عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Business

ROSHN Unveils Large Mixed-Use Development in Jeddah

A model for the design of the MARAFY project, north of Jeddah (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A model for the design of the MARAFY project, north of Jeddah (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT
TT

ROSHN Unveils Large Mixed-Use Development in Jeddah

A model for the design of the MARAFY project, north of Jeddah (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A model for the design of the MARAFY project, north of Jeddah (Asharq Al-Awsat)

ROSHN Group, a Public Investment Fund (PIF) giga-project, launched on Tuesday a mixed-use development in north of Jeddah, which will accommodate over 130,000 residents and house the first man-made canal in Saudi Arabia.

The new development, called MARAFY, will include an 11-kilometer-long and 100-meter-wide navigable canal, which will be surrounded by multiple districts, the developer said in a statement.

David Grover, Group CEO of ROSHN Group, said: “It is core to us as a giga project to introduce such huge development to the Kingdom. MARAFY will be a gamechanger on the real estate development sector, raising the bar of development in the region, boosting the quality of life, and creating a huge impact in Jeddah.”

He added that the project contributes to achieving the goals of Vision 2030 in creating a vibrant society and a prosperous economy.

For his part, Khaled Al-Mobid, CEO of Manassat Real Estate Company, told Asharq Al-Awsat that ROSHN’s development of the North Jeddah project will have a major impact in raising the efficiency of residential projects in the governorate, and will stimulate investments.

He added that the new development is an important indicator of the city’s economic recovery, stressing that the group seeks to develop the urban landscape of one of the most important tourist and commercial areas, as it provides infrastructure, public, recreational and residential facilities aimed at raising the level of quality of life, and transforming Jeddah into a global destination.

MARAFY’s canal will provide a waterfront comparable in size to those of Chicago, Stockholm, Hamburg, and central London, bringing the marine environment into the heart of a historic city that has been welcoming traders, travelers, and pilgrims for centuries.

According to ROSHN, MARAFY will house multiple distinct districts each with a unique character, including its existing integrated residential development, Alarous. It will accelerate Jeddah’s emergence as a global city while preserving the city’s cultural and architectural heritage, with facades inspired by the historical designs of Jeddah region and styles reinvented for today.

Most Viewed

 
 
Business

Saudi Arabia Signs Mineral Cooperation Deals with Chile, Canada, Brazil

The MoUs were signed on the sidelines of the Ministerial Roundtable of ministers concerned with mining affairs, held as part of the fifth annual Future Minerals Forum (FMF) in Riyadh. (SPA)
The MoUs were signed on the sidelines of the Ministerial Roundtable of ministers concerned with mining affairs, held as part of the fifth annual Future Minerals Forum (FMF) in Riyadh. (SPA)
TT
TT

Saudi Arabia Signs Mineral Cooperation Deals with Chile, Canada, Brazil

The MoUs were signed on the sidelines of the Ministerial Roundtable of ministers concerned with mining affairs, held as part of the fifth annual Future Minerals Forum (FMF) in Riyadh. (SPA)
The MoUs were signed on the sidelines of the Ministerial Roundtable of ministers concerned with mining affairs, held as part of the fifth annual Future Minerals Forum (FMF) in Riyadh. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia, represented by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, signed on Tuesday three international memoranda of understanding (MoUs) on mineral resources cooperation with the Chile, Canada, and Brazil.

The MoUs were signed on the sidelines of the Ministerial Roundtable of ministers concerned with mining affairs, held as part of the fifth annual Future Minerals Forum (FMF), hosted by Riyadh from January 13 to 15.

The deals reflect the Kingdom’s efforts to expand its international partnerships and strengthen technical and investment cooperation in the mining and minerals sector in a manner that serves mutual interests and supports the sustainable development of mineral resources.

The signing ceremony included MoUs on cooperation in the mineral resources field with the Chilean Ministry of Mining, the Canadian Department of Natural Resources, and the Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy.

The Ministerial Roundtable recorded the largest level of international representation of its kind globally, with participation from more than 100 countries, including all G20 members in addition to the European Union, as well as 59 multilateral organizations, industry associations, and non-governmental organizations.

The attendance reflects the standing the ministerial meeting has attained as a leading international platform for aligning perspectives, building partnerships, and developing practical solutions to global challenges in the mining and minerals sector.

Business

Iran's Partners in Crisis after Trump Announces New Tariffs

The Iranian flag and 3D printed oil barrels miniature are seen in this illustration taken June 23, 2025. (Reuters)
The Iranian flag and 3D printed oil barrels miniature are seen in this illustration taken June 23, 2025. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Iran's Partners in Crisis after Trump Announces New Tariffs

The Iranian flag and 3D printed oil barrels miniature are seen in this illustration taken June 23, 2025. (Reuters)
The Iranian flag and 3D printed oil barrels miniature are seen in this illustration taken June 23, 2025. (Reuters)

US President Donald Trump on Monday said any country that does business with Iran will face a tariff rate of 25% on any trade with the US as Washington weighs a response to the situation in Iran which is seeing its biggest anti-government protests in years.

