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.

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.

Via Barak Ravid in axios.com: Trump made the comment a few hours after speaking with Putin in their first publicly disclosed call since Trump took office. Trump said they had agreed on starting negotiations immediately to end the war in Ukraine, which is approaching its third anniversary. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump floated the idea of meeting Putin in Saudi Arabia, along with the Saudi crown prince. He did not lay out a timeline and said he would deal with Putin on the phone in the meantime. In an interview with the Economist published on Wednesday, Zelensky had said hed had little contact with Trumps team and raised concerns about any decision-making on Ukraine taking place without Kyivs involvement.

Via Julianne Geiger in oilprice.com: While some U.S. refiners are scaling back, Saudi Arabia’s Motiva Enterprises just made a power move. The Saudi Aramco-owned refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, has quietly expanded its capacity, now processing a record 654,000 barrels per day—officially making it the largest refinery in the United States above Exxon’s Beaumont and Marathon’s Galveston Bay. Motiva pulled this off without a flashy billion-dollar project—just good old-fashioned optimization, removing bottlenecks in the system to squeeze out more production. And they did it at a time when smaller, less efficient refineries are dropping like flies. LyondellBasell’s Houston plant is closing. Phillips 66’s Los Angeles refinery is shutting down.

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.

Via Hadeel Al Sayegh, Pesha Magid and Maha El Dahan in reuters.com: U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend a meeting of global financiers and tech executives hosted by Saudi Arabias sovereign wealth fund in Miami later in February, according to several people with knowledge of the event. Trumps participation would come after Saudi Arabia condemned his call to displace Palestinians from Gaza as part of a U.S.-led rebuilding plan. It also follows Trumps call in January for Riyadh to invest $1 trillion in the U.S. – a figure about matching the size of the Saudi PIF sovereign funds assets.  According to the people, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, Trump is scheduled to deliver an in-person address at the gathering. A Riyadh-based representative for the FII Priority summit, opens new tab, scheduled for February 19 to 21, declined to comment. Representatives for the U.S. embassy in Riyadh didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

in saudigazette.com: The list of holders of Premium Residency under the  Exceptional Competence Residency” product is topped by 5G technology specialists with 16 percent, followed by cloud computing specialists with 15 percent. These fields are the cornerstone of enhancing digital infrastructure, which enhances the Kingdom’s position as a leading country in adopting modern technologies. In the context of supporting innovation, Premium Residency was granted to experts in artificial intelligence and machine learning, who constituted 12 percent of the talents who were granted Premium Residency. These fields are among the priorities in the Kingdom, due to their role in contributing to the development of many sectors such as healthcare, education, and digital industries. Big data experts constitute 13 percent of the number of Premium Residency recipients, and it is one of the specializations that is witnessing rapid global growth in advanced economies that rely on the analysis of large and complex data.

Via Karolos Grohmann in reuters.com: The first Olympic Esports Games will be held in two years in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the International Olympic Committee said on Tuesday, as part of a 12-year-deal with the country signed last year. The IOC has been looking into Esports for several years, forming a dedicated commission to find opportunities to tap into a younger generation involved with gaming. With its traditional audience base gradually ageing, the governing body is trying to connect with a younger generation of potential Olympics fans. In 2021, it developed the Olympic virtual series, a pilot venture in Esports before signing the deal with Saudi Arabia last year for hosting the Olympic Esports Games.

Via Amr Hamzawy, Andrew Leber, and Marwan Muasher in carnegieendowment.org: Over the past few weeks, U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated comments about plans for Gaza’s future have sparked rare unity in the Middle East. Leaders have worked together to build a unified Arab position rejecting any attempt to displace Palestinians from Gaza. Below, three experts on Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia discuss the domestic and regional impacts of Trump’s statements. Although gauging Saudi public opinion directly is difficult, well-positioned commentators clearly feel free to reiterate (and even celebrate) the Kingdom’s rhetorical support for a Palestinian state. Prince Turki Al Faisal, pointedly wearing a keffiyah, appeared on CNN to criticize what he termed a “mad ethnic cleansing plan.”

