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☆ How different a commander in chief will Trump be?
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-17 | by ( Peter Bergen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +27 min

On the face of it, there are sizable differences in foreign policy between Trump and President Joe Biden. In October, the Biden administration again helped to intercept a barrage of around 200 Iranian ballistic missiles, which also caused minimal damage to targets in Israel. Bringing US troops homeIn 2020, the Trump administration signed a US withdrawal agreement from Afghanistan with the Taliban. But after McMaster was pushed out of office in 2018, the Trump administration negotiated with the Taliban the withdrawal agreement of all US forces from Afghanistan. Nonetheless, the incoming Trump administration seems intent on resurrecting Schedule F, an executive order issued in the last months of the first Trump term.

Persons: sneezes, Trump, Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden, —, Biden, Trump’s, shored, Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, Andrew Harnik, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Ahmad Gharabli, Israel, Jared Kushner, Qasem Soleimani, Mike Huckabee, Israel — Huckabee, David Friedman, Reagan, JD Vance —, H.R, McMaster, Nikki Haley, Mike Pompeo, Haley, Pompeo, Elise Stefanik, Mike Waltz, Florida, George W, Bush, Pete Hegseth —, Lloyd Austin, Jim Mattis, Robert Gates, John Ratcliffe of, Tulsi Gabbard, Vladimir Putin, Basher al, Assad, Putin, Diego Fedele, Ukraine doesn’t, John Bolton, Mark Rutte, Tom Homan, Homan, ” Trump, CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez, “ It’s, Maura Healey, Stephen Miller, CBS’s, Camp David, It’s, Kim Jong Un Organizations: CNN, Trump, NATO, Ukraine, White, of, Biden, CIA, Liberation Army, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Obama, Getty, West Bank, Abraham Accords, Arkansas Gov, US Defense Intelligence Agency, ISIS, McMaster, UN, GOP, Republican, Special, House Armed Services Committee, Pentagon, Fox News, Senate, Republicans, US Civil, Policy, State Department, Department of Homeland Security, Policy Institute, Rep, House Intelligence, NATO Trump, US Congressional Research Service, Joint Assault Brigade, National Police, of Homeland, American Immigration Council, NBC News, US Bureau of Prisons, Massachusetts Gov, National Guard, Congress, Washington Post, H.R, North, America Locations: Paris, Russia, China, Beijing, South China, United Kingdom, Australia, Taiwan, Washington, United States, Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, Iranian, Syria, Israel, Yemen, Jerusalem, AFP, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, John Ratcliffe of Texas, Hawaii, Ukraine, Dnipro, Soviet, Toretsk, Crimea, Japan, NATO, “ Russia, Baltic, Western Europe, ”, Korean, North Korean

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

☆ Foreign investors flock to flagship Saudi economic conference — but face less free-flowing cash
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-28 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A delegate arrives at the King Abdulaziz Conference Centre in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh to attend the Future Investment Initiative (FII) forum. The kingdom's $925 billion sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund, saw its assets jump 29% to 2.87 trillion Saudi riyals ($765.2 billion) in 2023 — and local investment was a major driver. "Value meaning hiring, developing the asset management ecosystem, creating new products, bringing in talent, and investing in Saudi capital markets also. Oil prices and the Saudi economy appear to so far have stayed largely unscathed, dropping 4% early Monday after Israel's weekend strike on Iran. A key reason for that may be the rapprochement deal the kingdom signed with Iran, brokered by China, in March 2023.watch now

Persons: Nureldine, it's, Omar Yacoub, Yacoub, Fadi Arbid, Brent, Arbid, Yemen's, Israel Organizations: King Abdulaziz Conference Centre, Future Investment Initiative, Afp, Getty, Investment Initiative, CNBC, U.S, ABS Global, Public Investment Fund, Saudi, Saudi Arabia's, Amwal Capital Partners, OPEC, Eastern, Ritz, Carlton, Israel Locations: Saudi Arabia's, Riyadh, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, —, Dubai, Carlton Riyadh, Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, Iran, Tel Aviv, China

☆ Analysis: Sinwar’s killing brings end of Gaza war within reach – if Israel can seize the chance
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-18 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

And it could bring the devastating war in Gaza closer to an end, experts say – if Israel and its allies can seize the opportunity. Before the war, power in Hamas was decentralized – with Gaza political chief Sinwar just one of many leaders, Chorev said. Shira Efron, a senior director of policy research at the Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation said Sinwar’s killing gives Netanyahu the chance to claim a victory. Sinwar’s killing could also pave the way for a hostage and ceasefire agreement, since he was believed to be one of the main blockers of a deal. Chorev, from Tel Aviv University, added that Netanyahu could see Sinwar’s killing as a moment to cement his legacy.

