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☆ Saudi Crown Prince and Iranian President Discuss Conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi discussed the conflict in Israel and Gaza in a call Wednesday, Iranian and Saudi state media reported Thursday. The Saudi Press Agency reported that Raisi made the call to the Saudi leader, who said Saudi Arabia was making a "maximum effort" to engage with regional and international parties and prevent a further escalation. The crown prince added that the kingdom was opposed to any form of civilian targeting and the loss of innocent lives.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Ebrahim Raisi, Raisi Organizations: Saudi Press Agency Locations: Saudi, Israel, Gaza, Saudi Arabia

☆ Israel highlights fragility of new trade corridors
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Afiq Fitri Alias | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Oct 10 (Reuters Breakingviews) - A new and deadly chapter of the decades-old Israel-Palestinian conflict is a reality check for an ambitious trade route. IMEC’s chief backers waxed lyrical about the potential of the trade route involving railways, ports and green energy. Demand is there: India's total trade with Saudi Arabia more than doubled in two years, hitting around $53 billion in financial year 2023. In the near-term, the Suez Canal will remain the primary route for goods travelling to Europe from India, while Turkey can press its own rival trade route. The Biden administration is continuing to push for normalisation talks between Saudi Arabia and Israel, the New York Times reported on Oct. 8.

Persons: Joe Biden, Ursula von der Leyen, Narendra Modi, India’s, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Washington, European, Indian, New, Saudi Crown, Israeli, New York Times, Thomson Locations: Israel, India, Middle, Europe, New Delhi, Saudi Arabia, Haifa, Gaza, China, People’s Republic, Suez, Turkey, United States, European Union, France, Germany, Delhi, Arabian, Asia

☆ Israel flashes geopolitical warning at shaky time
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( George Hay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Kingdom’s rulers have historically supported Palestinian rights and opposed Israel, while waging proxy wars against Iran. Indeed, one motivation of the Hamas attacks may have been to provoke an Israeli response that derails those negotiations. At a time when the global economy needs inflationary geopolitical risks to simmer down, more are flashing red. In response, Israeli air strikes hit housing blocks, tunnels, a mosque and homes of Hamas officials in Gaza, killing more than 400 people, Reuters reported. President Joe Biden said on Saturday that Israel had the right to defend itself and issued a warning to Iran and other countries hostile to Israel not to exploit the attacks.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Joe Biden, Netanyahu, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Biden, toughening, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Brent, Peter Thal Larsen, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Hamas, Iran, Saudi Crown, Sunday, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, United States, China, Israel, Gaza, Iran, Jerusalem, Tehran, Saudi Arabia, U.S, Saudi, Germany, Italy, Britain

GENEVA (AP) — Saudi Arabia formally informed FIFA of its wish to host the men’s World Cup in 2034 on Monday in a bidding contest that increasingly looks designed for the kingdom to win. That allows the 2034 edition to return to Asia 12 years after Qatar hosted the 2022 World Cup. Infantino has built close ties to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on frequent visits to the oil-rich kingdom since before the 2018 World Cup. The Saudi soccer project has seen the sovereign wealth Public Investment Fund buy English club Newcastle in 2021. The FIFA Council which agreed to the 2034 World Cup bidding process included nine delegates from European soccer body UEFA, which now has the 2030 tournament.

Persons: “, ”, Gianni Infantino, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, PIF, Karim Benzema, ___ Organizations: GENEVA, FIFA, Oceania, Qatar, New Zealand, Saudi, Public Investment Fund, Newcastle, FIFA Council, UEFA Locations: Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabian, Europe, Africa, South America, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, United States, Mexico, Canada, Asia, Australia, Saudi, Qatar, Egypt

☆ Hamas: What to know about the group and its strategy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The brazen attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel that began on Saturday will be seen as a turning point in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict with far-reaching repercussions, analysts say. Israel pledged revenge, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing “mighty vengeance.” Hamas said it was prepared for all scenarios. Palestinian Hamas militants attend the funeral of their comrade in the southern Gaza Strip in August 2017. The Israeli military said Monday that Hamas had taken “dozens” of hostages and Hamas has said it has abducted more than 100 people. Hamas’ large-scale offensive shows that the group knows that the coming war may be an existential one, experts say.

