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Agriculture
Nadec unit breaks ground on SAR 2 bn livestock facility in Hail
Nadec had secured a SAR 1.1 bn loan to finance the project
Smart food city is in the works in Najran
The Najran Investment Forum wrapped up with SAR 639 mn in signed agreements
Over SAR 428 mn in Saudi-Dutch agriculture agreements signed in Amsterdam
Among them is a SAR 76 mn investment to establish a French fries factory
Agreements + initiatives worth SAR 8.5 bn signed at Hail Investment Forum
The forum brought together government entities, the private sector, and international investors
Automotive
Jazan hits the gas on EUR 10 bn auto project
The new deal follows a 12-day investment mission to China
Tesla debuts in Saudi Arabia, riding the wave of rising EV demand
Riyadh’s center is now open, with Jeddah’s set to follow by year-end.
Hyundai launches first Middle Eastern plant in Saudi
The plant is projected to contribute some USD 5 bn to Saudi’s GDP by 2045
Ronn to set up Saudi hydrogen truck factories under three-year USD 4 bn plan
The facilities will produce 10k hydrogen trucks, 1k sports vehicles, and an exclusive hypercar
Banking
Saudi banks remained resilient in the face of 2025 headwinds
The Kingdom’s top lenders consistently reported double-digit growth in net income across the first three…
Sama tightens the screws on bank fee income
Banks had pivoted to fee generation to maintain growth in 3Q
Net foreign assets’s surplus narrows for the second consecutive month in October
Net foreign assets’ surplus hit SAR 1.41bn in October
US banks are in for USD 2.6 tn capital boost from upcoming reforms as global rivals fear growing irrelevance
Jefferies expects the reforms to lift US bank activity in capital markets through 2026
Basic materials
More flights to China in the cards? Plus: Tourism, healthcare, manufacturing
Plus: Amazon pays USD 1.9 mn to contract workers after finding labor issues in its…
Capital markets
The countdown begins
Foreign ownership caps still apply — at least for now
TASI’s correction year
The telecom sector was the only gainer of the year
Index or else
Active equity funds lost USD 1 tn in 2025 as 73% of managers trailed benchmarks…
Alwazn Almithaly opens books on Nomu IPO
The subscription period will run until 9 December.
Climate
Saudi leads the fight against new IMO levy on shipping emissions
A Saudi-led statement to the IMO warned that the new levy could “endanger exports from…
Environment Fund unveils SAR 1 bn green financing initiative
The program aims to attract private sector investment
FDI + oil ports make the rounds
Ras Tanura and Yanbu oil ports are threatened by rising sea levels
COP16 drought talks end without agreement
Twelve days of talks come to a close with no agreement on strategies to fight…
Commodities
BIS flags bubble-like conditions in gold, US equities
The bank noted this is the first time in at least five decades that equities…
Sabco, Bechtel Australia tapped for new Maaden gold mine
The 3.6 mn-ounce mine is set to produce 300k ounces annually
Trump’s steel, aluminum tariffs plan sees non-US metal stocks fall and US steel stocks rise
Analysts are warning of stagflation risks as Trump’s new trade war escalation fuels market uncertainty
MC4 hits the Tadawul today
PLUS: You can now submit bids to invest in national parks
Construction
Gigaproject spending slows as focus shifts to Riyadh, real estate financing -Meed
Government budget strain spurs growth of private sector financing in mega-projects
Almoosa Health awards construction contract for Alkhobar hospital
Excavation and site leveling are already complete, with construction now ready to kick off
Construction costs inch up 1% y-o-y in October
Residential costs rose 1% y-o-y, while non-residential costs increased 0.9%
Builtop bags USD 11 mn in seed funding round to digitalize Saudi construction procurement
The round was led by TAM Capital alongside a group of strategic investors
E-commerce
Lifestyle malls, digital adoption drive Saudi retail market
Riyadh leads Saudi retail with 4.17 mn sqm GLA and 2.2 mn more due by…
Parsons secures SAR 210 mn contract for Diriyah Phase 2 development
ALSO- 2P locks in a SAR 426.3 mn shariah-compliant credit facility from Saudi Awwal Bank
Salasa earmarks USD 30 mn for Saudi, GCC expansion -Alhazmi
Salasa is implementing a multi-pronged approach for the next two years that begins with deeper…
Salasa closes USD 30 mn series B round
Salasa will use the proceeds to develop an AI-driven platform to automate operations and support…
Education
Almasar Education wraps up Tadawul IPO, with retail portion 1.2x oversubscribed
The company is set for a SAR 2 bn market cap at listing.
Saudi Arabia’s labor market skill gap is costing us
Automation disruption is responsible for half of the losses
Al Jouf Agricultural bags loan to expand French fries factory
ALSO- Roshn Group to cooperate with the Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing Ministry to…
Al Muhafaza Education taps Adel Al Maghdawi as its new CEO
Al Maghdawi brings over 33 years of experience in teaching and has held several administrative…
Energy
Aramco is introducing 98-octane fuel to key cities
PLUS- KDL Logistics rings the opening bell on Nomu today
Acwa Power is getting Badeel’s stake in Shuaibah Water
The deal will lift Acwa’s ownership to 62%, from 30% currently.
