|
QUOTED
“According to data released by the General Authority for Statistics, labor force participation across Saudis and non-Saudis reached 66.6 percent during the third quarter, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 0.2 percentage points and a quarterly rise of 0.4 percentage points.” Saudi Arabia’s unemployment rate hits 3.7%: GASTAT [Arab News]
|
|
|
|
TOP STORY
A high-level Syrian delegation, led by newly appointed Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday in its first official visit abroad. [more]
|
|
MORE TOP STORYLINES
Via Haider Abdul Redha Al-Lawati in zawya.com: The GCC countries are witnessing many developments in a number of sectors, especially in the population sector, which is growing significantly and leaving many contradictions in the Gulf society. According to the figures of the GCC Statistical Centre, in the month of July 2022, the total population of the GCC countries reached 57.3 million people, constituting 0.7 per cent of the total world population of 7.8 billion people at the time. The increase in the population of the GCC countries during the past three years was 1.3 million people. It is expected that 90 per cent of the GCC population will live in cities by 2050, while all GCC countries seek to build more housing units to accommodate them over the next four decades. However, today there are thousands of young Gulf citizens on their way to work in various economic sectors adopted by the Gulf governments in order to reduce the number of expatriate workers and to adjust the current percentages in the total and percentages of the population.
|
Via Tim Black in spiked-online.com: The conflict between Israel and Iran and the fall of Assad are directly related. On the eve of Hamas’s barbaric attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, Iran was in a position of relative strength. Through political alliances and a network of militias known as the ‘axis of resistance’ (including Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and assorted Shia groups in Iraq), it exerted considerable power throughout the region. And nowhere more so than in Syria, where Iranian proxies, with help from Russia, were effectively propping up Assad’s dictatorship. Hamas’s attack on Israel changed everything. It ignited a conflict that has ultimately destroyed the balance of power in the region. Over the past 15 months, Israel has decimated Iran’s militias. It has crushed Hamas in Gaza, crippled Hezbollah in Lebanon and carried out air strikes and assassinations in Iraq and even Iran itself. The Israeli pounding of Iran’s proxy forces has not only impacted Tehran – it has also undermined those dependent on Iranian support for their very survival, such as Assad’s Syrian regime.
|
in saudigazette.com: Saudi authorities have announced the implementation of the first mandatory phase of unified charging ports for electronic devices in Saudi Arabia, effective January 1, 2025. This initiative from the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) and the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) mandates the use of USB Type-C as the standard charging port across various devices. The unified charging ports decision aims to enhance user experience, reduce consumer costs, and promote the adoption of high-quality charging and data transfer technologies. Additionally, it aligns with environmental sustainability goals by reducing electronic waste and supporting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The first phase covers mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, e-readers, portable video game consoles, headphones, earphones, portable speakers, amplified speakers, keyboards, computer mice, portable navigation systems, and wireless routers.
|
|
|
|
|
|
MORE ON THE KINGDOM AND BEYOND
|
|
|
|
|
Saudi Arabia’s unemployment rate dropped to 3.7 percent in the third quarter of 2024, down 0.5 percentage points from last year, official data showed. According to...[By Nirmal Narayanan via arabnews.com]
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) released today the Labor Market Bulletin for the third quarter of 2024. Figures show that the unemployment rate among Saudis...[via spa.gov]
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
On his first official visit to Saudi Arabia since Bashar al-Assad's ouster, Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shibani said he hoped to open a...[via france24.com]
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Syria's top diplomat said he hoped to open a "new, bright page" with Saudi Arabia upon arriving in the kingdom Wednesday, the first foreign visit...[via al-monitor.com]
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
A high-ranking Syrian delegation arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday on the first foreign visit by the country's new Islamist rulers since they ousted...[via newarab.com]
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Saudi Arabia on Wednesday launched a humanitarian air bridge to Syria, delivering food, shelter and medical supplies' The air bridge, established by the King Salman...[via newarab.com]
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Saudi Arabia condemned and denounced on Wednesday a deadly car ramming in New Orleans, Louisiana, that struck a crowd celebrating New Year’s Eve. A 42-year-old Texas...[via arabnews.com]
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
With temperatures at a chilly 18°C, the electrifying atmosphere was fueled by passionate supporters waving flags and chanting for their teams. Coach Rashid Jaber faced a...[via thearabianstories.com]
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Six Iranian citizens have been executed in Saudi Arabia on charges of drug trafficking, Riyadh’s Ministry of Interior announced on Wednesday. The ministry did...[via iranintl.com]
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Saudi Venture Capital (SVC) announced its investment in Global Ventures III, an early-stage venture capital fund managed by Global Ventures with a fund size...[via financemiddleeast.com]
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
The Ministry of Commerce in Saudi Arabia has instructed both government and private entities to refrain from using the term 'sponsor' and instead use...[By Khitam Al Amir via gulfnews.com]
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
This directive is part of a broader campaign aimed at improving adherence to licensing and classification standards within the hospitality sector. The ministry seeks to ensure...[via arabianbusiness.com]
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
The Ministry of Commerce announced the recall of 28,806 Ford Explorer vehicles, 2011 – 2019 models. This was attributed to a defect in the installation...[via saudigazette.com]
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
The Saudi Energy Efficiency Center announced that energy efficiency card is mandatory for dishwashers at all points of sale in the Kingdom, starting from January...[via saudigazette.com]
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The man who drove a truck into a crowd of New Year's Eve revellers in New Orleans early on Wednesday morning was a US citizen named Shamsud-Din Jabbar and...[via middleeasteye.net]
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the 42-year-old Texas man accused of crashing a...[By Nathan Layne via reuters.com]
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
The unthinkable in the troubled Middle East happened in 2024, with a major geopolitical shift after the stunning collapse of the Syrian regime at the...[By Dalal Saoud via upi.com]
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Russian gas exports via Soviet-era pipelines running through Ukraine came to a halt on New Year's Day,...[By Vladimir Soldatkin and Dan Peleschuk via reuters.com]
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
