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☆ Pope Francis calls for investigation into Gaza genocide allegations
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-18 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Pope Francis has said that allegations of a genocide in Gaza should be “carefully investigated” marking some of his strongest criticism yet of Israel’s war in the territory. “According to some experts… what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide,” Vatican News, the Holy See’s official news outlet, cited the pontiff as writing in a forthcoming book. Pope Francis rarely comments on politics, often limiting his remarks to calls for peace. He lamented that “unarmed civilians are targets for bombs and gunfire” in Gaza and invoking scripture on war. Israel’s war in Gaza has killed more than 43,000 Palestinians, the ministry of health there says, and has flattened large swathes of the territory, triggering a humanitarian crisis.

Persons: Pope Francis, “, Hope, Yaron, ”, Omar Al, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Israel Organizations: CNN, Vatican, Vatican News, United Nations ’ International Court of Justice, Getty, ICJ, Hamas, UN, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Locations: Gaza, Israel, South Africa, Pretoria, Jabaliya, AFP, Parish

☆ Jared Kushner expected to be pivotal to Trump admin’s Middle East efforts without taking a formal job
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Kylie Atwood | Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —President-elect Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is seen as being pivotal to the incoming administration’s Middle East efforts, even though he is not likely to take a formal job within it, regional diplomats and Trump allies told CNN. Trump’s Middle East team has been taking shape this week after he selected a former Republican governor and a close friend and real-estate developer to take on key roles. Since Trump left office in 2021, Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, have moved to Miami and largely exited politics. Kushner has also maintained relationships with key players in the Middle East, including Israeli officials and leaders in the Arab Gulf. That is the key question,” explained Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East negotiator at the State Department, referring to Trump’s longtime friend and real estate developer who will serve as his special envoy to the Middle East.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Jared Kushner, Kushner, Trump, Jared, ”, –, ” Kushner, Abraham, Ivanka Trump, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Trump’s, bin Salman, Israel, “, Kusher, Ghaith Al, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Ron Dermer, Brian Hook, ” Hook, “ Kushner, Mike Huckabee, Steve Witkoff, Kushner –, Aaron David Miller, Rubio, ” Witkoff, Witkoff Organizations: CNN, Trump, Trump’s, Republican, White, Abraham Accords, United, United Arab Emirates, Affinity Partners, Washington, Saudi Crown, MBS, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Harvard, Washington Institute, Israel, State Department, CNN International, Former Arkansas Gov Locations: Israeli, Israel, Isreal, United Arab, Gaza, Lebanon, Miami, Arab, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, New Jersey

☆ Long-time CEO of NEOM goes as Saudi Arabia scales back mega-projects
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-13 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Nadhmi al-Nasr, the long-time chief executive of the $500 billion NEOM mega-project at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s drive to diversify away from oil, has departed, NEOM said on Tuesday without giving a reason. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into development projects through the kingdom’s PIF sovereign wealth fund. Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, is still heavily reliant on hydrocarbon revenues, and low oil prices and production have hit state coffers. He has been the head of the PIF’s Local Real Estate Division since 2018 and has a deep understanding of NEOM and its projects, NEOM said. In his role at PIF, Al-Mudaifer oversees all local real estate investments and infrastructure projects, and he is a board member of several prominent companies in the kingdom.

Persons: Nadhmi, Nasr, NEOM, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Aiman, Mudaifer Organizations: Reuters, Al, Real, Division Locations: Saudi, Belgium, NEOM, Saudi Arabia, PIF, Al

☆ Mohammed bin Salman: Saudi crown prince accuses Israel of committing ‘collective genocide’ in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-12 | by ( Mostafa Salem | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has accused Israel of carrying out “collective genocide” in Gaza, in some of his strongest criticism of the country since the war began last year. Saudi Arabia strongly opposes Iran-backed militias such as Hezbollah and Hamas. Riyadh and Tehran repaired ties last year after decades of animosity over regional influence. Those attending the high-level meeting included Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The conference was hosted by Saudi Arabia in Riyadh on November 11.

