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☆ Israel's president visits UAE, asks for help to free hostages
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Alexander Cornwell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Herzog made the request during a meeting with Sheikh Mohamed in Dubai, according to a statement issued by the Israeli president's media office. "The President appealed to his friend Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to employ his full political weight to promote and speed up the return home of the hostages," it said. Israel has released 210 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli hostages. A UAE state news agency report said the two presidents discussed relations between their countries and issues of mutual interest. Herzog was invited to attend the summit by Sheikh Mohamed earlier this year.

Persons: Isaac Herzog, SAUL LOEB, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Herzog, Sheikh Mohamed, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Abraham, Abu Dhabi, Alexander Cornwell, Grant McCool Organizations: U.S, State, Rights, Thursday, United Arab Emirates, Hamas, UAE, UAE ., Abraham Accords, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, Rights DUBAI, Palestinian, Gaza, Dubai, Gulf, The UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Gaza's Rafah, UAE, United States

☆ Jeff Zucker Nears Major Deal to Re-enter the News Business
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Michael M. Grynbaum | More About Michael M. Grynbaum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

After a series of financial maneuvers, RedBird IMI would assume ownership and management of The Telegraph and The Spectator. Redbird IMI said its Emirati partner would be a passive investor. Mr. Zucker declined to comment, citing the pending negotiations. Mr. Zucker does not plan to oversee day-to-day news coverage, the person said. RedBird IMI is a joint venture between RedBird Capital, a private-equity firm, and a private investment fund that Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan, an Emirati royal, runs.

Persons: Barclay, Rupert Murdoch, Lord Rothermere, Zucker, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan Organizations: Telegraph, London’s Daily Mail, RedBird IMI, IMI, The Telegraph, RedBird, Conservative, IMI “ Locations: Abu Dhabi, United States, London

☆ Mass visa cancellations at Saudi airport puts relations with Nigeria in spotlight
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Abuja, Nigeria CNN —Diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Nigeria have come under scrutiny after 177 Nigerians were refused entry to the country on Monday. The mass cancellation of visas occurred as Nigera’s President Bola Tinubu was still in Saudi Arabia after holding bilateral talks with the Saudi government. “There was a total lack of sensitivity (by Saudi officials) because the president (of Nigeria) was visiting that country,” Okhai said. Saudi Arabia is a popular pilgrimage destination for thousands of Nigerian Muslims. However, Monday’s deportation of Nigerian nationals is not the first time travelers have been refused entry to Saudi Arabia.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, It’s, ”, ” Victor Okhai, ” Okhai, Reno Omokiri, ” Omokri, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Organizations: Nigeria CNN —, Air, country’s Ministry, Hajj, Saudi, Jeddah …, Africa Summit, Guinea Bissau, African Diaspora Foundation, CNN, United Arab Emirates, UAE, reoccurrence Locations: Abuja, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, Mecca, Saudi, Guinea, Independence, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

☆ COP28’s big challenge: green cash for poor states
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( George Hay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Rather than drawing attention to this paucity of ambition, al-Jaber wants states to commit to trebling global capacity of renewable energy by 2030. Progress in China and the West is largely a function of cash: these regions accounted for 84% of the $1.3 trillion committed to global climate finance in 2022. They calculate that by 2030, developing countries need to invest around $2.4 trillion a year in order to decarbonise their economies. The problem is that the developed world has consistently missed targets to channel climate cash to less developed counterparts. In September al-Jaber announced a $4.5 billion scheme to deploy UAE state cash and private sector resources to help Africa decarbonise.

