Riyadh takes the helm of Syria’s multi-sector reconstruction

1

WHAT WE’RE TRACKING TODAY

Ronaldo no-shows for second straight game

Good morning, folks. We’re kicking off the week with Saudi firing the starting gun on Syria’s reconstruction, signing a suite of agreements to rebuild everything from Aleppo’s airport to the nation’s digital backbone.

Also in today’s issue: Masna Ventures launches the Kingdom’s first defense-focused VC fund, and Fitch sees Saudi bank liquidity coming under strain as gigaprojects shift to operations.

Happening today

The World Defense Show kicks off today and runs through Thursday, 12 February in Riyadh, bringing together defense officials, military leaders, and industry executives from across the globe. The event will be officially inaugurated by Defense Minister and Vice Chairman of the GAMI Board Prince Khalid bin Salman.

Keep an eye on these two heavyweight program features:

The Future Defense Lab will serve as a high-tech hub for startups and global primes to showcase breakthroughs in AI, robotics, and quantum technologies through live demonstrations and dedicated technical briefings.
The Meet the KSA Government Program offers a rare, closed-door forum for industry leaders to engage directly with Saudi Arabia’s defense and security authorities. Sessions featuring entities like the Defense Ministry and the General Authority for Defense Development will provide insights into the Kingdom’s capability gaps, procurement priorities, and pathways for localizing 50% of military spending.

A not-so-smooth start: The event has reportedly seen some UAE companies withdraw, Reuters reports, citing two sources it says are familiar with the matter. The move is the latest sign of a geopolitical rift between the two Gulf powers — centered on Yemen and oil policy — threatening USD 30 bn in bilateral trade and investment. It is unclear if all Emirati participants in the country pavilion have pulled out.

ALSO- The AlUlaConference on Emerging Market Economies kicks off today and runs through tomorrow at AlUla’s Maraya Hall. The two-day event is organized by the Finance Ministry and the International Monetary Fund Regional Office in Riyadh.

Happening tomorrow

Riyadh hosts the Private Sector Forum tomorrow and Tuesday at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center. The forum highlights multi-bn USD investment windows across 13 priority sectors, such as tourism and renewable energy.
The Global Games Show Riyadh starts tomorrow at Malf Hall in Riyadh. The two-day B2B festival is organized by VAP Group.
The Asian Racing Conference will also commence on Monday at Crowne Plaza Riyadh RDC Hotel & Convention Center in Riyadh, marking its return to the Arabian Peninsula for the first time in about 20 years.

WEATHER- Thunderstorms bringing moderate to heavy rain, hail, and reduced visibility are forecast across Riyadh, Qassim, and the Eastern Province. Meanwhile, lighter showers are expected over the highlands of Makkah, Al Baha, Asir, and Jazan, with a chance of fog in parts of these areas. Dust-raising winds will sweep through Al Jouf and the Northern Borders.

Riyadh: 27°C high / 17°C low.
Jeddah: 31°C high / 21°C low.
Makkah: 33°C high / 21°C low.
Dammam: 23°C high / 17°C low.

PSAs

Businesses subject to withholding tax must file their January tax returns by Tuesday, 10 February via the Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority’s (Zatca) website, the authority said in a statement. Late submissions will face a 1% penalty for every 30 days of delay.

Watch this space

SPORTS — Is the Ronaldo situation getting out of hand? Cristiano Ronaldo was a no-show for Al Nassr’s game against Al Ittihad, his second straight absence from the lineup as reports keep mounting that the Don is unhappy with how the club failed to score any high-profile signings in the latest transfer window. Rival Al Hilal managed to snag Karim Benzema at the last minute.

The player is reportedly blaming the Public Investment Fund’s interference andunbalanced spending on top clubs, as well as deep-pocketed private backers. Alwaleed bin Talal is said to have provided the war chest for Al Hilal’s six signings. Some sources are signalling Ronaldo could head for the door this June if he remains dissatisfied with Al Nassr’s lineup.

