“In Islam, we have to make sure we are a source of peace and comfort for all. Sound is a part of it too. If the prayers, which can go up to 10 to 15 minutes, are loudly played on speakers, it can cause discomfort to those living next to the mosques, including Muslims and non-Muslims.”
-Ms. Redham, an American resident of Jeddah, in comments to The National in response to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs ruling restricting mosques’ use of external loudspeakers during the calls to prayer. [The National]
“Quite a few of the wider government strategies, like food security, lend themselves very well to our strategy,” Floe said. “We have a focus on ports in Sudan and Egypt. They weren’t picked for that reason, but they happen to be significant countries for Saudi Arabia’s food security strategy.”
-Jens Floe, CEO of Red Sea Gateway Terminal, in comments to Bloomberg. Red Sea Gateway Terminal is looking to invest in ports in Africa and the Middle East, following backing from the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund. [Bloomberg.com]
“If you think about getting 5 million visitors [to NEOM] by 2030, you need a lot of room keys. We’re not just a sun and sea leisure destination…We’ve spoken to the big five brands, IHG, Hilton, Accor, etc. and we’re well under way with that. During COVID, we worked harder, we got ahead of the game, we did not stop.”
–Andrew McEvoy, NEOM’s head of tourism, in comments to The National at the Arabian Travel Market 2021 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center. [blooloop.com]
“Riyadh’s aim is to outsource the management and financing of health infrastructure and services to the private sector, as well as city transportation networks, school buildings, airport services and water desalination and sewage treatment plants. Asset sales will include television broadcasting towers, government-owned hotels and district cooling and desalination plants.”
–Mohammed al-Jadaan, Saudi Minister of Finance, told the Financial Times that as part of its privatization plan Saudi Arabia hopes to raise about $55bn over the next four years and has identified a pipeline of 160 projects across 16 sectors, including asset sales and public-private partnerships. [Financial Times]
“This year’s study shows that business is not only the most trusted institution among the four studied (business, government, NGOs and media), but it is also the only trusted institution with a 61 percent trust level globally, and the only institution seen as both ethical and competent.”
–21st Annual Edelman Trust Barometer. [Edelman.com]
“The Houthis are not winning in Marib. Instead they are putting a great deal of stress on an already very fragile humanitarian situation, they are putting the lives of 1 million internally displaced people … in danger.”
-Tim Lenderking, U.S. Envoy for Yemen, in comments carried by Reuters. Lenderking earlier on Thursday “urged the group battling a Saudi-led coalition for over six years to de-escalate and engage seriously with U.S. and U.N. efforts for a ceasefire needed to end the war, a top foreign policy priority for the Biden administration.” [Reuters]
“In 2020 new foreign investment projects in the MENA region fell to 1,031 in 2020, compared with 1,795 in 2019. Saudi Arabia attracted 18% of all MENA foreign investment leading the region with $10.4 billion while the UAE attracted $9 billion.”
–Arab News, reporting on recently-released data. The Number of FDI projects in Saudi Arabia fell 49 percent in 2020 to 73. [Arab News]
“Establishing and aligning cybersecurity practices across the industry enhances our collective resilience efforts and allows us to present a united front against cybercrime and other critical security threats.”
–Basim Al-Ruwaii, Aramco’s chief information security officer, said in a press statement. Saudi Aramco partnered with the World Economic Forum (WEF), Siemens Energy and others this week to release a report on cyber resilience in the oil and gas industry. It comes after Colonial Pipeline, the biggest fuel pipeline operator in the US, was hit with a devastating cyberattack earlier this month. [Aramco.com]
“There may be a change in the representatives that portray that policy, but in the end, it’s what happens on the ground that matters, and that is driven by the Supreme Leader.”
-Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Foreign Minister, commenting on the potential impact of Iran’s June elections on the exploratory talks underway between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Regarding the exploratory talks, Prince Faisal added, “They are at a very early stage but we are hopeful.” [France24]
“The number of Covid-19 cases in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region crossed 8,467,276 on 17 May. Countries in the GCC account for 22.4 per cent (1,892,591) of all regional cases, and Iran’s 2,751,166 cases comprise 32.5 per cent of the Mena tally.”
–Neha Bhatia analyzes Covid-19’s impact across MENA and state-by-state response for MEED. [MEED]
