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Global Logistics Forum in Riyadh Paves the Way for Strategic Partnerships

The Global Logistics Forum addressed key topics in the transport and logistics sector. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Global Logistics Forum addressed key topics in the transport and logistics sector. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Global Logistics Forum in Riyadh Paves the Way for Strategic Partnerships

The Global Logistics Forum addressed key topics in the transport and logistics sector. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Global Logistics Forum addressed key topics in the transport and logistics sector. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Global Logistics Forum, which concluded in Riyadh on Monday, saw the signing of over 60 strategic local and international partnerships and memorandums of understanding, with a total value exceeding SAR 16 billion ($4.3 billion).

In its 2024 edition, the forum aimed to boost international cooperation in the logistics sector, with the goal of reshaping the global logistics services map.

Saudi Deputy Minister of Transport and Logistics Services Dr. Rumaih Al-Rumaih stated that the forum “serves as a platform for collaboration” within the logistics system, with the goal of enhancing efficiency, resilience, sustainability, and profitability in today’s world.

According to Al-Rumaih, the agreements announced reflect the significance of the forum and its importance for the future of the sector, showcasing the transformative impact of cooperation and highlighting the Kingdom’s leadership role in the global logistics services sector.

“We aim to leverage our unique strategic position at the crossroads of three continents,” he added.

Medical supply agreements

The Ministry of Transport and Logistics Services, in collaboration with the Ministry of Investment, announced a series of significant agreements and memorandums of understanding.

Among the most prominent was a MoU with FedEx to explore investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia’s logistics and transport sector, agreements with Sadel Group to establish cold storage warehouses in Jeddah (western Saudi Arabia), and other agreements with Pacific International Lines and the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) to explore new opportunities in integrated logistics services and multimodal transport.

The Ministry of Transport and Logistics Services also announced the signing of memorandums of understanding with the National Unified Procurement Company for Medical Devices and Supplies (NUPCO) to establish new regional centers for supplying medical equipment and with the Saudi Industrial Development Fund to collaborate in developing transport and logistics services to support industrial transformation.

Key announcements and partnerships

The event witnessed major announcements from global sector leaders. Agility Logistics revealed the expansion of its warehouses in Saudi Arabia and signed an agreement with the Saudi Railways Company.

Additionally, Saudi Cargo signed a new partnership with the Second Airport Group to improve air cargo services.

New scholarship and training initiatives were launched during the event. The Ministry of Transport and Logistics Services announced agreements to send a group of national talents abroad for training and capacity-building to meet the needs of the sector in the Kingdom.

The agreements were made in collaboration with the Saudi Group, Airport Holding, The Helicopter Company, The Executive Company, and Saudi Railways Company.

The Saudi Logistics Academy also announced a series of training initiatives in cooperation with NEOM, Qassim University, and Al-Salihiya Logistics Agency.

Participants are seen at a panel discussion at the forum. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Economic zones and hydrogen trains

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) unveiled a series of agreements with companies such as Alat, Bahri, and Danfoss.

It also granted licenses for integrated logistics service zones to several entities. The Economic Cities and Special Zones Authority awarded certificates to Tharawat Group and Masarat Logistics Services for establishing new centers in King Abdullah Economic City.

It also signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Post to develop a new addressing system that will facilitate business operations in Saudi Arabia’s special economic zones.

In addition, CEO of the Saudi Railways Company Dr. Bashar Al-Malik revealed the success of Saudi Arabia’s experiments with the first hydrogen-powered train aimed at evaluating the suitability of this technology for the Kingdom’s environment.

This comes after Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, the Saudi Minister of Energy, announced last year during his speech at the opening of Climate Week that Saudi Arabia would have the first hydrogen-powered train in the Middle East.

The inaugural edition of the Global Logistics Forum addressed key topics in the transport and logistics sector, such as enabling global markets, investing in logistics infrastructure, enhancing the resilience of logistics services in the face of disruptions in the Red Sea region, in addition to discussing the “New Era of Energy Ports” and empowering talents to develop the industries of the future.

The event was held in the presence of a large number of ministers, senior officials, leaders of international organizations, industry associations, experts, academics, and analysts, and featured 130 speakers and 80 exhibitors from 30 countries.

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Saudi PIF Backs Multibillion-Dollar Projects to Boost Sustainability

A solar power project in Saudi Arabia (SPA)
A solar power project in Saudi Arabia (SPA)
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Saudi PIF Backs Multibillion-Dollar Projects to Boost Sustainability

A solar power project in Saudi Arabia (SPA)
A solar power project in Saudi Arabia (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has fully allocated the proceeds of its green bond issuance, directing $9 billion to eligible projects, in a move that highlights the sovereign wealth fund’s growing role in shaping a more sustainable future and delivering lasting positive impact worldwide.