SPL weighs in: The Saudi Pro League (SPL) said in a widely circulated statement that the league is bigger than any individual player, without referring to Ronaldo’s situation. “Clubs have their own boards, executives and football leadership. Decisions on recruitment, spending and strategy rest with those clubs, within a financial framework designed to ensure sustainability and competitive balance. That framework applies equally across the league,” the statement read.

AVIATION — More jets for Saudia? National air carrier Saudia is in early talks with Boeing and Airbus over a potential order for at least 150 aircraft, in what could become the airline’s largest purchase to date, unnamed sources told Bloomberg. The order is expected to include a mix of narrowbody and widebody jets to both replace aging models in Saudia’s current 200-plane fleet and expand overall capacity.

Why it matters: The 80-year-old national carrier is being repositioned with a dual focus to dominate the high-volume religious pilgrimage market while modernizing its brand, whereas PIF-backed Riyadh Air targets global luxury fliers. The purchase comes amid intensifying competition from low-cost carriers both domestically (flynas and flyadeal) and regionally.

Not the first big order: The air carrier purchased 105 Airbus narrow-body jets in May 2024 and ordered nearly 40 Boeing 787 Dreamliners in 2023.

OIL — The Kingdom cut the official selling price for Arab Light crude for March shipments to Asian buyers by USD 0.30 a barrel, bringing its flagship grade to the lowest level since December 2020, according to Bloomberg. This also brings the price to parity with the Oman/Dubai benchmark — the lowest level in over five years.

The reduction signals that global demand continues to outpace immediate demand, although Aramco opted for a more moderate cut than the expected USD 0.50-0.85 per barrel.

[wwtt4] TRADE — The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is set to ship 50k tons of copper to Saudi Arabia and the UAE via a US-backed JV between the DRC’s state-owned miner Gecamines and Swiss commodities group Mercuria, the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) said in a statement. This comes after Gecamines agreed to ship 100k tons to the US last month.

The US is looking to secure its foothold in the DRC’s China-dominated supply chain — and its allies are included in the push. “Growing cooperation between the US and the DRC ensures valuable critical minerals are directed to the US and our allies, and strengthens the economic viability of our African partners,” DFC CEO Ben Black said in an emailed statement to Bloomberg. China heavily leads as the DRC’s major importer, receiving USD 21.6 bn worth of goods — out of USD 29.6 bn exported in 2024 — followed by South Korea, India, Saudi Arabia, and Spain.

BACKGROUND- The DFC backed and expressed interest in taking up an equity share in the JV between Gecamines and Mercuria to market copper and cobalt back in December, as it aims to expand into germanium and gallium — key minerals for semiconductors and solar panels.

SPORTS — We will not be hosting the 2029 winter games after all: The Olympic Council of Asia selected Kazakhstan’s Almaty as the host city for the 2029 Asian Winter Games, which were initially slated for Neom’s Trojena mountain resort. Almaty was selected due to its robust sporting infrastructure, Kazakhstan’s Olympic Committee stated.

Trouble at Trojena? The Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the Olympic Council postponed the event earlier this year, following reports of construction hurdles at Trojena that surfaced late last year. At the time, both entities were reportedly on the lookout for another city to host the games.

Data point

5.2 tons — that’s the volume of gold bars and coins purchased in the Kingdom in 4Q 2025, marking the highest level in 10 quarters and up from 4.5 tons in 3Q, Asharq Business reports, citing World Gold Council data.

The roundup of news and trends that move your markets and shape corporate agendas delivered straight to your inbox.

Subscribe here

***You’re reading EnterpriseAM Saudi, your essential daily roundup of business, economics, and must-read news about Saudi, delivered straight to your inbox. We’re out Sunday through Thursday by 7am Riyadh time.

EnterpriseAM Saudi is available without charge thanks to the generous support of our friends at Tas’heel and Hassan Allam Properties.

