QUOTED

Quoted

“People always have pity on orphans, and if they want to help them, they usually do so by giving them food and water only. But there’s little education. Through a study, I found that orphans are less educated, so I wanted to pay attention to them.” Mansour Al-Mansour, a teacher at the Prince Saud bin Jalawi School in al-Ahsa, Saudi educator known for charity and prisoner work wins $1 million Global Teacher Prize [AP]

TOP STORY

$5 million PIF Saudi Ladies International tees off in Riyadh

Golf, Ladies International

The 5th edition of the Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), is underway at the Riyadh Golf Club. [more]

 

MORE TOP STORYLINES

Saudi Arabia spearheads Arab scramble for alternative to Trumps Gaza plan

Via Pesha Magid, Samia Nakhoul, Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Nafisa Eltahir in msn.com: Draft ideas will be discussed at a meeting in Riyadh this month of countries including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. Proposals may involve a Gulf-led reconstruction fund and a deal to sideline Hamas, five of the people said. Reuters spoke to 15 sources in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and elsewhere to build a picture of the hurried efforts by Arab states to pull together existing proposals into a new plan they can sell to the U.S. president – even potentially calling it a Trump plan to win his approval. One Arab government source said at least four proposals had already been drafted for Gazas future, but an Egyptian proposal was now emerging as central to the Arab push for an alternative to Trumps idea. The latest Egyptian proposal involves forming a national Palestinian committee to govern Gaza without Hamas involvement, international participation in reconstruction without displacing Palestinians abroad, and movement towards a two-state solution, three Egyptian security sources said.

Largest Middle East maritime exercise unites over 35 nations

Via George Allison in org.uk: The Middle East’s largest maritime exercise, International Maritime Exercise (IMX) 2025, officially commenced on February 10th in Bahrain and Jordan, according to a press release. The 12-day training event, hosted by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), features over 5,000 personnel from more than 35 nations and international organisations. IMX 2025 is linked with Exercise Cutlass Express, led by U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, allowing for extensive information sharing between maritime operations centres. The goal is to enhance theatre-to-theatre coordination, reduce operational gaps, and strengthen partner nation capabilities in responding to maritime threats.

Saudi private school in Herndon to shut down, surprising families

Via Angela Woolsey in ffxnow.com: The current school year will be the last official one for King Abdullah Academy. After close to a decade in the Herndon area, the Islamic private school announced in late January that it will close for good after the 2024-2025 academic year, citing challenges with identifying a “viable financial path to self-sustainability.” Funded by Saudi Arabia’s government, King Abdullah Academy launched in August 2016 after relocating to its current 40-acre campus at 2949 Education Drive east of Dulles International Airport. The school was previously known as the Islamic Saudi Academy and operated out of the original Mount Vernon High School from 1985 until its Herndon move. The academy’s departure opened the door for Fairfax County to redevelop the Mount Vernon site (8333 Richmond Highway), a project that began construction last fall.

 

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Spending pushes Saudi fiscal deficit to $31bn in 2024

Saudi Arabia’s fiscal deficit reached SAR116 billion ($31 billion) in 2024, driven by a 6 percent rise in expenditure, according to the ministry of...[By Pramod Kumar via agbi.com]

 

Commentary: Saudi Arabia’s political messages in response to Netanyahu

Notably, Riyadh is spearheading ongoing efforts by leading the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, as announced by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal...[By Hassan Al-Mustafa via arabnews.com]

 

Senior Arab officials warn that Trump Gaza plan would inflame Middle East

Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit warned the World Government Summit in Dubai that if Trump pressed ahead with his plan, he would lead...[via arabnews.com]

 

Saudi Arabia is evaluating BRICS membership, says economy minister

Saudi Arabia is evaluating the benefits of joining the BRICS economic bloc, Faisal Alibrahim, the Kingdom’s minister of economy and planning, said at the World...[By Sara Al-Shurafa via arabnews.com]

 

Saudi Arabia acquires Tanzania’s Bagamoyo port

The Tanzanian authorities granted the Saudi African Investment and Development Co. (SADC) concession and acquisition rights for Bagamoyo Port in Tanzania, Saudi Press Agency reported,...[via argaam.com]

 

Saudi Arabia, Tanzania Sign Trade Agreements and Establish Joint Business Council

The Federation of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry And Agriculture (TCCIA) signed an agreement to establish a joint Saudi-Tanzanian...[via spa.gov]

