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☆ 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

☆ The Saudi-back LIV golf league is moving its possible last ever championship to Trump's Doral golf course
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

LIV Golf will host its championship tournament at a Trump-owned golf course for its second straight year. The golf league moved the championship from Saudi Arabia where it was initially scheduled. The PGA has said it will merge with the controversial Saudi-backed golf league. The decision means that for the second straight year, LIV's golf championship will be held at Trump's Doral course. Before their merger, LIV and the PGA were in fierce competition to retain some of the sport's most successful golfers.

Persons: LIV, Donald Trump's Trump, Trump, Jamal Khashoggi, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Randall Stephenson, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, they're, Johnson Organizations: Trump, Service, Donald Trump's Trump Doral, Golf Club, Doral, Capitol, PGA, Golf, ESPN, Saudi, Washington Post Locations: Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Wall, Silicon, Miami, Jeddah

☆ Bahrain signs deals to invest $1.3 bln in UK economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

July 3 (Reuters) - Bahrain has signed a memorandum of understanding for strategic investments and collaborations with Britain that will see the Gulf state's private sector invest 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion) in Britain, the Bahraini crown prince's social media account said on Monday. The investments will be through Bahraini sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat, Investcorp, GFH Financial Group, and Osool Asset Management, the twitter account of the crown prince of Bahrain said. ($1 = 0.7881 pounds)Reporting by Yousef Saba and Omar Abdel-Razek Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yousef Saba, Omar Abdel, Mark Potter Organizations: Bahraini, GFH Financial, Osool Asset Management, Thomson Locations: Bahrain, Britain

SummarySummary Companies Russia to cut oil exports 500,000 bpd in AugustRussia's Novak announces cut just after Saudis extend their cutOil prices rise 1.6% on Saudi and Russian announcementsPutin spoke to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on June 27MOSCOW, July 3 (Reuters) - Russia will cut oil exports by 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) in August, President Vladimir Putin's point man on oil said on Monday, as Moscow seeks to nudge up global oil prices in concert with Saudia Arabia. Novak's spokeswoman declined to say whether Russian oil output would decline by the same amount as its exports. It has already pledged to reduce its output by 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 9.5 million bpd from March until year-end. Russia is the world's second largest oil exporter after Saudi Arabia, whose crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, spoke to Putin on June 27. Sechin said some OPEC+ countries were exporting as much as 90% of their output, whereas Russia puts only half of its production onto the global market.

Persons: Russia's Novak, Putin, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Vladimir Putin's, Brent, Alexander Novak, Novak's, Mohammed bin Salman, Igor Sechin, Sechin, Guy Faulconbridge, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Saudia, Thomson Locations: Saudi, MOSCOW, Russia, Moscow, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Russian Urals

☆ A Saudi woman was given 30 years in prison for criticizing the Neom megacity project on Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Saudi woman was recently jailed for 30 years for criticizing the Neom megacity on Twitter. ALQST, a UK-based human rights group, said a Saudi court sentenced Fatima al-Shawarbi to 30 years during a recent appeal hearing. Human Rights Watch in a 2020 report said that imprisoned female dissidents are often refused contact with family members and those in the outside world. The crown prince plans to construct the city across a 10,200 square mile area in the Tabuk Province in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Despite criticism from human rights groups, Saudi Arabia continues to attract wealthy Western companies to invest in Neom.

Persons: Fatima al, Shawarbi, —, ALQST, Lina Alhathloul, Salma al, Alhathoul, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Abdul Rahim al, who've Organizations: Twitter, Saudi, Service, Privacy Policy, Rights Watch, Leeds University, UN, Amnesty Locations: Saudi, Privacy Policy Saudi Arabia, Al, Ahsa, London, Tabuk Province, Saudi Arabia, Neom

☆ Opinion | The Wannabe Putin in Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Nicholas Kristof | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

foolishness” for strains in Russia-American relations — because they wanted a steady relationship, and Putin was unmistakably in control of an important country. My candidate for tomorrow’s Putin is Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, better known as M.B.S. and trying to reset relations with him — even as he seeks a “civilian” nuclear program. is a wannabe Putin,” said Dr. Khalid Aljabri, a Saudi cardiologist who previously worked as a clinician for the Saudi counterterrorism agency. Aljabri, who has a brother and sister imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for political reasons, lives in the United States and is frustrated that the crown prince has, as he puts it, played Biden “like a fiddle.”

