MUST-READS

• The $164,000 space balloon flight preparing to rise from Saudi Arabia

  A balloon flight into space to see an awe-inspiring sunrise from high above the Earth will be tested in Saudi Arabia this summer.

  The uncrewed test is part of preparations to offer $164,000 passenger flights from 2026 – with Saudi Arabia pencilled in as one of four commercial launch sites.

  Passengers will take off before dawn for a luxury four-hour trip offering fine dining in the stratosphere and a gentle return to Earth.

• Saudi Arabia’s e-delivery sector records massive 61% growth

  According to a latest sectoral bulletin, Saudi Arabia has recorded a 61 per cent increase in the number of registered e-delivery businesses in the Kingdom.

  The data shows how the number of e-delivery companies have increased from 2,903 in Q4 of 2023 to 4,699 in Q1 of 2024. Riyadh tops the Kingdom with the most e-delivery companies at 2,473. This is followed by Makkah (1,253), the Eastern Province (468), Madinah (137) and Al-Qassim (114).

• Eid celebrations: Saudi Arabia embraces joy and unity

  The festival of Eid Al-Fitr, a highlight of the Islamic calendar that marks the culmination of the fasting month of Ramadan, is being celebrated with religious fervor and joy across the Kingdom. Muslims throughout Saudi Arabia observed the auspicious Eid Al-Fitr prayers on Wednesday morning, 15 minutes after sunrise, in accordance with the Umm Al-Qura calendar.

  • Saudi Gazette - Thousands gather for Eid prayer at holy mosques
• Saudi Arabia make up a third of Forbes Middle East’s 30 Most Valuable Banks

  Saudi Arabia is home to a third of Forbes Middle East’s “30 Most Valuable Banks,” with a 25 percent annual rise in the Kingdom’s entities’ accumulative market value. The 10 Saudi entries on the list — the same number as in the 2023 ranking —have a combined weighting of $279.5 billion, according to a statement.

  Al Rajhi Bank was placed top, having seen its market value grow by $21.7 billion over the last 12 months to hit $96.6 billion.

• Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman perform Eid Al-Fitr prayers

  King Salman performed his prayers at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah with several princes and senior officials while the crown prince performed his Eid prayers with worshipers at the Masjid Al-Haram in Makkah, state news agency SPA reported.

• Air China Now Third Chinese Carrier To Schedule Saudi Arabia Entry

  Air China has become the third Chinese airline to schedule flights to Saudi Arabia, following China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines. The carrier plans to introduce its first regular flights to the kingdom starting May 6, operating three times per week between Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) and Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport (RUH). Airbus A330-300 aircraft will be deployed on the sector.

• Riyadh Municipality starts receiving qualification applications for future projects

  The Riyadh Region Municipality invited qualified contracting companies with distinguished competence in the fields of implementing and developing roads, to submit their qualification applications.   In a statement, the municipality stated that the applications will be submitted via Kafu platform, and the winners will be classified according to certain standards after reviewing the applications.

• Saudi ports record 13% growth in container handling: Mawani

  Ports in Saudi Arabia recorded a 12.48 percent increase in the number of received containers in March compared to the same period last year, official data showed. The Saudi Ports Authority, also known as Mawani, disclosed that terminals in the Kingdom received 265,148 standard containers in the third month of 2024, marking an annual increase from 235,738.

• Perspective: Saudi Arabia’s Eastward Turn: Shifting Relations with Yemeni Tribes

  Saudi Arabia’s relationship with Yemeni tribes has undergone many changes over recent decades, focused mainly on cultivating direct ties with Yemeni tribal sheikhs. With a shared 1,800 km-long border, the Kingdom has closely monitored developments inside Yemen, placing significant importance on its relationship with tribal leaders as a means of “influenc[ing] internal political decision-making in Yemen in line with its interests.”[1] Such ties, however, are neither fixed nor homogeneous and have evolved based on the mutual interests of both parties. Saudi Arabia’s Eastward Turn: Shifting Relations with Yemeni Tribes - The Yemen Review, Quarterly: January-March 2024 - Sana'a Center For Strategic Studies https://sanaacenter.org/the-yemen-review/jan-mar-2024/22287

• Al-Khobar joins ranks of global smart cities

  Al-Khobar has been recognized as a smart city in the 2024 rankings of the International Institute for Management Development (IMD). The city secured the 99th position out of 142 cities worldwide, the institute has announced.

  This listing makes Al-Khobar the fifth Saudi city to be acknowledged as a smart city, joining the ranks of Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah, and Jeddah. This achievement underscores the Kingdom's continuous progress in the technology sector.

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