Persons: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Israel, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Adolf Hitler, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mohammad Reza Aref, General Hassan Nasrallah, Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar, Mahmoud Abbas, Najib Mikati, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Abdel Fattah el, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of, Bashar al, Assad of Organizations: CNN, Saudi Arabia’s Crown, Islamic, MBS, Iranian, Israeli Locations: Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Israel, Iran, Tehran, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, Assad of Syria, Syria, ”

☆ Amnesty International warns FIFA of ‘real and predictable human cost’ of awarding 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-11 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Amnesty International has urged FIFA to halt the process of awarding Saudi Arabia the 2034 World Cup until major human rights reforms are announced. “FIFA is implementing thorough bidding processes for the 2030 and 2034 editions of the FIFA World Cup, in line with previous processes for the selection of hosts for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 in Australia and New Zealand, the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the United States, Mexico and Canada and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in Brazil,” a FIFA spokesperson told CNN. Saudi Arabia is the only nation bidding for the 2034 World Cup. Yasser Bakhsh/Getty ImagesFollowing its investment in several sporting competitions, Saudi Arabia has outlined ambitious plans for the 2034 World Cup. “There will be a real and predictable human cost to awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia without obtaining credible guarantees of reform,” Cockburn added.

Persons: “, ”, Yasser Bakhsh, Steve Cockburn, ” Cockburn, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, FIFA ” Organizations: CNN, Amnesty, FIFA, Saudi, Amnesty International, Sport & Rights Alliance, Labour Rights, Human Rights Watch, Saudi Arabia Football Federation, Balkis Press, BBC Sport, ”, Moroccan, Portuguese Football Federation Locations: Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Australia, New Zealand, United States, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, Casablanca, Spanish, Moroccan

Abu Dhabi and Jerusalem CNN —If his first term in the White House is any indication, President-elect Donald Trump is likely to keep the Middle East high on his agenda. But the Middle East has changed significantly since he left office in 2021, and all regional actors are keenly watching how the new president will navigate these shifts. Here’s how Trump’s election could affect key players in the Middle East:Israel and the PalestiniansEnding the wars in Gaza and Lebanon and integrating Israel in the Middle East are likely to be at the top of the president-elect’s Middle East agenda, analysts said. “When the war will be over, you’ll need a real restart in the Middle East,” and Trump will be the best person to bring about a “new Middle East,” Bismuth added. Nadav Shtrauchler, a political strategist who has worked closely with Netanyahu, said Trump’s election sends a message to Israel’s enemies in Iran.

Persons: Jerusalem CNN —, Donald Trump, Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Fatemeh Mohajerani, “ Netanyahu, ”, Mustafa Barghouti, Alon Pinkas, “, ” Pinkas, Joe Biden’s, Pinkas, ” Trump, Evan Vucci, Netanyahu, haven’t, Biden, Boaz, Trump’s, Nadav, Yoav Gallant, Harris, ” Shtrauchler, Qasem Soleimani, Ali Vaez, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Atta Kenare, – Israel, …, ” Vaez, –, “ Trump, Vaez, Jamal Khashoggi, Hasan Alhasan, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Mandel Ngan, ” Alhasan, “ They’re, CNN’s Dana Karni, Irene Nasser, Eyad Kourdi Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, Jewish, White House, America, Saudi, United Arab, Trump, Palestinian National Initiative, CNN, West Bank, Palm Beach Convention, Israel, Likud, Abraham Accords, Islamic, Iran Project, Crisis, Biden, Getty, US, Washington Post, Middle, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Saudi Arabia's Crown, White, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, SCO, –, Hamas Locations: Abu Dhabi, Jerusalem, Saudi, Iran, Israel, America, United Arab Emirates, UAE, East, Gaza, Lebanon, Israeli, Palm Beach, Florida, Syria, Tehran, Republic, United States, AFP, Saudi Arabia, Arab, Riyadh, Bahrain, Yemen, China, Washington, Beijing, decouple, Qatar