Persons: Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, Kobi Michael, “, ” Michael, Harakat, Muqawama, Ibraheem Abu Mustafa, Mahmoud Abbas, Yoav Gallant, Khaled Elgindy, ” Elgindy, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Elgindy, Omar Rahman, ” Rahman, can’t, Abu Mazen, …, Ismail Haniyeh, Mahmoud Hefnawy, Michael, Hamas …, Saleh al Organizations: CNN, Palestinian, Hamas, Israeli, Institute for National Security Studies, Israel’s Ministry, Strategic Affairs, Islamic Resistance Movement, Oslo Accords, Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, Israel, Palestinian Authority, West Bank ., European Union, US State Department, West Bank, Middle East Institute, Palestinian Affairs, “, Saudi, Middle East Council, Global Affairs, AP Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Aqsa, Jerusalem, Egypt, Oslo, United States, Iran, Palestine, Saudi, Washington, Saudi Arabia, Qatar's, Doha, Lebanon

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

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

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

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

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

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

☆ Iran's Khamenei says normalising Israel ties is a losing bet - state media
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with commanders and a group of members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Tehran, Iran August 17, 2023. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDUBAI, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that countries seeking to normalise relations with Israel "are betting on a losing horse", state media reported on Tuesday. Khamenei did not identify the countries, but expectations that Israel might normalize ties with Iran's regional rival Saudi Arabia, the home of Islam's two holiest shrines, have been ratcheted up this month. "The definite position of the Islamic Republic is that countries that make the gamble of normalisation with Israel will lose. Four Arab states have formalised ties with Israel in pacts known as the Abraham Accords -- the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.

Persons: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Khamenei, Benjamin Netanyahu, Iran hasn't, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Israel, Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Abraham, Alex Richardson, William Maclean Organizations: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian, West Asia News Agency, REUTERS, Rights, Iran's, Israel's, Abraham Accords, Saudi, MbS, U.S, United Arab, Dubai Newsroom, Thomson Locations: Tehran, Iran, Rights DUBAI, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Islamic Republic, Israeli, Saudi, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, Morocco

☆ Biden’s Gulf allies want an ‘ironclad’ security pact with the US. Here’s what it might look like
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“They (the Americans) don’t want to see Saudi Arabia shifting their armament from America to another place,” Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) told Fox News’ Bret Baier in an interview last month. Gulf states have over the past few years faced attacks they have blamed on Iran and its proxies, and have found the US’ response to them inadequate. Among the Gulf states, Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, was the first to be declared a MNNA in 2002. It is however unclear if the US would commit to a treaty that would require it to come to the Gulf states’ defense in case of attack. The president can offer some concessions without Senate ratification, he said, but that won’t meet Gulf states’ requirements.

Persons: Biden, don’t, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Bret Baier, Anwar Gargash, ”, ” Ali Shihabi, Saudi Arabia’s, Israel –, Joe Biden, Jean, Loup, David Des Roches, ” Des Roches, Washington’s, Gargash, Des Roches, Samaan, “ Organizations: UAE CNN, United, United States ’, United Arab Emirates, Fox News, US, Hoover Institution, Stanford University, Saudi, Washington, MBS, Gulf, NATO Allies, NATO, Fifth, US Central Command, Middle East Institute of, National University of Singapore, “, Autonomy, East South Asia Center for Security Studies, Pentagon, Senate, ”, CNN Locations: Abu Dhabi, UAE, United States, Washington, East, Saudi Arabia, America, Saudi, New York, Iran, U.S, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Tokyo, Seoul, Bahrain, Qatar, China, Russia, Gulf