Iran, a member of the OPEC oil producing group, exported products to 147 trading partners in 2022, according to World Bank's most recent data.

China and the United Arab Emirates are Iran’s largest trading partners, putting them at the top of the list of countries at risk of being hit by Trump’s 25% tariff threat, according to Bloomberg.

Countries like India, Brazil, Iraq, Türkiye and Russia are also major trade partners of Iran.

Fuel is Iran's biggest export item by value, while major imports include intermediate goods, vegetables, machinery and equipment.

China

China is the primary buyer of Iranian oil, which remains under international sanctions over Tehran's nuclear program.

In 2024, the trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $17.8 billion.

In 2025, China bought more than 80% of Iran's shipped oil, according to data from Kpler, an analytics firm.

Iranian oil has a limited pool of buyers because of US sanctions that seek to cut off funding to Tehran's nuclear program.

Also, Iran has a record amount of oil on the water, ​equivalent to about 50 days of output, with China having bought ‌less because of sanctions and Tehran seeking to protect its supplies from the risk of US strikes, data from Kpler and Vortexa shows.

Iranian oil imported by China is typically labelled by traders as originating from other countries, such as Malaysia, a major transshipment hub, and Indonesia.

Chinese customs data has not shown any oil shipped from Iran since July 2022.

UAE

While China is Iran's premier trade partner, the UAE is the second largest. Trade between Iran and the UAE has reached $16.11 billion, making it a vital center in Iran’s regional trade and putting the Emirates at the top of the list of countries at risk of being targeted by Trump’s tariffs.

Iraq

Iraq, Iran’s historical partner and geographically closest, ranks fourth globally with a trade volume reaching $12.3 billion, representing 9.9% of Iran’s total foreign trade activity.

In recent years, Iraq has relied on Iran to supply about 40% of its needs for gas and electricity, at a time when Iraqi infrastructure lacks the capacity to process natural gas for domestic use.

Iraq is already subject to US tariffs of 35% under Trump’s decision to impose reciprocal tariffs with many countries last August.

Currently, gas exports from Iran have been suspended or severely curtailed due to a combination of extreme domestic heating demand and broader economic pressures.

India

India's total bilateral trade with Iran stood at $1.34 billion for the first 10 months of 2025, according to India's commerce ministry. Major Indian exports to Iran include basmati rice, fruits, vegetables, drugs and other pharmaceutical products.

The US president already imposed levies as high as 50% on Indian goods tied to their purchase of Russian oil. The two sides have been working for months to finalize a deal that would provide long-sought tariff relief to New Delhi.

Türkiye

Turkish exports to Iran were $2.3 billion in full-year 2025, while imports were $2.2 billion over 11 months of the year, according to sector and official data sources.

Germany

Iran's exports to Germany stood at around 217 million euros in the first eleven months of 2025, an increase of 1.7%, according to data from the state-owned international economic promotion agency Germany Trade & Invest. German exports to Iran fell by a quarter to 871 million euros over the period.

South Korea

South Korea's exports to Iran between January and November 2025 were marginal at $129 million, while imports stood at $1.6 million during the same period, according to data from the Korea International Trade Association.

Japan

Japan imported modest amounts of fruit, vegetables and textiles from Iran and shipped some machinery and vehicle engines there, according to the latest trade data from Japan that goes through November 2025.

Business

Alkhorayef to Asharq Al-Awsat: Saudi Efforts Drive Mining Investment

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef speaks at a press conference in response to a question from Asharq Al-Awsat. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef speaks at a press conference in response to a question from Asharq Al-Awsat. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT
TT

Alkhorayef to Asharq Al-Awsat: Saudi Efforts Drive Mining Investment

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef speaks at a press conference in response to a question from Asharq Al-Awsat. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef speaks at a press conference in response to a question from Asharq Al-Awsat. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef said on Tuesday the Kingdom is intensifying its efforts, through the Future Minerals Forum and by reshaping long-standing negative perceptions of the sector, to encourage investors worldwide to reassess the value of mining investments, particularly in Africa.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of the Riyadh forum, held under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Alkhorayef said that one of the biggest challenges facing the mining sector was the flow of investment.

This issue had been raised since the launch of the Future Minerals Forum and the roundtable initiative, he added.

The World Bank's participation in the Future Minerals Forum signaled the importance of finding solutions capable of supporting investment in the sector, he stressed.

Alkhorayef revealed that there were other initiatives aimed at supporting sectors complementary to mining, particularly logistics services, through government partnerships and support provided by international organizations, alongside banks and development funds.

The international ministerial meeting of ministers responsible for mining affairs was held on Tuesday as part of the Future Minerals Forum.

It is regarded as the world’s largest and most prominent government platform for discussing the future of the mining and minerals sector, with participation from over 100 countries, more than 70 international and non-governmental organizations, as well as business federations and leading global industry executives.

The meeting is following up on progress in the three ministerial initiatives, identifying upcoming work milestones, and cooperating on capacity building with international partners and skills development.

It will also launch the Future Minerals Framework as a scientific pathway to align visions and boost cooperation worldwide.