Analysis Education International business schools enter Gulf to plug skills gap Demand for executive education in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other Gulf states is growing as local governments and corporations seek to train the next generation of leaders to support economic and enterprise development goals. Several business schools and universities offering professional development programmes are expanding in the Gulf region. These include the London Business […] May 29, 2025
Opinion Media & Advertising Diriyah’s new branding is far from black and white Owning a colour is a shady business May 29, 2025
Artificial Intelligence Humain to bankroll AI startups with $10bn fund Humain, Saudi Arabia’s state-backed artificial intelligence company, plans to launch a venture capital fund to support the country’s goal of becoming an AI superpower. The Humain Ventures fund will be set up this summer with $10 billion to invest in startups across the US, Europe and Asia, Tareq Amin, CEO of Humain, told the Financial […] May 29, 2025
Renewable Energy Acwa Power enters Malaysia with $10bn investment plan Saudi Arabian energy company Acwa Power and the state-backed Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) have agreed to collaborate on developing 12.5 gigawatts (GW) worth of green projects in Malaysia by 2040. The initial investment will amount to $10 billion, supporting Kuala Lumpur’s target of increasing its installed renewable energy capacity to 70 percent by 2050, […] May 28, 2025
Oil & Gas Aramco defies oil slump with strong $5bn bond sale Saudi Aramco’s $5 billion bond sale on Tuesday saw spreads tighten, suggesting a strong market appetite for the company’s debt despite falling oil prices. The state-owned oil company sold bonds in three tranches. A 5-year issue, which was priced at 80bps over US treasury bonds, tightened from its original 115bps guidance. The spread of a […] May 28, 2025
Transport Chinese self-driving operator WeRide launches Saudi operations Autonomous driving company WeRide has announced plans to roll out driverless taxis in Saudi Arabia before the end of the year. It is already testing its flagship product the Robotaxi in Riyadh and the upmarket holiday resort of AlUla as well as “other core autonomous driving products”, WeRide said in a press release. The company […] May 28, 2025
Oil & Gas Saudi Arabia may cut Asia crude prices to 6-month lows Saudi Arabia may cut its crude prices for Asian buyers in July to the lowest in six months, refiners said, tracking losses in benchmark prices driven by rising supply from Opec+. The July official selling price (OSP) for flagship Arab Light crude may drop by 40 to 50 cents to between 90 cents and $1 […] May 28, 2025
Analysis Markets United Carton’s shares fall on Tadawul first day Shares in United Carton Industries Company fell on their debut in Riyadh on Tuesday, making it the only Saudi company this year to end its first day below its initial public offering price. UCIC closed at SAR49.25, 1.5 percent below the IPO price of SAR50, in the first Saudi listing since President Donald Trump‘s tariffs […] May 28, 2025
Oil & Gas Saudi Aramco seeks funds through three-part bond sale Oil giant Saudi Aramco wants to raise funds through a dollar-denominated three-part bond sale, fixed income news service IFR reported on Tuesday. The debt deal, which is expected to be priced later in the day, will be benchmark-sized, which is usually considered to be at least $500 million. Earlier this month, Aramco reported a 4.6 percent drop in […] May 27, 2025
Tourism Saudi Arabia ‘has no plans to allow sale of alcohol’ Saudi Arabia has denied media reports saying that it plans to license alcohol sales next year. “These claims lack any official confirmation from relevant authorities and do not reflect existing policies or regulations in Saudi Arabia,” Arab News reported, citing informed sources. A post on a wine blog last week suggested that the Saudi authorities […] May 27, 2025
Analysis Trade Made in Saudi? Deal for Boeing F-15 parts still on the runway Boeing’s announcement that it may manufacture parts for fighter jets in Saudi Arabia highlights deepening commitments between the kingdom and the US, as well as the challenges of turning them into reality. During President Donald Trump’s trip to the Gulf this month, hundreds of billions of dollars of deals were signed in sensitive sectors such […] May 27, 2025
Opinion Business of Sport Gulf states get serious with sports spending The likes of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi are fast becoming more strategic about their commitments May 27, 2025
Analysis Oil & Gas US investors ‘would be first in line for any Aramco asset sale’ Asset sales could allow Saudi Aramco to maintain its capital expenditure plans and keep its government shareholders happy with dividends, analysts have said. The national oil company is reportedly looking for investors to buy stakes in its subsidiaries and infrastructure, with a particular focus on its $100 billion Jafurah gas field project, according to a […] May 27, 2025
Markets Saudi Comic Con organiser sells shares in IPO The organiser of World Wrestling Association events in Saudi Arabia and the first Comic Con, a convention celebrating comic books, is selling shares to the public as the kingdom offers more entertainment opportunities to its population. Riyadh-based Time Entertainment is selling 200,000 shares, a 20 percent stake, to raise as much as SAR16 million ($4.27 […] May 26, 2025
Opinion Aviation The quiet rise of Middle East low-cost carriers The budget air travel revolution is challenging the airline status quo across the region May 26, 2025
Finance Saudi Arabia issues new sukuk worth $16bn Saudi Arabia has repaid SAR60 billion ($16 billion) worth of Islamic bonds, or sukuk, maturing over the next five years and simultaneously issued new sukuk of the same value. The initiative aims to bolster the domestic market and meet debt obligations, the National Debt Management Centre (NMDC), which manages the Saudi government’s debt obligations and […] May 26, 2025
Analysis Artificial Intelligence AI adoption could help meet ambitious Vision 2030 targets Construction companies in Saudi Arabia are increasingly looking to artificial intelligence to reduce waste and speed up delivery times, industry experts say. AI software is already in use in the country to help speed up the design and development of billions of dollars in projects. But increased adoption of cutting-edge technology is needed to meet […] May 26, 2025
Oil & Gas Aramco ‘considering asset sales’ to free up funds Saudi Aramco is considering asset sales to free up funds as it pursues an international expansion and weathers lower crude prices, sources have told Reuters. The world’s largest oil-producing company is the main source of Saudi state revenue. The company will slash dividend payouts by nearly a third this year as lower oil prices hit its […] May 26, 2025
Renewable Energy PIF and Acwa Power to team up for 3GW wind farm Saudi Arabia’s $940 billion Public Investment Fund (PIF) and its affiliate Acwa Power are working on a wind farm project to develop enough electricity to power three small cities, according to reports. The wind power projects, one for 2 gigawatts and the other for 1GW, are part of the 2025 round of the country’s National […] May 23, 2025
Tourism Skills shortage a concern for Saudi’s big-ticket events Saudi Arabia’s tourism and hospitality sector is suffering a skills shortage which it urgently needs to address before hosting some of the world’s biggest events, the CEO of one of the kingdom’s giga-project companies said. Of these events, perhaps the biggest is the 2034 World Cup. But before that lies a host of others as […] May 23, 2025
