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☆ Fact Check-Video of Jeddah building demolition falsely linked to Turkey earthquake
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A video of a building demolition in the Saudi city of Jeddah has been mistaken on social media for a building collapsing during an earthquake in Turkey. In the brief clip, a building is seen collapsing next to a busy road. But the video can be traced back on social media to at least January 2023, weeks before the earthquake (here). Its exact location can also be pinpointed to Old Mecca Road in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (see bit.ly/3I8Vz2c and the same location on YouTube here ). The video can be traced back to at least January 2023 in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi officials have pressed international companies to invest in the kingdom and move their regional headquarters to Riyadh in order to benefit from government contracts. "We are finalising the plans for opening the Riyadh region. He added that Oracle would also expand the capacity of its cloud region in Jeddah, which the company first opened in 2020. The company made the announcement as global tech companies gathered for a major tech conference in the Saudi capital. Though Oracle lags its bigger rivals in the race to corner the cloud computing market, it was among the first large tech companies to open a data centre in Saudi Arabia.

☆ Former heavyweight champion Joshua to return to ring in April
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Boxing - Oleksandr Usyk v Anthony Joshua - WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight world title - King Abdullah Sports City Arena, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - August 20, 2022 Anthony Joshua after losing his fight against Oleksandr Usyk Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge/File PhotoLONDON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Britain's former twice world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will make his ring return in London on April 1 against American Jermaine Franklin, promoters Matchroom and DAZN said on Monday. The fight at the 02 Arena will be the first time in nearly seven years that Joshua, 33, has fought without a world title at stake. The Briton has not fought since his second straight loss to Ukraine's WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO champion Oleksandr Usyk in a title rematch in Saudi Arabia last August. "Mentally and physically I feel ready," said Joshua, who has a new trainer in Derrick James for the fight against a 29-year-old opponent. Franklin, who has a 21-1 record with 14 knockouts and whose first defeat was on points to Britain's Dillian Whyte at Wembley Arena last November, said Joshua had "had his time".

☆ Egypt signs $1.5 billion financing agreement with ITFC, CNBC Arabia reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Jan 22 (Reuters) - Egypt has signed a $1.5 billion financing agreement with the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) to fund its trade needs, including for importing energy products and essential commodities, CNBC Arabia wrote on Twitter, citing the ITFC's chief executive officer. Last year Egypt signed a similar agreement, also worth $1.5 billion, with the corporation, which is headquartered in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and often funds Egypt's commodities imports, including grains and petroleum. Reporting by Nayera Abdallah; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Oil prices rally to highest close since Dec. 1 on China optimism
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Smoke rises from a Saudi Aramco oil facility in Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah, on March 26, 2022. Oil prices settled 1% higher on Thursday, extending a recent rally built around rising Chinese demand, while the market wrote off a second straight week of large builds in U.S. crude inventories. Oil prices were down by more than a dollar per barrel earlier in Thursday's session, as traders booked profits and U.S. data showed the economy losing momentum. Both oil benchmarks hit their highest level in more than a month on Tuesday. "All roads seem to lead back to the same input - rising Chinese demand," said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital LLC in New York.

☆ Biden classified documents: White House won't say why it didn't disclose earlier that records were found
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. President Joe Biden shakes hands with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a bilateral meeting at the North American Leaders' Summit in Mexico City, Mexico, January 10, 2023. "Why didn't the 'Justice' Department announce the Highly Classified documents found in the Biden Office before the Election?" Trump wrote in a post on his social media site, Truth Social. U.S. President Joe Biden attends a news conference at Waldorf Astoria in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia July 15, 2022. Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters"This discovery of classified information would put President Biden in potential violation of laws protecting national security, including the Espionage Act and Presidential Records Act," Turner wrote.

☆ A Saudi Rave Sparks Debate Over Kingdom’s Cultural Transformation
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Donna Abdulaziz | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Al-Balad, the historic district of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was the site of a music festival. JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia—Pulsating purple lights played across the traditional coral stone- and-wood facades of buildings in the center of this ancient Saudi port city on the Red Sea while electronic music boomed and young men and women in jeans and glittery tops danced with glow sticks. The recent musical festival in Jeddah’s Al-Balad neighborhood drew an audience of around 25,000 celebrating young people. It also stirred criticism of a rapid cultural shift in the kingdom being pushed by its day-to-day ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman .

In this light, artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technology have become increasingly prevalent, propelling efforts to improve patient care, solutions, and overall healthcare outcomes. These groups have clinical, operational, and technology experts working together to identify actual healthcare delivery and operational problems that can be addressed using AI, emerging technologies, and digital health tools. The hospital established specialized and certified applied healthcare AI programs tailored to healthcare staff for promoting AI and emerging technology capabilities and their applications in healthcare. As a result, multiple value-driven AI and emerging technology systems built in-house have been deployed in various clinical and operational units. Constant progress: Healthcare providers need to set clear boundaries for adopting AI and emerging technology as tools for supporting evidence-based medicine.

☆ China’s Xi gets a warm welcome from MBS in Riyadh
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Saudi state TV showed a grand ceremony laid out for the Chinese leader, as bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler known as MBS, received him at Al-Yamamah Palace. Chinese and Saudi Arabian flags dotted the premises as members of the Saudi Royal Guard lined up with swords and played music. The two leaders smiled warmly and looked on for photographs, a contrast to the atmosphere of US President Joe Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia earlier in the year. Xi landed in the capital Riyadh on Wednesday, where he was received by Saudi Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Riyadh Region, and Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman fist bumps US President Joe Biden upon his arrival at Al Salman Palace, in Jeddah in July.

☆ Xi Jinping: Saudi's MBS rolls out the red carpet for China's president, in a not too subtle message to Biden
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Tamara Qiblawi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Saudi leaders will infuse the trip with a dose of spectacle. The Saudi king – or his powerful Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman – may bestow the Chinese leader with some honors and medals. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman fist bumps US President Joe Biden upon his arrival at Al Salman Palace, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on July 15. Today, the US consumes only a fraction of that Saudi oil, and China is Saudi Arabia’s biggest client and trading partner. Over the last year, Gulf Arab countries appear to have ramped up their independent-minded policy.

☆ U.S. court dismisses suit against Saudi crown prince in Khashoggi killing
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman receives U.S. President Joe Biden at Al Salman Palace upon his arrival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 15, 2022. Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post, had written critically of the harsh ways of Prince Mohammed, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler. The U.S. intelligence community concluded the Saudi crown prince ordered the operation against Khashoggi. The Biden administration already had spared Prince Mohammed from government penalties in the case, again citing sovereign immunity. Rights groups and Saudi exiles argued that sparing Prince Mohammed from accountability in Khashoggi's killing would give the crown prince and other authoritarian rulers around the world a green light for future abuses.

☆ Saudi Arabia announces plans for six-runway hub airport in Riyadh
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

RIYADH, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced on Monday plans to transform Riyadh airport into a massive aviation hub with six parallel runways and designed to accommodate up to 120 million travellers by 2030, state news agency SPA reported. Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), will build King Salman International Airport, which should stretch over 57 square kilometres (22.01 square miles) and include current King Khaled airport, SPA said. Aviation is part of a government strategy to become a global transportation and logistics hub by 2030, with Riyadh airport as the operation base of a brand new airline, RIA, that would compete with regional heavyweights Emirates and Qatar Airways. The kingdom has set itself high targets for diversifying its economy and reducing its dependence on oil, pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into a plan called Vision 2030 initiated by the kingdom's de facto ruler Prince Mohammed. It added King Salman airport would create 103,000 direct and indirect jobs, handle 185 million travellers and process 3.5 million tons of cargo by 2050.

☆ Flooding in Saudi Arabia Kills Two, Stirs Rare Public Anger
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Stephen Kalin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Cars piled up in a street after they were washed away by heavy rains in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah. Municipal workers in Saudi Arabia’s second-largest city rushed to pump water and clear damage Friday after flooding from torrential rains killed at least two people and stirred rare public anger with the government. More than 7 inches of rain fell in Jeddah within six hours on Thursday, according to the desert kingdom’s National Center for Meteorology, the highest amount recorded in 13 years. The flat terrain and high water table along that part of the Red Sea coast make it particularly vulnerable to flooding.

