“An enduring focus on oil security is a consequence of the continued need for oil to fuel cars, trucks, ships and aircraft, as well as to produce the petrochemicals necessary to manufacture countless everyday items.” IEA energy security analyst Ronan Graham and IEA energy security researcher Ilias Atigui, OPEC Voices Encouragement after IEA Affirms Support for Oil Security [Rigzone]
“At the end of the day, every single country has their own flaws, but also positive sides, and we are not going to change the world at the end of the day as a sport, but we try to share positive values. It’s also up to the country to make positive changes. I do think that since we have been here already there have been some really nice positive changes and you have to respect that and sometimes you know it takes a bit longer in some countries. I think it’s very positive and it’s great to see and also great to meet a new culture as well for everyone to get educated on that as well, because everyone is a little bit different around the world wherever you go, and you have to respect that. But then, of course, also, wherever you’re from, your country, there are always things that can be done better, so it’s a work in progress in general.” Max Verstappen, F1 will not change the world with its values [Racing News]
“Arab attitudes since the war began have been far more moderate than in the past, condemning violence against civilians on both sides, rejecting terrorism and urging a two-state solution. Hamzawy pointed out that this is part of a broader turn away from political violence, with an average of more than 90 percent of Arabs surveyed by one source in recent years rejecting extremist organizations and condemning terrorism.” Fareed Zakaria, Opinion: Amid the horror in Gaza, it’s easy to miss that the Middle East has changed [Washington Post]
“It pains us that the arrival of the month of Ramadan this year coincides with the ongoing attacks endured by our brothers in Palestine, and we stress the need for the international community to assume its responsibilities to stop these brutal crimes and provide safe humanitarian and relief corridors,” the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted King Salman as saying on Sunday.
Saudi King urges international community to halt ‘brutal crimes’ against Palestinians [Al-Arabiya]
“Every year, before sunset, we would sit at a high spot in the village with serene views of clear skies, waiting for the sighting of the crescent moon. We watched the gradual descent of the sun before sunset. These changing colors had magnificent effects that we admired and later described to our mothers at home.” Abdul Jaber bin Jaber Ahmad Al-Sheikh, who is almost 100 years old, Elderly Saudi family members recall beloved tradition of sighting crescent moon [Arab News]
“Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has called on all Muslims in the Kingdom to look for the Ramadan crescent moon on Sunday evening. Sunday, March 10, 2024, corresponds to Shaban 29, 1445 in the Islamic calendar. If the Ramadan crescent moon is sighted on Sunday evening, then Ramadan will begin on Monday, March 11. If not, the holy month will start on Tuesday, March 12. The Supreme Court has asked that anyone who sees the Ramadan crescent with their naked eyes or through binoculars notify the court nearest to their location and record their testimony there.” Saudi Supreme Court calls on Muslims to look out for Ramadan crescent [Arab News]
“The crisis around Gaza has re-emphasized Egypt’s geopolitical leverage.” Bilal Bassiouni, head of Middle East and North Africa forecasting for consulting firm Pangea-Risk, Multi-Billion Gulf Power Play Focuses on Egypt as Mideast War Rages [Bloomberg]
“This agreement significantly elevates Baseball United’s standing and footprint within the region, and, just as importantly, enables us to work at the grassroots level to help grow the game in the Middle East’s largest country. We will also now expand our BU franchises into Saudi Arabia, building local fanbases in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam, and helping to inspire more young people to fall in love with the game.” Kash Shaikh, chairman, CEO, and co-founder of Baseball United, Baseball United signs historic partnership to bring game to Saudi Arabia, [The National]
“Now it is clear how strategic of a choice it was to normalise relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran. They have basically shown that they are not each other’s enemy, even if suspicion will always be there… The relationship has been reframed.”
Saudi analyst Aziz Alghashian, ‘Reframed’ Iran ties shield Saudi in Gaza war: analysts [The New Arab]
“Saudi Arabia has moved purposefully over the past 18 months to dramatically increase the number of programmes, level of support and funding available to AI entrepreneurs and startups. New programmes and initiatives are being introduced at multiple points in the ecosystem, from research universities, to government departments, to government and private sector funds, to specialist programmes run by global startup ecosystems. In creating GAIA, the Kingdom became the first mover in creating an accelerator for GenAI startups and is already funding more GenAI startups than any other programme in the region.”
Carrington Malin, Saudi backs GAIA with $1 billion [Middle East AI News]
