QUOTED

Quoted

“Saudi companies cannot provide for all the buildings that are coming so I think that, for the next few years, they will be very open to foreign companies.” ProMarmo commercial director Rafael Tonello Rizzardo, Saudi construction surge draws interest from around the world [Arabian Gulf Business Insight]

TOP STORY

Middle East (and KSA) top recipient of China’s BRI investment in 2024

Chinese business, china

The Middle East was the top recipient of construction and investment deals under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2024, with the total value reaching $39 billion. Almost half, $19 billion, was invested in Saudi Arabia.  [more]

 

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Rubio heads to Saudi Arabia for US-Ukraine talks, then Canada for G7

Via Nike Ching in voanews.com: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will arrive in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Monday for U.S.-Ukraine talks as President Donald Trump pushes to broker a swift end to the Russia-Ukraine war, despite Russia’s latest massive aerial attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. While in Jeddah, Rubio will also meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud to discuss ways to advance shared interests in the region and strengthen the U.S.-Saudi relationship, said State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce. According to the State Department, Rubio has “underscored President Trumps determination to end the war as soon as possible and emphasized that all sides must take steps to secure a sustainable peace” in a Friday call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

More Saudi women take the lead with over 78,000 in senior roles, 551,000 business owners

in saudigazette.com: In honor of International Women’s Day, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics released data highlighting the increasing role of Saudi women in the workforce, leadership positions, and entrepreneurship. According to the report, Saudi Arabia is home to 9.8 million women, with 36.2% participating in the labor force as of the third quarter of 2024. The employment-to-population ratio for Saudi women reached 31.3%, reflecting steady progress in workforce inclusion. The report also shows that more Saudi women are stepping into leadership and business roles. In 2024, 78,356 Saudi women held senior management positions, while 551,318 women registered businesses in 2023. Freelancing is also on the rise, with 449,725 Saudi women obtaining freelance work permits in 2023. Meanwhile, the tourism industry saw a boost in female employment, with 111,259 Saudi women working in tourism-related jobs in 2024.

Aramco slashes blue ammonia output to reduce costs

Via Eva Levesque in agbi.comSaudi Aramco has scaled down its low carbon ammonia production target by 80 percent because of high costs and low demand. The company has adjusted its production objective from 11 million tonnes per annum (mpta) by 2030 to 2.5 mpta, it has said. The new target is still subject to the availability of commercially viable long-term offtake projects, Amin Nasser, Aramco CEO, told analysts during an earnings call this week. “We refined the target. The market is not evolving quickly enough considering the high cost,” Nasser said. Nasser said Aramco, which is the world’s largest oil company by value, is in discussions with potential ammonia buyers but will only go ahead with production if it secures agreements with “appropriate” returns.

 

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