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☆ Amazon CEO Andy Jassy says he's committed to cost cutting while investing in AI in shareholder letter
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Annie Palmer | In Annierpalmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +41 min

This work diminished short-term revenue, but was best for customers, much appreciated, and should bode well for customers and AWS longer-term. We're also making progress on many of our newer business investments that have the potential to be important to customers and Amazon long-term. Being intentional about building primitives requires patience. Customers building their own FM must tackle several challenges in getting a model into production. Customers' AI models contain some of their most sensitive data.

Persons: Andy Jassy, Jassy, Jeff Bezos, he's, we've, Martha Stewart, Clinique, we're, We've, bode, We're, I've, iterating, We'd, we'd, Fox, affordably, you've, They're, Anthropic, that's, Claude, Dana, debugs, Slack Organizations: Amazon, Services, AWS, Deal, Prime, MGM, Savings, Regions, Citadel, Target, Storage Service, Netflix, Disney, Max, Paramount, CIA, . Intelligence, Amazon Freight, Carrier, Amazon Shipping, Foods, Drones, Amazon Pharmacy, Amazon Clinic, Robotics, Nvidia, Ricoh, NatWest, FMs, Meta, Bridgewater Associates, Farber Cancer Institute, Delta Air Lines, Intuit, KT, Lonely, LexisNexis, Netsmart, Pfizer, PGA, Rocket Companies, Siemens, Media, Inc Locations: North America, U.S, Europe, India, Brazil, Australia, Mexico, Middle East, Africa, Malaysia, New Zealand, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Berlin, Hulu, Amdocs, Genomics England, GoDaddy, GenAI

☆ Dubai is the economic jewel of the Middle East — now its Gulf neighbors are coming for a piece of the pie
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Pete Syme | Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

According to Forbes' 2023 Travel Guide, Dubai has nine 5-star hotels , compared to Abu Dhabi's three and two in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has made it clear that it wants in on international travel, stating it aims to attract 100-150 million visitors by 2030. Saudi Arabia is catching up with a new airlineThe competition is perhaps the most heated in the aviation industry. On its double-decker Airbus A380, Dubai's airline, Emirates, has top amenities like a shower for business-class passengers, plus an on-board bar. AdvertisementAnd even if it succeeds in attracting tourists to Saudi Arabia, it is unlikely to knock Emirates off its perch.

Persons: —, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Saudi Arabia hasn't, Abu, Abu Dhabi, Forbes, Abu Dhabi's, Faisal Alibrahim, Alibrahim, Mohammed Bin Salman, Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Ulrichsen, Skytrax, Pete Syme, Tony Douglas, Douglas, That's, OAG Organizations: Service, United Arab Emirates, Business, Saudi Crown, Etihad, Bloomberg, CNN, Saudi, Economic, Rice, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Qatari, Etihad Airways, Riyadh Air, Air, Riyadh Air's Boeing, Boeing, Dubai International Airport Locations: Dubai, Gulf, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Abu, UAE, Qatar, Davos, Neom, Emirates, Still, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Europe, Americas, Africa, Asia

☆ Opinion: For the Houthis, war is a way of life
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Peter Bergen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

I think they’re probably ill-advised because I don’t think they’re going to do what they are intended to do. I don’t think they’ll deter the Houthis. This is such an unequal war because the whole character of war has changed. I don’t think it would make the slightest bit of difference whether the US designated them or not. I think they’re on the way to becoming Hezbollah.

Persons: Peter Bergen, CNN —, ”, Elisabeth Kendall, Kendall, PETER BERGEN, ELISABETH KENDALL, It’s, we’re, Elisabeth Kendall BERGEN, KENDALL, KENDALL, it’s, they’ve, didn’t, Abdul Malik al, I’m, Mohammed Hamoud, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Biden, Trump, They’re, don’t, Ali Abdullah Saleh, Saleh Organizations: New, Arizona State University, Apple, Spotify, CNN, US, Girton College, Cambridge University, Islam, Atlantic Council, Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, UN, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Foreign Terrorist Organization, United Nations, Hezbollah, United Arab Locations: New America, Yemeni, Red, Yemen, Sanaa, Saudi Arabia, Hudaydah, Suez, Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Gaza, BERGEN, Israel, Islam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ”, fragmenting, Washington, America, Beirut, Lebanon, Lebanese, United Arab Emirates

