Business of Sport Saudi sports push ‘winning global audiences’ Saudi sports investments are winning a global audience as the kingdom tries to overcome charges of “sport washing”, a major survey of media coverage said this month. Media analytics consultancy Carma found that coverage of human rights in Saudi Arabia fell in favour of “a sports-related narrative” around the world, including in the West. The […] June 25, 2024
Construction Riyadh dominates Saudi Arabia’s construction market Riyadh and its surroundings account for nearly 40 percent of the value of existing construction contracts in Saudi Arabia, at US$54 billion, according to new research. The provinces of Mecca – which includes Jeddah – and Tabuk in the north of the kingdom follow the capital region, with $28.7 billion and $28.5 billion in awarded […] June 25, 2024
Markets Arabian Mills to sell 30% stake on Saudi bourse Arabian Mills for Food Products will list 15.4 million shares, or a 30 percent stake, on the Saudi stock exchange, the kingdom’s market regulator has said. The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) approved the company’s public flotation application on Monday, adding that the prospectus will be published before the subscription start date. No other details of […] June 25, 2024
Video length: 07:15 Tourism Egypt shuts down 16 travel companies after Hajj tragedy Egypt has withdrawn the operating licences of 16 travel companies for organising unlicensed Hajj trips to Saudi Arabia. A statement from the Egyptian government said the companies would be prosecuted and fined, with the funds used to compensate pilgrims’ families for their loss. Hundreds of Egyptians were among 1,301 people who died of exposure to […] June 24, 2024
Retail Spinneys opens first Saudi supermarket in Riyadh Spinneys has opened its first supermarket in Saudi Arabia and is planning a further 12 stores in the country by 2028. The UAE supermarket operator listed on the Dubai Financial Market last month and raised AED1.38 billion ($375.7 million) from its initial public offering, which was oversubscribed almost 64 times. The first Spinneys in Saudi […] June 24, 2024
Finance Aramco chairman re-elected onto India’s Reliance board Saudi Aramco chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan has been reappointed as an independent director on the board of India’s Reliance Industries Limited. Nearly 84 percent of shareholders voted in favour while 16 percent voted against his reappointment for the five-year term, the company said in a filing with the Bombay stock exchange. NewsletterGet the Best of AGBI […] June 24, 2024
EXCLUSIVE Tech Aramco adopts heat-sensing construction helmets Saudi Aramco is deploying advanced safety helmets equipped with heat stress sensors to protect workers on some of its construction sites, a critical concern in the Gulf region’s scorching climate. The helmets, developed by Dubai and Saudi Arabia-based construction tech startup WakeCap, utilise internet-of-things (IoT) technology that monitors worker attendance, location, and safety incidents in […] June 23, 2024
Analysis Construction Construction is ‘cheaper in Dubai than Riyadh or Doha’ Dubai is only the third most expensive construction market in the Middle East after Riyadh and Doha, research has found. A real estate boom led by the leisure, hospitality and sports sectors, combined with a “distinct shortage of skilled labour”, have driven up construction costs in the Saudi capital to an average of $2,593 per […] June 21, 2024
Real Estate Expats scramble for housing in Riyadh Saudi Arabia’s historic development push – and an influx of foreign professionals looking to play a part in it – is putting the spotlight on a dearth of prime residential properties in the capital Riyadh. High-quality homes are snapped up, often finding tenants before or within days of getting listed, said Sujith Chandar, Saudi-based Emea […] June 21, 2024
Oil & Gas Shell beats Aramco in race to buy LNG business Saudi Aramco, the world’s biggest oil exporter, has lost out to UK rival Shell in its bid to buy Pavilion Energy, a Singapore trader of liquefied natural gas (LNG), from Temasek, the Asian island nation’s sovereign investment fund. Both companies were shortlisted for a potential acquisition worth billions of dollars. No financial details of Shell’s […] June 19, 2024
Economy Saudi Arabia and UAE up in World Competitiveness Ranking Saudi Arabia and the UAE have improved their rankings in the annual IMD World Competitiveness Ranking this year, as both Gulf states embrace artificial intelligence (AI) to make their economies more productive. The list, which is compiled by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Switzerland, saw the UAE rise three places to seventh, […] June 19, 2024
Aviation Brazil’s Embraer woos Saudi Arabia for military plane deal Saudi Arabia is in “early engagement” with Brazilian planemaker Embraer over a deal to replace its ageing fleet of military transport aircraft. Embraer is touting its C-390 Millennium transport plane as the ideal replacement for the kingdom’s Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules aircraft. Embraer Defense & Security’s CEO João Bosco da Costa Junior told reporters: “They […] June 19, 2024
Trade UAE dominates Saudi imports Saudi Arabia’s imports from its neighbouring five GCC countries rose 5 percent to SAR21 billion ($5.6 billion) in the first quarter of 2024. Oman led the growth, but goods trade with Qatar suffered a steep decline, according to figures from Saudi platform Argaam, citing the Saudi General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT). Goods shipped from the […] June 19, 2024
Mining Saudi Arabia targets Chile for lithium investments Saudi Arabia’s mining minister Bandar Alkhorayef will visit Chile next month to negotiate a deal to secure lithium to support the kingdom’s ambition to expand its electric vehicle (EV) sector, a news report said. Alkhorayef will meet with his counterpart in Santiago, Reuters reported, quoting a Chilean government statement. The report said the two officials will discuss […] June 18, 2024
Tourism Tourism businesses on the up in Medina The number of tourism businesses in Medina was 15 percent higher in the first quarter of 2024 than the same time last year, a boon for Saudi Arabia as it aims to increase the industry’s contribution to the national economy. Madinah Chamber did not supply a breakdown of the figures, but the state-owned Saudi Press […] June 18, 2024
Economy Saudi housing costs rise but inflation remains steady Housing costs in Saudi Arabia rose nearly 9 percent year on year in May, but it was not enough to push overall inflation in the kingdom over 2 percent. The latest data from the General Authority for Statistics showed the annual inflation rate in Saudi Arabia was 1.6 percent in May, having remained at this […] June 17, 2024
Transport PIF agrees to buy 15% stake in London’s Heathrow airport Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Paris-headquartered private equity fund Ardian have agreed to buy Spanish infrastructure giant Ferrovial’s 37.6 percent stake in London’s Heathrow, the UK’s busiest airport. Under the agreement, PIF and Ardian will acquire 15 percent and 22.6 percent, respectively, of FGP Topco, the parent company of Heathrow Airport Holdings, for a total […] June 17, 2024
Banking and Finance Edmond de Rothschild to run funding vehicle for Saudi projects The Edmond de Rothschild Group is establishing a funding vehicle for infrastructure projects in Saudi Arabia along with the local firm SNB Capital, as part of a deal in which the Swiss investment bank will set up offices in the country. Saudi Arabia’s massive economic diversification programme has run into financial obstacles as it faces […] June 14, 2024
Video length: 07:15 Analysis Tourism Hajj pilgrims feel the pinch as costs rise The costs of Hajj are getting ever higher for pilgrims coming from around the world to perform the annual rites, which are a duty for every able-bodied Muslim to perform once in a lifetime. Even pilgrims coming from within Saudi Arabia, for whom the costs are cheaper, are paying around SAR23,500 ($6,266) for up to […] June 14, 2024
Energy Aramco signs 20-year LNG supply deal with NextDecade Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil producer, has signed a non-binding agreement with US energy company NextDecade to purchase liquefied natural gas (LNG) for 20 years. The Saudi-listed energy company will purchase 1.2 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG from the Rio Grande facility in the US. “We look forward to finalising the terms of […] June 14, 2024
