Trade Saudi Arabia ‘close’ to US defence pact and arms deal Saudi Arabia could be close to a security pact with the United States that would enable the kingdom to buy arms, potentially including the sought-after F-35 fighter jet, and obtain some form of US defence guarantee, White House officials said this week. John Kirby, the president’s national security spokesperson, said on May 20 that the […] May 23, 2024
Business of Sport PIF to sponsor women’s world tennis rankings Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is giving its name to the women’s world tennis rankings, the latest sponsorship deal in the kingdom’s drive to dominate global sports. “The PIF WTA Rankings will track players’ journeys, and PIF will work with the WTA to celebrate and support players’ progress,” PIF said, calling the deal “multi-year”. […] May 22, 2024
Analysis Tourism Pressure on Saudi tourism exposes mixed feelings about AI Saudi Arabia is trying to limit the use of artificial intelligence technology in its expanding tourism industry in an effort to boost job numbers, despite strides being made elsewhere in the sector to make the kingdom a leader in digitalisation. Speaking at an economic forum in Doha last week, tourism minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb expressed concerns […] May 22, 2024
Construction Retal wins $770m contract to build in Dhahran The Saudi builder Retal has signed a SAR2.9 billion ($770 million) contract to design and build nearly 2,000 residential units in Dhahran, Eastern Province, for the giga-project developer Roshn. Retal “will develop and design the detailed master plan, design and execute the infrastructure, landscape, construct 1,962 residential units and public amenities building in Aldanah project,” […] May 21, 2024
Aviation More low-cost airline routes planned for Saudi Arabia Plans to privatise domestic airports have been announced by Saudi Arabia as part of an aviation expansion strategy, which includes imminent licences for more low-cost airline routes, the kingdom’s civil aviation authority said this week. The General Authority of Civil Aviation has signed an agreement with a consortium led by the Turkish airport operator TAV […] May 21, 2024
Finance Saudi listed companies report Q1 profit rise Businesses listed on the Saudi stock exchange, excluding the state energy giant Aramco, reported an 8 percent rise in first-quarter profits this year, highlighting the continued strength of the non-oil sector as hydrocarbon output is cut. Net profit gains in the banking sector, and for telecoms operator STC and state mining company Maaden, helped to […] May 20, 2024
Aviation Saudia announces ‘largest deal in Saudi aviation history’ Saudia, one of Saudi Arabia’s national carriers, has ordered 105 aircraft from Airbus, with the first batch due for delivery in early 2026. Saudia director general Ibrahim Al-Omar told an aviation industry forum in Riyadh that it is “the largest deal in Saudi aviation history”. A similarly large order has been made by new carrier […] May 20, 2024
Tourism Pilgrim air terminal planned for Kuala Lumpur airport Saudi Arabia and Malaysia are planning to build a pilgrimage air terminal in Kuala Lumpur to increase tourism numbers in both countries. Malaysia’s transport minister Anthony Loke told an aviation industry forum in Riyadh that it was looking with the Saudi Arabian government into “building and establishing a Hajj and Umrah hub” in Kuala Lumpur […] May 20, 2024
Analysis Energy Saudi Arabia’s nuclear plans stall while UAE pushes on The UAE is moving ahead with its second nuclear power plant, but plans for Saudi Arabia’s first facility remain bogged down in controversy and delay. The kingdom is attempting to win US approval to enrich its own uranium and use US technology. Saudi Arabia said last year it would allow inspections of future nuclear facilities, […] May 19, 2024
Finance PIF slashes Starbucks stake as it cuts US stocks by $15bn Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has slashed its US equity holdings by 42 percent to $20.6 billion, including its stake in Starbucks, the global coffee chain that has suffered calls for a boycott as a result of the Gaza conflict. The latest US government data highlights funding challenges facing the Saudi giga-projects. The filing […] May 17, 2024
Retail Record footfall at Saudi Arabia’s largest mall operator Cenomi Centers, Saudi Arabia’s biggest mall operator, said on Thursday it had seen record footfall of 31.7 million customer visits in the first quarter of 2024, highlighting the continued strength of the Saudi retail sector. Net profit at the company, which runs 21 malls, was down 53 percent at SAR180.5 million ($48 million) after the […] May 17, 2024
