Abu Dhabi group buys 100% stake in Makkah’s Specialist Physiotherapy Center, adding to its PhysioTherabia network
Saudi Arabia
Red Sea
Saudi Red Sea Authority issues 12 licences to boost marine tourism
Saudi Red Sea Authority boosts coastal tourism with licences for cruise ship operators and marina construction
GaStat
Saudi non-profit sector rises to $14.5bn
Saudi non-profit sector witnessed growth of 33 per cent last year
domestic labour
Saudi Arabia announces major labour rule change
Saudi Arabia is safeguarding the rights of more than 3.7m domestic workers with insurance rules
saudi tax
Saudi Arabia extends tax fine exemption for 6 months
Saudi tax authority extends exemption on fines until June 30, 2025
Lulu Group International
Lulu Retail reaches 250 stores in GCC with two launches in Saudi
The new Express stores are located in Jabal Omar, Makkah and Sahara Mall, Riyadh; Lulu’s total store count in Saudi reaches 59
Saudi Hospitality
Saudi issues hospitality licence warning with fines of $267,000 for rulebreakers
Saudi Arabia underlines of importance of hospitality licences for tourism venues
Saudi Arabia looks to influencers to boost tourism sector
Saudi Arabia will partner with international social media influencers to highlight the Kingdom’s tourism sector
border regulations
Saudi Arabia arrested over 23,100 last week in residency and labour operations
Saudi Arabia announces more than 23,100 arrests in a single week as it clamps down on residency, labour and security breaches
freelance
Saudi Arabia sees freelance sector boom as over 2.25m workers look to top $19.3bn GDP pot
Freelancing is experiencing a significant boom in Saudi Arabia as Kingdom embraces flexible working
saudi tax
Saudi tax authority issues e-invoicing update
Saudi Arabia’s Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority targets 19th wave of taxpayer for e-invoicing regulations
Makkah
Saudi real estate developer ROSHN breaks ground on 33,000-home ALMANAR community in Makkah
ROSHN holds ground-breaking ceremony at ALMANAR residential community in Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Real Estate
Saudi Arabia real estate: Office and residential sectors maintain positive momentum in the Kingdom
CBRE Middle East report on third quarter 2024 says occupancy rates in Riyadh are running close to 100%
Aviation
Flyadeal announces Karachi flights as it expands to South Asia
Flights from Riyadh and Jeddah commence on 2 February; CEO Greenway promises ‘an exciting year of expansion as more aircraft join the fleet’
MDLBEAST
Music beyond borders: How Saud AlTurki is driving cultural exchange
Saud AlTurki is the visionary behind Brij Entertainment who’s connecting Saudi and Western music, while mentoring young talent, driving cultural exchange, and ensuring artists thrive both creatively and financially
insurance
Orient Insurance announces official launch in Saudi Arabia
The inauguration of Orient Insurance’s offices in Al Ghadir, Riyadh, marks the company’s expansion into the Saudi market
Air France
Air France-KLM to launch new flights from Middle East, India in aggressive expansion bid
The India and Middle East region is of strategic importance to the Air France-KLM Group, Gumuseli said