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Saudi Arabia

TSMC’s H1 revenue up 40 percent

Robust demand for AI technology behind the surge.

‘Wadeem’ sold out for $1.49bn

This is the highest Abu Dhabi real-estate release to date.

Tesla Q2 sales down 13.5%

Shares rally after the disclosure, better than some forecasts.

TomTom cuts 300 jobs

The firm said it was realigning its organization as it embraces AI.

Aldar nets $953m in sales at Fahid

Aldar said 42 percent of the buyers are under the age of 45.
  • Is Cristiano Ronaldo leaving Saudi Arabia? Cryptic post fuels speculation

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia --  Questions swirled over Cristiano Ronaldo's future in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, hours after the superstar indicated he might be leaving Al Nassr in a social media post, just hours following the end of the Saudi Pro League season. The 40-year-old Portuguese forward joined Al Nassr in...
  • Zain posts Q1 revenue of $639m

    The company also posted its highest-ever quarterly profit.
  • Saudi Arabia to boost maritime cooperation with South Korea, Qatar

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - A delegation of Saudi Arabia discussed steps to enhance cooperation in maritime transport and ports with South Korea, local media reports said.Led by Saleh Al-Jasser, Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistic Services, the delegation visited South Korea and met Cho Seung-hwan, Minister of Oceans and Fisheries....
  • Messi makes blockbuster Saudi move, will play next season

    The deal would mean Messi potentially joins his arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi league. There was no confirmation from Messi's current club Paris Saint-Germain, who noted simply that he was under contract until June 30 when contacted by AFP.
  • Saudi Arabia launching tourism projects worth $400m

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia is launching tourism projects worth SAR 1.5 billion ($400 million) in the targeted destinations around the kingdom. The Saudi Ministry of Tourism has sponsored ‘The Collective’ initiative launched by Kerten Hospitality, a hotel investment firm, to establish its projects under one umbrella. The announcement represents an...
  • TRENDS poll: Saudi-Iranian thaw raises stability hopes

    A majority of the people who voted in a TRENDS poll see the China-brokered deal between the two countries as a positive development.
  • Saudi Arabia looks to widen trade and investment ties with Italy

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia--Saudi Arabia is keen to deepen trade and economic ties with Italy from the current volume of trade estimated to be around US$8 billion.In this connection, the members of the Saudi business sector delegation, represented by the Saudi-Italian Business Council, concluded their visit to Italy, during which they...
  • Saudi crown prince holds talks with US, UAE, Indian NSAs on regional connectivity, link to South Asia  

    The participants are reported to have discussed the broad contours of the massive joint project to build railway, maritime and road connectivity in the larger region.
  • UN aid chief in Saudi Arabia for Sudan talks as fighting flares

    Multiple truce deals have been declared and quickly violated since battles erupted between army and paramilitary forces on April 15 in the poverty-stricken country with a history of political instability. Fierce combat since then has killed hundreds of people, most of them civilians, wounded thousands and sparked multiple warnings of...
  • Saudi Arabia’s real GDP grows by 3.9 percent in first quarter

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- The real GDP of Saudi Arabia grew by 3.9 percent in the first quarter of 2023, compared to Q1 of 2022.Flash estimates of GDP for Q1 of 2023, issued in a report by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), showed a 5.8 percent increase in non-oil...
  • Iran puts to death Swedish-Irani man over ‘terrorism’ charge

    TEHRAN, IRAN- Iran executed Swedish-Iranian dissident Habib Chaab for "terrorism" on Saturday, according to the judiciary."The death sentence for Habib Chaab... nicknamed Habib Asyud, the head of Harakat al-Nidal terrorist group... was executed today, Saturday morning," the judiciary's Mizan Online website reported.Chaab had been held in Iran since October 2020 after...
  • Saudi Arabia and Switzerland look to boost ties in industrial, mining sectors

    Bern, Switzerland-- Seeking to expand its industrial base, Saudi Arabia is keen to widen cooperation with Switzerland in the industrial and mining sectors, besides increasing access to non-oil exports.In this connection, the Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Bandar bin Ibrahim AlKhorayef, held a meeting with Switzerland's State Secretary...
  • KSA, US confirm direct talks between Sudan factions

    However, fighting continues in the Sudanese capital, where the conflict has already claimed around 700 lives and displaced nearly 450,000 civilians, reports suggest.
  • Iran, Syria pledge to strengthen ties, develop economic relations

    During late-night talks Thursday, Raisi and his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad discussed "ways to develop and strengthen bilateral relations" and "emphasized existing cooperation in the field of reconstruction", according to a joint statement.
  • UAE President, Qatar Emir talk on phone, review bilateral ties

    Abu Dhabi, UAE -- UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Thursday spoke on the telephone to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to strengthen them further.The two leaders reviewed current areas of UAE-Qatar cooperation...
  • US national security advisor to visit Saudi Arabia, will meet Indian, UAE NSAs there

