Official Statements
On the Record
Saudi government ministers, the royal court, and government entities in their own words.
MJ
Mohammed Al-Jadaan
Minister of Finance · IMFC Chair
17 Oct 2026 · Bangkok
"The message from the IMFC members is clear. There is no room for complacency."
Closing the International Monetary and Financial Committee at the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok. Members extended Al-Jadaan’s chairmanship by one year beyond its scheduled January 2027 end, agreed that governance reform discussions will be guided by the Diriyah Guiding Principles, and heard his argument that investment by countries like Saudi Arabia had softened the global energy shock, a point the IMF’s managing director echoed at the same briefing.
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Omar Al-Hassan
CEO · ACWA Saudi
15 Oct 2026 · Riyadh
"Gas and oil will always remain there and will have to be there. But the energy mix is what matters."
Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the 25th WPC Energy Congress in Riyadh. Al-Hassan put ACWA’s Saudi renewables portfolio at 30 gigawatts, 7.5 of them operating and 22.5 under construction and due online through 2027 and 2028, reported the NEOM green hydrogen plant 96 to 97 percent complete with first ammonia shipments expected in 2027, and said three newly awarded battery storage projects will strengthen the grid and give the system operator flexibility.
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Najla Abdulrahman Al-Huqail
Legal Consultant · Legislation-Impact Study Lead
14 Oct 2026 · Riyadh
"Today, when evaluating legislation or a public policy, we need to study it from different dimensions, not just one."
Presenting a study on the impact of legislation and public policies at the 12th Riyadh Economic Forum, built on 312 public questionnaires, 76 expert responses and six in-depth interviews. The study found the gaps in the Kingdom’s assessment system to be technical rather than political, and recommended a hybrid national model: a central authority setting standards, with specialized units inside ministries and agencies doing the sector work, applied before and after a rule takes effect.
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Mazin Al-Bahkali
CEO · Saudi Power Procurement Co.
13 Oct 2026 · Riyadh
"About 50 percent of the grid is being scaled up today."
Telling a WPC Energy Congress session on energy and artificial intelligence that demand from industry, data centers and AI is arriving in blocks, that the government is drafting an energy mix to keep supply dependable and competitively priced, and that the Principal Buyer is tasked with delivering that power by 2030, forecasting consumption and bringing Saudi and foreign investors into new generation capacity.
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Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman
Minister of Energy
12 Oct 2026 · Riyadh
"Riyadh is the capital of energy security, and your presence here today proves that."
Opening the 25th WPC Energy Congress at the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Conference Center, the first time the Kingdom has hosted the event in its nearly 90-year history. More than 25,000 participants are expected through Thursday, among them about 100 ministers and 500 chief executives, during a Riyadh Energy Week that also includes the International Energy Forum ministerial and the Clean Energy Ministerial. The minister told delegates the Kingdom intends to remain the anchor of world energy security and that its policy runs on a long horizon rather than short-term pressures.
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Amin Nasser
President and CEO · Saudi Aramco
12 Oct 2026 · Riyadh
"In a crisis, localization is an economic multiplier."
Telling the WPC Energy Congress that more than 90 percent of the materials used to restore operations over the past eight months were sourced inside the Kingdom, turning repairs that could take weeks into work of hours and days. Aramco is targeting an increase of about 80 percent in sales gas production capacity by 2030 from 2021 levels, and is studying additional crude export routes and expanded storage abroad with the Ministry of Energy.
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Mohammed Al-Jadaan
Minister of Finance
30 Sep 2026 · Riyadh
"The Saudi government continues to monitor economic and geopolitical developments and assess their potential repercussions on the global economy, supply chains, and energy markets."
Publishing the Ministry of Finance’s preliminary statement for the 2027 budget, which plans SR1.392 trillion of spending against SR1.202 trillion of revenues, a deficit near 3.6 percent of GDP, and projects real GDP growth of 12.8 percent in 2027 after an estimated 3.6 percent contraction in 2026. The statement counts non-oil revenues of SR505 billion in 2025, up from SR166 billion in 2015, with non-oil activities at a record 57.3 percent of real GDP in the first half, and promises the full 2027 borrowing plan by year-end.
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Prince Faisal bin Farhan
Minister of Foreign Affairs
21 Sep 2026 · New York
"...using AI responsibly to enhance the efficiency of sectors and support innovation."
Affirming the Kingdom’s approach to artificial intelligence during the UN General Assembly’s high-level week in New York, where Saudi Arabia presented 2026 as its Year of Artificial Intelligence and set out its framework of ethical governance, infrastructure and talent development. The Kingdom ranks 13th of 70 economies in the 2026 IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook and third among G20 members, and SDAIA’s programs have trained more than 1.2 million Saudis in AI skills.
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Salman bin Abdulaziz
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques · King
22 Sep 2026 · Jeddah
"...the great blessings bestowed upon this country, and for the honor of serving the Grand Mosque..."
Giving thanks at the Cabinet session he chaired in Jeddah on the eve of the Kingdom’s 96th National Day, and wishing the nation further achievements and successes in its journey of growth and progress. The session reviewed the results of the Crown Prince’s working visit to Cairo, noted the launch of Ceer’s first vehicles as part of building an advanced industrial ecosystem, and took note of the Riyadh Medical Biotechnology Summit, which produced more than 40 agreements.
