SUSTG.com / Research

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

Recent stories from sustg

MUST-READS

  • Salesforce plans $500 million in AI-related investments in Saudi Arabia

    Cloud software seller Salesforce said on Monday that it plans to invest $500 million in Saudi Arabia related to artificial intelligence, as countries compete to secure investments in the nascent but critical technology. As part of the investment, Salesforce will introduce Hyperforce, its platform architecture delivered through a strategic partnership with Amazon Web Services, in the country.

  • UK student Salma al-Shehab released from Saudi prison, say campaigners

    Salma al-Shehab, a Leeds University doctoral candidate who was handed a decades-long sentence for her tweets in 2022, has been released from a Saudi prison, human rights groups have reported. Her supporters and advocates were celebrating the news on Monday but also highlighted the ordeal she had been through and called on the Saudi government to ensure she could travel freely. The UK-based human rights group Alqst, which has documented Shehab's case and advocated for her freedom, said she had been held arbitrarily for four years "on the basis of her peaceful activism". "Her full freedom must now be granted, including the right to travel to complete her studies," the organisation said.

  • US Chamber of Commerce official discusses US-Saudi collaboration on AI policy

    In an exclusive interview with Arab News on the sidelines of the LEAP 2025 technology conference, Steve Lutes, vice president for Middle East affairs at the US Chamber of Commerce, stressed the importance of implementing clear policies that inspire investor confidence. “One thing that’s always at the core is to have the policy and regulatory environment that is going to give confidence and clarity to investors, risk-takers, and innovators,” Lutes said. He added that Saudi Arabia maintains an open-door policy in working with the US Chamber and industry leaders to shape its regulatory framework. “This will catalyze finance and fuel more investment, bring more innovation, and strengthen partnerships between the United States and Saudi Arabia in AI and across the broader economy,” he said.

  • Commentary: Why Saudi Arabia insists on a Palestinian state

    However, it is often overlooked that Saudi Arabia is not an emotional state and its policies are not based on reactive measures. Instead, the country operates according to a strategic vision that prioritizes its national security first and the broader Arab national security second. Consequently, Riyadh has not limited itself to narrow calculations but has instead considered the larger context of the Middle East. It recognizes the genuine threat posed by aggressive Israeli policies, understanding that the destruction of Gaza, assaults on the West Bank and the displacement of Palestinians will not lead to peace. Rather, these actions are likely to foster further extremism and violence, potentially creating a new generation that is willing to take up arms against Israel — not only within the Occupied Territories but also among sympathizers from various countries around the world, which could lead to wider conflicts.

  • Saudi Arabia appreciates condemnations of Netanyahu proposal for Palestinian state in Kingdom

    Saudi Arabia has expressed its appreciation of the positions adopted by Arab and Islamic countries in condemning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal to ethnically cleanse the Palestinians and establish a state for them in the Kingdom. “The Kingdom values the positions that emphasise the centrality of the Palestinian issue to the Arab and Muslim countries,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Riyadh on Sunday. “This extremist, occupation mentality does not understand what the Palestinian land means to the people of Palestine and their emotional, historical and legal connection to it.” The ministry pointed out that such statements are rejected, and aim to divert attention from the Israeli occupation regime’s ongoing crimes against the Palestinians in Gaza, especially the ethnic cleansing.

  • Saudi Industrial Production Index up 2.1% in December

    Saudi Arabia’s Industrial Production Index (IPI) added 2.1% year-on-year (YoY) in December 2024, data issued by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) showed. The IPI rose to 104.23 points in December, according to the base year 2021, compared to 102.13 points in December 2023. GASTAT attributed the growth to higher activity in manufacturing, water supply, sanitation, waste management and treatment sectors. The IPI measures the relative change in production quantities of materials and goods, tracking their transformation from raw materials to final consumable products for economic returns.

  • Anti-Patriarchy Saudi Drama ‘Hobal’ Beats Hollywood Titles, Becoming Standout Local Hit

    Saudi filmmaker Abdulaziz Alshlahei’s drama “Hobal” about clashes between tradition and modernity within a Saudi family during the early 1990s is scoring mightily at the Saudi Arabian box office, outperfoming Hollywood titles such as “Mufasa: The Lion King,” “Flight Risk” and “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera.” The timely film in which a Saudi family is forced by its grandfather to live in isolation in the desert at the outbreak of the 1990 Gulf War, when a young girl falls ill, prompting her mother to fight the patriarchy to try and save her child, is striking a deep chord with Saudi audiences. “Hobal” has now pulled more than 500,000 admissions since its Jan. 2 release via distributor Qanwat Group, racking up a handsome roughly $5.7 million take to date, according to figures from the Saudi Film Commission which compiles Saudi box office numbers.

  • A Blueprint For The Future: Global Lessons In Sustainability From Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030

    My team and I had our eyes on Saudi Arabia with a clear purpose: to meet the people and organizations leading the charge in conservation and sustainability. Our goal was to experience the Kingdom’s top-down approach, where leadership drives businesses and communities alike toward ambitious environmental objectives. From urban planning to marine conservation initiatives, we sought to explore how the country is positioning itself as a global model for integrating advanced science and sustainability into every layer of its rapid development.

  • Sotheby’s ‘Origins’ auction in Diriyah achieves more than $17 million in sales, with Saudi artists shining

    Sotheby’s inaugural auction in Saudi Arabia, titled “Origins,” concluded on Saturday with a total of $17,283,840 in sales in the fine art and luxury categories. The historic event at Diriyah’s Bujairi Terrace was a turning point for the Kingdom’s art and luxury scene, with Saudi artists garnering significant attention. Jerry Inzerillo, CEO of Diriyah Company, highlighted the significance of the collaboration between Diriyah and Sotheby’s. “A few years ago, we decided that Sotheby’s, as a 277-year-old brand, had to match up with Diriyah because the value systems were the same, and you can’t be Sotheby’s without being in Diriyah,” he said in his opening remarks. The modern and contemporary art section featured works by Saudi artists that collectively realized $1.1 million in sales.

  • Iran at standstill on talks with Trump

    Flummoxed by mixed messages coming from the Trump administration, historic deep distrust of the U.S. especially after Trump in 2018 quit the Iran nuclear deal, and the lack of a new US Iran envoy, Iran has retreated in the past days from earlier expressions of cautious interest in direct talks with the United States. “The US violated the very agreement itself… and withdrew from it,” Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei told Iranian air force commanders Feb. 8, referring to the 2016 Iran nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). “Therefore, negotiating with such a government is neither rational, wise, nor honorable, and should not be pursued.”