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Red Sea Global

Saudi capital spending surges 38% on back of higher oil prices

Capital expenditure surged in Saudi Arabia in the first half of 2022, part of a wider spending spree on the back of higher oil prices. S&P Global Ratings said capital expenditure (capex) rose by 38 percent to SR51 billion ($13.6 billion) despite this year’s initial budget statement forecasting it would fall. Revenue was up 43 […]

‘The biggest construction site the world has ever seen’

Saudi Arabia was described on Tuesday as the biggest construction site the world has ever seen as projects valued at over $1.1 trillion are underway in the kingdom.  That’s the total value of real estate and infrastructure projects since the launch of Saudi Arabia’s National Transformation Plan in 2016, according to global real estate consultancy […]

Accountability ‘crucial’ for success of Saudi Vision 2030

Saudi Arabia is entering a “crucial” part of its ambitious Vision 2030 programme as the kingdom begins to deliver on its promises, described by a leading expert as the “moment of accountability”. Pedro Ribeiro, the recently appointed general manager for commercial real estate services and investment firm CBRE in Saudi Arabia, told AGBI that the […]

Saudi tops global expat salaries list while UAE slips

Saudi Arabia continues to offer the highest expatriate salaries in the world, while wages in the UAE have fallen in real terms, recruitment experts have said. Expat salaries in Saudi Arabia rose by 11 percent year on year in 2021 to an average of $188,000 for middle management roles, according to the latest MyExpatriate Market […]

Gulf serves up locally farmed salmon – and better food security

From the old man who dredged up a djinn to the boy who netted an emerald, fishermen populate the folk stories of the Arab world. But the dhow fleets of the Gulf no longer provide a lifeline for local economies. By contrast, aquaculture – the farming of fish, shellfish and aquatic plants – has begun […]

UAE biofuel firm in talks with global investors

A Dubai-based company which converts waste cooking oil into biofuel is in investment talks with major energy firms, as demand grows among climate-conscious global companies. The sector is expected to be worth over $200 billion by 2030. “I moved to Dubai in 2009. I’d been working for three years by then on sustainability, so it’s […]

Saudi’s cashless revolution well underway as investments soar

Saudi Arabia’s digital payments revolution is gathering pace with point-of-sale transactions surpassing ATM cash withdrawals for the first time in the second quarter of 2022. The kingdom’s transformation into a cashless economy resulted in point-of-sale (PoS) transactions rising 16.6 percent annually in Q2 to $36.7 billion, described by the Saudi Ministry of Investment (MISA) as […]

World’s richest families are shifting investments to Gulf

Qatar’s World Cup, Saudi’s Vision 2030 and UAE’s dynamism are all helping attract wealthy family investors to the region, says UBS Investments in the Middle East by ultra-high-net-worth family offices will increase by at least 50 percent over the next decade, a senior executive at the Swiss global wealth manager UBS told AGBI. Family offices, […]

Emirates-US joint venture opens world’s largest vertical farm

Emirates Flight Catering (EKFC) and US-based Crop One have announced the opening of Bustanica, the world’s largest hydroponic farm, backed by an investment of $40 million.  The facility is the first vertical farm for Emirates Crop One, the joint venture between the two companies, and is located near Al Maktoum airport at Dubai World Central. […]

The road from Jeddah: US and Saudi set out their 19 priorities

Clean energy, investment deals and space exploration are at the heart of the Jeddah communiqué – the partnership agreement issued by the US and Saudi governments after President Joe Biden’s meeting with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Among the agreements reached during the president’s visit on July 15 and 16 was a […]

Red Sea Farms ploughs new ground as investments soar

Saudi-based Red Sea Farms is planning to ride the wave of increased global investments in agricultural technology by organising a Series A funding round later this year. The move follows an oversubscribed Pre-Series A round last year of $16 million and also a recent strategic raise of $18.5 million. “The proceeds of our successful fundraise […]

Hilton opened the DoubleTree in Riyadh this year as it expands its hotel portfolio in the Gulf

US firms invest billions as Saudi appeal grows

American businessmen first travelled to Saudi Arabia back in the 1930s to help develop the kingdom’s natural resources. Fast forward 90 years and, with record foreign investment licences issued in Saudi Arabia in the first quarter of 2022 and the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) growing at its fastest rate in a decade, it’s little […]

Anthony Joshua lost his titles to Oleksandr Usyk when they first met last year

Saudi to host Joshua-Usyk heavyweight title rematch

Saudi Arabia confirmed today that it will host the world heavyweight boxing clash between champion Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua on August 20 as the kingdom cements its status as a global sporting destination.  In a statement, the Ministry of Sports announced that the Red Sea city of Jeddah will host the rematch between the […]

Saudi region awarded global gastronomy title

The Aseer region in southwest Saudi Arabia is to be given a global showcase after being awarded the title of World Region of Gastronomy 2024 by the Barcelona-based International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT). The move is part of a wider $13 billion plan to redevelop the tourism potential of the little-known […]

Saudi to invest $100m in tourism training

Saudi Arabia is planning to invest $100 million training around 100,000 young Saudis to work in the tourism sector, as the kingdom looks to attract over 70 million visitors per year. The Ministry of Tourism on Tuesday launched the Tourism Pioneers programme, which the Saudi Press Agency claimed was the “largest global programme” of its […]

Saudi’s leading cinema group to make films for Arabs by Arabs

The kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced the lifting of its 35-year ban on cinemas four years ago. The industry has since seen exponential growth and Arabic language films have been the most popular among moviegoers. This trend has now prompted Muvi Cinemas, Saudi Arabia’s homegrown cinema brand and the country’s largest theatre operator, to launch […]

Lucid’s electric vehicle hub to create 4,500 jobs in Saudi

US-based Lucid Group on Wednesday revealed more details about its plans to build an electric vehicle (EV) production hub in Saudi Arabia, with 4,500 jobs to be created.  With an annual capacity to build 155,000 EVs, agreements in place are estimated to provide financing and incentives to Lucid of up to $3.4 billion over the […]

The project's scope has expanded from its inception, adding a further $30 billion to the originally estimated $20 billion cost

Diriyah Gate: The kingdom’s cultural heart

Roughly 20 minutes’ drive north-west of Riyadh’s city centre lies the historic town of Diriyah. The original home of the House of Saud and the capital of the First Saudi State, it is here that the country’s new cultural capital is beginning to take shape. Overseeing its transformation is the Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA), […]

The Red Sea Project will will host 50 resorts providing up to 8,000 hotel rooms and beach villas

The Red Sea Project: Showcasing natural abundance

One of the most ambitious and environmentally responsible tourism developments in the world is beginning to take shape on the north-west coast of Saudi Arabia. Spread across 28,000 square kilometres and including an archipelago of more than 90 islands, The Red Sea Project will be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy and is committed to […]