MUST-READS

• Is Saudi Arabia Giving Up On Oil?

  It is now common to hear about Saudi Arabia’s ambitious new investments. Many will have seen advertisements of the new futuristic city, Neom, near the Red Sea. It is meant to run completely on renewable energy, a surprising plan for a top oil exporter. There are also lavish investments on sports; some say it is “sportswashing” with $6.3 billion spent since 2021. This includes buying clubs overseas and paying an estimated $214 million for football player Cristiano Ronaldo.

• Spanish rider Carles Falcon dies after Dakar Rally crash

  Spanish motorcycle rider Carles Falcon has died more than a week after crashing in the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, his team said on Monday. Falcon, 45, had been in an induced coma since he was flown to hospital in Riyadh, and then back to Spain, after falling 448km into the second stage on Jan. 7 from Al Henakiyah to Al Duwadimi. Race director David Castera told reporters at the time that the rider, who was competing in the endurance event for the second time after finishing 68th in 2022, had lacked a pulse but was resuscitated by the first doctor to arrive on the scene.

• Yemen’s Houthis threaten to hit US ships as more tankers steer clear

  Yemen's Houthi movement will expand its targets in the Red Sea region to include U.S. ships, an official from the Iran-allied group said on Monday, as it vowed to keep up attacks after U.S. and British strikes on its sites in Yemen. Attacks by the Houthis on ships in area since November have impacted companies and alarmed major powers in an escalation of Israel's more than three-month war with Hamas militants in Gaza. The group says it is acting in solidarity with Palestinians.

• Saudi workforce surges with 34% Saudization in operation and maintenance sector

  Saudi nationals’ participation in the workforce continues to increase, with Saudization in the operation and maintenance sector reaching 34 percent. This achievement, highlighted in a release by the Ministry of Human Resources, serves as a testament to the success of the Labor Localization and Maintenance Contracts service initiative.

• Saudi, Turkish, Pakistani tripartite committee convenes for defense cooperation talks

  The second meeting of the Saudi-Turkish-Pakistani tripartite committee was held in Islamabad, Pakistan, to discuss defense cooperation and ways to enhance it. The meeting was attended by Saudi Assistant Minister of Defense Eng. Talal Al-Otaibi, Chief of General Staff of the Pakistani Army Gen. Muhammad Owais, and Turkish Deputy Minister of Defense Jalal Sami Tawfik.

• As Davos crowd gathers, governments urged to rein in ‘billionaire class’

  The combined fortunes of the world's five richest men have more than doubled to $869 billion since 2020 while five billion people have been made poorer, anti-poverty group Oxfam said.

  An Oxfam report, which comes as business elites gather this week for the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, found that a billionaire is now either running, or is the main shareholder of, 7 out of 10 of the world's biggest companies.

• Israel pounds targets across Gaza, awaits Hamas word on three hostages

  Israeli forces bombarded targets in the south, north and centre of Gaza on Monday ahead of an expected announcement by Hamas on the fate of three Israelis held hostage by the Palestinian militant group shown in a video clip at the weekend.

  Twelve Palestinians were killed and others wounded in an Israeli airstrike overnight on a house in Gaza City in the north, health officials said, while plumes of smoke rose above the main southern city of Khan Younis shelled by Israeli tanks.

• US says it shot down anti-ship cruise missile from Houthi-controlled areas

  U.S. fighter aircraft shot down an anti-ship cruise missile fired from Houthi militant areas of Yemen toward a U.S. destroyer operating in the Southern Red Sea, the U.S. military said on Sunday.

  The midair interception is the latest incident in the Red Sea where the Houthis have been attacking international shipping in what they say is a campaign to support Palestinians under seige from Israeli forces in Gaza.

• Saudi Arabia unveils stunning new Prince Mohammad bin Salman Stadium in Qiddiya City amid 2034 World Cup bid

  The multi-use venue, which is situated in Qiddiya City, is set to provide the backdrop to some of the region’s biggest sports, entertainment and cultural events. The impressive construction is expected to attract visitors from all over the world while revolutionising the “traditional stadium experience with its immersive design and unique technological features” that puts “spectators at the centre of the show”.  

   

• Mancini laments lack of games for some players after Saudi spending spree

  Speaking on the eve of the match in Qatar, Mancini said he was happy with pre-tournament preparations but noted that not all of his players were getting as much action with their clubs as he would like. "Maybe we have problems with some Saudi players because they don't play many games, and this is the problem," he said when asked about the country's big-spending strategy. "We have many players who often don't play in their clubs."

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