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QUOTED
“We’re seeing the dialogues right now coming upon AI ethics, on data, and on cyber resilience. We’re trying to steer the conversation between those that are pro-consumer, pro-privacy, those that are pro-big tech, and how they can come to a middle ground.”
-Abdullah Alswaha, Saudi Arabia Minister of Communications and Information Technology, discussing Saudi Arabia’s G20 presidency and interest in steering the global conversation on technology policies and standards in an interview with CGTN while attending the recent World Economic Forum. [cgtn.com]
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TOP STORY
Rocket and drone strikes fired by Iran-backed Houthi rebels at Saudi targets last week – including at Aramco oil facilities – were successfully shot down by Saudi air defenses, according to the Wall Street Journal which cited Saudi officials. [more]
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TOP STORY
Flight bookings for travel to Riyadh from October 2019 to January 2020 more than doubled compared to the same period in the previous year, Arabian Business reports, citing data from the Seera Group, a Saudi-based travel and tourism company. [more]
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TOP STORY
Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures (SAEV) has invested $5 million into blockchain-based oil trading company VAKT, the company said in a press release. [more]
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TOP STORY
UPDATE: Saudi Arabia’a Foreign Minister said Israelis were not welcome to visit the kingdom, CNN reported on Monday. “Our policy is fixed. We do not have relations with the state of Israel and Israeli passport holders cannot visit the kingdom at the current time,” CNN quoted Prince Faisal bin Farhan as saying. [Reuters]
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A new rule from Israeli leaders will allow Israeli Muslims to go to Saudi Arabia for religious pilgrimages and permit business trips to the Kingdom, according to reports. [more]
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MORE TOP STORYLINES
Via Muyu Xu and Chen Aizhu in reuters.com : The big annual boost in Saudi shipments followed a new marketing strategy by state-run Aramco, which signed at least two new supply pacts with private refiners in China that came into the market from late 2018. Previously, Saudi Aramco had only dealt with China’s state refiners in long-term contracts.
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Via Owen Ralph in blooloop.com : Expected to open in 2023, the 32-hectare Six Flags Qiddiya, set against the Tuwaiq mountain range, will be the largest and most heavily themed Six Flags yet. Larger than Walt Disney World, the developed area will be divided into five zones: Resort Core, City Centre, Motion Zone, Eco Zone & Golf Community. Six Flags Qiddiya will be found in the Resort Core.
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Via Ken Moritsugu in msn.com : The U.S. advised against all travel to China on Friday after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of a new virus that has spread to more than a dozen countries a global emergency. The number of cases spiked more than tenfold in a week, including the highest death toll in a 24-hour period reported Friday.
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MORE ON THE KINGDOM AND BEYOND
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Blinken is expected to participate at a special...[By Barak Ravid via axios.com]
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Saudi Arabia is set to receive more rainfall toward the weekend, with Riyadh and its outskirts likely to witness heavy rains from Friday to next...[By Rashid Hassan via arabnews.com]
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Saudi Arabia's low-cost airline Flynas on Tuesday confirmed plans to list its shares on the Tadawul stock exchange this year, amid the...[By Deena Kamel via thenationalnews.com]
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The top US diplomat is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia this weekend, diplomatic sources told Al Arabiya English on Tuesday.
...[By Joseph Haboush via alarabiya.net]
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The multinational company must start RHQ operations within six (6) months after its RHQ license is granted and it must establish three (3) optional activities...[By Jad A. Taha, Nanda Al Qazaz, Marc Saroufim ]
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Under the new rules, Bahraini, Omani and Saudi Arabian nationals will be eligible for multiple-entry visas, allowing them to visit the Schengen area (the EU’s...[By Jack Dutton via al-monitor.com]
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Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said that Saudi Arabia is more optimistic about the stability and security of the countries in the region. He said...[via saudigazette.com]
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AI and industry 4.0 technology presents an unprecedented opportunity for manufacturers to transform their operations. The market for industry 4.0 technology is expected to reach...[via businessinsider.com]
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The enduring popularity of mocktails is expected to persist, with a considerable number of individuals choosing to refrain from alcohol consumption due...[By Vivek Viswanathan via linkedin.com]
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The first director of the regional office will be Mr. Abdoul Aziz Wane who is a seasoned IMF leader with deep knowledge of the institution...[via eurasiareview.com]
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Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports, including re-exports, saw a surge of 4.4 percent in February compared to the same period of 2023, official data showed.
According to...[via arabnews.com]
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The legislation would prohibit Trump from using federal funds to strike Iran without prior approval, and repeal an 18-year-old law that he and his advisers...[By Karoun Demirjian via washingtonpost.com]
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Christian Saunders, head of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), asked about the U.S. plan which would not allow a right...[By Stephanie Nebehay; via reuters.com]
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“One of the things we have to do is make sure we have permission from the host government, and that’s one of the matters we...[By Aaron Mehta via militarytimes.com]
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Fighting in Idlib, the last stronghold of the opposition to President Bashar al-Assad, has intensified in recent weeks as the Syrian army pressed on with...[via bbc.com]
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A humanitarian channel to bring food and medicine to Iran has started trial operations, the Swiss and U.S. governments said on Thursday, helping supply Swiss...[By Michael Shields and Humeyna Pamuk via reuters.com]
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Yemen’s Houthi movement is ready to hold talks with Sudan over an exchange of prisoners through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), al-Masirah,...[By Maher Chmaytelli via reuters.com]
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The tally includes 14 new diagnosed cases of TBI since the Pentagon’s last report on Tuesday, seven of which were treated in Iraq and returned to...[By Kevin Baron via defenseone.com]
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Jordan’s deteriorating economic situation is straining traditional support networks and reshaping Jordanians’ ties with their relatives, friends, and local communities in the process....[By Will Todman via csis.org]
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Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Friday criticised Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab nations for not speaking out against the U.S. Middle East plan which...[By Ali Kucukgocmen and Tuvan Gumrukcu via reuters.com]
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Reportedly, 1.4 percent of the total blockchain companies in the world are based in Dubai. While there are 8000 registered blockchain companies worldwide, 114 are...[via internationalfinance.com]
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US Customs and Border Protection says its inspections take additional factors into account and can uncover details that didn't come up in previous visa screenings.
There's...[By Catherine E. Shoichet via cnn.com]
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While 75% of workers surveyed in the GCC believe automation will significantly change or make their job obsolete within the next ten years (vs. 53%...[By Carla Sertin via oilandgasmiddleeast.com]
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