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Saudi Arabia

Armed man arrested in Makkah’s Grand Mosque

The man was chanting slogans in support of terrorist groups

Saudi’s Haramain Railway begins operations after a year, ahead of Ramadan

The railway line’s services were suspended in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic

Saudi unemployment falls in fourth quarter as virus slows

Unemployment among Saudi nationals hit a record high of 15.4 per cent last year

GCC’s consulting market shrinks 12.4% in 2020

The GCC consulting market is now worth around $2.7bn

Saudi firms will cut dividends to fund $1.3 trillion investments

The new plan comes after the coronavirus pandemic and oil market turmoil created a double crisis for Saudi Arabia

Dubai’s Emirates operates inaugural flight to Terminal 1 at Jeddah airport

Terminal 1 at King Abdulaziz International Airport has the capacity of handling 30 million passengers a year

Saudi’s NEOM signs partnership deal with Asian Football Confederation

Four-year agreement covers all major AFC national team competitions

Hajj 2020 Saudi 5

Ramadan plans announced for Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia

The Grand Mosque will be cleaned and sterilised up to 10 times a day

Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman

Saudi Crown Prince announces two massive green initiatives to combat climate change

The overall regional tree planting programme (with 50 billion trees) is claimed to be the largest reforestation programme in the world

Banque Saudi Fransi picks Finastra to automate treasury and trading ops

Bank can connect to Finastra’s open platform which is in line with SAMA’s Open Banking initiative

Saudi Arabia proposes Yemen peace plan amid oil attacks

The move follows an escalation in drone and missile attacks by the Houthis on the energy infrastructure and airports of the world’s largest oil exporter

Philips to set up sleep disorder management centres at Saudi German hospitals

The centres will cater to Saudi patients suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Saudi’s Nazaha arrests several people on corruption, embezzlement charges

Legal procedures against the accused are currently underway

Qatar, Saudi deny immediate Israel normalisation plans

The UAE became the first Gulf Arab nation to agree to normalise ties with Israel

Aramco aims to partner with China on blue hydrogen, CEO says

Aramco is looking to work with China on blue hydrogen and ammonia, synthetic fuels and carbon capture utilization and storage

Saudi-led jets strike Houthi targets in Yemen after Aramco hit

These strikes came after Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacked an Aramco refinery in the Saudi capital on Friday

Amazon to add 11 new buildings to its Saudi fulfillment, delivery network

Investment to create over 1,500 additional jobs across Saudi Arabia

Saudi’s AlUla airport receives inaugural flynas flight from Riyadh

Flynas will operate two weekly flights between Riyadh and AlUla on Wednesdays and Saturdays

SAUDI-HEALTH-VIRUS

Saudi says no cases of blood clots recorded among those who have been vaccinated

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority confirmed that over 2.3 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in the kingdom

Saudi economy contracted 3.9% in fourth quarter as oil drags

The non-oil economy shrank an annual 0.8 per cent in the fourth quarter

Citigroup names key banker on Aramco IPO as Saudi CEO

Wassim Al Khatib will lead Citigroup’s investment banking and markets business in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s Almarai acquires Bakemart in UAE, Bahrain

The acquisition is fully financed from Almarai’s operating cash flow

Dubai-based Kitch to expand Lebanon’s restaurant Barbar across GCC

Hybrid cloud kitchen/store front operator to offer Barbar menu at dine-in and delivery

Saudi Tourism Authority launches initiative to empower domestic private sector

The new initiative focuses on equipping the private sector with the support needed to manage the evolving tourism landscape

Trade between UAE, GCC worth Dhs229bn in 2019

Saudi Arabia is the UAE’s top trading partner, with a total of Dhs113.2bn in trade exchange in 2019

Saudi’s Haramain Railway to resume operations from March 31

The railway line’s services were suspended in March 2020 to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic

Saudi’s labour reforms take effect with expats now having greater rights

The new initiative offers expatriate workers labour mobility and amends existing exit procedures

Saudi Arabia vows to protect oil facilities after drone attack

The attack on the kingdom’s Ras Tanura port on Sunday caused a brief spike in oil prices

Saudi wealth fund raises year’s third-biggest loan for new deals

The $400bn sovereign investor is key to the kingdom’s efforts to revive economic growth

Saudi Arabia’s Fannie Mae eyes debut international bond in 2021

The refinancing company was set up to buy home loans from banks and other finance companies, freeing up lenders to book more mortgages