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  • Can Saudi Arabia Actually Afford Vision 2030?

    In other words, the suggestion that Saudi Arabia is in trouble because it cannot make the ends of its planned budget meet is accurate—up to a point. The megaprojects can be delayed, as they have been before when the price environment was sub-optimal. Money can also be drawn from international debt markets where Saudi bonds appear to enjoy substantial popularity, not unlike Aramco shares. Oil-dependent economies, it seems, still draw investors in, transition and non-OPEC output growth notwithstanding.

  • What went down in August?

    The month began recording the lowest venture funding across all emerging markets in 2024, with no mega deals in sight. August also revealed an in-depth analysis of Africa’s H1 funding figures, highlighting a steep 57% drop compared to last year, marking the region’s most significant decline since 2019. Meanwhile, MENA defied global trends with a notable increase in investor activity, particularly from international backers. The month concluded with insights into investor behavior, spotlighting key players reshaping the venture landscape in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

  • Saudi Arabia’s fiscal breakeven oil price is rising fast. What will the kingdom do about it?

    In May of 2023 the International Monetary Fund forecast the kingdom’s breakeven oil price at $80.90 per barrel, which moved it back into a fiscal deficit following its first surplus in nearly a decade. The Fund’s latest forecast, in April, put that figure at $96.20 for 2024; a roughly 19% increase on the year before, and about 32% higher than the current price of a barrel of Brent crude, which is trading at around $73 as of Wednesday afternoon.

  • When does the Saudi Pro League transfer window end and can Premier League clubs still sell to the Middle East?

    The window is set to slam shut on Monday, September 2, which is five days fewer than the 2023 summer window, which closed on September 7. Couple this with the fact the Premier League transfer window closed earlier on Friday, August 30, and you have an interesting situation.

  • Which transfer windows are still open after the Premier League deadline?

    Saudi Arabia emerged as an option for any Premier League club looking to shift players last summer. While clubs from the Gulf nation have been less active in the window this summer, there is still the potential for players from across Europe to move there, such as Moussa Diaby, who left Aston Villa to join Karim Benzema at Al Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League.

  • Are You Ready for Saudi Arabia’s Personal Data Protection Law? Here’s What You Need to Know

    As Saudi Arabia’s new Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) comes into effect this September, companies across the Kingdom are racing to meet stringent data management and privacy standards. The law, which is said to be modelled closely on the EU’s GDPR, is designed to safeguard personal information and regulate data handling practices, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s commitment to data privacy amid its broader Vision 2030 goals.

  • Have Saudis Fallen Out of Love with Top American QSR Chains?

    According to Mingora’s Food Panel 2024 data of top 30 KSA QSRs, Saudi brands outnumber American by 15 to 13. Outside of the top 30, local brands dominate the SAR 66.6bn (USD 17.7bn) Saudi fast-food market. Back in 2004, only 5 or 6 Saudi chains would show up in top 30. Large Saudi chains such as Maestro Pizza, Burgerizzr, Shawarmer and Sultan Delight Burger either didn’t even exit at that time or had barely a few stores.

  • Its economy and infrastructure battered, can Lebanon afford a war with Israel?

    The risks for Lebanon are far greater than in 2006, when a monthlong war with Israel ended in a draw. Lebanon has struggled with years of political and economic crises that left it indebted, without a stable electricity supply, a proper banking system and with rampant poverty.

  • All proposed Iranian ministers approved, but at what cost?

    All ministerial nominees of Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian have been approved by the parliament—a first in 23 years. The vote of confidence has stirred controversy as Pezeshkian prior to the ballot told lawmakers that Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had pre-approved all picks. The assertion has sparked pushback from both critics and supporters of the political establishment.

  • What is Islamic State, the group implicated in Germany stabbing?

    Islamic State has described the 26-year-old Syrian man taken into custody after a stabbing rampage in the western German city of Solingen as a "soldier" of the group. Though largely crushed by a U.S.-led coalition several years ago, IS has managed some major attacks while seeking to rebuild. They include an assault on a Russian concert hall in March that killed at least 143 people and two explosions in the Iranian city of Kerman in January that killed nearly 100 people.