Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia is preparing to host the seventh edition of the Global Health Forum under the theme "Invest in Health" from October 21 to 23 at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center in Malham. The event will bring together more than 1,200 international and local companies...

With more than 300 luxury rooms, three dining concepts, and various facilities, the hotel will merge global luxury with Madinah’s cultural essence

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Riyadh is currently hosting the third Seasonal Dates Exhibition, a major economic, social, and tourist event. Organized by the National Company for Agricultural Services, the exhibition is being held at Al-Rabwa Markets in the Al-Rabwa neighborhood, east of Riyadh, and will continue daily until the end...

Saudi Arabia anticipates a budget deficit of 2.3 percent of GDP in 2025. Estimates put total government revenues for 2025 at approximately US$320 billion, which would create a deficit of US$27bn.

Doha, Qatar - Qatar has emerged as the leading player in the Middle East tourism sector, boasting an impressive 147% increase in tourist arrivals during the first half of 2024 compared to pre-pandemic levels, as reported by UN Tourism. This growth positions Qatar ahead of its regional competitors, with Saudi...

Israeli fighter jets pounded parts of Lebanon and a drone attacked a Sunni neighborhood in central Beirut killing dozens across Lebanon and injuring more than 500 people. Saudi Arabia expresses "great concern".

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's tourism sector, particularly the leisure and holiday segments, witnessed substantial growth in 2024.In a statement marking World Tourism Day, observed every year on September 27, the ministry said that the Kingdom welcomed 17.5 million international tourists between January and July 2024, a 10 percent...

Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the "International Alliance to Implement the Two-State Solution" included Arab and Islamic countries, as well as European partners, the Saudi Press Agency said, without giving details. The Gaza war has revived talk of a "two-state solution" of Israeli and Palestinian states living in peace side...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's non-oil exports, including re-exports, during July 2024 amounted to SAR25.4 billion ($6.76 billion), compared to SAR21.3 billion during July 2023, an increase of SAR4.1 billion, or 19.2 percent, according to the kingdom's General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT). The value of merchandise exports increased during...

The kingdom welcomed 17.5 million international tourists in the first seven months of 2024, leading G20 nations in tourism growth for the period.

Saudi Arabia isn't aiming to be the next Dubai but is forging its own unique path in tourism," Aradhana Khowala tells TRENDS in an exclusive interview.

The Kingdom’s tourism and entertainment investments, including a new star rating system, support growth in hospitality, positioning Saudi Arabia as a global leisure destination by 2030.

Experts from the United Nations have warned that Israel might become a pariah state, and its UN membership is under question as Tel Aviv continues to commit genocide in Gaza killing more than 40,000 people since October 7, 2023. Experts also reprimanded the Western countries for double standards on Netanyahu’s...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Standard & Poor's (S&P) affirmed the Kingdom's credit rating in local and foreign currency at "A/A-1" with an improvement in outlook from "stable" to "positive," according to its recently issued report. In its report, S&P explained that its affirmation of the Kingdom's strong credit rating results...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Aramco Digital Company and Groq, a leader in artificial-intelligence (AI) inference, have announced their partnership to establish the world's largest inferencing data center in Saudi Arabia. The announcement was made on the sidelines of the Global AI Summit (GAIN Summit), which concluded in Riyadh on Thursday....

With 93% of Saudi workers considering generative AI essential, alongside 95% in the Middle East and 79% globally, the region's prioritization of AI is evident.

Tourism is a major contributor to the Kingdom's economic diversification efforts, the IMF notes in its 2024 Article IV Consultation report. Tourism revenues reached $36 billion in 2023.

The council aims to align its focus with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the economic agendas of Eastern European countries, promising significant prospects for Saudi investors

The law will ensure equal treatment between domestic and foreign investors, protecting intellectual property and promoting fair competition in line with international standards.

Abu Dhabi, UAE -- The IPO market in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region remained resilient during the second quarter of this year, with 14 IPOs registering total proceeds of US$2.64 billion, up 45.3 percent compared to the same period last year. According to the Ernst & Young...

Abu Taleb had qualified for the Games by bagging gold at the 2020 Arab Taekwondo Championship and bronze medals at the Asian and world championships in 2022. Earlier this year she upgraded to gold at the Asian Taekwondo Championships. Saudi women had previously fared badly at Olympics.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Wego, the leading travel app and largest online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), has reported a significant increase in travel interest to India in the first half of 2024. Data from January to June 2024 shows a 40.71% year-on-year rise in...

Paris, France -- World Rally Championship announced Wednesday that it will add races in Saudi Arabia, the Canary Islands and Paraguay to its calendar next year. Rally Saudi Arabia will end the season on November 27-30 with the event in the Spanish archipelago on April 24-27 and the race in South...

The next steps include official visits by FIFA and a comprehensive evaluation of the bid.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- The Saudi Red Sea Authority (SRSA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, has implemented two pioneering initiatives that focused on training human resources in working in luxury coastal resorts and travel agencies according to the best international practices.One of the initiatives targeted 1,059 trainees working...

