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Saudi Arabia Replaces Health Minister Amid MERS Virus Fears

Abdullah al-Rabeeah’s post will be taken over by Labour Minister Adel Fakieh, who keeps his current post, according to a royal decree.

Saudi To Develop MERS Vaccine To Combat Outbreak

An international firm is scheduled to visit the Kingdom to discuss the manufacturing of a MERS vaccine.

Saudi Retailer Alhokair Q4 Net Profit Climbs 40%

Profit climbed to SAR190.8 million ($50.9 million) in the quarter, the company said in a statement.

Saudi’s Kingdom Holding Q1 Net Profit Up 15% On Investment Income

Net earnings in the three months to March 31 were SAR126.4 million ($33.7 million), compared to SAR110.1 million in the same period a year earlier.

Saudi Electricity Q1 Net Loss Widens 39% On Higher Costs

The company lost 913 million riyals during the three months to March 31, compared to 657 million riyals during the same period of the previous year.

Influential Cleric Attempts To Soothe Gulf Rift

The cleric used unusually placatory language about Qatar’s neighbours, some of whom he has accused of a variety of failings including being insufficiently Islamic.

Work Begins On World’s Tallest Tower

The Kingdom Tower project has been undergoing exhaustive testing works before construction begins on April 27.

Saudi Arabia Announces Jump In New Cases Of Deadly MERS Virus

MERS has infected 244 people in the Kingdom, of whom 76 have died, according to officials.

Saudi’s SABIC Says Natural Gas Shortage Limiting Domestic Growth

SABIC chief said that increased competition among sectors and a shortage of gas have made internal expansion hard.

Saudi’s Khodari Q1 Net Up On Auction But Operating Profit Plunges

The firm’s operating profit fell 96 per cent partly due to reforms in Saudi Arabia’s labour market.

Saudi Savola Group Q1 Profit Rises 43%

The company made a profit of 423 million riyals in the first three months of 2014, up from 295 million riyals in the year-earlier period.

Saudi SABIC Profit Slips In Q1, CEO Says Must Expand Abroad

SABIC made a net profit of 6.44 billion riyals ($1.72 billion) between January and March compared to 6.56 billion riyals a year earlier.

Concerned For Stability, Saudi Arabia Tightens Curbs On Dissent

Liberal reformers, atheists and human rights advocates have all been targeted through a series of arrests and new laws in the Kingdom.

Nuclear Power: Boon Or Bane For The GCC?

As the UAE and Saudi race to build nuclear reactors to meet mounting energy needs, the inevitable question arises – is nuclear a viable option?

Saudi Conservatives Protest Against Westernisation

Dozens of local men were found demonstrating in front of the court against social reforms in the Kingdom.

Saudi’s Dar Al Arkan Q1 Net Profit Rises 4.3%

The property developer said the net profit hike was mainly due to increased sales of developed properties at higher gross margins.

Saudi PetroRabigh Says Unit Shutdown Extended To April 25

The firm estimated financial loss due to the outage to amount to around SAR214 million.

Saudi Retailer Jarir Says Board Recommends SAR1.83 Q1 Dividend

The figure is slightly higher than the SAR1.60 per share that the firm paid in the corresponding period of 2013

Saudi Authorities Detain Activist After Court Appearance

Waleed Abu al-Khair has been charged with breaking allegiance to King Abdullah, disrespecting authorities and inciting public opinion.

Zain Saudi Q1 Net Loss Narrows, Beats Estimates

The company made a net loss of $84.8 million in the three months to March 31.

Saudi Intelligence Chief Prince Bandar Replaced By His Deputy-Royal Decree

Prince Bandar, a former ambassador to Washington, was appointed as the chief Saudi spy in July 2012.

Saudi Arabia: Reported Poison Gas Use By Syria Is Challenge To World

The reported gas attacks posed a clear challenge to the Security Council decision to dismantle Assad’s chemical arsenal, a senior official said.

Saudi Arabia’s Sahara Q1 Net Profit Drops 20.3% On Lower Sales

Sahara blamed the decline on lower sales, citing a planned shutdown of Al Waha plant as well as lower income from associates.

Saudi Warns Imams Against Talking Politics In Mosques

Religious clerics found preaching about politics during their Friday sermons could lose their jobs, the ministry said.

Saudi Samba Financial Group Q1 Profit Up 7%

The bank attributed the profit rise to a drop in operating expenses.

Saudi Cement Co Q1 Profit Falls 16% As Demand Sags

The firm made a profit of $76.3 million in the three months to March 31.

Saudi Arabia Imposes Fines, Jail Terms For Visa Lapses

Police raids and an amnesty on fines for immigration violations last year caused over a million foreigners to leave voluntarily.

Saudi Miner Ma’aden Q1 Profit Falls 48% As Metal Prices Drop

Ma’aden made a profit of 125.2 million riyals ($33.4 million) in the three months to March 31.

Gunmen Kill Saudi Guard Near Yemeni Border, Wound Another

The guards came under heavy fire from the Yemeni side of the border at about 3 a.m in the eastern part of Jizan province.

Saudi Banks Urged To Be Less Conservative

A conservative approach to lending has hampered the growth of the Kingdom’s banks, according to a new report.