Bloomberg columnist and senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington Hussein Ibish joins The 966 to talk about global diplomacy, U.S.-Saudi relations, energy markets, Saudi Arabia as an emerging power, and so much more. Ibish is a weekly columnist for Bloomberg and The National (UAE) and is also a regular contributor to many other U.S. and Middle Eastern publications. He has made thousands of radio and television appearances and was the Washington, DC correspondent for the Daily Star (Beirut). Many of Ibish’s articles are archived on his Ibishblog website. Following the conversation, the hosts wrap up the show with a discussion of six topics in the program’s Yallah segment, including more on Ronaldo (and now Messi?) to Riyadh, tourism earnings in Saudi Arabia, and more.
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1:03:23 – Yallah! Six top storylines to get you up to speed heading into the weekend…
•Messi and Ronaldo likely to meet in friendly in Saudi Arabia
French champions Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed plans for a mid-season trip to the Middle East. PSG will leave France on January 17 and visit Doha in Qatar and then Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, where they will play a friendly match at King Fahd Stadium on January 19. Recent Al Nassr signing Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to play for the Saudi all-star XI, while Lionel Messi will likely line-up for PSG.
•Saudi Arabia says this year’s hajj pilgrimage will return to pre-COVID levels
Islam’s annual hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia will return to pre-pandemic levels this year after restrictions saw the annual religious commemoration curtailed over concerns about the coronavirus, authorities say.
•Saudi Arabia’s Ma’aden forms JV with the PIF to invest in mining assets abroad
Saudi Arabian Mining Co, the Gulf’s largest miner, said on Wednesday it agreed to form a joint venture with the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund to invest in mining assets globally.
Ma’aden will own 51% in the venture while the Public Investment Fund (PIF) will own 49%, the company said in a regulatory filing.
•Saudi Arabia includes Diriyah tourism project in PIF’s portfolio
Saudi Arabia has included a Diriyah tourism project in the portfolio of its sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), to improve investment efficiency and public-private cooperation, state news agency SPA reported on Monday.
The development of Diriyah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was previously under Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA), which will continue its supervision, SPA said, citing an announcement by the Saudi crown prince.
•Visitors to Saudi Arabia spend $7bn in six months
Visitors to Saudi Arabia spent 27 billion riyals ($7.19 billion) during the first six months of 2022, making tourism one of the kingdom’s most promising sectors.The Ministry of Investment said 3.6 million foreign tourists visited the kingdom during the second quarter of the year, greatly contributing to a plan to diversify sources of income as part of Vision 2030.
•Saudi Arabia aims to create Formula 1 hub in Kingdom
Saudi Arabia signed a 10-year contract with Formula 1 that will see teams race in Jeddah for a few more years before a brand-new complex in Qiddiya becomes the country’s permanent F1 venue.
But Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al Faisal, president of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, wants to take the Kingdom’s involvement in motorsport to the next level by establishing in the future a veritable hub similar to the racing nerve center located in the UK.
“We want to create a hub,” Prince Khalid told Motor Sport magazine. “We have big companies that can help the future of motorsport.”
