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☆ Saudi ruler Mohammed bin Salman is seeking to humiliate Biden as part of a global power play
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Saudi ruler Mohammed bin Salman wants to assert himself internationally. It is a change driven by the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, who is deliberately snubbing the US in an attempt to chart a more independent path, an expert told Insider. Specifically, this has taken the form of Saudi Arabia joining Russia other oil-rich nations to announce a steep cut in production. Cafiero, the analysts, said that Crown Prince Mohammed believes that drawing closer to Russia and China will secure more "leverage" internationally. "Bin Salman and others in Saudi Arabia took a tremendous amount of offense to that rhetoric.

☆ Phil Mickelson says Saudi-backed LIV Golf series is ‘not going away’
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Veteran golfer Phil Mickelson says the controversial LIV Golf series is a “force” in the sport and it’s “not going away.”Speaking ahead of the season finale at the Trump National Doral Golf Club, near Miami, Mickelson praised the Saudi-backed series for how much it has grown during a tumultuous debut year. “It’s pretty remarkable how far LIV Golf has come in the last six, seven months. I don’t think anybody can disagree with that.”Earlier this month, American Dustin Johnson secured the inaugural season-long LIV Golf individual championship, earning himself $18 million. This weekend LIV Golf will hold a team competition with a $50 million prize purse. In August, the LIV series joined an antitrust lawsuit from some of its stars that alleges the PGA Tour threatened to place lifetime bans on players who participate on the LIV golf series, adding that “unprecedented suspensions” were placed upon them.

☆ Barrack testifies he told Trump to use Khashoggi murder to end Qatar blockade
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Barrack, 75, is not charged with acting as a Saudi agent, but the country is close with the UAE. U.S. intelligence says the murder of Khashoggi, a Saudi insider-turned-critic, was approved by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler. The blockade of Qatar by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and others began in 2017. Prosecutors say that during the blockade, Barrack told Rashid Al Malik - an associate also accused of being an Emirati agent - that the United States was considering hosting a summit to resolve the conflict. Al Malik, who is at large, then told UAE officials about the possible meeting, prosecutors say.

☆ Trump criticizes PGA Tour, says 'Saudis have done a fantastic job' with LIV
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Jack Stebbins | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Former President Donald Trump stands on the 18th green during the Pro-Am tournament before the LIV Golf series at Trump National Doral, Oct. 27, 2022. He also criticized the PGA Tour. LIV Golf has been fighting to compete with the PGA Tour, even without a media deal. Trump said he thinks the PGA Tour and LIV could work something out. The PGA Tour declined to comment.

☆ The US and Saudi Arabia traded petty insults in an feud over oil after a reported secret deal fell apart
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US and Saudi Arabia are in a dispute over reports of an abandoned secret oil deal. Biden wants more oil output to drive down prices, but Saudi and its OPEC partners plan the opposite. The backdrop to the dispute is the decision in October by Saudi Arabia and other oil producers to cut output and keep prices high. "I think we as Saudi Arabia decided to be the maturer guys and let the dice fall," Abdulaziz told an international investors summit in Riyadh this week, according to Reuters. Biden said there will be "consequences" for Saudi Arabia over its decision to reduce oil supplies, but has not specified what they will be.

☆ Trump ally Barrack can be questioned on Khashoggi comments, Saudi nuclear plans
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

While Barrack is not charged with acting as a Saudi agent, the country and the UAE are close allies. Cogan also said he would let prosecutors ask Barrack about a plan he pushed in the early days of the Trump administration to construct 40 nuclear plants in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Middle East. Barrack is not charged with any crimes over the civil nuclear plan, which fell through. One of prosecutors' major charges is that Emirati officials provided input to Barrack on what Trump should say in the speech. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; editing by Jonathan Oatis and David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

SummarySummary Companies OPEC+ oil output cut led to U.S., Saudi spatSaudi Arabia and U.S. "solid allies" – ministerBig Wall St turnout at flagship Saudi investment summitRIYADH, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia decided to be the "maturer guys" in a spat with the United States over oil supplies, the kingdom's energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on Tuesday. "We keep hearing you 'are with us or against us', is there any room for 'we are with the people of Saudi Arabia'?" Biden pledged that "there will be consequences" for U.S. relations with Saudi Arabia after the OPEC+ move. JPMorgan Chase & Co Chief Executive Jamie Dimon, speaking at the gathering, voiced confidence that Saudi Arabia and the United States would safeguard their 75-year-old alliance. It recovered the next year, attracting leaders and businesses with strategic interests in Saudi Arabia, after which the pandemic hit the world.