☆ Stunned Saudi Soccer Fans Celebrate Victory Over Argentina and Messi
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Donna Abdulaziz | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

DOHA, Qatar—Saudi fans erupted in ecstasy and disbelief on Tuesday following their national team’s stunning World Cup victory over Argentina and, in particular, Argentine global superstar Lionel Messi, who is hugely popular in the soccer-addicted kingdom and serves as its tourism ambassador. “It’s not just that we won. It’s that we beat Messi,” said Deena Abdulwahab, 45, a mother of four from the Red Sea city of Jeddah. She took her children out to celebrate among the honking cars and waving flags on the seaside boardwalk.

[1/2] Saudi Arabia Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud arrives to attend the APEC Leader's Informal Dialogue with Guests during the APEC 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand, 18 November 2022. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday the immunity decision did not speak to a review of Washington's relationship with Saudi Arabia, which was ongoing. HISTORIC LOWSaudi ties with the United States and the wider West are still at a historic low point. When Saudi Arabia consequently took its security into its own hands with its war in Yemen, it saw Western criticism as hypocritical. Saudi Arabia would likely still prefer to have a U.S. security umbrella.

☆ Qatar 2022: World Cup fans acclimatise to desert accommodation -- in tents and portacabins
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Doha, Qatar CNN —As fans trickle into Qatar, they’re understandably in holiday mode as they look forward to the prospect of a desert World Cup. But where best to stay in a country that is geographically on a peninsula smaller than Connecticut and is the smallest World Cup host in history? Container living in the desert ... World Cup style. Some World Cup visitors, however, were less impressed with what was on offer. With just two days to go until the first match, the nation is putting the final touches to its preparations as it braces itself for a World Cup like no other.

☆ ITA Airways to expand fleet with 39 new aircraft in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, Nov 11 (Reuters) - ITA Airways will next year refresh its fleet with 39 new aircraft, allowing it to serve more long-distance destinations, the state-owned successor to Alitalia said on Friday. ITA "has underwritten all the commitments for increasing the fleet in 2023, next year 39 new generation aircraft will enter into service" including nine wide-bodied Airbus A330-900, the company said in a statement. Older aircraft will discontinue service, ITA said, stating that the upgrade will mean a 73% increase in the ASK (available seat kilometre) metric, measuring passenger carrying capacity. By the end of 2023, ITA said it will have 96 planes, half of which will be new, including the single-aisle A321Neo. ITA was established in late 2020 from the ashes of bankrupt Alitalia, and has yet to turn a profit.

☆ Dustin Johnson seals $35m year with LIV Golf team event victory at Trump course
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Dustin Johnson took his LIV Golf earnings for the season past the $35 million mark with victory in the series’ final event of the year in Miami on Sunday. Johnson’s $4m cut of the team competition winnings lifts his earnings from the inaugural series to $35,637,767, according to The Associated Press. Johnson, Gooch, Reed and Perez celebrate their team victory. Eric Espada / Getty ImagesIt marks a mammoth spike in earnings for Johnson who, in just eight LIV Golf events, has matched almost half a career’s total winnings on the PGA Tour. “My team played unbelievable this year … To have these guys and their caddies and families and coaches and everybody, it’s just one big family now.

☆ Biden admin has discussed slow-rolling Saudi military aid as payback for oil production cut
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Courtney-Kube-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Courtney Kube | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

The Biden administration has discussed slow-rolling military aid to Saudi Arabia, including shipments of advanced Patriot missiles, to punish the kingdom for leading OPEC’s decision to cut oil production, say two U.S. officials and a source familiar with the discussions. Some military officials support the idea, said the sources, but others want to make sure the military relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia is kept separate from any retribution by the administration. OPEC’s move spurred a back and forth between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, with Biden administration officials vowing there would be consequences for the Saudis. “There needs to be a balance between punishing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and not making life more difficult or dangerous for the U.S.,” one U.S. official said. One White House official said that while changes to security assistance are under consideration the Biden administration is not in a rush to take action.

