Author: Editorial Team

RIYADH — The Saudi Council of Health Insurance (CHC) announced on Thursday the issuance of 100 decisions to impose fines, amounting to a total of SR4 million, on employers during the first quarter of 2026. This is for the violation of the provisions of the Health Insurance Law. The Council stated that these fines were imposed after granting violators a grace period to rectify their violations before taking legal action against them. This is based on Article 41 of the Health Insurance Law, which stipulates that employers are obligated to enroll in the health insurance program for their insured employees…

Summary of Results for 1Q26: •Total Operating Income: remained stable at SAR3,612 million (1Q 2025: SAR 3,620).•Net Loans and Advances: increased by 10% year-on-year to SAR307 billion (1Q 2025: SAR279 billion).•Customer Deposits: increased by 14% year-on-year to SAR331 billion (1Q 2025: SAR290 billion).•Total Equity: increased by 11% year-on-year to SAR81 billion (1Q 2025: SAR73 billion).•Net Profit after Zakat and Income: SAR2,086 million, a 2% decrease year-on-year from SAR2,135 million in 1Q 2025, due to the provisions taken. Ms. Lubna S. Olayan, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Awwal Bank (SAB), announced on Thursday the Bank’s financial results…

Bangladesh has confirmed 30 deaths in a measles outbreak that has spread rapidly across the country, with most of the victims aged under two, the World Health Organisation said on Thursday. In what it described as a reversal of progress towards measles elimination in Bangladesh, the WHO said there had also been another 166 suspected deaths from the disease since mid-March. Health experts said it was the highest death toll from measles in decades. More than 19,000 suspected cases were reported from March 15 to April 14 and nearly 3,000 cases were confirmed in laboratory tests, the WHO said. Stay…

H.E. Dr. Hisham S. Aljadhey, CEO of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), conducted a series of strategic bilateral meetings with international regulatory counterparts on the sidelines of the 7th International Heads of Food Agencies Forum (IHFAF) in Auckland. Dr. Aljadhey commenced the discussions with Mr. Gerard Bakker, Inspector General at the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA). The two sides explored frameworks for deepening technical cooperation and the exchange of expertise. A primary focus was the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to optimize food risk management, refine product evaluations, and enhance the precision of digital inspection…

Archit Gupta, Founder and CEO, ClearTax. When Saudi Arabia launched its ZATCA e-invoicing mandate in December 2021, most enterprises approached it as a compliance project. Get the invoices into the right format. Connect to the authority’s systems. Go live before the deadline. Move on.  What followed over the next two years revealed a more important reality. E-invoicing is not a one-time compliance exercise. It is a structural shift in how financial data flows through an organisation.  Companies that treated Phase 1 as a one-time exercise often found themselves revisiting earlier implementation choices when Phase 2 arrived in January 2023. It introduced…

RIYADH — The Ministry of Tourism conducted over 19,000 inspection visits to hospitality facilities and temporary accommodations for pilgrims in Makkah and Madinah to ensure readiness for the 2026 Hajj season. More than 11,000 inspections were carried out in Makkah and over 5,000 in Madinah, alongside 3,000 visits to assess temporary housing compliance and service quality. In parallel, field teams conducted over 3,300 awareness visits to promote adherence to quality standards and licensing requirements, resulting in higher compliance and improved sector readiness. Working within an integrated government framework, the ministry aims to ensure pilgrims’ safety and comfort. For the first…

RIYADH — Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan received on Thursday a phone call from Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla. During the call, they reviewed the latest developments in the Middle East. They also discussed a number of topics of mutual interest. Source: Saudi Gazette

Atlantis Dubai has temporarily paused operations at seven restaurants across Atlantis The Palm and Atlantis The Royal, as it reviews guest demand and refines its dining strategy. In a statement, the resort said the move is part of an ongoing effort to align operations with visitor trends while maintaining high standards across its key venues, many of which continue to attract residents and tourists alike. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp channels. The venues currently not in operation include La Mar by Gastón Acurio, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Cloud 22, and Ling Ling at…

A recent academic study has underscored the importance of developing integrated models that combine economic policy frameworks with engineering methodologies to accelerate the growth of the green hydrogen sector. The study highlights that a lack of coordination between governments and the private sector remains one of the most significant challenges facing the industry globally. It notes that aligning national strategies with industrial initiatives can enhance investment efficiency and strengthen the long-term sustainability of green and clean energy projects. According to the findings, establishing clear regulatory frameworks supported by practical and scalable operational models is critical to closing execution gaps, particularly…

Ibrahim ElKabany. TrendAI has appointed Ibrahim ElKabany as Director, Global Partner Office, Alliances & Go-To-Market for Mediterranean, Middle East & Africa (MMEA) and India, reinforcing its strategic focus on accelerating ecosystem-led growth, strengthening partner alliances, and expanding market presence across key high-growth regions. Based in Dubai, ElKabany brings more than 20 years of leadership experience across enterprise technology, cloud transformation, and strategic alliances, with a strong track record of driving revenue growth and building high-impact partner ecosystems across Europe, the Middle East, Levant, and Africa. Throughout his career, he has held senior leadership roles with global technology organisations, including Oracle, Microsoft, IBM, SAP,…