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  • Geothermal – Saudi Arabia’s Next Energy Vector?

    For decades, Saudi Arabia’s power sector has heavily relied on hydrocarbons for electricity generation. Their abundant supply, affordability, and differential performance have made them a top choice. A significant portion of this electricity provides power for air conditioning systems and water desalination plants.

  • What are the Saudi Festival Seasons?

    The Saudi Seasons, a series of festivals held at different locations in the Kingdom throughout the year, attracts visitors from all over the world to explore this dynamic country and experience the best of both Saudi and international arts, culture, sports and entertainment.

  • Israel’s Next Front? Iran, Hezbollah, and the Coming War in Lebanon

    Over the past six months, tensions along Israel’s border with Lebanon have escalated dramatically. Israel has now deployed 100,000 troops to its north to confront the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, and the fighting there has steadily intensified. Nearly 400 Lebanese—including around 70 civilians and three journalists—have been killed, 90,000 Lebanese civilians have been displaced from around 100 towns and villages along the Israeli-Lebanese border, and Lebanese villages and olive groves have incurred widespread damage from phosphorus bombs.

  • Will Biden enable Pakistani energy imports from Iran?

    Ebrahim Raisi has traveled to Pakistan, marking the first trip by an Iranian president to the country’s eastern neighbor in over eight years. Iranian state media have focused on the potential economic benefits of the visit, which could involve a deal on the completion of a stalled gas pipeline opposed by the US. If Islamabad fails to complete its section of the pipeline, it could face Iranian legal action potentially resulting in 18B USD in fines.

  • What does EU visa relaxation for Saudi, Bahraini, Omani citizens mean?

    Under the new rules, Bahraini, Omani and Saudi Arabian nationals will be eligible for multiple-entry visas, allowing them to visit the Schengen area (the EU’s 27 member states as well as Bulgaria and Romania) and move freely between them.

  • How is fine dining thriving in Saudi Arabia’s F&B Industry?

    Experiential Dining: these days, with the rising competition, the fine dining restaurants are focusing on offering unique dining experiences that go beyond food and that includes theme decorations per local, internal, and seasonal activities, entertainment, and personalised services. These experiences drive word-of-mouth and social media sharing leading to always attract more customers and footfalls.

  • How should a US-Saudi defence pact look?

    My chief interest here is to explore what is required to make a US-Saudi defence pact most effective and credible for both parties in the eyes of friends and foes. In other words, I am starting off with the assumption that political leaders in Washington and Riyadh have agreed to move forward on this issue. The question I now wish to address is how they can build a mutually beneficial defence structure to support the pact.

  • Why is Sudan still at war a year on?

    The army and RSF had been in a fragile partnership after toppling a civilian government in an October 2021 coup, a move that derailed a transition from the rule of Islamist autocrat Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted amid a popular uprising in 2019.
    The rivalry between the two sides burst into the open over an internationally backed plan that would have launched a new transition with civilian parties and was due to be sealed just before the war broke out.

  • Is the EU the North Star for Circular Economy Push in Saudi Arabia?

    The European Union's (EU) circular economy (CE) framework is an exemplar of comprehensive and strategic environmental governance. This framework is meticulously designed to encompass robust legislation, set ambitious sustainability targets, and deploy diverse initiatives across sectors, which can serve as a powerful model for nations like Saudi Arabia aiming to enhance their own circular economy policies.

  • What Does Neom’s Downsize Means for Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030?

    When launching The Line in 2021, the Saudi government had announced that 1.5 million people would be living in the city by 2030. Officials now expect there to be fewer that 300,000 residents by that time, according to a source cited by Bloomberg.The source said that officials expected only 2.4km of the 170km city to be completed by 2030. As a result of the scaling back, one contractor dismissed some of the workers it employs on site, according to a document seen by Bloomberg.