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  • ‘Texting While Riding’? Viral Video Shows Saudi Man In Dangerous Highway Stunt
     

    A viral video of a Saudi man texting while sitting on the hood of his car has gone viral on the video-sharing site YouTube. It is not clear who is driving the vehicle, which has dark window tint. The Huffington Post described the video as such: “A Saudi man is seen playing with his phone […]

     
  • Slideshow: Coming to Riyadh’s KAFD: A Female-Designed Metro Station
     

    A leading female architect has been chosen to be the lead architect of the forthcoming metro station in the brand-new King Abdullah Financial District, Arabian Business reports.

     
  • Are U.S. Companies Missing Out on a Saudi Nuclear Bonanza?
     

    The recently-completed Saudi Sustainable Energy Symposium at the Ritz Carlton Riyadh brought high-level officials and companies together to discuss “a common understanding between all stakeholders” concerning the development of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s sustainable energy program, of which nuclear energy is a big part. The event was hosted by the King Abdullah Center for […]

     
  • Royal Decree May Ease a ‘$67B Housing Logjam’ in Saudi Arabia, Reuters Reports
     

    Reuters is reporting that last week’s Royal Decree to tackle Saudi Arabia’s housing program has removed “an obstacle to a $67 billion program to ease the country’s housing shortage,” which “may push the program forward by opening up thousands of acres of state-owned land for construction.”

     
  • Unusual Video Footage Shows Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mosque Under Construction
     

    Amazing footage of the ongoing construction at Mecca’s Grand Mosque surfaced on Facebook, showing the large-scale reconstructive efforts at the holy site in Saudi Arabia. The video, shot from what looks like a crane, shows worshippers circling the Kaaba with construction efforts ongoing at the mataf expansion not far away. The amateur footage shows the […]

     
  • Saudi Youth Filmmaking on the Rise
     

    Social media continues to catalyze Saudi Arabia in unpredictable ways.  Fatima Al-Arjan takes a look at the rise of video blogging ‘vloggers.’  Short videos – some 36 seconds at maximum – have proliferated.  While sometimes a platform for controversial posts, like many on-line communities, this one seems to be maturing. In a related item, female […]

     
  • Nitaqat: Towards a Saudi “New Deal?”
     

    Editor’s Note: ‘Saudization’ is a topic that has garnered a great deal of front-page ink in Saudi Arabia of late.  The Nitaqat (“Ranges”) Program introduced in 2011 has staunch advocates and detractors and the ongoing argument between members of the private sector and the Ministry of Labor over recent fee hikes for foreign employees has been […]

     
  • Are Members of Royalty “Foreign Officials” Under the FCPA?
     

    For U.S. companies conducting business abroad, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) is a constant companion.  The FCPA, “applies to any person who has a certain degree of connection to the United States and engages in foreign corrupt practices. The Act also applies to any act by U.S. businesses, foreign corporations trading securities in the […]

     
  • Commentary: Saudi Arbitration Court in the UK?
     

    In a recent Financial Times article Caroline Binham and Helen Warrell reported that, “Saudi Arabia will lobby the UK government as early as November to set up a confidential court in London that would settle multimillion pound commercial disputes arising from the Middle Eastern kingdom. The Saudis hope that a London-based arbitration centre would help counter investor […]

     
  • Modernity and tradition: Khalid Habash’s stunning photos of Saudi
     

    It is no secret that Saudi Arabia’s economy and society are modernizing at a remarkable pace. Already the Arab world’s largest economy, the Kingdom also has one of the world’s highest GDP growth rates.  Government spending is expansive and investment in infrastructure, education and numerous other sectors are at all time highs.  Soon to be […]

     

MUST-READS

  • Ukraine hopes for grain exports breakthrough as Istanbul talks resume

    Ukraine said on Wednesday that a deal to resume grain exports blocked by Russia appeared very close as four-way talks prepared to resume, raising hopes of an end to a standoff that has exposed millions to the risk of starvation. More than 20 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain are stuck in silos at the Black Sea port of Odesa and dozens of ships have been stranded due to Russia's blockade, part of what Moscow calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine but which Kyiv and the West say is an unjustified war of aggression.

  • Saudi business giant eyes £1bn sustainable aviation fuel plant to kickstart UK green investment drive

    One of Saudi Arabia’s largest greentech specialists and manufacturing firms has outlined plans to invest billions in UK green infrastructure projects, with a £1bn sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) plant currently in the design phase.

  • Qatar Airways’ Boeing 737 deal has lapsed, UK court told

    Qatar Airways has indicated that a provisional agreement to buy up to 50 Boeing 737 MAX jets has lapsed, Boeing's rival Airbus said in a court document released on Thursday. The deal, signed in Washington in January, is part of a series of inter-locking agreements caught up in a London court dispute between Airbus and the Gulf carrier over a larger jet.

  • Analysis: Johnson’s UK Meltdown Is a Good Day for Putin

    The chaos engulfing Johnson and his administration is red meat for the propaganda machine that blankets Russian airwaves, not just about the conflict in Ukraine but its key allies like the UK. It fits Putin’s narrative about the “West” lecturing others and ignoring its own failings. The Kremlin will no doubt relish the fact that less than two weeks after the Group of Seven pledged to stand by Ukraine for the long haul, the UK is just one of its number suffering domestic turmoil.

  • Saudi Arabia in early talks to take stake in UK’s Aston Martin

    Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund is in early talks with British luxury carmaker Aston Martin (AML.L) about taking a stake in the business that could be worth 200 million pounds ($243.5 million), the Financial Times reported on Thursday. Shares in Aston Martin, which had fallen as much as 20% to a record low on Thursday, trimmed losses to trade 9% lower by 1502 GMT after the group stopped short of confirming or denying the media reports. Aston Martin instead said it regularly keeps its funding options under review.

  • Russia maintains grip on Syria while mired in Ukraine

    In addition to reinforcing its forces in northern Syria in response to Turkish threats of a cross-border military operation, Moscow is carrying out operations as before with joint air force drills with Damascus over the war-torn country, and sending humanitarian aid to people in Sweida and Hassakeh. Taken together, these activities suggest that despite decreasing its presence in Syria, Russia is determined to mobilise its forces there to maintain its means of influence.

  • Russia Seeks Buyers for Plundered Ukraine Grain, U.S. Warns

    American diplomats have alerted 14 countries, most in Africa, that Russian ships filled with stolen Ukrainian grain could be headed their way, posing a dilemma to countries facing dire food shortages.

  • Turkey struggles to push Russia, Ukraine into grain deal to avert food crisis

    Turkish efforts to ease a global food crisis by negotiating safe passage for grain stuck in Black Sea ports met resistance as Ukraine said Russia was imposing unreasonable conditions and the Kremlin said free shipment depended on an end to sanctions. The war between Russia and Ukraine, the world's third and fourth largest grain exporters respectively, has added to food price inflation and put global food supplies at risk.

  • After Lavrov meeting, Turkey says Ukraine grain-export plan reasonable

    Speaking alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Turkey's Mevlut Cavusoglu said their meeting in Ankara was fruitful, including a perceived will to return to negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv for a possible ceasefire.

  • In interview, Blinken speaks of nuanced relationship with Saudi Arabia, US goals in Ukraine

    Blinken described ties with the Arab kingdom as having to be “recalibrated” after the administration took office, making sure that the relationship “was serving our own interests, as well as our values,” while being able to work together for common interests.