General view of Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura oil refinery and oil terminal in Saudi Arabia May 21, 2018. JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs made nearly $77 million and $42 million respectively in investment banking fees in Saudi Arabia last year, Refinitiv data showed. "For the most part, I do not see U.S. companies actively avoiding Saudi Arabia due to recent political tensions," said Adel Hamaizia, managing director at Highbridge Advisory and a visiting fellow at Harvard University. FDI FLATForeign direct investment still lags behind targets, though there has been movement in new sectors as the kingdom opens up. As Boeing netted an $80 million defence contract last year, Fedex announced a $400 million 10-year investment plan in the country, the Arab world's biggest economy.

☆ Saudi MBC Group signs deals with Turkish production companies as diplomatic ties thaw
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MBC, which in March 2018 scrapped Turkish programmes including soap operas popular with Arab audiences, said in a statement that the deal would allow it to exclusively host content from Medyapim and Ay Yapim production houses, and produce original Arabic-language content in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia and Turkey were at loggerheads during the 2011 "Arab Spring" over Ankara's support for political Islamist groups deemed a threat to the region's system of rule. MBC said Medyapim and Ay Yapim's content would be available to MBC channels and its online Shahid platform on their airing dates in Turkey. MBC will work with Medyapim and Ay Yapim to co-develop and commission a number of Arabic-language productions, scheduled to begin filming in Saudi Arabia and in the region in the coming years, it added. Medyapim and Ay Yapim dominate the TV industry in Turkey and beyond with prime-time shows that conquered Turkic countries, the Middle East and Latin America.

☆ Retired military officials are finding high-paying jobs with the Saudi government and can make up up to 7-figure salaries working for other foreign governments: WaPo
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Hundreds of retired military officials took jobs in foreign governments since 2015, per WaPo report. Still, dozens of military personnel have accepted jobs contracted from Saudi Arabia since Khashoggi's killing. In an interview with The Post, Jones said that he was encouraged by the Trump administration to accept more contracts from the country's Defense Ministry. Eight are retired generals and admirals, and 32 are former lower-ranking military personnel, The Post reported. The Post also reported that some people negotiated jobs with foreign governments during active service.

☆ American sentenced to 16 years in prison in Saudi Arabia for tweets he sent while in United States, his son says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — An American citizen has been arrested in Saudi Arabia, tortured and sentenced to 16 years in prison over tweets he sent while in the United States, his son said Tuesday. Saad Ibrahim Almadi sits in a restaurant in the United States, circa August 2021. Ibrahim Almadi / AP fileState Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel, speaking to reporters in Washington, confirmed Almadi’s detention Tuesday. A Saudi court recently sentenced a woman to 45 years in prison for allegedly damaging the country through her social media activity. Ibrahim said his father was sentenced to 16 years in prison on Oct. 3 on charges of supporting terrorism.

☆ Biden admin officials consider discouraging U.S. companies from expanding business ties with Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Carol-Lee-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Carol E. Lee | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

WASHINGTON — Biden administration officials are considering trying to discourage American companies from expanding business ties with Saudi Arabia as part of a U.S. response to a recent Saudi-led push by oil-producing countries to cut global production, said three current and former U.S. officials familiar with the discussions. The Trump administration sent the treasury secretary to the conference, whereas last year the Biden administration sent Deputy Commerce Secretary Don Graves. “That’s going to be a key test, that OPEC meeting,” the senior administration official said. Early last year Riyadh announced that starting in 2024 only international companies with regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia could do business with the Saudi government. Before the OPEC+ decision this month, U.S. and Saudi officials spent hours discussing the future of oil prices, according to administration officials.