Transactional, personality-based and erratic, the Trump doctrine made for a chaotic four years that left both foreign leaders and seasoned American national security aides exhausted and jittery. World leaders are open to all options, including making trips to New York or Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, sources said. Foreign leaders are relying on their experience with Trump during his first presidency, when flattery and personal attention paid dividends, as they approach him following his win. And that, in the end, could sum up Trump’s foreign policy doctrine in a sentence. The first clues about Trump’s policy will be the appointments he makes to senior national security positions.”CNN’s Alayna Treene contributed reporting.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Trump’s, he’s, Joe Biden, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, “, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, Mark Rutte, he’d, Shinzo Abe, Angela Merkel, Vladimir Putin —, —, Dmitry Peskov, “ Let’s, Kim Jong Un, Xi Jinping, Xi, Putin, It’s, Mike Pompeo, Keith Kellogg, Mike Pence, Richard Grenell, Brian Hook, John Herbst, United States — Putin, ” Herbst, Alayna Treene Organizations: CNN, Trump, American, NATO, Israeli, Saudi, CIA, Biden, State Department, Republican Party, Council’s Eurasia Center Locations: Paris, Jerusalem, Riyadh, Washington, Florida, —, Ukraine, North Korea, Iran, China, masse, Russia, New York, Lago, Trump, Taiwan, Beijing, Trump’s, Germany, “, United States, Europe

☆ Saudi sovereign wealth fund announces $2 billion deal for new Brookfield Middle East platform
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-30 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding with Brookfield Asset Management, under which the wealth fund will serve as a strategic anchor investor for the asset manager's newly announced private equity vehicle for the region, Brookfield Middle East Partners. Signed at the eighth edition of Future Investment Initiative, Saudi Arabia's flagship annual economic conference in Riyadh, the non-binding agreement marks the kingdom's latest push for financial partnerships that boost private equity investment and economic development within its borders. The move is in line with Saudi Arabia's recently-updated Investment Law, which seeks to attract more foreign direct investment — it's set itself a lofty target of $100 billion in annual FDI by 2030. Currently, that figure has averaged around $12 billion per year since Vision 2030 was announced in 2017, according to data from the kingdom's investment ministry — still a long way from that goal. The PIF, the kingdom's $925 billion sovereign wealth fund, has deployed billions in capital around the world as it aims to diversify Saudi Arabia's revenue streams away from oil, materializing the central goal of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 campaign.

Persons: —, Prince Mohammed bin Salman's, Yasir al Rumayyan, Bruce Flatt Organizations: Saudi, Public Investment Fund, Wednesday, Brookfield Asset Management, Brookfield Middle East Partners, Future Investment Initiative, Saudi Arabia's, Brookfield, Brookfield Academy Locations: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saudi

Washington had pressed its ally in the hopes of ending the cycle of attacks and avoiding escalation into a wider war. Blinken said the U.S. is tracking the aid deliveries very carefully and “absolutely essential” that Israel comply. "Israel has achieved most of its strategic objectives when it comes to Gaza,” Blinken said in Tel Aviv. (It also signed off on $9.5 billion in humanitarian aid for Gaza, as well as the conflict zones of Ukraine and Sudan.) But far-fetched as it might seem, it came up during Blinken’s meeting with the Saudi crown prince during this trip.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, it’d, Yahya Sinwar, Isaac Herzog, Nathan Howard, Amos Hochstein, Donald Trump, Netanyahu —, Netanyahu, Blinken, Israel, ” Blinken, “ It’s, Ibrahim Fakhroo, Sinwar, William Burns, Khalil al, “, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Joe Biden, Ayman Safadi, we’ve, ” It’s Organizations: State Department, Getty, Israel, Hamas, Trump, Qatar's Ministry of Foreign, CIA, Qatari, Senior, Palestinian Authority, Saudi Crown, U.S, U.S . Locations: United States, Israel, Iran, Washington, Gaza, Egypt, Lebanon, Blinken, Tel Aviv, AFP, U.S, Beirut, Saudi Arabia, Doha, Qatar, Riyadh, Ukraine, Sudan, Saudi, Palestinian, Jordanian, London

☆ Saudi Arabia will reportedly give a select group of visitors a first glimpse of Neom, showing them Sindalah — a luxury island retreat in the Red Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-25 | by ( Nora Redmond | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Some guests at Saudi Arabia's annual investment conference will have the chance to visit part of Neom. A group of visitors will be taken to Sindalah, an island retreat in the Red Sea, Bloomberg reports. AdvertisementAs guests descend upon Saudi Arabia for a major annual investment conference, some will have the opportunity to see the country's futuristic megacity, Neom, firsthand. Days before the conference begins, a select group of guests has been invited to visit Sindalah Island, per Bloomberg. Sindalah is a luxury island complex in the Red Sea off Saudi Arabia's west coast designed as a "unique escape" for visitors to Neom.