Saudi firms ink strategic agreements to boost Syrian gas production
Ades Holding, Taqa, Argas, and Arabian Drilling will work on overhauling the country’s oil and…
Acwa + Bapco to develop 2.8 GW cross-border solar project
The project will be located in Saudi, but all its output will be transmitted to…
Finance
Railways galore
Plus: Globalization is dead, Mohamed El Erian says
Show me the Money 20/20
The agreements cover funding, investments, e-commerce, fintech, and more
Lendo secures USD 690 mn facility led by JP Morgan
The funding will be earmarked to boost Lendo’s lending capacity
SVC backs Jadwa Investment’s SAR 2 bn PE fund
The fund will target a mix of high-potential private equity opportunities in the GCC
Food
Tihama to acquire Dan Diamond Real Estate for an estimated SAR 90.7 mn
ALSO- Umm Al Qura sold a 2.7k sqm land plot for SAR 145.1 mn within…
Almarai finalizes SAR 1 bn takeover of Pure Beverages
ALSO: Dammam adds 162 new industrial units to fire up SME growth
Almarai to acquire full stake in Pure Beverages for SAR 1 bn. PLUS: Acwa eyes Kahrabel assets in Kuwait
The transaction is valued at over SAR 1 bn
BRF + HPDC break ground on USD 160 mn Jeddah food plant
The factory is slated to be open by mid-2026
Healthcare
Health Ministry inaugurates health projects worth over SAR 1.6 bn in Hail
PLUS: Aqaseem Factory to acquire 40% of Leader Express
Akdital Holding to invest USD 1.6 bn to expand into Saudi, UAE
The firm plans to open eight new hospitals in the two countries by 2030
Almoosa Health lines up Saudi Awwal Bank facility to fund Specialist Hospital
The 10-year facility will finance one of the Eastern Province’s largest private healthcare projects
Effy Healthcare sets up Riyadh HQ
ALSO: The Industry and Mineral Resources opened three new mining complexes for competition
Infrastructure
National Grid to build power infrastructure at Soudah Peaks
The contract is worth SAR 1.3 bn
Acwa Power cements Central Asian foothold with Azerbaijani desalination plant
The agreement covers the full stack of design, construction, financing, ownership, operation, and maintenance of…
Saudi banks power Ras Mohaisen water project to financial close
Banque Saudi Fransi, Riyad Bank, and Saudi Investment Bank, with Standard Chartered as the sole…
Miahona consortium inches closer to SAR 3 bn Arana treatment plant contract
The estimated contract value is more than SAR 3 bn
Hospitality + tourism
Tourism employment up 4% y-o-y in 2Q 2025 to 997.4k workers
Hospitality facilities surged 58% y-o-y to 5.3k by the end of 2Q 2025
Jabal Omar inks 15-year deals with Accor, Rotana to manage 1.8k hotel keys in Makkah
ALSO- The UAE’s Ades Holding reactivates suspended Saudi rigs, secures new offshore work
Stc to invest SAR 1.2 bn in Red Sea Global’s digital infrastructure
The investment is among the largest in the Kingdom’s tourism sector
Red Sea Global inaugurates three resorts on Shura Island
RSG has funneled around SAR 42 bn into the development of the Shura Island so…
Law
Coco Gauff takes home WTA Finals trophy in Riyadh
PLUS: Sama cuts rates, following in the Fed’s footsteps
Saudi-Brazilian venture eyes 26% stake in Addoha Poultry
PLUS: Ades Holding closes Southeast Asia’s jack-up rigs acquisition
Manufacturing
Industrial production climbed 8.9% y-o-y in October
Non-oil activities saw 4.4% y-o-y growth during the month
New policies to tie govt incentives to digital transformation at Saudi factories
Over 200 factories have been accredited so far, 4k targeted by 2030
Oxagon is getting SAR 600 mn industrial gases facility
Construction on the facility will begin in February 2026, with operations slated to kick off…
Eastern Province launches Toray Membrane factory
The plant will produce 300k reverse osmosis membranes a year for water desalination.