Persons: Yahya Sinwar’s, Harel Chorev, Moshe Dayan, Sinwar, Chorev, “ Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, ”, Mohammed, Khalil Al Hayya, ” Chorev, Netanyahu’s, ’ Netanyahu, Shira Efron, Diane, Guilford, Netanyahu, “, Einav Zangauker, Matan, Uzi Rabi, Critics of Netanyahu, Joe Biden, clawing, Rabi, Yoav Gallant, Efron, ” Efron Organizations: CNN, Israel, Moshe, Tel Aviv University, Gaza, Hamas ’, Hamas, Guilford Glazer Foundation, ” Locations: Israel, Gaza, Cairo, “ Israel, United States, Lebanon, Rafah, ”, Gaza’s

☆ Saudi Arabia’s coveted Masters 1000 tennis tournament has stalled as Six Kings arrives in Riyadh
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-16 | by ( Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +11 min

After years of pushing, everything looks ready for Saudi Arabia’s billion-dollar move to become a major force in tennis to take off — with one major hitch. The Ministry of Sport of Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Tennis Federation (STF) and the WTA Tour then announced a three-year deal to host the tour finals. These moves raised Saudi Arabia’s tennis profile, but its potential new tournament at the start of the season was seen as the most important of its tennis investments — and its most divisive. It would cement Saudi Arabia’s place at the center of the sport, bringing with it an extensively criticized human rights record. Saudi Arabia’s moves into tennis have roiled the organisations behind the Grand Slam tournaments.

Persons: Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, Daniil Medvedev, Holger Rune, —, Novak Djokovic, Turki Alalshikh, Rome —, ”, Nadal, Sinclair, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, “, Jamal Khashoggi, Henry Nicholls, Iga Swiatek, Adam Pretty Organizations: St, Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, WTA, Saudi, ATP, Public Investment Fund, SURJ Sports Investment, U.S ., ”, Sport, Saudi Tennis Federation, WTA Tour, Sinclair, Tennis, Rights Watch, Athletic, Wimbledon, Getty, Australia, Tennis Australia, Laver Locations: Hotel, Riyadh, Saudi, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, U.S, Indian Wells, Madrid, Rome, provisionality, PIF, Istanbul, Turkey, Australia, New Zealand

☆ U.S. crude prices fall more than 4% as Israel is not expected to strike Iran’s oil industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-15 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Year to date, U.S. crude oil has fallen more than 1%. But Croft warned of a spiral of escalation that could ultimately lead to an oil disruption. Israel could be holding the oil card in reserve until they see how Iran responds to their strike, she said. OPEC also has millions of barrels per day in spare capacity that could jump into the breach if there is a supply disruption. “They will want to see that there is a physical supply disruption before they really jump in front of this.”

Persons: Israel, Helima Croft, CNBC’s, Brent, Croft, ” Croft, “, ” Organizations: Biden, NBC News, RBC Capital Markets, West Texas Intermediate, Natural Gas, Israel, Global, International Energy Agency, IEA, OPEC Locations: Israel, Iran, Americas, U.S, Saudi Arabia

☆ Iran is threatening to break its fragile truce with Saudi Arabia: reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-11 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Iran has threatened to attack Saudi oil sites if the Gulf state supports an Israeli attack. AdvertisementThe fragile truce between longtime regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia could unravel if Gulf states allow Israel to use their airspace to strike Iran. He reportedly told the officials that Iranian-backed militias in Iraq or the Houthi militia in Yemen could be deployed against Saudi Arabia. It named Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, all of which host US military bases, as countries Iran has threatened with reprisals. GetyAn Iranian attack would likely upend the truce brokered between Iran and Saudi Arabia by China in 2023 that saw the longtime rivals establish diplomatic contacts.

