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  • Debate: Will the downfall of Assad reignite Gulf Arab divisions?

    The sudden downfall of Bashar Al-Assad threatens to reignite competition in Syria between Gulf Cooperation Council member states (GCC). After years of estrangement with Damascus, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had since 2019 led an effort to normalize Arab relations with Assad. This culminated in Syria’s reintegration into the Arab League in 2023, backed by Saudi Arabia. Throughout that process, Qatar remained a holdout, refusing to engage with Assad. As forces backed by Qatar and Turkey are now in charge in Damascus, are we on a path of renewed tension among Gulf Arab states? Amwaj.media invited three experts to share their views.

  • SAR, Arsenale Unveil the Final Designs of ‘Dream of the Desert’ Luxury Train: A Masterpiece of Art, Hospitality

    Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) and Italian hospitality company Arsenale have officially unveiled the final designs of the Dream of the Desert train, the first five-star luxury train in the Middle East. This milestone marks a significant step forward in redefining luxury rail travel in the region, seamlessly blending contemporary opulence with the rich cultural heritage of Saudi Arabia. This announcement coincides with the visit of the prime minister of the Italian Republic to the Kingdom. Inspired by the desert landscape and traditional Saudi architecture, the interiors feature refined craftsmanship, with earthy tones, luxurious textiles, and intricate decorative details. Architectural elements and motifs from iconic Saudi landmarks—including Madain Saleh and Hail—are elegantly woven into the train's design, offering passengers a journey that is both visually and culturally enriching.

  • Global sports pitches leader to design stadium in Saudi Arabia for World Cup 2034

    SIS Pitches, the team behind the record-breaking Kingdom Arena pitch in Riyadh, has announced it will design another major stadium in Saudi Arabia that will host some of the matches at the World Cup 2034. The company, which produces premium hybrid, synthetic, and natural pitches for a variety of sports, has partnered with Aramco Stadium in Al-Khobar. “A year on from the Kingdom Arena, our flagship project for the region, we’re thrilled to be able to announce another major project,” David Ball, Managing Director at SIS Middle East, said in a statement.

  • Sinem Adar: Turkey’s Syria Challenge

    If you take the words of Turkish ruling elites at their face value, Turkey, first and foremost, in the mid and long term, is interested in the stabilization of Syria. It doesn't want a failed state at its border. It defines the future of Syria in three dimensions. It wants a Syria that does not cause a terror problem to its neighbors. It does not want a Syria that causes a threat to its neighbors. It wants a Syria that reflects its diverse demography. Ankara certainly sees this moment as a moment of opportunity. That can be seen in the last couple of weeks—there has been an interesting shift in the language of some officials, but also mainly in the experts that are close to the AKP. They use the words “paradigm shift” to refer to Syria.

  • Careem Pay launches fee-free remittance service, undercuts traditional exchanges

    Careem has launched a new remittance feature through Careem Pay that offers zero-fee international transfers and better-than-market exchange rates, challenging traditional exchange houses in the UAE’s remittance market. The move comes as conventional exchange houses increased their fees by 15 per cent last year, according to the company. The new service, which primarily benefits Careem Plus members, enables customers to save up to AED 400 per transaction when sending money abroad.

  • White House envoy met senior Palestinian official in Saudi Arabia

    President Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff met on Tuesday in Riyadh with a senior adviser to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, according to two sources with knowledge of the meeting. This was the first meeting between a Trump administration official and a Palestinian official since November's election. The sources said the meeting was the result of several weeks of back-channel talks between Trump administration officials and Palestinian leadership. According to one source, Saudi Arabia helped broker the meeting, which took place in its capital.

  • Saudi Telecom Company signs $9bn deal to build telecom infrastructure

    Saudi Telecom Company, the kingdom's biggest mobile operator, has signed a contract worth Saudi riyals 32.64 billion ($8.7 billion) with a government entity to build, operate and provide telecoms infrastructure services. STC, which offers digital products and services across the Middle East and North Africa region, did not disclose the name of the government entity. The agreement includes an 18-month preparation and execution phase, followed by a 15-year operational period for the project, STC said in a statement on Tadawul, where its shares are traded. STC shares rose more than 2.24 per cent on Tuesday after the announcement as this deal marks a significant step in enhancing the kingdom's telecom infrastructure.

  • Minister AlRajhi: increased Saudi-ILO cooperation fosters decent work, social justice and inclusive development

    As we continue to build a labour market that serves all who live and work in the Kingdom, we are acutely focused on eradicating abuse and exploitation in all its forms. Effective global collaboration is imperative to achieve this goal, and the Kingdom is aligned with key international labour standards, including through the ratification of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention on the Protection of Wages No. 95 and the Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention No. 29. Building on these commitments, the Kingdom has now introduced a National Policy for the Elimination of Forced Labour – the first of its kind in Arab countries.

  • Saudi envoy to UK: No normalisation with Israel without Palestinian state

    Saudi Arabia will not normalise ties with the occupation state of Israel without a solution to the Palestinian issue, which involves the establishment of a Palestinian state, the Kingdom’s Ambassador to the UK, Khalid Bin Bandar Al Saud, has said. He added that Palestine has been fought over for 6,000 years, and that “it is not an easy thing to find, whether it’s during the Crusades […] I can’t think of anywhere that’s had that much done to it.” However, he stressed that “good things are never easy. And anyone who is objecting to what almost the whole world sees as the solution cannot be right. So, you know, again, that’s why I’m not optimistic, because we have a lot of problems along the way.”

  • UAE’s nuclear company seeks to capitalise on AI-induced energy demand in US

    The United Arab Emirates wants to build and consult on nuclear projects around the world, with the US as the fastest-growing market, the head of the country’s state-owned nuclear company has said.  Emirates Nuclear Energy Company has become a major player since it was established in 2009. It completed the four reactors of its Barakah nuclear power plant, the first in the Arab world, in under 12 years, and on budget. The project was developed in partnership with Korea Electric Power Corp. The company, known as Enec, has built up investment and research and development teams to explore opportunities beyond the UAE, chief executive Mohamed Al Hammadi told the Financial Times. AI is set to drive a surge in demand for electricity to power data centres.