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☆ Brent oil gains after Iran's President dies, Saudi flags issue with King's health
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Brent crude futures extended gains on Monday, inching up amid political uncertainty in major producing countries after Iran's president died in a helicopter crash and the Saudi crown prince cancelled a Japan trip, citing health issues with the king. Brent gained 10 cents, or 0.1%, to $84.08 a barrel by 0454GMT, after rising to $84.30 earlier, its highest since May 10. He added that WTI prices may rebound further toward $83.50 after rising above the 200-day moving average of $80.02. Despite the volatility in the region, oil prices moved only slightly. "Continuity in Saudi strategy is expected regardless of this health issue," he added.

Persons: Brent, Ebrahim Raisi, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, King Salman, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Tony Sycamore, Sycamore, Warren Patterson, Patterson, Saul Kavonic, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman's Organizations: Brent, . West Texas, Saudi, Saudi Arabian Crown, Iranian, IG, ING, The, of, Petroleum, Petroleum Reserve Locations: Fort Stockton , Texas, Saudi, Japan, East Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabian, China, U.S, United States, Washington

☆ Saudi king to be treated for lung inflammation, state news agency says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Photo: Oliver Weiken/dpa (Photo by Oliver Weiken/picture alliance via Getty Images)Saudi King Salman will undergo treatment at Al Salam Palace in Jeddah for a lung inflammation, the state news agency said on Sunday, hours after he underwent medical tests. Citing the royal court, the state news agency said the 88-year-old king would be treated with antibiotics until the inflammation subsides. Earlier on Sunday, King Salman underwent medical tests at the royal clinics at Al Salam Palace due to "high temperature and joint pain", the Saudi state news agency said. King Salman, the custodian of Islam's holiest sites, became ruler of the world's top oil exporter in 2015 after spending more than 2-1/2 years as the crown prince and deputy premier. Saudi Arabia's embassy in Japan did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the crown prince's cancelled trip.

Persons: Abdel Fattah el, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Jean, Claude Juncker, Oliver Weiken, Saudi King Salman, King, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Yoshimasa Hayashi, King Salman of, Prince Mohammed's, Hayashi, King Salman, Jake Sullivan, Emperor Naruhito, Fumio Kishida Organizations: Arab League, European Union, of Arab, Getty Images, Al Salam, Saudi, Al, U.S . National Locations: Egypt, Sharm El, Saudi King, Sharm, Saudi, Jeddah, Japan, Saudi Arabia, King Salman of Saudi Arabia, Tokyo, Washington, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's

CNN —Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud has a lung inflammation and is receiving treatment, Saudi news agency SPA said, prompting the country’s Crown Prince to postpone a scheduled trip to Japan. King Salman, 88, was diagnosed with the inflammation after undergoing medical tests, and is being treated with antibiotics in Jeddah, SPA reported on Sunday. His son Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince and de facto leader of Saudi Arabia, scrapped plans to travel to Tokyo due to his father’s condition. Earlier on Sunday, bin Salman met with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in the eastern city of Dhahran, SPA reported. King Salman underwent surgery in 2020 to remove his gallbladder.

Persons: King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al, Saud, Prince, King Salman, Mohammed bin Salman, bin Salman, Jake Sullivan, King Abdullah, Mohammed bin Nayef Organizations: CNN, Saudi, Japanese Foreign Ministry, US National Locations: Saudi, Japan, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Tokyo, Dhahran, Gaza

☆ Muslims spot Ramadan crescent moon in Saudi Arabia, meaning month of fasting starts Monday for many
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Officials saw the crescent moon Sunday night in Saudi Arabia, home to the holiest sites in Islam, marking the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan for many of the world's 1.8 billion Muslims. Saudi state television reported that authorities there saw the crescent moon. However, there are some Asia-Pacific countries like Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, that will begin Ramadan on Tuesday after failing to see the crescent moon. In Saudi Arabia, the kingdom had been urging the public to watch the skies from Sunday night in preparation for the sighting of the crescent moon. The Palestinian territories will begin Ramadan on Monday as well.

