winning actor as its guest of honor, will gather both local and international industry experts to discuss how to advance and strengthen the Saudi film industry.

  • Iran foreign minister to visit Saudi Arabia, regional countries

    Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will visit Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region starting on Tuesday to discuss regional issues and work on stopping Israel's "crimes" in Gaza and Lebanon, Iran's state media reported. Gulf Arab states - most of them major energy exporters like Iran - have sought to reassure Tehran of their neutrality in the Iran-Israel conflict, sources told Reuters last week.

  • Saudi Arabia leads region in green building projects with 2k registrations

    Saudi Arabia has made significant strides in sustainable construction, registering 2,000 of the 5,000 green building projects across the Arab world, according to a top official. Speaking at the opening of the 14th annual Saudi Green Building Forum, held in Riyadh from Oct. 6-8, Minister of Municipalities and Housing Majed Al-Hogail highlighted the Kingdom’s numerous milestones in this sector, reported the Saudi Press Agency. The Saudi green building market is projected to generate $16.4 billion in revenue this year and is expected to grow at a compounded annual rate of 12.3 percent, reaching $33.0 billion by 2030, according to market research firm Prescient & Strategic Intelligence.

  • CEO of Air Connectivity Program: Over 60 New Air Routes Connect Saudi Arabia to Global Destinations

    The Air Connectivity Program, launched in 2021, has played a significant role in boosting Saudi Arabia's tourism sector by establishing new air routes and enhancing connectivity with international destinations. The program has positioned the Kingdom as a leading hub for global air tourism. During an interview with the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) at the Routes World 2024 Exhibition and Conference in Bahrain, Chief Executive Officer of the Air Connectivity Program Majid Khan highlighted the strategic importance of Saudi Arabia's geographic location, which allows access to Europe, Asia, and Africa within an eight-hour flight radius. This, he said, offers multiple international options for aviation industry players to establish routes to the Kingdom.

  • KPMG adds eight company members to Saudi partnership team

    Commenting on the career milestone for the eight individuals, Abdullah Hamad Al Fozan, CEO of KPMG Middle East, said: “Congratulations to Ajay, Gary, Omar, Hany, Haytham, Mohammad, Mohannad, and Muhanad on their well-deserved promotions. Their dedication and strategic vision have been instrumental in our firm’s success. We are excited about their future contributions and confident that they will continue to drive transformative results for our clients.” In Saudi Arabia, KPMG has offices in Al Khobar, Jeddah, and Riyadh.

  • Supermarkets of Saudi Arabia: Ensuring Food Security and Economic Diversity

    Saudi Arabia has a strong growing consumer demographic and the grocery retail sector is estimated to be around 55 percent of the total retail market of the sector. In 2025, while the online grocery shopping sector is forecast to reach 10 percent of the total grocery sales, the overall size of the retail market is projected to reach USD 31.4 billion. This growth is majorly attributed to the growing popularity of modern retail formats such as supermarkets and hypermarkets.