Netanyahu, who has had rocky relations with Biden, said he believed a deal was "within our reach" and credited him. "I think that under your leadership, Mr. President, we can forge a historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia," Netanyahu said. Biden has publicly criticized Netanyahu for overhauling Israel's judiciary,...

Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthi rebels put a positive spin on the inconclusive talks in Riyadh as diplomatic efforts increased to end Yemen's war. The five days of talks were "positive", Saudi officials and a senior Houthi said, after the rebel delegation ended the first public visit to the Saudi...

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in New York with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said "ties between the two countries were improving". After more than a decade of tensions, relations have improved with recent high-level visits, including that of Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Ankara last year.

Damascus, Syria - Syrian President Bashar Assad is set to make his first visit to China this week, highlighting China's continued support throughout Syria's 12-year conflict. China has been expanding its presence in the Middle East, mediating between Saudi Arabia and Iran earlier this year and aiding Assad's regime, which has...

The Riyadh trip, five months after the rebels hosted a Saudi team in Sanaa, is the latest hopeful sign for a war that has created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. The Houthis also met with Saudi defense minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, brother of de facto ruler Crown...

Spain's Securities Market Regulatory Authority cleared the deal.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) and Korea Customs Service have signed a memorandum of understanding regarding mutual recognition of the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Program.ZATCA Governor Eng. Suhail bin Mohammed Abanmi and Korea Customs Service Commissioner Kwanghyo Ko signed the MoU, which aims...

The WSJ's report, released on Monday, cited anonymous sources stating that while talks between Tesla and Saudi Arabia were in their infancy, the outcome remained uncertain. The report highlighted potential roadblocks, including Musk's reportedly strained relationship with the Saudis and the presence of Lucid Motors, a Tesla competitor, which is...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - About 92% of respondents in Saudi Arabia consider ‘critical national infrastructure’ and are willing to pay more for sustainable broadband with roughly a quarter of them prepared to pay over 20% more for eco-friendly connectivity., a Cisco survey in the kingdom has found. The survey, encompassing 2,000...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-- The Airports Council International (ACI) for Asia-Pacific and the Middle East has established its first office in Riyadh.Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Saleh Al-Jasser, inaugurated the office yesterday.Al-Jasser emphasized that...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said that national airlines in the Kingdom have issued compensations totaling US$15 million (SAR58 million) to passengers in the period 2021-2022.These compensations, according to GACA, were given primarily to deal with issues such as delays, loss of luggage, flight...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Middle Eastern countries are increasingly embracing the Mandarin language, extending China's soft power influence in the region. While interest in learning Mandarin has declined in the West, Middle Eastern nations are mandating Chinese language education in their schools, , a report in South China Morning Post...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - The UNESCO World Heritage Committee, during its 45th session held in Riyadh, unveiled fifteen new additions to its World Heritage List, drawing attention from both historical enthusiasts and geopolitical spectators alike."Tell es-Sultan-Jericho", a prehistoric site near the Palestinian city of Jericho, was inscribed, a move that...

The kingdom’s Minister of Housing, Majid Al-Hogail recently said that Gulf country's residential real estate finance is expected to exceed 1.2 million contracts with a value of SR600 billion ($162 billion) by 2030.

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – The Kingdom’s Governor of the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) Dr. Mohammed Saud Al-Tamimi participated in the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development annual meeting in New York.The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly.The meeting aims...

The United Nations' cultural organization inscribed the "pre-historic site of Tell al-Sultan" located near the occupied West Bank city of Jericho on its World Heritage List, UNESCO said. The decision, which was posted by the organization on X, formerly Twitter, was taken at UNESCO's 45th world heritage committee meeting held...

The Jazlah plant in Jubail city applies the latest technological advances in a country that first turned to desalination more than a century ago. Projects like Jazlah, the first plant to integrate desalination with solar power on a large scale, are meant to ease the conflict: officials say the panels...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia--Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has confirmed Saudi Arabia’s credit rating, both in local and foreign currency, as “A/A-1” with a stable outlook. The confirmation comes in view of Saudi Arabia’s ongoing efforts to implement significant reforms and achieve structural improvements in recent years, which have supported the sustainable...

Major banks in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, including the Commercial Bank of Dubai and First Abu Dhabi Bank, reported record profits in the first half of 2023, says a report.

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - The Kingdom's Ministry of Economy and Planning signed a deal with Alfaisal University to promote economic development and implement awareness programs, in line with Saudi Vision 2030 goals.Under the MoU, the two parties will cooperate to promote economic development, activate academic research, implement awareness programs and...

Hong Kong - The Saudi Arabia-China Entrepreneurs Association (SCEA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). The agreement was signed during the eighth Belt and Road Summit, a two-day event themed "Ten Years of Cooperation for Mutual Benefit," which saw participation from...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -  Aramco, one of the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals companies, has announced its agreement to acquire a 100% equity stake in Esmax Distribusción from Southern Cross Group,  a Latin America-focused private equity company. The acquisition marks Aramco's entry into the South American retail market. Esmax is a...

Tel Aviv, Israel - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is considering a trip to the Middle East in October as part of Washington's ongoing efforts to broker a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, according to a report published in The Times of Israel. The proposed visit would include...

HANOI, VIETNAM  - A delegation of 80 Saudi businessmen, representing over 50 companies, and representatives from national specialized bodies and centers visited Zamil Steel Building Vietnam Co. (ZSBVC) here.The visit aims to explore investment opportunities, enhance trade, investment and industrial cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Vietnam.During the visit, the delegation...

