عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Business

Monsha’at Showcases Saudi Arabia’s Entrepreneurship Journey at Expo 2025 Osaka

People attend a workshop within the Saudi Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. (SPA)
People attend a workshop within the Saudi Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. (SPA)
TT
TT

Monsha’at Showcases Saudi Arabia’s Entrepreneurship Journey at Expo 2025 Osaka

People attend a workshop within the Saudi Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. (SPA)
People attend a workshop within the Saudi Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia underscored its growing international presence as a hub for entrepreneurship through an interactive workshop held at its pavilion during Expo 2025 Osaka in Japan. The event aimed to highlight the Kingdom’s experience in supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to foster opportunities for international collaboration in this vital sector.

The workshop, organized by the General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises (Monsha’at), brought together around 30 participants from various countries. Monsha’at presented its integrated ecosystem designed to empower the Kingdom’s entrepreneurial landscape by simplifying business processes, boosting access to financing, promoting a culture of entrepreneurship, and encouraging innovation and the adoption of modern technologies.

Key initiatives were showcased, including the Biban Forum, an international platform that connects entrepreneurs with investors, highlights Saudi success stories, and offers opportunities for professional development. This initiative plays a significant role in positioning Saudi Arabia as a global hub for entrepreneurship.

Monsha’at also shared the Kingdom’s experience hosting the Entrepreneurship World Cup, one of the largest global competitions in its field. The event has attracted more than 420,000 participants from 191 countries, with 500 startups advancing to the final stage.

Over $5 million in cash prizes have been awarded, in addition to tailored training and development programs.

The workshop is part of Monsha’at’s broader participation in Expo 2025 Osaka, with the goal of promoting the Kingdom’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, showcasing its strategic initiatives, and expanding international cooperation, all aligned with the objectives of Vision 2030.

The Saudi Pavilion at Expo Osaka offers a multi-sensory experience centered on the Kingdom’s transformative journey under Vision 2030. It highlights Saudi Arabia’s commitment to enhancing quality of life through innovation and technological progress.

The pavilion also features immersive experiences that reflect the richness of Saudi cities, villages, and cultural heritage. Constructed using lightweight Saudi stone, the structure was designed by renowned architects from Foster + Partners to represent the Kingdom’s vision of building sustainable, empowered communities.

Most Viewed

 
 
Business

Japan’s Taiyo Oil to Receive Cargo of Oil from Russia’s Sakhalin-2, Mainichi Says

A general view of the liquefied natural gas plant operated by Sakhalin Energy at Prigorodnoye on the Pacific island of Sakhalin, Russia July 15, 2021. (Reuters)
A general view of the liquefied natural gas plant operated by Sakhalin Energy at Prigorodnoye on the Pacific island of Sakhalin, Russia July 15, 2021. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Japan’s Taiyo Oil to Receive Cargo of Oil from Russia’s Sakhalin-2, Mainichi Says

A general view of the liquefied natural gas plant operated by Sakhalin Energy at Prigorodnoye on the Pacific island of Sakhalin, Russia July 15, 2021. (Reuters)
A general view of the liquefied natural gas plant operated by Sakhalin Energy at Prigorodnoye on the Pacific island of Sakhalin, Russia July 15, 2021. (Reuters)

Japan's Taiyo Oil is set to receive a cargo of crude oil from Russia's Sakhalin-2 project, the Mainichi daily reported on Saturday, citing Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Japan has largely suspended purchases of oil from Russia after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in ‌2022. A ‌US exemption for oil sales ‌from ⁠the Sakhalin-2 project, ⁠which largely produces the liquefied natural gas, runs until June 18.

The move comes as Japan seeks to secure alternative oil supplies after the US-Israeli war with Iran ⁠has largely cut off imports ‌from the ‌Gulf, Tokyo's main oil source before the Middle ‌East conflict broke out in ‌late February.

Russian state gas company Gazprom is a controlling shareholder in the Sakhalin-2 oil and gas project, in ‌which Japanese trading houses Mitsui and Mitsubishi also hold stakes.

Mainichi, citing ⁠a ⁠METI official, said that cargo is set to arrive to the Ehime Prefecture in western Japan. Japan has also secured supplies from the US and from destinations bypassing the largely closed Strait of Hormuz, among other sources.

Taiyo Oil and METI did not immediately reply to Reuters request for a comment.

