| Saudi hotels post 1.9% ADR rise in H1 as pipeline expands: JLL
Saudi Arabia’s hospitality sector continued its growth momentum in the first half of 2025, with the average daily rate rising 1.9 percent year on year to reach SR821.8 ($219.06), according to new data. |
|
| PIF-backed AviLease, Hassana form aircraft leasing JV
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund-backed AviLease has partnered with Hassana Investment Co. to establish a new aircraft leasing joint venture, underscoring growing public-private collaboration in advancing the Kingdom’s aviation sector. |
|
| CSC nominates 1,236 citizens for govt jobs
The Civil Service Commission (CSC) announced on Tuesday the nomination of a new batch of 1,236 citizens registered in the central employment system, urging them to report directly to their designated employers without needing to visit the commission. |
|
| Trade policies, regional coordination key to GCC’s economic resilience: KPMG
Gulf Cooperation Council nations should adopt trade policies aligned with their industrial development goals to reduce external vulnerabilities and strengthen their influence in global commerce, according to a new analysis. |
|
| Saudi Arabia’s Social Development Bank grants $1.73bn in financing by Q3
Saudi Arabia’s Social Development Bank disbursed SR6.5 billion ($1.73 billion) in financing in the first nine months of 2025, benefiting over 90,000 citizens and enterprises, after extending SR8 billion in 2024. |
|
| Closing Bell: Saudi main index rises to 10,519
Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All-Share Index rebounded on Tuesday, gaining 91.67 points, or 0.88 percent, to close at 10,518.73. |
|
| Saudi Arabia, New Zealand deepen ties with $100m in commercial deals
Saudi Arabia is one of the most dynamic markets in the Middle East, New Zealand’s trade minister has claimed after deals valued at $100 million were signed by businesses from the two countries. |
|
| Egypt signs trio of new oil, gas deals
Egypt has signed three oil and gas agreements worth over $121 million with international firms, boosting its energy sector through new exploration and drilling projects across key hydrocarbon zones. |
|
| Saudi inflation edges up to 2.3% in August, rents remain the key driver
Saudi Arabia’s annual inflation rate ticked up to 2.3 percent in August from 2.1 percent in July, with housing rents continuing to do most of the lifting, official data showed. |
|
| Closing Bell: Saudi main market closes lower at 10,427
Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index ended lower on Monday, falling 6.92 points, or 0.07 percent, to close at 10,427.06. |
|
| Saudi Arabia’s money supply rises 8.4% to $829bn
Saudi Arabia’s broad money supply climbed 8.4 percent in July from a year earlier, adding SR239.97 billion ($63.9 billion) to reach SR3.11 trillion, driven by higher deposits, official data showed. |
|
| Google Pay, Alipay+ to launch in Saudi Arabia: SAMA
Google Pay will be rolled out across Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom’s central bank announced during the Money20/20 Middle East event. |
|
| GCC central banks’ foreign assets climb 6.3% to $762bn
Foreign assets of Gulf central banks grew by 6.3 percent in 2024 to reach $761.9 billion, supported mainly by higher reserves in the UAE, according to figures from the Gulf Cooperation Council Statistical Center. |
|
| Saudi banks’ July profit rises 7% to $2.2 billion
Saudi banks’ aggregate profit before zakat and tax reached SR8.24 billion ($2.2 billion) in July, marking a 7 percent increase compared to the same month last year. |
|
| Riyadh leads Saudi Arabia’s industrial rental growth with 9.3% jump in Q2
Riyadh’s industrial and logistics sector recorded an annual rental growth of 9.3 percent in the second quarter of 2025, reinforcing the Saudi capital’s role as a regional industrial hub, according to a JLL report. |
|
| Saudi Arabia processes 524 chemical clearance requests in August
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources processed 524 requests for chemical clearance services in August, underscoring the Kingdom’s efforts to boost industrial investment and streamline regulatory processes. |
