Retail Saudi footfall at Cenomi Centers beats pre-Covid level Footfall across Saudi Arabia’s largest shopping mall operator rose 19 percent year on year in 2023, eclipsing the pre-Covid level of 114 million in 2019. Cenomi Centers reported that the number of people through the doors at its 22 locations in 10 Saudi cities reached 124 million last year. Like-for-like occupancy rose from 90.3 percent on September […] January 31, 2024
Video length: 01:02 VIDEO Tourism Saudi tourism scores big with Lionel Messi video Global Google searches for “Saudi tourism” shot up at the weekend after tourism bosses in the kingdom released a new promotional video starring footballer Lionel Messi. The campaign, which is being launched in markets including Europe, India and China, focuses on overturning common misconceptions about Saudi Arabia. The video has been watched by 50 million […] January 30, 2024
Trade Red Sea crisis ‘will push up Middle East consumer prices’ Higher prices will be seen in Middle East shops if the crisis in the Red Sea continues for another two months, the research firm BMI has warned. In late November, Houthi rebels in Yemen began attacking commercial vessels travelling through the Red Sea in what they claim is a show of support for Palestinians in […] January 30, 2024
Aviation Kuwait airport passenger traffic rises 26% to 15.6m Total passenger movement at Kuwait International Airport rose 26 percent year on year to 15.6 million in 2023. Arrivals reached 7.93 million passengers, while departures accounted for 7.68 million, the state-run Kuna news agency reported, citing Imad Al-Jalawi, acting director general of Civil Aviation Aircraft traffic increased 23 percent to 128,584 last year, from 104,147 […] January 30, 2024
Giga-projects Head of AlUla commission arrested over corruption Saudi Arabia has arrested the head of the Royal Commission for AlUla over corruption, one of the most notable arrests since the government launched a crackdown in 2017. The Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority, known as Nazaha, said on X (formerly Twitter) that it had detained AlUla’s CEO Amr bin Saleh bin Abdelrahman Al-Madani for “abuse […] January 29, 2024
Tourism Morocco hails record tourist numbers for 2023 Morocco welcomed a record-breaking 14.5 million tourists in 2023, despite a devastating earthquake that rocked the country. The number of inbound tourists was up 34 percent on 2022 and an increase of 12 percent on pre-pandemic 2019 levels. December alone had 1.3 million tourist arrivals, despite a tough economic climate and turbulent geopolitical times. The […] January 29, 2024
Leisure & Hospitality UAE’s Rotana to launch eight new hotels in Saudi Arabia UAE-headquartered Rotana is set to launch eight new properties across Saudi Arabia in the next four years, bringing the total key count to 4,400 across 16 properties. Saudi Arabia presents one of the fastest-growing markets in the region, Rotana’s chief operating officer Eddy Tannous said. “Rotana is on track to meet its ambitious goal to double the number of […] January 28, 2024
Business of Sport Seven launches Formula E branded indoor karting venues Saudi Entertainment Ventures (Seven), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), and London-headquartered Formula E will jointly build multiple Formula E-branded indoor karting venues across the kingdom. The Formula E karting attractions are set to be built at four of Seven entertainment destinations in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Abha. Each attraction will […] January 28, 2024
People & Lifestyle Saudi to open alcohol store for non-Muslim diplomats Saudi Arabia will open its first alcohol store in Riyadh that will be available exclusively to non-Muslim diplomats, according to several media reports. Customers will have to register through a mobile app, get a clearance code from the foreign ministry, and respect monthly purchase quotas, Reuters reported, citing a document. The foreign affairs ministry is […] January 25, 2024
Aviation Saudia’s passenger traffic rises 21% to 30m in 2023 State-owned Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) carried more than 30 million passengers in 2023, a 21 percent year-on-year increase on higher seat capacity and flight frequency. The national flag carrier operated 176,300 flights, a four percent rise year on year. Transit flights witnessed a growth of 77 percent in 2023 compared to 2019, the airline said in a […] January 24, 2024
EXCLUSIVE Giga-projects Saudi’s Qiddiya to open first sites next year as plans grow Saudi Arabia’s mega sports and entertainment city Qiddiya is adding more hotel space and attractions to its masterplan to accommodate Riyadh’s projected population growth, a senior official said this week. Riyadh’s population is forecast to grow to 15 million by 2030. The city was chosen last year as the location for Expo 2030. Qiddiya, southwest […] January 23, 2024