☆ Too late for a Saudi rethink? Critics say oil cut was a predictable blow for Biden
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Hyder Abbasi | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The cut is also seen as helping Russia, the world’s second-largest oil exporter, finance its war in Ukraine. “It failed both on blood and on oil,” Dr. Khalid Aljabri, a Saudi rights activist, told NBC News Thursday by telephone. Lina Alhathloul / TwitterAs a presidential candidate, Biden made no bones about his stance on the U.S.-Saudi relationship. Shortly after announcing his candidacy, he declared he was going to “cancel the blank check” the Trump administration had given Saudi Arabia during its war in Yemen, in which thousands of people have lost their lives. The U.S. has several options on how it can respond to Saudi Arabia, such as “freezing all arms sales and security cooperation, to withdrawing U.S. troops from Saudi Arabia,” Sheline said.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman receives U.S. President Joe Biden at Al Salman Palace upon his arrival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 15, 2022. Still, the U.S.-Saudi rift is widening as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, widely known as MbS, flags his country's -- and his own -- importance on the world stage. "He has made a great effort since day 1 to signal to the U.S. that he wants excellent ties. Prince Mohammed, the kingdom's de facto ruler, is aware of Riyadh's oil market power and position as a counterweight to Iran, and may stand firm in the face of U.S. criticism. It says it faces a threat from Iran and its proxies, especially after 2019 attacks that temporarily hit Saudi oil output and shook energy markets.

☆ Biden escalates feud with Saudi Arabia, warning of 'consequences' for cutting oil production in coordination with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Biden made an nonspecific threat to Saudi Arabia after its decision to cut oil output. The OPEC+ group includes Saudi Arabia and Russia — the two biggest oil producers after the US itself — as well as numerous other oil-producing countries. Biden spoke warned Saudi Arabia in an interview with CNN on Tuesday: "There's going to be some consequences for what they've done, with Russia." US officials warned Saudi Arabia that it would be seen as taking Russia's side if OPEC+ cut its production, but Saudi Arabia dismissed the warnings and proceeded, The Wall Street Journal reported. Biden's hardened stance on Saudi Arabia is a big shift from his repeated engagement with the Kingdom and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

☆ Saudis aren’t weaponizing oil like Americans claim, top official says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Joshua Berlinger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Experts also fear that continued high oil prices could make it more difficult for the US to tamp down inflation, which has already skyrocketed this year. “Saudi Arabia is taking the side of trying to ensure the stability of the oil markets.”“Saudi Arabia does not politicize oil. Saudi officials have insisted that the production cut is being done to protect the country’s economic interests. Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut on Wednesday called for immediate action on his bill that would stop US arm sales to Saudi Arabia. When asked about growing calls in Washington to limit ties with Saudi Arabia, al-Jubeir said he hoped that such talk was motivated by domestic politics ahead of the midterms.

☆ A top Senate Democrat threatens to block US cooperation with Saudi Arabia as MBS deepens ties with Putin
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sen. Bob Menendez threatened to block cooperation with Saudi Arabia. Menendez went on to excoriate Saudi Arabia, OPEC's leading member, accusing it of helping "underwrite Putin's war through the OPEC+ cartel." The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia chose the latter in a terrible decision driven by economic self-interest," Menendez said. Relations between the US and Saudi Arabia have been on shaky ground for years, largely since the brutal 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi by agents of the Saudi government. On the campaign trail, President Joe Biden pledged to make Saudi Arabia a "pariah" over Khashoggi's murder.

Energy analysts believe the deep production cuts could yet backfire for OPEC kingpin and U.S. ally Saudi Arabia. Energy analysts believe the deep production cuts could yet backfire for OPEC kingpin and U.S. ally Saudi Arabia, particularly as Biden hinted Congress would soon seek to rein in the Middle East-dominated group's influence over energy prices. OPEC and non-OPEC allies, a group often referred to as OPEC+, agreed on Wednesday to reduce oil production by 2 million barrels per day from November. "In light of today's action, the Biden Administration will also consult with Congress on additional tools and authorities to reduce OPEC's control over energy prices," the White House said. While the group likes to say they keep politics out of their decisions, there's no denying that there are potential ramifications to this beyond the oil price.

☆ Biden Advised to Declassify Full Intelligence Report on Khashoggi Murder
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Dustin Volz | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi leadership, was brutally killed in Istanbul in 2018. President Biden hasn’t declassified a full U.S. intelligence report on the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, despite a government panel recommending its release to the public, according to documents and people familiar with the matter. A spokesman for the National Security Council at the White House declined to comment on the panel’s recommendations or the administration’s reasons for not declassifying the report.