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, ”, Putin, they’re, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Biden, M.B.S, —, “, Khalid Aljabri Organizations: “, Crown, Biden “ Locations: Georgia, Crimea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, United States

☆ PGA Tour and LIV Golf: Newly obtained document details framework agreement between the sport’s leading organizations
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Jill Martin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —On June 6, a shocking announcement was made by the PGA Tour sending reverberations around the golf world. On Monday, multiple news outlets started to circulate the framework agreement that had been quietly made by those groups. CNN has since obtained a copy of the framework agreement. The document was sent to Congress on Monday, according to a source with knowledge of the framework agreement. Lawmakers are inviting Monahan, Al-Rumayyan and LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman to testify at the hearing.

Persons: LIV, ”, ” PIF, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, “ NewCo, OWGR’s criterial, LIV Golf, Jay Monahan, Yasir Al, Keith Pelley, Monahan, Greg Norman, Patrick Cantlay, Rory McIlroy, Charley Hoffman, Peter Malnati, Webb Simpson Organizations: CNN, PGA, Public Investment Fund, LIV Golf, US Department of Justice, PGA Tour, Wall Street, Investigations, Rocket, “, Management, TOUR’s Locations: Saudi, NewCo, Al, Detroit

☆ Here's how a merger between PGA Tour and LIV Golf would be structured
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In a five-page agreement obtained by CNBC, the parties — the PGA Tour, the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund and Europe's DP World Tour — agreed to create a for-profit subsidiary of the PGA Tour. The new entity will manage commercial assets for all of the tours, while the PGA Tour will manage competitions. The tentative merger agreement was signed by PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley and PIF's Yasir al-Rumayyan. The lawsuits came after multiple high-profile players including Phil Mickelson left the PGA Tour for LIV. The PGA Tour has said its executives would testify at the hearing, although it is unclear if Monahan will be present.

Persons: LIV, —, Muhammed bin Salman, Jay Monahan, Keith Pelley, PIF's Yasir al, LIV Golf, Phil Mickelson, " Monahan, Sen, Richard Blumenthal, Ron Johnson, Monahan Organizations: PGA Tour, CNBC, Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, Tour, Public Investment Fund, PGA, Senate Homeland Security Locations: Saudi, United States

☆ Leaders of Russia, UAE hold phone call on mutiny attempt in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 26 (Reuters) - Leaders of Russia and the United Arab Emirates held a phone call, the Kremlin and UAE's state news agency said on Monday. According to the Kremlin, United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahayan was interested in hearing an assessment of the situation in Russia in connection with the Wagner group mutiny on June 24. "Having received comprehensive information, the Emirati leader declared full support for the actions of the Russian leadership." UAE's state news agency WAM said both leaders discussed bilateral relations and reaffirmed the need to preserve the stability of Russia and the safety of its people. (This story has been corrected to change the title of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to 'United Arab Emirates president' instead of 'Abu Dhabi crown prince' in paragraph 2)Writing by Maxim United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-NahayanRodionov Editing by Chris Reese and Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Nahayan, Wagner, WAM, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu, Chris Reese, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Russia, United Arab Emirates, Kremlin, Maxim United Arab Emirates, Thomson Locations: Russia, Abu Dhabi