Persons: al, Jaber, hasn’t, Nicholas Stern, Stern, Ajay Banga, Mark Carney, Shriti Vadera, Larry Fink, Joko Widodo, UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, Nahyan, Breakingviews, Peter Thal Larsen, Oliver Taslic, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, United, Conference of, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, United Nations, International Energy Agency, The, IEA, World Bank, concessional, Bank, Bank of England, Prudential, BlackRock, U.S, Indonesian, Africa decarbonise, UAE Crown, Thomson Locations: United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, Paris, China, The U.S, British, Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, South Africa, Vietnam, U.S, Al, UAE, Africa, COP28, Dubai

☆ Israel weapons makers leave stands empty at Dubai Airshow
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Alexander Cornwell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

DUBAI, Nov 13 (Reuters) - The exhibition stands of Israeli weapons makers Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems were empty at the start of the opening day of the weeklong Dubai Airshow on Monday, amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. It was not immediately clear why there were no staff at either exhibition stand, which were located close to the pavilion of United Arab Emirates state arms maker EDGE. IAI and EDGE signed joint development programmes at the last Dubai Airshow in 2021. The IAI exhibition stand was blocked off with red rope. The UAE became the most prominent Arab nation to establish diplomatic ties with Israel in 30 years under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020.

Persons: Rafael, Gaza –, Abraham, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mohamed, Alexander Cornwell, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Israel Aerospace Industries, IAI, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, United Arab, EDGE, Palestinian Hamas, UAE, Israel, Elbit Systems, Reuters, The, U.S, Abraham Accords, Arab League, of Islamic Cooperation, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Dubai, Israel, Gaza, United Arab Emirates, Palestinian, Israeli, UAE, Arab, U.S, The UAE

☆ Exclusive: UAE plans to maintain ties with Israel despite Gaza outcry, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Alexander Cornwell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Abu Dhabi became the most prominent Arab nation to establish diplomatic ties with Israel in 30 years under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020. "The indiscriminate damage visited upon the people of Gaza in pursuit of Israel's security risks extinguishing that hope," she said. Israel and the UAE have developed close economic and security ties in the three years since normalisation, including defence cooperation. None of four sources ruled out that the UAE could downgrade or sever its ties if the crisis escalated. While criticising Israel's conduct of the war, Abu Dhabi has also condemned Hamas for its attack.

Persons: Ronen, Abu Dhabi, Israel ABU, Abraham, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Benjamin Netanyahu, Sheikh Mohamed, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Israel, Washington, Anwar Gargash, Lana Nusseibeh, Abu, Jordan, James Dorsey, Netanyahu, Israel's, Abdel Fattah al, Mohammed Mursi, Omar Hassan al, Bashir, Alexander Cornwell, Dan Williams, Steven Scheers, Maha El Dahan, Michael Georgy, Daniel Flynn Organizations: REUTERS, UAE, United Arab Emirates, Israel, U.S, Abraham Accords, Israeli, Qatari, UN Security Council, Reuters, West Bank, Gaza, National University of Singapore, European Union, Egypt's, Thomson Locations: Petah Tikva, Israel, UAE, Gaza, Israel ABU DHABI, Abu, Palestinian, Arab, United States, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, reining, East Jerusalem, Israeli, Iran, Yemen, OPEC, Al Aqsa, Islam, Egypt, Jerusalem

☆ Mossad, CIA chiefs meet Qatar PM in Doha on Gaza hostage deal -source
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Mary F. Calvert/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsDOHA, Nov 9 (Reuters) - The CIA and Mossad chiefs met with the Qatari prime minister in Doha on Thursday to discuss the parameters of a deal for hostage releases and a pause in Hamas-Israel fighting in the Gaza Strip, a source briefed on the meeting told Reuters. Sheikh Tamim was accompanied by the Qatari prime minister. The statement said the purpose of the visit was to discuss the situation in Gaza. Unlike Qatar, the UAE has had diplomatic relations with Israel since a U.S.-brokered normalisation agreement in 2020. Reporting by Andrew Mills; writing by Maha El Dahan; editing by Toby Chopra and Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: William Burns, Mary F, David Barnea, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman, Thani, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Tamim, Andrew Mills, Maha El, Toby Chopra, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Central Intelligence Agency, Intelligence, REUTERS, Rights DOHA, CIA, Reuters, Qatari, Wednesday, United Arab, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Doha, Israel, Gaza, Qatar, Qatar's, United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, UAE, U.S

☆ King Charles to attend COP28 climate talks in Dubai and deliver address
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —King Charles III will attend the UN’s COP28 climate summit in Dubai this year and deliver an address at the opening ceremony, Buckingham Palace said Wednesday. CNN understood at the time that, following consultations with the government, it was jointly agreed that the climate summit wasn’t the right occasion for the King’s first trip overseas as sovereign. Few world leaders have confirmed their attendance at the talks. The 74-year-old King will give his address on December 1, and also meet with regional leaders, the palace said. King Charles III has been a passionate advocate of environmental and climate causes for at least five decades.