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Mohammed bin Salman
Crown Prince · Prime Minister
21 Sep 2026
"The launch of Ceer's first vehicles represents another step the Kingdom is taking in its journey to build a sustainable and prosperous industrial ecosystem..."
On the world premiere of the Exobot sedan and SUV, the first vehicles from Ceer, the marque the Public Investment Fund founded in 2022, produced at the Ceer Manufacturing Complex in the King Salman Automotive Cluster at King Abdullah Economic City. The company plans seven models over the next five years, extending into midsize and compact segments, and projects more than SR30 billion of GDP contribution, a trade-balance improvement of roughly SR80 billion and 45 percent local content by 2034.
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Dr. Mohammed Qurban
Chief Executive · National Center for Wildlife
18 Sep 2026 · Riyadh
"This birth is an important indication of the success of efforts to reintroduce the striped hyena."
On the first striped hyena cub documented in the Neom Nature Reserve, born within a year of the National Center for Wildlife releasing two breeding pairs there in November 2025. The animals are monitored with satellite tracking collars, field cameras and on-site observation, with a supervised feeding program easing the transition to natural foraging; hunting the species carries fines of up to SR80,000.
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Majid Al-Qasabi
Minister of Commerce · Chairman, Monsha'at
15 Sep 2026 · Riyadh
"The strategy reflects the attention and support the government gives to entrepreneurship and small and medium-sized enterprises."
On Cabinet approval of the National Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium Enterprises Strategy, set out by Monsha'at as 13 initiatives. The strategy targets a 35 percent SME share of GDP, more than 500,000 direct and indirect jobs, and first place in the entrepreneurial skills and knowledge index by 2030.
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Ayman Al-Sayari
Governor · Saudi Central Bank
16 Sep 2026 · Riyadh
"The fintech sector witnessed exceptional growth, achieving development and expansion in innovative activities and solutions."
Speaking at Money20/20 Middle East in Riyadh, where he and Qatar Central Bank Governor Sheikh Bandar bin Mohammed bin Saoud Al-Thani announced reciprocal acceptance of the mada and Himyan national payment cards and processed the first Himyan transaction over the mada network on stage. The governor put the Kingdom’s licensed fintech count at 371 in August, up from 301 in May, against a 2030 target of 525.
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Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman
Minister of Energy · Jabal Sayid announcement
14 Sep 2026 · Vienna
"Diversifying these energy resources has become essential to supporting economic growth and supply security."
Announcing estimated resources of around 110 million tonnes of ore with high concentrations of rare earth minerals, especially the heavy elements, alongside promising concentrations of uranium at the Jabal Sayid project in Madinah. Addressing the 70th session of the IAEA General Conference, the minister said the Kingdom does not pursue nuclear development in isolation from the international community, nor through activities conducted in secrecy.
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James DeLuca
Chief Executive Officer, CEER · First-vehicles reveal
12 Sep 2026 · Riyadh
"At the beginning of this year, we said that 2026 is the year of CEER. I am happy to announce that we’ve set the date for the reveal of our first flagship vehicles."
Setting September 21 as the world premiere date for CEER’s first flagship electric sedan and SUV, the first products of the venture the Public Investment Fund founded with Foxconn in 2022. The company has grown from 20 employees to about 2,300, and targets 45 percent local content by 2034, with some 30,000 direct and indirect jobs projected across the venture and Saudis in 80 percent of direct roles.
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Fahad Al-Battar
Chief Executive Officer, SABIC Agri-Nutrients · Seventh-complex award
10 Sep 2026 · Jubail
"Through this expansion project, we aim to secure reliable and sustainable supplies for our customers."
Speaking as SABIC Agri-Nutrients awarded a $3.47 billion engineering, procurement and construction contract to Samsung E&A for its seventh production complex: a 1.2 million tonne ammonia plant, two urea lines totaling 2.6 million tonnes a year and a carbon capture unit, with technology from Kellogg Brown and Root, Stamicarbon, thyssenkrupp Uhde and Shell. The project lifts the company’s urea capacity 54 percent, from 4.8 million to 7.4 million tonnes, with site work from the fourth quarter of 2026 and commercial production due in late 2030.
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John Pagano
Group Chief Executive Officer, Red Sea Global · Nammos Resort AMAALA opening
7 Sep 2026 · AMAALA
"Nammos Resort AMAALA strengthens the diversity of experiences available across the destination, bringing the unmistakable energy and spirit of Mykonos to the Saudi Red Sea coast."
Speaking as Red Sea Global opened the 110-key Nammos Resort AMAALA at Triple Bay on Monday, the sixth resort at the destination and the first resort hotel operated by the Mykonos beach-club brand anywhere. The Foster + Partners property adds 20 branded residences and a private-island beach club reached by boardwalk or jetty; the developer counts three more resorts close to opening against a masterplan of nine resorts and more than 1,600 rooms.
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Saad Al-Kroud
Head of Local Real Estate Investments, Public Investment Fund · Gulf Coast Development Co. launch
7 Sep 2026 · Riyadh
"Gulf Coast Development Co. will capitalize on Al-Khafji’s cultural and logistical advantages."
