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Growing trade surplus
PLUS- Where to go for a power suhoor in Riyadh
Thursday, 26 February 2026
Good morning!
Happy Thursday, friends. Today's lead story centers PIF's leveraged buyout of EA and how a bloc of bondholders have stalled the move. Also making headlines is the Kingdom's widening trade surplus and new plans to tweak listing rules by the CMA.
Today at a glance
News
IPO WATCH
THIS MORNING: Jafurah condensates set to hit Asian shores by early March
FII organizer RA&A prepares for a USD 1 bn IPO
First prospectus of the year
The book-building period for institutional investors runs between 1-5 February
Gigaprojects
Saudi is gunning for holidaymakers over pilgrims in its tourism revamp
Luxury giga-projects anchor a strategy to attract repeat holidaymakers, but…
Shifting the gigaproject focus
Neom remains strategic, but no longer dominates capital allocation
Newsmakers
Coffee With: Yusef Alyusef, managing director at Alvarez & Marsal Saudi Arabia
Yusef Alyusef is a managing director and partner at Alvarez & Marsal in Riyadh, where he leads work in tax policy,…
My morning routine
Folk Maritime’s Poul Hestbaek unpacks growth plans for 2026 amid volatile global trade
We spoke with Hestbaek about their ongoing projects in the Kingdom and their regional expansions
Regulation
Legislation Watch
New Statistics Law centralizes authority, strengthens data confidentiality
The legislation introduces fines up to SAR 500k for data…
Regulation Watch
How Saudi’s new regulations could help spur supply in a crunched warehousing market
Setting up new warehouses — as well as operating existing…
Cabinet Watch
Growth + consolidation incoming for ins. sector
The strategy comes as the sector has long been dominated…
Royal Court
New governors, deputy ministers appointed in latest royal decrees
Jazan gets a new governor — Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz…
Startup Watch
King Saudi University launches venture fund + Flyadeal expands its Madinah network
The new Flyadeal destinations will be added in March
Saudi Arabia’s VC market evolves amid rising international capital and exit rounds
The maturity is driven by a rise in global investor participation + an expanding…
Marriott to develop five new hotels + Governata raises USD 4 mn in seed round
The Marriott projects will add more than 2.7k rooms to the market
Lifestyle
MrBeast brings his challenges to life in Riyadh + Six Flags Qiddiya City to open on 31 December
The zone will be open through 27 December, operating from 4 pm to midnight on weekdays and until 1 am on weekends.
EVIQ to roll out EV charging solutions for Lotus owners. PLUS: Riyadh Season signs up top Youtuber MrBeast
ALSO: Al Etihad Cooperative Ins. maintains Moody’s rating
Your guide to Ramadan cultural events and night markets
Five events and night markets to visit during the holy month
