“They are a top side — big, physical and athletic. They have had time to recruit and recruited that way, and they are a real tough side to play against.”
Nathan Jones, Southampton manager. Saudi-owned Newcastle beats Southampton, closes on cup final [Associated Press]
“The arrival of Ronaldo in Riyadh has been seismic for the domestic league and club with Al Nassr’s social media surging in global followers with the official Instagram account alone rocketing from 850,000 users to 11 million as a result of Cristiano’s signing.”
The Cristiano effect as territories snap up Saudi Pro League rights [AS.com]
“Alabama is far away but it does also make you also realise how small the world is. We had nothing but a great time here and I know that when I return home I have a lot of fun stories to share.”
Jessica Cline, horse saddle maker. How an American couple charmed Saudi families at Riyadh’s Boulevard World [The National]
“We are very optimistic in terms of demand coming back to the market. We are starting to see good signs coming out of China. Hopefully, in the next couple of months we’ll see more of a pickup in the economy there.”
Amin Nasser, CEO, Saudi Aramco. [Bloomberg]
“Meanwhile, hiring in Saudi Arabia’s non-oil sector in December increased at its fastest pace since 2018, driven by “robust” business activity, according to the Riyad Bank Saudi Arabia purchasing managers’ index. About 40 per cent of the top 10 roles in Saudi Arabia, the Arab world’s biggest economy, were related to cyber security, data analysis and software development, the LinkedIn data showed.”
What are the most in-demand jobs in the UAE and Saudi Arabia? [The National]
“It’s publicized the growth of the Al Nassr fanbase after Ronaldo joined, they went from under a million fans to like eight million in a space of like 10 days…There are monetary opportunities for them. For sponsorship, suddenly showing the global brands that you can reach eight million fans, there’s some monetization that they could benefit from straight away on it. He’s got a heavy following around celebrities, TV, entertainment and pop music, so, there are content opportunities for Saudi Arabia to almost be a hub for TV and entertainment. Also to promote the country as a destination.”
-Neil Joyce, football finance expert, who is CEO & co-founder of CLV Group and advises clubs on how best to maximise their revenues through engagement with their global fanbases. [Reuters]
“The Saudi government has made more than 700 regulatory changes as it seeks to attract investors. We’re very serious about our diversification efforts. We’re open and we’re talking to all partners who’re interested in the Saudi story.”
-Faisal Alibrahim, Saudi minister of economy and planning. Saudi Arabia Says Confident on Attracting More Foreign Investors [Bloomberg]
“The history and beauty blew me away, but ultimately I was impacted by the people. The kindness and graciousness of the Saudi people is what drives me to want to lead a trip back to the Kingdom.”
Tonya Matthews, Starstuff Travel. What It’s Like to Travel to Saudi Arabia [TravelAge West]
“Saudi Arabia was one of the emerging markets that recorded YoY growth in 2022 nearing the $1Bn mark. The VC ecosystem surpassed FY 2021’s numbers by 72% aggregating $987M in funding across 144 deals, reporting a 3% decline in terms of total transactions.”
2022 Saudi Arabia Venture Capital Report [Magnitt]
“According to a report released by the Ministry of Investment in Saudi Arabia, the number of foreign tourists who landed in the kingdom during Q2 of 2022 reached 3.6 million people. The ministry also reported that the spending by tourists coming in from abroad increased to SAR 27 billion during the first half of the year 2022. These numbers were upped by 570% in 2022 Q2, as for domestic tourism it has increased by 31.”
