MUST-READS

• Saudi Arabia carries out arrests over sex work and ‘immoral acts’

  Saudi Arabia has carried out dozens of arrests in connection with sex work, street begging and human trafficking, days after a new unit was set up to tackle such issues. Last month, the interior ministry announced the creation of the General Department for Community Security and Combating Human Trafficking Crimes. Over 50 arrests have been made thus far, with the unit targeting mostly non-Saudi nationals. Three foreigners were arrested by police in Riyadh over allegations of “practising prostitution” in a hotel. Elsewhere in the Saudi capital, 14 Yemenis were arrested for “exploiting 27 children of the same nationality in begging”.  The interior ministry said that the remit of the unit was to combat crimes “that violate personal rights, degrade fundamental freedoms guaranteed by Sharia and the law, or violate the dignity of individuals in any way”.

• Dougie Freedman leaves Crystal Palace role for move to Saudi Arabia second tier

  Crystal Palace have confirmed that Dougie Freedman has left his role as sporting director, with the former Scotland forward expected to join a club that has just been promoted from Saudi Arabia’s third tier. In a surprise turn of events, Palace announced on Monday evening that Freedman would be leaving with immediate effect “to take up a role overseas”. It is understood that he is poised to become sporting director of Al-Diriyah, who have been playing in Saudi Arabia’s second division but have been promoted as champions after the season finished at the weekend. Their ownership was transferred to Diriyah Company, owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) in July, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman named as chair.

• What does Saudi Arabia’s credit upgrade signal?

  Standard & Poor's upgraded Saudi Arabia's credit rating to “A+” from “A”, with a “Stable” outlook. The three global rating agencies (Moody's, Standard & Poor's and Fitch) have reiterated the creditworthiness of the Kingdom's sovereign debt. Moody's earlier assigned the Kingdom an “Aa3” rating, while S&P and Fitch rated “A+”, which reflects the improved confidence in the Saudi economy, especially in light of the success of the Kingdom's strategy to diversify sources of income and enhance fiscal sustainability. A higher credit rating is especially important for determining the interest an issuer must pay, as the higher the rating, the lower the interest rate, and vice versa.

• At least 274 Kenyan workers dead in Saudi Arabia over past five years

  At least 274 Kenyan workers, most of whom are women, have died in Saudi Arabia over the past five years despite being a young workforce in non-dangerous jobs, according to a New York Times report published on Sunday. Large numbers of Ugandan workers also died in the Gulf kingdom, but Uganda's government does not release official figures. Thousands of Ugandan and Kenyan women travel to Saudi Arabia each year to take up domestic jobs such as housekeepers and nannies. But many are returning with stories of unpaid wages, detention, beatings, starvation and sexual assault. Others have returned in coffins. Among those who died, autopsies often revealed evidence of trauma such as burns and electric shocks - but Saudi authorities labelled the deaths as natural causes. A Saudi labour ministry spokesperson said: "Any form of exploitation or abuse of domestic workers is entirely unacceptable, and allegations of such behaviour are thoroughly investigated."

• Saudi Arabia’s SURJ ready to invest ‘US$500m’ in new global T20 cricket league

  Saudi Arabia’s SURJ Sports Investment is backing a new global Twenty20 cricket league and is prepared to pump US$500 million into the project, according to the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH). The upstart competition would reportedly consist of eight teams and be modelled on tennis and its Grand Slams, with teams to assemble and play matches in four different locations during the year.  Discussions are purportedly underway with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the concept is the brainchild of Neil Maxwell, a former first-class cricketer who manages Australian captain Pat Cummins. The SMH adds that the new league has been developed in partnership with the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA), which represents current and former players. SURJ, which is a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), would be the largest backer in a consortium of investors.  

• S&P raises Saudi Arabia’s rating 0ver ongoing reforms

  S&P Global Ratings has upgraded Saudi Arabia’s rating to “A+” from “A” with a stable outlook, citing socioeconomic and capital market reforms. Strong non-oil growth and rising oil volumes from 2025 will support medium-term growth prospects, it said. Saudi Arabia’s National Debt Management Centre welcomed the upgrade, saying it would allow the kingdom to issue international bonds and sukuks at more favourable rates. The Saudi finance ministry had previously indicated that Saudi Arabia needed to borrow SAR139 billion ($37 billion) in 2025 to cover its budget deficit.

• Can Saudi Arabia’s Oil Sustain Its Dominance Amid Global Push for Renewables?

  Saudi Arabia aims to solidify its position as the world’s top oil supplier, with Aramco planning to boost production. The state-owned giant will increase output to 13 million barrels daily by 2030 to meet rising global demand. On March 18, 2025, Aramco outlined its production target as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, a strategy to diversify the economy and reduce dependence on oil revenues. Analysts highlight how Aramco’s move aligns with growing global tensions and demand, which push oil prices higher. Alongside Aramco, other major Saudi companies like Sabic, Rabigh Refining, and Petrochemicals advance projects that align with the country’s energy goals. These companies focus on developing technologies to boost efficiency and sustainability.

• Navantia Begins Construction of Saudi Arabia’s Seventh Avante 2200 Corvette

  Spanish defense contractor Navantia has cut the steel of the Royal Saudi Naval Force’s seventh Avante 2200-class corvette at its shipyard in San Fernando. The ceremony formally launches the construction of the vessel three months following the initial corvette for the program. Work for the initiative covers the supply of integrated logistics support and crew training services. The Madrid-based company will also partner with the Spanish Navy to conduct an operational evaluation of the warship at the Rota Naval Base in Cádiz.

• S&P upgrades Saudi Arabia’s credit rating after two years on economic diversification efforts

  S&P Global Ratings has raised Saudi Arabia’s credit rating for the first time in two years, citing the country’s economic diversification efforts and growth of its non-oil economy. The agency upgraded the kingdom’s rating to ‘A+’ from ‘A’ with a stable outlook on strengthened institutional settings amid Vision 2030 reforms, aligning Saudi Arabia with most ‘A’-rated peers, S&P said in a statement on Friday. “The upgrade reflects our view that the continuing social and economic transformation in Saudi Arabia is underpinned by improving governance effectiveness and institutional settings, including deepening domestic capital markets,” S&P said. “We believe that institutional checks and balances have become more visible as Vision 2030 progresses, as reflected by the recalibration of project priorities and timelines,” the agency added.

• Saudi Arabia launches loan guarantees for SMEs to stimulate investment in environmental projects

  Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Eng. Abdulrahman Al-Fadley witnessed on Sunday the signing of an agreement between the Environment Fund and the Small and Medium Enterprises Loan Guarantee Program (Kafalah) to launch a loan guarantee product to support environmental projects in the Kingdom. The agreement seeks to provide guarantees for credit facilities provided to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), contributing to stimulating investment in the environmental sector. This agreement coincides with the launch of the Incentives and Grants Program Platform to support environmental projects in the Kingdom.

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