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Not one to waste a crisis
Plus: Japanese embassy in Saudi Arabia postpones Japan Festival
Wednesday, 4 November 2026
Wage gain
Saudi Arabia will require private employers to pay local workers at least SAR 5k monthly starting April 2027, rising to SAR 6k in 2028, to count toward Saudization quotas. The phased wage floor is designed to meet Nitaqat compliance rules and boost earnings for Saudi nationals across the private sector.
Today at a glance
News
IPO WATCH
CMA wants banks to guarantee IPOs and investors to fund their bids
The rules aim to close the gap between headline oversubscription…
THIS MORNING: Almatar eyes Tadawul IPO in 2027
Plus: Ceer’s first EVs will be unveiled next week
Gigaprojects
Saudi Arabia’s projects market is on course to roughly match last year’s even as most of the industry says conditions have gotten worse
Where awards have fallen, the cause is largely deliberate: Utilities…
Neom quietly moves on from The Line’s original vision
References to housing 9 mn people and operating without roads or cars no longer appear in the description
Newsmakers
Globant’s MENA CEO on SPL, FIFA’s digital transformation
“Globant has successfully delivered Qiddiya's main digital assets for Seven, Aquarabia, and Six Flags”
My morning routine
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…
Regulation
Legislation Watch
New Statistics Law centralizes authority, strengthens data confidentiality
The legislation introduces fines up to SAR 500k for data…
Regulation Watch
Saudization minimum wage to climb 50% over 18 months in a bid to revive stalled hiring in lower-skilled jobs
When the floor last moved in 2021, roughly 40% of…
Cabinet Watch
Cabinet ties land-transfer registration to settling White Land fees
PLUS: Aramco offers more crude for loading outside the Strait…
Royal Court
New governors, deputy ministers appointed in latest royal decrees
Jazan gets a new governor — Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz…
Startup Watch
Saudi student turns USD 133 wedding gig into USD 300k startup
Its pitch to companies is a guest database that remembers who came, what they ate and what they care about
King Abdulaziz Int’l Airport Terminal Four is now operational
Plus: WSM is going public with its sukuk program
Saudi Exchange clears Albilad Capital as market maker for three ETFs
Plus: 2P renews, tops up shariah-compliant facility with BSF
Lifestyle
PIF’s Seven is courting new IP partners as its Saudi rollout grows
The PIF-owned operator is sizing each destination to local returns, with Tabuk getting less than a third of what Riyadh will, as it prepares to open at least two more this year
Your guide to Saudi’s coolest winter wonders
Light shows, heritage nights, mega concerts, and world-class sports are set to define Saudi’s…
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