Business

Trump Auto Tariff Hike Could Cost Germany Nearly $18 Billion in Output, Institute Says

A traffic light for cyclists is pictured in front of a giant logo of German automotive brand Mercedes-Benz is seen atop a Mercedes dealership in Offenbach, western Germany, on April 29, 2026. (AFP)
A traffic light for cyclists is pictured in front of a giant logo of German automotive brand Mercedes-Benz is seen atop a Mercedes dealership in Offenbach, western Germany, on April 29, 2026. (AFP)
TT
TT

Trump Auto Tariff Hike Could Cost Germany Nearly $18 Billion in Output, Institute Says

A traffic light for cyclists is pictured in front of a giant logo of German automotive brand Mercedes-Benz is seen atop a Mercedes dealership in Offenbach, western Germany, on April 29, 2026. (AFP)
A traffic light for cyclists is pictured in front of a giant logo of German automotive brand Mercedes-Benz is seen atop a Mercedes dealership in Offenbach, western Germany, on April 29, 2026. (AFP)

The tariff ‌hike on cars and trucks from the European Union announced by US President Donald Trump could cost Germany nearly 15 billion euros ($17.58 billion) in output, an economic institute told Reuters on Saturday.

The estimate from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW) highlights the exposure of the EU's largest economy to US import tariffs, which have already cost the German automotive industry billions.

"The ‌effects would ‌be substantial," IfW President Moritz Schularick ‌said, ⁠with output losses ⁠rising to around 30 billion euros over the longer term, according to the institute's analysis.

Trump said on Friday he would increase the auto tariffs to 25% next week from a previously agreed 15%, saying the bloc had not complied ⁠with its trade deal with ‌Washington.

"Germany's already sluggish ‌growth rate would be hit hard," IfW economist Julian Hinz ‌said.

The institute currently expects the German ‌economy to grow by 0.8% this year.

Other European economies with significant automotive sectors - including Italy, Slovakia, and Sweden - are also likely to suffer significant losses, ‌it added.

The German economy minister's chief adviser advised caution towards Trump.

"The EU should ⁠simply ⁠wait and see for now," Jens Suedekum told Reuters. "It is well known that Trump is quick to suspend or withdraw his grandiose tariff threats."

The president must explain why he thinks the EU is not complying with the existing trade agreement, Suedekum said, adding that it was also not clear whether there was a legal basis for the latest tariff threat.

"It all seems quite impulsive," the adviser said.

Business

LNG Canada Exports Hit 1 Million Metric Tons for First Time in Single Month

A drone picture shows an LNG (liquid natural gas) carrier ship docked at LNG Canada's export facility on Canada's Pacific coast in Kitimat, British Columbia, Canada August 19, 2025. (Reuters)
A drone picture shows an LNG (liquid natural gas) carrier ship docked at LNG Canada's export facility on Canada's Pacific coast in Kitimat, British Columbia, Canada August 19, 2025. (Reuters)
TT
TT

LNG Canada Exports Hit 1 Million Metric Tons for First Time in Single Month

A drone picture shows an LNG (liquid natural gas) carrier ship docked at LNG Canada's export facility on Canada's Pacific coast in Kitimat, British Columbia, Canada August 19, 2025. (Reuters)
A drone picture shows an LNG (liquid natural gas) carrier ship docked at LNG Canada's export facility on Canada's Pacific coast in Kitimat, British Columbia, Canada August 19, 2025. (Reuters)

Exports of liquefied natural gas from Canada’s LNG Canada plant topped 1 million metric tons in April, setting a monthly record, according to LSEG data.

LNG Canada is the country’s first major LNG export facility and the first on North America’s West Coast, giving it direct access to Asia, the world’s ‌largest LNG ‌market.

All volumes produced by ‌the ⁠plant went to ⁠Asia in April, with more than half sold to South Korea. One cargo was delivered directly to China.

China has not been importing LNG from the US since Washington imposed sanctions during the Trump administration, instead opting ⁠to resell US-sourced LNG to ‌other countries to capitalize ‌on higher spot-market prices compared with lower long-term contract ‌prices agreed upon with US producers.

On April 24, the tanker Qingcheng discharged its cargo at the Dongjiakou terminal after a roughly three-week voyage from Canada to China.

LNG Canada said ‌bringing any LNG facility into operations is a managed and sequenced process ⁠and ⁠its owners have so far shipped 79 LNG cargoes.

LNG Canada is a joint venture between Shell, Malaysia’s Petronas, PetroChina, Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp and South Korea’s KOGAS.

The plant has had a slow startup since beginning LNG production in June and is not yet operating at full capacity. It can export up to 14 million metric tons per year, equivalent to around 1.16 million tons per month.