MUST-READS

• Iraq’s fractured elites view Syria with consternation as HTS takes charge

  In the wake of former Syrian leader Bashar Al-Assad’s downfall, Iraqi Shiite political elites are now coming to terms with a radical shift in the region’s balance of power. The divergent positions of those in the Shiite Coordination Framework has only further highlighted latent differences between the ruling coalition’s principal heads. Emerging faultlines include differences over Iraq’s response to Syria’s new Sunni Islamist leaders as well as Baghdad’s ties to an increasingly beleaguered Tehran.

• Max Gallien: Black Markets of the Maghreb

  The World Bank once estimated that about a quarter of the gasoline that is consumed in Tunisia has been smuggled into the country from Libya or Algeria, but that study's from 2014. That number is not correct anymore, but we can say that across the Middle East and North Africa, there has been smuggling going on for as long as these borders have existed. And that smuggling has taken a great variety of different goods and people across these borders. That obviously includes the things that we often talk and think about—narcotics or weapons—but way more often than that it's the things we think less about: gasoline, foodstuffs, microwaves, mobile phones, donkeys, Hello Kitty backpacks, and racehorses. It's a huge variety of goods that are being smuggled, and that often provide an opportunity for income and employment for people in these border regions.

• Why the Saudis Want a Second World Cup in the Gulf

  Saudi Arabia wields enormous influence in global sport after channeling billions of dollars into such pursuits as racing, golf, tennis and boxing in recent years. Now, the oil-rich kingdom is set to win the right to host the world’s most prestigious football tournament: the World Cup. The only time the competition has ever been held in an Arab Gulf country was in 2022, in the tiny emirate of Qatar — and it happened amid considerable controversy. Games were shifted to the winter to avoid the hot climate, human rights practices drew widespread scrutiny, and beer was banned from stadiums at the last minute. Qatar still went on to hold what some pundits say was one of the best-run tournaments in history.  Saudi Arabia is already home to an annual Formula 1 Grand Prix and is set to host the Asian Football Confederation’s 2027 Asian Cup and the 2029 Asian Winter Games. Its upstart LIV Golf competition is working on a deal with the rival PGA Tour. And its local football league counts top stars including Cristiano Ronaldo among players. Adding a World Cup could attract millions of new visitors, helping to draw in fresh sources of revenue.

• Tight title battle, top-four race, surprises, survival scrap: how RSL shapes up at break

  We’re not quite at the halfway mark of the 2024-25 Roshn Saudi League, but as the league pauses for the mid-season break, it’s the perfect time to sit back and reflect on the opening 13 rounds. So, going into this four-week pause, these are the major storylines that are already making the campaign one to remember. Check out the current state of play in the RSL. The script has been flipped this season, however, and now it’s Al Hilal playing the role of the hunter rather than the hunted after their defeat to Al Khaleej in matchweek 11 – their solitary loss this campaign - saw them cede top spot. Instead, it’s Al Ittihad that lead the way, with an impressive 12 wins to start the season and just the one loss – ironically to Al Hilal – to give them a two-point buffer going into the break.

• UK company to open ‘miracle material’ factory in Saudi Arabia

  The world’s first commercial production facility for graphene-enriched carbon fibre is to be built in Saudi Arabia, its backers have announced. Graphene Innovations Manchester (GIM) – a UK company that is developing the “miracle material” said to be stronger than diamond, more conductive than copper and more flexible than rubber – has signed an agreement with Riyadh-based investment company Organized Chaos. The facility is set to open in 2025. The deal was announced during the visit of Sir Keir Starmer to the Gulf this week. The UK prime minister held talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh and with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, the president of the UAE, in Abu Dhabi.

• Football presents Saudi Arabia with soft power tool paving the way for World Cup

  A new Netflix series on Saudi football features packed stadiums and top-flight talent, but whether it can curb criticism of Riyadh’s bid to host World Cup 2034 is an open question. The six-episode “Saudi Pro League: Kickoff” began just three weeks before the FIFA Congress is set to formally approve Saudi Arabia, the sole candidate, as host of the quadrennial spectacle. The vote on Wednesday will be a crowning moment for de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s use of sport to amass influence and improve the Gulf kingdom’s global image. Football has been at the heart of that effort, and the Netflix series depicts how the Saudi Pro League has been transformed by the arrival of global stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema, all of whom get ample screen time. The show also seeks to highlight what one commentator describes as Saudi Arabia’s “historic passion for football”, clubs founded nearly a century ago, and rivalries dating back nearly that long.

• Saudi Arabia, EU Hold Roundtable Discussion to Enhance Trade Partnership

  The Saudi General Authority of Foreign Trade (GAFT) hosted a roundtable with EU here, from December 9 to 10. Chaired by GAFT's Deputy Governor for International Relations Abdulaziz Alsakran and head of the Trade and Economic Affairs Department at the EU Delegation to Saudi Arabia Dr. Thomas Jorgensen, the meeting gathers representatives of various Saudi public and private entities. It aims to strengthen the trade partnership between Saudi Arabia and the EU, one of the Kingdom's major trading partners, and secure a marked increase in the volume of trade between the two sides. Discussions are slated to focus on common challenges and ways to tackle them, enhanced cooperation in trade and investment, and better global economic partnership.

• Keir Starmer says Saudi Arabia trip fulfils ‘number one mission’ to grow UK economy

  Keir Starmer has defended his trip to Saudi Arabia, saying it was needed to fulfil his “number one mission” of growing the UK economy. Speaking during a visit to Riyadh, where he met the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, the prime minister said his “sole intention” there was to help drive up living standards in the UK. Starmer told broadcasters that he had “made it clear that economic growth in the UK is my number one mission” and “for that to happen we have to win contracts and investment around the world, and UAE and Saudi Arabia are key partners of ours”.

• How Saudi Arabia and the UK are shaping each other

  Forging alliances that transcend borders, Saudi Arabia and the UK have emerged as powerhouses of collaboration, driving innovation and reshaping global landscapes in the fields of energy, technology, and sustainable infrastructure. In 2018, the two kingdoms established the annual UK-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council as a central platform to discuss and enhance all aspects of their bilateral relationship, including UK support for Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 in various sectors. According to Saudi Minister of Commerce Majid Al-Qasabi, bilateral trade between the two countries has surged by more than a third since 2018, exceeding $99.12 billion in value.

• Maj. Al-Otaibi: Tourist visa device enables issuance of visas in record time

  Maj. Nasser Al-Otaibi, spokesman of the General Directorate of Passports, said that the directorate launched the tourist visa device that enables tourists, who meet the specific conditions, to obtain their visas in record time. "Tourists can benefit from the tourist visa device, which is available at all international ports. The visa will be issued through five steps that start with scanning the passport, then taking the tourist's photo and fingerprint, followed by the stage of choosing and approving health insurance, and then the payment stage, which allows all types of cards," he said while attending the Zakat, Tax and Customs Conference.

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