Persons: Abbas Araghchi, —, Ali Shihabi, Jordan, Naftali Bennet, they'd, Mohammed bin Salman's, may've, hasn't, Brent, Vladimir Putin's Organizations: Iranian Foreign Affairs, Reuters, Service, Iran, Foreign, Saudi, Street, United Arab, Hamas, European Council for Foreign Relations, Opec Locations: Iran, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Riyadh, Islamic Republic, Iraq, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Lebanon, Syria, Gulf, Iranian, China, Ukraine

☆ Saudi minister says crude prices could fall 33% if OPEC members don't stop pumping so much
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-02 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Saudi Arabia's oil minister says crude prices could fall as low as $50 per barrel. AdvertisementSaudi Arabia's oil minister says oil prices could fall as low as $50 per barrel if OPEC+ keeps overproducing, according to a Wall Street Journal report. $50 per barrel oil would drag Brent crude, the international benchmark, down 33% from current levels. The Saudi minister called out Iraq, which surpassed its quota by 400,000 barrels per day in August, according to S&P Global Ratings data. The OPEC leader caused prices to fall below $10 per barrel in 1986 after boosting output to penalize other producers.

Persons: —, Prince Abdulaziz bin, Brent, That's Organizations: Service, Wall, Financial Times, OPEC Locations: Saudi, Lebanon, Iran, Kazakhstan, Riyadh, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, OPEC

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

☆ 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

☆ How Saudi Arabia's ruler used chaos in the Middle East to get what he wants from the US
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-10 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Read previewPresident Joe Biden came to power having pledged to make Saudi Arabia's maverick new ruler, Mohammed bin Salman, a global pariah. Analysts say that MBS has navigated increasing regional and global chaos to emphasize Saudi Arabia's importance to Washington. Related storiesUS President Joe Biden gives a fist bump to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2022. AdvertisementSaudi Arabia's importanceBut global instability, economic change, and the war in Gaza have made clear to the White House Saudi Arabia's indispensability. Crown Prince Mohammed has condemned Israel's attack on Gaza but has not ruled out a normalization deal with Israel.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Mohammed bin Salman, Biden, Kamala Harris, Prince Mohammed, Crown Prince, Jamal Khashoggi, Giorgio Cafiero, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Mohammed bin Salman's, Saad Hariri, Khashoggi, He's, Mohammed Hamoud, Trump, Abraham, Israel, Jon Alterman Organizations: Service, Business, Crown, Democratic, MBS, Saudi, Gulf, Analytics, Saudi Arabia's, Royal, Anadolu Agency, White, White House Saudi, Abraham Accords, Israel, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: Saudi, November's, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Istanbul, Washington, Gaza, Israel, Iran, West, Riyadh, Lebanese, Russia, China, Beijing, Ukraine, UAE, Bahrain, Palestinian, United States, Red, Jeddah

☆ US will resume offensive weapons sales to Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-12 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The United States will resume sales of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia, the State Department said Monday, ending a suspension put in place at the beginning of the Biden administration over concerns about human rights violations in the war in Yemen. “As part of this policy, our administration froze the sale of certain classes of offensive weapons, while also maintaining sales of systems to the kingdom required to defend itself from attack,” State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said at a news briefing. At the outset of President Joe Biden’s tenure, the administration suspended offensive weapons sales to Riyadh amid concerns about the toll of the Saud-led war against the Houthis in Yemen, which killed thousands of civilians. Patel denied that the lifting of the suspension was linked to the administration’s ambitious plan for post-war Gaza and Israel-Saudi normalization. He acknowledged, however, that “Saudi Arabia has remained a close strategic partner of the United States, and we look forward to enhancing that partnership.”

Persons: Biden, Vedant Patel, “, ” Patel, Joe Biden’s, Saud, Patel, ”, ” “ We’ve Organizations: CNN, State Department, ”, UN Locations: United States, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, “, Saudi, Riyadh, Red, Gaza, Israel

☆ Middle East wealth funds are scrambling to rescue their big bets on the future
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-08 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Go to newsletter preferencesSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. A particular focus for these funds built on the back of petrodollars has been to build ownership and influence in the tech sector. FETHI BELAIDOver the past week, PIF and Mubadala have been busy figuring out what to do when their unbridled ambitions for tech companies face reality. Reports from the Financial Times and Bloomberg have shone a light on efforts being made by the sovereign wealth fund to boost returns in European startups in which it has invested billions of dollars. AdvertisementSeveral of these nascent tech companies, such as the insurance firm WeFox, have been bruised by shifting sentiment in the markets in recent years.