Announcing the Public Investment Fund company created to develop 20 square kilometers of Al-Khafji waterfront into an integrated coastal destination: more than 16,000 housing units in eight neighborhoods, some 1,400 hotel rooms, marinas and commercial districts across three phases, with the first neighborhoods due by 2030. The project sits inside the fund’s urban development portfolio and is the first of its coastal destination companies addressed to the Gulf shore.
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John Pagano
Group Chief Executive Officer, Red Sea Global · Equinox Resort AMAALA opening
4 Sep 2026 · AMAALA
"The opening of Equinox Resort AMAALA introduces a distinctive new dimension to the destination’s wellness offering."
Speaking as Red Sea Global opened the 128-room Equinox Resort AMAALA at Marina Village in Triple Bay, the destination’s second hotel opening in as many months after Rosewood AMAALA in August. The property is the Equinox brand’s second hotel worldwide and its first outside the United States; AMAALA’s masterplan reaches nine resorts and more than 1,600 rooms.
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Salman Faqeeh
Vice President and General Manager, Saudi Arabia, Lenovo · Riyadh factory announcement
2 Sep 2026 · Riyadh
"Our Riyadh facility is Lenovo’s first worldwide to produce all four product categories and is also the company’s largest factory outside China."
Speaking as Lenovo unveiled the first laptop assembled in the Kingdom at LEAP 2026 and set commercial production at its roughly 200,000 square meter plant in the Special Integrated Logistics Zone near King Khalid International Airport for late this year. The factory, built in partnership with the Public Investment Fund’s Alat, will make laptops, desktops, servers and Motorola smartphones for the Middle East, Turkey and Africa, and is paired with a planned research and development center focused on AI, smart manufacturing and Arabic-language computing.
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Tareq Amin
Chief Executive Officer, HUMAIN · LEAP 2026 announcements
1 Sep 2026 · Riyadh
"No company delivers something at this scale on its own. What you are seeing is a country rallied around a mission."
Speaking at LEAP 2026 as the Public Investment Fund’s AI company announced that the first tranche of a planned gigawatt of AI infrastructure with AMD and Cisco is in production, a collaboration with Applied Intuition to bring autonomous trucks to Saudi roads, and M3, an Arabic large language model trained on more than a trillion Arabic tokens. HUMAIN’s partnerships also anchored the AWS AI zone planned for the first half of 2027.
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Abdullah Al-Swaha
Minister of Communications and Information Technology
31 Aug 2026 · Riyadh
Saudi Arabia is advancing "with a clear ambition to lead the AI era, supported by a growing digital economy, advanced infrastructure, national talent, and an investment ecosystem capable of transforming innovations into Saudi products and companies that compete in global markets."
At the government press conference opening LEAP 2026, the technology conference whose fifth edition runs in Riyadh through September 3, the minister said the Kingdom’s telecommunications access gap has narrowed from 50 percent to 1 percent and the service quality gap from 15 percent to 5 percent, and that more than 3,000 locally manufactured servers have been exported to neighbouring countries.Related coverage
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Deemah Al-Yahya
Secretary-General · Digital Cooperation Organization
29 Aug 2026 · Riyadh
Countries are joining for a practical reason: "The rules of the digital economy on data, artificial intelligence and cross-border trade are being written now."
The council of the Digital Cooperation Organization, the multilateral body headquartered in Riyadh, approved Albania, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Zambia for full membership and admitted Tajikistan as an associate member. Once each signs the charter and completes domestic ratification, the organization will span 24 member states and roughly 980 million people, about 12 percent of the world’s population, extending its reach into Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Western Balkans for the first time.Related coverage
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Ajab Alotaibi
Director General, Antiquities Sector · Heritage Commission
28 Aug 2026 · Najran
The Najran finds provide "critical scientific insights into the chronology of early human presence in the Arabian Peninsula."
The Heritage Commission announced that 34 Oldowan stone tools recovered at the Shoaib Dahdah site in Najran have been dated to between 1.2 and 1.8 million years ago, among the earliest traces of human presence on the Arabian Peninsula. The site, on elevated gravel terraces overlooking Wadi Najran on the eastern slopes of the Sarawat range, was first recorded in a 1980 survey. The tools, worked from local quartzite in the Oldowan tradition, include pebble cutters, polyhedrals, scrapers, blades and hammers.Related coverage
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Ibrahim Al-Sultan
Minister of State · CEO, Royal Commission for Riyadh City
27 Aug 2026 · Riyadh
The Digital Innovation District will reinforce Riyadh’s standing as "a global destination for technology talent."
The Royal Commission for Riyadh City’s board approved the launch of a Digital Innovation District organized around six fields: artificial intelligence and big data, cybersecurity, computing and cloud services, the internet of things, blockchain, and robotics and unmanned aerial systems. According to the commission, those sectors account for the majority of global investment in technology innovation companies. The stated aim is to position Riyadh among the world’s top ten technology hubs by attracting international professionals and pairing them with entrepreneurship.Related coverage
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Saleh Al-Jasser
Minister of Transport and Logistic Services
27 Aug 2026 · Damascus
The Kingdom is "keen to strengthen cooperation and partnership with Syria and develop bilateral relations at the highest possible pace."