Persons: Neom, —, BlackRock's Larry Fink, Goldman Sachs, David Solomon, Citigroup's Jane Fraser, Julia Hoggett, Ken Griffin, Sindalah, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Malcolm Aw Organizations: Saudi, Bloomberg, Service, Investment Initiative, London Stock, Solar, Business Locations: Neom, Red, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Sindalah

KAZAN, Russia — Almost 700 miles east of Russia's war in Ukraine, the city of Kazan is a safe enough distance for President Vladimir Putin to try and reposition himself as an international ambassador. The countries gathering for the BRICS summit, where Gavrilov is helping to chaperone delegates, share a similar mix of apparently contradictory views. Russia and Iranian protocol teams huddled together in a Kazan hotel Sunday planning the arrival of Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian. Russian President Vladimir Putin and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan sign a wall at newly opened education center in Moscow on Monday. While Ukraine is a “long, long way away, the modern ballistic missile can very easily come here,” Gavrilov said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Islam Gavrilov, Sergei Gavrilov, “, Gavrilov, ”, didn’t, —, it’s, Masoud Pezeshkian, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Mikhail Metzel, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, they’ve, ” David Lubin, you’re, ” Gavrilov, Keir Simmons, Natasha Lebedeva, Freddie Clayton Organizations: NBC, NASA, Harvard University, The, Putin, United Arab, European Union, Kremlin, Wednesday, Saudi Arabia’s Crown, Chatham House, NBC News, Inside Locations: KAZAN, Russia, Ukraine, Kazan, Kremlin, United States, Moscow, America, U.S, — Brazil, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, United Arab Emirates, UAE, London, Russian, Yelabuga, Nizhnekamsk, “

☆ Iran aided Russia against Ukraine. Now it needs to call in the favor
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-21 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Russia is unlikely to offer military intervention against Israel on behalf of the Iranians, Saab said, given it is already "too bogged down in Ukraine." In return for Iran's support, Russia has bolstered Iran's military capabilities in several areas, they noted: "Iran has made notable progress in acquiring advanced conventional weaponry from Russia, allowing it to achieve some of its defense officials' long-standing goals. Iranian protesters shout anti-Israeli slogans while burning an Israeli flag in a celebration for Iran's missile attack against Israel, in Tehran, Iran, on October 1, 2024. That shared antipathy toward the U.S. and desire to create a "new world order" are what largely binds Iran and Russia. Russia cannot — and will not — save Iran in its confrontation with Israel and the United States," he noted.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Masoud Pezeshkian, Israel, Bilal Y, They've, Saab, It's, Karim Sadjadpour, Nicole Grajewski, Su, John Kirby, Morteza, Mikhail Svetlov, Bashar al, Nikita Smagin, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Organizations: Getty, CNBC, Saab, North Africa, Israel, Kremlin, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Security, Ukraine, Nurphoto, United, Base, Russian International Affairs Council, Saudi Arabian Crown, Royal, Anadolu Locations: Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Iran, Ukraine, Tehran, Russia, Islamic Republic, East, United States, Russian, U.S, Ukrainian, Gaza, Lebanon, Israel, Iranian, Yemen, Syria, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Syria's, Moscow, Saudi, Al Yamamah, Riyadh