The daylong retail offering saw 124,900 investors subscribe.

Houthis headed for Riyadh on an Omani plane, days after Saudi de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Oman's sultan on his way back from the G20 summit in India. Oman has played a role as mediators in the conflict. "Optimism exists regarding the mediation and the Omani...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - A substantial 62% of employees in Saudi Arabia are eager to acquire improved digital skills in their daily work with computers and other digital devices, a survey conducted by Kaspersky, a cybersecurity company, has revealed. The findings also exposed a troubling trend, with 45% of respondents expressing...

The MENA region's gaming revenue is set to hit $7.2bn in 2023, representing 17% of global gamers, while Saudi Arabia's market may hit $1bn mark this year and triple by 2030.

Riyadh and New Delhi set a new benchmark in global trade and cooperation with 53 deals across diverse sectors and plans for an economic corridor from India to Europe.

The accolade recognizes RSG's commitment to sustainability.

TEHRAN, IRAN - Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to Iran Abdullah bin Saud al-Anzi has said that relations between the two countries will be strong in all areas, including trade, economy and investment.Speaking to IRNA in Tehran, the Saudi envoy expressed satisfaction with the start of a new chapter in his country's...

According to the credit rating agency, a combination of higher interest rates and production cuts by the OPEC is expected to restrain near-term growth prospects for major GCC economies. However, non-oil growth is anticipated to bolster the region's economies, particularly in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Tel Aviv, Israel - Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has welcomed the launch of the ambitious India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) as the "largest cooperation project in our history" that will have a profound impact on the Middle East, Israel, and the world.Leaders from the United States, India, Saudi Arabia,...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia/Guangdong, China -- Saudi-listed ACWA Power has signed MoUs with two Chinese firms to bolster collaboration in China and globally in green hydrogen and ammonia, global renewable energies and integrated smart energies.The agreements were signed with state-owned China Southern Power Grid International Company and clean energy integrated solution...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- The total assets under management (AUM) held by capital market institutions licensed by Saudi Arabia’s Capital Market Authority (CMA) rose 7 percent, or SAR 53 billion ($14 billion), quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) to SAR 823.6 billion in Q2 2023, according to the authority’s data.The total AUM held by...

The IEA said world oil demand remains on track to grow by 2.2 million bpd to 101.8 million bpd this year, partly due to resurgent Chinese consumption and jet fuel. But the extension of Saudi and Russian output cuts "will lock in a substantial market deficit" through the last three...

Despite Israel's strong determination and increasing US mediation efforts, the establishment of diplomatic relations between Tel Aviv-Riyadh still face serious obstacles.

Dubai, UAE -- The number of employees at capital market institutions rose by 103 quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) to 5,524 by the end of the second quarter of 2023, according to the latest data from the Capital Market Authority (CMA).Males accounted for 80 percent of the employees at capital market institutions, with...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Venture Capital (SVC) has made a $5 million investment in a fintech fund managed by VentureSouq (VSQ), primarily targeting early-stage fintech startups.The SVC, established in 2018, is a government investment company and a subsidiary of the SME Bank, one of the development banks affiliated with...

"The Saudi economy achieved a growth rate of 8.7 percent in 2022, the fastest among G20 countries, surpassing the expectations of international organizations, which had estimated it at a maximum of 8.3 percent," the minister points out, adding that the Kingdom ranks 17th among the world's 64 most competitive economies.

New Delhi, India - The Small and Medium Enterprises Bank (SMEB) of Saudi Arabia has signed an agreement with the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI). SMEB acting CEO Abdulrahman bin Mohammed bin Mansour and SIDBI Deputy Managing Director Sudatta Mandal attended the signing ceremony in the Indian capital, New...

GCC real estate hits $90.7 billion in the first half of 2023, a 9.9% year-on-year increase, with Dubai leading the market, contributing 54 percent to the total value.

An Israeli delegation attended a UNESCO meeting in Riyadh, marking the country's first publicly announced visit to Saudi Arabia as speculation grows about a potential normalization of ties. The five-member delegation arrived, an Israeli official told AFP, for the meeting to update UNESCO's world heritage list of cultural and historic...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia’s Industrial Production Index (IPI) fell for the third month in a row, declining by 9.8 percent year-on-year (YoY) in July.Data issued by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) showed that Saudi IPI retreated to 122.03 points in July, according to the base year 2010, compared...

New Delhi, India - A Saudi Arabian national attempted to gain access to a five-star hotel in Delhi where UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was staying, the Indian newspaper, The Indian Express reported on Monday. The individual was promptly intercepted by vigilant security personnel while trying to approach...

India and Saudi Arabia held their first Strategic Partnership Council meeting, emphasizing the strengthening of defense and security partnerships between the two nations.

The state visit of the Crown Prince follows a historic agreement to launch a massive maritime and rail connectivity corridor between India, the Middle East, and Europe that was announced during the G20 conference on Saturday.

Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), Russia's Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov said that his country has offered the complete cancellation of tourist visas to Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. "We are exploring the topic of making the transition to visa-free travels," he added.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia's leading real estate developer, ROSHN Group, announced on Sunday a series of commercial partnerships totaling $2.4 billion, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.The most significant deal, valued at $2.05 billion, was signed with China Harbor Engineering to develop 6,700 residential units in Riyadh's Sedra and...

"Today, the Kingdom takes pride in its advanced technological sector, which has solidified its regional and global position as a leading tech hub. With national digital capabilities boasting global qualifications and enabling digital infrastructure, these collective advancements get reflected in international indices and reports," he adds.