☆ Saudi ruler Mohammed bin Salman is seeking to humiliate Biden as part of a global power play
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Saudi ruler Mohammed bin Salman wants to assert himself internationally. It is a change driven by the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, who is deliberately snubbing the US in an attempt to chart a more independent path, an expert told Insider. Specifically, this has taken the form of Saudi Arabia joining Russia other oil-rich nations to announce a steep cut in production. Cafiero, the analysts, said that Crown Prince Mohammed believes that drawing closer to Russia and China will secure more "leverage" internationally. "Bin Salman and others in Saudi Arabia took a tremendous amount of offense to that rhetoric.

☆ Saudi Arabia has a strong tourism market, but minister holds out hope for Chinese travelers
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Sprawling mountains in the south, redevelopment of the Red Sea's coastal jewel city Jeddah and a futuristic smart city NEOM by 2030 — these are just some of the highlights that Saudi Arabia's minister of tourism hopes will be the main draws for future tourists. The Arab kingdom has a "very strong domestic market" for tourism, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb told CNBC's Dan Murphy on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh. The minister added that he hopes China eases Covid restrictions, which could lead to an influx of Chinese tourists. "We definitely have [a] very strong religious market, people visiting the two holy cities," Al Khateeb said.

☆ White House officials thought they'd struck a secret oil deal with Saudi Arabia only for Biden to be humiliated when the kingdom abandoned it: NYT
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

White House officials believed they'd struck a secret oil deal with Saudi Arabia, per NY Times. The Saudi decision to cut oil output before the midterms angered the White House, per NY Times. Saudi Arabia also enraged Democratic lawmakers and White House officials earlier this month by announcing plans to cut production along with Russia and other OPEC nations, pushing up oil prices. Biden has said there will be consequences for Saudi Arabia as a result of the decision, without specifying what they might be. The White House did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ Airbus eyes Saudi deal for almost 40 A350 jets - sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Airbus A350 aircraft during a display at the Farnborough International Airshow, in Farnborough, Britain, July 20, 2022. REUTERS/Peter CziborraPARIS/DUBAI, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia is in advanced negotiations to order almost 40 A350 jets from Europe's Airbus (AIR.PA) as part of strategic efforts to launch a new airline and challenge heavyweight carriers in the Gulf, industry sources said. Any commercial deal must still win political approval and also depends n complex engine negotiations, one of the sources said. The choice of supplier is widely seen as politically charged as the Saudi gathering takes place amid deepening tensions between Washington and Riyadh, two industry sources said. Reuters first reported in August that Saudi Arabia was discussing a significant order for wide-body jets.

☆ PGA Tour sues LIV Golf's Saudi backers to force evidence discovery
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Jack Stebbins | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The PGA Tour has filed a lawsuit against LIV Golf backers, the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, an entity controlled by the Saudi crown prince, in an effort to force evidence discovery in ongoing legal battles. LIV Golf sued the tour alleging anti-competitive practices for banning its players, and the tour recently countersued LIV Golf, claiming the upstart league was itself stifling competition. "LIV Golf is just beginning its process and is in active discussions with several companies about broadcasting the LIV Golf League. Meanwhile, the PGA tour has taken to Washington D.C. to lobby against LIV Golf, and LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman, a former PGA Tour star, made his own visit to Capitol Hill in mid-September to "educate members on LIV's business model and counter the Tour's anti-competitive efforts." The LIV Golf championship will take place starting Oct. 28 at the Trump National Doral in Miami.

☆ Brooks Koepka: 'I didn't know if my career was over,' says US golfer as he reflects on horror injury after bumper LIV Golf win
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —An emotional Brooks Koepka clinched playoff victory in the final individual event of the LIV Golf Invitational Series in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Sunday. Victory secured the 32-year-old a $4 million cut of the tournament prize money, with runner-up Uihlein taking home $2.1 million. Amer Hilabi /AFP via Getty ImagesAlongside brother Chase Koepka, Uihlein, and Jason Kokrak, the four-time major champion also secured victory in the corresponding team leaderboard. Later this month, a team tournament in Miami will offer a $50 million prize pot – marking the final event of the inaugural LIV Golf Series. “Honestly to me the big thing today was getting the team win,” Koepka said.

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