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☆ 3 of Trump's top cabinet-level picks recently worked as lobbyists, with clients ranging from Amazon to Qatar
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-22 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Susan Wiles, Trump's incoming chief of staff, maintained ties to a lobbying firm until this month. Sean Duffy, Trump's pick for Transportation secretary, has lobbied for a group of major airlines. The EPA, under Obama, Trump, and Biden's administrations, have repeatedly opposed efforts to mine in the bay, home to one of the world's largest salmon fisheries. Starting not long after he left Congress in 2019, Duffy lobbied for Polaris, a US auto manufacturer known its off-road and recreational vehicles. ProPublica previously reported that Duffy lobbied White House trade adviser Peter Navarro as Polaris sought to win exemptions to tariffs on the parts it was importing.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Susan Wiles, Sean Duffy, Trump's, Donald Trump, Susie Wiles, Pam Bondi, Wiles, Duffy, Uber —, Bondi, Ballard, Trump, Jeff Hauser, Brian Ballard, Alaska . Sen, Lisa Murkowski, Obama, Peter Navarro, Ron Klain, Biden's, Fannie Mae, Steve Ricchetti, Biden, Jeff Ricchetti, Barack Obama, Hauser, Hauser isn't, " Hauser Organizations: Washington, Incoming White House, Amazon, GM, MetLife, Fidelity National Financial, Ballard Partners, Trump, Republican, The New York Times, Alaska ., Alaska Republican, Partnership, EPA, Federal Aviation Administration, United, Polaris, White, General Motors, Uber, Fidelity, North, Major League Baseball, Biden, Raytheon, Politico Locations: Florida, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Trump, Alaska, North America, Bondi, Washington

☆ Women prefer to play mobile games. China's Tencent sees an opportunity
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Tencent's Honor of Kings mobile game drew a record 33,000 fans to watch a final competition in Beijing on Nov. 16, 2024. Surprisingly, many in the crowd were young women, reflecting how interest in mobile games has broadened out from the stereotypical male player in the days of console and PC gaming. Honor of Kings, which claims 100 million players a day, uses a similar format with two teams of five players each. His analysis found that 95% of women prefer mobile games. A newly branded Honor of Kings global championship was held last month in Jakarta, Indonesia's capital, with Malaysian team Black Shrew Esports winning the $300,000 first prize.

Persons: Evelyn Cheng, Kings, Gao, of, Jackie Huang, Huang, Xiaofeng Zeng, Niko Partners, Zeng Organizations: Kings, CNBC, of Valor, of Kings, global, Tencent, Gaming, Riot, Malaysian Locations: Beijing, Evelyn Cheng BEIJING, China, Shanghai, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Chinese, North America, Europe, Japan, U.S, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Jakarta

☆ Why the threat of land degradation will shape international cooperation for decades to come
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Extraordinary circumstances have degraded 40% of global land iStockCertain places around the world are already experiencing this at an accelerated rate. And that’s just one state; at present rates, land degradation threatens half of the global GDP. The Economics of Land Degradation also estimated that each dollar invested into land restoration will return up to $30 in value. The threat of land degradation is a shared burden. And a decade after the Changwon Initiative was launched, it has successfully defined Land Degradation Neutrality, enabling 129 countries to align with its principles and work towards zero land degradation.

Persons: COP16 Organizations: United Nations Convention, UN, Changwon Initiative Locations: COP16, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, California, United States, Saharan Africa, Canada, Spain, United Kingdom, Sahel, Africa

☆ Syria: Fifteen killed in Israeli strikes on Damascus, state media say
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Mostafa Salem | Eyad Kourdi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Fifteen people were killed and 16 others injured in Israeli strikes on Damascus in Syria, state media SANA said, citing a military source and marking one of the deadliest strikes in months to hit the Syrian capital. The strikes targeted several residential buildings in the upscale Mezzah neighborhood in the capital and the Qudsaya area in the Damascus countryside, Syrian state media reported. Among those killed were women and children, Syrian state media added. The strikes targeted a residential building in the Sayyidah Zaynab area of the Damascus countryside, with women and children among those killed, SANA said. On November 4, SANA reported Israeli strikes in Sayyidah Zaynab the same day the IDF said Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck Hezbollah intelligence infrastructure in the Damascus area.