Al-Jasser and Syrian Transport Minister Yarub Badr signed two memorandums of understanding in Damascus covering land transport, railways and logistics. The documents commit the two governments to capacity building, exchange of expertise and studies for rehabilitating Syria’s road and railway networks; about half of the country’s 2,552-kilometer rail system is out of service. Riyadh has already eased visa procedures for truck drivers moving goods between the two countries, and a day earlier Damascus and Beirut agreed a joint plan on road and rail links.Related coverage
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Najla Al-Ajmi
Senior Executive Director, Esports and Gaming Financing Program · National Development Fund
25 Aug 2026 · Riyadh
The program’s latest report reflects "the progress achieved in building a specialized financing system for the sector."
The National Development Fund disclosed that its Esports and Gaming Financing Program has approved SR421 million ($112 million) to date, reaching 82 entities and supporting the development of more than 127 games. The domestic gaming market was valued at $2.19 billion in 2024, with projections cited alongside the report reaching $4.73 billion by 2033, and the program extends the fund’s earlier venture agreements with the Social Development Bank for the sector. The disclosure arrived days after the Esports World Cup closed its Paris season, with the 2027 edition returning to Riyadh.Related coverage
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Majid Al-Qasabi
Minister of Commerce · Chairman, Ehsan Charitable Foundation board of trustees
20 Aug 2026 · Riyadh
The transformation gives Ehsan "greater powers and flexibility" to keep pace with changes in the nonprofit sector.
Two royal orders converted the Ehsan charitable platform into an independent nonprofit foundation, governed by a nine-member board of trustees serving renewable three-year terms. The commerce minister chairs the board, with Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmed Al-Rajhi as vice chair, and members drawn from government, the private sector and the royal family. Since its establishment in 2021, Ehsan has processed more than 440 million donations totaling about SR17 billion ($4.53 billion) across social, religious, educational, food, housing and healthcare programs. Al-Qasabi framed the new status as enabling the foundation to respond to changes in the sector and advance Vision 2030 objectives.
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Badr Al-Badr
Chief Executive Officer, Misk Foundation · Global Youth Network announcement
18 Aug 2026 · Geneva
The network will "bring youth and decision-makers together to help shape international policies."
At the 31st Youth Assembly in Geneva, held under the theme "Rise. Reimagine. Rebuild: A World for All," the Misk Foundation and the UN Youth Office announced the establishment of a Global Youth Network whose founding members represent more than 20 million young people across more than 80 countries. The network rests on four pillars: strengthening youth capacity in public policy, access to UN platforms, amplifying youth voices, and equipping member organizations with tools and data. Its formal launch is set for the UN General Assembly in New York in September, building on a Misk-UN partnership dating to 2018.
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Yousef Al-Benyan
Minister of Education · New school year announcements
17 Aug 2026 · Riyadh
"I bet on teachers in the Kingdom."
Speaking at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University days before the August 23 start of the school year, the education minister announced flexible working hours that let teachers leave when scheduled duties end, a ban on teaching outside one's specialization, and more than 37,500 promotions for teachers and administrators due in September: over 28,000 for educational staff and 9,500 for administrators. He said promotion opportunities have grown to more than 71,000 over two years, against roughly 7,000 in the five years before, and that more than 240,000 teachers will be trained through the Human Capability Development Program.
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Maram Al-Johani
Chief of Staff and Secretary General to the Board, PIF · 2025 annual report
17 Aug 2026 · Riyadh
"Throughout 2025, PIF continued to drive Saudi Arabia's economic development and diversification through long-term investments and the launch of strategic companies."
The Public Investment Fund's 2025 annual report puts revenue at $120 billion, up 9 percent, with net profit more than doubled to $17 billion and assets under management above $900 billion at year-end, from about $530 billion in 2021. The report records 80 percent of assets held inside the Kingdom, cumulative domestic deployment above $199 billion since 2021, and new offices in Paris, Beijing and Shanghai. Al-Johani says the fund's next strategic phase is an evolution toward six interconnected domestic ecosystems.
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Nasr Alansari
Spokesman, Ministry of Tourism · New Hajj accommodation rules
15 Aug 2026 · Riyadh
The updated regulations "strengthen the regulatory and operational framework and ensure facilities are fully prepared before receiving pilgrims."
The Ministry of Tourism approved updated rules for Hajj-season accommodation in Makkah and Madinah ahead of the 1448 season, sorting facilities into economy and first-class grades, each with defined standards for rooms, common areas, reception, cleanliness, maintenance and guest services. Facilities are inspected before licensing, before opening and through the season; the ministry logged more than 19,000 inspections of pilgrim accommodation last season and has told operators to complete maintenance and apply early.
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Mohammed Al-Ajlan
Chairman, Saudi Contractors Authority · On foreign entrants
11 Aug 2026 · Riyadh
"Saudi Arabia has become a destination for contractors and projects due to its growing international presence."
The Saudi Contractors Authority counts 1,648 foreign contracting firms in the Kingdom's market, on a register of 140,000 companies, and expects more than SR3 trillion of projects to reach the market over the next three years. In televised remarks, Al-Ajlan said foreign firms receive no special treatment, describing them as partners of the roughly 18,000 classified Saudi contractors in knowledge exchange rather than rivals, and named financing and payment cycles as the working problems the authority is taking to government entities and banks.
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Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan
Minister of Culture · UNESCO AI ethics forum, Riyadh
10 Aug 2026 · Riyadh
"The Riyadh forum underscores the Kingdom's firm commitment to promoting the ethical and responsible use of AI in the service of humanity and sustainable development."
