“It wasn’t a difficult decision – I think it was a very thorough process. We spent a lot of time with the Saudis, understanding their approach to the tournament. We asked a lot of questions, they gave us a lot of time and they gave us a lot of commitments and I think the important thing is that we will now work with them over the next 10 years leading up to the tournament to make sure that those commitments are delivered – from both sides.” Debbie Hewitt, Chair of England’s Football Association, Backing Saudi World Cup bid ‘wasn’t a difficult decision’, says FA chair [Reuters]
Two juries led by Jury President Spike Lee deliberated to select winners across 14 categories. 16 feature films in competition as well as 48 films selected across New Saudi, New Cinema, Arab Shorts and International Shorts programs, were in the running for awards. [more]
in arabnews.com: Jordan: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan joined top diplomats from the US, Turkiye, the European Union and Arab nations in Jordan on Saturday for talks on Syria following the ousting of President Bashar Assad earlier this week. Prince Faisal led the Kingdom’s delegation at the meeting, held under the auspices of the Arab League, which focused on supporting a Syrian-led transitional political process to address the challenges faced by the Syrian people. Discussions emphasized restoring Syrias national institutions, ensuring the countrys sovereignty and territorial integrity, and supporting the aspirations of its citizens for a secure and dignified life.
Via Wael Mahdi in semafor.com: The rapid expansion of government employment has created a significant wage gap between the public and private sectors. Government jobs, with higher salaries and better benefits, have made it harder for private employers to attract top talent. This distortion threatens the competitiveness of the private sector — which must be fostered to achieve the economic diversification goals under Vision 2030. As the best talent gravitates toward government roles, the private sector risks being sidelined. Without a competitive labor market, it will struggle to drive innovation, productivity, and sustainable job creation. Reducing unemployment to 5% by 2030 is an ambitious and commendable goal, but its success depends on more than hitting numerical targets. Saudi Arabia’s true transformation will be measured not by how many jobs are created, but by how many are still viable a decade from now.
Via Lucas Shaw in bloomberg.com: Over the past two weeks, dozens of movie stars, filmmakers and Hollywood executives visited Jeddah, a metropolis on the west coast of Saudi Arabia, for the fourth edition of the Red Sea Film Festival. Vin Diesel and Emily Blunt received awards at the opening ceremony. Spike Lee and Minnie Driver served on the jury. Agents from CAA and WME spoke on panels alongside executives from production outfits such as Fremantle and Anonymous Content. While Wall Street, Silicon Valley and some in Hollywood have been tapping Gulf money for some time, Saudi Arabia has emerged as a hub of financing and production in just the past few years. The state-backed Public Investment Fund has already invested billions in video games and sports, and the country is now offering generous incentives — a rebate of about 40% — to film in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia's national teams who competed in international science and academic contests had tremendous success, winning 107 global awards across 25 events held between September...[via mawhiba.org]
The Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) has launched the Next Saudi Generation Program to support and develop Saudi talent in motorsports. The program, conducted in...[via spa.gov]
Speaking in an interview with China Media Group (CMG), Araghchi said that the newly restored Iranian-Saudi ties have a lot of potential that haven’t been...[via alarabiya.net]
Milan forward Tammy Abraham has hailed the impact of the support in Riyadh as his side booked their place in the Supercoppa Italiana final. The Englishman...[via yahoo.com]
The Saudi Arabian group SAVOLA has sold all its assets in Iran for 705 million Saudi riyals (approximately $188 million) and is exiting the country. SAVOLA,...[via iranfocus.com]
Since Ronaldo's arrival in the SPL, the league has grown leaps and bounds. Players like Karim Benzema, Neymar, Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mane, and...[By Apratim Banerjee via si.com]
The Line 3 (Orange Line) covering Madinah Road would connect the east of Riyadh to its west, and extends from Jeddah Road in the west...[via saudigazette.com]
On the back of the busiest sporting year Saudi Arabia has ever had, punctuated by news of the nation’s successful 2034 FIFA...[By Mark Lomas via alarabiya.net]
The State Department approves the possible sale of 20 MK 54 MOD 0 Lightweight Torpedoes to Saudi Arabia for $78.5 million, according...[via alarabiya.net]
Prince Faisal reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to supporting Syria’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity while emphasizing efforts to achieve security, stability, and prosperity for the...[via eurasiareview.com]
The Saudi Ministry of Interior’s Absher Business platform has introduced updated fees for seven services offered to establishments, according to Okaz newspaper. Among the changes,...[via gulfnews.com]
Rising sea levels driven by the climate crisis will overwhelm many of the world’s biggest oil ports, analysis indicates. Thirteen of the ports with the...[By Damian Carrington via theguardian.com]
Saudi officials have signed a preliminary deal this week to issue residential mortgage-backed securities, a first for the Gulf. The Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company (SRC),...[By Valentina Pasquali via agbi.com]
Government employees were among 145 people arrested in Saudi Arabia over corruption charges last month. The country’s Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) conducted 1,462 “oversight visits”...[By Gavin Gibbon via agbi.com]
South Africa’s strong legacy at the Dakar Rally continues in 2025, with more than half of the vehicles at the event in Saudi Arabia being...[via youtube.com]
Wages for Saudis in the private sector rose by 45 per cent in 2024, as Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development...[By Khitam Al Amir via gulfnews.com]
Adding another tournament to a busy decade of football events, Saudi Arabia will host the 2026 Gulf Cup. The news was confirmed on the sidelines of...[via insideworldfootball.com]
Whatever happens in the region tends to depend heavily on what happens in, about, and to Syria. So, the outcome of the regime’s fall is...[By Hussein Ibish via thecairoreview.com]