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. Washington could also sweeten any deal by designating Saudi Arabia a Major Non-NATO Ally, a status already given to Israel, the U.S. source said. "Saudi Arabia supports a peace plan for the Palestinians, but this time it wanted something for Saudi Arabia, not just for the Palestinians." SEEKING ISRAELI COMMITMENTSIsrael's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hailed the possibility of a "historic" peace with Saudi Arabia, the heartland of Islam. Yet, even if the U.S, Israel and Saudi Arabia agree, winning support from lawmakers in the U.S. Congress remains a challenge.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Joe Biden, NATO Ally, Biden, Washington, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Mahmoud Abbas, Jamal Khashoggi, China, Samia Nakhoul, James Mackenzie, Dan Williams, Ali Sawafta, Aziz El Yaacouby, Steve Holland, Matt Spetalnick, Humeyra Pamuk, Patricia Zengerle, Edmund Blair Organizations: Al, Saudi Royal Court, REUTERS Acquire, Defence, NATO, Saudi, U.S, U.S . Navy Fifth, Saudi Arabia, U.S . State Department, U.S . Atomic Energy, Israel's, MbS, Fox, Israel, West Bank, Palestinian Authority, West, Biden's Democratic Party, Washington Post, Congress, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Bandar, Bahrain, Washington, Israel, United States, U.S, Riyadh, Iran, Tehran, Japan, Egypt, West Bank, East Jerusalem, Yemen, Beijing, Dubai, Jerusalmen

☆ Endeavor, Fenway Sports consider investment in the PGA Tour
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The PGA Tour logo is seen during the third round of the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, on June 24, 2017. The discussions, which are in preliminary stages, stem from a PGA Tour investment vehicle created as part of the framework agreement for its proposed deal with PIF. "Throughout 2023, the PGA Tour has demonstrated its strength, reach and value as an enterprise. In June, the PGA Tour announced a proposed deal that would see it combine with rival LIV Golf following months of lawsuits and competition between the two. The deal between LIV and the PGA Tour has faced criticism and controversy.

Persons: LIV, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, PIF Organizations: Investment, Endeavor Group Holdings, Fenway Sports Group, PGA Tour, PGA, Public Investment Fund, Endeavor, Fenway, Bloomberg, LIV Golf, Saudi Crown, LIV, UFC, Wrestling Entertainment, Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox, Liverpool Football Club, National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins Locations: Cromwell , Connecticut, Saudi

☆ Saudi Arabia announces crucial step forward in its nascent nuclear power plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The announcement put the spotlight on the kingdom's nascent nuclear energy efforts — Saudi Arabia has a small nuclear reactor, a research unit set up with the help of Argentina, that it has not yet put into operation. The Saudi energy minister did not comment on whether his country would also join the IAEA's Additional Protocol, which requires more thorough oversight including snap inspections. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a recent wide-ranging interview with Fox News that if Iran developed nuclear weapons, Saudi Arabia would too. U.S. assistance with a nuclear energy program is one of Saudi Arabia's key demands — but not everyone is happy about that. The multilateral Obama-era deal had allowed the lifting of economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs to its nuclear program.

Persons: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Al, Mandel Ngan, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, Rafael Grossi, Thomas Kronsteiner, Grossi, Saud, Prince Abdulaziz's, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Mohammed bin Salman's, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Evelyn Hockstein, Yair Lapid, Donald Trump, ATTA KENARE Organizations: Saudi, Crown, AFP, Getty Images, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Saudi Energy, Governors, CSA, United, Fox News, CBS, West, Saudi Arabian Crown, Indian, Biden, Obama, Iranian, Getty Locations: Royal, Saudi, Jeddah, Getty Images Saudi Arabia, Vienna, Austria, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Russia, Ukraine, China, New Delhi, India, Riyadh, Washington, Israel, Tehran, Bushehr

☆ Saudi Arabia and the UAE are battling to become the Middle East's economic superpower
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Saudi Arabia's crown prince is shaking up his economy in a move escalating its UAE rivalry. In March, Saudi Arabia unveiled Riyadh Air , a new airline serving as an alternative to the UAE's Emirates and Etihad Airways. If you want to do business with Saudi Arabia or Saudi state-owned entities, you've got to base your regional HQ in Saudi Arabia." "Saudi Arabia sees the separation project in Yemen as a way to let the Houthis control the north and therefore have a more-threatening border at the south of Saudi Arabia." Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERSHow far the rivalry between the two nations goes largely depends on Saudi Arabia's actions.