Want to send us a story idea, request coverage, ask for a correction, or otherwise get in touch? Reach out to us on saudi@enterpriseAM.com.

DID YOU KNOW that we also cover Egypt, the UAE, the MENA logistics industry, and the MENA <> India corridor?

***

The big story abroad

Global headlines this morning are focused on the resignation of Washington Post CEO Will Lewis, which came just days after the organization laid off one-third of its staff. Lewis took over in January 2024 and presided over a rather unstable period in the paper’s lifetime, which saw mass layoffs and the resignation of one of its top editors. The paper’s CFO Jeff D’Onofrio will take the lead as publisher and CEO.

MEANWHILE, IN MARKETS- BTC has officially lost all its gains since US President Donald Trump’s inauguration last year, as thin liquidity and price volatility push investors away from the cryptocurrency. The slump is likely to persist “for some time,” research analyst at Kaiko Thomas Probst told Reuters. BTC is now trading at around the USD 69k mark, down 20.7% YTD.

Riyadh shifts from pledges to projects in Syria

The Kingdom has become the primary architect of Syria’s reconstruction after a delegation headed by Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al Falih signed a sweeping slate of agreements worth bn s of S AR in Damascus yesterday. The agreements span aviation, telecoms, energy, infrastructure, and real estate, signaling a major push to help jumpstart the war-scarred economy.

Let the reconstruction begin

First stop, rebuilding Aleppo airport: At the center is a SAR 7.5 bn redevelopment of Aleppo International Airport, which will see Saudi public and private players build a new terminal, upgrade and operate the existing facility during construction, and finance an integrated navigation radar system covering Syrian airspace. The project marks the first investment under the Elaf Fund.

Flynas plants wings in Damascus: The aviation push also includes a joint venture between the Syrian Civil Aviation Authority and flynas to launch a new carrier, Nas Syria, for passenger and cargo operations, according to a press release. Syria will hold a 51% stake, and flynas will own the remaining 49%, with flights expected to begin in 4Q 2026.

AND- STC will wire Syria: STC will develop Syria’s fibre-optic backbone, data centers, subsea links, and internet connectivity under the Silk Link project, investing more than SAR 3 bn, SPA reports. The network is set to extend over 4.5k km and deliver speeds exceeding 150 terabits per second, according to Sana. This builds on earlier talks in June with regional operators (including Zain, Etisalat, STC, and Ooredoo) over a roughly USD 300 mn fibre-optic rollout.

Utilities and manufacturing got some love too: Acwa Power and the Water Transmission Company will study a seawater desalination plant with a planned capacity of about 1.2 mn cbm per day, alongside a related transmission pipeline. Separately, Riyadh Cables Group will operate and upgrade the Syrian Modern Cable Company under an agreement with Syria’s sovereign fund, modernizing factories and transferring technical expertise.

Why it matters

A familiar playbook: The Kingdom’s strategy in Syria mirrors Riyadh’s domestic playbook of using state-linked firms (STC, Acwa Power, flynas) to de-risk large-scale infrastructure bets. This is the starting gun for Syria’s reconstruction era. Saudi providing investment coverage for its firms to enter Syria signals a massive reduction in sovereign risk for the broader regional private sector, hopefully drawing more capital to the Levantine nation.

What it means for Saudi: Riyadh’s shift from capital-rich donor to hands-on strategic operator signals a new approach to managing regional risk. Instead of relying on political agreements alone, the Kingdom is deploying infrastructure and telecoms to anchor influence, sideline rivals, and stabilize a post-conflict economy. For senior investors, the reopening of banking channels and the rollout of investment are the clearest indications yet that Syria is being drawn into Saudi Arabia’s economic orbit.

Why now? The latest agreements follow the full removal of US sanctions in late 2024 and build on a USD 6.4 bn Saudi investment pledge made in October.

