Via Etan Vlessing, Georg Szalai in hollywoodreporter.com: The Red Sea International Film Festival has officially kicked off its fourth edition as A-listers and international auteurs converged in Jeddah’s old town of Al-Balad in Saudi Arabia’s second-largest city for a decidedly glamorous opening ceremony. Emily Blunt, Cynthia Erivo, Eva Longoria, Michelle Yeo, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones in a flowing blue sky gown and cape, Squid Game breakout Hoyeon, Michelle Rodriguez, Bollywood star Aamir Khan, competition jury president Spike Lee, action stars Will Smith and Vin Diesel, Kareena Kapoor, Saudi actor Khaled Yeslam and Daniel Dae Kim were among the global stars in lavish outfits at the opening gala on Thursday night. The glamorous event saw the stars converge on the main building of the city’s new Culture Square that mixes traditional architecture and modern technology. The site is being touted as “the new home of film” in Jeddah and Saudi Arabia.

Via Paul Carsten in msn.com: Oil prices pared some gains on Thursday after a source told Reuters OPEC+ has agreed to delay a planned oil output hike until April 2025. The planned delay comes as OPEC+, made up the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries plus allies including Russia, tries to support prices as it wrestles with weak demand, notably from China, and rising supply outside the producer group. There remains the question of how long the delays could last, with this only the latest in a series. OPEC+ was originally due to begin raising output in October as part of a plan to gradually unwind the groups most recent layer of output curbs of 2.2 million barrels per day.

Via Shahana Yasmin in independent.co: Saudi Arabia recently launched a rather unusual cola, crafted not from corn syrup or cane sugar but from the nation’s most prized fruit—dates. Named Milaf Cola, the drink was developed by Thurath Al-Madina, a subsidiary of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, and launched at the Riyadh Date Festival by the company’s CEO, Bander Al-Qahtani, and the Saudi agriculture minister Abdulrahman Al-Fadley. The cola’s star ingredient are premium dates which are packed with fiber, antioxidants, and essential minerals such as magnesium and potassium, and are revered in the Middle East for their health benefits. Milaf Cola claims it contains no added sugar and is able to harness the superfood’s health benefits, positioning itself as a healthier alternative to conventional sodas without compromising on flavour.

Via Jonathan Gorvett in agbi.com: For many people, the city of Guinness and James Joyce may not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking about Islamic bonds. Yet, according to a report last month from Fitch Ratings, the Dublin stock exchange – Euronext Dublin – is now the world’s largest listing venue for hard currency global sukuk. The Irish capital covered 38 percent of the global total of this kind of Islamic bond at the end of this year’s third quarter – outstripping its two main rivals, the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and Nasdaq Dubai. “A large chunk of this comes from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, too,” Bashar Al-Natoor, managing director and global head of Fitch Rating’s Islamic Finance Group, tells AGBI. “The GCC is the biggest domicile for issuers.”

Via Nancy Tartaglione in deadline.com: Imax and Saudi Arabia’s Muvi Cinemas on Wednesday hosted a grand opening event for the new Imax location at Muvi Mall of Arabia in Jeddah. This is the first Imax location from Saudi’s largest exhibitor. During the event, which was held just ahead of the kickoff of the Red Sea Film Festival, Imax revealed plans to release the first-ever Arabic-language feature in the format, Black Light Films’ action comedy Ambulance. Directed by Colin Teague and starring Ibrahim Hajjaj and Muhammed Al-Qahtani, it will release on April 17, 2025. The film, set against the backdrop of modern-day Riyadh, centers on two paramedics who stumble upon a briefcase containing 2 million riyals. What should be a life-changing moment quickly spirals into their worst nightmare as the duo becomes entangled in a web of kidnapping, blackmail and murder.

Via Carrington Malin in middleeastainews.com: Microsoft has reached a major milestone in Saudi Arabia with the completion of construction for three data centres and Azure Availability Zones in the Eastern Province. The US software giant expects the new Saudi data centre region to be operational in 2026. Microsoft initially announced plans for a new Microsoft Data Centre and Azure cloud region in Saudi Arabia during LEAP 2023, to offer enterprise-grade reliability and performance combined with customer privacy, data residency, and high-speed latency standards. The move aligns with Microsoft’s $60 billion global investment in AI and cloud infrastructure for 2024. The new Azure cloud region in Saudi Arabia is critical for Microsoft both in terms of its regional and global goals. There is now a global race to build out data centre infrastructure in order to support to growing demand for AI compute and the vast, fast growing amounts of data that support it.