 

Italy-Saudi ties strengthen with $10bn energy deals

The Italian move highlights the strengthening ties between the two countries and signals the growing relevance of the Middle East for Italy, amid...[By Beatrice Bedeschi ` via gasoutlook.com]

 

Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East reveals how the US secured Marc Fogel’s release

U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said some things were still up in the air when he hopped on his jet to...[By Ashley Carnahan via foxnews.com]

 

Al-Falih: Nearly 600 global companies choose Saudi Arabia as regional headquarters

Minister of Investment Eng. Khalid Al-Falih announced that the number of global companies establishing their regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia has risen to nearly 600....[via saudigazette.com]

 

Ceer supercharges Saudi EV industry with $1.4bn in deals, gearing up for 2026 launch

Saudi Arabia’s first homegrown electric vehicle brand, Ceer, signed 11 deals worth SR5.5 billion ($1.4 billion) at a Public Investment Fund event ahead of its...[By Reina Takla and Miguel Hadchity via arabnews.com]

 

No booze in 2034 World Cup, LGBTQ fans welcome, Saudi ambassador says

Saudi Arabia will uphold its current ban on alcohol during the 2034 World Cup, said Khalid bin...[By Shifa Jahan via reuters.com]

 

‘Haram. Haram. Haram!’ — Riyadh Air CEO slams lack of direct flights from Saudi Arabia to major global cities

“Haram. Haram. Haram.” With those three emphatic words, Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas made it clear — Saudi Arabia’s lack of direct global connectivity is...[via com.sa]

 

Rethinking Business Expansion: What GCC Companies Can Learn from Saudi Arabia

Many GCC economies still rely heavily on hydrocarbon revenues. Saudi Arabia’s success in diversifying into tourism (e.g., NEOM, Red Sea Project), entertainment, and financial services...[via grantthornton.sa]

 

Gulf Countries Bet Big: $100B for Renewables to Slash Emissions by 20%

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations, also called Gulf countries excluding Iraq, have announced a historic $100 billion investment in renewable...[via carboncredits.com]

 

GCC exchanges sees record number of IPOs in FY24 with 53 listings across the region

UAE IPOs have represented nearly half of total GCC IPO proceeds in 2024, as they have accounted for 47% ($6.2bn) of total proceeds this year,...[via pwc.com]

 

$600bn Saudi-US trade pledge ‘unlikely to be achieved’

It would require an average of $150 billion in annual trade and investment. That would be equivalent to 14 percent of Saudi...[By Megha Merani via agbi.com]

 

Saudi Arabia assumes presidency of global anti-corruption network

Saudi Arabia, through its Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority, or Nazaha, has assumed the presidency of the Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities. Spain handed...[via arabnews.com]

 

Saudi Arabia: Suspension of Multiple-Entry Visa for Certain Nationals

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These top-10 LPGA players headline the $5 million PIF Saudi Ladies International

One of the largest purses in women's golf is up for grabs this week. The $5 million PIF Saudi Ladies International takes place Feb. 13-15...[By Beth Ann Nichols via usatoday.com]

 

Saudi educator known for charity and prisoner work wins $1 million Global Teacher Prize

Al-Mansour, a teacher at the Prince Saud bin Jalawi School in al-Ahsa, is also an author and is known for work in his community, including...[By Jon Gambrell and Malak Harb via apnews.com]

 

Hamas says it is willing to move ahead with Gaza ceasefire

Hamas signalled on Thursday that a crisis threatening to unravel an already fragile ceasefire in Gaza could...[By Nidal Al-Mughrabi and James Mackenzie via reuters.com]

 

Oman advances liquefied hydrogen export project

Developed by Oman’s state-run hydrogen company Hydrom, the Ministry of Energy, Athens-based Ecolog and offtaker EnBW, one of Germany’s largest power...[By Eva Levesque via agbi.com]

 

Map wars in the Middle East

Nowhere is this more true than in the contested regions that today include modern-day Israel and the Palestinian territories. Since the establishment of the state...[By Christine Leuenberger via asiatimes.com]

 

Energy, petroleum ministries trade blame as blackouts roil Tehran

Unplanned power outages in Tehran have sparked a highly public blame game between Iran’s energy and petroleum ministries—leading both conservative and pro-reform media to call...[via amwaj.media]

 
 

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