Persons: Jordan, Saudi King Salman, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ramadan, Robabeh, it's, Prophet Muhammad, Israel, Jerusalem's Organizations: Iran's, Hamas, Islamic Locations: Musyari'in, Jakarta, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Islam, Saudi, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Asia, Pacific, Australia, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Oman, Israel, Gaza, Palestine, Mecca, Iran, Tehran, Persian, Nowruz, U.S, Jerusalem's Al, Aqsa, Sudan

☆ Why ISIS has unleashed its suicide bombers against Iran
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

By the day's end of the day, scores of supporters of the rulers of Iran were dead, and hundreds were injured in a twin suicide bombing. AdvertisementHe was considered a hero, she said, by many in Iran for driving ISIS out of Iraq and helping to defeat them in Syria. Stringer/Anadolu via Getty ImagesIt was the latest in a string of attacks by the ISIS affiliate that has been targeting Iran for five years. The Iranian intelligence ministry sought to blame its old enemy Israel for the atrocity and said one of the bombers had Israeli citizenship, the Times of Israel reported. AdvertisementThey will continue to attempt attacks against Iran "no matter what," Washington Institute for Near East Policy expert, Aaron Zelin, told the VoA.

Persons: Qassem, —, Qassem Soleimani, Kerman, Barbara Slavin, Soleimani, Stringer, Khomeini's, Abdollah Tajiki, Slavin, It's, it's, White, John Kirby, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Saudi King Salman, Prophet Mohammed, Salvin, Donald Trump, Aaron Zelin Organizations: Sunni, Service, Revolutionary, Reuters, The Stimson Center, Iran Initiative, Asia Center, ISIS, Anadolu, Getty, Iranian, Ministry of Intelligence, Revolutionary Guard, Saudi, US, UK, Red, Quds Force, The Stimson, Washington Institute for Near East, VoA Locations: Kerman, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Asia, Kerman City, Tehran, Tajik, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Hormuz, Soleimani, Iranian, Fars, Republic, Yemen, Iran's, United States, al Qaeda, American

GENEVA (AP) — The near certainty that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 men's World Cup unites two of the most influential men in world sports: the leader of soccer's governing body and the kingdom's crown prince. In the case of Saudi Arabia, U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi was slain inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in 2018. The men’s World Cup should earn Switzerland-based FIFA more than $10 billion in almost entirely tax-free revenue. “Mohammed bin Salman wants Saudi Arabia to be a hub of anything and everything,” Middle East expert James Dorsey said. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic and FIFA canceled the planned June 2021 relaunch in China of its Club World Cup event.

Persons: Gianni Infantino, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, sportswashing, Jamal Khashoggi, Prince Mohammed, Infantino, King Salman, Prince Mohammed's, “ Abraham, ”, Donald Trump, ” Infantino, Mohammed's, Cristiano Ronaldo, “ Mohammed bin Salman, James Dorsey, Greece —, —, Australia –, they’ve, James Johnson, “, Yasser Al Misehal –, – Organizations: GENEVA, FIFA, Australia, Qatar, White House, “ Abraham Accords, United Arab, Soccer, Newcastle, Russia, Saudi, ” Football Australia, ” FIFA, FIFA Council, Fox News Locations: Saudi Arabia, Persian, Saudi, U.S, Istanbul, Riyadh, Switzerland, Gulf, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Europe, Swiss, China, Qatar, United States, Canada, Mexico, Egypt, Greece, Africa, South America, Asia, Oceania, Saudi Arabian, Australia