According to a recent report issued by the Public Investment Fund, reviewed by Asharq Al-Awsat, the expected impact of the fund’s eligible green projects includes generating 427 megawatts of renewable energy, avoiding emissions equivalent to 5.1 million tons of carbon dioxide, and treating 4 million cubic meters of wastewater.

The Public Investment Fund aims to establish itself as an active participant in global debt markets, while also fostering the development of a dynamic domestic market. This would enable the fund to access short- or long-term liquidity through a diverse range of financing instruments.

Financing strategy

The fund’s capital markets program aims to further strengthen its financing strategy and execution capabilities, both at the level of the Saudi sovereign wealth fund and across its portfolio companies, while enabling deeper engagement with global and local debt markets.

The program will also support expanding the fund’s capacity to raise debt and deploy it as a source of investment financing, in line with its overall funding strategy. This approach is designed to instill greater discipline in cash flow management and enhance returns on equity for the fund and its portfolio companies.

The green bond issuance will provide the fund with access to a broader pool of investors who prioritize environmental, social, and governance considerations in their investment decisions. It will also allow investors to diversify their portfolios through green assets, a step expected to help accelerate the pace of green investment globally.

Climate change

The fund has taken concrete steps to advance governance and policy, focusing on sustainability, and is a founding member of the One Planet Sovereign Wealth Funds initiative. This international platform aims to accelerate the integration of climate change considerations into asset management decisions and investment opportunities.

As an investment vehicle, the Public Investment Fund operates through acquiring stakes in companies aligned with its mandate, including ACWA Power and Lucid.

It has also established the Saudi Investment Recycling Company, a leader in waste management and recycling, manages the National Energy Services Company, Tarshid, and supports the creation of a voluntary carbon market in the Middle East and North Africa.

These efforts aim to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s position as one of the world’s most energy-efficient countries.

The green bond issuance will finance tangible projects on the ground, helping to accelerate the green transition and advance the Kingdom’s core targets of achieving net zero emissions by 2060 and generating 50 percent of electricity consumption from renewable energy sources by 2030.

This forms a key pillar of the renewable energy program implemented by the fund, which involves developing 70 percent of renewable power generation capacity.

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Saudi E-Commerce Hits Record Monthly Sales over SAR30.7 Billion in October

A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA file)
A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA file)
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Saudi E-Commerce Hits Record Monthly Sales over SAR30.7 Billion in October

A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA file)
A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA file)

E-commerce sales in Saudi Arabia via "mada" cards soared to an all-time monthly high in October 2025, surpassing SAR30.7 billion.

The surge in sales represents a 68% year-on-year increase, totaling about SAR12.4 billion more than the SAR18.3 billion recorded in October 2024, according to the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) statistical bulletin on Wednesday.

E-commerce sales for the third quarter (Q3) of 2025 hit SAR88.3 billion, up 15.2% from the previous quarter, representing an increase of about SAR11.6 billion over the SAR76.6 billion recorded in Q2.

On a monthly basis, e-commerce sales in October rose 6%, gaining approximately SAR1.6 billion over September’s total of SAR29.1 billion.

From January to October, "mada" data showed e-commerce sales grew 47.3%, rising by around SAR9.9 billion over the SAR20.9 billion recorded in January.

These figures cover transactions made via "mada" cards on e-commerce websites, apps, and digital wallets, and do not include credit-card payments.

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Jeddah's King Abdulaziz Airport Launches First Direct Flight to Moscow

The expansion supports Jeddah Airports Company’s goal of broadening travel options and increasing air traffic revenue, leveraging the Kingdom's strategic location. (SPA)
The expansion supports Jeddah Airports Company’s goal of broadening travel options and increasing air traffic revenue, leveraging the Kingdom's strategic location. (SPA)
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Jeddah's King Abdulaziz Airport Launches First Direct Flight to Moscow

The expansion supports Jeddah Airports Company’s goal of broadening travel options and increasing air traffic revenue, leveraging the Kingdom's strategic location. (SPA)
The expansion supports Jeddah Airports Company’s goal of broadening travel options and increasing air traffic revenue, leveraging the Kingdom's strategic location. (SPA)

Jeddah's King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) celebrated the launch of its first direct flynas flight to Moscow, operating three weekly flights between Jeddah and Vnukovo International Airport.

This initiative, in partnership with the Saudi Tourism Authority and the Air Connectivity Program, boosts air links between Saudi Arabia and Russia.

It marks KAIA's third direct Russian destination, following Makhachkala and Mineralnye Vody, which were inaugurated earlier this month by Azimuth Airlines.

The expansion supports Jeddah Airports Company’s goal of broadening travel options and increasing air traffic revenue, leveraging the Kingdom's strategic location.