☆ Mass visa cancellations at Saudi airport puts relations with Nigeria in spotlight
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Abuja, Nigeria CNN —Diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Nigeria have come under scrutiny after 177 Nigerians were refused entry to the country on Monday. The mass cancellation of visas occurred as Nigera’s President Bola Tinubu was still in Saudi Arabia after holding bilateral talks with the Saudi government. “There was a total lack of sensitivity (by Saudi officials) because the president (of Nigeria) was visiting that country,” Okhai said. Saudi Arabia is a popular pilgrimage destination for thousands of Nigerian Muslims. However, Monday’s deportation of Nigerian nationals is not the first time travelers have been refused entry to Saudi Arabia.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, It’s, ”, ” Victor Okhai, ” Okhai, Reno Omokiri, ” Omokri, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Organizations: Nigeria CNN —, Air, country’s Ministry, Hajj, Saudi, Jeddah …, Africa Summit, Guinea Bissau, African Diaspora Foundation, CNN, United Arab Emirates, UAE, reoccurrence Locations: Abuja, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, Mecca, Saudi, Guinea, Independence, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

☆ An Epic Pilgrimage Across Three Great Religions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Aatish Taseer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +111 min

Before there was tourism, there was pilgrimage: a trip of endurance, hardship and ecstasy in celebration of one’s faith. On an epic pilgrimage of his own, one writer ventures into the heart of three great religions in Bolivia, Mongolia and Iraq. The Imam Hussein shrine in Karbala the day after Ashura. “They’re poor, but they come thousands of kilometers for the love of Imam Hussein.” PILGRIMAGE WAS A great equalizer. “Labaik ya Hussein,” came the solemn chorus of surrounding voices.

