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☆ PGA Tour commissioner reportedly tells employees the reason for LIV Golf merger: 'We cannot compete with a foreign government with unlimited money'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Kaja Whitehouse | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan spoke to employees about the merger with LIV Golf, WSJ reported. He reportedly suggested the cost of battling LIV Golf in court and on the green was unsustainable. "The PGA TOUR has never been a more valuable property," which the merger recognized via an investment, she added. PGA Tour announced the merger after a tough year of battling LIV Golf in court and on the green. PGA Tour players who have joined LIV include Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson.

Persons: Jay Monahan, LIV Golf, —, Joe Monahan, Monahan, LIV, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Bertrand Guay, Phil Mickelson, Ben Jared, Bubba Watson Organizations: LIV, Saudi, Service, PGA Tour, Street, Getty, Saudi Public Investment Fund, PGA Locations: Ponte Vedra Beach , Florida, AFP, Saudi

Concluding his visit on Thursday, Secretary of State Blinken told reporters he raised human rights issues with Saudi officials and "made clear that progress on human rights strengthens our relationship." "Human rights are always on the agenda of the United States - that’s who we are," he said during a news conference. But some rights advocates argue the golf deal shows the administration has chosen geopolitics over human rights. New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) says scores of human rights activists and dissidents are in prison or on trial in Saudi Arabia and that the repression "spiked" following Biden's visit last year. The list included prominent cleric Salman al-Odah, children of former spy chief Saad al-Jabri, human rights defender Mohammed al-Qahtani and aid worker Abdulrahman al-Sadhan.

Persons: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Joe Biden, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, LIV, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Biden, Seth Binder, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Sarah Yager, Salman al, Saad al, Mohammed al, Abdulrahman, Saad Ibrahim Almadi, Tess McEnery, Humeyra Pamuk, Simon Lewis, Arshad Mohammed, Don Durfee, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Saudi Crown, Al, Saudi Royal Court, REUTERS, Saudi, Public Investment Fund, North, MbS, PGA, East Democracy, Biden, Rights Watch, Saudi Foreign, U.S, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Bandar, REUTERS RIYADH, WASHINGTON, U.S, Riyadh, Washington, United States, Yemen, New York, China, Israel, OPEC, Russia, Florida

☆ Opinion: The impact of PGA Tour-LIV Golf deal goes far beyond sports
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Aaron David Miller | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Yet, these days, the sad truth is that Saudi Arabia has no need for sportswashing. And in December 2019, Saudi Arabia became president of the G-20, hosting a virtual summit because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The golf deal is a reminder that “money money money” is a formidable diplomatic political tool. A US brokered deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia would be a powerful counterpoint to China’s recently facilitated Iranian-Saudi détente. Of course, one can hardly be shocked to learn that where’s there’s money, golf and Saudi Arabia, there just might be a Trump angle as well.

Persons: Aaron David Miller, ” Miller, LIV Golf, Joe Biden’s, it’s, we’ve, you’re, Jamal Khashoggi, , Cristiano Ronaldo, Sen, Richard Blumenthal, Blumenthal, Biden, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, It’s, LIV, can’t, Zelensky, Bashar al, Assad, Mahmoud Abbas, ”, Jake Sullivan, Antony Blinken, Trump, Eric Trump, Facebook George Orwell Organizations: Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Democratic, Republican, CNN, PGA, English Premier League soccer, One, LIV, PGA Tour, Washington Post, Saudi Crown, MBS, Arab, US National, Trump, Twitter, Facebook, Saudi Locations: East, Saudi, United States, Saudi Arabia, Washington, Berlin, Sochi, Davos, Connecticut, China, Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Israeli, Israel, Iranian, Britain

☆ PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger is a major win for the Saudis — and Americans are slamming it
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

It's lured some of the biggest golf stars away from the PGA Tour with huge paychecks, spurring antitrust lawsuits with the American organization. "This is Saudi Arabia buying the PGA tour," sports talk show host Rich Eisen said in his broadcast after hearing the news. USA Today sports columnist Christine Brennan called the move "a total wimp-out by the PGA Tour. Glyn Kirk | AFP | Getty ImagesSocial media was rife with self-described golf fans vowing to never again watch the PGA Tour. Pro golfer Phil Mickelson, another member of the LIV Tour, tweeted "Awesome day today" in response to the news.