    Jake Sullivan said that the meetings will help carry forward some very tangible initiatives that will be unlike anything they have seen in the region in recent years.
  • Iran seeks trade boost with Syria during Raisi’s visit to Damascus

    Iran's president hailed his visit to Damascus as a "turning point", after Tehran's support helped Syria retake most of the territory it lost in 12 years of war. Ebrahim Raisi's two-day trip is the first such visit to Tehran's close ally since 2010. "This trip will be a turning point...
  • SABIC Q1 profit down 90%

    The company expects Q2 margins to remain under pressure.
  • Jordan briefs Russia on Amman’s Syria meeting

    AMMAN, JORDAN  - Jordan's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi on Wednesday briefed his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the outcome of a consultative meeting held here on Syria.In addition to Jordan, the meeting on Tuesday also brought together the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt and...
  • Radisson eyes bigger share of Middle East hospitality sector

    Dubai, UAE-- Seeking to take advantage of the boom in the Middle East's hospitality sector, Radisson Hotel Group will triple its presence in the region by 2030.The hotel group, running 52 hotels and resorts in the Middle East, is planning to have 150 properties in operation and under development by...
  • World’s longest submarine cable lands in Jeddah, Yanbu

    Jeddah, Saudi Arabia -- Center3, a connectivity company owned by stc Group, and Meta Company announced on Tuesday the landing of the world's longest submarine cable project at two of the four planned landing sites in Saudi Arabia: Jeddah and Yanbu. ‏The project, a part of the 2Africa subsea cable...
  • Sudan warring parties agree ‘in principle’ to 7-day truce: S. Sudan govt

    Diplomatic efforts have intensified to end more than two weeks of war in Africa's third-largest country as warnings multiply about a "catastrophic" humanitarian crisis. Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy turned rival, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), "have agreed in principle...
  • Saudi Arabia approves rules to aid foreign investment in securities market

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia has approved new rules aimed at boosting foreign investment in the country's securities market. The rules framed by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) include those for Foreign Investment in Securities, amendments to the Investment Accounts Instructions, amendments to the Implementing Regulation of the Companies Law...
  • SCCA’s revised arbitration rules come into effect in Saudi Arabia

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-- The Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA) has published the 2023 revised SCCA arbitration rules with effect from May 1. The final text was endorsed after extensive review by the SCCA’s board of directors.The SCCA, in a statement, said the new rules will apply to all arbitrations...
  • Saudi Arabia seeks US$26bn of investment in machinery, equipment sectors

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-- Saudi Arabia is looking to attract some US$26 billion dollars worth of investment in the machinery and equipment sector, according to its Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim AlKhorayef. AlKhorayef, who is also Chairman of National Industrial Development Center (NIDC), announced that the industry...
  • Aramco, PIF and Baosteel to build Saudi Arabia’s first steel plate plant

    It will be the largest integrated steel plate manufacturing complex in the kingdom to be located in Ras Al Khair Industrial City, one of the four special economic zones recently announced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, PIF said in a statement.
  • Saudi ports handle more than 2 million containers in first quarter

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- The number of containers handled by Saudi ports in the first quarter of 2023 grew by 17.57 percent to reach more than two million standard containers, the kingdom's General Authority of Ports (Mawani) said.The number of exported containers during the first quarter of 2023 witnessed an...
  • Enhanced governance, financial control crucial for SMEs’ growth in Gulf region, says expert

    Despite significant rise in SMEs across GCC, there is still room for improvement in terms of governance, bringing in external shareholders, Rabih I. Khoury of MEVP tells TRENDS.
  • Iran’s President Raisi to visit Damascus as Jordan hosts Syria meet

    The visit comes against the backdrop of a rapprochement between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia, and increased Arab engagement with Damascus. Iran is a major ally of President Bashar al-Assad.
  • Saudi evacuation party brings 65 Iranians from Sudan

    JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - The first Iranian evacuees to escape the Sudan conflict through Saudi Arabia arrived on Saturday in Jeddah, relieved that their country has settled its differences with the regional rival.The 65 Iranians were among about 1,900 people on the latest boat to arrive from Port Sudan as the...
  • Becht scours for partners in Saudi Arabia, Oman to widen operations

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-- Becht, an American engineering services company, has revealed that it is in talks with potential partners in Saudi Arabia in order to widen its presence in the region.According to its director for the Middle East, Chris Van Der Beek, Becht is also holding discussions with potential allies...
  • Saudi authorities foil attempt to smuggle 4 million captagon tablets

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi customs authority foiled an attempt to smuggle more than 4 million tablets of captagon through the Al-Bat-ha land inlet, SPA reported Friday.In a statement, the authority said that as many as 4,152,000 tablets of drugs were found hidden in a consignment shipped into the kingdom...
  • Uzbekistan, IsDB ink pacts worth US$396.7m for infrastructure, education

    JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA  - Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) President and Group Chairman Dr. Muhammad Al-Jasser and Uzbekistan Minister of Investments, Industry, and Trade Laziz Kudratov have signed three financing agreements for  the development of infrastructure and social services in the Central Asian country.These agreements aim to promote sustainable economic growth,...
  • MEA manufacturers eye digital technology for growth

    While 82% firms are increasing investments in industrial automation and robotic process automation, 56% of them focus on enhancing employees' digital experiences at workplace.
  • ‘Nightmare’: Sudan evacuees fear for those left behind

    On Wednesday, after a harrowing overland journey and overnight boat trip across the Red Sea, Sudan evacuees who have fled to Saudi Arabia, grateful to have survived but wracked with guilt and worry for those the left behind. The fighting in Sudan pits forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah...
  • India to connect its power grid with Saudi Arabia, UAE

    New Delhi, India--India is looking to connect its power grid with Saudi Arabia and the UAE by way of undersea cables, according to Indian media, citing Union Minister for Power and Renewable Energy Raj Kumar Singh. The media reports said that India will sign bilateral agreements with Saudi Arabia and the...
  • Saudi Arabia partners with South Korean firm to boost its gaming industry

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia— Saudi Arabia has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Wemade, a South Korean firm, to boost its presence in the gaming sector.The agreement between the Saudi ministry of investment and Wemade will enable the South Korean firm to widen its footprint in the kingdom. Wemade is...
  • MENA startups show resilience despite challenges

    While 67 deals totaling $247 million in funding were reported in March 2023, the total capital raised in Q1 2023 surpassed US$ 1.1 billion, marking a 17% rise over the last quarter.
  • Saudi Arabia seizes 12m amphetamine pills, arrests four

    Saudi Arabia regularly announces seizures of amphetamine pills without specifying whether they are captagon, used by wealthy Saudis as a party pill.
  • Saudi Arabia jumps to fifth place in global military expenditure: Report

    The country increased its military spending by 16 percent to reach an estimated $75 billion, surpassing the United Kingdom, Germany, and France.
  • Sahara Q1 net profit $125m

    The net profit plunged by more than 56 percent compared to Q1 2022.
  • Saudi Arabia tops MENA region’s hotel construction boom, UAE close behind

    Dubai, UAE -Taking advantage of the boom in the tourism sector in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are engaged in frantic construction activity to build new hotels in order to cope with the rush of visitors.According to a report by STR, Saudi Arabia is involved in the...
  • Iraq president to visit Iran as Middle East peace process gathers pace

    Tehran, Iran-- Iraq's President Abdul Latif Rashid will make an official visit to Iran in the near future as the two countries seek to consolidate their relations amid the warming of ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran.The visit of the Iraqi president to Iran was confirmed in a phone conversation...
  • Stc to buy assets in Europe

    It will acquire a portfolio of towers in Europe for US$1.3bn.
  • Syrians in rebel-held Idlib rally against Arab-Assad detente

    "We came to send a message to the whole world that with this normalization, you will gain Bashar al-Assad the criminal, and you will lose the Syrian people," said Abdel Salam Mohammed Yussef, who heads a camp for displaced people.
  • ‘Saudi Arabia is committed to combat climate change’

    The Kingdom is dedicated to collaborating with international and regional partners to find solutions in the climate sector. Saudi Arabia is working on carbon management techniques, decarbonizing the energy sector, reducing emissions of other gases, and ending deforestation, added the country's Climate Affairs Envoy.
  • Ship carrying civilians evacuated from Sudan arrives in Saudi Arabia

    A boat carrying Saudi citizens and other nationals rescued from battle-scarred Sudan arrived in Jeddah, Saudi state television said, in the first announced evacuation of civilians since fighting began. "The first evacuation vessel from Sudan has arrived, carrying 50 (Saudi) citizens and a number of nationals from friendly countries," the...
  • Saudi Crown Prince, Russian President discuss bilateral ties

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud discussed bilateral relations in a phone call  with Russian President Vladimir Putin  on Friday.The two leaders exchanged views on a number of issues of common concern, Saudi Press Agency reported. The phone call...
  • GCC countries take steps to close gender pay gap

    TRENDS Twitter poll suggests 48% candidates face discrimination during job recruitment process in the Gulf region, while 30% do not, and 22% remain unsure.
  • Digital platforms are transforming the way GCC countries attract investments

    Since the beginning of 2023 alone, three digital and physical platforms have been launched by Qatar, Oman and Kuwait to facilitate investments by foreigners and the local private sector.
  • Saudi, Iran foreign ministers talk on phone, discuss next steps in ties

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah received a phone call from his Iranian counterpart Hussein Amir-Abdollahian, during which they discussed a number of issues of common interest between the two countries.The two sides discussed the next steps in light of what...