Persons: Eduardo Quintela Gonzáles, ” Quintela, JAN, “, ”, Quintela, Victor, Edith Turner, Chaucer, ferne, sondry londes, Vaishno Devi, Lyra Skinner, Lyra, Victoria Preston’s, —, Prophet Muhammad, Virgin Mary, Bath, Naipaul, Augustus, Ryan, garret, Virgin, Monica Machicao, Nicholas Casey, ” Monica, Casey, Evo Morales, sloughing, Columbus, Cortés, Francisco Pizarro, Monica, glitzy cholets, Peru —, Viracocha, it’s, Pablo Quisbert, Leandro Chitarroni, Eichmann, Father Chitarroni, Father Chitarroni’s, Conquistadores ”, Fernando Cervantes, Bernabé Cobo, Quisbert, Edgar Quispe, Tatiana Huayhua, Francisco Tito Yupanqui, Mary, Yupanqui’s, su, Yupanqui, Chitarroni, she’s, Friar Abelino Yeguaori, Friar Yeguaori, Friar Yeguaori’s, Irene, Juana, hajji, Waka, Aracely Alcón, Santiago, Alcón, ‘, don’t, ” Alcón, Tito Yupanqui, Uma Marka, Pachamama, haggard, Amaru Fiorilo Barrios, he’d, ” Fiorilo, Fiorilo, who’d, Valeria Alcón, Laureano Jose Quisbert, Elena Ticona Flores, Eduardo Quintela’s, Ensamble, pang, padre, consolations, Sincrético, El, Rodrigo Paz Pereira, Axel, amauta, strode, La, Aatish Taseer, Saint Helena —, Constantine I, La Paz, Orgilbaatar Tsolmon, Orgil, Genghis Khan, Edward Gibbon, ” Orgil, Araniko’s, Kublai Khan, Genghis Khan’s, Kubla Khan, Coleridge, Kublai, Stalin, sybarite, Khamar, Dalai Lama, Lama, Christopher Kaplonski, ger, I’d, banshtai tsai, Prim, Egi, Munkhdul, Gandantegchinlen, Haidav, herder, “ Um sain, boltugai, Danzanravjaa, Zanabazar’s, Erdene, Mandakhtsog Monkhbaatar, Monkhbaatar’s, Dalai Lamas, prostrated, He’d, Zuu, she’d, Santiago de, L.K, Advani, Emperor Babur, Ram, kar sevaks, Ayodhya, Narendra Modi, Munkhbaatar Batchuluun, Henry Wallace, Franklin D, Potemkin, Munkhbaatar, Gerelmaa, Giimaa, She’d, Eduardo Quintela, Aracely, Santiago’s, Joseph Brodsky’s, Muhammad’s, Hussein, William Keo, ” Khuder, pillion, Labaik, Hussein ”, O Hussein, hearkened, Prophet, Ali —, Ali, Yazid, Imam, crackling, chickpeas, Imam Ali, Imam Hussein, Saddam Hussein, Tusi, Qasim, Imam Hussein’s, Khuder, “ Will, Najaf, prestes, — I, Yasir Yaseen, Ashura, Ali Akbar, Abbas, Ali Asghar, “ We’re, Francisco Goya’s, Hussein’s, Groom, Joseph, ” Wissam, Turfi, Saddam —, Arbaeen, Saddam, “ Imam Hussein, WE, Muhammad, Barnaby Rogerson, Prophet Muhammad ”, ” Ali, Muhammad — Muhammad, formlessness, Muqtada al, Abrams, chiding, Abu Musab Al, Zarqawi, Al Qaeda, William, “ They’re, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, flagellants, ruddy, stylishly, Hussein — shahid —, Farman Ahsan, Syed Salman Raza —, Saddam’s, ” Raza, William “, Ali Zayn al, Abidin, Labaik ya Hussein, thrall —, Lloyd, Susanne Rudolph — Organizations: CITY LA, LA, LA PAZ, Virgin, Crusaders, Dolorosa, Sun, The New York Times, Bolivian, Spain, La, Cordillera, Universidad Mayor de, Catholic, Good, La Paz, Dominican, Pakistan, Caesars, Nissan, Coke, Communists, Communism, ardor, Communist, Hyundai, flails, sacra, Apache, Mahdi Army, Al, ISIS, Karachi —, Princeton Locations: Bolivia, Mongolia, Iraq, Aatish Taseer Bolivia Mongolia Iraq, CITY LA PAZ, BOLIVIA, NAJAF, IRAQ, ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA, LA PAZ, La Paz, Bolivian, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, New York, Christian, British, sondry, India, Delhi, Varanasi, Europe, American, Mecca, Arabia, Long, Vino Tinto, Chile, Peru, Monica, Plurinational State, Bolivia —, Americas, Spain, Columbian, Aztec Mexico, Inca Peru, Calvary Hill, Virgen del Cerro, South America, Puerto Rico, Huatajata, ”, Argentine, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, Mexican, revelry, Spanish, “, morena, La, “ India, multilayered, Potosí, Argentina, Warisata, Scotch, Santiago de Compostela, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Nations, El Alto, Buenos Aires, Bombay, Tibet, Bolivia’s, Yamuna Rivers, United States, Buddhist Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolian, Istanbul, Asia, Islam, China, Beijing, Dadu, Erdene Zuu, Soviet, Gobi, Los Angeles, gers, Qing China, Karnataka, Töv Province, Karakorum, Khamar, Erdene, Ukraine, Korea, Golden, Bayankhongor, Lhasa, Dalai, Inner Mongolia, Mongol, Nalaikh, Santiago, Santiago de Compostela and Canterbury, Bulgan Province, Somnath, Gujarat, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, ger, East German, Uvs Province, Pakistani, Indian, Tennessee, Najaf, Baghdad, Khuder, —, abayas, KARBALA, Kufa, Medina, Saudi Arabia, Karbala, Imam Ali, Bab, Kuwaiti, Bohras, South Asia, Tajikistan, Zaydis, Yemen, Alawites, Anatolia, Syria, Iran, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Sadr, U.S, Jordanian, Al Qaeda, Mesopotamia, Al, Multan, Pakistan, Punjab, Pakistan’s, Islamabad, Lahore, Kuwait, Karachi, Doha, Qatar

☆ Videos show African ethnic groups rounded up in Sudan’s Darfur region
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Sarah Dean | David Mckenzie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Members of African ethnic groups in Sudan’s Darfur region appear to have been rounded up by members of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and other Arab militias, according to videos and images verified and geolocated by CNN. The RSF on Saturday announced it had taken over the main army base in El Geneina (the 15th division headquarters), close to where these videos were filmed. Ethnic related killings have intensified since fighting broke out mid-April between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF, according to witnesses and aid groups operating in the region. MSF said at its hospital in Adré, a 27-year-old man told them he fled El Geneina with 16 other people, but their group was attacked on the road to Chad. It comes after US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called for an “immediate cessation of attacks” in El Fasher in North Darfur.