☆ How Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman went from pariah to pragmatic diplomat
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is trying to transform the oil-rich Persian Gulf kingdom. AdvertisementAdvertisementSaudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is on a mission to transform his country. Billboards show portraits of Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) and his father and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz. US President Joe Biden (L) being welcomed by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) at Alsalam Royal Palace in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on July 15, 2022. President Joe Biden gives Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a handshake at the G20 summit this September.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, he's, —, Prince Mohammed didn't, King Salman, Fahda bint Falah, Saud, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz, AAMIR QURESHI, Muhammad bin Nayef, Prince Mohammed, Rash, Chris Doyle, GIUSEPPE CACACE, Doyle, he'd, Jamal Khashoggi, Emmanuel Macron, Joe Biden, Prince Mohammed a, Grant Shapps, Vladimir Putin's, Sanam Vakil, Biden, Evelyn Hockstein, Vakil, Duaa, Pierre Crom, Dhainy, Prince Organizations: Service, Saudi, King Saud University, Saudi Arabian Crown, Guardian, Ritz, Carlton, Council, Arab, CIA, Royal, Anadolu Agency, Bloomberg, Washington, Chatham House, Associated Press, Fox News, European Saudi Organization for Human Rights, MBS, United Nations, Getty Images, Human Rights Locations: Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Riyadh, British, Istanbul, Jeddah, Ukraine, Iran, China, Israel, East, North Africa, Delhi, Neom, The Hague, Netherlands, Getty Images Saudi Arabia

☆ Opinion: The Hamas attacks could prevent a diplomatic breakthrough
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Peter Bergen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In the past, Israel has exchanged large numbers of Palestinian prisoners for Israelis held by Hamas. Indeed the Abraham Accords did not do much of anything for the Palestinians. Also, both Israel and Saudi Arabia have a strong common interest today, both seeing Iran as their most dangerous enemy. Iran has also provided support to Hamas, according to the US State Department, in a 2020 report on terrorism. They are betting on a losing horse.”And on Saturday, Khamenei’s top military adviser said that Iran supported Hamas attacks in Israel “until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem.”

Persons: Peter Bergen, ”, Abraham, Donald Trump’s, Jared Kushner, Kushner, Trump, Biden, Islam —, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, King Salman, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Israel “ Organizations: New, Arizona State University, Apple, Spotify, CNN, Trump Administration, Abraham Accords, United Arab, Israel, Trump, Saudi, MBS, Fox News, US State Department, Iranian Locations: New America, Gaza, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, East Jerusalem, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Israeli, Islam, Kippur, Egypt, Syria, Iran, Palestine

LONDON, Sept 21 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Barely a day goes by without an eye-catching story involving Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. A third of the fund consists of significant stakes in domestic companies like the $51 billion Saudi Telecom Company (7010.SE) and $53 billion Saudi National Bank (1180.SE). Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsThe PIF’s investment strategy is also racier than its more conservative peers. But the episode reinforces the impression that the PIF is a mix of venture capital, hedge fund and startup money. The most spectacular was probably handing $45 billion to SoftBank Group (9984.T) boss Masayoshi Son for his $100 billion first Vision Fund.

Persons: Kylian Mbappé, It’s, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Yasir Al, Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala, Rumayyan, Salman bin Abdulaziz, Masayoshi Son, SWFs, Taiwan’s Foxconn, Peter Thal Larsen, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Standard Chartered, Spanish telco Telefonica, Fund, Abu, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Global, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Saudi, Saudi Telecom Company, Saudi National Bank, Saudi Aramco, giga, Qatar Investment Authority, Singapore’s Temasek, Al, MbS, SoftBank Group, Vision, Credit Suisse, UBS, Saudi giga, Aramco, Investment, Thomson Locations: Spanish, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Saudi

