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  • King & Spalding’s Strategic Expansion: Merging with Al Fahad & Partners in Saudi Arabia

    In a landmark move to solidify its presence in the Middle East, King & Spalding, ranked 17th in the 2023 Am Law 100 with a gross revenue of $2.14 billion, has merged with Abdulaziz H. Al Fahad & Partners, one of Saudi Arabia’s most esteemed law firms. The newly formed entity, King & Spalding Al Fahad, is poised to deliver an expansive suite of legal services, aligning with the region’s evolving needs and the ambitious economic transformation under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

  • Salesforce Expands Presence in Saudi Arabia with New Regional Headquarters in Riyadh

    Salesforce, the world’s #1 AI CRM, today announced plans to expand its presence in Saudi Arabia with a new regional headquarters in Riyadh. Salesforce also announced plans to partner with IBM to open a Center of Excellence in Riyadh. Separately, it pledged to provide upskilling opportunities to 30,000 Saudi citizens by 2030. These investments underscore Salesforce’s growing presence in the region as more companies invest in Agentforce, the digital labor platform for enterprises.

  • SAR, Arsenale Unveil the Final Designs of ‘Dream of the Desert’ Luxury Train: A Masterpiece of Art, Hospitality

    Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) and Italian hospitality company Arsenale have officially unveiled the final designs of the Dream of the Desert train, the first five-star luxury train in the Middle East. This milestone marks a significant step forward in redefining luxury rail travel in the region, seamlessly blending contemporary opulence with the rich cultural heritage of Saudi Arabia. This announcement coincides with the visit of the prime minister of the Italian Republic to the Kingdom. Inspired by the desert landscape and traditional Saudi architecture, the interiors feature refined craftsmanship, with earthy tones, luxurious textiles, and intricate decorative details. Architectural elements and motifs from iconic Saudi landmarks—including Madain Saleh and Hail—are elegantly woven into the train's design, offering passengers a journey that is both visually and culturally enriching.

  • Islamic Arts Biennale 2025 Opens in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    The second edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale, titled And All That Is In Between, has officially opened in Jeddah. Organized by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, the Biennale takes place at the Western Hajj Terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport, a site that holds profound significance for millions of Muslim pilgrims traveling for Hajj and Umrah. The exhibition scenography is designed by the international architecture firm OMA, enhancing the experience with a thoughtful spatial narrative. The exhibition, which runs until May 25, 2025, explores how faith is experienced, expressed, and celebrated through feeling, thinking, and making.

  • Rick Shiels partnering with LIV Golf as ambassador

    YouTube star Rick Shiels, who has nearly three million subscribers on his main channel, announced on Friday that he has signed a partnership with LIV Golf, the Saudi-backed golf league, and will now serve as an ambassador for the league. To be clear, Shiels, who was a teaching pro in England before his golf instruction and equipment review videos exploded on YouTube, will not be competing in LIV Golf events. Instead, he will be filming content at every LIV Golf venue ahead of the league's tournaments that will promote and show off the courses, players and atmosphere.

  • Saudi Capital Market Brief: Rising Issuance Levels Are Just The Start

    We expect Saudi issuers to continue tapping the global and the local capital markets to finance Saudi Vision 2030. While this appears manageable in the short term, we are keeping an eye on the leverage build-up in the medium-to-long term. We still expect leverage to remain manageable in our base-case scenario, with private-sector debt to GDP staying below the 100% mark in the next 12-24 months. Saudi companies have led the show until now, but the dynamics are changing.  Saudi companies, including government-related entities, account for around two-thirds of U.S. dollar-denominated nongovernmental issuances on average over the past five years, but we expect banks to play a bigger role going forward. External leverage is building.   Saudi issuers, including the government, have raised more than $130 billion in U.S. dollar-denominated issuances over the past five years. This comes on top of the $144 billion that they raised locally in Saudi riyal during the same period, with the implementation of Saudi Vision 2030 explaining part of this flurry. While the government accounts for around 60% of these issuances, Saudi Vision 2030 has also created significant opportunities in the non-oil economy and the banking system.

  • Saudi Arabia Participates in Ministerial Meeting in New York to Back Yemeni Government

    The Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY) has participated in the international ministerial meeting to support the Yemeni government, held here in conjunction with the UN Security Council meeting and co-chaired by Yemeni Prime Minister Dr. Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak and British Minister for the Middle East and North Africa Hamish Falconer. SDRPY Director of Developmental Programs Dr. Hala Alsaleh underscored that Saudi Arabia's participation in the meeting reflects its ongoing commitment to supporting Yemen across various sectors. She highlighted the Kingdom's consistent efforts to foster peace and stability in Yemen through comprehensive development initiatives led by the program.

  • KKR and Gulf Data Hub Form Strategic Partnership to Scale One of the Middle East’s Largest Independent Data Center Platforms

    Gulf Data Hub (“GDH” or the “Company”), one of the largest independent data center platforms in the Middle East focused on serving hyperscale demand across the Gulf countries, and KKR, a leading global investment firm, today announced that funds affiliated with KKR will acquire a stake in GDH. The investment, which is subject to customary regulatory approvals, is being made through KKR’s Global Infrastructure strategy. Established in 2012 and headquartered in Dubai, GDH, is one of the largest independent carrier and vendor neutral data center platforms in the Middle East with significant operating capacity and pipeline of projects. With an owned portfolio of seven purpose-built and state-of-the art data centers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and additional facilities planned in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman, GDH is focused on delivering the infrastructure required to meet hyperscale demand across the region to support increasing data consumption driven by the growing trends in digital connectivity, cloud and artificial intelligence.

  • KAUST leads efforts to kickstart an innovative cement industry in Saudi Arabia

    As part of efforts to support the Kingdom in diversifying the Saudi economy and creating innovative new industries, KAUST has announced the Future Cement Initiative (FCI) to guide cement manufacturing. KAUST, the Ministry of Industries and Mineral Resources, and the National Committee of Cement Companies form the core group of founding partners of the FCI. Saudi Arabia’s industrial sectors have surged by 60% over recent years, reflecting the country’s efforts to diversify its economy and position itself as a global manufacturing power. Many of these projects are cement intensive, and a primary goal of the FCI aims to improve the economic and environmental competitiveness of cement manufacturing in Saudi Arabia through the development of cost-effective approaches and innovative technologies. In turn, this will position Saudi Arabia as a leader in the Middle East region’s cement industry.

  • Saudi Minister of Finance Participates in 2025 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting

    His Excellency the Saudi Minister of Finance, Mr. Mohammed Aljadaan, will participate as a member of the Saudi delegation at the 2025 World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting, scheduled to be held January 20-24, 2025 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland under the theme "Collaboration for the Intelligent Age". During the 2025 WEF Annual Meeting, Minister Aljadaan will participate in several sessions to discuss various topics including new approaches to measuring growth, ways to drive action through international forums, challenges facing emerging economies, MENA region's economic growth, economic diversification's impact on sustainability, GCC's role in global economic growth, as well as Saudi Arabia's economic transformation.