MUST-READS

• Rafael Nadal on post-retirement goals, promoting tennis in Saudi Arabia and his ATP Finals regret

  Part of Nadal’s future involves helping promote tennis in Saudi Arabia as an ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation, a role he took on back in January. Last week, he spent three days in Jeddah immersing himself in the tennis community in the Red Sea city, and learning more about Saudi culture. He attended the Next Gen ATP Finals at King Abdullah Sports City, took part in daily meet-and-greets, engaged with hundreds of kids in tennis clinics, took part in the award ceremony of an under-14 Asian tennis tournament, met the Saudi Davis Cup team as well as a group of junior wheelchair players, spoke at a coaches’ conference, and lots more. It was Nadal’s third visit to the kingdom – and first time in Jeddah – and he is still learning more about the tennis landscape there. “For me, it’s an opportunity, first of all, to know a different culture,” said Nadal of why he decided to become an STF ambassador.

• Saudi Arabia considers purchasing 100 KAAN fighter jets from Türkiye: Media

  Saudi Arabia is reportedly evaluating the acquisition of 100 KAAN fifth-generation fighter jets from Türkiye, signaling a potential deepening of defense industry cooperation between the two nations. According to a report by Milliyet, high-level discussions have been held in Istanbul between Turkish and Saudi defense officials, including head of the Presidency of Defense Industries Haluk Gorgun, Saudi Deputy Minister of Defense Khaled Bin Hussein Al Biyari, and Saudi Air Force Commander Turki bin Bandar Al Saud. The meetings, which span three days, are aimed at establishing collaboration on large-scale defense projects such as KAAN, Türkiye’s indigenous fifth-generation fighter jet.

• Shanghai, Mumbai, Dubai or Goodbye

  Frankly, I don’t think it’s possible for anyone to understand the Dubai story - or even the broader UAE story - without a visit to Jebel Ali port. The visit might also make you re-think “the end of globalization” narrative that has attracted the attention of so many. Jebel Ali Port, in many ways, embodies the commercial spirit at the heart of Dubai, though the idea of the port was initially met with skepticism. When the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, unveiled plans for Jebel Ali Port in the 1970s, critics dismissed it as a “white elephant,” fearing it would overshadow the recently opened Port Rashid, which had debuted in 1972. The Jebel Ali port sees 180+ shipping lines connecting it to more than 150 destinations across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas. The Jebel Ali Free Zone hosts some 10,000 companies, engaged in trading, logistics or light manufacturing.

• Visualizing China’s Cobalt Supply Dominance by 2030

  Chinese dominance over critical minerals used in technologies like smartphones, electric vehicles (EVs), and solar power has become a growing concern for the U.S. and other Western countries. Currently, China refines 68% of the world’s nickel, 40% of copper, 59% of lithium, and 73% of cobalt, and is continuing to expand its mining operations. This graphic visualizes the total cobalt supply from the top 10 producers in 2030, highlighting China’s dominance. The data comes from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, as of July 2024

• Saudi Arabia leverages project management to achieve Vision 2030 milestones

  Saudi Arabia’s success under Vision 2030 is evident across several key sectors. With 87 percent of initiatives either completed or on track, the Kingdom has made significant strides in improving its business environment, generating employment, and advancing major projects like NEOM and the Red Sea Project. Badr Al-Dulami, deputy minister of transport and logistics services for roads affairs, described project management as the “pulse of transformation,” underscoring its role in fostering competitiveness and innovation.

• UAE residents cut Umrah costs by up to 50% with Saudi Arabia’s transit visa, stopover option

  Some UAE residents are taking advantage of Saudi Arabia's stopover visa to perform Umrah while travelling on vacation or business, allowing them to cut costs by as much as 50 per cent. “They wanted to perform Umrah while they were here in the UAE. Initially, I applied for an Umrah visa, but my travel agent suggested the stopover visa as a more economical option,” said Abdel Hadi, who is a social worker. "With the transit visa, we completed the pilgrimage for just Dh8,000, including accommodation, food, and flight tickets,” Abdel Hadi said. They travelled by train from the Jeddah airport to the holy city of Makkah and then from there to the holy city of Madina.

• WHO chief says he was at Yemen airport as Israeli bombs fell nearby

  A wave of Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen's main airport Thursday just as the World Health Organization’s director-general said he was about to board a flight there. One of the U.N. plane’s crew was wounded, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X. The Israeli military said it attacked infrastructure used by Yemen's Houthi rebels at the international airport in the capital Sanaa, as well as power stations and ports, alleging they were used to smuggle in Iranian weapons and for the entry of senior Iranian officials. Last week, Israeli jets bombed Sanaa and Hodeida, killing nine people. The U.S. military also has targeted the Houthis in Yemen in recent days. Israel's latest wave of strikes in Yemen follows several days of Houthi launches setting off air-raid sirens in Israel. The Houthis have also been targeting shipping in the Red Sea corridor, calling it solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

• Saudi foreign minister takes part in GCC extraordinary meeting in Kuwait

  Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan took part in the 46th extraordinary meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s ministerial council in Kuwait on Thursday. Ministers and officials from GCC countries discussed the latest developments in Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza. They stressed the need to uphold Syria’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity after the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime in early December. The ministerial council rejected foreign interference in Syrian affairs and called for Western sanctions that have weakened the country’s economy to be lifted, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

• Gulf Cooperation Council calls for lifting sanctions on Syria

  The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) concluded its 46th extraordinary ministerial meeting on Thursday, emphasizing the need for economic empowerment of Syria and urging the lifting of international sanctions on the war-torn country. In its final statement, the GCC called on all partners, nations, and organizations to provide support to the Syrian people, reaffirming the council’s commitment to ongoing humanitarian aid. The meeting, held in Kuwait, underscored that Syria’s security and stability are vital pillars of regional stability. The council highlighted the importance of respecting Syria’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity while rejecting foreign interference in its internal affairs. It also stressed the need to combat terrorism, chaos, and extremism, while promoting respect for diversity and refraining from offending others’ beliefs.

• Saudi extends bids deadline for largest mineral belts

  Saudi Arabia has extended the deadline for submitting proposals for exploration licenses for its first mineralised belts. The extension was granted following a request from qualified bidders, seeking more time to complete the procedures, the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources said. In November the ministry announced 14 pre-qualified bidders for the five mineralised sites. The proposal submission deadline is now set at January 21, 2025, with the bid opening slated for February 11. The winning companies are set to be announced on February 16. In July, the ministry’s official spokesperson, Jarrah bin Mohammed Al-Jarrah, said that Jabal Sayad and Al-Hajjar are the largest mineralised belt sites – an area containing several mineral deposits.

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