WASHINGTON (AP) — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a rare interview with Fox News on Wednesday that negotiations over Israel means the prospects of normalized relations between both countries “get closer" every day, but that treatment of Palestinians remains a “very important” issue to be resolved. Saudi Arabia is discussing a major agreement with the United States to normalize relations with Israel in exchange for a U.S. defense pact and aid in developing its own civilian nuclear program. We think it’s good not just for Israel and Saudi Arabia, we think it’s good for the whole region,” Kirby said. Saudi Arabia has made major progress in winding down its devastating war with Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, this week hosting a rebel delegation in the capital, Riyadh. The 38-year-old bin Salman assumed day-to-day rule after the aging King Salman named him next in line to the throne in 2017.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, “, Bret Baier ”, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Netanyahu, ”, bin Salman, we’ve, John Kirby, Saudi Arabia “, ” Kirby, Bin Salman, ” Bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, ” bin Salman, Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s, PIF, Salman, King Salman Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Fox News, MBS, Israeli, General Assembly, West Bank, National Security, Washington Post, Saudi, Fox News Channel, White House, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Trump, Arab League Locations: — Saudi, Israel, Saudi Arabia, United States, Palestinian, Saudi, New York, Asia, East, Europe, Iran, Saudi Arabi, Western, Yemen, Riyadh, Syria, America

Meanwhile, failed uprisings in Bahrain and eastern Saudi Arabia were followed by years-long crackdowns and a continuing civil war in Syria. “What we’re beginning to see in Saudi Arabia right now is the emergence of a new social contract. Saudi Arabia is the world’s biggest exporter of crude oil, and nearly two-thirds of its income still comes from selling fossil fuels. If Saudi Arabia can become a hub for major sporting events, then that’s a way of attracting interest to the country,” said Maguire. In response to previous criticism about Saudi Arabia’s purported “sportswashing,” the kingdom’s sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal said: “People that don’t know Saudi Arabia, have never been to Saudi Arabia, go out and talk about it as if they’ve lived there for 30 years, 40 years.

Persons: Hilal, Kylian Mbappé, Germain, Neymar Jr, Ballon d’Or, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nassr, Patricia de Melo Moreira, it’s, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman –, Leon Neal, Ballon, Karim Benzema, Al Hilal, spender, –, Carlo Nohra, Jordan Henderson, Henderson, “, ’ ” Simon Chadwick, “ We’ve, ” Chadwick, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Al Nassr, Stringer, you’re, Kieran Maguire, they’re, Everybody’s, ” Maguire, Chadwick, Ronaldo, Maguire, … Mohammed bin Salman, ” James Dorsey, ”, Chadwick –, Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al, Faisal, don’t, they’ve, LIV Golf, Jimmy Dunne, LIV, Dunne, Aleksander Ceferin, Erling, Haaland, Jurgen Klopp, Michael Emenalo, Steven Gerrard, Nohra, ” “ They’ve Organizations: CNN, Saudi, Al, Paris Saint, PSG, Saudi Pro League, Ligue, Liga, Serie, Bundesliga, English Premier League, Deloitte, Investment Fund, AFP, Getty, SPL, Saudi Crown, Spanish, Arsenal, CNN Sport, English, Newcastle United, Liverpool, The Athletic, SKEMA Business School, Argentina, Zamalek, King Fahd Sports City, Anadolu Agency, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Football, AFC Asian, FIFA, Greece, Royal Spanish Football Federation, Spanish Super, ”, Amnesty International, Amnesty, Middle East Soccer, Saudi Ministry, Sport, PGA Tour, European, UEFA, Premier League, Ettifaq Media, Reuters New Saudi Pro League, Major League Soccer, La Liga, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Russian Direct Investment Fund, Investigations, PGA Locations: Saudi Arabian, Brazil, Saudi, Ittihad, Al, Ahli, Real Madrid, England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Liverpool, China, Qatar, Taif, Egypt, Spanish, East, North Africa, Libya, Yemen, Tunisia, Bahrain, Syria, “, ”, Europe, ” Liverpool

☆ The US is quietly warning its Middle East partners about the cost of stocking up on Chinese-made weapons
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Chinese arms sales in the Middle East have increased by 80% over the past decade, a result of Beijing's expanding relationships there and its willingness to deliver arms faster and with fewer stipulations than Washington. FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty ImagesMiddle Eastern countries, led by the Arab Gulf states, have for decades been major buyers of US-made weapons. Chinese arms sales to the region are "substantial and expected to continue to increase," said Ahmed Aboudouh, an associate fellow at Chatham House. "But it's just one factor among many, including varying threat perceptions of Iran among the Arab Gulf states as well as varying levels of trust between the Arab Gulf governments themselves." Paul Iddon is a freelance journalist and columnist who writes about Middle East developments, military affairs, politics, and history.