Persons: LIV Golf, that's, —, LIV, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, It's, Jay Monahan, Rich Eisen, Pat Welter, it's, Christine Brennan, Tiger Woods, Glyn Kirk, Ron Wyden, Chris Murphy, Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi LIV, Monahan, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jim Watson, Bryson DeChambeau, DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Jeffries, Yasir Al, Cristiano Ronaldo, Saudi Arabia's, Al Organizations: PGA Tour, Saudi, LIV Players, PGA, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Saudi Crown, CNBC, Twitter, 150th, St, AFP, Getty, LIV, Washington Post, Amnesty, Saudi Arabian Crown, Saudi Embassy, Washington D.C, Saudi Foreign Ministry, CNN, Royal, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images Investment, Rumayyan, Nassr Football Club, Al Nassr Football Locations: Saudi Arabia, North Carolina, Saudi, Scotland, Oregon, Connecticut, American, Washington ,, Washington, videoconference, Riyadh, PIF, Portuguese

☆ PGA Tour merger with LIV Golf triggers confusion about sponsorships, antitrust
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

watch nowThe proposed merger between the PGA Tour and its Saudi-funded rival LIV Golf stunned everyone from golfers to Wall Street bankers this week – leaving many with questions about what the merger could mean. While the two organizations were feuding, golfers were divided between the PGA Tour and LIV. Aside from the lawsuits, LIV Golf has been surrounded by controversy and criticism since its launch in 2022. LIV Golf sued the tour, also citing anti-competitive practices for banning its players. The PGA Tour countersued.

Persons: LIV Golf, LIV, Jefferies, Jay Monahan, CNBC's, Henry Hauser, Perkins, Monahan, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Yasir Al, Rumayyan, Hauser, it's, Timothy Derdenger, Derdenger Organizations: PGA Tour, Wall, FTC, PGA, Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, Antitrust, Public Investment, Federal Trade Commission, Justice Department, American Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business, U.S . Locations: Saudi

☆ Chris Christie just made the GOP primary pettier with his deep beef against the Kushners
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Sarah Gray | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Chris Christie beef with the Kushner family runs deep. Chris Christie and the Kushner family was once again center stage on Tuesday in what is shaping up to be a pretty petty presidential primary season. "Jared Kushner and Ivanka Kushner walk out of the White House and months later get $2 billion from the Saudis. But his beef with the Kushner family goes back much further than this campaign cycle. Jared Kushner went on to work for four years at the White House as a senior adviser to his father-in-law.

Persons: Chris Christie, Kushner, Christie, Jared Kushner, Alex Thompson, —, Donald Trump —, Trump, Joe Biden, Trump —, Trump's, Ivanka Trump, Ivanka Kushner, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jared, Jared's, Charles Kushner, savaging Sen, Marco Rubio, Mike Pence, PBS's Margaret Hoover, Mr, Charles Kushner's, Margaret —, Biden Organizations: Service, New, New Jersey Gov, Trump, White, Saudi Crown, Public Investment Fund, Kushner's Affinity Partners, New York Times, Federal, Commission, GOP Locations: New Hampshire, New Jersey, United States

[1/5] Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (L) meets with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Jeddah in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia June 7, 2023. Amer Hilabi/Pool via REUTERSJEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, June 7 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had an "open, candid" conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the early hours of Wednesday about a wide range of bilateral issues, a U.S. official said. Blinken and the crown prince, known as MbS, met for an hour and forty minutes, a U.S. official said, covering topics including Israel, the conflict in Yemen, unrest in Sudan as well as human rights. In April, Saudi Arabia restored ties with Iran, a regional rival and Israel's arch-foe. MbS and Blinken also discussed Yemen and potential ways to resolve remaining issues, while Blinken thanked the crown prince for the kingdom's role in pushing for a ceasefire in Sudan and helping evacuate U.S. citizens.

