QUOTED

Quoted

“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]

TOP STORY

Gidori, a New Private Golf-Focused Community and Destination at NEOM, Announced with A Focus on Lush Landscaping

gidori-image.001

The Board of Directors of NEOM has announced Gidori – an exclusive private golf community set amidst the breathtaking coastal hills of the Gulf of Aqaba – as the latest addition to NEOM, the evolving regional development in northwest Saudi Arabia, according to a press release. [more]

 

MORE TOP STORYLINES

Muslims spot Ramadan crescent moon in Saudi Arabia, meaning month of fasting starts Monday for many

Via Jon Gambrell in apnews.com: The sacred month, which sees those observing abstain from food and water from sunrise to sunset, marks a period of religious reflection, family get-togethers and giving across the Muslim world. Seeing the moon Sunday night means Monday is the first day of the fast. Saudi state television reported that authorities there saw the crescent moon. Soon after, multiple Gulf Arab nations, as well as Iraq, Syria and Egypt followed the announcement to confirm they as well would start fasting on Monday. Leaders also shared messages of congratulations the month had begun.

Aramco hikes dividend 30% to $98 billion despite drop in profit

Via Yousef Saba and Maha El Dahan in reuters.com: Saudi Arabias state-owned oil giant Aramco (2222.SE), opens new tab boosted its dividend despite net profit falling 24.7% to $121.3 billion in 2023 on lower oil prices and volumes, showing the states continued reliance on oil revenue as it seeks to diversify. The profit, down from $161.1 billion in 2022, was still the companys second-highest on record, Aramco said on Sunday as it reported total dividends for the year of $97.8 billion, up 30%. Oil revenues made up 62% of total state revenues last year.

Max Verstappen cruises to victory at Saudi Arabian GP to extend dominant start to F1 title defense

Via James Ellingsworth in apnews.com: Max Verstappen stayed firmly on course for another season of dominance in Formula 1 on Saturday by winning the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Even after just two races, and despite turmoil at Red Bull, Verstappen seems in near-total control on the track as he aims for a fourth consecutive title this year. Still, he had to share the attention with 18-year-old Oliver Bearman, who was a surprise seventh in his first F1 race as a Ferrari stand-in

 

MORE ON THE KINGDOM AND BEYOND

‘To the Future’: Saudi Arabia Spends Big to Become an A.I. Superpower

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]

 

Saudi giga-project Diriyah Gate targets 2027 completion

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]

 

Greg Norman ‘open-minded’ to altering LIV’s signature 54-hole format

His comment is significant because, like LIV Golf’s team competition and shotgun starts, the...[By Cindy Boren via washingtonpost.com]

 

Book Review: The Conflicts Shaping the Middle East

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]

 

Oil price could exceed $100 a barrel if Middle East conflict worsens, World Bank warns

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]

 

GCC’s project awards jump 20% to $45b despite geopolitical headwinds

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]

 

Saudi economy witnessing a fundamental shift, says minister

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]

 

Saudi Arabia Makes Strides In Global Energy Discourse At 26th World Energy Congress

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]

 

Henning Larsen Architects Reveals Jeddah Opera House in Saudi Arabia

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]

 

‘World’s largest’ coral-restoration project unveiled in Saudi Arabia

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]

 

NDMC closes the April 2024 Issuance under the Saudi Arabian Government SAR-denominated Sukuk Program

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]

 

India’s oil imports from Russia drops 19% in February, Saudi Arabia 2nd largest supplier

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]

 

Two US law firms push into Saudi Arabia under new attorney rules

Two major U.S. law firms are opening offices in Saudi Arabia following a change last year in...[By David Thomas via reuters.com]

 

IDC expects Saudi Arabia’s ICT spending to hit $37.4B by 2024-end

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]

 

Saudi Arabia Makes It Clear They’re Taking Design Seriously

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]

 

Saudi Arabia marks Vision 2030’s 8-year anniversary

Today marks the eight-year anniversary of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, an ambitious blueprint aimed at transforming the Kingdom into a...[via arabianbusiness.com]