Persons: Michael Kurilla, Kurilla, Loong, KARIM SAHIB, Colin Kahl, Biden, Kahl, We're, FAYEZ NURELDINE, Ahmed Aboudouh, Aboudouh, James Hodgman, Russia's, ANDREW CABALLERO, REYNOLDS, Emily Hawthorne, RANE, that's, Hawthorne, Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed, Xi, ANDY WONG, Kahl's, Paul Iddon Organizations: Service, US Central Command, Senate Armed Services Committee, Dubai Airshow, Getty, Chatham House, Pentagon, Getty Images, United Arab Emirates, Patriot, Al Udeid, Base, US Air Force, Tech, Air Defense, Turkey, NATO, East, Khalifa, UAE, US, Abu Dhabi Crown, Gulf Cooperation Council Locations: China, Washington, Wall, Silicon, Beijing, AFP, British, Saudi, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, East, North Africa, Qatar, Russia, Europe, Gulf, UAE, Yemen, Ankara, Turkey, Prince, Xinhua, Khalifa, Abu, Arab Gulf, Iran

☆ Saudi Arabia is now stealing sporting headlines as prince pursues global ambitions
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Nic Robertson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Saudi Arabia has been in the headlines a lot lately – this time for trying to find its place in the sporting world. The kingdom’s golfing coup is perhaps the crowning sporting achievement so far of heir apparent Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS). Regional outlierBy the time King Salman came along, the 21st century was passing Saudi Arabia by. Saudi Arabia has led efforts to bring Syria in from the cold and tried to mediate in conflicts such as those in Sudan and even Ukraine. On oil, he has made Saudi Arabia a bolder player.

Persons: LIV Golf, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ballon d’Or, Karim Benzema, Jamal Khashoggi, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, King Salman’s, King Salman, LIV, Liberalizations, Al Hathloul, can’t, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Bashar al, Assad, Yemen’s, Putin, Xi Organizations: CNN, golf’s, Dubai, Saudi Pro League, France, Washington Post, Formula, MBS, Ritz, Saudi, Washington Locations: Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Portuguese, Istanbul, Riyadh, Mecca, Dubai, Moscow, Beijing, Ukraine, Syria, Sudan, Turkey, Syrian, Iran, Asia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, Jeddah

☆ Saudi Arabia needs more than higher oil prices to fund its grand plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Eoin Mcsweeney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Abu Dhabi, UAE CNN —Saudi Arabia surprised traders again on Sunday with an oil production cut of about 1 million barrels a day, roughly 1% of global supply, which sent oil prices climbing. But Saudi Arabia knows that it cannot rely solely on a fluctuating oil market for income. Saudi Arabia targets $100 billion in annual foreign direct investment (FDI) by 2030. “We think about where most of the tourism development for Saudi Arabia, it’s along the Red Sea coast. Alongside China’s slowing economy and a sluggish oil market, there are fears for a potential global recession, with Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine adding uncertainty to the market.

Persons: Amena Bakr, “ There’s, ”, Karen Young, Investment Khalid Al, Falih, CNN’s Becky Anderson, “, ’, ” Falih, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, King Salman, Young, Bakr Organizations: UAE CNN —, Brent, Saudi, Organization of, Petroleum, Energy Intel, Monetary Fund, Columbia University Center, Global Energy, Forbes, Saudi Central Bank, ”, Investment, Gulf Cooperation, Investors, CNN, EU Locations: Abu Dhabi, UAE, UAE CNN — Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, OPEC, Saudi, “, Riyadh Monday, Gulf, Dubai, Turkey, Qatar, Syria, Yemen, Iran, Sudan, Red, China, Japan, Korea, Germany, Europe, United States, Ukraine