Persons: Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Antony Blinken, Amer Hilabi, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Prince Mohammed, Blinken's, Donald Trump, Jonathan Fulton, Fulton, Blinken, Humeyra Pamuk, Aziz El Yaakoubi, El, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Mark Potter Organizations: Saudi Arabia's Crown, REUTERS, Saudi Crown, U.S, MbS, United, New York Times, Saudi, However U.S, Atlantic Council, Washington, ., normalising Saudi, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, REUTERS JEDDAH, Iran, Washington, Riyadh, United States, Arabia, OPEC, Israel, Yemen, Sudan, East, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, However, China, Arab, Beijing, Saudi

☆ PGA Tour agrees to merge with Saudi-backed rival LIV Golf
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

The PGA Tour has agreed to merge with Saudi-backed rival LIV Golf in a deal that would see the competitors squash pending litigation and move forward as a larger golf enterprise. With LIV Golf in the midst of its second, groundbreaking season, the PGA TOUR, DP World Tour and PIF will work together to best feature and grow team golf going forward. PIF will initially be the exclusive investor in the new entity, alongside the PGA TOUR, LIV Golf and the DP World Tour. Separately, PGA TOUR Inc. will remain in place as a 501(c)(6) tax exempt organization and retains administrative oversight of events for those assets contributed by the PGA TOUR, including the sanctioning of events, the administration of the competition and rules, as well as all other "inside the ropes" responsibilities, with Jay Monahan as Commissioner and Ed Herlihy as PGA TOUR Policy Board Chairman. The DP World Tour and LIV Golf will retain similar administrative oversight of events on their respective Tours.

Persons: LIV, LIV didn't, Yasir Al, Rumayyan, Jay Monahan, PIF, CNBC'S David Faber, LIV Golf, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Monahan, Team Captain Brooks Koepka, Ricky Elliott, Osama Bin Laden, Donald Trump, nobody's, Trump, CNBC's David Faber, Jessica Golden, Kevin Durant, James Pitaro, LIV –, we've, Jay, Keith, Ed Herlihy, Herlihy, Jimmy Dunne, Keith Pelley Organizations: Nexstar, Nexstar Media Group, CW Network, CW, Wrestling, Endeavor Group, PGA Tour, CNBC, Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, PGA, European PGA, U.S, Team, Royal Greens, & Country Club, King Abdullah Economic, Saudi, CBS Sports, LIV, ESPN, Public Investment Fund, Al, Rumayyan, Strategic Alliance Locations: U.S, Saudi, Jeddah, King Abdullah, King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia, Los Angeles, RIYADH, PONTE, BEACH , Florida

☆ Middle Eastern investors are pouring money into US media, sports, and entertainment — here are the 9 most active players and their key leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Lucia Moses | Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Investors in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates are pouring money into Western media and entertainment. Sovereign funds and other entities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are pouring millions into US media and entertainment, and they're finding plenty of takers. The channels for money from Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East are complex. Insider broke down the key entities — their owners, leaders, and high-profile investments and joint ventures — in the top three Middle Eastern nations pouring money into US entertainment and media. It describes itself as the largest media company in the Middle East and North Africa and runs one of the largest TV news channels, Al Arabiya.

Persons: Jamal Khashoggi's, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, —, WME, Jimmy Finkelstein's, Abu Dhabi's, It's, Yasir Al, Rumayyan, Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, Sam Barnett, Peter Smith —, Christina Wayne, SRMG, Mohammed bin Salman, Alrashid, Johnny Depp, Jeanne du Barry, Sharon Stone, Bruno Mars, Luca Guadanigno, Vince McMahon's, Turki Al, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Dayel, Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al, Mahmoud, Peter Chernin, Nasser Al, Germain, BeIN, Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad, Khalifa Al, Vincent, Asghar Farhadi's Oscar, Nart Bouran, JAF, Jeff Zucker, Graydon Carter's, it's, Semafor, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mansour, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber Organizations: United, Sovereign, Saudi, Washington Post, Saudi Crown, Endeavor, UFC, IMI, Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corporation, Public Investment Fund, Saudi Aramco, Newcastle United, English football, PGA, MBC, Shahid, Netflix, Vice Media, Variety, MBC Group's, Antenna Group, Cineflex Studios, NBCUniversal International, Amazon, AMC, Saudi Research, Media, Publicly, Red Sea, Cannes, Penske Media Corporation, Bloomberg Media, Vince McMahon's WWE, country's General Entertainment Authority, Development, Cultural Development Fund, George Washington University, American University . Qatar Qatar Investment, Qatar Investment Authority, Providence, BeIN Media, Paris Saint, Miramax, Paramount, Doha Film, Doha Film Institute, H.E, Hollywood Reporter, United Arab Emirates Abu, Investment Authority, UAE, Abu, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Hollywood, Dubai Studio, Dubai Media City, National Geographic, BBC News, International Media Investments International Media Investments, National, CNN, Sky News Arabia, Reuters, JAF Communications, Grid, RedBird Capital Partners, Punchbowl News, New York Times, Manchester City, The, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company Locations: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Saudi, East, North Africa, Al Arabiya, Netherlands, Greece, Dubai, Jeddah, SRMG, Riyadh, Doha, Europe, Americas, ViacomCBS, Qatari, Thani, Abu Dhabi