☆ Saudi king names crown prince as prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (not pictured) at the Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece, July 26, 2022. REUTERS/Louiza VradiSept 27 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziznamed his son and heir Prince Mohammed bin Salman as the kingdom's prime minister and his second son Prince Khalid as defense minister, a royal decree said on Tuesday. The reshuffle kept another son, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, as energy minister, theroyal decree, carried by state news agency SPA, said. Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan and Investment Minister Khalid al-Falih remained unchanged, the decree showed. Prince Khalid bin Salman, MbS's younger brother, previously served as deputy defense minister.

☆ Germany's Scholz seeks to deepen energy partnership with Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterJEDDAH, Sept 24 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday after a meeting with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that he wants to deepen the energy partnership between the two countries. Speaking to reporters, Scholz said that the partnership should go beyond fossil fuels to include hydrogen and renewable energies. Germany, until recently heavily dependent on Russia for gas, has been seeking to diversify its energy supply since Russia invaded Ukraine in February. Khashoggi's killing at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul four years ago triggered a global outcry and put pressure on Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Andreas Rinke, Writing by Tom Sims, Editing by Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Analysis: Saudi prince's Ukraine mediation signals 'useful' Russia ties - analysts
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Aziz El Yaakoubi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

With Prince Mohammed's mediation, Russia on Wednesday released 10 foreigners it had captured in Ukraine, including five Britons and two Americans. He denied the Crown Prince had become involved to rehabilitate his reputation. U.S. citizens Alexander Drueke, 39, and Andy Huynh, 27, both from Alabama, are expected to leave Saudi Arabia within days, officials said. But Saudi Arabia has shown little readiness to join the effort to isolate Russia. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Prime Minister Liz Truss thanked the Saudi crown prince for his role.

☆ Trump may be called to testify at ally's foreign agent trial, judge says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan in Brooklyn told several prospective jurors for Barrack's trial about the prospect of Trump testifying to gauge whether they might be biased against the defendant. Barrack raised money for Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign and chaired Trump's 2017 inaugural committee. Twelve jurors and four alternates are due to serve in the trial, which is expected to last about one month. Cogan dismissed one prospective juror who said she did not like Trump, prompting the judge to ask if she could set her feelings aside. the prospective juror asked.

☆ Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez have weathered a tabloid scandal, a possible iPhone hack, and even a trip to space. Here's where their relationship began and everything that's happened since.
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-14 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Bezos speaks at the Economic Club of Washington DC on September 13, 2018. Reuters/Joshua RobertsBezos wrote that the publisher had been threatening him with the publication of explicit photos he'd taken of himself unless he stopped investigating who was leaking his photos and texts to the tabloid. AMI also demanded that Bezos no longer claim the publisher's investigation into his personal life was influenced by political motivations, Bezos wrote. The "Saudi angle" of Bezos' own investigation into the leaks seemed to have "hit a particularly sensitive nerve" with Pecker, Bezos wrote. For its part, the Saudi Arabian government denied any role in the situation and called the whole saga a "soap opera."

☆ Casa Albă va publica un raport desecretizat care l-ar incrimina pe prințul moștenitor saudit în cazul uciderii lui Jamal Khashoggi
▼ + stars: | 2021-02-25 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +2 min

Casa Albă a confirmat, miercuri, că președintele american urmează să discute cu monarhul saudit și că raportul desecretizat urmează să fie făcut public. Conform informațiilor apărute în presa americană, raportul confirmă implicarea lui bin Salman care ar fi aprobat și probabil chiar comandat uciderea lui Khashoggi. „Administrația Biden trebuie să ia măsuri mai puternice – sancționarea oficialilor de rang înalt și personajelor politice, instituțiilor și entităților care au fost implicate în asasinarea lui Khashoggi”, a adăugat el. Jamal Khashoggi, în vârstă de 59 de ani la momentul morții sale, a fost ucis în consulatul din Istanbul al Arabiei Saudite, iar cadavrul său a fost tăiat în bucăți. Dispariţia misterioasă a lui Khashoggi, care a intrat pe 2 octombrie în consulatul din Istanbul pentru un demers administrativ şi nu a mai ieșit de acolo, a generat o criză internaţională la acel moment.

Persons: Președintele Joe Biden, Arabiei Saudite, Mohamed bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, bin Salman, Khashoggi, Trump, Khalid, Biden, saudiților . Jamal Khashoggi, Riadul Organizations: Arabiei, Arabiei Saudite Locations: Arabiei Saudite, Arabiei, american, saudit, Washington, Canada, Arabia Saudită, Istanbul

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