PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND

Saudi Arabia’s PIF Reportedly Invests $400m in Disruptive Food Startup Founded by Travis Kalanick

CloudKitchens
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has invested $400 million into Uber founder Travis Kalanick’s new company CloudKitchens, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Saudi Arabia

News, analysis, and more

Aramco IPO

Aramco Taps Billionaire Olayans, Saudi Prince for IPO Orders

Saudi Arabia is negotiating commitments from its wealthiest citizens to buy stock in the Aramco initial public offering, from the Olayan family and Prince Alwaleed...

 

U.S.-Saudi

Saudi King Salman Hosts CIA Chief

The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif, State Minister Dr. Musaed Al-Aiban, Chief...

 

SAMA

Saudi cabinet gives green light for a national payments company

This is in order to enable the system to provide safe and reliable basic services to achieve compatibility by providing common infrastructure to ensure competitiveness...

 

E-Visa

Saudi Arabia sees boom in tourism visa applications

The country revealed its £98 e-visa system was open for citizens of 49 countries on September 27th - and some 77,000 applications were processed in...

 

Retail

Saudi mall operator Arabian Centres hires banks for debut dollar bonds

Saudi Arabian mall operator Arabian Centres Company has hired banks to arrange a debut issuance of a dollar sukuk, or Islamic bonds, a document showed...

 

VC in KSA

Innovation through integrated living for a new generation

As a private growth-stage fund in the GCC, Ideas Capital looks at the larger potential of an enterprise within Saudi Arabia, and Middle East, bringing...

 

Shadh Attar

TheFace: Shahd Attar, Saudi digital transformation consultant

My career formally started at Cisco, a global leader in networking solutions. It was a dream come true to me. Reality hit me very quickly...

 

Saudi Women

Life In Plastic: It took Barbie 60 years to make a Saudi-woman replica doll

The doll is a plastic replica of professional chef Louloua El-Ezzah, the first Saudi woman to get a simulated doll modeled after her....

 

Formula E Documentary

Electric Kingdom: American documentary captures Saudi Arabia’s transformation

“Electric Kingdom” centers on Saudi Arabia welcoming the first Formula E electric car race in December and the domino effect the event had in sparking...

 

Saudi Students

3 Saudis Charged With Smuggling Gun Parts From U.S.

Alsufyani and Alzahrani allegedly conspired between 2014 and 2018 to smuggle firearms parts from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia by falsely identifying rifle barrels, rifle...

 

Family Law

In Reversal, Saudi Court Grants U.S. Woman Shared Custody of Daughter

Bethany Vierra, an American who married a Saudi, said a court ruling gave her joint custody of their daughter and the right to travel with...

 

Saudi +

Regional and related topics

Iraq

Iraq protests death toll mounts as protesters defy police in Baghdad and Basra today

For the fourth day, most internet service was out nationwide on Friday, with growing concerns that the blackout could hinder the documentation of potential human...

 

Yemen Civil War

Yemen’s President Hadi meets separatist leader after deal ends power struggle

Yemen’s President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi met the head of the Southern Transitional Council on Thursday, in their first meeting since his Saudi-backed government and the...

 

Iran

U.N. nuclear watchdog, Western powers criticize Iran for holding inspector

Iran confirmed on Wednesday that it prevented the inspector from gaining access to its main uranium-enrichment facility at Natanz. The IAEA said on Thursday that...

 

Trump Foreign Policy

‘Secure the oil’: Trump’s Syria strategy leaves Pentagon perplexed

The unease of US officials implementing the policy became apparent on Thursday when an internal report by the top US diplomat in northern Syria, William...

 

Oman

Oman: A Small Oil Player with Big Ambitions

With a stable political regime, strategic location, and attractive commercial terms, Oman has managed to raise oil production to record levels and draw in foreign...

 

NATO

NATO is “brain dead”, France’s Macron says

Once seen by some as a Cold War relic until Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, NATO needs all its 29 allies on side as it...

 

Afghanistan

Three Judges Killed at Taliban Checkpoint in Afghanistan, Officials Say

Three judges and a court staffer were killed in Afghanistan on Thursday after Taliban militants stopped their car in the latest attack on the judiciary,...

 

Islamic State

China says killing of Islamic State leader is progress, much work remains

The United States’ killing of Islamic State’s leader is important progress, but the world should not rest on its laurels in the fight against terrorism,...

 

Iran Nuclear Agreement

Pompeo and Netanyahu Push to Scrap Iran Nuclear Pact

The Israeli leader spoke hours after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, while visiting Europe, accused Iran of “nuclear extortion” by having accelerated its ability to...

