Good morning, wonderful people. We are sharpening our proverbial pencils ahead of what is shaping up to be an all-important week for Saudi-US relations, with Riyadh set to host President Trump, accompanied by US business executives and governments officials, as well as GCC leaders. We have the details on what to expect in today’s lead story.

Also in this morning’s news well: The IPO pipeline is expanding with two new Nomu listings from Al Khaldi and Time Entertainment, First Avenue launches SAR 700 mn industrial real estate fund, and the earnings season continues in full swing with the likes of Bupa Arabia, Bahri and Acwa Power announcing 1Q results. Let’s dive in.

NEWS TRIGGERS-

Aramco is reportedly set to release its 1Q 2025 financial results today, with analysts expecting the oil giant to bring in a net income of SAR 97.9 mn for the quarter.

REMEMBER- Aramco’s net income fell 12.4% y-o-y in 2024 to USD 106.25 bn (SAR 398.42 bn), driven by lower revenue, reduced finance income, and a 3.9% rise in operating costs.

ALSO- The local Industrial Production Index for March is due to be released today by the General Authority for Statistics (Gastat), according to its calendar. February numbers reflected a 0.2% y-o-y drop, ending a four-month growth streak.

AND- Gastat is set to roll out fresh inflation data on Thursday, including the Consumer Price Index and Wholesale Price Index reports for the month of April.

HAPPENING TODAY-

The three-day Future Hospitality Summit kicks off today at the Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah hotel in Riyadh. The forum will bring together top executives and decision-makers in the hospitality sector to probe potential investments and partnerships.

🌧️ WEATHER- Warnings for heavy rains, strong winds, hail, flash floods, and thunderstorms were issued for Al Baha, Asir, Makkah, and Madinah. Riyadh and Qassim will also face the stormy weather, though minus the rain.

Riyadh is expected to see a high of 40°C and a low of 25°C today, while Jeddah’s mercury will go as high as 33°C and as low as 28°C. Makkah will see a 42°C high and 30°C low.

HAPPENING THIS WEEK-

The four-day Riyadh International Industry Week launches tomorrow at the Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center. The Middle East’s largest industrial gathering will bring together over 16k industry leaders, featuring four trade shows covering plastics & petrochemicals, print & packaging, smart logistics, and smart manufacturing, alongside an expert-led summit, fostering networking, partnerships, and innovation.

Saudi Giga Projects Summit starts tomorrow at The Venue in Riyadh, offering in-depth updates on the Kingdom’s giga developments. The three-day Meed-organized event will cover construction progress, sector-wide prospects, and emerging technologies, offering a spotlight on key projects. More than 40 speakers, 150 company representatives, and 600 attendees will explore trends in supply chains, advanced manufacturing, and demand outlooks through a series of conferences, workshops, meetings, and closed receptions.

The 2025 Saudi Food Show kicks off tomorrow at the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Conference Centre, running through Wednesday, 14 May. Sponsored by the Industry Minister, the event brings together leading global food and beverage brands to showcase their latest products.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

US-based technology firm Salesforce began building its team in Saudi Arabia as part of a USD 500 mn investment over the next five years to accelerate AI adoption in the Kingdom, Mohammed Alkhotani, Salesforce Middle East’s senior vice president, told Bloomberg. The funding will support local hiring, training programs, and other initiatives.

The cloud solutions provider plans to open a regional headquarters in Riyadh and hire up to 40 employees in 2025. The company recently appointed Ibrahim Alseghayr (LinkedIn) as regional vice president and managing director for Saudi Arabia.

ICYMI- The company previously launched its first Middle Eastern office in Dubai in October2024.

Riyadh is set to get the first self-driving taxis in the Kingdom soon, as part of a broader push towards smart and sustainable transportation, the Saudi Gazette reported, quoting the deputy of Transport Enablement at the TGA Omaimah Bamasag as saying. Speaking at the University of Jeddah’s AI conference, she highlighted that five Saudi cities have been identified for autonomous vehicles deployment, including taxis, trucks, cars and drones.

DATA POINTS-

#1- Expatriate remittances grew 30% y-o-y to SAR 15.5 bn in March 2025 — their highest since June 2016 — Argaam reports, citing central bank data. Meanwhile, remittances by Saudis rose 27% y-o-y to SAR 6.5 bn over the same month — the highest since 2022.

#2- The Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (Modon) attracted over SAR 24 bn in new investments in 2024 , up 38% y-o-y, including SAR 18 bn in local and SAR 6 mn in foreign investments, it said in its 2024 annual report (pdf). The Authority facilitated the launch of over 875 industrial, logistic, and investment facilities, developed 10.5 mn sqm of industrial land, allocated over 9 mn sqm for new projects, and introduced 20 new digital services.

SPORTS-

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is now the title partner of the rebranded PIF Global Series, a five-event women’s golf tour on the Ladies European Tour, according to a press release. Spanning three continents, the series has a USD 13 mn prize pool and includes stops in Riyadh, Seoul, London, Houston, and Shenzhen.

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THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

India and Pakistan agreed to an immediate ceasefire yesterday that quickly turned out to be fragile, as both sides accused each other of violations and reportedly went back to exchanging fire, with multiple explosions heard around Indian-controlled Kashmir. The US-led talks had been hoped to de-escalate the serious confrontation between the nuclear-armed neighbors.

OVER IN BUSINESS- The UK sealed a trade agreement with the US, exempting the country from tariffs on steel and car exports but preserving the flat 10% reciprocal tariff applying to most goods. The agreement is the first since the tariffs were announced.

Talks are underway for more agreements, including a sit-down with Chinese officials in Switzerland yesterday that US President Trump hailed as “a total reset … in a friendly, but constructive, manner.” The talks are reportedly set to continue today.

AND- White smoke arises: The Roman Catholic Church elected its first American pope, Pope Robert Francis Prevost (who will be known as Pope Leo), breaking what has been viewed as a long-standing taboo against tapping leaders from a big world power with influence in global affairs.

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