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  • Saudi Arabia welcomes Sudanese government’s decision to reopen border crossing to aid

    Saudi Arabia on Thursday welcomed the Sudanese sovereign council’s decision to allow the use of the Adre border crossing with Chad for three months to enable the entry of aid into areas of the Darfur region. The Kingdom’s foreign ministry said it notes the positive impact of this step in addressing humanitarian needs, facilitating the delivery of aid, and ensuring the safety of humanitarian workers.

  • Saudi Arabia to Reduce Big Spending on Oil Sector, Goldman Says

    Saudi Arabia is expected to put less money into the oil industry than initially predicted in its goal to invest $1 trillion in strategic sectors by the end of the decade. The Gulf kingdom will likely direct the majority of its funds, around 73% of total investments, into non-oil sectors by 2030, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc., a shift from the bank’s earlier estimate of 66%.

  • Saudi’s PIF explains impact intention in new campaign

    Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has launched an educational content campaign to explain the relationship between its chosen sponsorships and its impact initiatives. In January, the sovereign wealth fund became a major sponsor of three major electric motorsport championships, including the FIA Formula E World Championship, as part of its mission to support the exploration of new sustainable technologies.

  • Saudi Arabia’s Digital Experience Maturity Index 2024 surges to 85%

    The index included the evaluation of 39 digital platforms according to four main perspectives that cover 20 themes. These perspectives included: measuring beneficiary satisfaction through the participation of more than 175,000 beneficiaries, in addition to evaluating the user experience, and the platforms’ mechanisms for dealing with their beneficiaries’ complaints.

  • Saudi Aramco seeks to deepen ties with China in petrochemicals and low-carbon solutions

    Saudi Aramco is looking to bolster ties with China in petrochemicals and low-carbon solutions, as the world’s largest oil and gas company seeks to diversify its business and support the net-zero goal of the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter. “Our relationship with China has grown far beyond crude oil sales to develop into a more extensive, diversified and strategic bilateral collaboration,” Mohammed Al Qahtani, the downstream president of Aramco, said in an emailed interview with the Post.

  • DP World’s first-half profit more than halves amid Middle East tensions

    Dubai-owned ports and logistics company DP World reported a 59% drop in first-half profit on Thursday, as it grappled with shipping disruptions in the Red sea linked to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.  Analysts say Middle East ports like those in the Gulf have lost out on trans-shipment traffic as ocean freight firms re-route ships around the southern tip of Africa to avoid missile and drone attacks in the Red Sea, carried out by Yemen's Houthi militants since October.

  • Brewers tap growth of zero-alcohol beers in Middle East

    Egyptian Mohannad Abdelazeem, 35, doesn't drink alcohol. But he does consume three or four cans per day of Moussy and Fayrouz - alcohol-free beers. Brewers including Carlsberg and Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI.BR), opens new tab say interest is growing in such booze-free brews across the Middle East and North Africa, presenting opportunities in a region with some of the lowest alcohol consumption rates globally.

  • Oil prices settle 1% lower after surprise rise in US crude stockpiles

    Oil prices settled 1% lower on Wednesday after U.S. crude inventories rose unexpectedly and as worries eased slightly that a wider Middle East conflict could threaten supplies from one of the world's major regions for crude production. Brent crude futures closed 93 cents lower, or 1.15%, at $79.76 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell $1.37, or 1.8%, to $76.98 per barrel. U.S. crude inventories rose by 1.4 million barrels, compared with estimates for a 2.2 million barrel drop, data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration showed. The build was the first after six straight weeks of draws.

  • US approves sale to Israel of $20 billion weapons package

    The United States on Tuesday approved the sale of $20 billion in fighter jets and other military equipment to Israel as it prosecutes a 10-month-old war in the Gaza Strip although the Pentagon said deliveries would not begin for years. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken approved the sale of F-15 jets and equipment worth nearly $19 billion along with tank cartridges valued at $774 million, explosive mortar cartridges valued at over $60 million and army vehicles worth $583 million, the Pentagon said in a statement.

  • Taliban Leadership Tracker

    With the Taliban entrenched in power in Afghanistan, the group's extremist ideology, history of ruthless repression, and extensive ties to militant networks demand close monitoring of its members, affiliates, and their activities. This imperative demands a deeper understanding of the configuration of the Taliban's current government and the internal power dynamics. This initiative aims to provide continuous insights into the “who's who” within the regime's corridors of power.