Persons: Saudi Arabia's, Mohammed bin Salman, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, MBZ, Obama, You've, Kristian Ulrichsen, Rice, Sheikh Mohamed, Prince Mohammed, Sheikh Mohamed —, —, Leon Neal, Shaybah, Ulrichsen, Sheikh Zayed, Sultan Al Nahyan, Abu, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Neom, Abishur Prakash, Jorg Greuel, Abdullah Alaoudh, Prakash, you've, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed, Ludovic Marin, Mohammed's, Jamal Khashoggi, Biden, Baker Institute's Ulrichsen, Alaoudh, wouldn't Organizations: United Arab Emirates, UAE, Service, Baker Institute, Saudi, UAE —, Qatar, Dubai, United, Freedom Initiative, UAE's Emirates, Etihad Airways, Saudi Public Investment Fund, Newcastle United FC, English Premier League, Manchester City, Saudi Crown, Getty, Ritz Carlton, Saudi Royal Court, REUTERS, Saudi Aramco, United Nations Locations: Saudi, Wall, Silicon, Saudi Arabia, East, Washington, London, UAE, Persian, Al Ain, British, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, United Arab, Riyadh, Manchester City . Saudi Arabia, New Delhi, Istanbul, Yemen, Iran, Saudi Arabia's, Bandar, Ukraine

☆ Saudi crown prince says he does not care about 'sportswashing' claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (not pictured) meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, June 7, 2023. "If sportswashing (is) going to increase my GDP by 1%, then we'll continue doing sportswashing," the crown prince told Fox News. Saudi Arabia denies accusations of human rights abuses and says it protects its national security through its laws. When asked specifically about the term "sportswashing", the crown prince said: "I don't care. Saudi Arabia has been hosting a Formula One Grand Prix since 2021 and has also held boxing world title fights.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, we'll, PIF, LIV, Hritika Sharma, Michael Perry Organizations: Saudi Crown, Saudi Royal Court, REUTERS, Saudi Arabian Crown, Fox News, Public Wealth Fund, Premier League, Newcastle United, PGA, Saudi Pro League, Thomson Locations: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Bandar, Saudi, Hyderabad

☆ 'I don’t care': 'Sportswashing' comments from Saudi crown prince spark anger from rights groups
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman lit up social media with his blunt response to accusations that his government is "sportswashing," or using sports to distract attention from its controversial human rights record. Human rights organizations immediately seized on the comments, criticizing what some said was proof of a state policy of hiding human rights violations behind an expensive veneer of big-ticket sports acquisitions and tournaments. "He's done more than say he doesn't care," Minky Worden, Human Rights Watch's director of global initiatives, told NBC News. "He's really endorsed the idea of sportswashing as a way of covering up the country's very serious human rights abuses. We've now heard from the top that this is state policy."

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Minky Worden, He's, We've Organizations: Saudi, Fox News, Human Rights, NBC Locations: Saudi

☆ Saudi crown prince says he will keep 'sportswashing' as criticism of the practice grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Drew Richardson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Call it whatever you want, we're going to get that one and a half percent," the crown prince said. The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), an entity controlled by Crown Prince Mohammed, has backed Saudi soccer clubs and LIV Golf. The LIV Golf merger with the PGA Tour has faced widespread scrutiny. Key U.S. lawmakers have criticized the pending golf merger as an attempt by the kingdom to distract from its human rights record. Prior to the deal, LIV Golf sued the PGA Tour for alleged anticompetitive practices, which prompted the PGA Tour to countersue, saying LIV Golf was stifling competition.