Persons: London CNN — King Charles III, Buckingham, Liz Truss, Joe Biden, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Charles, Charles ’, Prince, Wales, King Charles III, Prince of Wales, King, Donald Trump Organizations: CNN’s Royal, London CNN, CNN, United Arab Emirates, COP28 UAE, Government, Business, UN, Charles ’ Sustainable Markets Initiative, Buckingham, Accord Locations: London, Dubai, British, Egypt, Israel, Gaza, UAE, Glasgow, Scotland, Germany, France, Paris

☆ Italy's Meloni urges international community not to fall into Hamas "trap"
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan speaks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni prior to the Cairo Summit for Peace, at the St. Regis in Cairo, Egypt, October 21, 2023. UAE Presidential Court /Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsCAIRO, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Saturday that the international community must avoid an escalation in the war between Israel and Hamas and set a roadmap towards the two states solution. Meloni made the remarks while speaking in Egypt at the Cairo international summit for peace in the Middle East as Israel prepares a ground assault on Gaza following Hamas attack that killed 1,400 people. The Italian premier met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Cairo before travelling to Tel Aviv to meet Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Reporting by Giselda Vagnoni; Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Giorgia Meloni, Meloni, Mahmoud Abbas, Benjamin Netanyahu, Abbas, Giselda Vagnoni, Tomasz Janowski, Alison Williams Organizations: United Arab, Italian, Cairo Summit for Peace, UAE, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Israel's, Thomson Locations: United Arab Emirates, Regis, Cairo, Egypt, Rights CAIRO, Israel, East, Gaza, Italian, Tel Aviv

☆ Saudi Arabia, UAE leaders meet as Israel-Hamas war threatens to spill over
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Saudi state news agency SPA showed footage of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, receiving UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at Riyadh's airport. Public meetings between the crown prince and Sheikh Mohammed have been rare in recent years as the close allies competed for investment and regional influence. Sheikh Mohammed attended a summit between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Riyadh on Friday, Saudi and UAE state media said. Last year, Prince Mohammed and Sheikh Mohammed met when Prince Mohammed visited Abu Dhabi to offer his condolences on the death of Sheikh Khalifa, the UAE's previous president. Sheikh Mohammed also visited Jeddah last year, and the two leaders met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in November.

Persons: Prince Mohamed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mohammed, Prince Mohammed, Abu, Sheikh Khalifa, Aziz El Yaakoubi, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Defence, United Arab Emirates, Gulf Cooperation Council, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, GCC, Thomson Locations: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Israel, East, Riyadh's, Riyadh, UAE, Iran, Gaza, Abu Dhabi, Jeddah