 

Qatar Dispute

Qatar Taking Some Steps to Resolve Tensions, Saudi Official Says

Encouraging moves include Qatar’s passage of a law against financing terrorism, according to the official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity. Saudi Arabia, the...

 

Turkey in the Region

Perspective: Turkey’s Invasion of Syria Is Likely to Fail Just Like Israel’s Occupation of Lebanon

The end result of this misadventure is well documented. Israel was forced out of Lebanon in May 2000, and Hezbollah used the victory to further...

 

Lebanon

Lebanon protests: How WhatsApp tax anger revealed a much deeper crisis

Already the protesters have forced Prime Minister Saad Hariri to resign. But they want more, including the complete overhaul of the country's political system and...

 

Turkey in the Region

Erdogan says U.S. not fulfilling Syria deal ahead of Trump talks

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday the United States was not fulfilling its pledge to remove a Kurdish militia from a Syrian border region...

 

Iraq

Iraq’s key port closed again; 4 protesters killed in Baghdad

Four Iraqis were shot and killed on Thursday as they tried to remove barriers blocking their march in central Baghdad, while in the south, protesters...

 

Power Grid

GCC, Egypt, Jordan ink MoU to work on interconnected Arab power grid

The new electrical grid aims to create a link between GCC Interconnection Authority Grid – which connects the six GCC countries through a 400 kV...

 

Energy Security

World Powers Tie Up for Naval Force to Police Mideast Oil Routes

A U.S.-led coalition created to secure sea lines vital to oil shipping in the Middle East formally launched operations in the most concerted international response...

 

Vision Fund

SoftBank’s Son admits mistakes after Vision Fund’s $8.9 billion loss

SoftBank plunged to its first quarterly loss in 14 years on Wednesday, dragged down by an $8.9 billion hit at its giant Vision Fund, as...

 

Iran

Iran Injects Gas in New Centrifuges as Atomic Deal Unravels

Iran injected uranium gas into centrifuges at its underground Fordo nuclear complex early Thursday, taking its most-significant step away from its 2015 nuclear deal with...

 

Syria

US official says ‘no change’ in Syria policy despite Trump’s withdrawal orders

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, a senior US official appeared to acknowledge that Mr Trump’s flurry of announcements had little impact on US policy. When...

 

Saudi-Kuwait

Kuwait says talks with Saudi regarding Neutral Zone are continuing

Kuwait’s deputy foreign minister Khaled al-Jarallah said on Tuesday that positive consultations with Saudi Arabia regarding the Neutral Zone are continuing, and “they are looking...

 

Yemen Civil War

Houthis Fire Missiles at Yemen’s Mokha Port, Military Coalition Says

Yemen's Houthi movement fired missiles and drones at the Red Sea port city of al-Mokha on Wednesday, causing deaths and injuries and damaging a hospital,...

 

Oil Markets

How the Saudi Aramco IPO Will Affect Other Oil Stocks

When the world’s largest oil producer goes public, it will surely mean a new dynamic for all the players in the oil industry. Some oil...

 

Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi

In last days, al-Baghdadi sought safety in shrinking domain

Associates paint a picture of a man obsessed with his security and well-being and trying to find safety in towns and deserts in eastern Syria...

 

Kuwait

Kuwait says talks with Saudi regarding Neutral Zone are continuing

Kuwait’s deputy foreign minister Khaled al-Jarallah said on Tuesday that positive consultations with Saudi Arabia regarding the Neutral Zone are continuing, and “they are looking...

 

Iran

Iran threatens US forces and allies who host American troops

“Any place and any point of any territories which host the US and its allies’ interests will be threatened (in case of any war) and...

 

Trump Foreign Policy

Trump OKs wider Syria oil mission, raising legal questions

Under the new plan, troops would protect a large swath of land controlled by Syrian Kurdish fighters that stretches nearly 90 miles (150 kilometers) from...

 

Kuwait

Kuwait conveyed messages from Iran to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain

Kuwait’s deputy foreign minister Khaled al-Jarallah said on Tuesday that Kuwait conveyed messages from Iran to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain regarding the situation in the...

 

Iraq

Iraqi security forces break up protests in Battle of the Bridges

More than 260 Iraqis have been killed in demonstrations since the start of October against a political class they see as corrupt and beholden to...

 

Castle Black

Perspective: Winter is coming for the U.S. military

According to the Pentagon's official inventory of bases, the Department of Defense (DoD) "manages a worldwide real property portfolio" that spans 45 foreign countries. All...

 

Energy

Petro Diplomacy: Challenges to the Energy Transition in the Gulf Countries

The main challenge facing oil producers is new competition from fuel sources that appeal to consumers concerned about the impact of fossil fuels on the...

 

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