DUBAI, June 5 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund will take control of four of the kingdom's top soccer clubs including Al-Nassr, which Cristiano Ronaldo plays for, as the government revives a plan to privatise several state-owned sports clubs. All are in the top-flight Saudi Professional League, except Al-Ahli which is in the second-tier Saudi First Division. The privatisation plan, mainly focused on soccer clubs and launched by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, allows companies and development agencies to invest in and take over clubs, SPA reported earlier on Monday. The kingdom aims for the revenue of the Saudi Professional League to increase to 1.8 billion riyals ($480 million) annually by 2030 from 450 million riyals. Saudi oil giant Aramco will own Saudi First Division club Al-Qadsiah, Third Division side Alula FC will be owned by the Royal Commission for Al-Ula while First Division club al-Diraiyah FC will be controlled by Diriyah Gate Development Authority.

Persons: Cristiano Ronaldo, PIF, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Ula, Ronaldo, Al Nassr, Lionel Messi, Jana Choukeir, Yousef Saba, Sriraj Kalluvila, Emelia Organizations: Al, Public Investment Fund, Twitter, Saudi Professional League, Saudi, Division, Saudi Crown, Second Division, NEOM, Saudi First Division, Alula FC, Royal Commission, First Division, Diraiyah FC, Diriyah, Development Authority, Investment, Premier League, Newcastle United, Reuters, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Saudi, al, Ittihad, Al, Ahli, Hilal, Saudi Arabia, Portuguese, Argentina

☆ Royal wedding showpiece highlights Jordan's role as West's stable ally
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Suleiman Al-Khalidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Prince Mohammed last visited Jordan a year ago following years of tensions, also prompting hopes then that warmer ties would unlock more fulsome economic support. KING-IN-WAITING[1/10] Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein and Rajwa Al Saif are seen together at their royal wedding ceremony, in Amman, Jordan, June 1, 2023 in this screen grab taken from a video. At the Arab League summit in Jeddah last month, he walked alongside his father to greet Crown Prince Mohammad. Washington's desire for a stable ally in an otherwise volatile region meant it too has often turned a blind eye to Jordan's slow democratic reforms and mixed human rights record. It's the prince's wedding, not ours," said Abdullah al-Fayez, a retired servicemen living on slim savings on the outskirts of Amman.

Persons: Prince Hussein, Rajwa Al Saif, Britain's William, Kate AMMAN, King Abdullah, Jordan, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Lady Jill Biden, Britain's Prince, Princess of Wales, William, Kate, Prince Mohammed, Hamza, Hussein, Joe Biden, Prince Mohammad, Prophet Mohammed, Alia Ibrahim, Abdullah al, Suleiman Al, Khalidi, John Stonestreet Organizations: West, Saudi, U.S, Royal Hashemite, REUTERS, Georgetown, Sandhurst, League, International Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: Saudi, West, U.S, Amman, Jordan, Jeddah, Mecca, Iraq, Syria

☆ The Saudi crown prince revealed his latest vision for Neom, the $1 trillion 'utopian' megacity that critics fear will become a dystopian nightmare
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Saudi Arabia unveiled new pictures of the Neom megacity planned by its ruler, Mohammed bin Salman. Loading Something is loading. Neom is the brainchild of Saudi Arabia's crown prince and de facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman. In a new set of pictures released by Neom and Unsplash, the city is portrayed as a paradisaical adventure holiday resort. But activists are warning that that rights are being trampled as Saudi Arabia readies parts of the resort to be opened to visitors.