Riyadh hosted the fourth UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, organized with the Saudi Data and AI Authority and the UNESCO-sponsored International Center for AI Research and Ethics based in the capital. The minister, who chairs the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, spoke as the Kingdom marks 2026 as its Year of Artificial Intelligence; the SAMAI training initiative has passed one million participants.
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Princess Maha bint Mishari
CEO, FII Institute · Tenth edition under royal patronage
10 Aug 2026 · Riyadh
"For ten years, FII has brought together leaders who recognize the power of investment to advance human progress."
The Future Investment Initiative's tenth edition convenes at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh from 26 to 29 October under the patronage of King Salman, on the theme The Power of Legacy. The program runs on four tracks: capital that builds, technology that elevates, societies that thrive, and leadership that inspires.
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Ibrahim Al-Omar
Director General, Saudia Group · July punctuality ranking
8 Aug 2026 · Jeddah
"We aim to make operational punctuality a consistent standard in our guests' travel experience, not just a temporary achievement."
Cirium ranked Saudia first in the world for on-time performance in July, the carrier's third consecutive month at the top of the global table: 87.24 percent of 16,406 flights arrived on schedule through the summer peak. GACA's June scorecard separately recorded the fewest passenger complaints among Saudi carriers, 39 per 100,000 travelers, with 89 percent resolved on time.
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Faisal Al-Duaij
Deputy Minister of Energy · Damascus solar agreements
7 Aug 2026 · Damascus
The agreements signed with the Syrian Electricity Co. are "valued at nearly one billion dollars."
Under Ministry of Energy supervision, Saudi developer Mohammed Ahmed Al-Harfi Co. signed three power purchase agreements covering 760 megawatts of solar generation and 1,077 megawatt-hours of battery storage at Widyan Al-Rabie in Rif Dimashq, on terms of 20 to 25 years. Technical cooperation agreements bring in the Saudi Electricity Project Development Co. for engineering services and Siemens Energy for substations, generation and storage systems.
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Joint Statement
Saudi Arabia · Türkiye · Pakistan · Makkah Joint Defence Agreement
7 Aug 2026 · Makkah
"Any armed attack against any one of the three States shall be regarded as an attack against them all."
Signed in Makkah by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after a trilateral summit, at the invitation of King Salman. The joint statement grounds the agreement in historical ties, Islamic solidarity and longstanding defense cooperation, and provides for developing all aspects of defense cooperation among the three states.
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Turqi Alnowaiser
Deputy Governor and Head of International Investments, PIF · EA acquisition completed
4 Aug 2026 · Riyadh
"Entertainment and sports are key areas of strategic focus for PIF, and are among the fastest growing and evolving sectors."
The Public Investment Fund, with Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, completed the 55 billion dollar acquisition of Electronic Arts at 210 dollars a share. The publisher has left Nasdaq after more than three decades; PIF had held a minority stake for over five years. Andrew Wilson remains chairman and chief executive.
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Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
Crown Prince and Prime Minister · Cabinet session
5 Aug 2026 · Jeddah
The Crown Prince "emphasized the necessity of prioritizing dialogue to reduce tensions and the importance of exerting all possible efforts to achieve a truce that paves the way for diplomatic solutions."
Chairing the Cabinet in Jeddah, he briefed ministers on his call with the US President. The session welcomed growing international participation in the Multinational Maritime Defense Coalition, established by the Kingdom and 13 partner nations to protect shipping in the Red Sea, Bab Al-Mandab Strait and Gulf of Aden.
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Majed Abu Zahra
President, Jeddah Astronomical Society · On DarkSky certification
4 Aug 2026 · Jeddah
"Dark skies are no longer important only to astronomers. They have become a natural resource worthy of protection."
Desert Rock and Nujuma, both Red Sea Global properties, became the world's first DarkSky Approved resorts under a certification Red Sea Global developed with DarkSky International, with compliance planned across all 15 of the group's resorts.
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Amin H. Nasser
President and CEO, Saudi Aramco · Second-quarter results
4 Aug 2026 · Dhahran
Aramco's first-half performance "has been defined by the remarkable resilience of our people and the agility of our business," maintaining deliveries by "capitalizing on our diverse asset base and multi-decade planning."
The company reported 33.4 billion dollars in adjusted second-quarter net income, up a third from a year earlier, and held its base dividend at 21.9 billion dollars. Nasser cited the East-West Pipeline, storage capacity and export terminals; supply reliability was 98.4 percent.
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Naif Al-Ghaith
Chief Economist, Riyad Bank · On the July PMI
4 Aug 2026 · Riyadh
"The latest survey suggests that domestic demand is gradually strengthening as market conditions normalize," supporting sustained increases in both output and new orders.
The Riyad Bank PMI, compiled by S&P Global, read 53.1 in July, a fourth consecutive month of solid growth in the non-oil private sector. Export orders declined for a fifth month on elevated freight costs and regional tensions.
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Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
Crown Prince and Prime Minister · Call with President Trump
2 Aug 2026 · Riyadh
The Crown Prince "emphasized the need to prioritize dialogue to reduce tensions," pressing for all possible efforts toward a truce that leads to a diplomatic solution and warning that failure risks a wider conflict with consequences for regional and international security.
