Saudi Arabia unveils ESG-focused non-profit for industry, mining

Environmental, social, and governance principles are gaining prominence across the Saudi mining and construction industries. Getty
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Updated 01 July 2025
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Saudi Arabia unveils ESG-focused non-profit for industry, mining

  • Saudi businesses are increasingly embracing ESG principles to drive sustainable growth

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia has launched a non-profit association to help industrial and mining enterprises adopt top sustainability, social responsibility, and governance standards, supporting the Kingdom’s economic growth.

The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources announced the establishment of the association to raise awareness among industrial and mining enterprises and support their adoption of sustainable and responsible business practices.

Saudi businesses are increasingly embracing environmental, social, and governance principles to drive sustainable growth, in alignment with Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2060, reinforcing its position as a regional leader in sustainability.

“The initiative also aims to increase the sector’s contributions and its direct impact on the gross domestic product of the national economy, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030,” the ministry said in a statement.

The press release noted that the undertaking is part of the ministry’s broader efforts to empower non-profit organizations in the industry and mining sectors, underscoring its belief in their role in advancing economic and social development in the Kingdom.

It added that the association will undertake specialized campaigns, implement guidance programs, and hold workshops focused on ESG indicators, and that the establishment aligns with the ministry’s efforts to strengthen the non-profit sector and enhance its role in the industry and mining sector.


No Saudi acquisition offers: FC Barcelona tells Al-Eqtisadiah

Updated 16 December 2025
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No Saudi acquisition offers: FC Barcelona tells Al-Eqtisadiah

CAIRO: FC Barcelona has not received any offers, whether from Saudi Arabia or elsewhere, to acquire the club, according to an official source who spoke to Al-Eqtisadiah.

According to the source, the circulating news regarding the possibility of finalizing a deal to acquire the club in the coming period is a mere rumor.

Recent Spanish reports had indicated the possibility of a Saudi acquisition of Barcelona shares for around €10 billion ($11.7 billion), a move considered capable of saving the club from its financial crises if it were to happen, especially as it suffers from debts estimated at around €2.5 billion.

Sale not in management’s hands

Joan Gaspart, the former president of the club, confirmed that the current board of directors, chaired by Joan Laporta, does not have the right to dispose of the club’s ownership.

He added: “FC Barcelona is owned by about 150,000 members, and selling the club is something the owners will not accept. FC Barcelona possesses something no other club in the world has; money is very important, and so is passion, but the sentiment of the members today is to continue what the club has been for 125 years.”

High market value

Despite the financial crisis the club has been going through in recent years, FC Barcelona ranks sixth on the list of the world’s highest market value clubs, with an estimated value of €1.12 billion, according to Transfermarkt. Meanwhile, its rival Real Madrid tops the list with a market value of €1.38 billion.