Persons: —, Abu Dhabi's Mubadala, SoftBank's, ByteDance, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Peter Rawlinson, Lucid, John Keeble, Rawlinson, PIF, it's, Mubadala Organizations: Service, Saudi, Public Investment Fund, Business, PIF, Financial Times, Bloomberg Locations: Middle, petrodollars, Saudi, California

☆ Russia pulled back weapons shipment to Houthis amid US and Saudi pressure
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

For the Houthis to engage in that kind of weapons transaction, moreover, “would demonstrate to us a lack of commitment” by the Houthis to peace talks, the official said. Currently, the Houthis “appear to be drifting further away from a commitment to a negotiated peace in Yemen,” the official said. And while the imminent weapons transfer was pulled back, Russia did deploy military personnel to Yemen to help advise the Houthis over a three-day period in late July, the sources said. The Russians carried bags with them, but nothing that appeared large enough to carry weapons or weapons components, the sources said. It is not clear whether the Russian ships were carrying the equipment that Russia had been preparing to transfer to the Houthis before the Kremlin abandoned the plan.

Persons: “, Saudi Arabia’s pushback, Vladimir Putin, Biden, Oman — Organizations: CNN, US, Saudi Embassy, Kremlin, US Central Command Locations: Russia, Yemen, United States, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Moscow, Saudi, Russian, Ukraine, Somali, Shabaab, China, Oman

☆ Esports World Cup: The new tournament in Saudi Arabia causing a big splash and division in the industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-06 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

The Esports World Cup (EWC) – which began on July 3 – has brought together professional gamers, publishers and fans from across the world for an eight-week competitive gaming bonanza. To bring this on the similar scale as the largest traditional sports events and something that brings together the whole industry,” Reichert said. Discovery – CNN’s parent company – and the Esports World Cup Foundation agreed to a new partnership which includes Eurosport, CNN and other WBD platforms. “From my experience, there are a lot of people in [Saudi Arabia] that love their games, right to the top. “It’s probably unprecedented how quickly Saudi Arabia is moving ahead in its progression.

Persons: –, Ralf Reichert, ” Reichert, “, Gen.G, Mohammed Saad, Reichert, ”, Sam Mathews, It’s, it’s, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, sportswashing, SGG, Rod Breslau, “ It’s, ” Dana Ahmed, Manahel, Otaibi, Nick McGeehan, FairSquare, Mohamed bin Salman, Liquid’s, Steve Arhancet, Mathews Organizations: CNN, CNN Sport, Riot, New York Times, Adidas, Warner Bros, Eurosport, Anadolu, Getty, EWC, EWC Foundation, Saudi, MBS, Fox News, Investment Fund, Gaming, Amnesty, Fnatic, “ Locations: Saudi, Saudi Arabia, esports, “ Saudi Arabia, Breslau

☆ Saudi Arabia may be forced to reassess megaprojects like Neom
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Kingdom's Vision 2030 plans feature several massive construction projects, including the futuristic megacity Neom and an entertainment project on the outskirts of Riyadh. Amine Mati, an assistant director at the IMF and its mission chief for Saudi Arabia, told The FT that Saudi authorities were "recalibrating" to assess whether some spending should be delayed. In public, Saudi has largely been keen to insist that the megaprojects, especially Neom, are on track. Experts previously told BI that Saudi Arabia was struggling to attract the foreign investment needed for the development. Representatives for Neom did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, made outside normal working hours.

Persons: —, Mohammed Al, Jadaan, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Neom Organizations: Service, Business, BBC, Saudi, IMF, FT, Public Investment Fund, CNBC Locations: Saudi Arabia, Riyadh

At least 14 Malaysians, 165 Indonesians, 68 Jordanians, 35 Pakistanis, 35 Tunisians, 11 Iranians and 98 Indians have died, according to authorities in each country. According to a CNN tally, this brings the latest official death toll for this year’s pilgrimage to at least 460. The death tolls are expected to rise much further, as Saudi Arabia and Egypt have yet to release official figures. The Bernama report did not specify if the dead were members of the country’s official Hajj delegation. The government is targeting 30 million pilgrims by 2030.

