MUST-READS

• Labor
  Contractors in Saudi Arabia welcome foreign firms, demand equal treatment

  Several Saudi contractors have said they are not against the Council of Ministers’ decision to allow foreign contractors to enter the Saudi market as long as they are given equal opportunities.   They said all local contractors are hoping for the same treatment foreign contractors will be given and that the Ministry of Labor should grant local contractors the necessary visas to allow them to recruit workers. 

• Milk
  A Nice Tall Glass of Camel’s Milk

  Two years ago, a University of Southern California student named Walid Abdul-Wahab was visiting his native Saudi Arabia during the holy month of Ramadan when he noticed that everyone seemed to be drinking raw camel’s milk. The beverage is considered to be a favorite of the Prophet Muhammad's, according to Wahab, and during Ramadan, many Muslims try to walk in the Prophet’s footsteps. They might not have many other options: Because of refrigeration issues, the only cow’s milk he could find there was powdered.

• Counter-Terrorism
  Saudi counterterror donation sends ideological message

  "I think it's becoming clear that Saudi officials are frustrated with the lingering perception among some – especially in the West – that the Saudi government helped create ISIS and that it supports it financially," says Fahad Nazer, former analyst at the Saudi embassy in Washington. "I think the Saudis view themselves as being at the forefront of the global effort to combat terrorism. This donation and the center itself, which was proposed by [Saudi] King Abdullah in 2005, are indicative of  what appears to be a sincere commitment to fight Al Qaeda and its affiliates.

• Paris Robbery
  ‘All the Elements of a Hollywood Thriller’ – Saudi Prince’s Convoy Attacked by Gunmen in Paris

  The brazen robbery had all the elements of a Hollywood thriller: a commando-style ambush by a group of thieves wielding Kalashnikov rifles, a suitcase stuffed with cash, sensitive diplomatic documents and a likely shaken Saudi prince.

• Art
  Saudi artist relates the human impact of Mecca’s redevelopment

  Ahmed Mater, one of Saudi Arabia’s leading artists, showed an audience at Sotheby’s London last night, Tuesday 12 August, the rampant development in Mecca that has transformed Islam’s holiest site into a luxury destination. Even the official logo of the municipality features a bulldozer alongside Islamic iconography.

• Energy
  Libya Plans to Resume Exports From its Largest Oil Port Next Week

  Libya plans to restart exports from its largest oil port Es Sider next week after a one-year interruption, people familiar with the matter said Wednesday. The news, which comes after shipments restarted this week from another key terminal, Ras Lanuf, shows Libyan oil exports are set to gain momentum after a slower-than-expected restart.

• Real Estate
  Housing: ‘Many frustrated home-seekers on the edge’

  The shortage of housing ranks high among the list of many other concerns.  A rising gap between what is available on the market and what most Saudis can afford has left many frustrated home-seekers on the edge. A shortage of low- and middle-income targeted housing means millions of Saudis cannot afford to buy a home.  Young Saudis are especially affected since it takes years of saving before many can afford to buy a home, often a precursor to marriage.

• Luxury Items
  Saudis spend SR5.4 billion on perfumes

  The value of consumption of perfumes in the Gulf region throughout the year exceeded SR12 billion, with the Saudi market accounting for more than half — SR5.4 billion — throughout the year. In total, people in the Gulf region spend around SR45 billion on cosmetics, perfumes, oud and bukhoor, Makkah newspaper reported.

• Military
  US State Department Approves New Hellfire Sale to Iraq

  The US State Department has approved two new lots of weapon sales to Iraq at a time when that government is desperately trying to fight off the encroachment of the militant Sunni Islamic State. The larger agreement would procure 5,000 AGM-114K/N/R Hellfire missiles for the Iraqi military for $700 million. Lockheed Martin is the principal contractor on the agreement.

• David Hearst
  The Weak Argument for a Saudi-Israeli Bedfellowship

  How does Hearst come to this conclusion? First, he mentions an interview on Israeli television, in which former defense minister Shaul Mofaz explains that, after its offensive on Gaza, Israel expects Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to play a role in the demilitarization of Hamas and the rebuilding of the strip. Second, he quotes Amos Gilad referring to an underground "security cooperation with Egypt and the Gulf States."

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