MUST-READS

• Syria’s government signs breakthrough deal with Kurdish-led authorities in northeast

  Syria’s interim government signed a deal Monday with the Kurdish-led authority that controls the country’s northeast, including a ceasefire and the merging of the main US-backed force there into the Syrian army. The deal is a major breakthrough that would bring most of Syria under the control of the government, which is led by the Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham group that led the ouster of President Bashar Assad in December. The deal was signed by interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa and Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. The deal to be implemented by the end of the year would bring all border crossings with Iraq and Turkiye, airports and oil fields in the northeast under the central government’s control. Prisons where about 9,000 suspected members of the Daesh group are also expected to come under government control.

• Commentary: Lamenting Ramadan cliches is the biggest cliche of all

  Similarly, if you see a Ramadan ad without gentle oud music and dusk-blue lighting, without a skipping child excited by her first fast, and her smiling grandfather welcoming her to the heaped iftar table, one can ask: is this a Ramadan ad? Perhaps because the familiar imagery is comforting, ads remain the same year after year, just as family traditions remain the same. Let us, therefore, let AI run rampant. It will churn out the same familiar fare as human marketers, but without wasting sleep-starved and hungry man-hours to do so. In the meantime, the humans can work on new stuff. Don’t get too excited; this will not be revolutionary new stuff, but evolutionary.

• US resumes sending aid, intel to Ukraine; seeks ‘yes’ from Russia on ceasefire

  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his own statement that the day’s discussions began with Ukraine’s key priorities: stopping Russia’s missile and drone attacks, releasing prisoners of war, the return of Ukrainian children taken to Russia, and building confidence in the overall diplomatic process. “The American side understands our arguments and considers our proposals,” Zelenskyy said. “The U.S. side proposed taking an even bigger first step—a 30-day full interim ceasefire, not only stopping missile, drone, and bomb attacks, not only in the Black Sea, but also along the entire front line. Ukraine is ready to accept this proposal.”

• Saudi Arabia rebrands as mediator for global crises

  Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is increasingly busy hosting state leaders who fly in to discuss pressing global conflicts. This Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met the Saudi Crown Prince to speak about Russia's war in Ukraine. This is ahead of a Tuesday meeting between Ukrainian and a US teams set to negotiate a potential end to Russia's war of aggression, as well as a security deal that would include US access to Ukraine's valuable mineral and metal deposits. It will be the first time that Ukrainian and US delegates talk face-to-face after the public spat between US President Donald Trump and President Zelenskyy in the White House in late February. The fact that the two countries have agreed to meet in Saudi Arabia — and not, say, in Europe — highlights the emerging key position of the oil-rich kingdom in the Middle East. "Saudi Arabia has indeed established itself as a platform for dialog in the last two to three years," Sebastian Sons, a senior researcher for the German think tank CARPO, told DW. "In Saudi Arabia's foreign policy strategy, it currently plays a very important role to talk to everyone," he added.

• Saudi Arabia, Ukraine Issue Joint Statement Emphasizing Strong Economic Ties and Collaborative Efforts to Enhance Trade Volume

  The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Ukraine commended the strong economic ties between the two friendly countries and emphasized the importance of joint action to develop the volume of trade exchange. The two sides also welcomed the upcoming reestablishment of the Saudi-Ukrainian Business Council in 2025. This came in a joint statement issued following the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the text of which reads as follows: "Within the framework of distinguished relations and close cooperation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Ukraine, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy paid an official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on March 10, 2025. His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, received President Zelenskyy at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah. They held an official discussion session, during which they reviewed the aspects of the distinguished relations between the two friendly countries, and expressed their desire to enhance them in all fields.

• Zelenskyy arrives in Saudi Arabia to meet prince ahead of summit with U.S.

  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived Monday in Saudi Arabia for a visit with its powerful crown prince ahead of his team’s meeting with America’s top diplomat. While Zelenskyy won’t be there, his team will try to repair the damage done when his Feb. 28 visit to Washington descended into an Oval Office argument with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. At stake is the military aid and intelligence previously offered by the United States that had helped Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Zelenskyy landed a few hours apart in Jeddah, a port city on the Red Sea where the Ukraine-U.S. summit will take place Tuesday.

• Commentary: What Explains Saudi Arabia’s Sudden Wave Of Amnesty For Dissidents?

  In an unexpected turn, Saudi Arabia is witnessing a wave of prisoner releases for those who have completed their sentences, with some having spent years behind bars. Yet concerns persist over potential retrials or indefinite detentions without legal clarity. The reform was followed by an even bigger, long-awaited step: the unprecedented announcement allowing the "voluntary" return of exiled individuals. State Security Chief Abdulaziz al-Howairini announced the change, quoting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during an appearance on a Ramadan program: "The homeland is for everyone, and the state rehabilitates and does not punish."

• Chinese food delivery giant dishes out deep discounts to win Saudi customers

  Keeta, the international arm of China’s biggest food delivery app, Meituan, has become the third-largest food delivery platform in Saudi Arabia just four months after its overseas debut. Its aggressive, price-slashing strategy is squeezing smaller players and challenging dominant platforms in the lucrative Middle Eastern market, which could be a springboard for other international markets. Since Keeta launched in Saudi Arabia last October, it has taken 10% of the Saudi food delivery market in terms of order volume, according to a recent report from Bengaluru-based business consulting firm Redseer. Its market share as of January has surpassed that of more than 10 smaller delivery apps, and challenges the domination of the country’s two locally developed platforms HungerStation and Jahez, the report’s lead researchers told Rest of World.

• Saudi Investment Recycling Company aims to drive the circular economy

  Every year, millions of tons of waste are generated by humans around the world – from unwanted food to single-use plastics. Less than 20% is currently recycled, with most of it still sent to landfill sites. This inflicts a heavy toll on the environment, affecting the soil, water and air, and adversely impacts people’s health and wellbeing. The largest waste management company in the GCC, SIRC is taking serious measures to improve recycling and treatment facilities in Saudi Arabia. Covering 14 kinds of refuse – such as everyday garbage, medical waste, and construction and demolition waste – the company aims to meet the targets set by the Waste Management National Regulatory Framework for 2035. Utilizing a variety of methods, including recycling, reusing, treatment and waste-to-energy conversion, SIRC’s goals include diverting 82% of all waste from landfill by 2035.

• Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman Al Saud
  Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz met this evening with Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman Al Saud in Jeddah. The Secretary thanked the Crown Prince for once again hosting the United States in talks to help resolve the Ukraine war and secure a lasting peace. The leaders discussed Yemen and threats to navigation from Houthi terrorists that threaten global commerce, American interests, and Saudi citizens and infrastructure. The Secretary talked about Syria, and ways to promote a stable government, free of terrorism. They discussed reconstruction in Gaza; the Secretary thanked the Crown Prince for hosting Arab countries and reiterated the United States firm commitment that any solution to the situation in Gaza must not include any role for Hamas.

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