ALAA for Industry (AFI) has opened its new super sucker factory in Dammam. The facility manufactures industrial vacuum loaders which are used for sucking sludge and dry materials such as sand and pebbles from a long distance and from deep pits.

INTERNATIONAL law firm King & Wood Mallesons SJ Berwin has entered into an exclusive association with the Law Office of Majed Almarshad to open an office in Riyadh, marking the first time that a global law firm headquartered in Asia has established a permanent presence in Saudi Arabia.

SAUDI Arabia has asked 10 prequalified international consortia to submit their bids for the multi-billion-dollar Makkah Metro project, contracts for which are expected to be signed in early October, according to the city’s mayor.

SAUDI Arabia is set to launch a SR55-billion ($14 billion) project for pilgrims in Madinah, which is expected to be the largest of its kind in the country. The Public Investment Fund (PIF) of the Ministry of Finance will launch the project, which will consist of office and residential towers, Al Madinah daily reported.

FRENCH company Systra has won a consultancy contract from Saudi Arabia to provide preliminary engineering designs for the Jeddah Metro project, a report said. The contract is valued at SR276 million ($73.59 million), the Arab News report said.

SAUDI ARABIA has approved 5,700 new educational development projects worth SR54 billion ($14.3 billion), said a report. The new projects were aimed at creating a qualitative improvement in the country’s educational environment, Education Minister Prince Khaled Al-Faisal was quoted as saying in the Arab News report.

Accor signs Novotel Riyadh deal ACCOR Hotel Services Middle East, a leading hospitality group, has signed a management agreement with United Youth Company (UYC) to develop the new Novotel located on Olaya Street in the fast growing northern part of the Saudi capital.