Radisson Hotel Group Expands in Saudi Arabia with the opening of Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Center, Riyadh Minhal

Rashad Iskandrni

• The 77,000 sq ft Qurtubah men’s & ladies facility is GymNation’s largest gym to date.

• This is GymNation’s 22nd location, with an additional 20 more gyms planned to open in the Kingdom by the end of 2025.

• Home to KSA’s biggest ladies-only Reformer Pilates studio 

• Includes an outdoor roof terrace for fitness and social events – set to become the most talked about destination in Riyadh for fitness and social events

• Hosts the region’s largest free weights area and a fully equipped recovery zone with saunas, ice baths, and treatment rooms, alongside a dedicated Glute Training Zone, affiliated HYROX Training Club, and Mind & Body studio. 

GymNation, the region’s fastest-growing fitness brand, has officially launched its largest and most advanced (most instagrammable) facility to date in the heart of Qurtubah, Riyadh. Spanning 77,000 square feet, GymNation’s new flagship sets a new benchmark for health and wellness facilities within Saudi Arabia, further reinforcing GymNation’s mission to make world-class fitness accessible, affordable, and inclusive for everyone.

Purpose-built to meet the needs of the local community, the facility offers a diverse mix of premium training environments, industry-leading equipment, and specialised spaces tailored to different fitness goals and lifestyles. In a first for the Kingdom, the gym features the largest ladies-only Reformer Pilates studio in Saudi Arabia, alongside a private Reformer Pilates room. It also debuts GymNation’s first-ever male spin studio complemented by a dedicated ladies-only spin zone to add to its offerings. 

Gym-goers will also benefit from a purpose-built Glute Training Zone, a mind and body studio for holistic health practices, an affiliated HYROX training club for high-performance training, and the region’s largest free weights section. In addition to its cutting-edge fitness zones, GymNation Qurtubah features a fully equipped recovery area complete with infrared saunas, ice baths, and treatment rooms to support total wellness and optimal performance. 

Josh Whiteley, KSA Country Director, “After an incredibly successful pre-sell, we opened GymNation Qurtubah, with over 7,000 members on day one, and the initial feedback has been unbelievable and we are only just getting started. We’ve got a series of brand-new classes launching, as well as some groundbreaking in gym events that will blend fitness, wellness, culture, and music into one amazing space.  Riyadh will not have seen anything like GymNation before!”

Speaking about the launch, Loren Holland, Founder and CEO of GymNation, said: “Beyond being our largest gym to date, this new Qurtubah location is another symbol of our belief that fitness should be accessible, innovative, and empowering for everyone. Saudi Arabia is experiencing a fitness revolution and we’re proud to provide an environment where people of all fitness levels feel welcomed and motivated. We’ve invested significantly to bring not only the biggest gym with the widest selection of equipment and classes Riyadh has ever seen, but also a gym that looks incredible! From lighting to graffiti, all the way through to new fixtures and finishings, we’ve well and truly raised the bar for what a gym experience can be in the Kingdom.”

The launch of the Qurtubah men’s and ladies gyms follows GymNation’s record-breaking entry into Saudi Arabia, which saw more than 12,000 pre-opening memberships snapped up in just 72 hours across its initial locations in Jeddah and Al Khobar in 2024. As Saudi Arabia continues to drive forward its Vision 2030 goals of promoting more active communities, GymNation is uniquely positioned to support this momentum through its commitment to removing barriers around cost, intimidation, and accessibility.

Rashad Iskandrni

IOn the pursuite towards achievingof vision 2030 of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia May , a partnership Joint Venture agreement was signed between Nasaq Al-Injaz Company for Development and Commercial Investment, one of the companies of the renowned Al-Zahran Group, represented by Mr. Badr Ghurmallah Al-Zahrani, Chairman of the Group’s Board of Directors, and Macleods Pharmaceuticals of India, one of top 10 pharma companies in India and its affiliated research center, represented by Mr. Vijay Agarwal, CEO of the company.

This project  which was inked on 27th May 2025, marks a major milestone in the production of vital chronic disease medications, specifically oral oncology drugs, which currently have no alternatives generics available in the Kingdom. The foreign party Macleods will transfer the technology for these products, which require specific standards in the design and construction of the manufacturing plant to comply with global pharmaceutical benchmarks.

In addition to oncology drugs, both parties have agreed to establish a separate plant to manufacture the latest medications for other chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma, psychiatric disorders, and also the newest treatments for acute and chronic migraines.

Production from the project is expected to be available in phases, with the first phase beginning within 18 months of the agreement’s signing.

The ceremony has been be attended by prominent figures from the pharmaceutical industry, led by His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Abdulqader, the founder of the pharmaceutical industry in Saudi Arabia through the pioneering company SPIMACO, as well as a former member of the Shura Council and Vice President of the Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha), in addition to senior officials from the Saudi Food and Drug Authority.

Rashad Iskandrni

RIMOWA, the iconic German Maison renowned for its emblematic aluminum suitcases and pioneering craftsmanship, announces the opening of its latest boutique in Solitaire Mall, Riyadh. This expansion reaffirms RIMOWA’s commitment to offering a seamless shopping experience for discerning travelers in the Kingdom.

Solitaire Mall in Riyadh is one of Saudi Arabia’s most distinguished luxury shopping destinations, solidifying the city’s reputation as a leading hub for fashion, lifestyle, and high-end retail experiences. The new boutique embodies RIMOWA’s signature blend of modernity, functionality, and timeless design. Designed to reflect the brand’s heritage and innovation, the store features a sleek, contemporary aesthetic with an open-plan layout and high ceilings, creating an inviting and immersive atmosphere.

