2:38 - Saudi Arabia has been ranked 3rd top destination for migrants for the second year in a row, According to the UN World Migration Report 2022. Richard’s one big thing is the World Migration Report 2022, the eleventh in the world migration report series, which has been produced to “contribute to an increased understanding of migration throughout the world.”

The report can be accessed here: https://worldmigrationreport.iom.int/wmr-2022-interactive/

12:58 - Big cats! Saudi Arabia welcomes birth of 2 Arabian leopards in the latest win for Kingdom’s conservation efforts. Lucien’s one big thing is this story, which is the latest development in Saudi Arabia’s recent emphasis on natural conservation. Saudi Arabia’s Princess Reema Bint Bandar Al-Saud, the Ambassador to the United States, has personally championed the cause of big cat conservation, having founded a charity called Catmosphere and emphasizing the critical need to ensure big cats globally survive and are reintroduced to the wild.

You can see Assouline’s book on Big Cats here: https://bit.ly/3pMvUm8

22:17 - Yallah! 6 top storylines on Saudi Arabia to get you up to speed headed into the weekend.

•New Saudi Companies Law 2022: Key Changes, and Next Steps for Companies in KSA

On 28 June 2022, the Saudi Cabinet of Ministers approved the New Companies Law, and it was published in the official gazette (Umm Al Qura newspaper) on 4 July 2022. The New Law will come into effect on or around 1 January 2023, replacing the previous Companies Law which was issued 10/11/2015 and the Law of Professional Companies issued 25 September 2019. The implementing regulations of the New Law are expected to be released prior to the New Law taking effect.

•Salman Rushdie attack ‘unacceptable’ to Islam, says MWL chief Al-Issa
Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, secretary-general of the Muslim World League, called the attack on writer Salman Rushdie “a crime that Islam does not accept.” In an interview with Arab News on the side of his participation in a conference on inter-religious dialogue in the Italian city of Rimini, he said: “Islam is against violence and can never admit any method of violence. Religious and intellectual issues, including phrases that may read in full or partly as offensive, cannot never be dealt with in these violent ways.”

•Pride of Ukraine: Usyk beats Joshua, keeps heavyweight belts
Oleksandr Usyk kissed the blue-and-yellow flag of Ukraine and looked to the Saudi Arabian sky as he waited to discover if he had honored his war-torn country by retaining his world heavyweight titles. Six months ago, he was patrolling the streets of Kyiv with an automatic rifle and defending Ukraine from the invading Russians. Inside the King Abdullah Sport City arena, the still-undefeated Usyk lived up to his billing as the sporting pride of Ukraine by beating Anthony Joshua in a closely fought rematch to keep his WBA, WBO and IBF belts. “I devote this victory to my country, to my family, to my team, to all the military defending this country,” the 35-year-old Usyk said through a translator. “Thank you very, very much.”

•Saudi Energy Ministry completes legal framework for rollout of EV charging stations
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy, in cooperation with other related government agencies and in integration with the private sector, haslaunched the regulations for the rollout of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations so as to ensure quality, efficiency and protection of users and facilities across the Kingdom, according to a report in Saudi Gazette.

•KAPSARC sets new record in Saudi Arabia with five LEED EBOM Platinum certifications
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) awarded King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) in Saudi Arabia five Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certificates under the Existing Building: Operation and Maintenance (EBOM) rating system with a rating of over 80 points. KAPSARC’s facilities are the only buildings in the Kingdom to have achieved LEED-EBOM Platinum certification.

•Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman inaugurated the master plan for the ‘Rua al-Madinah Project’ that lies east of the Prophet’s Mosque.
The Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday that the project will increase the occupant capacity and be able to host 30 million Umrah pilgrims.