Persons: Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, sportswashing, I'm, Critics, Jamal Khashoggi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, LIV Golf, Crown Prince Mohammed, LIV, Osama bin Laden, It's, Sen, Richard Blumenthal, Conn, Jimmy Dunne, Ron Price, Price, Benjamin Freeman, — CNBC's Lillian Rizzo, Chelsey Cox Organizations: Saudi, Saudi Arabian Crown, Partnership, Global Infrastructure, Fox News, Washington Post, Neymar, PGA Tour, Saudi Public Investment Fund, Crown, Reuters, PGA, Key U.S, Homeland Security, Governmental Affairs, Tour, Quincy Institute, Responsible Locations: Saudi Arabian, New Delhi, India, Saudi, Europe, Saudi Arabia, Key, Yemen

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman smiles during the New Global Financial Pact Summit at the Palais Brongniart in Paris, on June 22, 2023. Ludovic Marin | AFP | Getty ImagesSaudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the prospect of normalizing relations with Israel is getting closer by the day, but signaled that the treatment of Palestinians remains a clinching point. Prince Mohammed dismissed reports that the two countries had suspended talks and acknowledged progress in negotiations. "Every day we get closer," he said in an Fox News interview aired on Wednesday — a rare sit-down with a Western media outlet for the Saudi crown prince. The two leaders agreed to work toward securing diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Ludovic Marin, Prince Mohammed, Joe, Abraham, Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Netanyahu Organizations: New Global Financial, Palais, AFP, Getty, Saudi, Fox News, Israel, United, Wednesday, United Nations Locations: Saudi, Paris, Israel, Riyadh, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Sudan, Morocco, Washington, New York, Saudi Arabia

☆ Saudi crown prince says normalization with Israel gets 'closer' every day
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Abu Dhabi, UAE CNN —Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) said that his country was moving “closer” each day toward reaching a normalization deal with Israel, the first time he has publicly acknowledged the process. We’re gonna see how it goes.”The Biden administration has for several months been in talks with Saudi Arabia on the matter, according to US officials. Saudi Arabia has been strengthening its ties with China as Washington’s rivalry with the Asian nation heats up. “We are the biggest buyer of American armored manufacturing,” he said, adding that Saudi Arabia is “critical” to US arms exports. Saudi Arabia is in the process of changing laws to make them “more realistic” for Saudis, he said.

Persons: UAE CNN — Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, ”, Biden, don’t, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Fox News ’ Brett Baier, ” BRICS, BRICS, Jamal Khashoggi, Khashoggi Organizations: UAE CNN — Saudi Arabia’s Crown, Fox News, Saudi, MBS, ”, West Bank, Wednesday, CNN, Fox, White, America, CIA Locations: Abu Dhabi, UAE, Israel, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, ”, Iran, Tehran, China, Beijing, Gulf, America, Arabia, West, Russia, Istanbul

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

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

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud attends Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment event on the day of the G20 summit in New Delhi, India, September 9, 2023. The conservative U.S. network’s interview with the crown prince, widely known as MbS, comes as President Joe Biden’s administration presses ahead with an effort to broker historic ties between the two regional powerhouses, Washington’s top Middle East allies. We need to solve that part,” MbS said when asked what it would take to get a normalization agreement. MbS also voiced concern about the possibility of Iran, a mutual adversary of Saudi Arabia and Israel that the U.S. wants to contain, could obtain a nuclear weapon. Reporting by Rami Ayyub and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Leslie Adler and Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Evelyn Hockstein, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Israel, Joe Biden’s, ”, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Rami Ayyub, Matt Spetalnick, Leslie Adler, Josie Kao Organizations: Saudi, Saudi Arabian Crown, Partnership, Global Infrastructure, REUTERS, Rights, Fox, MbS, Israeli, Thomson Locations: Saudi Arabian, New Delhi, India, Saudi, U.S, Israel, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Tehran, Gulf