Persons: Mostafa Madbouly, Abdel Fattah el, Mecca Rafiq Maqbool, Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, ”, Arafat, Prophet Mohammed, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Edward Szekeres, Handi Alkhshali, Aishwarya S Iyer Organizations: CNN, Jordanian Foreign Ministry, Crescent, Saudi, Reuters, Saudi Ministry of Health, Associated Press, AP Malaysia’s, Religious, News Agency, Hajj, India’s Ministry, External Affairs, Saudi General Authority, Statistics Locations: Mecca, Jordanian, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Mina, Saudi

☆ Jared Kushner's post-White House deal-making included badly timed bet on Amazon aggregator
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Annie Palmer | In Annierpalmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +16 min

Kushner started Affinity in 2021, shortly after leaving his advisory role in the White House alongside his wife, Ivanka Trump. Neumann, who was ultimately ousted from WeWork by top SoftBank execs, introduced Kushner to Unybrands early the following year. Affinity's investment in Unybrands, which hasn't previously been reported, was one of the private equity firm's earliest deals. Following a continued slide, the company laid off roughly 10% of its staff in November 2022, according to people familiar with the matter. The House Oversight Committee launched an investigation into the investment in 2022, looking into whether Kushner's financial interests influenced Trump's foreign policy.

Persons: Jared Kushner, Alex Brandon, Kushner, Weeks, Ivanka Trump, Trump, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, WeWork, Adam Neumann, Neumann, Unybrands, hasn't, —, Catterton, Jason Somerville, Somerville, it's, didn't, headcount, Donald Trump, Gary Cohn, Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, Jonathan Ernst, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Carolyn Maloney, Ron Wyden, Kushner didn't, Ulrich Kratz, Goldman Sachs, Kratz, Kushner's, Ian Brekke, Asad Naqvi, Bret Pearlman, Roger McNamee, Max Fink, Neumann's, Brekke, Naqvi, Pearlman, Fink, Shahar Azran, Eugen Miropolski, Robyn Laguette, Mark Goldfinger, Joe Biden, Lex, Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman, Ye, I've Organizations: U.S . Capitol, Capitol, Reuters, Affinity Partners, Companies, White House, Affinity, Saudi Crown, Unybrands, WeWork, CNBC, Amazon, BlackRock, Khosla Ventures, GW Partners, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, United Arab, Saudi Arabia's, Crown, Ritz Carlton Hotel, Saudi, Republicans, Crayhill Capital Management, Barclays, Goldman, Kushner, Investments II, Blackstone, Partners, Financial Services, CNBC it's, Israeli American Council, IAC, Getty, Kanye Locations: Washington, Amazon's, South Florida, Miami, Silicon Valley, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Unybrands, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Riyadh, Yemen, American, Austin , Texas, Gulf, Israel

☆ The Line in Neom is a 'completely ludicrous' design with no purpose, a Middle East-focused professor says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewThe Line — a part of Neom that comprises two mirrored skyscrapers — is one of the most famous regions of the planned megacity. Andreas Krieg, a Gulf specialist at the Institute of Middle Eastern Studies at King's College London, called plans for The Line "completely ludicrous." "The Line is a project that is not sustainable; it's a completely ludicrous megaproject that was never realizable because of the sheer cost of it," he told Business Insider. Executives working on Neom reportedly have dismissed the official Suadi figure of $500 billion as unrealistically low. "The world has never seen anything like The Line," Krieg said.

Persons: —, Andreas Krieg, Krieg, Neom, Peter Cook Organizations: Service, Business, Institute of Middle Eastern, King's College London, Bloomberg, Wall Street, Architects Locations: Neom, Saudi, Gulf, British

☆ Saudi Arabia is seeking billions in Chinese investment for Neom. But it comes with a massive risk.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewAt a recent exhibition in Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia showcased its futuristic vision for its planned Neom megacity. It was part of Saudi Arabia's drive to secure billions in new investment for the project, which is the centerpiece of Saudi ruler Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 strategy. China sees Saudi Arabia as not just a business opportunity but a way of undercutting the influence of its longtime Saudi ally, the US. AdvertisementIn April, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund-subsidiary Alat signed a deal with Dahua Technology, one of China's most important surveillance technology firms. "The main risk today to Saudi Arabia's tech cooperation with China is the growing China-US tech war.