We’re getting our first defense-focused VC fund

Saudi’s first defense venture capital fund is here: Masna Ventures wants to raise USD 100 mn from US and Saudi investors to help defense tech companies localize manufacturing in the Kingdom, co-founder and general partner Lucien Zeigler tells EnterpriseAM.

What’s in the cards? The fund will target some 10 transactions spanning unmanned aerial vehicles, aerospace, counter-UAS, automated systems, AI-enabled defense systems, and maritime, Zeigler tells us.

The players: Masna is led by US entrepreneur Lucien Zeigler and Nehal Farooqui, both of whom have existing footprints in the US-Saudi defense corridor. Zeigler is CEO of Redsalt Defense and its US-Saudi JV SR Advanced Strategic Systems (SR2), while Farooqui heads device services firm Zension Technologies.

Why it matters

The fund signals a bigger role for the private sector in defense localization. “For many US defense startups and mid-sized companies, Saudi Arabia is clearly attractive, but historically difficult to enter without scale, local infrastructure, or deep familiarity with localization and regulatory requirements,” Zeigler said.

The pitch: New JVs or special purpose vehicles — bringing together Saudi manufacturing capabilities and advanced US systems — need “last-mile” capital at formation and early scale-up to meet demand on compressed timelines. “This is the core pipeline Masna Ventures is designed to support: structured, project-backed growth equity with a risk-return profile distinct from traditional venture or buyout strategies,” Zeigler tells us.

The goal? Shoring up confidence. “Having visibility into a potential source of institutional capital over time gives these companies greater confidence as they consider committing to the Saudi market,” Zeigler added.

What’s next?

Zeigler expects the first platforms to form by the end of the first quarter, with investment activity following as entities reach formation and readiness milestones. The exact timing will depend on regulatory approvals and final structuring.

If the model performs well, more vehicles could follow over time, he says. For now, the priority for Masna is to demonstrate that private-sector capital can be deployed efficiently into localized defense manufacturing at scale. “The [thesis] we’re addressing is structural, not short-term. […] The goal is to help build a durable private-sector investment base around defense and advanced manufacturing in Saudi Arabia. Fund I is the foundation for that.”

The context

It’s one of the first signs of activating the defense cooperation agreements signed during Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s visit to Washington in November last year, including a strategic defense agreement that facilitates US defense firms setting up shop in the Kingdom. Saudi was elevated to a non-Nato ally, which means we get financing and priority access for military equipment from the US.

“It’s hard to overstate how much the US-Saudi security relationship has shifted,” Zeigler said. This year’s World Defense Show — kicking off today — is set to reflect that shift as “the focus is moving decisively toward building real capability on the ground through the private sector,” he added.

DATA POINT- Saudi wants to localize 50% of defense manufacturing by 2030, and we’re already halfway there as of 2024-end.

Gigaproject maturity to test Saudi lenders’ resilience

Fitch sees near-term stability, longer-term strain for Saudi banks: Saudi banks’ exposure to Vision 2030 gigaprojects remains manageable for now, but a transition toward operational phases is set to test capital ratios and liquidity in the coming years, Fitch Ratings said in a note on Thursday. While recent recalibrations of project scales have sparked debate, Fitch suggests the immediate risk to asset quality remains low.

Where things stand

Bank financing for gigaprojects currently accounts for just 5-7% of average sector loans. Even when accounting for off-balance-sheet commitments like guarantees, total exposure sits below 10%. This “modest” footprint is largely due to the Public Investment Fund (PIF) acting as the main funding engine, covering roughly half of the USD 115 bn in contracts awarded since 2019.

BUT- The tide is turning. As projects mature and increasingly rely more on bank debt, their higher risk-weighting — typically 80-130% — is expected to place increasing pressure on banks’ capital ratios, Fitch said. To preserve lending capacity, Fitch expects banks to step up the use of capital relief tools like residential mortgage-backed securities and significant risk transfers (SRTs).