☆ Jordan royals marry into Saudi family with ties to MBS
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Celine Alkhaldi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The bride is related to Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and de facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), through her mother, who hails from the prominent Al-Sudairi family. Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein and Rajwa Alseif sit during the wedding ceremony in Amman, Jordan on Thursday. Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II of Jordan and Miss Rajwa Alseif. Ties between Saudi Arabia and Jordan have recently thawed after years of tension. During a trip to Jordan last year, MBS was quoted by Saudi media as saying that he was keen to “push relations [with Jordan] to a new phase.”

Persons: CNN —, Prince, Princess, Jill Biden, Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II, Alseif, Jordan, Crown Prince, Rajwa, Mohammed bin Salman, Prince Hussein, Rajwa Alseif, AP Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, King Abdulaziz, Hussa bint Ahmed Al, Katb Al, Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II of Jordan, Miss Rajwa Alseif Organizations: CNN, Syracuse University, Crown, Royal Hashemite Court, AP Saudi Arabia’s, Miss, Royal Hashemite, AP, MBS Locations: Saudi, Wales, Zahran, Jordanian, Amman, New York, Jordan's, Amman , Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Jerusalem, Russia, Jordan

☆ Syria's Assad to attend Arab summit, bringing regional isolation to an end
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Aziz El Yaakoubi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Syria's President Bashar al-Assad arrives to attend the Arab League Summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, May 18, 2023. Assad is expected to address the summit later on Friday, along with other Arab leaders. At an Arab summit hosted by Qatar a decade ago, the Syrian opposition sat in Syria's seat. A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers introduced a bill last week intended to bar U.S. recognition of Assad as Syria's president and enhance Washington's ability to impose sanctions. Government forces have used chemical weapons more than two dozen times during Syria's civil war, U.N. war crimes investigators said.

☆ Syria's Assad to attend Arab summit, bringing isolation to an end
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Aziz El Yaakoubi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Ostracised by most Arab states following the crackdown on protests against his rule in 2011 and the ensuing civil war that killed 350,000 people, his government's readmission to the bloc is a signal that Assad's isolation is ending. Assad is expected to address the summit later on Friday, along with other Arab leaders. A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers introduced a bill last week intended to bar U.S. recognition of Assad as Syria's president and enhance Washington's ability to impose sanctions. Government forces have used chemical weapons more than two dozen times during Syria’s civil war, U.N. war crimes investigators said. While Arab countries appear to have brought Assad in from the cold, they are still demanding that he curbs Syria's flourishing drugs trade and that war refugees be allowed to return.

☆ Israel PM cautions Saudi Arabia about Iran after China-brokered deal, urges greater U.S. presence
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The China-brokered March 10 détente between long-term rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran has dealt a blow to Netanyahu's diplomatic crusade of pursuing Tehran's political isolation. I think that Saudi Arabia, the leadership there, has no illusions about who are their adversaries, and who are their friends." Before that, footage of Israeli forces beating worshippers in Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque during the Arabic holy month of Ramadan drew international condemnations, including from Saudi Arabia. "We'd like very much to have peace with Saudi Arabia. watch nowNarrowing down to just the potential of a relationship with Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu said, "I think the sky's the limit.

☆ Iran Invites Saudi Arabia’s King to Visit as Bitter Rivalry Recedes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( David S. Cloud | Stephen Kalin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

DUBAI—Iran has invited Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz to visit the country, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said Monday, a sign of the rapidly improving ties between two longtime regional rivals. The invitation comes after the two governments agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations last month in a deal brokered by China, which ended seven years of estrangement and jolted the geopolitics of the oil-rich region.

