Madinah led Saudi real estate in H1 2025 with values up 49 per cent to $906m, as nationwide housing deals hit $33bn
Saudi Arabia
Latest in Saudi Arabia
Aviation
Flynas expands Saudi–Kuwait flights to 10 weekly
Flynas resumes direct Jeddah–Kuwait flights from November 1, expanding to 10 weekly services
Snap Inc
Snapchat study: Saudis rely on social media to shop
From food orders to travel decisions, Saudis are turning to social media to make shopping decisions
Riyadh
Riyadh Metro carries 100m passengers in just nine months
Riyadh Metro hits 100m passengers in under nine months, with record ridership on the Blue Line and 99.78 per cent on-time performance
Artificial intelligence
Saudi’s HUMAIN launches Arabic-first AI model fluent in Islamic values and heritage
Powered by ALLAM 34B, HUMAIN Chat is a major step in sovereign AI designed for cultural depth, linguistic equity, and global competitiveness
Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development
Saudi expat jobs: 460,000 workers accredited in H1 2025 amid major recruitment push
Saudi Arabia accredits 460,000 workers in H1 2025 through its Professional Accreditation Program, covering 160 countries and 1,000 professions
private schools
Cognita expands into Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar with 5 new school partnerships
Cognita Middle East expands into Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar with five school partnerships, growing its regional network to 14 schools and 22,000 students
GaStat
Saudi non-oil exports jump 22% in June 2025 as re-exports surge 60%
Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports rose 22% in June 2025 and 18% in Q2, driven by strong re-exports, even as petroleum exports declined, GASTAT data shows
Golfing
PIF-backed LIV Golf forges new partnership with ticketing giant Fever
The New York-based company will power LIV’s global ticketing operations and enhance fan engagement across the League’s international schedule
eSports
Esports World Cup Foundation launches first-ever Esports Nations Cup
More than 100 nations are expected to compete, with 1,500 players qualifying for the finals across 15 leading esports titles
construction cost inflation
Saudi construction costs increase in July 2025
The cost of construction in Saudi Arabia saw year-on-year increases as residential prices rise
border regulations
Saudi Arabia arrested over 22,200 last week in residency and labour operations
Saudi Arabia announces more than 22,200 arrests in a single week as it clamps down on residency, labour and security breaches
Saudi schools
Saudi Arabia launches new school year with $986m projects and modern curriculum including AI, cybersecurity and tourism
Saudi Arabia begins new school year with SR3.7bn projects and updated curricula featuring AI, cybersecurity, tourism and more under Vision 2030
Dubai police
Dubai real estate boom, UAE education reform; Saudi property rules; Kuwait megaprojects – 10 things you missed this week
Dubai real estate hits $17.3bn, UAE unveils AI school reforms, Saudi opens property to foreigners, Kuwait plans $32bn projects, and more GCC news
SAMA
Saudi Arabia launches first mortgage-backed securities as SAMA boosts housing finance market
Saudi Central Bank approves Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company to launch the Kingdom’s first mortgage-backed securities
Saudi travellers
Saudi travellers 2025: Europe tops Wego searches as domestic bookings reach 35 per cent
Wego reports Saudi summer 2025 travel split between Europe and staycations
Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development
Saudi Arabia doubles SMEs to 1.2m as freelancers top 400k under Vision 2030
Saudi Arabia has doubled SMEs to 1.2m since 2016, with 400k freelancers and new youth initiatives driving Vision 2030 entrepreneurship and growth