MUST-READS

• Anthropic is lining up a new slate of investors, but the AI startup has ruled out Saudi Arabia

  The stake in Anthropic is for sale because it belongs to FTX, the failed cryptocurrency exchange started by Sam Bankman-Fried, and is being unloaded as part of the company’s bankruptcy proceedings. FTX bought the shares three years ago for $500 million. The 8% stake is now worth more than $1 billion due to the recent boom in AI.

• Beloved iftar staples around Saudi Arabia

  Dates are an essential dish that Muslims use to break their fasts, following in the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). For Saudis, an assortment of dates are normally consumed, along with Arabic coffee, soup, and fried or baked stuffed pastry (samboosa and other dishes). For sugar-hungry Muslims, the soft drink Vimto is often the go-to liquid to quench thirst.

• Saudi business registrations rise 12% to 1.12m, minister says

  Saudi Arabia’s business registrations saw a notable increase of 12 percent from 2019 to 2023, reaching a total of over 1.12 million commercial records, a top official said. Minister of Commerce Majid Al-Qasabi disclosed the figures during a meeting in Jeddah to discuss challenges and enhance the Kingdom’s enterprise environment, The session was attended by Mohammed Yousuf Naghi, chairman of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce, and other board members, as well as members of the community, including investors, businesspeople, and entrepreneurs, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

• Saudi Arabia scores 248 points in UNCTAD’s Liner Shipping Connectivity Index

  Since the beginning of 2024, 7 new shipping line services have been launched, and nine integrated logistics parks and hubs at Jeddah Islamic Port, King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam, and King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu have been established and inaugurated, in cooperation with leading national and international companies, with investments exceeding SAR 6 billion.

• How Saudi Arabia is acting to stabilize and replenish its groundwater reserves

  Presently, the Kingdom relies on three basic sources for water extraction: Desalinated seawater, groundwater, and recycled water regularly used in electricity production. Saudi Arabia derives some of its water from the sea. This is done through the process of desalination, which involves transforming brackish seawater into potable water. The Kingdom is now officially the world’s largest producer of desalinated water.

• Sara Netanyahu criticises liberated Israeli captives

  The wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Sara, sparked a wave of reactions from the Israeli captives who were returned from Gaza during the exchange deal with Hamas.

  Sara criticised the liberated captives and complained in private conversations with a member of the Knesset that she and her husband had not yet received thanks for returning some of the captured Israelis.

  According to a report published by News 12, Sara criticised: “Did you see how many kidnapped people we brought back? They did not do that… they did not even thank us.”

• Gaza war: How the crisis is testing the limits of US diplomacy

  Much of Mr Blinken's trip was crisis management. Trying to get aid into Gaza, get the hostages out and secure an end to the conflict, which the US says must ensure Hamas's attack on Israel on 7 October "can never happen again".

  At the same time it is trying to shape a post-war future. Washington wants the Palestinian Authority running Gaza. It is the entity formed during the 1990s Oslo Accords and driven out of Gaza by Hamas in 2007.

• Marcos Likely To Visit Saudi Arabia As Countries Celebrate Emerald Anniversary Of Ties

  Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is likely to visit Saudi Arabia as the two countries celebrate the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year, Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo told Arab News. Labor relations have been a main pillar of Saudi-Philippine ties, as the Kingdom is a major destination for overseas Filipino workers with more than 450,000 Filipinos working in the Kingdom between April and September 2022, latest government data showed.

• Biden to host Iraqi leader with talks underway on winding down coalition against the Islamic State

  The leaders will “consult on a range of issues,” including the fight against the Islamic State and “ongoing Iraqi financial reforms to promote economic development and progress toward Iraq’s financial independence and modernization,” the White House said.

  The two countries have a delicate relationship due in part to Iran’s considerable sway in Iraq, where a coalition of Iran-backed groups brought al-Sudani to power in October 2022.

• Iraq girds to revive long-abandoned nuclear energy program

  The Iraqi government has declared its intention to revive the country’s long-abandoned nuclear energy program. The announcement by Prime Minister Muhammad Shia’ Al-Sudani comes amid a broader regional push to develop nuclear capabilities, following in the footsteps of Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While Iraq is a long way from completing such an endeavor, Sudani’s announcement is a diplomatic win for the prime minister—underscoring his engagement with international organizations. 

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