DEFENSE-

Saudi commits USD 23.2 mn under an F-15 sustainment pact with Boeing: The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) will receive sustainment support under a new USD 49.7 mn foreign military sales contract awarded to Boeing to help maintain Saudi airpower amid rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and the broader Gulf region, according to an award notice from the US Defense Department released on Monday. The contract runs through June 2026, with USD 23.2 mn already committed by Saudi Arabia.

The agreement covers logistics support for F-15 C/D, F-15S, and F-15SA aircraft, including repair and return of parts, spare parts supply, and other related services. It also includes equipment procurement, aircraft integration, training, and refurbishment of ground support systems. The contract obligations will be carried out at RSAF sites in Saudi Arabia and in St. Louis, Missouri.

AVIATION-

Landing in Saudi from the UK is about to get easier: Saudi Arabia signed an agreement with the UK that allows passengers flying from British airports to Saudi Arabia — or transiting through it — to skip repeated security checks when they land, state news agency SPA reported on Monday. The one-stop security agreement means that security screenings done in the UK will be acknowledged by Saudi airports, strengthening their global gateway status.

M&A WATCH-

Altharwah Albashariyyah’s (Tharwah) finalized its SAR 40 mn acquisition of Amjad Watan for Exhibitions and Conferences Management, it said in a disclosure to Tadawul yesterday. The payment includes SAR 7 mn in banknotes, SAR 5 mn in ordinary shares, and SAR 28 mn in shares linked to future performance targets over three years, as per the amended agreement last week.

TRANSPORT-

Lumi Rental Company opened its first 1.5k sqm bus rental branch in Tabuk, offering business clients access to a fleet of modern buses, it said in a press release yesterday. Lumi now operates 41 branches across the country, offering a fleet of over 35k vehicles.

INVESTMENT WATCH-

Equivator invests in UAE’s Related: Alternative asset management and advisory firm Equivator invested SAR 30 mn in Dubai-based Related to accelerate its expansion in the Kingdom and scale its AI- and blockchain-powered loyalty and rewards platform, it said in a press release yesterday.

About Related: Founded in 2014, the marketing technology firm delivers loyalty and reward solutions across the GCC and the Middle East region, including program design and management, reward marketplace, and data reporting.

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