☆ US advises its citizens in Gaza to move closer to Egypt's Rafah crossing
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | Thomson Reuters | Humeyra Pamuk Is A Senior Foreign Policy Correspondent Based In Washington Dc. She Covers The U.S. State Department | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Washington has been working with Egypt, Israel and Qatar to open the Rafah crossing on Saturday afternoon to allow Palestinian-Americans to leave, a senior State Department official said earlier. "We have informed U.S. citizens in Gaza with whom we are in contact that if they assess it to be safe, they may wish to move closer to the Rafah border crossing," a U.S. State Department spokesperson said. "There may be very little notice if the crossing opens and it may only open for a limited time." [1/6]Palestinians with dual citizenship gather outside Rafah border crossing with Egypt in the hope of getting permission to leave Gaza, amid the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip October 14, 2023. "And we're working together to do exactly that, in particular working on establishing safe areas in Gaza, working on establishing corridors so that humanitarian assistance can reach people who need it.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Prince Faisal Bin Farhan, Abu Mustafa, Wang Yi, Matthew Miller, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Humeyra Pamuk, Matt Spetalnick, James Mackenzie, Helen Popper, Sharon Singleton, Mark Potter, Daniel Wallis Organizations: U.S, Saturday, State Department, Hamas, U.S . State Department, Palestinian, Saudi Foreign, REUTERS, United Arab, Saudi Crown, Thomson Locations: ABU DHABI, Gaza, Rafah, Egypt, Israel, Washington, Qatar, Palestinian, Antony Blinken . Washington, U.S, Riyadh, American, Beijing, it's, Saudi, United Arab Emirates

“The world only, for whatever reason, views us as an oil-and-gas nation,” he said. “We have moved beyond oil and gas 20 years ago. We embraced the energy transition 20 years ago.”He added: “We don’t become passionate or ideological or so emotional. We’re results-driven.”Political Cartoons View All 1190 ImagesAl-Jaber, a 50-year-old longtime climate envoy, is a trusted confidant of UAE leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Addressing the world's reliance on crude oil, al-Jaber issued a challenge to the audience listening to him at Dubai's Museum of the Future: Tell him how to immediately stop the use of all fossil fuels.

Persons: “, Sultan al, Jaber, ”, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, He’s Organizations: United Arab Emirates, United, Abu Dhabi National Oil Co, General, Emirates, Dubai's Museum Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, United Nations, Abu Dhabi, UAE, al

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

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

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

☆ Dubai police seize over $1 billion of captagon drug smuggled inside furniture
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Celine Alkhaldi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

A surveillance video shared by the interior ministry on Thursday shows the suspects attempting to bring the captagon tablets through Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port. UAE authorities have seized hundreds of thousands of captagon pills since 2019. Captagon was originally the brand name for a medicinal product containing the synthetic stimulant fenethylline. Experts say the vast majority of global captagon production occurs in Syria, with the Gulf region being its primary destination. Last year, the US introduced the 2022 US Captagon Act, which linked the trade to the Syrian regime and called it a “transnational security threat.”

Persons: Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Captagon, ” Organizations: Abu Dhabi CNN, United, United Arab Emirates, country’s Ministry of Interior, Dubai Police, ”, Twitter, Customs, European Monitoring Centre, Drugs, Addiction, US Locations: Abu Dhabi, United Arab, UAE, Jebel Ali Port, Abu, Syria

☆ Morgues overwhelmed in Libya as rescuers search for thousands missing after flood
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A satellite photo shows flooding in Derna, Libya, on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023 via Planet Labs PBC. Planet Labs PBC/APA satellite photo shows Derna on Sept. 2, 2023, before flooding, via Planet Labs PBC. A boy pulls a suitcase past debris in a flash-flood damaged area in Derna, eastern Libya, on September 11, 2023. A damaged vehicle is stuck debris after the floods caused by the Storm Daniel in Derna, Libya on September 12, 2023. Toys are seen in a flash flood damaged shop in Derna, eastern Libya, on September 11, 2023.

Persons: “, ”, Adel Juma, Storm Daniel, I’m, Muammar Gaddafi, Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, Khalifa Haftar, Osama Hamad, Daniel, Derna, Osama Aly, Abdullah Mohammed Bonja, Ciaran Donelly, IRC’s, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Richard Norland, Zayed Al Nahyan Organizations: CNN, Planet Labs PBC, AP, Getty, Libya, UN, of National Unity, GNU, Libyan National Army, Ambulance, Storm, Anadolu Agency, Rescue, Emergency Management Authority, Anadoulu Agency, Civil Protection Department, United Arab Emirates Locations: Libya, Derna, Palestinian, AFP, Tripoli, Benghazi, North Africa, Greece, Europe, Italy, United States