☆ Saudi Arabia takes step to join China-led security bloc, as ties with Beijing strengthen
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Saudi Arabia's cabinet approved a decision to join a China-led security bloc, strengthening Riyadh's eastern ties in a further step away from U.S. interests. The organization further tallies four observer states — including Iran — and nine dialogue partners, counting in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey. The White House did not immediately respond to a CNBC request to comment on Saudi Arabia's new dialogue partner status in the SCO. Saudi interests have long been intertwined with those of leading SCO members China and Russia. Beijing is Riyadh's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade worth $87.3 billion in 2021, according to Reuters.

☆ Saudi Arabia releases US national Almadi from prison, says son
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Aziz El Yaakoubi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

His son, Ibrahim, told Reuters his father was at his home in Riyadh with his family. His case, along with those of other U.S. citizens who remain under a travel ban in Saudi Arabia, had added to an already strained relationship between the two traditional allies. U.S. President Joe Biden said he had raised the cases during meetings with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman when he visited Saudi Arabia in July. In October, Biden vowed there would be consequences for Riyadh after the OPEC+ oil alliance, led by Saudi Arabia and which includes Russia, decided to cut output targets. "There are far too many people in detention in Saudi Arabia who do not have the benefits of U.S. citizenship to draw attention to their cases," he said.

☆ Saudi Arabia has announced a new airline to bring in tourists as it tries to attract 100 million visitors to the kingdom by 2030
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Saudi Arabia announced a new airline that will connect its capital city to over 100 destinations worldwide. On Sunday, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced Riyadh Air — a new national airline that will connect Saudi Arabia to over 100 destinations across the globe by 2030. But cultural clashes may deter tourists from entering Saudi Arabia's newly opened doors. However, some experts say travelers should look at the bigger picture before blacklisting Saudi Arabia as a leisure destination, and consider the opportunity as a learning experience. "Frankly, it would be hard to name a single destination with a clean record on the environment, animal welfare, and human rights."

☆ Saudi Arabia to deposit $1 billion in Yemen's central bank - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

RIYADH, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia will make a $1 billion deposit in Yemen's Aden-based central bank on Tuesday, a Saudi source told Reuters, as the government there struggles with a weak currency and high fuel and commodity prices. An official announcement is expected later on Tuesday at the closing of a major humanitarian conference hosted by the kingdom's King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center in Riyadh, the source said. It was not immediately clear whether the $1 billion was part of an existing $3 billion support package pledged last May by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for Yemen's economy. In November, the Arab Monetary Fund signed a $1 billion agreement to support Yemen's economic reform programme. On Tuesday, the rial was trading at 1,225 to the U.S. dollar on the black market in Aden, traders said.

☆ First Saudi aid plane lands in Syria’s govt-held areas - state media
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] A Saudi aid plane is seen, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, at Aleppo airport, Syria February 14, 2023. REUTERS/Firas MakdesiBEIRUT, Feb 14 (Reuters) - A Saudi aid plane landed at a Syrian airport held by the government of President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday in the first such shipment from the kingdom that has backed the armed opposition to Assad during the country's 11-year civil war. It said the operation was carried out on the orders of Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The person, who was not identified, said that Tuesday's plane was the first of several set to arrive over the next days. Reporting by Timour Azhari, Kinda Makieh and Nayera Abdallah; Editing by Tom Hogue and Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Saudi Arabia's new love for soccer could cause ripple effects across the sports world
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo poses for a photo with the jersey after signing with Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr Football Club in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 30, 2022. Al Nassr Football Club / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesSoccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Saudi club Al-Nassr, and the kingdom's growing investments in the sport, could have ripple effects across Europe and the U.S., experts have told CNBC. The former Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus star earlier this week contended that the "unique contract" was befitting of his status as a "unique player." The Financial Times reported in October that the Saudi PIF had committed more than $2 billion to sponsorship deals over the first eight months of 2022, most of which was directed toward domestic soccer competitions. The Saudi PIF's takeover of Newcastle United was met with criticism across the soccer world — deemed an effort to launder the country's reputation against the backdrop of a poor human rights record.

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