Oil & Gas Aramco invests $8bn to raise gas output by 60% Saudi Aramco is building on its natural gas reserves to free more crude oil for value-added refining and export. As part of the strategy, the oil giant has awarded engineering, procurement and construction contracts worth $8 billion for a major expansion of its Fadhili gas plant in the Eastern Province. The contracts for the gas […] April 3, 2024
Economy Saudi-listed companies’ total profits tumble by 17% The total profits of Saudi-listed companies fell 17 percent year on year to SAR126.8 billion ($33.8 billion) in the fourth quarter of 2023, research has found. The drop has been attributed to the country’s economic contraction as oil production cuts continue. But sectors such as banks, insurance, transport and pharmaceuticals showed improvement in Q4, reflecting […] April 2, 2024
Giga-projects Roshn to build its first residential district in Mecca The Saudi giga-project Roshn is building its first residential community in Mecca, which will cater to middle income Saudis. The Almanar project will sit on the western outskirts of the city, with easy access to Jeddah airport. It will house 17,000 people in its first phase, Roshn said this week. The development will include three […] April 2, 2024
Giga-projects Neom and Jeddah offer appeal to expat buyers Many expatriates in Saudi Arabia are interested in buying property in Neom and Jeddah Central and willing to spend over $1 million, a real estate survey showed this week. “When asked about which giga-project they would most like to buy a home to live in, Neom emerges as the clear favourite, followed by Jeddah Central […] April 2, 2024
Retail Saudi retailer Cenomi reveals major brand sale Saudi-based franchiser Cenomi Retail has announced the sale of 16 brands in the first quarter of 2024 as part of a turnaround strategy to stem mounting losses. Cenomi transferred 226 stores in Saudi Arabia to Abdullah Al Othaim Fashion Company. This follows the retailer’s exit from some international markets and the net closure of an […] April 2, 2024
Tourism Red Sea airport prepares for first international visitors Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Airport will record its first international visitors this month when a flight from Dubai arrives on April 18. Red Sea Global, the developer behind regenerative tourism destinations The Red Sea and Amaala, said the flight, operated by Flydubai, marks the start of a new twice-weekly route. Regular domestic flights operated […] April 1, 2024
Construction Losses narrow for developer of King Abdullah Economic City Emaar the Economic City, the developer of King Abdullah Economic City near Jeddah, narrowed its losses in 2023 as revenue nearly tripled. The developer cut losses to SAR253 million ($67 million) last year from SAR1.2 billion in 2022. Revenue was up 184 percent year on year to more than SAR1 billion in 2023, driven by sales […] April 1, 2024
Employment Saudi Arabia steps up Saudisation job drive Saudi Arabia’s government said this week that jobs in human resources (HR) in the kingdom are now restricted to Saudi nationals only. It is another step in the country’s plan to localise skilled jobs and reduce unemployment. The ministry of human resources made the statement on social media site X, formerly Twitter, in response to […] March 29, 2024
Opinion Transport Art, beaches, culture: Jeddah commute makes sense to me Riyadh may be where the action is but serenity is found in Saudi Arabia's port city March 29, 2024
Sustainability Acwa Power to build $800m desalination plant in Senegal Acwa Power, Saudi Arabia’s operator of power generation and desalinated water production plants, will construct a SAR3 billion ($800 million) desalination plant in Dakar, Senegal. The company signed an agreement with Senegal’s ministry of water and sanitation and state-backed National Water Company, to build a 400,000 cubic metres per day desalination plant in Dakar. The […] March 29, 2024
Employment Saudi Arabia unemployment fell in Q4 2023 Unemployment among Saudi Arabian nationals fell to 7.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023, from 8 percent during the same period in 2022, the government said this week, reflecting the growth of the non-oil sector despite an economic contraction. Unemployment among Saudi males was 4.6 percent, which was up from 4.2 percent the year […] March 28, 2024
Economy Saudi FDI inflow up but still far short of target The net inflow of foreign direct investment into Saudi Arabia was just over SAR13 billion ($3.5 billion) in the fourth quarter of 2023, up 16 percent on the previous period, government data said this week. The data, released by the General Authority for Statistics, puts the total net inflow for 2023 at SAR46 billion, which […] March 28, 2024
Economy Saudi exports fall 10% on oil output cuts Saudi Arabia’s exports fell by more than 10 percent in January compared to the previous year due to a reduction in oil exports. The Saudi economy has taken a hit from Opec+ oil output cuts over the past year, although non-oil exports rose slightly by 0.8 percent. Riyadh promoted the cuts in an effort to […] March 27, 2024
Leisure & Hospitality Kingdom Holding plans $267m dividend despite profit drop Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) plans to distribute a dividend of more than SAR1 billion ($267 million) for 2023 despite profits falling by 85 percent. The board of the investment company, founded by Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, proposed a 2.8 percent cash dividend, totalling SAR1.03 billion, for 2023, subject to shareholders approval. Net profit […] March 27, 2024
Retail Cenomi Centers’ growth reflects Saudi retail potential Saudi Arabia’s largest operator of shopping malls has reported record footfall, which drove a 49 percent jump in net profit last year. The number of visitors to Cenomi Centers malls rose by 19 percent to 124 million in 2023, smashing the previous pre-Covid record of 114 million in 2019. The company delivered SAR2.3 billion ($613 […] March 26, 2024
Agriculture Hydroponics allows family to become first Saudi tomato exporter A family company has become the first exporter of tomatoes from Saudi Arabia, thanks to drip irrigation, which has made sending fruit and vegetables from the Gulf to lucrative European markets economically viable. Dava, a private company set up by the Batal family in 2017, began exporting various types of tomato and “snack peppers” – […] March 26, 2024
Energy China’s energy security is ‘set in stone’ says Aramco CEO Saudi Aramco’s dedication to China’s energy security is “set in stone”, President and CEO of the state oil company Amin Nasser has said. “China has a vitally important place in our global investment strategy,” he said in his speech at the China Development Forum 2024. “Aramco was among the leading direct investors in China last […] March 26, 2024
Finance EV maker Lucid secures $1bn funding from PIF affiliate US electric vehicle manufacturer Lucid will raise $1 billion in capital from an affiliate of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Ayar Third Investment Company will buy $1 billion in convertible preferred stock via private placement, the carmaker said in a statement. “We are extremely pleased to receive this strong, continued support from the PIF, as […] March 26, 2024
Analysis Markets Emerging market ETFs look light on Saudi engagement Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that track the MSCI Emerging Markets Index are underexposed to Saudi Arabia but are more closely aligned to weightings of the other three Gulf countries included in the benchmark, an AGBI analysis shows. The inclusion of four Gulf countries in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index over the past decade has led to […] March 26, 2024
Real Estate Saudi home ownership fund hands out $257m in March Saudi Arabia’s Real Estate Development Fund provided another SR963 million ($257 million) in housing support in March. This takes the total given since 2017 to increase home ownership in the kingdom to $15 billion, the Saudi government said. The government is trying to raise home ownership among nationals to 70 percent of the population by […] March 25, 2024