Giga-projects Diriyah giga-project to open first hotel in November Diriyah, one of Saudi Arabia’s leading giga-projects, will finally open its first hotel in November along with other attractions and sites, its CEO said this week. “This November we’ll open another few kilometres of parks, we’ll open our first Bab Samhan hotel, we’ll open our first museum which is the Diriyah Art Futures Museum, we’ll […] May 16, 2024
Tourism Passenger numbers rise 26% in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia said this week that its total number of air passengers rose 26 percent to 112 million in 2023. This includes a 46 percent rise in the total number of international travellers to 61 million. The number means the kingdom’s airports are approaching full capacity, which is 116 million passengers a year, including 45 […] May 16, 2024
Giga-projects Affluent tourists around the globe on Saudi Arabia’s radar Saudi Arabia will invest more than $800 billion in its main giga-projects by the next decade as part of a tourism expansion strategy focused on affluent tourists in China, India and Europe. The kingdom’s tourism minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb, speaking at the Qatar Investment Forum, said: “We’re building and investing in major destinations like Neom, Red […] May 16, 2024
Aviation Qatar and Rwanda to open airport in ‘heart of Africa’ by 2028 Qatar Airways and RwandAir will open a major international airport in Rwanda’s capital Kigali by 2028, the airlines said this week. The Qatari flag carrier has also announced plans to take a stake in a southern African airline to cement its expansion plans on the continent. RwandAir and Qatar Airways, which have a code-sharing agreement, […] May 15, 2024
Giga-projects PIF merges companies in sign of giga-project shake-up The Saudi sports and leisure city Qiddiya said on Tuesday it would absorb the entertainment company Seven. It is the first sign of a possible shake-up of Public Investment Fund giga-projects as they struggle to meet deadlines amid rising costs and budget deficits. Doubts have arisen about the future of some of the projects after […] May 15, 2024
Economy Qatar calls for greater GCC cooperation as it diversifies economy Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund will continue a policy of diversification, investing in Central Asia and Africa, but Gulf countries need to do more to unify their economic growth plans to face rising geopolitical risks, Qatar’s prime minister said on Tuesday. “Our focus in terms of the sovereign wealth fund and investment continues following the strategy […] May 14, 2024
Markets Healthcare group Fakeeh attracts orders of $91bn for Saudi IPO The listing of healthcare conglomerate Fakeeh Care Group was 119 times oversubscribed by institutional investors, the Saudi stock exchange said on Tuesday. The initial public offering was set to raise $763 million but attracted orders of $91 billion, reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s dominance of the region’s IPO market this year. Fakeeh, which was founded in Jeddah […] May 14, 2024
Banking & Finance Demand is high for Alrajhi bank’s first green sukuk Saudi Arabia’s Alrajhi Bank has completed its $1 billion sukuk – having raised $3.5 billion in subscriptions from local and international investors – as the kingdom’s lenders push to raise funds for the government’s expensive giga-projects. Sukuk are sharia-compliant bonds that were developed as an alternative to conventional bonds, which are not considered permissible by […] May 13, 2024
Industry Industrial output falls in Saudi Arabia after oil cuts Saudi Arabia’s industrial output index has fallen almost 9 percent over the past year, largely due to a policy of oil production cuts the government began in mid-2022. The industrial production index fell from around 114 points in March 2023 to 104 in March 2024, as mining and quarrying fell by 14 percent and manufacturing […] May 10, 2024
Analysis Economy Saudi Arabia grapples with new penal code A legislative committee is grappling with the text of a new penal code which could cement — or jeopardise — the gains made by Saudi Arabia after it introduced a new commercial law code last year. The kingdom is trying to shake off a reputation for opaque and arbitrary justice to meet ambitious tourism and […] May 10, 2024
Giga-projects Neom announces superyacht resort on Gulf of Aqaba Plans to build a high-end resort town on the Gulf of Aqaba aimed at the luxury yacht community have been announced by Neom, despite rising doubts about Saudi Arabia’s ability to maintain funding lines for the country’s giga-projects. The new project, Jaumur, was described by Neom as an “exclusive residential community set around an inspiring […] May 9, 2024