☆ UAE lifts visa restrictions for Nigerians
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Abuja, Nigeria CNN —The United Arab Emirates has lifted a year-long visa ban imposed on Nigerian travelers, authorities in the West African country said Monday. The restriction placed by the UAE last October was lifted following negotiations between Nigeria’s new President Bola Tinubu and UAE leader Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. “Furthermore, by this historic agreement, both Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines are to immediately resume flight schedules into and out of Nigeria, without any further delay,” the statement added. Flights between both countries were stopped last year after Dubai’s Emirates airline suspended its operations in Nigeria citing trapped revenues. The UAE’s Dubai emirate has been a popular destination for Nigerian travelers for many years but visas to the West Africans and nationals of 19 other African states were halted last year for undisclosed reasons.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Ajuri Ngelale Organizations: Nigeria CNN —, United Arab, UAE, Etihad Airlines, Emirates Airlines, Dubai’s Emirates, West Locations: Abuja, Nigeria, United Arab Emirates, West, UAE, Abu Dhabi, Dubai

Emirates airliners are seen on the tarmac in a general view of Dubai International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates January 13, 2021. REUTERS/Abdel Hadi Ramah/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsABUJA, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Emirates Airlines will resume immediate flight schedules to Nigeria and lift a visa ban on Nigerian travellers, following a meeting between the leaders of the two countries, the Nigerian presidency said on Monday. Tinubu stopped in Abu Dhabi on his way from G20 summit in India, where he wooed investors to Nigeria. Last month Tinubu said he wanted an immediate resolution to the disagreements with Emirates Airlines and visa issues by the Arab country. The UAE stopped issuing visas to Nigerians last year after Dubai's Emirates suspended flights due to an inability to repatriate funds from Nigeria.

Persons: Abdel Hadi Ramah, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Emirates Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Tinubu, Ajuri Ngelale, Ngelale, Chijioke Ohuocha, Felix Onuah, David Evans, Peter Graff, Richard Chang Organizations: Emirates, Dubai International, United Arab Emirates, Rights, Emirates Airlines, United, UAE, Dubai's Emirates, Etihad Airlines, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, Rights ABUJA, Nigeria, Emirates, Abu Dhabi, India, State, Nigerian

CNN —Oil powers Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been invited to become members of the BRICS group of developing nations in its first expansion in over a decade. Total bilateral trade between Saudi Arabia and BRICS nations exceeded $160 billion in 2022, the Saudi foreign minister said. It also means Russia and Saudi Arabia — both members of OPEC+, a group of major oil producers — will join each other in a new economic bloc. The BRICS countries have also been talking about a common currency, an idea analysts have described as unworkable and “unlikely” in the near future. Existing BRICS members have “had enough difficulty trying to agree just between the five of them,” he added.

Persons: Cyril Ramaphosa, ” Ramaphosa, Vladimir Putin, ” Putin, Xi Jinping, ” Jinping, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Narendra Modi, Saudi Arabia —, —, Putin, Goldman Sachs, Jim O’Neill, ” O’Neill, “, ”, I’m, ” BRICS, Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan, Abdel Fattah el, Sisi, — Manveena Suri, Mostafa Salem, Lizzy Yee, Mengchen Zhang, Nadeen Ebrahim Organizations: CNN, Oil, United Arab, Saudi Foreign, Indian, OPEC, West, Western, Bloomberg, New Development Bank, United Arab Emirates, BRICS Locations: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Argentina, South, Johannesburg, Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Russian, BRICS, Saudi, United States, UAE

☆ How Saudi Arabia and UAE learned to stop worrying and love Turkey's Bayraktar drones
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Saudi Arabia and the UAE have signed multibillion-dollar deals for Turkish drones in recent months. Azeri Ministry of DefenseSaudi Arabia previously showed interest in procuring Turkish drones and securing rights for local production. Bakir told Insider that Turkish drones have gained "global recognition" due to their "affordability, efficiency, and lethal capabilities" and documented successes over modern battlefields. "Moreover, Saudi Arabia could use such capabilities to balance Iran's drone technology in the long run," Ozeren said. Ozeren said the Saudi deal could help Baykar "monopolize" drone technology in Turkey but noted that crucial details about the agreement remain unknown.

