MUST-READS

• Lebanon
  Rivals Tehran, Riyadh pledge billions to Lebanon’s army

  Late last year, Riyadh agreed to give $3 billion worth of French-made weapons to Lebanon’s military at a still-unspecified date. It also granted $1 billion in emergency aid to the country’s military and intelligence agencies in August after militants linked to extremists in Syria briefly captured the Lebanese border town of Arsal. Combined, the pledges amount to more than double the military’s estimated annual budget. During a visit to Beirut in September, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, responded with an arms offer from Tehran. According to Lebanese media reports, that consists primarily of antitank weapons, artillery and heavy machine guns.

• U.S.-Afghanistan
  Top US commander of Afghan war reassessing US withdrawal timeline

  In a phone interview from Kabul, Campbell said he was "beginning now to take a hard look" at what effect delays in concluding a bilateral security agreement between the United States and Afghanistan and the months of uncertainty over the country's presidential elections have had on the preparedness of the Afghan military. Afghan forces have been taking heavy casualties in recent months while they battle the resurgent Taliban.

• Turkey
  The Middle East ‘mastermind’ who worries Erdogan

  Erdogan spoke openly of this “mastermind” for the fist time, but this conspiratorial view of the world has been promoted by the pro-Erdogan media over the past three years — ever since Turkish foreign policy began to face unexpected troubles.

• Investment
  Why Foreign investment is elusive for MENA startups

  But why can’t they raise funds while remaining in the Middle East? “In the hierarchy of  Silicon Valley venture firms,” says Nasr, “the focus is generally on the Bay Area first, California second, and the rest of the US after that. Most US VCs don’t have a presence or much awareness outside North America. When you’re investing, one of the most important things is the market; so other than very big markets such as China, India or Brazil, there is not much interest or appetite.”

• MERS
  Three new MERS deaths reported in Saudi Arabia

  Three people in Saudi Arabia have died from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus and three others have been infected, Makkah daily reported on Sunday.

• Gas
  Kuwait and Saudi in new row over energy: report

  Citing Kuwaiti sources, Al-Rai newspaper said work at the Dorra field had been halted due to differences between the two countries over the routing of the gas they extract.

• Afghanistan
  Afghanistan Going off the Rails as U.S. Withdrawal Speeds Up

  Insurgent attacks have reached the highest levels since 2011, the Afghan army has sustained heavy combat losses and is experiencing high attrition rates, and opium poppy cultivation has more than doubled from its pre-1999 levels when the Taliban ruled the country, potentially undermining the Afghan state's legitimacy even as the nation is experiencing budget shortfalls, the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, said in a quarterly report sent to Congress Thursday.

• Anti-ISIS Campaign
  U.S. military says advisers needed in embattled Iraq province

  The United States needs to expand a limited advise-and-assist mission in Iraq into embattled Anbar province, where some Iraqi forces are isolated and in defensive positions against Islamic State, the top U.S. military officer said on Thursday. But General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Iraq's government must be ready to arm Sunni tribes as a precondition for getting outside advisers into the western Iraqi province.

• Energy Efficiency
  Energy efficient appliances and insulated houses can save power

  Uninsulated buildings, cars and industrial activity consume 90 percent of the energy produced in Saudi Arabia, an expert from the Saudi Energy Efficiency Center (SEEC) said recently.

• Saudi Arabian Airlines
  Playing by the numbers: Saudi Arabian Airlines

  “For sure, the Kingdom’s aviation industry is an awakening Middle East giant and it is important not to underestimate it,” he says. “Overall, Saudia is the third largest carrier in the Middle East behind Emirates and Qatar Airways, and one of the few airlines in the region that has an extensive domestic market. “As part of its privatisation process, there are plans to expand its fleet to meet pent-up demand in the kingdom, and the Saudi national carrier is being upgraded. Clearly Saudia will continue to implement its plan in a very discreet manner, without marketing presence worldwide, with its vision to serve the country’s indigenous population first. The rebuilding of its fleet is also rebuilding the carrier’s market share, particularly in the Middle East – Africa regional market.

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