Yet days after Sinwar was killed by Israeli troops in southern Gaza, the fundamentals of the deadlocked talks remain unchanged. “Their internal dynamics will take some time,” a regional diplomatic official told CNN. The regional diplomatic source called it a “safe bet” that Sinwar’s brother Mohammed could take the lead for the hostages inside Gaza. To lead the overall organization, top Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, who is based in Doha, is getting backing from pro-Iran, pro-Gaza corners, the regional official said. Blinken is expected to meet with top Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, on Tuesday, amid tempered expectations he will return to Washington having made any significant progress on the hostage talks.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Yahya Sinwar, Joe Biden, Sinwar, isn’t budging, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, ” Netanyahu, ” Biden, Israel, ”, John Kirby, Mohammed, Mohammed Sinwar’s, it’s, Yahya Sinwar’s, “, ” Mohammed Sinwar, Mohammad Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, Khalil al, Ismail Haniyeh, Blinken, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Blinken’s, Vladimir Putin Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Israeli, Diplomats, Sinwar, National Security, UN Security Council, US, Saudi Crown Locations: Israel, United, Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, Doha, Cairo, Tehran, Qatar, Egypt, Washington, Tel Aviv, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Palestinian, Russia, United States

☆ Women soccer players call on FIFA to cut ties with Saudi oil giant Aramco
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-21 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —More than 100 soccer players from the women’s game have signed an open letter to FIFA, urging the sport’s world governing body to end its sponsorship deal with Saudi oil and gas company Aramco. In April this year, FIFA announced a four-year global partnership with the majority state-owned oil giant, giving it sponsorship rights to the 2026 men’s World Cup and the 2027 Women’s World Cup. “The Saudi authorities trample not only on the rights of women, but on the freedom of all other citizens too,” the letter, addressed to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, said. Last year, it produced an average of 12.8 million barrels of oil a day, far more than any other company. US oil and gas companies combined, however, produce more than Saudi Arabia, according to a 2023 analysis from the US Energy Information Administration.

Persons: Vivianne Miedema, Becky Sauerbrunn, trample, Gianni Infantino, “, Miedema, ”, John Walton, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, sportswashing Organizations: CNN, FIFA, Saudi, Manchester City, Saudi Aramco, BBC, CNN Sport, Aramco, Manchester, Fox News, US Energy Information Administration, “ Grassroots, ”, Women’s Locations: Saudi, Aramco, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Aramco

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Bracing itself for a retaliatory strike for last week’s ballistic missile attack, Iran has been urging its Arab neighbors not to allow Israel to use their airspace as part of any potential attack, two diplomats from Gulf nations told NBC News Friday. Israel has vowed to respond to the strikes and while the nature and timing of the attack remain unclear, Iran warned countries that do help Israel in any way could potentially become part of a war, one of the diplomats said. His death came days after several Hezbollah leaders were killed by exploding pagers and walkie-talkies, an attack which Israel was widely believed to have been behind. Both militant groups are backed by Tehran and Pezeshkian has portrayed Iran as “exercising restraint” because it waited for two months after Haniyeh's death before launching the attack on Israel. NBC News has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces for comment but has not received a response.

Persons: Israel, Masoud Pezeshkian, Abbas Araghchi, Araghchi, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Pezeshkian, Vladimir Putin, Sameh Khadr Hassan Al, Ismail Haniyeh, Hassan Nasrallah, Haniyeh, Nasrallah, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Biden, Rasoul, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ” Biden, Abu al, Askari, Matthew Savill, wouldn’t, ”, Israel “ Organizations: NBC, Gulf Cooperation Council, United, United Arab Emirates, U.S, European Union, West Bank, Israel, AFP, Getty, Israeli, Iran’s, Hezbollah, Military Sciences, Royal United Services Institute, NBC News, Israel Defense Forces Locations: DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Israel, Jordan, United Arab, Washington, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Ashgabat, Russian, United States, Tehran, Syria's, Damascus, Brig, Gen, Fars, Iraq, U.S, London, Gaza, Lebanon, Beirut, Deir el

But Putin is not the only foreign leader Trump is talking to. And it is hardly unusual for a presidential nominee to begin holding some talks with foreign leaders. After the first attempt to assassinate Trump, in July, foreign leaders quickly moved to offer him their well-wishes. Trump has hosted Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and former British Prime Minister David Cameron when he was the U.K.’s foreign secretary. Katulis was referring to the trove of classified documents Trump kept from his time in office that have become the subject of a criminal case, many of them about his communications with foreign leaders.