Persons: —, Mohammed bin Salman's, Xi Jinping, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Yue Yuewei, Leonard Chan, Robert Mogielnicki, Abdullah Al, Crown Prince Mohammed, Alat, GREG BAKER, Camille Lons, Neom that's, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's, Biden Organizations: Service, Business, Saudi, Saudi Crown Prince, Getty, Hong Kong Innovative Technology Development Association, Gulf States Institute, Crown, Public Investment Fund, Dahua Technology, US, European Council, Foreign Relations, Saudi Arabian Crown, New York Times Locations: Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Riyadh, Xinhua, China, Washington, Neom, Riyadh Tower, Beijing, Israel

☆ Hostage rescue operation and Israeli political turmoil sharpen Biden’s damaging dilemma
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —President Joe Biden’s power to engineer a swift abatement of the war between Israel and Hamas just suffered two serious new blows. • The rescue mission also emphasizes the disparity in the death toll between Palestinians and Israelis in the conflict. • The absence of Gantz may also create an even greater obstacle to approval of any peace deal between Israel and Hamas. • The fracturing of the Israeli war cabinet and Gantz’s call for elections could have unpredictable consequences in Israel amid rising protests against Netanyahu. That is tragic.”But the national security adviser’s comments will do nothing to ease Biden’s domestic political exposure over the war.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Benny Gantz, Biden, •, estrange Biden, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Antony Blinken, Gantz, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Jake Sullivan, Dana Bash, Sullivan, “, Israel, ” Sullivan, “ Innocent, Mike Johnson, Sen, Tom Cotton, Cotton, ”, Biden Gantz, ” Gantz, doesn’t, Aaron David Miller, comport, ” Miller, Joe Biden, ” Biden, you’ve, ” Richard Haass, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Haass Organizations: CNN, Israel, Biden, Likud, Trump, Union, Eiffel, Republicans, Democratic National Convention, Fox News, Arkansas Republican, The New York Times, Washington Post, ” Gaza’s Ministry of Health, IDF, ” CNN, ”, Saudis, United, Palestinian Authority, Foreign Relations Locations: Israel, Gaza, United States, Michigan, Washington, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, France, “ State, American, Chicago, America, Netanyahu, East, United Arab Emirates

The talks between the tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which backs LIV Golf, are "extremely active," the person said. A PGA Tour representative declined to comment. The deal will reportedly be structured similar to their deal with the Strategic Sports Group, a consortium of investors. "By making PGA TOUR members owners of their league, we strengthen the collective investment of our players in the success of the PGA TOUR," Monahan said at the time. After clear lines were drawn, players expressed frustration about the proposed deal, leading the tour to increase financial incentives for golfers.

Persons: LIV, Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, John Henry —, McIlroy, PIF, Jay Monahan, Yasir Al, Rumayyan, hasn't, " Monahan, Jimmy Dunne, Dunne, Phil Mickelson, —, Monahan Organizations: THE, Sawgrass, CNBC, Saudi Public Investment Fund, Fenway Sports, Saudi, Strategic Sports Group, The New York Times, Tour Enterprises, PGA, Fenway Sports Group Locations: Ponte Vedra Beach , Florida, Saudi, New York

☆ Saudi Arabia is reportedly funding a Chinese startup that aims to take on OpenAI
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-01 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

A Saudi fund is the only foreign investor in China's leading AI startup, The Financial Times reported. Zhipu AI is China's largest generative AI startup by staff numbers and aims to rival OpenAI. AdvertisementSaudi Arabia is reportedly helping to fund China's AI development. A Saudi fund recently became the sole foreign investor in Zhipu AI, a startup that's part of Chinese efforts to build an OpenAI rival, The Financial Times reported citing two unnamed sources. According to the report, Prosperity7, which is part of the state-owned oil group Saudi Aramco, recently participated in the latest funding round for the Chinese startup as a minority investor.

Persons: OpenAI, — Organizations: Saudi, Financial Times, Service, The Financial, Saudi Aramco, Business Locations: Saudi Arabia

☆ Israel Resists Grand Bargain as U.S. and Saudis Work on Security Pact
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Edward Wong | Vivian Nereim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Two years into President Biden’s term, his aides began negotiating with Saudi leaders to have the kingdom establish diplomatic relations with Israel. But when the Israel-Hamas war began last October, the talks withered. American and Saudi officials have tried to revive prospects for a deal by demanding more from Israel — a cease-fire in Gaza and irreversible steps toward the founding of a Palestinian nation. Now those officials say they are close to a final agreement on the main elements of what the Saudis want from the deal: a U.S.-Saudi mutual defense pact and cooperation on a civilian nuclear program in the kingdom. And Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, is expected to follow up when he goes to Saudi Arabia and Israel this weekend.

Persons: Biden’s, Israel —, Antony J, Blinken, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jake Sullivan Organizations: Saudi, Hamas, State Department, White House Locations: Israel, Gaza, Palestinian, U.S, Saudi, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

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