SPA reported the call a day after the US President announced he would hold off on further strikes against Iran, saying the parameters of a deal had been reached with regional partners. The two leaders also reviewed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen them.
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Omar Hosari
President, General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, Syria
1 Aug 2026 · Aleppo
Three simultaneous inaugural arrivals at Aleppo, flynas from Riyadh among them, demonstrate "growing confidence among international carriers" in Syrian civil aviation.
Aleppo International reopened to international traffic with same-day inaugurals from Riyadh, Antalya and Düsseldorf, per the Syrian Arab News Agency. The flynas rotation is the first direct Riyadh-Aleppo service since 2012.
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Ahmad Al-Sharaa
President of Syria · Call with the Crown Prince
31 Jul 2026 · Riyadh
Renewed Syria's "condemnation and denunciation of the attempt to target the Kingdom's petroleum facilities by Iran-affiliated militias in Iraq."
In a call with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reported by SPA, the Syrian president affirmed his country's support for the security and sovereignty of the Kingdom. The call was one of a series the Crown Prince held with regional leaders on Friday.
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King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
King of Bahrain · Call with the Crown Prince
30 Jul 2026 · Riyadh
The coalition headquarters decision reflects "the international community's confidence in Saudi Arabia's leadership role in strengthening collective maritime security."
The King of Bahrain telephoned the Crown Prince to commend the establishment of the Multinational Maritime Defense Coalition, with the Kingdom as its leader and permanent base, per SPA.
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Andrew Zaloumis
CEO, Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve
31 Jul 2026 · Tabuk
"Successful conservation puts communities at its heart."
Marking the reserve's 50,000th patrol in the week of World Ranger Day, the chief executive credited a corps recruited largely from the reserve's own communities: 231 rangers against 27 four years ago, a third of them women.
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Senior Saudi Official
Via Al Arabiya · On the strikes in Iraq
31 Jul 2026 · Riyadh
The operation targeted "the capabilities of the militia that threatened the Kingdom's national security" and came "only after exhausting all diplomatic and political measures."
The official told Al Arabiya the Kingdom remains committed to Iraq and its people, described the strikes as precision operations confined to militia warehouses, and rejected any sectarian framing. The message separates the militias from the Iraqi state they operate within.
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Ministry of Defense
Joint founding statement · Maritime Defense Coalition
30 Jul 2026 · Riyadh
"Aimed at enhancing maritime security, protecting freedom of navigation, securing international trade routes and energy supply lines, and safeguarding shared maritime interests."
Fourteen states signed the founding statement after the ministry convened chiefs of staff from 43 countries in Riyadh. The coalition is described as purely defensive, targeting no state or organization, with its permanent headquarters in the Kingdom and a scope covering Bab al-Mandab, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
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Bandar Al-Qahtani
CEO, Milaf Global · On the Selfridges showcase
30 Jul 2026 · London
"Our success is not measured only by the growth of our group companies, but also by the opportunities we create for our private-sector partners and Saudi entrepreneurs."
The Public Investment Fund company opened "Saudi: Sky's The Limit," a six-week showcase of more than 25 Saudi brands at Selfridges in London, running to 5 September.
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Prince Khalid bin Salman
Minister of Defense · At the White House
30 Jul 2026 · Washington
The Kingdom "will not tolerate attacks on its energy infrastructure or civilian targets."
Hours after the joint strikes in Iraq, the defense minister met President Trump and Vice President Vance carrying a message from the Crown Prince: the strikes do not make Saudi Arabia a party seeking escalation, and the Kingdom will defend itself when attacked. Per Axios, he called de-escalation "a more fruitful path."
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Jasem Albudaiwi
GCC Secretary-General · On the renewed drone attacks
30 Jul 2026 · Riyadh
"A dangerous escalation, a flagrant violation of the Kingdom's sovereignty, and a direct threat to its security and stability, as well as to regional peace and security."
Drones launched again from Iraqi territory at Eastern Province oil facilities were intercepted within a day of the joint strikes. The UAE foreign ministry called the attacks "a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of Saudi Arabia" and pledged full solidarity.
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Revolutionary Guard
Via Sepah News · After the US strikes
30 Jul 2026 · Tehran
Iran will "punish the aggressor today."
US Central Command struck what it described as dozens of Revolutionary Guard command centers and missile, drone and maritime defense sites from Wednesday night, including targets on Qeshm Island and in Bushehr province. Iranian state media reported three killed on Qeshm.
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SA
Turki Al-Malki
Saudi Defense Ministry spokesman · On the joint strikes in Iraq
29 Jul 2026 · Riyadh
"Saudi Arabia emphasises that it does not seek escalation but will respond to any aggression it faces."
The Kingdom announced its first strikes on Iraqi territory in this war: joint operations with US Central Command against militia logistics and weapons sites linked to the drone attacks on Saudi petroleum facilities. The official statement placed the operation under Article 51 of the UN Charter and said the Kingdom "will not hesitate to take all necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty" should attacks continue.
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US
US Central Command
Statement · On the Iranian ballistic missile attack
28 Jul 2026 · Washington
"All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted. US forces remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness."
