The talks with SACE follow Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s visit to Saudi Arabia, where agreements worth $10 billion were signed
Saudi Arabia
Remittance
Saudi Arabia’s expat remittances hit $38.4bn in 2024, highest since 2022
The increase was reportedly mainly due to the growth in employment rates and the improvement of wages in some sectors
consumer spending
MENA e-commerce sees surge in online orders in 2024; led by Saudi Arabia and UAE
The strong performance of Saudi Arabia and the UAE is driven by active consumer spending and e-commerce growth
Consumer Behavior
Saudi Arabia’s consumer spending resilience continues into 2025: Report
Saudi households are navigating rising costs with a strategic approach, often adopting more value-oriented choices to balance their spending priorities
IPO in Saudi Arabia
Saudi’s Derayah Financial secures Olayan Saudi as cornerstone investor for Tadawul IPO
Olayan Saudi is an investment arm of the kingdom’s Olayan Financing Company
IPO
What companies will IPO next? Up to 25 tech firms prepare for 2025 listing, report finds
A flurry of fintech, retail, and super-app firms are likely to hit the IPO market this year
Connectivity
Riyadh Air becomes the official partner of LIV Golf League
Saudi Arabia’s new national airline signs a multi-year deal with the global league that guarantees prominent branding opportunities
energy transition
ACWA Power, SEFE join forces to supply 200,000 tonnes of green hydrogen yearly to Europe
The move also marks a pivotal step in strengthening energy cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Germany
M&A activity
Gulf sovereign wealth funds drive $36bn+ mega-deal boom as UAE, Saudi buck global M&A slowdown
Saudi Arabia’s PIF and UAE sovereign funds, including Mubadala and ADIA, have been central to this growth
Makkah
Saudi-PIF backed Umm Al Qura moves ahead with IPO to support $26bn Masar project in Makkah
The company said it plans to offer 130.8 million new shares, representing 9.09 percent of its post-increase capital
Ramadan
Ramadan 2025: E-commerce, social media drive shopping trends in UAE, Saudi Arabia
The report highlights that groceries and daily essentials remain the top spending category for UAE, Saudi consumer
Abu Dhabi
Side hustles in Dubai; UAE petrol prices; Saudi job localisation; Habtoor cancels Lebanon investments – 10 things you missed this week
UAE petrol prices, Dubai real estate analysis, Saudi job updates, how to get a side hustle and more top stories this week
crowdfunding
J.P. Morgan backs Saudi’s Lendo with $690mn to boost SME financing
The facility is expected to contribute to an increase in job creation in Saudi Arabia
poultry
Saudi poultry leader Entaj announces plans to list on Main Market of Saudi Exchange
The company intends to offer 9 million shares for sale, accounting for 30 per cent of its issued share capital
