Saudi Arabia

May 13, 2013

French Social Affairs and Health Minister Marisol Touraine visits the French Health Protection Agency (Institut de veille sanitaire, InVS) on May 12, 2013, in Saint-Maurice, outside Paris, after a man contracted a deadly new SARS-like virus after having come into contact with another man confirmed to have been infected. (Bertrand Langlois/AFP)
09:29 GMT

Respiratory virus has killed 15 people of the 24 that have contracted it in Saudi Arabia since it was identified in September 2012

May 12, 2013

The GCC projects industry is expected to have another stellar year in 2013
12:49 GMT

The GCC projects industry is expected to have another stellar year in 2013 as the value of contracts to be awarded is expected to reach $1.35 trillion by year-end, significantly higher than the $ 730 billion total last year.

Commerce and Industry Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah speaks at the Forum for Indigenization of Electrical Equipment Industry in Riyadh.
10:54 GMT

Commerce and Industry Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah has commended the keenness of Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) to encourage national industries through the purchase of electrical products in the Kingdom.

Asha 501
06:06 GMT

Nokia is preparing to launch Asha 501 across the Saudi market in July. A senior Nokia executive made this announcement as the company unveiled a new family of Asha smart phones in New Delhi.

May 9, 2013

Abdullah Al-Suweilmy with Richard Banks, director, emerging markets of Euromoney, in Riyadh. (AN photo by Ahmed Fathy)
05:30 GMT

The Saudi stock market could possibly take the lead in any moves for integration of regional exchanges, say industry analysts.

May 8, 2013

Direct foreign ownership in Saudi equities would be the next evolutionary step
14:43 GMT

The Capital Market Authority is finalizing a regulatory framework which will allow foreigners to directly own stocks in Saudi Arabia, though the market has no need for liquidity from international investors, says its Chairman Mohammed bin Abdulmalik Al-Sheikh.

Construction workers in Saudi Arabia
11:38 GMT

Water provision and road development projects worth SR 1 billion are progressing well in the governorates of Al-Kamil and Khulais, according to Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal.

Rationalization of subsidies, particularly on fuels for non-targeted participants is needed to improve Saudi productivity
11:10 GMT

Saudi Arabia should cut energy subsidies that are burdening public finances, the economy minister and the head of the state-run utility said, a move that would also tackle the issue of erosion of crude exports.

Technical and financial offers for the bus network project this month had been received from six coalitions already qualified to compete for the implementation of the project
07:07 GMT

The High Commission for Riyadh Development (HCRD) has offered investment opportunities in various real estate projects being implemented here.

Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf addresses the 8th Euromoney Conference in Riyadh on Tuesday. (AN photo by Ahmed Fathy)
06:19 GMT

Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf has said the Kingdom achieved a growth rate of seven percent due to its sound economic policy and planning carried out with the private sector participation.

Nasair has recorded a 20 per cent increase in passenger numbers since the beginning of the year
05:30 GMT

Nasair, a low-cost carrier based in Saudi Arabia, is set to go public as the airline prepares for an initial public offering (IPO), a top official said.

May 7, 2013

Qatar Airways' inaugural passenger flight to Chicago is welcomed by a traditional water salute at Chicago O'Hare Airport on April 10, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois.
06:13 GMT

Qatar Airways is preparing to open business in Saudi Arabia as one of two operators that won in December licenses to serve the Kingdom’s domestic market.

May 6, 2013

Emile Habib of Gulf Related with Yasir Abu Sulayman of NCB and senior executives.
11:55 GMT

Gulf Capital announced yesterday that it had signed a SR 450 million ground-breaking financing facility deal with National Commercial Bank (NCB). The ten-year facility will help finance Gulf Related’s first real estate development in the Kingdom.

The ministry is expecting a big increase in tourism with major drivers
10:49 GMT

The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) is going all out to woo tourists from the region, especially Saudi Arabia.

May 5, 2013

Saudi Arabia’s tiny step towards gender equality
20:45 GMT

The Saudi education ministry’s decision to allow girls in private schools to play sports should certainly be hailed as a positive move. But it is yet another reminder of the deep gender disparity that exists in the country.