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  • Saudi Arabia attracts $14.9 billion investments in AI as LEAP25 kicks off in Riyadh

    In his keynote speech, Alswaha emphasized that these significant investments and initiatives were made possible through the support and empowerment of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. These initiatives aimed to enable the technology sector and accelerate Saudi Arabia’s transition toward an innovative and sustainable AI-driven economy, in line with Vision 2030 objectives. Al-Swaha said that the region is witnessing rapid transformations in the digital economy sector, as it has grown by 73 percent to reach $260 billion, with Saudi Arabia accounting for 50 percent of this growth, making it one of the leading countries in this field. The number of technical specialists has increased from 150,000 to 381,000, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s rapid growth in the fields of technology and innovation. Al-Swaha highlighted the importance of bridging the digital gap between nations during what has become known as the “smart era,” and explained the role the Kingdom plays in empowering women in the field of technology. “In the smart era, the gap between the Global North and South will grow and worsen, as only one to two billion people are expected to join this exclusive club, while 6.5 billion people will be left behind by 2030.”

  • 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.

  • Saudi Arabia Gears Up to Host the Fourth Edition of the Saudi Media Forum 2025

    The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is gearing up to host the fourth edition of the Saudi Media Forum 2025, set to take place in the capital, Riyadh, from February 19 to 21. This prestigious event reaffirms its status as the largest media gathering in the region and a global platform that unites top decision-makers, industry experts, and innovators in the media sector.

  • 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.

  • Chinese EV startup Rox Motor expands into Saudi Arabia

    Chinese electric vehicle (EV) startup Rox Motor has expanded into the Saudi market as it focuses its resources overseas. The company announced its official entry into the Saudi market with its all-terrain SUV (sport utility vehicle) Rox 01 at the LEAP 2025 event, which kicked off on February 9, according to a press release today. Rox Motor has secured more than 200 orders in Saudi Arabia and sales are ongoing, it said. The brand's flagship Saudi showroom on Khurais Road will open later this month.

  • 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.

  • Saudi Neom, DataVolt sign agreement for $5 billion AI project

    Saudi Arabia's NEOM, a Red Sea urban and industrial development, has signed a deal with DataVolt to develop a 1.5 gigawatt (GW) net zero artificial intelligence project in its Oxagon industrial zone, the Saudi state news agency reported on Monday.
    The project, which will operate as an integrated data centre, would see investment worth $5 billion in the first phase, SPA reported, adding it is set to be operational in 2028. It comes as the kingdom races to become an artificial intelligence hub, amid regional competition from the UAE and Qatar, capitalising on booming demand for generative AI technology, which requires vast amounts of processing power. Last year, the governor of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) Yasir Al-Rumayyan pitched the kingdom as a prospective hub for artificial intelligence activity outside the United States, citing its energy resources and funding capacity.

  • 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.