It’s already happening: The Saudi National Bank (SNB) is reportedly exploring SRT transactions to unlock capital for additional lending.

AND- Liquidity is tightening: The sector’s loan-to-deposit ratio rose to 113% by the end of 2025 from 110% in 2024, pushing banks to diversify funding sources, including tapping international markets. Bank Albilad, Riyad Bank and Al Rajhi Bank all issued USD-denominated AT1 debt this year, with SNB mulling the same.

Why it matters

The Saudi banking sector is transitioning from a passive observer of Vision 2030 to its primary financial shock absorber. As the PIF diversifies the funding burden, banks are shifting their focus from simple liquidity management to complex balance-sheet engineering. The success of the Kingdom’s credit engine now hinges on the banks’ ability to successfully securitize their mortgage books and tap international debt markets to keep the taps open for the next phase of national development.

Looking ahead

Fitch expects overall lending growth to slow to 10% in 2026 from 11.5% last year, with corporate borrowing continuing to drive expansion and accounting for 80% of new loans in 2025.

Over the long-term, non-gigaprojects will fuel corporate credit demand. Despite new project awards falling by nearly 50% in 2025, the broader non-giga infrastructure backlog remains substantial at USD 435 bn.

Don’t sleep on SMEs and mortgages: SMEs lending is gaining traction, the note said, with its share of total bank lending reaching 11% by 3Q 2025. Because SME loans carry a more favorable 75% risk-weighting under Basel III, they are becoming an attractive, capital-efficient alternative for banks looking to grow without overstretching their ratios. Mortgage securitization is also expected to pick up further in 2026 as interest rates ease, allowing banks to unlock liquidity from their SAR 726 bn mortgage books.

Saudi Awwal Bank exceeds expectations in FY 2025

Saudi Awwal Bank (Sab) posted a 4.7% y-o-y rise in net income to SAR 8.5 bn in FY 2025 — exceeding Bloomberg analysts’ expectations of SAR 8.1 bn — a Tadawul disclosure showed. The growth was attributed to higher total operating income, which was partially offset by increased total operating costs, increased net provision for expected credit losses, and lower earnings of an associate company.

MEANWHILE- The lender logged a 9.6% y-o-y increase in total income from financing to SAR 17.6 bn during the year, while its income from investments rose 4.7% y-o-y to SAR 4.8 bn.

Azura taps Yahya Sisalem for Saudi high-net-worth push

Wealth manager Azura Partners tapped Yahya Sisalem (LinkedIn) as a Zurich-based partner, according to Bloomberg. Sisalem previously served as a managing director at UBS, leading a team focused on ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) Saudi clients. He also spent over a decade at Credit Suisse in similar roles across Zurich and the UAE.

Why it matters: The move is part of Azura’s push to expand coverage of its Saudi-connected individuals with global investment portfolios amid intensifying competition among global wealth managers, including Goldman Sachs, to capture Saudi Arabia’s ultra-rich and channel more capital into the Kingdom.

Data centers took the FDI crown last year

As expected, 2025 was the year of the data center, as a digital infrastructure push led the communications sector to topple renewables as the segment seeing the most greenfield FDI globally, according to FDI Intelligence. Total FDI inflows came in at USD 1.3 tn, the fifth-highest figure on record.

Data centers did the heavy lifting for the communications sector, bringing in a record USD 319.7 bn — jumping from USD 184 bn the year before — and accounting for nearly 50% of the 129 megaprojects of the year.

AI’s pull didn’t stop there — its infrastructure lifted FDI levels across other sectors. Investments in semiconductors came in at a record USD 138 bn last year.

The renewables sector was the second-largest FDI recipient, despite inflows falling 26% y-o-y to USD 193 bn. Green hydrogen, clean tech, and wind all saw commitment dips, while solar power remained a bright spot, bringing in USD 75 bn — albeit still less than the previous two years.