Mining
Italy’s Cannon Artes to build desalination plant for Hajr expansion CCGT IPP
AND- GE Vernow’s Jafurah Cogeneration Power Plant kicks off operations in Dammam
Nine mining licenses awarded
The licensed companies and consortiums pledged SAR 156 mn for exploration activities
OmniOps launches Saudi’s first sovereign AI platform Bunyan
ALSO- Roshn taps Singapore for AI and entrepreneurship real estate partnerships
NIDLP sectors add SAR 986 bn to GDP in 2024
Non-oil exports climbed 13.2% y-o-y to SAR 514 bn in 2024
Oil + gas
A tale of two oil markets
The cartel and the agency can’t agree on demand as the gap between their oil…
Ades wraps up Shelf Drilling acquisition
Ades plans to refinance Shelf’s debt this year, targeting over USD 30 mn in annual…
Industrial output climbs in September on higher oil production
Oil activities saw an annual increase of 10.1%
Industrial production up 7.1% y-o-y in August
Non-oil activities saw 4.4% y-o-y growth during the month
Petrochemicals
Farabi inaugurates USD 950 mn petrochem plant in Yanbu
The facility expands Farabi’s annual LAB capacity by 120k tons
New petroleum law requires companies, exporters to obtain license
The new law enforces strict penalties, including fines up to SAR 30 mn and prison…
KSA + Philippines ink energy MoU on energy
PLUS: Petro Rabigh and China’s Jiahua Chemicals mull new petrochem facility in Rabigh
Aramco reportedly scraps plans for Ras Al Khair refining and chemical plant
The oil giant is gearing its downstream operations towards Asia
Private equity
The self-sale era
One in five PE exits in 2025 used continuation vehicles, with advisers estimating USD 100-107…
Millennials set to pour more money into private markets, and MidEast will be leading the charge
Younger investors are driving a new wave of private capital growth, with the Middle East…
Some 80% of private equity firms to turn into zombie firms in the next 10 years as fresh capital dries up
It’s not just a nightmare on Wall Street, but a global issue
More institutional players pile into GCC real estate
Bahrain’s Arcapita launched a GCC industrial assets platform, while Kuwait’s Arzan Investment Management secured funding…
Real Estate
Saudi housing reform sets to unlock global capital, Bloomberg says
The Kingdom’s housing push is getting fresh ink from Bloomberg, which ran a deep dive…
The Big Reform
The flurry of intervention measures came to restore the balance between supply and demand
AlUla lands are open for business
Property owners can now buy and sell land, apply for building permits, and issue deeds…
Alramz to set up real estate fund with SNB + Mawani backs Jubail Commercial Port upgrade
The fund will lead a SAR 2.5 bn residential project in Riyadh
SMEs
REGA paved the way for a tokenized real estate market — Now it’s the taxman’s turn
Zatca will need to issue clear rulings on how these novel types of digital assets…
Foreign ownership law to be implemented next month -Housing Minister
PLUS: January crude prices cut to five-year low
Cityscape Global wraps up with SAR 237 bn in real estate transactions
Al Rajhi Capital, Sab Invest and Riyad Capital went big on funds
A flurry of real estate agreements at Cityscape’s third day
Dallah Healthcare launched a SAR 1.2 bn real estate fund to develop a mixed-use project…
Sports
Al Hilal rises to the top of SPL leaderboard + Al Qadsiah beats Al Riyadh
PLUS- KDL Logistics hits the Nomu tomorrow
Al Hilal rises to the top of SPL leaderboard + Al Qadsiah beats Al Riyadh
PLUS- KDL Logistics hits the Nomu tomorrow
Al Hilal rises to the top of SPL leaderboard + Al Qadsiah beats Al Riyadh
PLUS- KDL Logistics hits the Nomu tomorrow
PIF ups LIV capital to USD 5 bn as operating losses mount
The most recent pump puts the total 2025 increase at USD 1.1 bn
Tech
How off-balance-sheet financing is masking the true cost of the AI boom
Big Tech has pushed over USD 120 bn of AI data-center debt off its balance…
Investors rotate into Chinese AI as bubble fears mount on Wall Street
Investors are rotating toward China, where cheaper valuations and power advantages offer a hedge against…
Al Moammar snags Humain data center contract, STC brings UAE media arm home
The awarded contract is valued at about SAR 1.9 bn
Dubai-based Khazna Data Centers lands in KSA
The firm has uptaken a 225k sqm in Dammam to develop up to 200 mw…
Telecoms
Cybersecurity startup Cognna closes series A funding
The funds will be utilized to accelerate Cognna’s global expansion
Humain secures approval for Nvidia’s high-end AI chips
PLUS: Paramount’s Ellison reportedly sought Saudi backing for Warner Bros. bid
Humain steals the show at FII9 with USD 3 bn center push, Aramco backing and product launches
Humain could go public via a dual listing on Tadawul and Nasdaq
PIF pours more into Magic Leap
The funds will drive the rollout of Magic’s industry-specific XR tools and commercial deployments
Trade + Logistics
Services exports outpace imports growth
Travel services took the lion’s share of exports with a total value of SAR 33.8…
Services exports outpace imports growth
Travel services took the lion’s share of exports with a total value of SAR 33.8…
Global growth to hold steady in 2026, but risks are rising -Oxford Economics
Global growth is expected to hold steady next year, but diverging trends in trade, technology,…
Non-oil exports slightly inch down in 3Q + Trade surplus in September reaches 17-month high
Oil exports inched up 5.5% y-o-y during the quarter
Transport
TGA freezes land transport fines + Sama digitalizes check clearing
ALSO- TGA freezes fines to help businesses adjust
A Riyadh-Doha high-speed rail will cut travel time to two hours
The agreement was signed during the visit of Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al…
FII9 kicks off with AI poised to take center stage
Barclays gets CMA license to operate in the Kingdom, State Street launches its Riyadh RHQ
SAR powers ahead with new projects and partnerships unveiled at the Saudi Rail Conference
Riyad Capital will establish a SAR 6 bn fund for a mixed-use project in Makkah