The Revolutionary Guard fired ballistic missiles at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base and a CENTCOM facility in Jordan on Tuesday evening, in what Washington described as an attempted surprise attack. Jordan reported downing five missiles. The joint US-Saudi strikes in Iraq followed within hours.
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IL
Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister · After meeting Trump
28 Jul 2026 · Washington
"It was a meeting with full cooperation, with mutual support, with understanding on the joint goal that Iran won't have nuclear weapons."
Ninety minutes at the White House with no press conference and no announced decisions, attended by the vice president, the secretaries of state and defense, and the Middle East envoy. Saudi accession to the Abraham Accords was on the agenda; the Kingdom's own civil nuclear agreement, tied by Washington to normalization, stayed unsigned.
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IQ
Sabah Al Numan
Iraqi military spokesman · On the drone launches from Iraq
28 Jul 2026 · Baghdad
"The Iraqi government reaffirms its constitutional and unwavering commitment to the principles of good neighbourliness."
Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi ordered security forces to investigate the launches Riyadh attributed to Iran-backed militias on Iraqi soil, and Baghdad pledged legal action against anyone proven involved, calling relations with the kingdom deep-rooted and fraternal. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq denied involvement. Al Zaidi is due in Riyadh within days, on a visit scheduled before the drones flew.
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US
Donald Trump
US President · On the Hormuz and Iran talks
27 Jul 2026 · Washington
"I think we have a very strong position right now, they know I'm going to do that if they don't make a deal."
Said as Oman presented Tehran with a Gulf-backed plan under which Hormuz would reopen under joint regional management funded by voluntary transit contributions. Washington's stated position is that mandatory fees are illegal and that passage should return to pre-war terms; the threat to resume strikes remains the stated alternative.
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IL
Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister · Before meeting Trump
28 Jul 2026 · Washington
"One way or the other, they have to end their nuclear program."
Spoken ahead of his first White House meeting with Trump since the war began, with Iran's nuclear program at the top of the agenda. The formulation matters in Riyadh, whose own 30-year civil nuclear agreement with Washington has been tied to normalization with Israel and remains unanswered in public.
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MOD
Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki
Saudi defense ministry spokesman · On the drones from Iraq
27 Jul 2026 · Riyadh
"The Kingdom has the legitimate right to defend its security, people and vital infrastructure."
Said after air defenses intercepted and destroyed drones launched from Iraqi territory at oil facilities in the Eastern Province and the Riyadh region, attacks Riyadh attributed to Iran-backed militias without naming a group. The foreign ministry reserved the right to respond to the sources of the attacks "at the appropriate time and place" and called on the Iraqi government to prevent its territory being used as a launchpad.
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US
Mike Waltz
US Ambassador to the UN · On the pause in strikes on Iran
26 Jul 2026 · New York
"He's giving talks some space, he's giving it a little bit of room."
The clearest official description of the American pause: a negotiating instrument rather than a ceasefire. By Monday the pause had held through the weekend, through the attack on Aramco, and through the drone launches from Iraq, while Oman, Pakistan and Qatar carried the diplomacy.
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IR
Abbas Araghchi
Iranian Foreign Minister · On Yemen and Bab el-Mandeb
25 Jul 2026 · Tehran
"There is no military solution to the issue of Yemen, Bab al-Mandeb, and other regional issues."
In an Iran Daily interview, Araghchi said Tehran has offered to play a role if talks develop between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, and that Saudi officials are aware of the offer. An Iranian offer to mediate over a militia Riyadh says Iran arms places the kingdom's silence in a familiar position: accepting would concede Tehran's leverage, refusing would forgo a channel.
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HOU
Abdul Malik al-Houthi
Houthi leader · After the Jizan and Yanbu attacks
25 Jul 2026 · Sanaa
"All Saudi oil facilities could be targets."
Spoken after the movement's first strike on Aramco facilities in this war: missiles and drones at the Jizan refinery, two ballistic missiles intercepted over Yanbu. The statement extends the declared blockade from ships to fixed infrastructure, and makes the extension policy rather than incident.
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US
Donald Trump
U.S. President · On talks with Iran
24 Jul 2026 · Washington
"We are locked and loaded. We're ready to go. But I think they're being by far the most serious that we've seen them."
Said as Washington halted its nightly strikes on Iran for the first time in two weeks, with Axios reporting the halt was ordered the same day. The formula that promised to treat the next Houthi attack as an act of Iran was not invoked when that attack came on Saturday, against Aramco itself.
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GR
Hellenic National Defence General Staff
Greece · On the Yanbu intercepts
25 Jul 2026 · Athens
"A 100 percent interception rate, neutralizing both incoming threats."
The Patriot battery Greece has operated on the Red Sea coast since 2021, under a bilateral defense agreement, recorded its first combat intercepts of this campaign at Yanbu. The kingdom's air defense is layered and multinational, and Saturday was its clearest live test at the export gateway.
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MOD
Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki
Coalition spokesman · Announcement of the Hodeidah strikes
24 Jul 2026 · Riyadh
"We carried out a proportionate military response operation against legitimate military targets belonging to the terrorist Houthi militia."
The coalition's first announced strikes since the Houthis declared their blockade, delivered in the vocabulary of restraint: proportionate, military, legitimate. The statement specified a naval base at Hodeidah and a camp on Kamaran Island, and added unprompted that the port was not struck. Al-Maliki promised to respond "without hesitation" to further hostile acts.