Elsewhere, real estate attracted a decade-high USD 102.8 bn, up from USD 96 bn the year before. Projects in aluminum and steel buoyed the metals sector’s USD 62 bn allocation, LNG boosted fossil fuels’ contribution of USD 54 bn, and chemicals made a comeback with USD 33 bn. Automotive manufacturing and electronic components both saw their inflows drop.

Our take: Investors are retreating from speculative, long-horizon green hydrogen projects as regulatory hurdles and uncertain revenue models stalled development — and as the focus shifts toward the physical infrastructure underpinning the global AI race. Investors are now prioritizing immediate AI computing capacity assets over future energy technologies.

This might not last long, though. Soaring data center demand is set to increase electricity consumption, turning these facilities into major bottlenecks for aging grids. The next wave of FDI is expected to give special attention to renewable projects designed exclusively to power AI campuses, rather than general grids. This strategy could push countries with abundant, low-cost power, such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia, to use their energy surplus to draw digital investments from grid-constrained Western markets.

TASI	11,189	-1.3% (YTD: +6.7%)
MSCI Tadawul 30	1,509	-1.5% (YTD: +8.7%)
NomuC	23,866	+0.2% (YTD: +2.5%)
USD : SAR (SAMA)	USD 3.75 Sell	USD 3.75 Buy
Interest rates	4.25% repo	3.75% reverse repo
EGX30	49,739	+0.2% (YTD: +18.9%)
ADX	10,563	+0.2% (YTD: +5.7%)
DFM	6,691	+0.2% (YTD: +10.7%)
S&P 500	6,932	+2.0% (YTD: +1.3%)
FTSE 100	10,370	+0.6% (YTD: +4.4%)
Euro Stoxx 50	5,998	+1.2% (YTD: +3.6%)
Brent crude	USD 68.05	+0.7%
Natural gas (Nymex)	USD 3.42	-2.5%
Gold	USD 4,979.80	+1.9%
BTC	USD 69,463	-1.3% (YTD: -20.7%)
Sukuk/bond market index	916.95	+0.2% (YTD: -0.3%)
S&P MENA bond & sukuk	151.93	0.0% (YTD: 0.0%)
VIX (Volatility Index)	17.76	-18.4% (YTD: +18.8%)

THE CLOSING BELL: TADAWUL-

The TASI fell 1.3% on Thursday on turnover of SAR 5.5 bn. The index is up 6.7% YTD.

In the green: Almajdiah (+5.4%), Al Aziziah Reit (+4.7%) and Almajed Oud (+2.8%).

In the red: SRMG (-6.9%), Cherry (-6.2%) and Maaden (-5.4%).

THE CLOSING BELL: NOMU-

The NomuC rose 0.2% on Thursday on turnover of SAR 17.8 mn. The index is up 2.5% YTD.

In the green: Fesh Fash (+8.5%), Molan (+5.8%) and Alshehili Metal (+5.4%).

In the red: Adeer (-7.2%), Alqemam (-7.1%) and Ratio (-6.9%).

CALENDAR

FEBRUARY

2-13 February (Monday-Friday): 2026 Asian Road Cycling Championship and Paralympic Cycling, Qassim.

8-12 February (Sunday-Thursday): World Defense Show, Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center, Riyadh.

8-9 February (Sunday-Monday): AlUla Conference on Emerging Market Economies (ACEME), Maraya Hall, AlUla.

9-10 February (Monday-Tuesday): Global Games Show Riyadh 2026, Malf Hall, Riyadh.

9-10 February (Monday-Tuesday): Private Sector Forum 2026, Riyadh.

9-14 February (Monday-Saturday): Asian Racing Conference, Crowne Plaza Riyadh RDC Hotel & Convention Centre, Riyadh.

10 February (Tuesday): Deadline for businesses subject to withholding tax to file their January tax returns via Zatca’s website.

