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QUOTED
“With the launch of the Dakar Rally here in the kingdom, the world will see the picturesque nature of our country and its wonderful desert…The world will come closer than ever to the people of the hospitable kingdom (that is) looking forward to welcoming the world.”
–Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Faisal, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Sports Authority, in remarks to reporters in Qiddiya on the upcoming 2020 Dakar Rally. [France24]
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TOP STORY
Global engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firm Bechtel has re-opened its office in Al-Khobar to “meet the increasing demand for quality services in the Oil and Gas sector in Saudi Arabia and in the region,” SUSTG has learned. [more]
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TOP STORY
Saudi Arabia will lower government spending in 2020 as the Kingdom’s economic and social reforms start to kick in. That could help reduce Saudi Arabia’s medium-term fiscal vulnerabilities to lower oil prices, the Institute of International Finance (IIF) said, and put Saudi on track for a balanced budget by 2023. [more]
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MORE TOP STORYLINES
in thenational.ae : Saudi Aramcos stock will be included in the MSCI on December 17 and the FTSE on December 19, and will also become part of Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index, which should continue to support the stock, according to market analysts. MSCI, whose emerging market gauge is tracked by investors managing trillions of dollars in invests, will assign Aramco a free float of 0.5 per cent, resulting in a weight of 0.17 basis points in the MSCI Emerging Markets Standard Index.
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in arabnews.com : The portal offers several online platforms including Forsa, Tojjar, Emdad, Bahr, Kanaf, Zadd, Atwar and Appweb, which aim to change Saudi work culture by encouraging entrepreneurship and SMEs and empowering individuals to create new jobs through innovation.
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Kasia Truscott in harpersbazaararabia.com reports on the range of entertainment options now available in Saudi Arabia. She notes that December is packed with events including art festivals and concerts, with the likes of David Guetta and Amr Diab as well as cultural and sporting events.
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MORE ON THE KINGDOM AND BEYOND
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Saudi Arabia and Lebanon's installations at the Venice Biennale seek to redress the balance by questioning masculine views and Western myths surrounding the portrayal...[By Rebecca Ann Hughes via euronews.com]
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Middle East countries spent 4.2 per cent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defence in 2023, the highest rate globally, as ...[By Deena Kamel via thenationalnews.com]
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Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund agreed to buy a majority stake in Saudi Telecom Co.’s tower unit for 8.7 billion riyals ($2.3 billion)...[By Dana Khraiche via ]
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The Schengen Area, which includes 29 European countries, was expanded last February to include Bulgaria and Romania, eliminating all air and maritime...[By Mona Farag via thenationalnews.com]
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Saudi Arabia is pushing for a ceasefire in Gaza and the entry of more aid into the territory amid Israel’s war...[via alarabiya.net]
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The institute noted that three largest spenders in the region — Saudi Arabia, Israel and Turkey — all increased military spending last year. Saudi Arabia...[By Adam Lucente via al-monitor.com]
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The head of Saudi Arabia’s state oil company praised China’s exports of green technology, echoing Beijing’s talking points in what appeared to be a deliberate...[via semafor.com]
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Startups are a critical component of the 21st-century economy, driving innovation, creating jobs, and fostering national economic growth. In Saudi Arabia, venture...[By Sharif Almadani via linkedin.com]
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Saudi oil giant Aramco said on Monday it is in talks to acquire a 10% stake in...[By Yousef Saba via reuters.com]
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Gen. Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), has a message for U.S. President Donald Trump: The United States must act...[By Lara Seligman via foreignpolicy.com]
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Lebanese troops lobbed tear gas on Tuesday to disperse supporters of Shi'ite groups Hezbollah and Amal who tried to storm a square in Beirut in...[via france24.com]
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The legislation, if passed in the Senate, means that a total of 22,500 visas through the Special Immigrant Visa program could be issued to former...[By Diana Stancy Correll via militarytimes.com]
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The Gulf isn't the only region where the Royal Navy is looking to have a more permanent presence. Adm Radakin said he was also discussing...[By Jonathan Beale via bbc.com]
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He was freed in exchange for scientist Massoud Soleimani, who was accused in the U.S. of violating sanctions by trying to have biological material brought...[By Eric Tucker via navytimes.com via AP]
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Logistics giant and Middle East General Enterprises to invest $99.4m for the hub expected to be operational in Q4 2021...[By Ranju Warrier via constructionweekonline.com]
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Fadh Iqbal, head of MENA research at Credit Suisse, discusses Saudi Arabian, Qatar, Egypt markets and economies. He speaks on “Bloomberg Daybreak: Middle East.” (Source:...[via bloomberg.com]
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That was to be followed by a meeting of the North Atlantic Council with all 29 member states, the four initiative members — the UAE,...[By Jack Moore via thenational.ae]
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In October of 2019, Turkish military forces rolled into northern Syria and took over large areas of land inhabited by Kurds. The offensive created 300-thousand...[via voanews.com]
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When a country’s diplomatic style is confrontational, what do you get? Confrontations. It has become Turkey’s signature style. But winning confrontations, or giving the appearance...[via thehill.com]
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Gen Musharraf seized power in a military coup in 1999 and served as the country's president from 2001 to 2008.
He is currently in Dubai after...[via bbc.com]
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Goldman Sachs just became the first big U.S. bank to say it will no longer finance new drilling or oil exploration in the Arctic. It...[By Dino Grandoni via washingtonpost.com]
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