Persons: “, Toby Harward, El Geneina, Médecins, ”, Nabila Abdel Rahman, Stephanie Hoffmann, Dominique Hyde, ” Hyde, RSF “, RSF, State Anthony Blinken, El Fasher, ” Blinken, CNN’s Sarah Dean, David McKenzie, Allegra Goodwin Organizations: CNN, Rapid Support Forces, Saturday, Reuters, Twitter, Sudanese Armed Forces, SAF, United Nations, MSF, UN, UNHCR, US State Department, African Union, State Department, State, Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces Locations: Sudan’s Darfur, El Geneina, West Darfur, fatigues, Darfur, Chad, Ardamata, Ardamata , West Darfur, Sudan, El, Arab, Ardmata, Adré, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United States, El Fasher, North Darfur, South Africa, London

☆ Bahrain Says Two Soldiers Killed in Houthi Drone Attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO (Reuters) - Two members of Bahrain's army were killed and others were injured in a Houthi drone attack on Monday during a deployment in Saudi Arabia near the border with Yemen, the state news agency quoted the Bahraini army as saying. The Houthis have been fighting against a Saudi-led military alliance since 2015 in a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and left 80% of Yemen's population dependent on humanitarian aid. Last week the Saudi government welcomed what it described as “positive results” from the first direct talks it had with the leading Houthi officials who spent five days in Riyadh. The army statement said an officer and a soldier were killed and "a number" from the force were injured. The U.S. embassy in Bahrain sent a message of condolence to the families of those killed and said it stood by its long-term ally.

Persons: Omar Abdel, Chizu Nomiyama, Alison Williams Organizations: Saudi Locations: CAIRO, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Saudi, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, U.S, Bahrain

The Old City of Jerusalem and its walls were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1981, but UNESCO doesn't list it under Israel or Palestine. Whereas other sites are listed by country, UNESCO lists the site separately, under "Jerusalem (Site proposed by Jordan)." Source: Screenshot from UNESCOIsrael, which joined UNESCO in 1949, has nine sites named to the list, including Masada, the Old City of Acre and the "White City" of Tel Aviv. A backdrop of political alliancesUNESCO's decision to add Tell es-Sultan/Jericho to its World Heritage Site has angered Israeli officials, with Israel's foreign ministry releasing a statement Sunday calling it a "cynical" ploy by the Palestinians to politicize UNESCO. Kyiv's Saint Sophia Cathedral is now on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger.

Persons: Archivio J, Lange, De Agostini, Mounir, Jordan, Masada, Anastas, Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv's, Kyiv's Saint Sophia, Pollex Organizations: UNESCO, Getty, Bank, Saudi Press Agency, The, City of, UNESCO Israel, politicize UNESCO, Saudi, U.S, Biden, United, UNESCO —, World, Saint Locations: Jericho, Palestine, Old City, Jerusalem, City, City of Jerusalem, Israel, Acre, Tel Aviv, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia, Mecca, Medina, Saudi, United States, Ukraine, Lavra, Kyiv, Pechersk, Lviv, Kyiv's Saint

Legendary golfer Gary Player thinks government and sports shouldn't mix, as the golf world goes through a major merger that has triggered antitrust concerns. He was an ambassador for Golf Saudi, an organization pushing to make the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia a more prominent force in the sport. Player also said he supports the proposed merger between Saudi-backed LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, which has drawn criticism and scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers, not to mention golfers. (Previously, Player has spoken out against players leaving the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf, saying it's for "guys that can't win one the regular tour any more.") Last week, a U.S. Senate subcommittee held its second hearing on the proposed merger.

Persons: Gary Player, We've, LIV Golf, Connecticut Sen, Richard Blumenthal Organizations: CNBC, Golf Saudi, Aramco, PGA Tour, U.S, Connecticut, Democratic, Saudi Public Investment Fund, soccer team Locations: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Saudi

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — The United Nations special envoy for Syria Sunday urged donors not to reduce their funding as the war-torn country's economic crisis spirals. Political Cartoons View All 1148 ImagesWith international donor support dwindling, U.N. agencies have been cutting programs due to budget cuts for years. “We cannot accept that funding for Syria is going down while the humanitarian needs are increasing,” Pedersen said. “For Syria without addressing the political consequences of this crisis, the deep economic crisis and humanitarian suffering will also continue,” Pedersen said. Meanwhile, Russia and Iran have tried to push Syria and Turkey to rekindle ties, the latter backing opposition groups in northwestern Syria.