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KSA
Mohammed Al Jabir
Saudi Ambassador to Yemen
24 Jul 2026 · Riyadh
"This militia has turned Yemen into a bargaining chip in the hands of external parties, to be used at will."
The political framing that accompanied the military response. The target of the sentence is the maritime campaign and its sponsors, not Yemen, and the distinction is the point: it prices the campaign without reopening the war.
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US
Donald Trump
U.S. President · Truth Social · On the nuclear agreement
23 Jul 2026 · Washington
"...pertains only to non-military use such as the ones that Iran and UAE (and others) already have, will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords."
Posted one day after the 30-year civil nuclear agreement was announced by the two energy ministers, neither of whom had mentioned Israel. The condition moves a signed technical file into the region's hardest political negotiation. Riyadh has not responded.
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US
Donald Trump
U.S. President · Truth Social
23 Jul 2026 · Washington
"If they do this again, the U.S. will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves."
The declared answer to the strikes on the Encelia and Layla, and the first time Washington has formally tied the Houthi campaign against Saudi shipping to Iran itself. The formula gives the corridor its strongest stated protection since Hormuz closed, while moving the next escalation decision outside Riyadh's control. A companion post said ship damage would be paid out of Iranian money under American control.
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MFA
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Readout · Calls with Qatar, Jordan, Kuwait
23 Jul 2026 · Riyadh
Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed de-escalation efforts and the security of maritime navigation in the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea with his Qatari, Jordanian and Kuwaiti counterparts.
Three calls in a day, and the Qatari one is the operative channel: Doha remains the venue where the Houthi file could close by negotiation before it is tested by another launch. The ministry's language stays on de-escalation while Washington's moves the other way.
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SPA
Saudi Press Agency
Official statement · Tanker attacks
22 Jul 2026 · Riyadh
"…a violation of international laws and conventions that guarantee the safety of commercial vessels and their crews."
The kingdom's first response to the Houthi strikes on the tankers Encelia and Layla. The language stays in the register of maritime law rather than retaliation, consistent with the posture Riyadh has held since spring, and notable precisely because the attacks tested it directly.
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MFA
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
On the Houthi blockade declaration
21 Jul 2026 · Riyadh
"…all necessary measures to protect its ships."
Issued after the blockade declaration and a day before missiles struck the Encelia. The phrase leaves every option open while committing to none. Which measures, and whose navy provides them, is now the operative question of the Red Sea corridor.
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MFA
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Joint readout · Europe calls
22 Jul 2026 · Riyadh
"The ministers emphasized the importance of efforts to preserve maritime security in the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf, and rejected any actions that endanger safe navigation."
A day of separate calls (Albares, Tajani, Wadephul) two days after the Houthi blockade declaration. The ministry's own framing accuses the Houthis of imposing a maritime blockade on the Kingdom and asks for implementation of Security Council Resolutions 2216 and 2722. The diplomacy is aimed where a declared blockade bites first: European insurers, shippers and the governments behind them.
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CAB
Council of Ministers
Chaired by King Salman
21 Jul 2026 · Jeddah
"…the importance of an immediate halt to all forms of military escalation, to preserve the security and stability of the region."
The same session reaffirmed support for Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan over Iranian violations. Solidarity with the neighbors taking hits, paired with a call to stop the escalation: the two-track posture, restated at the top of government in a week when the war reached Saudi shipping lanes.
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MFA
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Call with Secretary Rubio
11 Jul 2026
"Continuing coordination and joint consultation to achieve security and stability in the region."
The readout disclosed nothing beyond the formula, and the formula is the point: the Washington channel runs on schedule through a war month. It landed the same day as a cabinet reshuffle that handed Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman a combined energy-industry portfolio, a continuity message on both tracks.
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MFA
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
14 Jul 2026 · Riyadh
"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expresses its condemnation and strongest denunciation of Iran's continued destabilizing conduct, which undermines the security and stability of the region and violates the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations."
Issued following Iranian attacks on Kuwaiti border posts, Emirati tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, and diplomatic missions across the Gulf. The Foreign Minister separately held calls with counterparts in Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan and the US Secretary of State.
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MOF
Mohammed Al-Jadaan
Minister of Finance
14 Jul 2026 · Jeddah
"An important step toward developing the governance of government revenues and enhancing the efficiency of their management in a way that supports fiscal sustainability."
Al-Jadaan at Tuesday's cabinet session in Jeddah on the updated state revenue system. He framed the reform as long-term governance infrastructure, not a fiscal crisis response.
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PIF
Yasir Al-Rumayyan
Governor, Public Investment Fund
15 Apr 2026
"No projects in NEOM have been cancelled. The project company has been instructed to reprioritize its spending. The next phase will focus on delivering major projects with a reduced financial contribution from the Public Investment Fund."
Al-Rumayyan distinguishing between NEOM as a whole and The Line specifically, confirming Oxagon remains a core commitment and private sector partners will take on larger delivery roles.
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MBS
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
Prime Minister, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
14 Jul 2026 · VNR Report
"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continues to unleash its enormous economic, geographical and cultural potential, and its pioneering efforts in sustainability and environmental conservation."
From the Crown Prince's foreword to the 2026 Voluntary National Review, presented at the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York.
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