☆ Russia pulls back from brink of crisis after deal reached to end Wagner insurrection
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Sovfoto/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Putin poses for a picture with his wife, Lyudmila, and daughters, Yekaterina and Maria. Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images Putin rides a horse during a vacation in Southern Siberia in August 2009. Alexey Nikolsky/AFP via Getty Images Putin judges an arm wrestling match while visiting the Seliger youth educational forum in Russia's Tver region in August 2011. Dmitry Astakhov/RIA Novosti/AFP via Getty Images Putin plays with his dogs Yume, left, and Buffy at his home in Novo-Ogaryovo, Russia, in March 2013. Chris McGrath/Getty Images Putin and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attend the G20 summit in Buenos Aires in November 2018.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, ” Prigozhin, ” Wagner, ”, Dmitry Peskov, “, Prigozhin, ” Peskov, Putin, Putin Putin, Joseph Stalin, –, “ Putin, Evelyn Farkas, ’, Vladimir Putin, Maria Putina, Archivio GBB, ZUMA Press Wire Putin, Laski, Maria, Vladimir, Anatoly Sobchak, Lyudmila, Yekaterina, Boris Yeltsin, Yeltsin, Fidel Castro, Reuters Putin, George W, Bush, Stephen Jaffe, Camp David, Brooks Kraft, Alexey Druzhinin, Alexey Nikolsky, Mikhail Metzel, Ivan Sekretarev, AP Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, Dmitry Astakhov, Buffy, Angela Merkel, Jochen Lübke, Thomas Bach, Medvedev, Vladimir Konstantinov, Alexei Chalyi, Sergei Aksyonov, Sergei Ilnitsky, Kirill Kudryavtsev, Alexander Lukashenko, Merkel, Francois Hollande, Petro Poroshenko, Mykola Lazarenko, Barack Obama, Ban, Chip Somodevilla, Turkey Andrei Karlov, Karlov, Donald Trump, Chris McGrath, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, LUDOVIC MARIN, Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelensky, Eliot Blondet, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Biden, Sergey Lavrov, Denis Balibouse, Macron, Sergey Ponomarev, Mikhail Gorbachev, —, Alexander Nemenov, Alexey Danichev, Xi Jinping, Pavel Byrkin, Pavel Bednyakov, Peter Zwack, Beth Sanner, ” Sanner, “ He’s, … Putin, Moscow’s, Priogozhin Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Communist, McCain, Putin, Getty, Russian, ZUMA Press, KGB, ZUMA Press Wire, Getty Images, Reuters, US, White House, Camp, Brooks, Brooks Kraft LLC, RIA Novosti, AP, AFP, International Olympic, Crimean, Ukrainian, United Nations, UN, Assembly, Russian Foreign Ministry, Sputnik, World, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Macron, SPUTNIK, New York Times, Central Clinical Hospital, AP Putin, Belarus, State Russian Museum, Russia’s Southern Military District, US Army, National Intelligence for Mission, State Department, European Union Locations: Moscow, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Kremlin, Russia’s Belgorod, Putin Russian, Russian, Rostov, St . Petersburg, Leningrad, Germany, AFP, Kazan, Cuba, Soviet Union, Southern Siberia, Russia's Tver, Novo, Ogaryovo, Hanover, Sevastopol, Crimea, Belarusian, Minsk, France, Turkey, Helsinki, Finland, Buenos Aires, Ukrainian, Paris, Geneva, Switzerland, Taganrog, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, –, Canada, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, Soviet, Kazakhstan

☆ Saudi SCOPA and Airbus agree to produce helicopters in the kingdom -SCOPA CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, June 19 (Reuters) - Saudi defence company SCOPA Industries and Airbus (AIR.PA) have signed an agreement to jointly produce civil and military helicopters in the kingdom, SCOPA CEO Fawaz Alakeel told Saudi state TV on Monday. He added that SCOPA expects to manufacture more than 100 helicopters and create 8500 jobs in the kingdom. Without giving further details he said the company expects investments worth more than 25 billion riyals ($6.67 billion) over 20 years. Saudi and French companies have signed 24 agreements at the forum, Saudi state TV reported without further details. ($1 = 3.7505 riyals)Reporting by Nayera Abdallah; Editing by Toby Chopra, Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Fawaz Alakeel, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Alakeel, Nayera Abdallah, Toby Chopra, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: SCOPA Industries, Airbus, TV, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Saudi, France, Saudi Arabia

Shortly after his plane took off earlier this month from Riyadh, where he had held a lengthy meeting with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken called a different Middle East leader, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. Over 40 minutes, Mr. Blinken gave the Israeli leader a briefing about the significant demands the young crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, was making for his nation to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel. Mr. Netanyahu had an update on his own demands. The White House, which for more than two years has largely been content to sit out the poker game of Middle East diplomacy, has decided to make a bet and push some of its chips in. And they simply do not much like or trust each other.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mohammed bin Salman, Mr, Netanyahu, — Organizations: Saudi, Israel, Biden, Iran Locations: Riyadh, Israel, Saudi Arabia, East, The United States