Persons: Bashar Assad’s, Assad, Geir Pedersen, Faisal Mekdad, ” Pedersen, —, Pedersen, — Chehayeb Organizations: United Nations, Syria Sunday, Syrian Foreign, Arab League Locations: DAMASCUS, Syria, Sweida, Daraa, Russia, Iran, Damascus, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Turkey, Beirut, Lebanon

☆ Saudi Arabia appoints first envoy to Palestinians amid talks on Israel normalization
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Abeer Salman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Jerusalem CNN —Saudi Arabia has appointed its first ambassador to the Palestinians, in a move that comes amid talks with the United States over a possible deal to normalize relations between the Gulf kingdom and Israel. Palestinians maintain that the eastern part of the city should serve as the future capital of a Palestinian state. All members of the Arab bloc, including Saudi Arabia, recognize Palestinian statehood and the kingdom maintains a Palestinian embassy in the capital Riyadh. The move comes amid reports of a normalization deal in the works between Saudi Arabia and Israel, with the Unites States involved in the rapprochement. Miller’s comments came after a Wall Street Journal report saying that the US and Saudi Arabia had agreed on the “broad contours” of a normalization deal.

Persons: Jordan, Naif bin Bandar, ”, Mahmoud Abbas’s, Al, Eli Cohen, Israel, Saudi Arabia’s, ” Cohen, ” “, Donald Trump, Matthew Miller Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, of, Palestinian, Palestinian Authority, Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel, Saudi, United Nations, ”, State Department, CNN Locations: Jerusalem, Saudi Arabia, United States, Israel, Naif bin, Naif bin Bandar Al, of Palestine, Jordanian, Amman, Saudi, Palestinian, Riyadh

☆ Saudi soccer league lures Brazilian star Neymar as it seeks to attract 'exceptional players only'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Saudi Arabia also recruited soccer legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema with contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and it's expected to bid to host the 2030 World Cup. 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. Sports analysts are doubtful that Saudi Arabia will see its ambitions to have a top soccer league realized, even with all the money it can offer to top-tier players. Charles Laberge | LIV Golf | Getty ImagesOther criticism comes from an attitude among many that a Saudi league could never be a serious arena for athletes. Emenalo, himself a former defender for Nigeria's national soccer team and former technical director at English club team Chelsea, called the criticisms "outrageous."

Persons: Kylian Mbappe, Neymar Jr, Jean Catuffe, Neymar, Germain, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Kalidou, Lyon's Moussa Dembele, Michael Emenalo, Saudi Arabia's, Al, Hilal, Kylian Mbappé, LIV, shockwaves, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Captain Brooks Koepka, Ricky Elliott, Charles Laberge, LIV Golf, Emenalo, it's, Khalid Al, Falih, that's Organizations: PSG, UEFA Champions League, Celtic Glasgow, Paris Saint Germain, Celtic Park, Getty, Getty Images, Saudi, Al, Paris Saint, Brazil national, L'Equipe, Manchester, Saudi Pro League, Nassr Football Club, Al Nassr Football, Anadolu Agency, France national, Sports, American PGA Tour, Saudi Crown, CNBC, Royal Greens, & Country Club, King Abdullah Economic, Nigeria's, soccer team, Chelsea, Saudi League, Guardian, Saudi Investment, Public Investment Fund Locations: Getty Images Saudi Arabia, Hilal, Barcelona, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Europe, Jeddah, King Abdullah, King Abdullah Economic City

☆ Saudi Mbappé bid even less rational than it looks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Liam Proud | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Yet a possible outlay of 1 billion euros, including compensation, takes the country’s sporting tactics to surreal new heights. Added to the transfer fee, that takes the outlay to around 1 billion euros. Spain’s LaLiga generated about 900 million euros in international broadcast revenue in the 2020-2021 season, according to Deloitte. CBS Sports reported that Al Hilal was also offering Mbappé a total one-year compensation package worth 700 million euros. The Guardian reported that Mbappé’s one-year salary would be 200 million euros, rising to 700 million euros after including other commercial arrangements and proceeds from image rights.