Via Hassan Al-Mustafa in arabnews.com: However, it is often overlooked that Saudi Arabia is not an emotional state and its policies are not based on reactive measures. Instead, the country operates according to a strategic vision that prioritizes its national security first and the broader Arab national security second. Consequently, Riyadh has not limited itself to narrow calculations but has instead considered the larger context of the Middle East. It recognizes the genuine threat posed by aggressive Israeli policies, understanding that the destruction of Gaza, assaults on the West Bank and the displacement of Palestinians will not lead to peace. Rather, these actions are likely to foster further extremism and violence, potentially creating a new generation that is willing to take up arms against Israel — not only within the Occupied Territories but also among sympathizers from various countries around the world, which could lead to wider conflicts.

in saudigazette.com: In his keynote speech, Alswaha emphasized that these significant investments and initiatives were made possible through the support and empowerment of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. These initiatives aimed to enable the technology sector and accelerate Saudi Arabia’s transition toward an innovative and sustainable AI-driven economy, in line with Vision 2030 objectives. Al-Swaha said that the region is witnessing rapid transformations in the digital economy sector, as it has grown by 73 percent to reach $260 billion, with Saudi Arabia accounting for 50 percent of this growth, making it one of the leading countries in this field. The number of technical specialists has increased from 150,000 to 381,000, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s rapid growth in the fields of technology and innovation. Al-Swaha highlighted the importance of bridging the digital gap between nations during what has become known as the “smart era,” and explained the role the Kingdom plays in empowering women in the field of technology. “In the smart era, the gap between the Global North and South will grow and worsen, as only one to two billion people are expected to join this exclusive club, while 6.5 billion people will be left behind by 2030.”

Via Nick Vivarelli in variety.com: Saudi filmmaker Abdulaziz Alshlahei’s drama “Hobal” about clashes between tradition and modernity within a Saudi family during the early 1990s is scoring mightily at the Saudi Arabian box office, outperfoming Hollywood titles such as “Mufasa: The Lion King,” “Flight Risk” and “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera.” The timely film in which a Saudi family is forced by its grandfather to live in isolation in the desert at the outbreak of the 1990 Gulf War, when a young girl falls ill, prompting her mother to fight the patriarchy to try and save her child, is striking a deep chord with Saudi audiences. “Hobal” has now pulled more than 500,000 admissions since its Jan. 2 release via distributor Qanwat Group, racking up a handsome roughly $5.7 million take to date, according to figures from the Saudi Film Commission which compiles Saudi box office numbers.

in thenationalnews.com: Saudi Arabia has accused the Israeli government of pursuing an extremist, occupying mentality amid a growing row over the claim it could house millions of Palestinians on its land. In a strongly worded statement on Sunday, its Foreign Ministry accused Israel of continuous crimes and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people. It followed comments made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to an Israeli TV channel, saying: “The Saudis can create a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia; they have a lot of land over there. The Saudi statement on Sunday mentioned Mr Netanyahus name but did not directly refer to the comments about establishing a Palestinian state in Saudi territory. The UAE and Egypt are among the Arab states to condemn Mr Netanyahus suggestion. The kingdom stresses its categorical rejection to such statements that aim to divert attention from the continuous crimes committed by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian brothers in Gaza, including the ethnic cleansing they are subjected to, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said.

Via Khitam Al Amir in gulfnews.com: Saudi Arabia has banned children from accompanying pilgrims during the 2025 Hajj season, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has announced. The decision aims to protect children from the risks associated with the intense crowding that occurs every year, the ministry said. “This measure is taken to ensure the safety and well-being of children and to avoid exposing them to any harm during the pilgrimage,” the ministry stated. The ministry also added that priority for Hajj participation this year will be given as always to those who have not performed the pilgrimage before. Registration for the 2025 Hajj season has officially opened for Saudi citizens and residents through the Nusuk app and the official online portal. Pilgrims are required to verify their information, add companions, and submit any requests for exemptions, including those related to accompanying mahrams.

Via Christine Burke and Fahad Abuljadayel in yahoo.com: The historical mud-brick city of Diriyah in Saudi Arabia played host to an unusual crowd on Saturday night: art aficionados, new collectors and first-time paddle holders melding together to take part in Sotheby’s inaugural auction in the kingdom. The offerings were as diverse as the crowd, with everything from high-end collectible watches to handbags, paintings, jewelry and sports memorabilia on sale to the highest bidder. In the end, it may have been Saudi Arabian businessman Amr Zedan who struck the most luck. Zedan, who had participated in Sotheby’s auctions on the phone prior to the event, won bids for two pieces, including the oil painting Society Woman by Fernando Botero for $1 million. A new art collector, Zedan said he plans to add the piece to a portfolio started with his wife.