Persons: WASHINGTON —, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin —, Trump, —, Putin, Xi Jinping, ”, Russia —, Evan Gershkovich, Biden, Bob Woodward’s, ” Trump, Keir Starmer, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Benjamin Netanyahu, Melania Trump, King Charles “, Mahmoud Abbas, Andrzej Duda, Duda, Netanyahu, Sara, Viktor Orbán, Taro Aso, David Cameron, Trump’s, Daniel Fried, Bill Clinton, George W, Bush, Barack Obama, I’ve, ” Fried, ” Keith Kellogg, Fried, “, ” He's, Brian Katulis, Katulis, ” Said, Woodward, “ Biden, ‘, ’ ” Trump, ’, Karoline Leavitt, Steven Cheung Organizations: WASHINGTON, White, Trump, Democratic Party, Street Journal, British, Saudi Crown, Israeli, ”, Republican National Convention, Palestinian, Ukraine, U.S, Republicans, Middle East Institute, ’ Locations: Manhattan, Palm Beach , Florida, Israel, Ukraine, Russia, American, Russian, Iran, New York, Hungarian, U.S, Poland, Clinton, today’s America, North Korea

☆ Saudi sovereign wealth fund allocates $5.2 billion in green bonds project amid diversification push
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-11 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The PIF became the first sovereign wealth fund to issue a green bond back in October 2022. The mammoth sovereign wealth fund, which oversees $925 billion in assets, has a capital expenditure requirement of $19.4 billion for what it deems "eligible green projects," according to the PIF's annual report. Saudi Arabia has a stated goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2060 and has poured billions of dollars into what it says are sustainable development projects. It describes a water sustainability project planned for Neom that will develop "a fully-circular system to achieve water positivity" enabling "100% wastewater recapture and energy-neutral recycling." Neom Green Hydrogen — a joint venture between Neom and Saudi firms ACWA Power, Air Products — will be the world's largest green hydrogen plant and will operate "entirely on renewable energy," according to the report.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman's, Philip Oldfield Organizations: Saudi, Public Investment Fund, Renewable Energy, Green, Sustainable Water Management, United Nations Sustainable, University of New, ACWA Power, Air Products Locations: Saudi Arabia, Saudi, University of New South Wales, Neom

Simon & Schuster“That fucking Putin,” Biden said to advisers in the Oval Office not long after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to Woodward. “This is what Putin plans to do,” CIA Director Bill Burns said to Biden, according to Woodward. Woodward asked Trump aide Jason Miller whether Trump and Putin had spoken since he left the White House. I wouldn’t purport to speak to what President Trump may or may not have done,” Haines said, according to Woodward. As Trump framed his presidential campaign around fear, Woodward writes that Graham said of the former president: “Trump is becoming more erratic.

Persons: CNN —, Bob Woodward, Joe Biden’s, Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin, Bibi Netanyahu, he’s, ” Biden, Woodward, Simon, Schuster, Putin, “ Putin, ”, Donald Trump’s, Putin –, Trump, Biden, Netanyahu, Hunter Biden’s, – Woodward, – Biden, “, General Merrick Garland, Barack Obama’s, Barack, ’ Woodward, ” Woodward, Joe Biden, Brendan Smialowski, —, Bill Burns, I’ve, Putin “, Volodymyr Zelensky, Kamala Harris, Harris, Zelensky, Alex Wong, Jake Sullivan, Lloyd Austin, ” Austin, Sergei Shoigu, ” Shoigu, “ Mr, ” Colin Kahl, Abbott, Putin —, Covid —, ” Putin, ” Trump, Donald Trump, Trump’s, Jason Miller, ” Miller, National Intelligence Avril Haines “, ” Haines, ‘ Trump, Sen, Lindsey Graham, ” Graham, Biden “, “ You’ve, you’ve, ” “, Graham, “ Trump, ” ‘ Bibi, Israel, ” Netanyahu, “ Bibi, ’ ” Biden, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, State Anthony Blinken, Blinken, Antony Blinken, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Evelyn Hockstein, Woodard, bin Salman, JAKE SULLIVAN, ” ‘, Garland ’, George W, Bush, Obama, Merrick Garland, ” Bush, Garland, Hunter Biden, “ Hunter, Biden —, ” Blinken, You’ve, that’s, Kevin Dietsch, ” Harris, Joe Manchin Organizations: CNN, Trump, Putin, White House, Villa, Grange, Getty, CIA, Munich Security Conference, ”, White, Pentagon, Russia, National Intelligence, South Carolina Republican, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran, Saudi Arabia’s Crown, State, MBS, Saudi Crown, South, Saudi, “ TRUMP, Biden, intel, Justice Department, Democratic Party, Democratic, Democratic National Convention, United Center Locations: Gaza, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Crimea, Russia, Geneva, AFP, “, Washington , DC, Russian, United States, Helsinki, North Korea, ”, Israel, Rafah, Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Beirut, Ula, Saudi, Palestinian, South Carolina, Chicago