Persons: Al Hilal’s, Kylian, Germain, Declan Rice, Mbappé, Mbappé aren’t, Al Hilal, George Hay, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Paris Saint, Arsenal, Saudi Pro League, Guardian, Deloitte, English Premier League, Saudi, Newcastle United, Premier League, Economics, Regional, Qatar, Britons, Al, Financial Times, Bloomberg, CBS Sports, Thomson Locations: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Paris, China, Saudi, France’s, Saudi Arabian, French

☆ One of Europe's biggest food delivery firms doubles down on Middle East with $300 million Saudi deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Delivery Hero, the German online food delivery company, said Friday that it is taking full ownership of its Saudi subsidiary in a transaction valued at $297 million. Shares of Delivery Hero were down 1.4% during afternoon trade. Delivery Hero is one of Europe's biggest food delivery companies, commanding a $10 billion market value. HungerStation connects more than 10,000 partners, including restaurants and grocery stores, with customers, Delivery Hero said in a statement Friday. The deal will help the firm build stronger ties with HungerStation and the rest of the company's portfolio, Delivery Hero added.

Persons: Niklas Östberg Organizations: Saudi Arabia —, HungerStation Locations: Saudi, HungerStation, Saudi Arabia, Berlin, Kingdom of Saudi, Germany, Netherlands

☆ Emirates has launched a new service that will let customers charter small private jets from Dubai
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

UAE-based Emirates has launched a new private jet arm using Embraer Phenom 100EV business planes. Emirates hopes its new strategy will lure in more high-paying customers as private aviation booms. The demand for private aviation continues to hold strong post-pandemic, particularly in the Middle East where business travel has rebounded quicker than in other regions. On Wednesday, the carrier introduced a brand new on-demand charter service that will ferry elite customers from Dubai to cities in the Gulf region using a fleet of Embraer Phenom 100EV twin-engine private jets. "While it would give operators such as us stiff competition, business travel trends in the UAE still lean towards larger groups of ten travelers or more," she continued.

Persons: —, Thomas Pallini, Jordan Organizations: Emirates, Embraer Phenom, Embraer, Dubai World, Dubai International, Emirates Executive, Emirates Flight Training, Airbus, Gulf Wings, Gulf News Locations: UAE, Dubai, Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, DWC

☆ PGA official pledges golfers will be able to criticize Saudi Arabia if the tour merges with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A top PGA official said golfers would still be able to criticize Saudi Arabia if the tour merges with LIV Golf. Blumenthal also accused the PGA of selling out to the controversial Saudi league. Blumenthal pointed to the fact that initial agreement between the PGA and LIV Golf has a broad non-disparagement clause. Blumenthal cited this record in calling out the PGA for selling out for the LIV merger. He and PGA Tour member Jimmy Dunne, who helped broker an initial agreement with LIV Golf, also repeatedly stressed that the PGA felt it had little choice but to try to find as peace with LIV.

Persons: LIV Golf, Democratic Sen, Richard Blumenthal, Blumenthal, Ron Price, Price, Sen, LIV, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, Khashoggi, Jimmy Dunne, Ron Johnson, Johnson Organizations: Democratic, Saudi, Service, PGA, Connecticut Democrat, Public Investment Fund, FIFA, Amnesty, MBS, Washington, Wilson, Republican Locations: Saudi Arabia, Wall, Silicon, of Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Qatar

☆ Saudi Arabia: What is the nation hoping to achieve amid transfer takeover and what happens next?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Kaveh Solhekol | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Sky Sports News chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol analyses this transfer market trend... Why are Saudi Arabia spending huge sums on foreign players all of a sudden? Saudi Arabia is looking to expand its economy through other industries in order to help guarantee its financial future. It wants to put Saudi Arabia on the map and raise its profile. What else is Saudi Arabia hoping to achieve? Has Saudi Arabia distorted the transfer market forever?

