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  • Research shows Saudi residents support green ambitions as part of Vision 2030 plans

    The Institute’s research, conducted in conjunction with the polling agency Kantar and covering over 1,000 adults aged 18-54 living in Saudi Arabia, firmly establishes the depth of public support in the Kingdom for the reforms of Vision 2030. Indeed, this polling research shows that a still higher proportion (88%) of Saudis support one of the broader aims of Vision 2030: to diversify the Kingdom’s economy and transition away from oil revenues.

  • KC-135s Arrive in Saudi Arabia to Replace Departed KC-10s

    KC-135 Stratotankers have arrived in Saudi Arabia to replace the KC-10s which recently left the region for good after 30-plus years of service. The aerial tankers from Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., arrived at Prince Sultan Air Base on Oct. 2. The 384th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron (EARS) will support combat operations throughout the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

    A spokesperson at Air Mobility Command told Air & Space Forces Magazine that while the exact number of deployed aircraft can’t be revealed for the operational security reasons, the KC-135s are the optimal replacement for the KC-10s with the durations of theater sorties, and the aircraft will meet Global Combatant Command requirements.

  • All-woman F1 Academy series to race in Saudi Arabia to start an expanded 2024 schedule

    Formula One’s F1 Academy series for female drivers will race next year in Saudi Arabia to start an expanded schedule with a more prominent role in grand prix weekends. The event in March in Saudi Arabia — which lifted a ban on women driving on its roads in 2018 — starts an expanded seven-round calendar announced Tuesday for the F1 Academy in its second season. The series will also race in Miami in May before heading to Spain, the Netherlands, Singapore, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

  • Chart: Agriculture Puts Strain on Water Resources in MENA Region

    Agricultural water withdrawal way beyond the limit of renewable freshwater resources is most common today in countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Several other nations, for example Spain, South Africa, South Korea, Pakistan and India, stick out for using up a higher share of their freshwater resources in agriculture than their neighbors. This is according to the FAO Aquastat database, where the latest available year for the data is 2020.

  • Saudi Arabia-backed mixed martial arts league in talks to purchase rival

    The Professional Fighters League is in talks to acquire its mixed martial arts competitor Bellator, as the Saudi Arabia-backed league’s founder goes on a talent acquisition drive. The negotiations follow a $100mn investment in PFL in August by a newly created sports company owned by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign Public Investment Fund. The league, founded in 2017 by US entrepreneur Donn Davis, is looking to go head-to-head with rival Endeavor’s Ultimate Fighting Championship, which has long dominated the mixed martial arts world.

  • Rod Stewart rejects Saudi Arabia concert opportunity

    Rod Stewart turned down a recent concert opportunity in Saudi Arabia, which has a history of human rights abuses, over his concern for its citizens who have "extremely limited choices," he said in a statement on Instagram.

  • Saudi FM takes part in Arab League meeting on Israel-Hamas war

    Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan took part in an extraordinary Arab League meeting on the Israel-Hamas war in Cairo on Wednesday. The meeting discussed the military escalation in Gaza and its surroundings, the worsening situation that threatens the lives of civilians and the security and stability of the region, and ways to provide protection for and aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip. During the meeting, making every possible effort to communicate with all international and regional parties to stop the escalation was discussed.

  • Chart: Fossil Fuel Subsidies on the Rise

    Government support for fossil fuels is equivalent to just over seven percent of the planet's economic output. A direct comparison with another important government budget item, for example, shows how enormous this sum is. Education spending by all countries combined accounts for 4.3 percent of global gross domestic product. Countering fossil fuel subsidies, according to the IMF, would not only offer a chance to put humanity back on track to meet its climate goals, but could also prevent 1.6 million premature deaths per year and increase government revenues by $4.4 trillion.

  • Opinion: Israel Has Never Needed to Be Smarter Than in This Moment

    I believe one reason Hamas not only launched this assault now — but also seemingly ordered it to be as murderous as possible — was to trigger an Israeli overreaction, like an invasion of the Gaza Strip, that would lead to massive Palestinian civilian casualties and in that way force Saudi Arabia to back away from the U.S.-brokered deal now in discussion to promote normalization between Riyadh and the Jewish state. As well as to force the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco, which were part of the Abraham Accords produced by the Trump administration, to take a step back from Israel.

  • Saudi FM discusses developments in Gaza with UK, Canadian counterparts 

    Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister received on Tuesday phone calls from British and Canadian counterparts, the Saudi Press Agency said. Prince Faisal bin Farhan, James Cleverly, and Melanie Joly discussed the developments in Gaza and its surroundings, and the need to work to calm tensions and stop the escalation.