Persons: SANA, Jihad, “, ” SANA Organizations: CNN, Israeli Air Force Locations: Damascus, Syria, Jihad, Gaza, Syrian, Israeli, Mezzah, Riyadh, Israel, Sayyidah, Lebanon, Qusayr, Homs

☆ 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, ”

☆ Boeing secured its first order after a 7-week strike — 80 737 Max jets
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-12 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Avia Solutions Group, which leases planes to airlines, ordered 80 Boeing 737 Max jets. Avia Solutions Group announced Tuesday that it ordered 80 Boeing 737 Max jets, evenly split between firm orders and purchase rights. AdvertisementThe incident saw a 737 Max lose a door plug mid-flight after the plane left Boeing's factory missing key bolts. The Federal Aviation Administration consequently limited Boeing's output of 737 Max aircraft to 38 a month until it implements a safety-and-quality plan. AdvertisementDelivery of ASG's Boeing jets is expected to start in 2030.

Persons: —, ASG, Brad McMullen, Max Organizations: Boeing, Avia Solutions, Max, Service, Avia, Airbus, Saudi Arabia's, Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Air, Bloomberg, Alaska Airlines, Federal Aviation Administration Locations: Saudi, Saudi Arabia's Riyadh

☆ Tennis Channel removes Jon Wertheim for 'inappropriate' remark about Barbora Krejcikova
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-11 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Longtime Tennis Channel commentator Jon Wertheim was been removed from air “indefinitely” after he made an “inappropriate comment” about tennis star Barbora Krejcikova, the network announced Sunday. The Tennis Channel said in a statement it became aware about the comment Wertheim made on Friday, and he was removed “immediately." That said, Tennis Channel holds its employees to a standard of respectfulness for others at all times, a standard that was not met in this moment,” the statement said. The network apologized to Krejcikova, as did Wertheim. Matthew Stockman / Getty ImagesWertheim shared a public apology on X, saying he made “some deeply regrettable comments off-air” during a Tennis Channel studio show on Friday.

Persons: Jon Wertheim, Barbora Krejcikova, Wertheim, “, “ Jon, Krejcikova, ” Barbora Krejcikova, Matthew Stockman, ”, I’ve, ” Krejcikova Organizations: Longtime Tennis, Tennis Channel, King Saud University Indoor, Getty, Tennis, Sports Illustrated, CBS Locations: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

☆ Silicon Valley's General Catalyst makes first investment into Saudi Arabia through fintech Lean Technologies
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-11 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Silicon Valley venture capital firm General Catalyst has made its first investment in Saudi Arabia through fintech startup Lean Technologies, which just closed a Series B round worth $67.5 million. General Catalyst has $30 billion in assets under management and has backed major U.S. tech companies like Snap , Stripe and AirBnb . Lean Technologies' fundraising round also saw participation from Bain Capital Ventures, Stanley Druckenmiller's Duquesne Family Office, and Arbor Ventures, among others, bringing the Riyadh-based firm's total funding to over $100 million to date, according to a Sunday statement from the company. For three of those investors — General Catalyst, Stanley Druckenmiller and Bain Capital — this investment is their first in the kingdom. "If you look at the region's growth over the last three to five years, it's been phenomenal, but there is still so much more room for growth."