Persons: Cristiano Ronaldo, Mohammed Saad, Ballon, Karim Benzema, Sergio Ramos, Bernardo Silva, Heung, Min Son, Kaveh, Mason Mount Chelsea, Declan Rice, Saudi Arabia —, sportswashing, Jamal Khashoggi, Oscar, West Ham's Marko Arnautovic, Lionel Messi, Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly, Hakim Ziyech, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Mohammed Hamdi, It's, Son Organizations: Saudi Pro League, Al, Alawwal, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images, Real, Chelsea, Premier League, Sky Sports News, Sky Sports, Manchester United, Arsenal, Soccer, Qatar, eventual, Argentina, Amnesty, Rights, Rights Watch, United, Super League, Brazil, Communist Party, Chinese Super League, MLS, Al Jazira FC, Saudi, Tottenham, Spurs Locations: Al, Shabab, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Getty Images Saudi Arabia, Real Madrid, Bournemouth, Saudi, United Nations, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Greece, Egypt, China, Europe, Al Hilal, Al Jazira, Abu Dhabi, Qatar

☆ Aramco, TotalEnergies sign $11 billion contract to build petrochemicals complex in Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] A 3D printed natural gas pipeline is placed in front of displayed Saudi Aramco logo in this illustration taken February 8, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoJune 24 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Aramco) (2222.SE) and TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA) have signed an $11 billion contract to start building a new petrochemicals complex in Saudi Arabia, the two companies said in a joint statement on Saturday. "Aramco and TotalEnergies today awarded Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contracts for the $11 billion "Amiral" complex, a future world-scale petrochemicals facility expansion at the SATORP refinery in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," the statement read. Reporting by Hatem Maher and Omar Abdel-Razek; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Hatem Maher, Omar Abdel, Toby Chopra Organizations: REUTERS, Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Aramco, TotalEnergies, Procurement, Thomson Locations: Saudi Aramco, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

There, under his calming gaze and soft-spoken reassurances, Sudanese refugees and returning South Sudanese wait as aid workers and local women ladle through steel pots filled with lentils and porridge. Kueaa Darhok fled Khartoum with his family when fighting broke out and is now a community leader at the Renk transit camp near the South Sudan border. CNNSet up a week into the fighting in Sudan, when desperate families arrived seeking shelter, the Renk transit camp near the border of South Sudan and Sudan was not supposed to hold more than 3,000 people. Now at least 800,000 South Sudanese have been driven back by the fighting in Sudan. CNNUN appeal for aidTo respond to the Sudan crisis, the UN needs $253 million, with the South Sudan response alone in need of $96 million.

Persons: Kueaa Darhok, Chinua Achebe, instil, ” Darhok, Darhok, Charlotte Hallqvist, Hallqvist, it’s Organizations: South Sudan CNN, South Sudanese, CNN, Sudanese, CNN Fighting, UN, Sudan’s Armed Forces, Rapid Support Forces, United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR, CNN UN, Sudan, United Nations, African Union, European Union Locations: South Sudan, Sudan, Darhok, Khartoum, Republic of Sudan, Renk, Arab Republic of Egypt, Federal Republic of Germany, State, Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

☆ GCC-China free trade deal must protect emerging Gulf industries, Saudi minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Aziz El Yaakoubi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

RIYADH, June 11 (Reuters) - The free trade deal being negotiated between China and the Saudi Arabia-dominated Gulf Cooperation Council needs to protect emerging Gulf industries, the Saudi investment minister said on Sunday, adding he hoped it would be finalised soon. "We need to enable and empower our industries to export, so we hope all countries that negotiate with us for free trade deals know we need to protect our new, emerging industries," Investment Minister Khalid al-Falih said. Talks on a China-GCC Free Trade Agreement (FTA) began in 2004 but have repeatedly stalled, most recently in 2016 after a ninth round. The Gulf's two biggest economies, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have launched new industrial strategies to boost domestic economic growth and non-oil exports. Saudi Arabia is developing sectors including domestic manufacturing, mining and minerals, and advanced technology.

