Good morning, everyone, and happy THURSDAY. Licensed manufacturers can breathe a sigh of relief this morning after the cabinet decided to do away with the expat levy on licensed industrial firms. The fast-approaching deadline for the end of the waiver at 31 December is no longer hanging over balance sheets, with the hopes that this will spur more spending on growth and advanced tech.
ALSO- Gaca seems happy with the so-called “Madinah Model” for airport privatization, and wants to bring the success into Abha. A winner of the Abha Airport concession — set to be announced in three months — will finance and build the infrastructure to take the airport’s capacity from 1.5 mn to 13 mn passengers over three phases.
AND- Midad Energy is reportedly representing Saudi in the race for grabbing international assets of Russia’s sanctioned oil titan Lukoil. Let’s dive in.
⚠️PSA- Schools in Riyadh, the Eastern Province, Qassim, and Al Baha have shifted all students and staff to the Madrasati platform through Thursday following red alerts for severe thunderstorms and flash floods. Stay safe, wonderful people.
Watch This Space-
IPO: US ghost kitchen operator CloudKitchens is reportedly revisiting plans for a Middle East IPO in 2026, shelving a potential dual-listing in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh as the region’s IPO bubble deflates, while keeping the door open for a future listing, Bloomberg reports, citing people it says are familiar with the matter. The PIF-backed company is now weighing options such as a private placement, the people said, without specifying a timeline or venue.
Background: The firm, headed by Uber’s co-founder and former CEO Travis Kalanick — who was recently granted Saudi citizenship — runs KitchenPark facilities across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, and was eyeing a USD 2 bn valuation. First Abu Dhabi Bank, JP Morgan, SNB Capital, and Goldman Sachs were reportedly quarterbacking the potential IPO which was first announced in May.
2025 has been an uncharacteristically lackluster year for Gulf IPOs, with proceeds down to USD 6 bn from USD 13 bn last year. Investor caution drove players like Dubizzle to delay their IPOs particularly after big names logged underwhelming debuts. Investor caution has sidelined several listings, including five Nomu hopefuls as well as main market contender EFSIM.
^^ WATCHING THIS- Alramz Real Estate is landing on TASI in a few hours.
INVESTMENT: I Squared Capital pins regional bets on Saudi Arabia: Miami-based infrastructure investor I Squared Capital is doubling down on the Kingdom as the US-based investment manager is moving to sign infrastructure contracts worth up to USD 300 mn this January, chairman Sadiq Wahba told AlArabiya.
The deals — covering renewables, data centers, and fiber optics — are part of a larger USD 500 mn the firm has earmarked for the Kingdom (half of its USD 1 bn regional target). A long-promised new Riyadh office and a dedicated infrastructure fund which already counts the PIF and Arab Energy Fund as MoU partners will help out the execution.
Saudi is the region’s “most attractive” market, Wahba says adding that its population, investment program, consumer demand, and strong returns with (calculated risks) place it ahead of opportunities in the Gulf and North Africa, he said.
SPORTS: Aramco-owned Al Qadsiah handed the head coach reins to Brendan Rodgers. The former Liverpool and Celtic manager replaces Michel Gonzalez, who was let go earlier this week after an underwhelming season that has left one of the league’s biggest spenders in fifth place. (They were also knocked out of the King’s Cup quarter-finals by Al Ahli on penalties. Tough times.)
Data Point: Investment licenses are booming
83.4% — the y-o-y increase in new investment licenses issued in the Kingdom in 3Q 2025, hitting a record 7k, according to an Investment Ministry report (pdf). This marks a twentyfold increase compared to the same period in 2020.
The context: The increase is driven by the Kingdom’s delivery era, with construction leading all sectors by accounting for 37% (2.6k) of all new licenses as gigaprojects like Neom and the Red Sea move into high gear. Wholesale and retail trade saw the fastest growth at 234% y-o-y.
Get Enterprise daily
The roundup of news and trends that move your markets and shape corporate agendas delivered straight to your inbox.
***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?
Were you forwarded this email? Tap or click here to get your own copy of EnterpriseAM Saudi delivered every weekday.
***
THE BIG STORY ABROAD-
Oil traders are watching carefully this morning after Venezuela said it would have its navy escort oil tankers from port in response to US President Donald Trump’s naval blockade of the country’s oil industry.
^^ The must read: Oil rises as Trump’s Venezuela blockade takes edge off global crudesurplus concerns (Reuters).
ALSO- Warner Bros Discovery’s board rebuked Paramount Skydance’s “inferior” GCC-backed offer and urged shareholders to accept Netflix’s bid. Netflix is offering less, but some pundits think the offer stands a better chance of passing regulatory muster as it would see WBD first spin off its cable TV assets, including CNN and Discovery.
AND- BP’s Murray Auchincloss is out as CEO after less than two years. He’s being replaced by Meg O’Neill, who’s coming in from Australia’s Woodside Energy. She’ll be BP’s third CEO in five years.