Via Syed Ameen Kader in arabnews.com: Saudi Arabia’s non-oil private sector ended November with robust momentum, as business activity expanded at its fastest pace since July 2023, latest business survey showed.  The Riyad Bank Saudi Arabia Purchasing Managers’ Index rose to 59.0 in November from 56.9 in October, marking the fourth consecutive monthly increase, buoyed by accelerated growth in new orders, purchasing activity, and staff recruitment. Business activity saw its sharpest rise in 16 months, with firms linking the surge to stronger demand, higher customer volumes, and successful marketing campaigns. New order inflows, including foreign sales, rebounded after a modest pullback in the previous survey period.

in alarabiya.net: French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday that he and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman would co-chair a conference on the establishment of a Palestinian state in June. “We have decided to co-chair a conference for the two states in June next year,” Macron said, referring to Israel and a potential Palestinian state. “In the coming months, together we will multiply and combine our diplomatic initiatives to bring everyone along this path,” he added. Responding to a question on whether France would recognize a Palestinian state, the French president said he would do so “at the right moment” and at a time “when it triggers reciprocal movements of recognition.”

Via John Calabrese in agsiw.org: Saudi Aramco is not only the largest oil producer globally but also the most profitable business, surpassing tech giants like Apple and Microsoft. Aramco is evolving far beyond its traditional role, now positioning itself at the forefront of economic diversification, technological innovation, and sustainability, aligning with the broader vision set forth by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to transform the Saudi economy and reduce its dependence on oil. This shift has turned Aramco into a key player in reshaping the kingdom’s energy landscape and broader strategic interests. In a strategic move in March, Saudi Arabia transferred 8% of Aramco’s shares to the PIF – valued at around $163.6 billion, reflecting Aramco’s market worth – aiming to bolster the fund as the kingdom prepares for a possible IPO of the company. This transaction could provide additional financing for Vision 2030. The transaction raised the combined stake of the PIF and its affiliates in Saudi Aramco to 16%, equating to $327 billion in value.

in thearabweekly.com: A full-blown US-Saudi treaty would need to pass the US Senate with a two-thirds majority and this would be a non-starter unless Riyadh recognises Israel, the sources said. The pact now under discussion would involve expanding joint military exercises and drills to address regional threats, mainly from Iran. It would foster partnerships between US and Saudi defence firms, with safeguards to prevent collaboration with China, the sources said. The agreement would promote Saudi investment in advanced technologies, especially drone defence. The US would increase its presence in Riyadh through training, logistics and cyber security support, and might deploy a Patriot missile battalion to enhance missile defence and integrated deterrence. “Saudi Arabia will get a security deal which will allow more military cooperation and sales of US weapons, but not a defence treaty similar to that of Japan or South Korea as initially sought,” said Abdelaziz al-Sagher, head of the Gulf Research Institute think-tank in Saudi Arabia.

in france24.com: President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed a strategic partnership on Monday aimed at deepening bilateral ties and de-escalating conflict in the Middle East, including Lebanon, where the two leaders called for presidential elections.  Macrons state visit is the first by a French president to Saudi Arabia since Jacques Chirac in 2006, cementing what the presidency calls a very close relationship. In 2021, Macron became one of the first Western leaders to meet Prince Mohammed in Saudi Arabia after the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at Riyadhs consulate in Istanbul.

Via Tsvetana Paraskova in oilprice.com: Saudi Arabia’s oil exports to Asia rose in November, while Russia’s crude sales in the world’s most important oil-importing region fell amid lower purchases by Moscow’s two key markets, China and India. Recovering Asian refining margins, a decline in the premium of the Dubai benchmark to Russia’s Urals, and rising shipping costs for Russia’s crude helped Saudi Arabia boost its crude oil supply to Asia by 550,000 barrels per day (bpd) in November, according to data from LSEG Oil Research cited by Reuters’s columnist Clyde Russell. Saudi crude oil exports to Asia jumped to 5.83 million bpd last month, up from an estimated 5.28 million bpd in October.

Via Sebastian Usher in bbc.com: Rebel forces launched the largest offensive against the Syrian government in years on Wednesday. By Sunday, they had taken control of large parts of the countrys second-biggest city, Aleppo and were advancing towards Hama in the south. The surprise offensive prompted the first Russian strikes on Aleppo since 2016, and saw Syrias military withdraw its troops from the city. The attack was led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – which has a long and involved history in the Syrian conflict.

Via Jonathan Wilson in theguardian.com: Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup bid received a higher technical score from Fifa than the 2026 joint bid by the United States, Canada and Mexico, even though the Middle Eastern nation has yet to construct a number of stadiums proposed for the tournament. Fifa released its bid evaluation report in the early hours of Saturday morning and said the 2034 bid received an overall average score of 4.2 out of 5, though eight stadiums are still to be built. All venues – including the planned 92,760-seater King Salman International Stadium in Riyadh – will not be completed until 2032, but three new stadiums are expected to be finished for the Asian Cup which kicks off in January 2027.

Via Jonathan Wilson in theguardian.com: Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup bid received a higher technical score from Fifa than the 2026 joint bid by the United States, Canada and Mexico, even though the Middle Eastern nation has yet to construct a number of stadiums proposed for the tournament. Fifa released its bid evaluation report in the early hours of Saturday morning and said the 2034 bid received an overall average score of 4.2 out of 5, though eight stadiums are still to be built. All venues – including the planned 92,760-seater King Salman International Stadium in Riyadh – will not be completed until 2032, but three new stadiums are expected to be finished for the Asian Cup which kicks off in January 2027.