Persons: Khalid al, Falih, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Aziz El Yaakoubi, Lisa Barrington, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Gulf Cooperation Council, Investment, China Business Conference, GCC, Trade, United Arab Emirates, United Arab, Thomson Locations: RIYADH, China, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Gulf, United Arab Emirates

☆ Sudan: Biden administration imposes sanctions and visa restrictions in response to ongoing violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The Biden administration on Thursday imposed financial sanctions and visa restrictions in response to the ongoing violence in Sudan. The announcement of the sanctions comes a day after the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) announced it was walking away from talks with the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) following numerous ceasefire violations by both sides and as the conflict in Sudan – which has killed hundreds, injured thousands, and triggered a humanitarian catastrophe – continues. “It’s important, in our view, to hold people accountable and to recognize that until the calculus of both parties change they will continue to fight each other and destroy this country,” a senior administration official told reporters Thursday. In addition to the financial sanctions, the US State Department imposed visa restrictions “on specific individuals in Sudan, including officials from the SAF, RSF, and leaders from the former Omar al-Bashir regime, responsible for, or complicit in, undermining Sudan’s democratic transition,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. The State Department did not specify who the individuals are.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, ”, Joe Biden, Omar al, Bashir, Antony Blinken, “, –, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Abdel Fattah al, Burhan –, Al Junaid, Hemedti, Abdul Rahim Dagalo, Major Algoney Hamdan Dagalo Organizations: CNN, Sudanese Armed Forces, SAF, Rapid Support Forces, US Treasury Department, US State Department, State Department, Treasury Department, Al, Co, Major Algoney Hamdan Dagalo . Defense Industries, Technology, Defense Industries System, Department, Sudan “ Locations: Sudan, ”, Saudi, Jeddah, “, United States, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

☆ SpaceX delivers private Axiom crew to the space station, carrying Saudi astronauts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule "Freedom" is seen docked with the International Space Station on May 22, 2023. Axiom Space booked the roughly week-long trip, known as the Ax-2 mission, to the ISS with Elon Musk's company. The four-person private astronaut Ax-2 crew, which will spend eight days on the International Space Station, includes former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, pilot John Shoffner, and Saudi Space Commission astronauts Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi, the first Saudi woman to fly to space. NASA has previously disclosed that a SpaceX crew launch costs about $55 million per seat, so the price for these private missions is expected to be high. Although SpaceX is providing the rocket and capsule, Axiom is leading the mission's management from training to the return to Earth.

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy lands in Jeddah to attend Arab League - al-Hadath TV
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, May 19 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy landed in Jeddah on Friday to attend an Arab League summit, where Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, heavily-backed by Russia in his country's civil war, will also be present now that his regional isolation ended. He is also due to attend the G7 leaders' summit in the Japanese city of Hiroshima this weekend. Last year Prince Mohammed won a diplomatic triumph when he secured the release of 10 foreigners captured by Russia in Ukraine. The kingdom faced heavy criticism from the United States over an OPEC+ decision to cut oil production, seen as helping Russia to refill its coffers by boosting prices. Even though the October decision initially drew heavy criticism from the United States and other Western countries, market dynamics since then have shown the cuts to be prudent.

CNN —Saudi Arabia and Syria have resumed the work of diplomatic missions in both countries, according to state media, more than a decade after Riyadh cut ties over the Syrian government’s brutal handling of its civil war. “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia decided to resume the work of its diplomatic mission in the Syrian Arab Republic,” the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported Tuesday. Damascus also announced the decision to resume work of its diplomatic mission in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, according to Syrian state media SANA, citing a statement from an official source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Based on the deep bonds and common affiliation of the peoples of the Syrian Arab Republic and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and in confirmation of both communities’ wills, and based on the Syrian Arab Republic believe in the importance of strengthening bilateral relations between Arab countries to serve joint Arab action, The Syrian Arab Republic decided to resume the work of its diplomatic mission in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the statement reads. Officials and analysts have said that Syria’s re-admission into the Arab League, while symbolic, comes with the hope that it could pave the way for President Bashar Al Assad’s rehabilitation internationally, and potentially the removal of crippling sanctions against his regime.

☆ Top Saudi, Iranian diplomats to meet in China - official, media
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The meeting between Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian, will be the first formal meeting between Saudi Arabia and Iran's most senior diplomats in more than seven years. 6 in Beijing as the deal was facilitated by China," a senior Iranian official told Reuters. Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran was stormed during a dispute between the two countries over Riyadh's execution of a Shi'ite Muslim cleric. The kingdom subsequently asked Iranian diplomats to leave within 48 hours while it evacuated its embassy staff from Teheran. The relationship had worsened since 2015, after Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates intervened in the Yemen war, where the Iran-aligned Houthi movement ousted a Saudi-backed government and took over the capital Sanaa.

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