☆ Saudi Arabia urges improved maritime security in Gulf as ties with Iran resume
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 17 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia wants enhanced maritime security in the crucial Gulf region as part of its rapprochement with long-time rival Iran, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Saturday. The kingdom broke ties with Iran in 2016 after protesters attacked the Saudi embassy in Tehran in retaliation for Riyadh's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric. Iran has recently been trying to mend its strained ties with several Gulf Arab states. Saudi Arabia's rapprochement with Iran has left Israel largely alone as it has sought to isolate Iran diplomatically. The United Arab Emirates, which was the first Gulf Arab country to sign a normalisation agreement with Israel in 2020, resumed formal relations with Iran last year.

Persons: Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Prince Faisal, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Ebrahim Raisi, Amirabdollahian, Hatem Maher, Aziz El Yaakoubi, Mark Heinrich, Louise Heavens, Mike Harrison Organizations: Foreign, United, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Thomson Locations: Saudi Arabia, Iran, China, Gulf, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Tehran, Saudi, Hormuz, United States, Israel, United Arab, Arab, Bahrain, Morocco, UAE, Cairo, Riyadh, Dubai

☆ LIV-PGA Tour deal probe urged by Rep. Maxine Waters and Sen. Sherrod Brown
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Lawmakers’ calls to investigate the proposed merger between the US-based PGA Tour and Saudi Public Investment Fund–backed LIV Golf are escalating. An investigation by CFIUS would not be the first probe into the surprise merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, formerly bitter rivals. The Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations have also opened separate probes into the deal. Waters and Brown acknowledged the multiple investigations in their letter, writing, “We understand and appreciate that CFIUS is, by statute, an authority of last resort. Before the deal announcement, PGA Tour and LIV Golf were locked in a legal battle and traded barbed accusations of unfair competition, but the two organizations agreed to drop all pending litigation under the new agreement.

Persons: LIV, Maxine Waters, Sen, Sherrod Brown, Waters, Brown, “, Mohammed bin Salman, bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, Bin Salman, CFIUS, LIV Golf Organizations: CNN, Tour, Saudi Public Investment Fund, Financial Services Committee, Banking, Housing, Urban Affairs Committee, US Treasury Department, Foreign Investment, Treasury, PGA, Wall Street Journal, US Department of Justice, Finance, Investigations Locations: Ohio, United States, “ Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Saudi Arabia

‘An operation of seduction’Just days after the PGA-LIV Golf merger was announced, a contingent of Saudi Arabian investors and power brokers, including the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has converged on France this week looking for more deals with potentially trillions to spend. The “Invest in Saudi” booth at VivaTech — where Elon Musk and the luxury tycoon Bernard Arnault are also on the program — has an outsized presence. Paid for by the Saudi Ministry of Investment, the booth serves as a kind of billboard to announce the country’s ambitions and a way to help its entrepreneurs attract Western investors and prospective business partners, Vivienne Walt writes for DealBook. Badr Al Badr, the deputy minister for investor outreach, told DealBook that Saudi Arabia has about $3.2 trillion to invest by 2030. “That is why there are so many opportunities for investors,” he said.

Persons: Mohammed bin Salman, Elon Musk, Bernard Arnault, Vivienne Walt, DealBook, Prince Mohammed, Badr Al Badr, ” Organizations: LIV, Invest, —, Elon, Saudi Ministry of Investment, PayPal, Electronic Arts Locations: Saudi Arabian, France, Saudi, Badr, Saudi Arabia

June 16 (Reuters) - The widow of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi says in a lawsuit that surveillance software built by the Israeli surveillance company NSO Group was used to spy on her messages in the months leading up to her husband's death. The company - which markets surveillance technology to intelligence agencies and law enforcement around the world - has previously denied that its technology was used to hack Khashoggi. He was a Washington Post columnist who was murdered on the grounds of Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul in 2018. U.S. intelligence concluded in 2021 that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved an operation to capture or kill Khashoggi. The Saudi government has denied any involvement by the crown prince and has maintained that Khashoggi's killing was a heinous crime by a rogue group.