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Baykar, Abu Dhabi's, Loong, Loongs, Abu Dhabi, Abu, Ali Bakir, Erdogan, Mohammed bin Salman, Murat Kula, Bakir, Suleyman Ozeren, It's, Ozeren, Ali Atmaca, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Murat Centinmuhurdar, Bashar Assad, Paul Iddon Organizations: UAE, Service, United, United Arab Emirates, Turkey's Baykar Defense, Ministry of Defense, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Dassault Rafales, Ibn Khaldon, NATO, European Union, American University, Orion Policy Institute, Ataturk Airport, Security Initiative, Atlantic Council Locations: Saudi Arabia, Wall, Silicon, United Arab, Turkish, Riyadh, East, North Africa, South Caucasus, Ukraine, Armenian, Ministry of Defense Saudi Arabia, Republic of Turkey, Kuwait, UAE, Saudi, Istanbul, Yemen, Libya, Abu, Turkey, China, France, Qatar, Jeddah, Anadolu, Nahyan, Abu Dhabi

☆ Turkey's Erdogan ends Gulf tour with Abu Dhabi visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Rachna Uppal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Abu Dhabi is Erdogan's last stop in a Gulf tour that included the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah and Doha. Reaping the benefits of his diplomatic efforts, Saudi Arabia agreed on Tuesday to buy Turkish drones in the biggest defence contract in Turkey's history. Turkey also sent troops to Doha when Saudi Arabia and the UAE imposed a blockade on Qatar in 2017. Abu Dhabi agreed last year to a $5-billion swap deal in local currencies with Ankara to help its struggling lira. Reporting by Rachna Uppal in Abu Dhabi and Yousef Saba in Dubai, writing by Aziz El Yaakoubi; Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Abu Dhabi, Cevdet Yilmaz, Mehmet Simsek, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Rachna Uppal, Yousef Saba, Aziz El Yaakoubi, Bernadette Baum Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Turkish, Thomson Locations: ABU DHABI, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Red Sea, Jeddah, Doha, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Turkey, UAE, Qatar, Ankara, Nahyan, Gulf, Dubai

☆ Saudi Arabia buys Turkish drones during Erdogan's visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Aziz El Yaakoubi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Erdogan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attended the signing ceremony between Turkish defence firm Baykar and the Saudi defence ministry, Saudi state news agency SPA reported. Erdogan arrived in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah on Monday for the first stop of a Gulf tour. Saudi Arabia will acquire the drones "with the aim of enhancing the readiness of the kingdom's armed forces and bolstering its defense and manufacturing capabilities," Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said in a tweet on Tuesday. SPA said Erdogan and Prince Mohammed attended the signing of a defense cooperation plan by Prince Khalid and Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler. Developing a local military industry has been part of an ambitious plan by Prince Mohammed to diversify the kingdom's economy away from oil.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Baykar, Prince Khalid bin Salman, Haluk Bayraktar, Jamal Khashoggi, Prince Mohammed, Prince Khalid, Yasar Guler, Cevdet Yilmaz, Mehmet Simsek, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Enas Alashray, Daren Butler, Jamie Freed, Lincoln, Tomasz Janowski, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Saudi Crown, Defence, Investments, United, United Arab Emirates, Turkish Defence, Turkish, Thomson Locations: RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Saudi Red Sea, Jeddah, Ankara, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, East, North Africa, Istanbul, Qatar, United Arab, Riyadh, UAE, Nahyan, Cairo