|
| UAE hotels welcome over 16m guests in H1
The UAE’s hospitality sector continues to show robust growth, with hotel establishments welcoming more than 16.1 million guests in the first six months of 2025 |
|
| Closing Bell: Saudi main index slips to 10,433
Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index slipped on Sunday, losing 19.08 points, or 0.18 percent, to close at 10,433.98. |
|
| $14.2bn earned from record summer tourism
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism has announced record-breaking results for the “Saudi Summer” program, welcoming over 32 million domestic and international tourists, a 26 percent increase compared to the 2024 summer season. |
|
| Oman’s non-oil exports jump 9.1% in H1 despite falling trade surplus
Oman's non-oil exports rose 9.1 percent in the first half of 2025, climbing to 3.26 billion rials ($8.48 billion), as the Sultanate’s diversification efforts gained traction despite a sharp decline in its trade surplus, preliminary data showed. |
|
| Oman to receive electricity connection boost after $500m GCC grid deal
A $500 million financing deal has been struck to help fund a direct electricity interconnection project between the Gulf Cooperation Council and Oman. |
|
| Big tech bets on Saudi deserts for digital infrastructure
Saudi Arabia’s deserts are fast becoming the new frontier for hyperscale data centers, offering vast land, natural resilience, and strategic positioning that traditional global tech hubs struggle to match. |
|
| Startup Wrap — Saudi Arabia leads MENA startup funding in August
Startup funding across the Middle East and North Africa posted a 74 percent year-on-year increase in August, with $337.5 million secured across 47 deals. |
|
| MENA emerges as global business travel hotspot amid digital and economic boom
As global business shifts toward emerging markets, the Middle East and North Africa is seeing steady growth in corporate travel, strengthening its position as a rising business travel hub. |
|
| Saudi Arabia grants Syria 1.65m barrels of oil
Saudi Arabia has granted the Syrian Arab Republic 1.65 million barrels of crude oil under the directives of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. |
|
| Remittances from Saudi Arabia jump 15% to $4bn in July
Expatriates in Saudi Arabia sent SR14.91 billion ($3.95 billion) abroad in July, a 15.4 percent increase from the same month last year, according to the latest data. |
|
| Closing Bell: Saudi main market ends lower at 10,453
Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index ended lower on Thursday, falling 44.98 points, or 0.43 percent, to close at 10,453.06. |
|
| Diriyah Co. awards $5bn in H1 contracts to boost tourism push
Diriyah Co., backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, awarded contracts worth SR18.75 billion ($5 billion) in the first half of 2025, as the historic capital’s redevelopment speeds up. |
|
| Saudi Arabia, South Africa expand economic ties across key sectors
Saudi Arabia and South Africa agreed to expand cooperation in trade, investment, energy, mining and infrastructure, deepening economic ties during the 10th session of their Joint Committee in Riyadh. |
|
| Saudi Aramco launches dollar sukuk with $200k minimum as debt push widens
Saudi Aramco has launched a new international sukuk offering, with a minimum subscription of $200,000, as the state oil giant seeks to re-tap global debt markets. |
|
| Saudi industrial output jumps 6.5% in July on mining, manufacturing growth
Saudi Arabia’s industrial production jumped 6.5 percent in July from a year earlier, driven by solid gains in manufacturing and mining, official data showed. |
|
| Closing Bell: Saudi main index declines 0.30% to 10,498
Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index closed lower on Wednesday, losing 31.13 points, or 0.30 percent, to end at 10,498.04. |
|
| UAE wealth funds bet big on fintech amid global tech shifts
The quiet capital that once operated behind the scenes is no longer just writing the big checks; they are rewriting the rules. |
|
| Food and beverages spending drives Saudi POS transactions to $3.98bn