Nintendo has kept players interested in its ageing Switch console series through key games with characters such as Super Mario and Zelda. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) trimmed its holding in Nintendo Co., a day after reports that a senior executive at the kingdom's mammoth sovereign wealth fund said it was considering upping its stake. The PIF reduced its stakehold in the Japanese video game giant to 7.54% from 8.58% previously, according to a Japanese regulatory filing. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is also the chairman of Savvy Games Group. Nintendo has been grappling with a slowing console gaming market and an aging product by way of its flagship Switch hybrid console — its best-selling gear ever, which sold 143.4 million units worldwide.

Persons: Mario, Zelda, Prince Faisal bin Bandar, Saud —, —, Prince Faisal, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, it's Organizations: Nintendo, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Nintendo Co, Games, Tokyo, Kyodo, Games Group, Microsoft, Sony Locations: Sultan, Saudi Arabia, Saudi

☆ A year on from October 7, the Middle East is facing its greatest upheaval in a half-century
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-07 | by ( Nic Robertson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Propelled by US incentives, Saudi Arabia and Israel seemed closer than ever to a historic normalization of relations. It was October 10, and Major General Itai Veruv of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was leading the first international press access to see the devastation of Hamas’ attacks. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is unwilling to be a partner in a deal that would resow Middle East relations. Nearly 42,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed, many by US bombs and bullets in Israel’s hands, authorities in Gaza say. Tehran’s Shia proxies in Iraq have also answered its calls and begun escalating drone attacks on Israel.

Persons: Butchery, Yahya Sinwar, Itai Veruv, General Eisenhower, Benjamin Netanyahu, Jack Guez, haven’t, Israel’s, Netanyahu, Joe Biden’s, Hassan Nasrallah, Israel –, Biden, Mohammed Bin Salman, Anwar Gargash, cleaver Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Aza, Israel Defense Forces, Israel's, Getty, West Bank, Saudi, Saudi’s Crown, MBS Locations: Israel, Saudi Arabia, Gaza, AFP, Lebanon, Iran, United States, Tehran, Tel Aviv, Iraq, Saudi, Palestinian, UAE

☆ Jeddah Tower: Construction of world’s tallest skyscraper resumes
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-03 | by ( Oscar Holland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Construction of Saudi Arabia’s kilometer-high Jeddah Tower, which will become the world’s tallest skyscraper upon completion, has resumed almost seven years after work ground to a halt amid a kingdom-wide anti-corruption purge. His family’s firm, which also owns a stake in the Jeddah Tower project, has been rehired to complete the construction work. Designed for extremesFormerly known as Kingdom Tower, the skyscraper broke ground in 2013 and was initially expected to be completed by 2020. The architect’s Chicago-based practice, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill, has said the tower’s shape “evokes a bundle of leaves shooting up from the ground.”Work halted on the unfinished Jeddah Tower in 2018. Jeddah Tower will be the crown jewel of a wider 57-million-square-foot, $20-billion development dubbed Jeddah Economic City.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s, JEC, Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, Alwaleed, “, Bakr, Laden, Osama bin Laden, Adrian Smith, Gordon Gill, Amel, ” Adrian Smith, JEC’s, Hisham Jomah, ”, Jomah Organizations: CNN, Jeddah Economic Company, Saudi, Kingdom Holding Company, ”, Kingdom Holding, Saudi Binladen Group, Newsweek, Maxar, Jeddah Economic Locations: Saudi, Jeddah, Saudi Prince, Dubai, Burj Khalifa, Chicago, Medina, Mecca, “