Saudi state-run al-Ekhbariya television showed several Saudi officials welcoming Erdogan as he arrived at the venue of a Saudi-Turkish business forum in the Red Sea city of Jeddah. Erdogan is expected to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, later on Monday. "Turkey will have a serious investment opportunity in the defence industry, infrastructure and superstructure investments in the three countries," he said. Ekhbaria carried live footage showing Saudi Investment Minister Khaled al-Falih addressing dozens of businessmen from both sides at the Saudi-Turkish business forum in Jeddah. Turkey's budget deficit surged to 219.6 billion lira ($8.37 billion) in June, seven times the deficit a year earlier, data showed on Monday.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Ekhbaria, Khaled al, Cevdet Yilmaz, Mehmet Simsek, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Yilmaz, Huseyin Hayatsever, Ali Kucukgocmen, Daren Butler, Aziz El Yaakoubi, William Maclean Organizations: Saudi Crown, . Investments, United, Turkish, Saudi Investment, Thomson Locations: ISTANBUL, RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Saudi, Turkish, Red Sea, Jeddah, Ankara, United Arab Emirates, Istanbul, Qatar, UAE, Nahyan

☆ Japan and UAE agree innovation, climate change cooperation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Rachna Uppal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

State news agency WAM also said the two leaders discussed a comprehensive strategic partnership between the UAE and Japan. Japan is actively developing greener and renewable energy technologies and aims to be carbon neutral by 2050. Kishida will also try to promote Japanese know-how as energy-producing countries have pledged to achieve a net zero transition, especially ahead of the COP28 climate summit to be held in Dubai in November. The GCC is a six-nation regional union that comprises Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain. "The secure energy supply from the UAE has supported Japan's economic growth for many years," Kishida wrote in a piece published by UAE state news agency WAM on Sunday.

Persons: Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Kishida, Ryan Carter, Fumio Kishida's, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, WAM, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Hikariko Ono, Rachna Uppal, Sakura Murakami, Andrew Mills, Aziz El Yaakoubi, Conor Humphries, David Evans, Alex Richardson, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: United Arab Emirates, United, UAE, United Arab, Japan, Qatar, Saudi Crown, Cooperation Council, GCC, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Thomson Locations: Japan, Qasr Al Watan, Abu Dhabi, United Arab, ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, UAE, State, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Tokyo, Saudi, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain

☆ India ties up with UAE to settle trade in rupees
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Arpan Chaturvedi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW DELHI, July 15 (Reuters) - India has signed an agreement with the United Arab Emirates that will allow it to settle trade in rupees instead of dollars, boosting India's efforts to cut transaction costs by eliminating dollar conversions. The two agreements will enable "seamless cross-border transactions and payments, and foster greater economic cooperation", said a statement from the Reserve Bank of India on Saturday. India, the world's third biggest oil importer and consumer and whose central bank last year announced a framework for settling global trade in rupees, currently pays for UAE oil in dollars. An official with knowledge of the details of the agreement said India could make its first rupee payment for UAE oil to Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (ADNOC), Reuters reported on Friday. The Reserve Bank of India said the two central banks agreed to link India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and UAE's Instant Payment Platform (IPP).

Persons: Narendra Modi, Modi, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Arpan Chaturvedi, Clelia Organizations: United Arab, India's, UAE, Reserve Bank of India, Abu Dhabi National Oil Co, Reuters, Thomson Locations: DELHI, India, United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, Asia

☆ Turkey expects $10 billion in Gulf investments after upcoming Erdogan visit, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Orhan Coskun | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA, July 7 (Reuters) - Turkey expects Gulf countries to make direct investments of about $10 billion initially in domestic assets as part of President Tayyip Erdogan's trip to the region in two weeks, according to two senior Turkish officials. Direct investments worth about $10 billion "should come within a short time and this is crucial," said one of the officials. "Expectations are high for the Gulf visit. Reuters reported after the visit that Turkey came away expecting direct investments soon. The official said the expected investments from Gulf states would "show confidence in the Turkish economy since it would be direct investments, which is extremely important."

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan's, Erdogan, Abu Dhabi, Cevdet Yilmaz, Mehmet Simsek, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Yilmaz, Jonathan Spicer, Ros Russell Organizations: Turkish, United Arab Emirates, Reuters, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Riyadh, Doha, Abu, Ankara, UAE, Nahyan, Turkish

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