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Acwa Power Initiatives such as the Sakaka Solar Power Plant in Saudi Arabia signal a commitment to clean energy The GCC’s energy landscape is undergoing a profound transformation. As global economies shift towards sustainability, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are spearheading efforts to diversify energy sources while maintaining economic competitiveness. However a critical question remains: can taxation policies accelerate this transition and position the region as a global leader in renewable energy?  With Saudi Vision 2030, Saudi Net Zero 2060 and the UAE Energy Strategy 2050, fiscal policies are playing an increasingly important role in shaping investment incentives and market dynamics. …

Pexels/ThisIsEngineering Renewables such as solar power are creating an energy addition, not a transition, says historian Daniel Yergin It has long been apparent that the simplistic formulae of the extreme environmentalist camp – Just Stop Oil etc – are totally out of kilter with economic and energy reality, but now the energy realists can refer to a definitive piece of work when they seek to refute the absurdities. In 5,000 crisp words in Foreign Affairs magazine, Pulitzer prize-winning historian Daniel Yergin, along with financial expert Peter Orszag and energy strategist Atul Arya, lay bare the gigantic holes in the environmentalist…

Pakistan police arrest three after father commits suicide over forced marriage of minor girl PESHAWAR: Police have arrested three suspects and members of a local Panchayat (village council) in connection with the forced marriage of a minor girl under Vani, a tribal custom used to settle feuds, in a remote area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to a senior police official and a local elder. The incident, which took place in the Bhagwani Shumali area of Paharpur, the main town in Dera Ismail Khan district, involved an 11-year-old girl from a low-income family being forcibly given in marriage to…

Stay Informed Get Industry News In Your Inbox… Sign Up Today Investment firm Merak Capital has partnered with Microsoft to accelerate the growth and impact of gaming start-ups in Saudi Arabia.  The partnership will see Saudi Arabia leverage Microsoft’s technical expertise and ecosystem to support entrepreneurs and further boost its games industry.  Microsoft will also grant gaming startups access to its Azure cloud services, advanced development tools, and a global partner network. Through the Exel Gaming Accelerator, startups can leverage AI to innovate and receive mentorship from industry experts.  The partnership builds on Merak Capital’s $80 million gaming fund to…

Riyadh, Feb. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — While the MENA region drives forward with $3 trillion in infrastructure and building projects, construction companies face a critical challenge: fragmented supply chains and inefficient procurement processes that delay projects and inflate costs. Today, BRKZ announced it has completed its Series A funding at $17M, bringing total funding to $22.5M, to scale its technology platform that’s revolutionizing how contractors source and purchase building materials. The funding includes an $8M Series A2 round closed in January 2025, complemented by $1M in venture debt from Capifly, following the initial $8M Series A1 round from December…

Image: Saudi Press Agency LEAP 2025, a flagship event bringing together global technology and innovation leaders, officially launched in Riyadh on Sunday, February 9. On the first day of the conference, investments and projects totaling over $14.9bn in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector were announced, the Saudi Press Agency reported. These major investments solidify Saudi Arabia’s position as a leading global player in shaping the digital future. The investments aim to foster digital skills development, support the growth of tech startups, and encourage innovation within the kingdom. They further solidify Saudi Arabia’s standing as the largest digital economy in the…

While Silicon Valley venture capitalists continue making pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia in search of cash, the kingdom’s native startups are drawing more investment from other countries than its Gulf peers.For the second consecutive year, Saudi Arabia was on the receiving end in 2024 of $750 million to lead the MENA region in collecting VC investments, according to a report by MAGNiTT. The UAE followed with $613 million.On the providing end, government-owned Saudi Venture Capital Co. has committed $1 billion in investments since its inception in 2018, Arab News reports. Adding contributions from partners raises the total to $4.8 billion over…

LEAP 2025 is set to run from February 9-12, 2025, at the Riyadh Exhibition & Convention Centre in Malham. In just four years, Saudi Arabia’s showpiece technology event, LEAP, has gone from a bold debut to one of the most talked-about gatherings on the planet.   Now, the global award-winning conference is back for its fourth edition, set to run from February 9-12, 2025, at the Riyadh Exhibition & Convention Centre in Malham.  This year’s event is already making waves, not just for its scale but for its ambition. Under the theme ‘Into New Worlds,’ LEAP 2025 is taking a new…

The fourth edition of LEAP, Saudi Arabia’s technology event, will take place from February 9-12 at the Riyadh Exhibition & Convention Centre in Malham. Under the theme ‘Into New Worlds,’ LEAP 2025 will be the event’s first ticketed edition, with a focus on industry attendees to enhance business networking and investment opportunities. LEAP 2025 is co-organised by Tahaluf and the Ministry for Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) – a joint venture between Informa PLC, the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP), and the Events Investment Fund. The event will feature new additions such as ‘LEAP Nights’ activities, the…

Newlab, a global venture platform for critical technology startups, has announced its expansion into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) through an integrated public-private partnership involving multiple public sector agencies and leading industry partners. The initiative it said marks a key milestone in Newlab’s mission to accelerate the commercialisation of critical technologies by aligning cross-sector partners, infrastructure, capital, and resources in strategic geographies around the world. Newlab Riyadh “will attract leading critical-tech startups to KSA and accelerate commercialisation outcomes that will translate into measurable economic impact in the Kingdom and broader region.” Newlab Riyadh joins Newlab’s growing network of hubs…