Persons: Catalyst, Stanley Druckenmiller's, Stanley Druckenmiller, Hisham Al, Falih, it's Organizations: Lean Technologies, Bain Capital Ventures, Stanley, Stanley Druckenmiller's Duquesne Family Office, Arbor Ventures, Bain Capital, CNBC Locations: Silicon, Saudi Arabia, U.S, Riyadh, Saudi

☆ Jon Wertheim: Tennis Channel removes analyst indefinitely after comment about Barbora Krejčíková forehead
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-11 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Tennis Channel has taken an analyst off air indefinitely after he made a disparaging remark about Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejčíková. It showed her at an angle that exaggerated her forehead,” Wertheim wrote on X on Sunday. I am sorry.”Later on Sunday, the Tennis Channel released a statement saying it has “apologized to the player, Barbora Krejcikova, as did Jon.”“When Tennis Channel became aware of an inappropriate comment about a professional tennis player made by our analyst Jon Wertheim on Friday, we immediately removed him from our air indefinitely,” the statement read. That said, Tennis Channel holds its employees to a standard of respectfulness for others at all times, a standard that was not met in this moment.”Krejčíková, the current world No. CNN has reached out to Krejčíková, Wertheim and the Tennis Channel for further comment.

Persons: Barbora, Jon Wertheim, Wertheim, “, ”, Krejčíková, ” Krejčíková, I’ve, ” Wertheim, Clive Brunskill, Jon, “ Jon, Zheng Qinwen Organizations: CNN, Wimbledon, WTA, Tennis Channel, Tennis Locations: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, American, Krejčíková

☆ Coco Gauff becomes youngest player in 14 years to reach final of WTA Finals after stunning world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-09 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

1 Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals of the WTA Finals on Friday, becoming the youngest player since 2010 to reach the final of the tournament. Already, Gauff has become the youngest player to defeat the reigning world No. Gauff is also the youngest player to beat the reigning world No. “I asked (about the record) as soon as I got the match,” Gauff said, per the WTA. The Chinese star defeated Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejčíková in the semifinals, becoming the youngest player to reach the final in her debut appearance at this tournament since 2011.

Persons: Coco Gauff, Sabalenka, Zheng Qinwen, Maria Sharapova, Gauff, Lindsay Davenport, Aryna Sabalenka, Matthew Stockman, Zheng, Sharapova, Serena Williams, Kim Clijsters, “, ” Gauff, ‘, ’, I’ve, ” Sabalenka, Barbora Krejčíková Organizations: CNN, WTA, Sky, American, Wimbledon Locations: American, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Belarusian

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

☆ The financial ties between China and Saudi Arabia keep getting deeper
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-05 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

China has chosen Saudi Arabia as the site for its next offering of US dollar bonds. Saudi Arabia is leaning on Chinese investment to bankroll large development projects. Saudi Arabia has embraced Chinese investment to help bankroll its juggernaut modernization plans. At the end of October, Saudi Arabia debuted two new exchange traded funds to track markets in Hong Kong and China. Earlier this year, the US offered Saudi Arabia tech and security deals on the condition that Riyadh rejects its new tech alliance with China.

Persons: It's, — Organizations: Service, Ministry, Finance, Saudi Public Investment Fund, Financial Times, Tech, US Locations: China, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Beijing, Russia, Neom, Hong Kong, Saudi

☆ Who Wall Street thinks will win the election
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-04 | by ( Bradley Saacks | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A survey of 119 investors found that 53% think former president Donald Trump will defeat Kamala Harris. Investors believe fossil fuel and industrial companies should do well under Trump, the survey said. AdvertisementMany of the bigwigs of finance have picked their sides, but Wall Street seems to believe one candidate has the upper hand in this year's presidential election. Betting markets have leaned toward former President Donald Trump, and the financial markets have already priced in a Trump win, according to billionaire investor Stan Druckenmiller. One of the world's most accurate economists, Christophe Barraud, for instance, is putting his credibility on the line for a Trump win.

Persons: Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Stanley Druckenmiller, —, Stan Druckenmiller, Emmanuel Cau, Trump, SumZero, Divya Narendra, Ken Griffin, Griffin, Druckenmiller, Hillary Clinton, Elon Musk, Christophe Barraud Organizations: Investors, Trump, Republican, Service, Barclays London, Billionaire Citadel, Future Investment Initiative, Tesla Locations: Saudi Arabia, Riyadh