The videos from Saudi Arabia’s futuristic urban development project spread quickly across the internet, and almost as quickly started to disappear. A handful of smaller accounts within this small community of Neom-based content creators remain active, with their videos still viewable. NEOM/Cover-Images.com via Reuters fileThe spokesperson said the latest marketing campaign was about Saudi National Day and was shared to LinkedIn last week. On Thursday last week, at least four other Neom-based content creators suddenly went dark, though one account seemed to reactivate later that day. In many ways, according to researchers, Neom is tied to Saudi Arabia’s efforts to reshape its reputation on the global stage.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, expats, Neom —, Neom, influencers, Jessica Herman, ” Herman, Ellen Wald, ”, “, ” Wald, TikTok, Hend Aly, Prince Mohammed, ” Aly, Wald, Aly, —, Jamal Khashoggi Organizations: Saudi, LinkedIn, ”, NBC News, Inc, University College London, BBC, Washington Post Locations: Saudi, Neom, Saudi Arabia, United States, Europe

Sovereign wealth funds out of the Middle East are emerging as key backers of Silicon Valley's artificial intelligence darlings. In the past year, funding for AI companies by Middle-Eastern sovereigns has increased fivefold, according to data from Pitchbook. Few venture funds have deep enough pockets to compete with the multibillion-dollar checks coming from the likes of Microsoft and Amazon . MGX was launched as a dedicated AI fund in March, with Abu Dhabi's Mubadala and AI firm G42 as founding partners. For the U.S., having sovereign wealth funds invest in American companies, and not in global adversaries like China, has been a geopolitical priority.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Prince Mohammed bin Salman's, Uber, LIV, UAE's Mubadala, MGX, Abu Dhabi's Mubadala, Anthropic, Andreessen Horowitz, Jamal Khashoggi, It's, Bpifrance, WeWork spiraled, Jared Cohen, there's Organizations: United, CNBC, Microsoft, Gulf Cooperation Council, Saudi Public Investment Fund, Abu, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Qatar Investment Authority, BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners, Saudi, U.S, Saudi Company, Artificial Intelligence, Washington Post, SoftBank, Goldman Sachs Global Institute Locations: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Pitchbook, Abu Dhabi, Temasek, Singapore, China, UAE

☆ Influencers and vloggers are showing off their lives in Saudi Arabia's Neom. It's falling flat.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewSaudi Arabia's new city of the future, Neom, isn't looking quite so glamorous just yet. A wave of vloggers and micro-influencers have been posting on social media about their lives in the still-developing desert city — and their posts are kind of falling flat. AdvertisementThis publicity image shows a design for "The Line," a part of the planned Saudi Arabian desert megacity in Neom. NeomAnd then there's the reality of what living in Neom currently looks like. The city of Neom did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, nor did Herman.

Persons: —, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jessica Herman, Herman, It's, Herman who's, vloggers, Sara Sarasid, Aida McPherson, Joshua Hind, Matt Bevan, Herman's, we've, Neom Organizations: Service, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Business, ABC News, BBC, Saudi, Wall, Variety Locations: Saudi, Neom, KSA

☆ A Neom executive reportedly complained about having a meeting on a Sunday evening after 3 workers died
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-11 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewA Neom executive reportedly complained about having an emergency meeting on a Sunday evening following the deaths of three employees working on Saudi Arabia's megaproject estimated to cost between $500 billion and $1.5 trillion, according to a bombshell Wall Street Journal report. Wayne Borg, a former Fox Corp executive, reportedly described Neom's blue-collar workers from the Indian subcontinent as "f—ing morons" and said "that is why white people are at the top of the pecking order." This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Citing current and former Neom employees, the Journal reported that three workers were killed by a falling pipe, a collapsing wall, and mishandled explosives. Neom told the Journal it has a zero-tolerance policy toward inappropriate workplace behavior.

Persons: —, Wayne Borg, we've, Borg, Prince Mohammed bin Salman's, Neom Organizations: Service, Saudi, Fox Corp, Business, Journal, BBC, Neom Locations: Saudi Arabia, Saudi

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