SUSTG.com / Research

Discover stories, topics, and more about Saudi Arebia faster.

Browse Research Topics

Recent stories from sustg

MUST-READS

  • Saudi Arabia makes significant progress in WEF skilled employees index

    Saudi Arabia has been strengthening its labor market for the last few years. The number of Saudi nationals working in the private sector increased from 1.7 million in 2019 to over 2.3 million in 2024, and the unemployment rate dropped to 7.6% during Q1 2024.

  • Over 25,000 beehives spread across Saudi royal reserve for honey production season

    The Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Nature Reserve Development Authority has said that 25,737 beehives spread across 256 sites in the reserve are participating in this year’s honey production season. The season, which opened at the beginning of July, will close at the end of April 2025, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

  • Ceasefire hopes recede, after assassination in Tehran

    Last Thursday, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met President Biden at the White House, along with families of Israeli American hostages held by Hamas, several of the families, American officials and some observers thought there might be higher hopes for soon getting a hostage release/Gaza ceasefire deal over the finish line. That was in part because the Israeli Knesset was due to break on Sunday (July 28) for a few months, giving Netanyahu more political breathing room to strike a deal without immediate risk of his governing coalition collapsing, it was thought.

  • The regional impact of Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination

    The killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and the killing of a Hezbollah senior commander in Beirut could be designed to allow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare some victories and move toward winding down the war in Gaza, or they may signal his intentions to escalate the conflict and possibly drag the US into a wider regional contest with Iran and Hezbollah.

  • The Uneven Distribution of UNESCO World Heritage Sites

    UNESCO has added 24 new sites to the World Heritage List, bringing the total number to 1,223 worldwide. As the following chart shows, there is an uneven distribution of where these sites are located, particularly in terms of the cultural heritage selection, with UNESCO having historically inscribed by far the largest number of this group to the Europe and North America category.

  • Saudi Arabia allows employment of expatriate dependents in health and education sectors

    The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has introduced a new initiative to enable the employment of expatriate dependents holding dependent visas in the health and education sectors, Okaz newspaper reported. The ministry outlined the steps to access this service. Users need to log into the Ajeer platform, select the Ajeer Dependents Service, fill out and submit the contract, and issue a dependents' permit.

  • Saudi Arabia allows 100% foreign ownership in most business sectors

    Saudi Vice Minister of Commerce and CEO of the National Competitiveness Center (NCC) Dr. Eman Al-Mutairi noted that the Kingdom allows 100% foreign ownership in most business sectors, a significant factor in attracting international investment. This was highlighted during the Saudi-Korean Business Forum on Tuesday, where Commerce Minister Dr. Majid Al-Qasabi emphasized that Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 has led to substantial economic diversification, fostering sustainable and inclusive growth, and encouraging innovation across various business sectors.

  • Saudi Arabia issued more than 82,000 visas for events in 2023

    Saudi Arabia issued a total of 82,201 entry visas last year for foreigners to attend a calendar of sports, cultural and entertainment events as the kingdom is increasingly opening up to the outside world. The Saudi Ministry of Sports took the lead in the number of visas constituting 63 per cent of the total followed by the General Entertainment Authority with 22 per cent, and the Culture Ministry with 11 per cent, according to a breakdown in the Saudi newspaper Al Watan.

  • Saudi Arabia Advances Globally in Several Indicators Per WEF Reports

    According to reports released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) for 2024, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has achieved significant global progress in indicators of flexible working arrangements, ease of finding skilled employees in the labor market, and equal pay for equal work.

  • U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia to discuss Yemen as Israel-Hezbollah tension grows

    A senior U.S. delegation arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for talks about the situation in Yemen and the recent escalation between Israel and Houthi rebels, three U.S. officials said. The U.S. delegation is headed by Brett McGurk, the White House's top Middle East adviser, U.S. officials said. The State Department's top Middle East diplomat Barbara Leaf, the U.S. envoy for Yemen Tim Lendeking and the Pentagon's top Middle East official Dan Shapiro are also part of the delegation.