Saudi Arabia’s point-of-sale spending reached SR14.94 billion ($3.98 billion) in the week ending Sept. 6, driven by steady demand for food and beverages, official data showed. |
|
| KRCS signs cooperation deal to accredit first aid, CPR courses
The Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) signed a cooperation agreement on Tuesday with the American Institute for Safety and Health to accredit its first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and public safety training programs. |
|
| Jeddah to get new EV charging stations under Petromin partnership
Jeddah’s electric-vehicle charging network is set for expansion after the city’s transport authority signed a memorandum of understanding with Petromin Co. to develop new charging stations in Saudi Arabia’s second-largest city. |
|
| Saudi Arabia opens debt market to crowdfunding, tightens governance of special purpose entities
Saudi Arabia’s Capital Market Authority approved a regulatory framework enabling licensed firms to offer sukuk and debt instruments through crowdfunding platforms, expanding financing access and diversifying funding sources. |
|
| Oman issues $233m in treasury bills for short-term liquidity
Oman’s central bank allocated 89.85 million Omani rials ($233.3 million) in treasury bills this week as part of its routine operations to manage short-term liquidity. |
|
| Closing Bell: Saudi main index rises to 10,529
Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index closed higher on Tuesday, gaining 32.12 points, or 0.31 percent, to end at 10,529.17. |
|
| Saudi ports’ transshipment jumps 15% in August: Mawani
Saudi Arabia’s ports handled a surge in transshipment activity in August, with volumes climbing 14.7 percent year on year to 189,407 twenty-foot equivalent units, underscoring the Kingdom’s rising role as a global trade hub. |
|
| Qatar’s international reserves rise 3.2% in August
Qatar Central Bank’s international reserves and foreign currency liquidity increased by 3.2 percent year on year in August, reaching 260.3 billion Qatari riyals ($71.50 billion), according to the bank’s latest monthly figures. |
|
| Saudi Arabia opens September ‘Sah’ sukuk at 4.88% yield
Saudi Arabia launched the September subscription window for its government-backed “Sah” savings sukuk, offering investors a fixed annual return of 4.88 percent. |
|
| GCC banks’ Q2 profits hit record $16.2bn on lending and deposits boom
Strong regional fundamentals and a robust project pipeline drove Gulf Cooperation Council-listed banks’ net profit to a record $16.2 billion in the second quarter of 2025, up 9.2 percent year on year. |
|
| Saudi Arabia’s real GDP expands 3.9% in Q2 on non-oil activities: GASTAT
Saudi Arabia’s economy expanded 3.9 percent in the second quarter of the year, fueled by robust non-oil activity that extended its growth streak to 18 consecutive quarters, official data showed. |
|
| Closing Bell: Saudi main market ends lower at 10,497
Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index closed lower on Monday, shedding 96.92 points, or 0.91 percent, to end at 10,497.05. |
|
| Saudi Arabia opens September ‘Sah’ sukuk at 4.88% yield
Saudi Arabia launched the September subscription window for its government-backed “Sah” savings sukuk, offering investors a fixed annual return of 4.88 percent. |
|
| UAE real GDP growth at 3.9% in Q1 2025, state news agency reports
The UAE recorded real GDP growth of 3.9 percent in the first quarter of 2025, the state news agency reported on Sunday. |
|
| Fitch affirms Kuwait’s AA- rating as oil dependence weighs on reform outlook
Fitch Ratings has affirmed Kuwait’s long-term foreign-currency issuer default rating at AA- with a stable outlook, citing the country’s strong fiscal and external balance sheets. |
|
| GCC climbs global circular carbon economy rankings
The Gulf Cooperation Council has solidified its regional leadership in the low-carbon transition, with its Circular Carbon Economy Index rising to 41.5 in 2024 from 37.7 in 2023. |
|
| Japanese firms invest $6.3bn in Saudi Arabia, 18 set up regional HQs
Japanese companies have invested around SR23.6 billion ($6.28 billion) in Saudi Arabia, with 18 firms establishing regional headquarters in the Kingdom, said a senior Japanese official. |