Persons: Jamal Khashoggi, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Loujain, Raphael Satter, Frances Kerry Organizations: NSO Group, Northern District of Virginia, NSO, Washington Post, Saudi Crown, Saudi, Pegasus, Reuters, Apple Inc, Meta, Inc, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Northern District, Washington, Saudi Arabia's, Istanbul, U.S

☆ PGA Tour-Saudi deal scrutiny intensifies as Senate Finance Committee investigates
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The backlash to the proposed merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf intensified as Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, opened an investigation into the deal on Thursday. The committee will probe the deal between the US-based PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund-backed LIV Golf and assess what the deal means for national security. The PGA Tour and LIV Golf did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment. The surprise deal this month between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, competing tours locked in a legal battle before the merger announcement, has faced growing opposition from lawmakers. The US-based PGA Tour said the merger would “unify the game” and all pending litigation between the tours would be dropped under the new agreement.

Persons: LIV Golf, Ron Wyden, ” Wyden, Wyden, Mohammed bin Salman, Bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, Elizabeth Warren, LIV, “ Organizations: CNN, PGA, Saudi Public Investment Fund, Saudi, of Justice, PGA Tour, DOJ, Democratic, Senate, LIV Locations: Oregon, United States, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, U.S

PGA TOUR logo is seen during the second round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines South on January 29, 2021 in San Diego, California. The Justice Department's Antitrust Division has informed the PGA Tour it will review the organization's proposed merger with Saudi-funded LIV Golf, a source told NBC News on Thursday. The Justice Department and LIV Golf declined to comment. The PGA Tour policy board will have to approve the agreement, Monahan told players in a memo. The PGA Tour revealed Tuesday that Monahan is currently recovering from an unspecified medical matter and is taking a leave of absence.

Persons: LIV, LIV Golf, Democratic Sens, Elizabeth Warren of, Ron Wyden, Sen, Richard Blumenthal, Conn, Wyden, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, LIV dangled, Donald Trump, Jay Monahan, Monahan Organizations: Farmers Insurance, Torrey Pines, Department's Antitrust, PGA, Saudi, NBC, Justice, LIV, CNBC, PGA Tour, Democratic, Oregon, DOJ, Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Tour Locations: San Diego , California, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, New Jersey

☆ After Saudi Arabia, Iran may be patching up with its oldest Arab foe
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The feud became the longest between Iran and an Arab country in modern times. Khamenei’s recent comments come as Saudi Arabia normalizes ties with Iran after nearly eight years of a diplomatic freeze. Apart from Saudi Arabia and Iran, Egypt has reconciled with both Turkey and Qatar, and the Arab League last month welcomed Syria back as a member after more than a decade of isolation. Weight of historical symbolismAs the years passed by, Egypt and Iran only grew apart, with little desire to reconcile from either party. Most Arab states continue to reject recognition of Israel.

Persons: Princess Fawzia, Iran’s Crown Prince Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Fawzia, King Farouk I –, –, Pahlavi, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran “, ”, Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq, Trita Parsi, ” Parsi, “, Abdel Fattah al, Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Shah, Anwar Sadat, King Farouk, Sadat, Khaled Islambouli, Hosni Mubarak, chargé d’affaires, Mubarak, Mohamed Mursi, Parsi, “ Israel, Abraham, Israel, won’t Organizations: CNN, Iran’s Crown, Iran’s, Media, Tehran, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Arab League, Quincy Institute, Oman News Agency, Reuters Analysts, Cairo Citadel, West, Israel, Abraham Accords Locations: Egypt, Iran, Tehran, Saudi Arabia, United States, ”, London, Cairo, Turkey, Qatar, Syria, West, Washington ,, Al, Rifa’I, Israel, Republic, Ater

☆ Saudi Arabia and China are part of a multipolar world order, and their mutual interests are 'strong and rising,' minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

watch nowSaudi Arabia sees China as a key partner in a multipolar world — with the two countries expected to only come closer as their common interests grow, Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih told CNBC. "And we believe that economic cooperation between China and Saudi Arabia and the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), and the entire Arab region, will be a significant part of that." The U.S. has military installments in Saudi Arabia, selling it advanced weaponry and providing training and joint operations with the Saudi military. Chinese President, Xi Jinping (L) is welcomed by Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (R) at the Palace of Yamamah in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 8, 2022. But we would see, going forward, more global champions from Saudi Arabia going to China to access a growing market of 1.4 billion high-consumption individuals."