Led by GACA President, the meeting featured the British Ministry of Transport, the SBJBC, and key aviation industry leaders.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- For Hamed al-Rafidain, a Saudi human resources worker, an electric vehicle offers welcome savings, especially since his other car is a fuel-guzzling four-wheel drive favored by motorists in the desert kingdom. The 39-year-old is part of a small but growing EV consumer base in Saudi Arabia, which...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- The Saudi Red Sea Authority, in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism, has launched the "Seas of Excellence" training program to improve the quality of tourism services and adopt international best practices to deliver a luxurious coastal tourism experience.Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb attended the launch...

Skopje – Islamic Union President and Republic of North Macedonia Mufti Sheikh Hafiz Şakir Fetahu stressed that Saudi Arabia has become a center for promoting the values of moderate Islam worldwide and serves as a model, especially in eastern European countries. In a press statement, he noted that the signing...

New York, US -- Luxury hospitality group Equinox Hotels has announced plans for the opening of Equinox Resort Treyam, one of Magna's twelve destinations, located on the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba. Magna's destinations, including Treyam, are part of NEOM, the evolving regional development, taking shape in northwest Saudi...

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb highlights the upcoming launch of a tourist visa aimed at drawing more international visitors while speaking at a conference reviewing the 2024 summer tourism program.

Equipped with cutting-edge sporting technology, the stadium will offer an immersive and personalized experience for fans. Additionally, it will act as a vibrant community hub

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Haichang Ocean Park Holdings, China's largest ocean theme park operator, announced plans on Thursday to build Saudi Arabia's first large ocean park, China News Service reported. The development is poised to invigorate the country's tourism sector as it strives to rank among the world's top 10...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- The number of air passengers in Saudi Arabia increased by 17 percent during the past six months to 62 million, compared to 53 million during the same period last year, the Kingdom's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said. The number of flights also reached approximately...

Led by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the initiative's purpose is to elevate the city's global profile while enhancing local quality of life

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia has maintained its first rank across MENA in terms of the amount of Venture Capital (VC) funding in the first half of 2024, which witnessed a total VC deployment of $412 million (SAR 1.5 billion), the Saudi Venture Capital Company (SVC) said Tuesday. The...

Aramco's 25% participation in Port Arthur LNG Phase 2 aims to expand its gas portfolio and meet the world's growing need for lower-carbon energy sources.

The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) announced in April that Riyadh would host the next three editions of the tour finals featuring the top eight singles players and doubles teams. The $15.25 million in prize money for the event set to take place November 2-9 is up from $9 million at...

"The state did not fail, but there was a misjudgment on the part of people who did not appreciate the risks," the official told AFP in the government's first comments on the deaths. An AFP tally on Friday, compiling official statements and reports from diplomats involved in the response, put...

The new deaths reported Thursday included 58 from Egypt, according to an Arab diplomat who provided a breakdown showing that of 658 Egyptians who died, 630 were unregistered pilgrims. Around 10 countries have reported 1,081 deaths during the pilgrimage.

Abha, Saudi Arabia - Saudi taekwondo standout Donia Abu Taleb had an unusual introduction to the sport: for years she trained at a boys' club because there were no girls to compete with. Now the 27-year-old has become the first Saudi woman to qualify for the Olympics and is dreaming of...

"All of them (the Egyptians) died because of heat" except for one who sustained fatal injuries during a minor crowd crush, one of the diplomats said, adding the total figure came from the hospital morgue in the Al-Muaisem neighbourhood of Mecca.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said on Sunday that Saudi officials had committed "to provide everything that will serve those who visit the Two Holy Mosques and help them perform their worship in security and reassurance". The health ministry said it would "closely follow cases of heat exhaustion."

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Oil giant Saudi Aramco said Sunday that international investors had snatched up the bulk of shares sold in its latest offering, which was set to raise $11.2 billion. The secondary offering was expected to provide a short-term boost to Saudi Arabia's finances as the Gulf kingdom builds...

Political and business leaders in the Arabian Gulf region push for sustainability agenda to secure clean environment for the future generations. Calls have been made to work through collaborative models of private and public partnerships to achieve green goals.

Oil prices slipped after Saudi-led OPEC and its Russian-led allies said Sunday they would maintain output levels but begin to restore production from October, even as questions about China's economic recovery and a spike in US stockpiles cause investors to fret over demand. Brent, the international benchmark, fell more than...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Oil giant Saudi Aramco said on Thursday it plans to sell 1.545 billion shares worth more than $10 billion in one of the biggest such offerings in recent years. In a statement posted to the Saudi stock exchange, Aramco announced a "secondary public offering of 1.545 billion...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - The Ministry of Media and Microsoft Arabia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Riyadh on Tuesday to collaborate in several areas, including developing technical aspects in data analysis, machine learning, artificial intelligence, security and privacy solutions, and software and service development solutions. The goal is...

The meeting comes nearly 10 days since the royal court said the king had a lung infection and was undergoing treatment involving antibiotics.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF)on Monday launched the Neo Space Group to work on the kingdom's nascent satellite and space industry, its first investment in the sector. One of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds, the PIF has already invested heavily in sports, gaming and so-called...