Business of Sport Saudi ‘golden ball’ rule cues up snooker controversy Saudi Arabia will host its first major snooker tournament in Riyadh in March, though the deal has aroused controversy because of a new “golden ball” rule. The Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker is the latest in a series of top sports events the kingdom is organising during the first months of 2024. The Riyadh […] January 23, 2024
Leisure & Hospitality PIF’s new deal to spark surge in e-motorsports Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has announced a multi-year partnership with Formula E, Extreme E and E1 powerboat racing to boost the profile of sustainable electric motorsports in the kingdom. The Electric 360 programme is part of the sovereign fund’s carbon reduction initiatives. PIF ranks first in the Middle East for sustainability among the […] January 23, 2024
Food & Drink $203m Neom catering contract goes to Alhokair A contract worth SAR760 million ($203 million) to provide catering services at the futuristic city Neom in northwest Saudi Arabia has been awarded to the Saudi hotel operator Abdulmohsen Alhokair Group for Tourism and Development. Alhokair, which runs 92 entertainment centres and 35 hotels in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, said in a statement on […] January 22, 2024
Transport SUVs drive UAE car sales but motorists gear up to go green Gas-guzzling sports utility vehicles remain a popular choice for UAE motorists and outlets across the country have reported strong sales of SUVs in 2023, despite the ongoing drive to switch to more environmentally friendly alternatives. Abhinav Gupta, CEO for the Gulf region at Cars24, a global e-commerce platform for pre-owned vehicles, said that SUVs represented […] January 22, 2024
Health Saudis advised to go back to masks in crowded spaces Saudi Arabia has advised people to return to wearing masks in crowded public places after the spread of a new Covid-19 variant, but has told the public there is no cause for concern. “Try to wear a face mask when in crowded places, for your protection and protecting others from respiratory infection,” the Public Health […] January 19, 2024
Retail Rare chance to book profits for well-read investors From his shop in Dubai’s Alserkal Avenue, Alex Warren has been asked to source books by a particular Kazakh author, rare Indian poetry and even a copy of Catcher in the Rye in every language ever published. “That was quite odd,” says Warren, who opened Zerzura Rare Books in October 2022. “I didn’t hear from […] January 19, 2024
Leisure & Hospitality Egypt’s tourist arrivals surpass 2010 peak Tourist arrivals in Egypt reached 14.91 million in 2023, hitting the highest level since 2010, according to a news report. The North African nation had received 14.73 million visitors in 2010, the Egypt Today newspaper reported. The fourth quarter of 2023 saw a surge in tourism activity, an increase of 8 percent year on year […] January 19, 2024
Business of Sport Saudi Arabia clinches martial arts champions contest Saudi Arabia has signed a contract this week to host the first ever showdown between mixed martial arts champions of the Professional Fighters League (PFL) and Bellator MMA, the American mixed martial arts promotion. The fights at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena on February 24 are part of the country’s push to be at the forefront of […] January 18, 2024
Retail Kuwait’s Alshaya scales back operations in Egypt Kuwait’s Alshaya Group, one of the Gulf’s largest franchise owners, is scaling back its operations in Egypt due to “the difficulties faced by overseas businesses” in the North African country. “As a result of the economic situation over the last three years and the difficulties faced by overseas businesses trading in Egypt, we have taken […] January 18, 2024
Exclusive Retail Dubai is building bricks-and-mortar appeal, says Jumbo CEO Dubai will remain a stronghold for bricks-and-mortar shopping despite the increased competition from online retailers, according to the chief executive officer of the UAE conglomerate Jumbo Group. “The city’s unique market dynamics, such as demand for luxurious goods, coupled with a significant tourist influx contribute to the continued relevance of physical stores,” Vikas Chadha told […] January 18, 2024
Tourism Neom awards $5bn contract for Trojena dam project Saudi Arabia’s $500 billion Neom giga-project has awarded Italian contractor Webuild a $4.7 billion infrastructure development contract for the Trojena mountain destination. The Italian company will construct three dams to create the 2.8-km-long freshwater lake at Trojena, which will host the 2029 Asian Winter Games. The main dam will be made of roller-compacted concrete (RCC) and will be 145 […] January 18, 2024