Persons: Investment Khalid Al, Falih, — it's, CNBC's Dan Murphy, it's, Biden, Xi Jinping, Crown Prince, Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Faisal bin Farhan, Antony Blinken, Fayez Nureldine Organizations: Saudi, Investment, CNBC, China Business Conference, GCC, Gulf Cooperation Council, U.S ., Anadolu Agency, Getty, Technology, Saudi Crown, Beijing, GCC Ministers, AFP Locations: Saudi Arabia, China, Riyadh, Africa, Central Asia, United States, Brazil, Russia, India, South Africa, U.S, Saudi, we're, Washington, Yamamah, Beijing

☆ Senate Democrats press for Justice Department inquiry into PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON — Two top Senate Democrats with a track record of scrutinizing business and antitrust activity have called for a Justice Department investigation into the merger agreement between the PGA Tour and Saudi-funded LIV Golf. The letter follows Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal's inquiries to PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman for details on the merger. The PGA Tour also insists the deal isn't a merger and that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund will be a minority investor. The deal between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf would put an end to pending antitrust litigation between the two golf organizations. Family members of 9/11 victims have protested the Saudi golf league due to the terrorists' ties to the country.

Persons: Elizabeth Warren, Ron Wyden, LIV, Elizabeth Warren of, General Merrick Garland, Jonathan Kanter, Connecticut Democratic Sen, Richard Blumenthal's, Jay Monahan, Greg Norman, Monahan, LIV Golf, DOJ didn't, Yasir Al, Rumayyan, LIV Golf's, Osama Bin Laden, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, Warren, Wyden, –, Jessica Golden Organizations: U.S, Capitol, WASHINGTON —, Democrats, Justice Department, PGA Tour, Saudi, LIV Golf, Oregon, Connecticut Democratic, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, DOJ, CNBC, PGA, Public Investment Fund, Washington Post, Senate Banking Committee, Finance Locations: Sens, Washington , DC, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, U.S, Saudi, Saudi Arabia

☆ Saudi Arabia's PGA merger is likely just the beginning for the kingdom when it comes to pro sports investments
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The controversial mega merger between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia's LIV Golf is just one step in the kingdom's ambitious tourism and investment strategy — and its pursuit of big-name sports is just getting started. "We're sort of a proponent to find 'all of the above' strategy in sport," Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih told CNBC's Dan Murphy in Riyadh. The PIF is Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, a $600 billion sovereign wealth fund controlled by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. News that the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia's LIV Golf were joining forces last week brought an end to a two-year battle between the archrivals. The agreement, which includes the DP World Tour — also known as the PGA European Tour — will combine the commercial businesses and rights of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf into a new, yet-to-be-named for-profit company.

Persons: LIV, Khalid Al, Falih, CNBC's Dan Murphy, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, It's, LIV Golf, — Organizations: PGA Tour, Saudi, Saudi Investment, Public Investment Fund, Saudi Crown, PGA Locations: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saudi

☆ LIV Golf’s al-Rumayyan and the PGA Tour’s Monahan Make Strange Bedfellows
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( John Branch | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After more than a year of high-stakes jockeying and long-distance accusations, Jay Monahan and Yasir al-Rumayyan finally met in May, an arranged blind date in some Venice cafe or hotel. The 53-year-olds in charge could not be more different: Monahan, the American commissioner of the PGA Tour since 2017, and al-Rumayyan, the trusted confidant of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and overseer of his country’s massive Public Investment Fund. It is that fund, claiming to be worth somewhere close to $700 billion, that bought its way into golf last Tuesday. It ended a sniping, court-complicated fight between the PGA’s American and European tours and the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour. It instantly solved the PGA Tour’s financial struggles.

Persons: Jay Monahan, Yasir al, Rumayyan, bedfellows, Monahan, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, LIV Organizations: PGA, Saudi Arabia’s Crown, Public Investment Fund Locations: Venice, Saudi

☆ 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

☆ 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

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