In late-September reports, strategists at J.P. Morgan and Fitch Ratings had predicted two additional interest rate trims by the end of 2024 and expect such reductions to continue into 2025. The CME Group's FedWatch tool puts the probability of a 25-basis-point cut at this week's November meeting at 98%. The current probability of the benchmark rate being taken down by another 25 basis points at the December meeting is 78%. "The end of financial repression, of zero interest rates and zero inflation, that era is over. Interest rates will be higher, will be challenged around the world.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Saudi Arabia —, aren't, Morgan, CNBC's Sara Eisen —, Goldman Sachs, Carlyle, Morgan Stanley, Jenny Johnson, Franklin Templeton, Larry Fink, " Fink, David Solomon, Ted Pick, Pick, Francis Fukuyama Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Reuters, Wall, Federal Reserve, Fed, Fitch, Saudi, Future Investment Initiative, Standard Chartered, CNBC, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics Locations: Reuters RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, U.S, BlackRock

Following Friday's trade, Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust will own 30 shares of BLK, increasing its weighting to 0.85% from 0.5%. Our CNBC Investing Club Reporter Morgan Chittum took a look at a few catalysts on the horizon that can keep BlackRock's earnings momentum going. Elsewhere, BlackRock's GIP deal also shows investors that the firm "got back on the front foot" in private markets growth, Evercore ISI said in a recent note. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB.

Persons: Jim Cramer's, Morgan Chittum, Larry Fink, Fink, Biden, there's, Sudhir Nair, BlackRock's, Morgan Stanley, Jim Cramer, Jim Organizations: BlackRock, BLK, Devices, CNBC Investing, Catalyst, Global Infrastructure Partners, Biden Administration, Club, Microsoft, Preqin, Money, Federal Reserve, Boeing, CNBC Locations: BlackRock, U.S, Florida, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

☆ Franklin Templeton CEO says focus is on 'doing what's right' for clients amid SEC probe
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-31 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

RIYADH — Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson said the firm is focused on doing right by its clients, in her first public comments after the company saw its worst quarter for financial outflows in its history and the Securities and Exchange Commission started a probe into suspicious trading at its fixed-income unit. Franklin Templeton's fixed-income business has also dealt with years of underperformance, which many investors expected to reverse course as money moves into bonds and other fixed-income products, which make up about 30% of the firm's assets. Johnson told CNBC Wednesday that the issue with Western Asset Management was damaging, but stressed that it stemmed from an isolated case, and that supporting clients was Franklin Templeton's top focus. "We've had an issue at Western which is isolated to an individual and a subset of strategies, but there's definitely been outflows in those strategies," Johnson told CNBC's Dan Murphy in Riyadh. "I mean, the good news — Western has a significant amount of other strategies that are outside of this and have a lot of global clients there, but we've definitely been hurt by the issues on those three strategies."

Persons: Franklin Templeton, Jenny Johnson, Ken Leech, Franklin Templeton's, Johnson, Franklin, We've, CNBC's Dan Murphy Organizations: Securities and Exchange Commission, Western Asset Management, SEC, Financial Times, CNBC Wednesday, Franklin Templeton's Locations: RIYADH, California, outflows, Riyadh

☆ Sovereign debt is the biggest risk to global growth in 2025, Saudi finance minister says
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-31 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

RIYADH — National debt is a major threat to markets in the near future, Saudi Arabia's finance minister said, expressing particular concern over lower income countries as well as what he described as rapidly growing global fragmentation. "I think globally, the serious, serious issue that we need to watch is sovereign debt issues, particularly in low income countries and emerging economies that do not have the fiscal buffers to lean into in case of disruptions in the market," Mohammed Al-Jadaan told CNBC's Dan Murphy Wednesday from the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh. "And hopefully between the IMF and the G20 we will find a solution, and we will be ready to support the world economy in case of shocks in that area, but it is an area that we need to watch, as global leaders, to make sure that it doesn't surprise us." Global public debt hit a record $97 trillion in 2023, prompting the United Nations to call for urgent reforms for governments and financial systems around the world.

