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  • What’s behind Saudi Arabia’s plan to air-condition Riyadh?

    The scientists developed a method that allows the city to cool down by approximately 4.5 degrees Celsius in the summer while saving 16% on cooling energy use. Part of the suggested strategy is to use ultra-cold-reflecting materials on building roofs, which are advanced construction materials intended to reflect a high percentage of sunlight and minimise heat absorption.

  • Gold-Rich Saudi Is Committing to Sustainable Mining Practices: Will it Be Enough?

    The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is sitting on a US$2.5 trillion-worth of precious metals and minerals. Saudi’s mining magnet, state-owned Ma’aden, has recently uncovered significant gold alongside its Mansourah Massarah gold mine. This is the first of its kind from the company’s exploration programme, suggesting its potential to become a major gold belt for Arabia and strengthen its existing precious metal production pipeline.

  • Saudi Arabia salary guide 2024: How much should you be earning?

    Salaries in Saudi Arabia are expected to rise by an average of 6 per cent in 2024, as demand for talent continues to surge amid the kingdom's efforts to diversify its economy away from hydrocarbons under its Vision 2030 plan, according to recruitment specialist Cooper Fitch. Development remains a major focus in the Arab world’s largest economy, with progress being made across the country’s megaprojects, including the $500 billion city Neom, Red Sea Project and AlUla, Cooper Fitch says in its 2024 Saudi Arabia salary guide. Over the past year, the kingdom has created 1.12 million jobs in the private sector as part of its plan to develop more than $1 trillion worth of projects, the Ministry of Finance said in its 2024 budget statement.

  • Do Iraqis Really Want the Americans to Withdraw?

    On February 10, 2024, the 329-seat Iraqi parliament convened to consider a resolution to demand formally American withdrawal. Within the parliament, 176 members represent the Coordination Framework, a coalition of political parties that back Prime Minister Mohammed Shi'a al-Sudani. The Framework also comprises among Iraq's most pro-Iranian political factions. Yet, despite holding a majority, the Framework could only muster 77 members to vote for a U.S. exit. Put another way, 252 parliamentarians split among Arabs and Kurds; Sunnis, Shi'ites, and Christians signaled they want the United States to remain for the sake of Iraqi sovereignty.

  • How will Pakistan form a coalition government after split election results?

    Pakistan's elections last week returned a hung parliament, with no party getting enough seats in the National Assembly to form a government by itself. Negotiations for a coalition government are taking place between former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's party, with 75 seats, and the party of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, with 54 seats, as well as other smaller parties. Independent candidates backed by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan won the most seats - 93 - and they are also jostling for allies to form government. Candidates were vying for 264 seats out of the assembly's 336 total. There are also 70 reserved seats.

  • In the Gulf, Is Civil Society Fighting for Climate?

    Tracking the efforts and successes of civil society elements in underscoring the urgency of addressing climate change will remain a key bellwether for progress on issues relating to global warming, energy transition, and sustainability.

  • How Should the U.S. Respond to a Middle East Crisis Threatening Its Policy and Personnel?

    The October 7 Hamas attacks in southern Israel created an immediate crisis for the President Joseph R. Biden Jr. administration’s policy of promoting greater regional integration and upholding stability and security in the Middle East. That agenda is coming under intensified pressure, most dramatically by the killing of three U.S. service personnel and the wounding of dozens more by a drone strike in Jordan that the White House blames on Iranian-backed militias.

  • How Should the U.S. Respond to a Middle East Crisis Threatening Its Policy and Personnel?

    The October 7 Hamas attacks in southern Israel created an immediate crisis for the President Joseph R. Biden Jr. administration’s policy of promoting greater regional integration and upholding stability and security in the Middle East. That agenda is coming under intensified pressure, most dramatically by the killing of three U.S. service personnel and the wounding of dozens more by a drone strike in Jordan that the White House blames on Iranian-backed militias

  • Why is FinTech flourishing in Saudi Arabia?

    Saudi Arabia, under its Vision 2030 and Financial Sector Development Program (FSDP) — with the FinTech strategy approved in May 2022 as its fourth pillar, aims to become a cashless society with a target of 70% by 2030. It also aims to make the Kingdom a global FinTech hub that attracts entrepreneurs from around the world as well as within the country. FinTech Saudi was established in 2018 as an ecosystem builder and catalyst under the supervision of the country's financial regulators, SAMA (Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority) and CMA (Capital Market Authority), to lay the foundation and further accelerate the sector's success journey. This initiative has led to an increase in the number of FinTech startups to 207 in 2023, up from only 10 in 2018—an increase of 20.7 times in five years.

  • Conflict in the Middle East is affecting a key energy lifeline for Europe. How big is the risk?

    Europe relied for decades on gas transported through pipelines from Russia. That came to an abrupt end after Russia invaded Ukraine and cut off most of its supply. LNG became a lifeline, with the German government, for example, hastily lining up floating import terminals on its northern coast. Last year, 12.9% of Europe’s LNG went through the Red Sea from suppliers in the Middle East, mainly Qatar. That means “an extended shut-in of the Red Sea route from the Middle East poses a supply risk to Europe,” said Kaushal Ramesh, vice president at Rystad Energy.