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

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

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

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

☆ Saudi Crown Prince Says Getting 'Closer' to Israel Normalization -Fox Interview
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The conservative U.S. network’s interview with the crown prince, widely known as MbS, comes as President Joe Biden’s administration presses ahead with an effort to broker historic ties between the two regional powerhouses, Washington’s top Middle East allies. We need to solve that part,” MbS said when asked what it would take to get a normalization agreement. MbS also voiced concern about the possibility of Iran, a mutual adversary of Saudi Arabia and Israel that the U.S. wants to contain, could obtain a nuclear weapon. Both leaders also said Iran could not be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon. (Reporting by Rami Ayyub and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Leslie Adler and Josie Kao)

Persons: Matt Spetalnick, Rami Ayyub WASHINGTON, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Israel, Joe Biden’s, ”, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Rami Ayyub, Leslie Adler, Josie Kao Organizations: Saudi Arabian Crown, Fox, MbS, Israeli Locations: Saudi, U.S, Israel, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Tehran, Gulf

[1/4] 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. Biden would also score a foreign policy win as he seeks re-election in November 2024. The focus is on Biden’s fellow Democrats who have condemned Saudi Arabia over human rights but whose support would be needed if any agreement requires congressional approval. Though foreign policy rarely sways U.S. elections, Biden, facing a re-election fight against Republican former president Donald Trump, may be thinking of his legacy. Murphy, a Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he favors Israeli-Saudi normalization and is open to reviewing any broader agreement but would not be easily convinced.

Persons: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Joe Biden, Biden, Joe Biden’s, Israel, “, ”, Jonathan Panikoff, government’s, Biden’s, Washington, Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump, Aaron David Miller, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, Chris Murphy, Murphy, Jared Kushner, Trump, Abraham, Netanyahu, Matt Spetalnick, Steve Holland, Patricia Zengerle, Dan Williams, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Saudi Crown, Al, Saudi Royal Court, REUTERS, Rights, Atlantic Council, Saudi, Israel, Republicans, Israeli, Republican, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, SAUDI, MbS, NATO, Reuters, Democrat, Senate Foreign Relations, Abraham Accords, Middle, General, Trump, Biden, Thomson Locations: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Bandar, Israel, U.S, Riyadh, Iran, Gulf, East, Russia, Ukraine, Saudi, Yemen, “, United States, Washington, Jerusalem

He has sought to boost Brazil's cred with each state visit and speech, one multilateral forum after another. PUSHING FOR GLOBAL GOVERNANCE — BRAZIL-STYLEDuring Lula’s travels, he has pushed for global governance that gives greater heft to the Global South and advocating diminishing the dollar’s dominance in trade. After the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin's arrest, Lula said he would review Brazil's membership in the court. Some in Washington had initially hoped Lula could be helpful in advancing a shared agenda in Venezuela, Winter said. As they stood embracing, Lula remained seated while applauding a few feet away and nearly out of the camera frame.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's, Brazil —, —, Lula, Bolsonaro, ”, Oliver Stuenkel, Getulio Vargas, Ukraine’s, Vladimir Putin's, “, Brian Winter, Biden, Winter, ” Biden, Jake Sullivan, Narendra Modi, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Cuba “, ” Lula, Nicolás Maduro, LULA, Lula isn't, Modi, Thomas Traumann, Azali Assoumani, Assoumani's, Paulo Peres, Said Peres, Eleónore Hughes, Madhani, David Biller Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, —, General, Getulio, Getulio Vargas Foundation, Global, . National, Bolsonaro, Indian, Saudi Crown, Biden, Federal University of Rio, . Security, Associated Press Locations: Brazil, United States, China, Italy, India, Argentina, Angola, Sao Paulo, — BRAZIL, Washington, Western Europe, U.S, York, Americas, New York, Ukraine, New Delhi, Cuba, Havana, Venezuela, ”, Brazilian, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro

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