Persons: Mohammed Al, Jadaan, CNBC's Dan Murphy Organizations: Saudi, Future Investment, IMF, Global, United Nations Locations: RIYADH, Riyadh

☆ Watch CNBC’s full interview with Saudi Arabia’s minister of finance
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWatch CNBC’s full interview with Saudi Arabia’s minister of financeMohammed Al-Jadaan, Saudi Arabia’s minister of finance, speaks to CNBC’s Dan Murphy at the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh about the global and domestic economic outlook.

Persons: Mohammed Al, CNBC’s Dan Murphy Organizations: Saudi, Future Investment Locations: Riyadh

☆ We are connecting China with the rest of the world, HKEX CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWe are connecting China with the rest of the world, HKEX CEO saysBonnie Chan, CEO of the Hong Kong Exchange, discusses the upcoming opening of the company's office in Riyadh in 2025, which will be undertaken in a bid to boost ties between China and the Middle East.

Persons: Bonnie Chan Organizations: Hong Kong Exchange Locations: China, Riyadh

☆ 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

☆ Saudi Arabia is pulling back on a global spending spree to focus on its own projects
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-30 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Now the Kingdom plans to cut its foreign investment to prioritize domestic spending. AI is the new focus of investment as Saudi Arabia looks to position itself as a global technology hub. AdvertisementSaudi Arabia is pulling back on its global spending spree to focus on domestic investments. In September, Saudi Arabia held the third Global AI Summit, attracting a host of high-profile leaders and dealmakers. The new focus on domestic investment comes as Saudi Arabia's spending on Neom, its futuristic megacity in the desert, hit $1 trillion.

Persons: —, Yasir Al Rumayyan, we've, Al Rumayyan, Yasir Al, Rumayyan, Hamad I Mohammed, Uber, Andreessen Horowitz Organizations: Service, Public Investment Fund, Future Investment, Economic, REUTERS, Investors, Saudi Press Agency, Financial Times, Saudi, AI, Bloomberg, Sindalah Locations: Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Davos, Switzerland, Neom

☆ We are at an interesting inflection point in Neom's journey, deputy CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWe are at an interesting inflection point in Neom's journey, deputy CEO saysRayan Fayez, Neom deputy CEO, speaks to CNBC's Dan Murphy in Riyadh about Saudi Arabia's megaproject.

Persons: Rayan Fayez, CNBC's Dan Murphy, Saudi Arabia's Locations: Riyadh, Saudi

☆ Morgan Stanley CEO says the era of zero interest rates and inflation 'is over'
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-29 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

RIYADH — The days of easy money and zero interest rates are firmly in the past, Morgan Stanley CEO Ted Pick said Tuesday, speaking at a panel of finance CEOs in Riyadh. "The end of financial repression, of zero interest rates and zero inflation, that era is over. Interest rates will be higher, will be challenged around the world. And the end of 'the end of history' — geopolitics are back and will be part of the challenge for decades to come," Pick said, referencing the famous 1992 Francis Fukuyama book, "The End of History and the Last Man," which argued that conflicts between nations and ideologies were a thing of the past with the ending of the Cold War. Repressed rates and easy monetary policy have been in the rearview mirror since 2022, when — after slashing rates to near zero to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic — the Federal Reserve cranked its benchmark rate up by around 500 basis points over the course of 18 months.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Ted Pick, Pick, Francis Fukuyama Organizations: Federal Reserve Locations: RIYADH, Riyadh

☆ The Fed is likely to disappoint markets with just one more rate cut this year amid global inflation, BlackRock CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-29 | by ( Kelly Cloonan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink says the Fed will cut rates just once more this year. The market sees two more 25 basis point cuts before the end of the year. AdvertisementThe Federal Reserve will disappoint markets by cutting interest rates just one more time in 2024, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink said. Fink said the Fed will likely cut interest rates by 25 basis points before the end of the year amid a rise in global inflation. The central bank kicked off its easing cycle with a jumbo 50 basis point cut last month.

Persons: Larry Fink, —, Fink, " Fink, we're, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley Organizations: BlackRock, Fed, Service, Reserve, Infrastructure Investment, Jobs Act, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, CNBC Locations: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

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