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QUOTED
“Spanning 2,430 meters from north to south beneath the expansive King Salman Park, the Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Road Tunnel stands as one of the longest in the Middle East. Its completion is a testament to the ambitious infrastructure development underway, including the construction of additional tunnels on Al-Oruba Road. Specifically, a new 1,590-meter tunnel will link with the existing 840-meter tunnel along Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Road, creating a unified pathway designed to streamline vehicle movement.” King Salman Park inaugurates Middle East’s longest tunnel in Riyadh [Saudi Gazette]
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TOP STORY
The Human Capability Initiative (HCI) Conference launched this week in Riyadh at the King Abdulaziz International Convention Center under the patronage of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with the goal of boosting human capital in the Kingdom. [more]
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MORE TOP STORYLINES
Via Shrivathsa Sridhar in reuters.com: The ATP Tour and Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund (PIF) have signed a multi-year strategic partnership, the governing body of mens tennis said on Wednesday in a move highlighting the growing influence of the Gulf nation on global sport. The PIF will now become the official naming partner of the mens rankings as well as partner ATP tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Beijing, the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin and the Next Gen ATP Finals staged in Jeddah.
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Via Steven Ganot in themedialine.org: Saudi Arabia witnessed a remarkable surge in tourism in 2023, welcoming 106.2 million visitors, the Saudi Ministry of Tourism announced on Tuesday. This figure marks a 56% increase compared to 2019 and a 12% rise from 2022. The kingdom’s international tourist arrivals also saw a significant jump, reaching 27.4 million, which is a 65% increase from the previous year. These statistics underscore Saudi Arabia’s growing stature as a leading destination in the global tourism sector.
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Via Kristian Coates Ulrichsen in arabcenterdc.org: While Saudi leaders have in the past engaged in efforts to secure a fair resolution of Palestinian-Israeli issues, such as the Fahd Plan in 1981 and the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002, the current moment feels different. The kingdom holds greater leverage with regional and international partners, including the Biden administration which continues to push for a Saudi-Israeli deal before the US presidential election in November. With influence comes responsibility, and the question of how, when, and where to play the cards in the Saudi hand.
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MORE ON THE KINGDOM AND BEYOND
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More than 200,000 people converged at the conference, including Adam Selipsky, chief executive of Amazon’s cloud computing division, who ...[By Adam Satariano and Paul Mozur via nytimes.com]
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Diriyah Gate, one of the first Saudi giga-projects, said this week that it was on target for completion by late 2027.
The opening of the project’s...[By Andrew Hammond via agbi.com]
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His comment is significant because, like LIV Golf’s team competition and shotgun starts, the...[By Cindy Boren via washingtonpost.com]
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The recently released book “Battleground – 10 Conflicts that Explain the New Middle East” by historian Christopher Phillips provides a useful overview of ten ongoing conflicts...[By Christopher Phillips via thecipherbrief.com]
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A serious escalation of tensions in the Middle East would push the price of oil above $100 (£80) a barrel and reverse...[By Larry Elliott via theguardian.com]
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The regional upswing also defies oil production cutbacks which have all weighed on economic growth in the region as seen from International Monetary Fund’s latest...[By Issac John via khaleejtimes.com]
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Speaking at the event titled “Industrial policies to promote economic diversification,” the top official said there have been fundamental changes in the legislative and economic regulations to...[via arabnews.com]
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From April 22 to 25, 2024, the 26th World Energy Congress convened in the Netherlands, drawing participation from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s energy industry....[By Pooja Chandak via solarquarter.com]
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Henning Larsen Architect has just revealed the designs for The Jeddah Opera House, a new local landmark in Saudi Arabia. Drawing inspiration from the historical...[By Nour Fakharany via archdaily.com]
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One of Saudi Arabia's top universities has announced a Red Sea project described as the world’s largest coral reef restoration.
...[By Daniel Bardsley via thenationalnews.com]
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The National Debt Management Center announces the closure of April 2024 issuance under the Saudi Arabian Government SAR-denominated Sukuk Program. The total amount allocated was...[via mof.gov]
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The month-on-month decline in imports from Russia comes amid lower discounts offered by Russia. Russia has been the largest source of crude for...[By Rituraj Baruah via livemint.com]
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Two major U.S. law firms are opening offices in Saudi Arabia following a change last year in...[By David Thomas via reuters.com]
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Spending on the information and communication technology (ICT) market in Saudi Arabia is expected to reach about $37.4 billion by the end of 2024, showing...[via argaam.com]
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Set within the landmark Mediateca Santa Teresa library in Milan’s Brera district, Design Space AlUla presented a smattering of projects...[By Ryan Waddoups via surfacemag.com]
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Young Iranians under the age of 30 -- a key part of the protest movement after Amini’s death -- are particularly disapproving (61%) of their...[By Benedict Vigers and Julie Ray via gallup.com]
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The war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas has dramatically raised the temperature in the Middle East. Popular anger is rising. Egypt and Jordan fear...[via crisisgroup.org]
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