Rights group slams Meta for silencing pro-Palestinian voices
"Meta's censorship of content in support of Palestine adds insult to injury at a time of unspeakable atrocities and repression...
Geostrategy
Business
Al-Futtaim leads $15m start-up funding
The firm led the funding in River, which manufactures electric two-wheelers.
- River is a Bengaluru-based company that was founded in 2020. The company has developed a range of electric two-wheelers, including scooters and motorcycles.
- The investment from Al-Futtaim Automotive will be used to help River scale up its manufacturing and distribution operations.
Business
Saudi Arabia to import 1.5 million head of cattle this Hajj season
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's livestock imports during the current Hijri year increased by 40 percent compared to the...
- Since the beginning of this month, a total of 700,000 imported head of livestock have been cleared by the ministry at Jeddah Islamic Port.
- The ministry said it expects half a million more head to arrive in the coming days, in preparation for this year's Hajj season.
Business
Barakah Plant’s final unit begins operational readiness preparations, says ENEC
ABU DHABI, UAE - The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has announced that Unit 4, the fourth and final unit...
- Barakah Plant has had a transformational impact on the UAE, spearheading the rapid decarbonization of the UAE’s power sector.
- Unit 4 will raise the Barakah Plant’s total clean electricity generation capacity to 5.6GW, equivalent to 25 percent of UAE’s electricity needs.
Business
Dubai International Chamber attracts 5 MNCs, 20 SMEs in Q1
Dubai, UAE -- Dubai International Chamber, one of the three chambers operating under Dubai Chambers, has attracted five Multinational Corporations...
- The chamber also supported the expansion of seven local and national companies into foreign markets by helping them increase their exports or establish a presence abroad.
- The Chamber also opened a new representative office in Hong Kong, bringing the total number of its international offices to 16 by the end of Q1 2023.
Economy
Saudi Arabia’s GDP grows 3.8 percent in first quarter: GASTAT
The Gross Domestic Product at current prices amounted to SAR 1 trillion ($267.95 billion) in Q1/2023. Crude petroleum and natural...
- The GDP at constant prices reached SAR 753.2 billion in Q1 2023, compared to SAR 725.74 billion a year earlier, data issued by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) shows.
- Non-oil activities increased 5.4 percent compared to the first quarter of 2022 and 1.1 percent quarter-on-quarter, while government activities rose 4.9 percent year-on-year.
Economy
Oil, investment and reforms propel Saudi economy
The Kingdom has the highest economic growth among the G20 countries in 2022, driven by strong oil production and non-oil...
- The Kingdom has the highest economic growth among the G20 countries in 2022, driven by strong oil production and non-oil sector growth, says the latest IMF report.
- Historically low unemployment due to increased labor force participation and expatriate worker rebound, while low inflation is aided by subsidies and a strong US dollar.
Business
NEOM signs $5.5bn contracts to build housing for growing workforce
Dubai, UAE -- NEOM has finalized contracts worth SAR 21 billion ($5.59 billion) with investors for the expansion of the...
- The bidders for the first phase of the residential communities include leading Saudi Arabian companies such as Alfanar Global Development.
- The temporary accommodations, needed during the construction period of NEOM, are built sustainably as relocatable modular units.
Business
Foreign non-institutional investors’ ownership in Saudi equities up
Dubai, UAE -- Non-institutional foreign investors increased their ownership in Tadawul-listed equities, excluding Saudi Aramco, to SAR 310.80 billion ($82.87...
- The ownership of non-institutional foreign investors is represented by swap agreements, residents, and qualified foreign investors (QFIs).
- Foreign investors’ ownership, including strategic partners, in Saudi equities, excluding Saudi Aramco, fell from 12.19 percent to 12.17 percent, or SAR 356.96 billion, for the week
Business
Top 10 Saudi banks experience slow profit growth in Q1
Despite improvement in cost-to-income ratio, net profit sees only a marginal rise of 2.7% QoQ to $4.61bn due to slower...
- Return on equity declined by 67 bps QoQ to 15.2%, while return on assets (RoA) remained stable at 2%. Total operating income saw a modest increase of 4.1% QoQ
- Asad Ahmed, A&M Managing Director and Head of Middle East Financial Services, said, “We consider the Saudi banks’ capital position to be strong.”
Business
Saudi Arabia’s RVCMC to hold biggest carbon credit auction in Nairobi
The event on Jun 14 aims to sell more than 2 million tons of high-quality CORSIA carbon credits registered with...
- An auction held by RVCMC last year at Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh was then the largest-ever auction with 1.4 million tons of carbon credits sold.
- RVCMC was established by PIF and Tadawul Group to help MENA businesses play their role in the global transition to zero neutrality.
Company News
Latest News
SIRC and Edama sign partnership
Business
Silal acquires stake in SAFCO
Business
Agreements worth $3.54bn inked at Global Health Exhibition
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- A total of 138 agreements, MoUs and deals worth more than SAR 13.3 billion ($3.54 billion)...
Business
Second quarter foreign investments in Saudi Arabia hit $666bn
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Foreign investments in Saudi Arabia increased 4 percent year-on-year (YoY) to SAR 2.50 trillion ($666. 39...
Business

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Business
Firms listed on Qatar Stock Exchange post 9M profit of $10.27bn
Doha, Qatar -- Companies listed on the Qatar Stock Exchange have reported a net profit of QR 37.42 billion ($10.27...
- According to figures published on QSE website on Tuesday, Industrials declined by 40.90 period with QR 7.005 billion in net profit to top the declining sectors.
- Net profit of Insurance was the highest with QR 853.744 million, a rise by 334.92 percent, followed by Telecoms which achieved an increase of 26.42 percent.
Business
Bupa Arabia’s 9M 2023 up 27%
The third quarter net profit fell 23% compared to the Q3 2022.
- Compared to the second quarter of 2023, the insurer's Q3 2023 declined 25.9 percent from SAR 371.35 million.
- Insurance service result grew 41.02 percent year-on-year (YoY), or by SAR 232.01 million, driven by higher insurance revenue.
Economy
Saudi Arabia’s Q3 real GDP falls by 4.5% on decreased oil activities
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) decreased by 4.5 percent in the third quarter of...
- Non-oil activities and government activities grew by 3.6 percent and 1.9 percent respectively in the third quarter due to a 17.3 percent fall in oil activities.
- Seasonally adjusted real GDP decreased by 3.9 percent in the third quarter compared to the previous quarter, due to a decrease in oil activities and government activities.

