SUSTG.com / Research

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

Recent stories from sustg

  • Jadwa Investment: Oil Market Dynamics and Saudi Fiscal Challenges
     

    After a significant drop in oil’s price on international markets since July 2014, the impact on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s budget and fiscal policy is assessed in Jadwa Investment just-released research note. Head of Research Dr. Fahad Alturki notes that the recent decision not to cut output by OPEC “adds further uncertainty not only on the global […]

     
  • As Oil Dips Below $70, American Producers Wonder Where the Bottom Is and Eye an End to Export Ban
     

    The second half of 2014 has been a lively period for the U.S. shale industry.  Fueled by new technologies and a soaring oil price, everyone from upstart producers to big oil were taking advantage of new production opportunities in United States in shale deposits.  Over the last year, the U.S. alone accounted for 82% of non-OPEC production growth, […]

     
  • With Houthi Gains in Yemen, Saudi Reportedly Pulls Aid
     

    Saudi Arabia has suspended most of its financial aid to Yemen in “clear indication of its dissatisfaction with the growing political power of Shi’ite Houthi fighters friendly with Riyadh’s regional rival, Iran,” according to a Reuters report. “Soon after Houthi fighters took over the capital Sanaa in September, Saudi Arabia promptly suspended much of that […]

     
  • Saudi Arabia Sees Oil Prices Stabilizing ‘Around $60 a Barrel’
     

    Saudi Arabia now believes oil prices could stabilize at around $60 a barrel, a level both it and other Gulf producers believe they could withstand, according to people familiar with the situation citied in a UPI report. “Saudi Arabia seeks to maintain its long-term market share, even if the price of oil stays temporarily low, its […]

     
  • Smartphone Generation: The Overnight Mobile Internet Revolution in the MENA Region
     

    What is the single indicator related to the online market opportunity in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia that beats all other developed and developing countries? Just take a look at people in coffee shops, malls, or even at family gatherings, you’ll notice immediately that everyone has a smartphone. To be specific, 74% of […]

     
  • With Hagel Out, Obama’s Next Appointment for Defense Secretary Will Have an Impact on U.S.-Saudi Relations
     

    Just days before President Obama announced in the White House Rose Garden that his Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel would resign, Hagel met with Saudi Arabia’s Prince Miteb bin Abdullah – a rising star in Saudi Arabia at the Pentagon. With Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel set to resign, all eyes in the Middle East and […]

     
  • Al-Ahsa Attack Linked to Islamic State, Up to 77 Now Held
     

    Saudi authorities said on Monday the gunmen who attacked Shi’a citizens in the Dalwah village of the Al-Ahsa region in the Eastern Province are linked to the Islamic State group, including several jailed previously over suspected extremist ties. According to comments made by Saudi Arabia’s Gen. Mansour al-Turki, the head of the network operating in […]

     
  • After Meetings with Obama and the Pentagon, Saudi Prince Miteb Bin Abdullah Touts US-Saudi Military Cooperation
     

    Saudi Arabia’s visiting National Guard Minister, Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, visited Washington, D.C. last week in a push to “strengthen bilateral cooperation in various sectors, especially between the Defense Department and the Saudi National Guard,” according to reports in the Arab News and the Eurasia Review.  Additionally, Miteb said that Saudi Arabia will receive Black Hawk […]

     
  • Could a Trans-Asian Railway Further Boost Growing Saudi-China Trade?
     

    China has reportedly “set a comprehensive economic strategy for linking the country to major economic countries in Asia, including Saudi Arabia, through a railway,” a report in Zawya finds, citing a local paper. With Saudi-Chinese trade exchanges reaching $74 billion last year and estimated to soar up to $100 billion in the next five years, the […]

     
  • Legalized Drifting: 4-Round Saudi Car Drift to Begin Al-Ahsa
     

    At long last, one Saudi will be able to claim to be the best drifter in the Kingdom. The Saudi Star Drift Championship kicks off this month for the first time, and will be supervised by the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation. The series will take an otherwise illegal but popular hobby in Saudi Arabia and make it […]

     

MUST-READS

  • Saudi Arabia’s unemployment rate declines to 4.4 percent in Q4 2023

    Saudi Arabia’s unemployment rate declined 0.7 percent to 4.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to the year-ago period. In its latest report, the General Authority for Statistics revealed that the unemployment rate among Saudi nationals saw a 0.9 percent quarterly decrease and a 0.3 percent annual decrease to 7.7 percent in Q4 of 2023. The participation of Saudi nationals in the labor force saw a 0.3 percent decline to 51.3 percent. Meanwhile, the employment-to-population ratio of Saudis saw a 0.2 percent increase to 47.4 percent.

