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  • The Pyramid Tombs of Libya

    Archaeological evidence at Wadi Ajal suggests that the Garamantes first settled in the Fezzan region of southern Libya around 1100 BC. The growth and expansion of the civilisation relied upon a sophisticated and extensive qanat irrigation system known as “foggaras”. This system facilitated a thriving agricultural sector that sustained a sizeable populace in desert regions defunct of large bodies of water. The first reference to the Garamantes dates from the 5th century BC by the Greek historian and geographer, Herodutus. Herodutus describes the Garamantes as “a very great nation” that was living in an oasis in the middle of the Sahara Desert, thirty days journey south of the Lotophagi. Herodutus also described how the Garamantes hunted “the Troglodyte Ethiopians in four horsed chariots”. These “cave-dwelling Ethiopians” are most likely the Tebu of the Tibesti Mountains.

  • Saudi Arabia’s oil exports value climbs over 11% to $23bn in December: GASTAT   

    Saudi Arabia’s total merchandise exports, however, decreased by SR4.6 billion or 4.0 percent in December, compared to November 2022, the report noted. The GASTAT report further added that Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports including re-exports decreased by 24.4 percent to SR22.7 billion in December 2022, from SR30.1 billion in the same period in 2021.

  • Saudi Aramco’s Luberef proposes cash dividend as profit climbs 32% to $530m in 2022

    As the profit of the company surged, its board of directors has recommended a 50 percent cash dividend, or SR5 per share, for the second half of 2022, the company said in the statement. It should be also noted that this is the first cash distribution for Luberef since its listing in December 2022. The Tadawul statement further added that the dividend distribution date will be announced later. In December 2022, during an exclusive interview with Arab News, Mohammed Y. Al-Qahtani, senior vice president of downstream, Saudi Aramco said that Luberef’s listing on the Saudi Stock Exchange was an important milestone.

  • After helping MBS’s rise, Trump and Kushner benefit from Saudi funds

    Retired military personnel are required under ethics rules to obtain approval to work for foreign governments like Saudi Arabia. But there’s no requirement for Trump, a former commander in chief, nor for former senior White House officials such as Kushner, to disclose if they have financial ties to foreign governments, according to Don Fox, former acting director of the Office of Government Ethics.

  • Saudi MBS offers to build stadiums in Greece, Egypt if they join World Cup bid

    The joint bid between the three friendly countries is in competition with a joint European bid by Spain, Portugal and Ukraine, and a joint South American bid by Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile. The window for bids opened in June last year, and the decision on the tournament will be voted on by the 200-member FIFA congress in 2024.

  • Oil Climbs Most Since November on Saudi Price Hike to Asia

    The more-than-three dollar boost to West Texas Intermediate on Tuesday followed on the heels of Saudi Aramco increasing most of its official selling prices for shipments to Asia in March. Oil’s rally accelerated late in the session as Wall Street investors responded positively to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s comments Tuesday.

  • Search teams try to find Turkey and Syria quake survivors as death toll climbs

    Rescue workers in Turkey and Syria pushed into a third day of recovery operations on Wednesday as the death toll from this week's massive earthquake reached a grim milestone. Teams of workers were still trying to find more survivors from the early Monday morning quake as the death toll surpassed 11,000, The Associated Press reported. By midday Wednesday, Turkey's government reported 8,500 deaths in the country from the quake. In Syria, the death toll had reached 1,200 in government-held areas, and at least 1,400 in rebel-controlled regions.

  • Analysis: Stakes rise as Iran can fuel ‘several’ atom bombs

    Iran has enough highly enriched uranium to build “several” nuclear weapons if it chooses, the United Nations’ top nuclear official is now warning. But diplomatic efforts aimed at again limiting its atomic program seem more unlikely than ever before as Tehran arms Russia in its war on Ukraine and as unrest shakes the Islamic Republic.

  • Middle East KFC Operator Climbs in Landmark $1.8 Billion Listing

    Americana Restaurants International Plc gained 13% in Abu Dhabi to 2.95 dirhams and rose 6.7% in Riyadh to 2.86 riyals on Monday. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and Dubai businessman Mohamed Alabbar had sold 2.5 billion shares in Americana for 2.62 dirhams each, or 2.68 riyals.

  • How Saudi Arabia Sees the World: MBS’ Vision of a New Nonaligned Movement

    U.S. observers are right that Washington has made decisions irritating to the Saudis. But there is also a lack of understanding inside Washington about how Saudi Arabia formulates its economic and foreign policy. Put simply, Saudi Arabia, under the direction of MBS, is preparing for a global political economy that is markedly different from the one the Biden administration envisions.