CLIMATE-

Aramco and Siemens Energy launched Saudi Arabia’s first Direct Air Capture (DAC) test unit, according to a press release on Thursday. Aramco will use the pilot facility – which can remove 12 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually – to test new CO2 capture technologies against Saudi Arabia’s climate and to reduce DAC implementation costs in the region. The companies also plan to scale up the technology to eventually establish larger DAC facilities.

Aramco is going all in on carbon capture: Aramco reportedly awarded Indian energy company Larsen & Toubro’s (L&T) Energy Hydrocarbon division the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for the first phase of its USD 1.5 bn carbon capture and storage hub in Jubail that would store up to 9 mn tons of CO2 a year by 2027 or 2028.

CAPITAL MARKETS-

Tadawul extended trading hours for negotiated transactions by introducing three additional sessions, it said in a statement.

The details: The pre-opening auction session will allow for negotiated transactions to take place before the opening auction, running between 5 and 9:15 am. The market closed session permits transactions after market close during regular trading days, with slots from 3 to 4 pm for debt instruments and ETFs and slots from 3:20 to 4 pm for listed equities, CEFs, and REITs. The post-market closed session runs for a four-hour period starting at 4 pm.

The requirements: Both pre-opening auction and post-market closed sessions are enabled upon a formal request from the lead manager or transaction coordinator to Tadawul.

REAL ESTATE-

Jabal Omar finalized a SAR 1.14 bn land sale to support project financing: Jabal OmarDevelopment sold a 6k sqm land plot in Makkah to Azhar Company for SAR 1.14 bn, it said in a press release and a filing to the exchange. The sale of the land, with a book value of SAR 255.9 mn, will help the company reduce its debt obligations and finance its existing projects.

ICYMI- Ladun Investment and Musharaka Capital were planning to set up a SAR 525 mn realestate development fund to finance a SAR 1.5 bn real estate project at the Jabal Omar development in Makkah focused on the development of a residential and hotel tower.

DEFENSE-

US clears USD 100 mn arms sale to Saudi Arabia: The US State Department approved a potential USD 100 mn sale of advanced precision kill weapon system (APKWS) to Saudi Arabia, according to a notification to Congress. The potential sale includes 2k laser-guided rockets designed to target airborne and surface threats, with BAE Systems as the main contractor. No formal contract has been signed yet. The story also got ink from Reuters.

FINANCIAL SERVICES-

Fintech startup Barq partnered with Western Union to enable international money transfers through the Barq app, according to a press release. The move is meant to provide “easy, fast, and secure international remittance services to millions of users,” according to Barq’s chairman Faisal Al Khamisi.

INVESTMENT WATCH-

The Riyadh Municipality is tendering over 20 sites for investment, spanning 175k sqm through the Furas online platform in 2025, state news agency SPA reports. The projects include commercial, residential, and industrial activities — such as sports clubs, cafes, and ATMs. More details are available here (pdf).

AVIATION-

Flagship carrier Saudia resumed its regular flights to and from Heathrow Airport yesterday and will deploy aircrafts with larger seating capacity, it said in post on X. This follows an earlier suspension of flight due to a power outage at the airport caused by a substation fire.

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