 

Vision 2030: 87% of initiatives on track or completed

More than halfway through its "Saudi Vision 2030" journey, Saudi Arabia has demonstrated notable progress, with 87% of the 1,064 initiatives either completed or advancing...[via saudigazette.com]

 

Saudi fund PIF’s managed assets hit $749bln in 2023

Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund PIF's managed assets reached 2.81 trillion riyals ($749.2 billion) in 2023, state news agency SPA reported on Thursday. The kingdom's non-oil...[By Jana Choukeir and Nayera Abdallah via zawya.com]

 

FIFA seals closer ties to Saudi Arabia with World Cup sponsor deal for oil firm Aramco

FIFA deepened its ties to Saudi Arabia by confirming a sponsorship on Thursday with the kingdom’s state oil firm Aramco...[By Graham Dunbar via apnews.com]

 

Gulf States at the Venice Biennale: Balancing Social Transformation and Cultural Representation

Inside the Saudi pavilion, larger-than-life, sand-colored circular panels rise from the floor stretching vertically to the ceiling. They recall the shape of the desert rose,...[By Rebecca Anne Proctor via agsiw.org]

 

Saudi Arabia, Muslim world gear up as Ramadan begins

Joining Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE have also confirmed that Ramadan will begin on Monday, with Oman, Pakistan, Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia, Brunei and Iran...[via arabnews.com]

 

Elderly Saudi family members recall beloved tradition of sighting crescent moon

“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...[via arabnews.com]

 

Biden Warns Netanyahu Not to Attack Rafah as Ramadan Begins

US President Joe Biden warned Israel against attacking the city of Rafah in southern Gaza as cease-fire talks with Hamas remained deadlocked at the beginning...[By Marissa Newman, Gwen Ackerman, and Fares Alghoul via bloomberg.com]

 

Netanyahu vows to defy Biden’s ‘red line’ on Rafah

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he intends to press ahead with an invasion of the city of Rafah on the southern border of the...[By Paul Ronzheimer via politico.eu]

 

At Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque, Ramadan brings uncertainty and fear

Jews revere the site they call the Temple Mount as the location of the first...[By Steve Hendrix and Sufian Taha via washingtonpost.com]

 

From Gaza to the Syrian Border, Jordan Is Increasingly in the Line of Fire

UNRWA in Jordan provides key services to more than 2 million registered Palestinian refugees in the kingdom. This includes services in ten refugee camps, in 169...[By Curtis Ryan via arabcenterdc.org]

 

Opinion – Amid the horror in Gaza, it’s easy to miss that the Middle East has changed

While it used to be that the large Arab countries were dominant — because of history, size, armies, etc. — today it is the incredibly...[By Fareed Zakaria via washingtonpost.com]

 

Opinion – Gaza may be the crucible for new order in the Middle East

The Middle East is at a hinge moment. The old order is collapsing, and a new one has yet to emerge. While the region’s tectonic...[By Mona Yacoubian via thehill.com]

 

Red Sea: US, UK and French destroy dozens of Houthi drones

US military said at least 28 uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) were downed over the Red Sea early on Saturday. Along with coalition forces, the US said...[By Gordon Corera and Thomas Mackintosh, via bbc.com]

 

Iran’s 2024 Elections: Vote Without Voters

The elections recorded the lowest voter turnout since the 1979 revolution and the establishment of the Islamic Republic. This outcome is an apparent embarrassment for...[By Ali Alfoneh via agsiw.org]

 

US threatens action against Iran at IAEA over continued ‘stonewalling’

The United States on Thursday threatened future action against Iran at the U.N. nuclear watchdog if Tehran...[By Francois Murphy via reuters.com]

 

The Curious Case of the Kerman Attacks

The Kerman attack was the deadliest in the four-and-a-half-decade history of the Islamic Republic. Many of the victims were children, whose schools were closed for...[By Ali Fathollah-Nejad via newlinesmag.com]

 
 

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