Stories from Saudi Arabia

Singaporean Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan met with Saudi Prince Faisal Fahad Al-Saud in Jeddah. The meeting highlighted Saudi Arabia's role in facilitating repatriation flights in March.

Saudi Arabia's tourism sector is growing at a rate of 7.1%, significantly exceeding the global growth rate of 4.1%. Business tourism accounts for 55% of the kingdom's tourism sector.

The 2026 Asia U17 Cup commenced on May 5 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. China is set to face Indonesia in its opening group stage match of the tournament. The Chinese team is scheduled to play its first group stage match against Indonesia. Jeddah is set to host the AFC U-17 Asian Cup tournament.

The Governor of Jeddah oversaw the conclusion of a cybersecurity exercise for the 1447 Hajj season.

The Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority (Monsha'at) launched Finance Week in collaboration with the SME Bank. The event runs from May 3 to May 7, 2026. Activities are held at enterprise support centers in Riyadh, Jeddah, Khobar, and Medina.

The final offering price for the IPO has been set at 9.70 riyals per share. The offering saw a coverage rate of 66 times the total shares. The individual subscription period is scheduled to begin on Sunday, May 10, and will last for five days.

Dar Al Majd Real Estate reported a decline in profits during the first quarter of this year. Profits reached 38,662,000 riyals, according to the report. This follows a decrease in sales volume for Al Moammar Information Systems. The company stated the decline resulted from increased spending on expansion rather than weak demand. Sales and distribution specifications rose by approximately 6.19% during the period. Strategic investments included opening new branches and launching a digital platform. The company is also updating operating systems and investing in distribution and logistics networks. Al Madina Cement reported profits of 30,178,000 Saudi riyals for the first quarter of the current year. This figure represents a decline in earnings for the company.

Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) launched the first Hajj pilgrim service via the Haramain High-Speed Railway on Tuesday. The service operates from King Abdulaziz International Airport station to the Makkah station. SAR announced it has increased the operational capacity of the Haramain High-Speed Railway to accommodate the service. The expansion aims to serve the growing number of pilgrims traveling to Makkah. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has launched the first trips for Hajj pilgrims to the holy site.

Al-Ittihad finished the league in sixth place, a position considered appropriate given their performance this year. The team faced internal disagreements with the coach and players, and lacked clarity in their technical strategy on the field.

Fahad Al-Mufrej has requested a two-week period to decide whether to join the Saudi national team management. The decision depends on resolving his current commitments with Al-Hilal club before the World Cup.