☆ Assad banks on new 'global order' to help revive his status
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

During his address, Assad presented himself as an elder statesman, lecturing his neighbors about the need to take advantage of changes in global politics. “Today we are faced with an opportunity of change in the global order, which has become multipolar due to the hegemony of the West, which is devoid of principles, morals, friends or partners,” Assad told the summit, held in the Saudi port city of Jeddah. But observers have differed as to whether real economic cooperation with Syria is possible without access to the Western financial system, which has been blocked by Western sanctions on the country. “They can also try working with or through Russia, and possibly with and through Iran – although that carries its own obvious risks,” he said, referring to Arab states that want to do business in Syia. There are plenty of ways of doing this.”Assad’s ultimate goal however, said Landis, is to get sanctions lifted with the help of Arab states.

☆ Syria's Assad shakes hands, kisses cheeks with onetime foes at Arab League summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Maya Gebeily | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 19 (Reuters) - Every handshake would count, and Syria's President Bashar al-Assad had plenty of them at Friday's Arab League Summit - along with hugs and kisses - from his onetime foes in the region. As Assad lined up for the League's family photograph, he shook hands with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. One after the other, Arab leaders welcomed Syria's return to the Arab league and during his own address, Assad repeatedly said that Syria belonged to the Arab world. Syria's state news agency had reported that the Emir and Assad shook hands and spoke briefly on the sidelines before the summit began - but there was no statement on Qatari media. An Arab official told Reuters that the Emir did not hold any bilateral meetings and left the summit before Assad spoke.

☆ Biden is trying to lure Saudi Arabia's crown prince away from China with lucrative promises, despite once threatening to make him a 'pariah'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The US has replaced its threats with lucrative contracts for the crown prince as part of a high stakes power game being waged over dominance of the region. Biden last weekend dispatched his national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, to Saudi Arabia, for discussions with Saudi officials. Last year, Crown Prince Mohammed and Xi agreed to deepen their cooperation across a range of economic and security issues. Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud at the royal palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 8, 2022. "It is important to note that Saudi Arabia is not seeking to burn its bridges with the United States.

☆ Top Biden aide discusses Yemen peace efforts with Saudi crown prince
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, May 7 (Reuters) - U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a visit to the kingdom on Sunday and reviewed what the White House called "significant progress" in Yemen peace efforts, the White House said. Sullivan, President Joe Biden's top White House national security aide, also thanked the crown prince for Saudi support to U.S. citizens during evacuation from Sudan, the statement added. U.S. special envoy Tim Lenderking travelled to Oman and Saudi Arabia earlier this month to seek to advance Yemen peace efforts, the State Department said. A Saudi-led military coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015 after the Iran-aligned Houthis ousted the government from the capital Sanaa. But the White House statement made no mention of Israel.

☆ Saudi Arabia wants to be a bigger player in the Middle East — this time with diplomacy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“And that can only reflect well on the Kingdom.”This new diplomacy comes as Saudi Arabia prioritizes economic growth at home, which requires regional stability to succeed. Saudi efforts at revamping its image as a peace-broker may face credibility challenges, however, given its near decade-long combative foreign policy and the bad press it attracted. That group is party to the Sudan conflict that Saudi Arabia is trying to help end. Despite its controversial past, Saudi Arabia may still carry enough influence to bring quarreling parties to the negotiating table, analysts say. “Saudi (Arabia) does not pretend to be an impartial mediator but its voice carries weight with many parties in the region,” Shihabi said, adding that where it can, Saudi Arabia wants to use that influence to reduce tensions.

During the current fighting Egypt has joined calls for an effective ceasefire while saying they consider the conflict an internal matter for Sudan. The most important regional ally for Hemedti before the conflict was the United Arab Emirates. Hemedti said he advised Sudan to cut ties to Wagner after the U.S. imposed sanctions on the private military contractor. Saudi Arabia has had close ties to Burhan and Hemedti, both of whom sent troops to the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. Israel, which had been hoping to move forward in normalising ties with Sudan, has also offered to host talks.