Visitors will explore distinct zones carefully curated to enhance their customer journey. A dedicated client care space allows for on-the-spot quick repairs and personalized assistance, ensuring that every traveler’s needs are met efficiently. The store will showcase RIMOWA’s full range of iconic pieces, from the emblematic aluminum original suitcases to the essential cabin collections, as well as an array of travel accessories.

With this new boutique, RIMOWA continues strengthening its presence in Saudi Arabia. The German Maison is bringing its legacy of exceptional craftsmanship and thoughtful engineering to the Kingdom’s growing community of sophisticated travelers, offering them companions for a lifetime of movement.

RIMOWA Soliaite Mall Boutique

Address: As Sahafah, Riyadh 13315

Business hours: 10:00 AM-11:00 PM

About RIMOWA:

RIMOWA is a global leader in premium luggage. Since 1898, it has placed quality and innovation at its core to create functional tools for a lifetime of movement. In the 1920s, RIMOWA introduced aviation-inspired aluminium into the manufacture of its suitcases, an idea that revolutionised the industry and resulted in their iconic grooved aluminium design. In 2000, it pioneered again with the debut of the first polycarbonate suitcase. In 2017, RIMOWA joined LVMH; three years later, it launched Never Still, a collection of bags for daily use that heralded its evolution into a cult mobility brand. In 2023, RIMOWA introduced an unconditional lifetime guarantee covering all suitcases purchased from July 25, 2022. Designed and engineered in Germany, RIMOWA combines a legacy of craftsmanship with the rigours of modern technology.    

https://www.rimowa.com/sa/en/home

https://www.rimowa.com/sa/en/home

Rashad iskandrni

Riyadh – June 29, 2025, The capital city Riyadh hosted the launch of the “SAHEM” program, a distinguished national initiative aimed at addressing and controlling obesity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The inaugural meeting was held at the Crowne Plaza Riyadh, with the presence of leading health officials, healthcare practitioners, and media representatives.

The “SAHEM” program aims to spotlight obesity as a chronic disease that requires an integrated medical approach—moving beyond traditional perceptions based on individual blame. The program seeks to build a comprehensive health system that promotes prevention, early diagnosis, and the provision of effective, evidence-based treatment options, in parallel with sustainable community awareness efforts.

The meeting witnessed broad participation from journalists across various media outlets, in addition to several distinguished speakers, including Professor Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sheikh, Dr. Saud Al-Safri, and Dr. Ali Al-Shehri.

Dr. Saud Al-Safri, Consultant of Internal Medicine and Head of Endocrinology and Diabetes Departments at the Armed Forces Hospitals in Al-Hada, emphasized that the “SAHEM” program serves as a national initiative to gather insights from healthcare practitioners—particularly primary care and family physicians—aiming to identify the challenges they face when dealing with obesity patients and to determine their training needs. This is intended to support the development of specialized training programs tailored to real-world practice, based on survey findings.

He added that obesity is a chronic condition that necessitates multifaceted interventions, including prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation. Therefore, it is essential to qualify and train healthcare professionals in the latest diagnostic and therapeutic standards to ensure unified, evidence-based practices.

During the event, the program’s implementation plan was presented, encompassing several key pillars. Among them: launching field activities and public awareness campaigns targeting the general population in schools, workplaces, and shopping centres in collaboration with public and private entities; as well as organizing workshops and training sessions for physicians, nutritionists, and nurses to ensure standardized treatment practices in accordance with the latest global guidelines. The program also includes the development of multi-channel educational content to be produced and disseminated in partnership with media outlets to ensure the widest possible reach of awareness messages.

Speakers affirmed that the program aligns with the Saudi Vision 2030  goals , as to enhance the quality of life, promote public health, and reduce the burden of chronic diseases. They also stressed on the critical role of media as a strategic partner in correcting misconceptions about obesity and reintroducing it as a health issue that deserves collective scientific and societal efforts, through the dissemination of awareness messages in a scientific and humane manner.

The event concluded with a set of recommendations underscoring the importance of collaboration among regulatory bodies, scientific associations, healthcare professionals, and media organizations to establish a successful national model for combating obesity and mitigating its health and economic impacts.

Rashad iskandrni

SICO Capital, the fund manager of SICO Saudi REIT , announced today that unitholders of SICO Saudi REIT have approved its decision to voluntarily withdraw from managing the fund and voted to appoint Wasatah Capital as its successor, subject to final approval from the Saudi Capital Market Authority.

The resolution was passed during a meeting of the REIT’s unitholders which was held virtually on 26 June 2025 via Tadawulaty.

This decision to transition out of the Fund’s management came after a thorough internal strategic review process at SICO Capital, which also appointed its new CEO last month. Management views the move as a strategic step in the best interest of unitholders and the long-term sustainable growth of the fund.

Wissam Haddad, CEO of SICO Capital, said, “This transition represents a new chapter for the REIT and reflects SICO Capital’s ongoing commitment to unitholders. We received significant interest from several fund managers, these requests were handled with full transparency and objectivity, underscoring our commitment to ensuring a smooth and well-governed transition that safeguards unitholder’s interest and supports price stability. We are confident that this step will support the long-term sustainability of the fund's success, in compliance with the Capital Market Law, its implementing regulations, and other relevant laws and regulations.”