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Shares in MBC Group soar 30% on Saudi exchange debut

Shares in regional broadcaster MBC Group soared 30 per cent on its debut on Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul stock exchange on Monday

Shareek programme to suppport Saudi Arabia's private sector

Saudi Arabia records 40% jump in cloud computing growth

The issuance of cloud computing permits in Saudi Arabia increased 40 per cent year-on-year to reach 1,759 for the last quarter

ADEL DISTRICT - DAMMAM

Adel District blueprint envisions 50,000 residents in Dammam’s biggest urban development

Adel District is a plot-based urban development and will comprise five expansive residential neighborhoods

NEOM, Saudi Energy Ministry sign energy cooperation deal

NEOM, Saudi Energy Ministry sign MoU on cooperation in energy fields

The agreement outlines the collaboration between the two entities to develop modern technologies in the energy sector

Avalon Pharma to sell 30% stake in Riyadh IPO

Saudi Arabia’s Avalon Pharma plans to list 30% on Tadawul

The pharmaceutical firm said the final offer price will be determined following a January 14-18 book-building period

Saudi Arabia's Vision for S

How digital ID is unlocking Saudi Arabia’s vision for smarter cities

With a burgeoning ecosystem of over 100 fintech companies and a thriving array of digital wallets and services such as STC Pay, UrPay, and Friendi Pay, the kingdom is making significant strides towards diversifying its economy

suez canal

Shipping traffic through Suez Canal down 20% due to Middle East tensions

The Suez Canal is an important source of dollar revenues for Egypt

Huawei

Huawei advances Saudi cloud operation with new licence

The licencing allows Huawei Cloud to deliver cutting-edge Cloud Services to both public and private sectors across the kingdom and the wider region

ANTONY-BLINKEN-MAHMOUD-ABBAS-STATE-DEPT

Antony Blinken back in the Middle East as Israel crisis rages on: 8 countries on tour list

Blinken’s visit to the region comes amid an escalation to the crisis in the Middle East

Saudi Arabia e-visas now available to residents of 63 countries photo-courtesy-WAM

New business registrations surged in Saudi Arabia in 2023

In its latest bulletin, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Commerce announced a 23 per cent rise in company registrations for the final quarter of 2023

Saudi businessman survives -50°C, 60 mph winds to reach South Pole

Saudi Arabian adventurer and businessman Badr Al-Shebani has trekked to the South Pole in Antartica and endured tough conditions

Saudi PIF increases stake in MEPCO to 23.08%

Saudi wealth fund PIF hikes stake in MEPCO to 23.08%

The fund said the investment will enable MEPCO to expand its production, raise its operational efficiency, and support environmental sustainability

UAE, Saudi Arabia non-oil sector grew strongly in December

UAE non-oil sector grew strongly in December, Saudi maintains solid growth

Both the Riyad Bank Saudi Arabia PMI and the S&P Global UAE PMI remained way above the 50-mark that separates growth from contraction

PIF-owned SRC extends refinancing deal with Alrajhi Bank - GettyImages-1667969985

PIF’s SRC extends refinancing deal with Alrajhi Bank, total value hits SAR10.8bn

The extension of this agreement is aimed at advancing the goals of the Vision 2030 Housing Program

red sea

How could Red Sea tensions affect oil and gas shipping?

About 12 per cent of world shipping traffic transits the canal and 4-8 per cent of global LNG cargoes have passed through it in 2023

flynas carries 11 million passengers in 2023

Saudi Arabia’s flynas carries 11 million passengers in 2023

The budget carrier launched 57 new destinations and inaugurated its fourth operations base at Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah

BRICS SUMMIT-SOUTH AFRICA

Russia’s Vladimir Putin officially welcomes UAE, Saudi into BRICS

Two GCC nations, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, are now formally part of the BRICS bloc

Saudi Arabia’s PIF invests $31.6bn in 2023

Saudi wealth fund PIF splashes $31.6bn in 2023

Big-ticket purchases included $4.9bn for US gaming company Scopely, $3.6bn to buy Standard Chartered’s aircraft leasing division and $3.3bn for steelmaker Hadeed

Shareek programme to suppport Saudi Arabia's private sector

Saudi Arabia’s new regional headquarters mandate goes into effect

Saudi Arabia has officially activated its new mandate for companies with large tenders to host their regional offices in the country

Saudi Arabia’s foreign reserves fell from SAR1.57tn the previous month

Unemployment for Saudis rises slightly to 8.6% in Q3

The unemployment rate for Saudis is still lower than the 9.9 per cent recorded in the same period a year ago, according to data from the kingdom

Saudi Arabia’s NEOM launches lifestyle community Norlana

Saudi Arabia’s NEOM unveils plans for lifestyle community Norlana

Located on the coastline of the Gulf of Aqaba, the lifestyle community will have a 120-berth marina that will serve as an international hub for superyachts

Saudi’s Mawani inks four contracts worth SAR1bn

Saudi Arabia’s Mawani signs four contracts worth SAR1bn

The authority signed the contracts with Zamil Marine Services and Naghi Marine Company to provide diverse maritime services

Masdar

Top marks for GCC nations in digital connectivity index

Countries in the GCC are ranking among the highest in the world when it comes to the state of their digital connectivity in 2023

Red Sea shipping

Oil eased ahead of Christmas break on possible future Angola output increase

Brent crude oil futures fell 32 cents, or 0.4 per cent, to settle at $79.07 a barrel

The Lynas Rare Earths Ltd. processing plant in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022. Lynas, the only key supplier of the critical minerals outside China, has won further financial backing from Washington to build a plant in the US. Photographer: Carla Gottgens/Bloomberg

Saudi Arabia studies graphite, rare earths trading platform

The kingdom has been studying setting up the trading platform in the second half of 2023 but a decision is not expected any time soon

Tourism boom: Saudi Arabia’s international visitor numbers soar 142%

More tourists than ever before are visiting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as inbound visitor numbers have more than doubled since 2022

Oracle generative AI

Oracle targets training 50,000 Saudis in AI, latest tech

The training is set to form part of an initiative called ‘Mostaqbali’ (My Future), and will be supervised by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.

flynas takes delivery of 3 A320neo aircraft

Saudi budget carrier flynas takes delivery of 3 A320neo aircraft

The airline has taken delivery of 18 out of 19 new A320neo aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2023

BNPL startup Tamara raises $340m, now valued at $1bn

BNPL startup Tamara now valued at $1bn after raising $340m

With this transaction, the BNPL platform will have raised a total of $500m in equity funding, and well above $400m in debt financing

Maersk

Oil shipments on Maersk vessels could re-route via Cape: Reports

The Middle East crisis is already raising shipping and insurance costs through the critical Red Sea area