Good morning. It’s a calm morning in the Kingdom ahead of a number of anticipated decisions, agreements and regional developments that are set to be announced soon. From the foreign ownership cap raised to an imminent resolution of the devastating war in Gaza, waiting is the name of the game.

Leading this morning’s news well: Gastat is out with its FDI figures for the second quarter, which rose in 2Q — but uncertainty still weighs on the prospects of achieving the Kingdom’s 2030 goals. Let’s dive in.

HAPPENING TODAY-

#1- The Cultural Investment Conference kicks off today at the King Fahad Cultural Center in Riyadh. The two-day event aims to draw investments to the cultural sectors through more than 38 sessions and workshops led by Saudi and international officials, investors, cultural leaders, and creatives.

#2- Security exhibition Intersec Saudi Arabia kicks off today at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center. The three-day event features the Future Security Summit and the Fire Protection and Technology Summit, covering topics such as AI-driven surveillance, critical infrastructure security, smart city firefighting, and safeguarding gigaprojects.

#3- Jeddah Construct is on its second day today at the Jeddah Superdome, convening over 13k professionals and 200 exhibitors from more than 25 countries. The three-day expo showcases over 3.5k products, solutions, and prospects in the Western Province’s USD 692 bn construction market.

WEATHER- Riyadh will stay warm with highs of 39°C and lows of 29°C. Makkah turns up the heat at 42°C by day and 31°C by night, while Jeddah keeps things slightly milder at 36°C and 29°C.

HAPPENING TOMORROW-

Tomorrow is the last chance for businesses subject to VAT with more than SAR 40 mn in annual revenues to file their August tax returns. Late submissions may incur fines ranging from 5% to 25% of the declared taxes.

PSAs-

Title deed registration for 54.1k properties in Riyadh City, Makkah, and the Eastern Province is now open until 1 January 2026, the Real Estate Registry (RER) said on X yesterday. Property owners can register online through the RER website or by visiting a service center.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- Saudi banks reportedly lowered the monthly deduction rate for new subsidized mortgage and personal loans to 55% for employees earning less than SAR 15k a month, Aleqtisadiah reported on Friday, citing unnamed banking sources. The new cap replaces the previous 65% cap in effect since 2014, which was applied to subsidized loans regardless of salary.

The rationale: The move aims to ease financial burdens on households and increase their spending on essential needs, Aleqtisadiah says. The new cap also aligns with the International Monetary Fund’s recommendations to bring the Kingdom’s deduction ceiling closer to international norms, where average rates stand at about 43% in emerging markets and 45% in advanced economies.

The adjustment comes as mortgage lending continues to grow, with individual home loans reaching SAR 711.6 bn by 2Q 2025, projected to hit SAR 880 bn by year-end. The government eyes adjustments to the monetary policies to push Saudi household mortgages below 40% of its income, Municipal and Rural Affairs Minister Majed Al Hogail said.

ALSO- Visitors to the Kingdom can now open bank accounts using their digitally-verified Visitor IDs issued by the Interior Ministry, after the Saudi Central Bank greenlit banks to accept them as identification documents, it said in a statement yesterday.

#2- Pakistan eyes Saudi-backed port and shipping push: Pakistan’s Maritime Ministry is looking to boost its maritime links with the Kingdom’s ports in a bid to serve as a bridge connecting the Gulf with Central Asia and beyond, according to a statement. The ministry is aiming to strengthen the connectivity between Pakistan’s key ports — including Karachi, Qasim and Gwadar — with regional rail, road, and air transport corridors, Minister Junaid Chaundhry said.

The projects in question: The push is to include the development of a Karachi-Saudi and Gwadar-Saudi gateway terminal, as well as the launch of a direct shipping line between Jeddah-Karachi and Gwadar-Dammam. Pakistan is also planning to tap Saudi to expand its National Shipping Corporation’s fleet and set up 20 green ship recycling yards at Gaddani.

IN CONTEXT: Karachi and Qasim Port stand out as Pakistan’s two biggest and busiest ports — with the majority of the country’s container and cargo traffic making its way through the pair, Arab News reports. Chinese-developed Gwadar Port follows closely, conveniently located near the mouth of the Arabian Gulf.

#3- Saudi Networkers eyes leap to Tadawul’s big league: Nomu-listed and Riyadh-based ICT services provider Saudi Networkers Services secured board approval to begin the process of transferring to Tadawul’s main market, it said in a bourse filing. The company’s share price gained over 3% on market close yesterday.

What it takes: To transition from Nomu to the main market, a company must have been listed on Nomu for at least two years and satisfy all main market listing conditions — except for market capitalization, where a lower threshold of an average SAR 200 mn over the past six months applies.

DATA POINTS-

Budget airline flyadeal led Saudi carriers in August with an 83% on-time arrival rate and the highest on-time departure rate at 87%, the General Authority of Civil Aviation said on X yesterday. Flagship carrier Saudia came shy of flyadeal in on-time arrival rate at 82% while posting an 81% on-time departure rate. Flynas followed, recording a 77% on-time arrival rate and an 82% on-time departure rate during the month.

Wings taken at the terminals: Among international airports handling more than 15 mn passengers per year, King Khalid International Airport maintained an 82% on-time departure rate, followed by King Abdulaziz International Airport with a 77% on-time departure rate.

SPORTS-

Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad parted ways with manager Laurent Blanc after a 2-0 defeat to Al Nassr FC at home, marking his final match with the club, it said on X yesterday. Al Ittihad tapped Hassan Khalifa to fill the position on an interim basis. Blanc joined the club in July 2024, leading the team to a domestic double in his first season after snatching both the league title and the King’s Cup.

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THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

It’s a quiet Monday morning in the global business press, with no single story dominating the headlines. Among those receiving attention:

#1- Trump is optimistic about his plans to end the war in Gaza, ahead of partaking in a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today. Trump told Reuters he’s had a “very good response” from regional leaders and that “everybody” wants to reach an agreement. Trump’s 21-point proposal centers on halting Israeli strikes and opening a new dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians under a “peaceful coexistence” framework. It calls for the release of all Israeli hostages — living or dead — and would bar further Israeli attacks on Qatar. (Financial Times | Axios | Washington Post | The Guardian)

#2- The region could stand to gain from Trump’s new H-1B visa fees: The Middle East could see the biggest gains from Trump’s plan to slap a USD 100k fee on H-1B visas, with Gulf states already trying to position themselves as an AI hub, potentially luring in tech talent, write CNBC. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are already offering top-tier pay, long-term golden visas, and a business-friendly environment — positioning themselves as an attractive alternative just as US policy tightens.

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