  • UAE, Saudi Arabia ranked as leading global entrepreneurial ecosystems

    The UAE and Saudi Arabia have been ranked first and third respectively in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report for 2023-2024. The report, which assesses the entrepreneurial ecosystems of countries worldwide, is highly regarded by international bodies such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and various UN organizations, Saudi Arabia showed significant progress in its entrepreneurial environment, with its National Entrepreneurship Context Index score increasing from 5.0 in 2019 to 6.3 in both 2022 and 2023.

  • Saudi Arabia to chair UN forum on women’s rights and gender equality

    A decision by the United Nations to appoint Saudi Arabia as the chair of a gender equality forum has been criticized by women’s rights advocates.

    The UN’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) unanimously appointed Saudi Arabia to chair its 69th session in 2025, according to the Saudi Arabia Mission to the UN. Saudi ambassador to the UN, Abdulaziz Alwasil, was elected as chair Wednesday.

  • Saudi Arabia to host conference on role of universities in promoting peaceful coexistence

    Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh will host an international conference next month titled “The Role of Universities in Promoting the Values of National Belonging and Peaceful Coexistence.” It will take place on April 28 and 29 under the patronage of King Salman. Ahmed bin Salem Al-Ameri, the president of the university, thanked the king for his support and said the aim of the event is to “highlight the experiences of universities in promoting these lofty values, and to demonstrate the importance of correct doctrine and the approach of moderation,” the Saudi Press agency reported on Wednesday.

  • Saudi Arabia sends 17th relief plane to Ukraine

    The plane was sent by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center to Rzeszow Airport in Poland, near the Ukrainian border, in preparation for a land route to Ukraine. The plane carried 60 tons of relief items, including generators and electrical appliances. A Saudi delegation, headed by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, visited the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in February on the first visit of its kind by a Saudi and Arab official to Ukraine since Russia started its “special military operation” against its neighbor.

  • Saudi Arabia’s net FDI at $3.49 billion in Q4 of 2023

    Net inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) to Saudi Arabia reached 13.1 billion riyals ($3.49 billion) in the fourth quarter of 2023, up 16% from 11.4 billion riyals ($3.04 billion) in the third quarter, government data showed on Thursday.
    The kingdom hopes to attract $100 billion in FDI by 2030 to boost non-oil gross domestic product as part of a wider strategy by de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to diversify the economy away from its reliance on crude oil exports.

  • Opinion: How Alat can turn Saudi Arabia into a global manufacturing hub

    There are a lot of positives for the new company: significant funding; large domestic demand from greenfield mega-projects like NEOM, and city transformations in Riyadh and Jeddah; and a developing low-carbon energy system that sustainable manufacturers need. But still, the size of the challenge is daunting. Alat is targeting the creation of 39,000 direct jobs in Saudi Arabia and a $9.3 billion contribution to GDP by 2030, with manufacturing activities across more than 30 product categories.

  • Weather warnings issued across Saudi Arabia until Monday

    Moderate to heavy rain, leading to torrential rain, hail and high wind, has been forecast for Makkah region, including the Holy Capital, Al-Jumum, Al-Kamil, Bahra, Khulais, Taif, Maysan, Adham, Al-Ardiyat, Tarbah, Raniyah, Al-Muwayh, and Al-Khurmah. The Riyadh region will be affected by similar weather conditions, including the capital, Diriyah, Afif, Al-Dawadmi. Al-Quwayiyah, Al-Majma’ah, Thadiq, Marrat, Al-Ghat, Al-Zulfi, Shaqraa, Rumah, Huraymila, Darma, Al-Muzahmiyah, Al-Kharj, Wadi Al-Dawasir, Al-Salil, Al-Aflaj, Hotat Bani Tamim and Al-Hareeq.

  • The new kid on Saudi Arabia’s tourism scene

    The announcement of Soudah Peaks was made through an integrated campaign titled ‘Above the Clouds’ that spanned various platforms, including a digital presence, a video showcasing the natural beauty and heritage of the region, and out-of-home advertising in key locations such as Dubai, Paris, London, New York, Geneva and Riyadh.

  • Saudi Arabia controversially elected chair of UN forum for women’s rights

    The country’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has framed these reforms — and other milestones, like the nation’s debut at the Miss Universe pageant — as steps toward equality, though human rights organizations have pointed out that the new laws did not eliminate the country’s male guardianship system and in fact codified some pieces of it.