#Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia Alula

Saudi Crown Prince launches master development plan for AlUla

It will be implemented in three phases until 2035, with the first phase set to be completed by 2023

Saudi bourse restructures itself with eye on IPO in second half

The newly created Saudi Tadawul Group will have four subsidiaries

Ramadan 2021: Pilgrims must be Covid-19 immune to enter two Holy Mosques

Those who have recovered from the Covid-19 infection can also be issued a permit

Islamic Development Bank sukuk Nasdaq Dubai

Saudi’s Islamic Development Bank lists $2.5bn sustainability sukuk on Nasdaq Dubai

The total value of the bank’s sukuk listed on Nasdaq Dubai stands at $17.14bn

Saudi Arabia

Saudi non-oil private sector growth slowed slightly in March – PMI

Saudi PMI Index fell from 53.9 in February to 53.3 in March

Saudis hike oil prices for key Asia market in sign of confidence

Aramco will increase its grades for Asia in May by between 20 and 50 cents a barrel

Saudi Prince reportedly sells English country estate to Bahrain’s King

The sale price was more than $165m, according to sources

Home security

Cyber threats frustrate banks’ digital efforts

How A10 Networks encryption, decryption technologies can help protect banks from attacks

Oil climbs above $60 as OPEC+ faces critical decision on supply

Data from the US and Asia do bolster the case for OPEC+ to loosen the taps

Saudi’s Haramain Railway begins operations after a year, ahead of Ramadan

The railway line’s services were suspended in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic

Saudi unemployment falls in fourth quarter as virus slows

Unemployment among Saudi nationals hit a record high of 15.4 per cent last year

Elie Milky, vice president - Business Development, Radisson Hotel Group

Why the Middle East hospitality market is far from being saturated

Elie Milky, vice president – Business Development, Radisson Hotel Group, Middle East, Cyprus, Greece and Pakistan, charts the expansion plans for the group within the region

Dubai’s Emirates operates inaugural flight to Terminal 1 at Jeddah airport

Terminal 1 at King Abdulaziz International Airport has the capacity of handling 30 million passengers a year

Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman

Saudi Crown Prince announces two massive green initiatives to combat climate change

The overall regional tree planting programme (with 50 billion trees) is claimed to be the largest reforestation programme in the world

Saudi Arabia proposes Yemen peace plan amid oil attacks

The move follows an escalation in drone and missile attacks by the Houthis on the energy infrastructure and airports of the world’s largest oil exporter

Philips to set up sleep disorder management centres at Saudi German hospitals

The centres will cater to Saudi patients suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Saudi’s Nazaha arrests several people on corruption, embezzlement charges

Legal procedures against the accused are currently underway

Qatar, Saudi deny immediate Israel normalisation plans

The UAE became the first Gulf Arab nation to agree to normalise ties with Israel

Scoring a goal: Following the AlUla Declaration, how will Qatar’s growth plans fare?

Normalisation of ties with the GCC, the upcoming FIFA World Cup and economic reforms are painting a positive picture for the gas-rich nation

Amazon to add 11 new buildings to its Saudi fulfillment, delivery network

Investment to create over 1,500 additional jobs across Saudi Arabia

Saudi’s AlUla airport receives inaugural flynas flight from Riyadh

Flynas will operate two weekly flights between Riyadh and AlUla on Wednesdays and Saturdays

SAUDI-HEALTH-VIRUS

Saudi says no cases of blood clots recorded among those who have been vaccinated

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority confirmed that over 2.3 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in the kingdom

Saudi economy contracted 3.9% in fourth quarter as oil drags

The non-oil economy shrank an annual 0.8 per cent in the fourth quarter

Citigroup names key banker on Aramco IPO as Saudi CEO

Wassim Al Khatib will lead Citigroup’s investment banking and markets business in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s Almarai acquires Bakemart in UAE, Bahrain

The acquisition is fully financed from Almarai’s operating cash flow

Trade between UAE, GCC worth Dhs229bn in 2019

Saudi Arabia is the UAE’s top trading partner, with a total of Dhs113.2bn in trade exchange in 2019

Saudi’s Haramain Railway to resume operations from March 31

The railway line’s services were suspended in March 2020 to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic

Saudi’s labour reforms take effect with expats now having greater rights

The new initiative offers expatriate workers labour mobility and amends existing exit procedures

Saudi Arabia vows to protect oil facilities after drone attack

The attack on the kingdom’s Ras Tanura port on Sunday caused a brief spike in oil prices

Oil slides amid broader commodity rout as volatility returns

A rising currency wiped out a solid surge following an attack on a major Saudi Arabian export crude terminal