11 February (Wednesday) Digital Transformation Summit Saudi Arabia (DTS), Riyadh.

11-14 February (Wednesday-Saturday): JeddaDerm, Jeddah.

13-14 February (Friday-Saturday): Jeddah E-Prix 2026, Jeddah.

15-17 February (Sunday-Tuesday): The World Advanced Manufacturing & Logistics Saudi Expo, Riyadh Front & Exhibition Center.

16 February (Monday): King Salman Stadium design-and-build contract prequalification submission deadline.

16 February (Monday): First day of Ramadan (TBC).

22 February (Sunday): Founding Day.

26 February (Thursday): Title deed registration deadline for 142.8k properties across 104 neighborhoods in Hail.

MARCH

12 March (Thursday): Deadline for real estate registration for 253.2k properties in 499 neighborhoods across Riyadh, Qassim, Makkah, and Hail.

18-23 March (Tuesday-Monday): Eid Al-Fitr holiday (TBC).

21 March (Saturday): Fanatics Flag Football Classic, Kingdom Arena, Riyadh.

31 March (Tuesday): Zatca’s 23rd E-invoicing integration wave deadline.

APRIL

6 April (Monday): Procurement and Supply Chain Futures Forum, Al Faisaliah Hotel, Riyadh.

6-7 April (Monday-Tuesday): Real Estate Supply Chain Forum, Al Faisaliah Hotel, Riyadh.

12-15 April (Sunday-Wednesday): Saudi Print & Pack, Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center.

12-15 April (Sunday-Wednesday): Riyadh International Industry Week, Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center.

12-15 April (Sunday-Wednesday): Saudi Plastics & Petrochem, Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center.

12-15 April (Sunday-Wednesday): Saudi Smart Logistics, Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center.

13-16 April (Monday-Thursday): Leap Tech Conference, Riyadh Exhibition & Convention Center – Malham.

20-22 April (Monday-Wednesday): The Future Hospitality Summit, Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah Al Faisaliah Hotel, Riyadh.

20-22 April (Monday-Wednesday): Saudi Paper and Packaging Expo, Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center.

21 April (Tuesday): GC Summit Saudi Arabia 2026, Saudi Arabia.

22-23 April (Wednesday-Thursday): The World Economic Forum’s Global Collaboration and Growth Meeting, Jeddah.

27-29 April (Monday-Wednesday): Aluminum Arabia, The Arena, Riyadh.

MAY

3-5 May (Sunday-Tuesday): Sports Investment Forum (SIF), Riyadh.

3-9 May (Sunday-Sunday): The Global Sustainability Expo, The Arena Riyadh Venue.

5-6 May (Tuesday-Wednesday): SkyMove Air Cargo MENA, Riyadh.

24-28 May (Sunday-Thursday): Eid al-Adha holiday.

JUNE

21-24 June (Sunday-Wednesday): Saudi Food Exhibition and Conference, Riyadh Front Expo.

SEPTEMBER

15-17 September (Tuesday-Thursday) The Global AI Summit, King Abdulaziz International Convention Center, Riyadh.

23 September (Wednesday): Saudi National Day.

OCTOBER

26-29 October (Monday-Thursday): World Energy Congress, Riyadh.

Signposted to happen sometime in 2026:

2H: Sabic’s USD 6.4 bn Fujian project in China to start production in 2026.
November: UN Trade and Development Global Supply Chain Forum to take place in Saudi Arabia.
November: The Esports Nations Cup, Riyadh.
The Intervision international music competition will take place in Saudi Arabia.
6 July-23 August (Monday-Sunday): Esports World Cup, Riyadh.

Signposted to happen sometime in 2027:

The World Water Forum takes place in Riyadh.
The Ocean Race finishes in Amaala on the Red Sea.
Riyadh-Kudmi transmission line to be completed.

Signposted to happen sometime in 2Q 2027:

The Hail Region Water Networks Project is expected to be completed.

Sections

About

Privacy & Support

Get EnterpriseAM daily