☆ The Saudi crown prince wants to build a trillion-dollar utopia in the desert. His deals with China reveal a darker vision.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

It's part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's modernizing vision of the country. But behind the outlandish plan, developed by Saudi Arabia's powerful crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, is a much darker reality. Crown Prince Mohammed appears keen to replicate those projects on a grander scale. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman announces a zero-carbon city called "The Line" to be built at NEOM in northwestern Saudi Arabia, January 10, 2021. It appeared to be the beginning of a fruitful partnership for Crown Prince Mohammed.

☆ China is succeeding in the Middle East because it learned from watching the US fail there for 20 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Natalie Armbruster | Defense Priorities | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Conversely, China is clear-eyed about its interests in the Middle East and, more importantly, their limits. In fact, most of China's Belt and Road Initiative investments in the Middle East hinge on ensuring free trade in the Middle East and a steady energy supply, not security. As international scrutiny builds surrounding the Uyghur crisis, China is particularly keen on finding partners in the Middle East who will exchange silence for investment. With Saudi Arabia, which has its own skeletons in its closet, such a trade is tempting. Instead of resorting to undue threat inflation, the United States may benefit from a corrective course on its history in the Middle East thus far.

Brokering a reconciliation deal between Palestinian factions is a longer-term goal for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, Saudi officials say. Senior Saudi officials were planning to meet with leaders of the Palestinian militant and political group Hamas on Sunday to discuss renewing diplomatic ties which have been cool since 2007, part of a diplomacy spree led by Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman that has seen Riyadh move closer to Iran. Re-establishing ties between Iran-backed Hamas, which is a U.S. designated terrorist group, and the Saudi kingdom would mark a setback for efforts by the U.S. and Israel to establish a military alliance between Israel and other Sunni-majority countries against Iran and its allies. They also complicate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s goal of normalizing relations with Riyadh, with opposition to Iran as their primary shared interest.

☆ Saudi stocks gain on rising oil prices; Qatar falls
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Ateeq Shariff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 16 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's stock markets ended higher on Sunday after Friday's rise in oil prices, although the Qatari index extended losses for a second session. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index (.TASI) gained 0.6%, led by a 1.2% increase in Al Rajhi Bank (1120.SE), while oil giant Saudi Aramco (2223.SE) added 0.8%. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman launched on Thursday four new Special Economic Zones in Saudi Arabia, state media reported on Thursday after the market had closed, citing a statement. In Qatar, the index (.QSI) fell 0.4%, extending losses for a second session, with petrochemical maker Industries Qatar (IQCD.QA) losing 1.5%. Reporting by Ateeq Shariff in Bengaluru; Editing by Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ White House hails Yemen steps after meeting with Saudi crown prince
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 14 (Reuters) - Senior aides to U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday hailed progress toward resolving conflict in Yemen after "constructive" talks in Saudi Arabia with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. The meetings included Biden's top Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, and his Yemen envoy, Tim Lenderking, and took place on Thursday and Friday, said Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council. "The U.S. side confirmed its support for the defense of Saudi Arabia against threats from Yemen and elsewhere." The White House summary did not mention the surprise decision earlier this month by Saudi-led OPEC+ to cut oil production. Yemen's war is seen as one of several proxy battles between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

[1/2] White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan speaks during a daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 10, 2022. REUTERS/Tom BrennerWASHINGTON, April 11 (Reuters) - U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan spoke with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday and discussed Iran and steps aimed at ending the war in Yemen, the White House said. The foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia met in Beijing last week after agreeing to end their diplomatic rift following years of hostility that fuelled conflicts across the Middle East. Mr. Sullivan reaffirmed President (Joe) Biden’s unwavering commitment to ensure Iran can never acquire a nuclear weapon," the White House said in a statement late on Tuesday. Yemen's war is seen as one of several proxy battles between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

☆ Lindsey Graham chatted and smiled with Saudi Arabia's crown prince, who he previously called an 'unhinged' murderer he'd never work with
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham was pictured meeting Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman. In a tweet Tuesday, Graham said he had just had a "very productive, candid meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince and his senior leadership team. "This guy has got to go," Graham said in a 2018 Fox News interview, and said the crown prince had Khashoggi "murdered." "Saudi Arabia, if you're listening, there are a lot of good people you can choose," Graham said. President Joe Biden had pledged to make the crown prince a "pariah" while seeking election in 2020, but as president has instead chosen to maintain an alliance.

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