MUST-READS

• Saudi Arabia is trying to build the largest linear city ever. It’s a visionary but flawed concept, urban planners say.

  The Spanish architect Arturo Soria is widely credited with designing the first linear city, "La Ciudad Lineal," in 1882 on the outskirts of Madrid. Around forty years later, in 1924, renowned Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier offered another radical alternative with his "Ville Radieuse," a linear, ordered metropolis full of green space.

• Saudi FM Discusses Gaza Truce Proposal with US Counterpart

  Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed in a telephone conversation on Saturday with his US counterpart, Antony Blinken, the Gaza truce proposal announced by President Joe Biden a day earlier. The Saudi minister expressed during the call the Kingdom’s support for all efforts aimed at an immediate ceasefire, the complete withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces, the urgent entry of humanitarian aid to civilians affected by the Israeli offensive, and the safe return of displaced persons to their homes. Farhan emphasized the need to seriously address any proposal that achieves a permanent ceasefire and ends the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza

• Saudi Arabia provides $129 billion in aid to 169 countries since 1996

   Saudi Arabia has provided over $129 billion in aid to 169 countries worldwide since 1996, the Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah said. Al Rabeeah, emphasized that Saudi Arabia, through KSrelief, is actively involved in removing unexploded ordnance as part of its humanitarian efforts. These efforts aim to improve the environment, protect civilians, particularly women and children, build capabilities, provide a safe environment, preserve public health, and reduce the dangerous effects of explosives on individuals and society.

• Hezbollah downs Israeli drone over Lebanon with missile
  An Israeli pilotless plane was shot down over Lebanese territory by a surface-to-air missile on Saturday, Israel's military said, and Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the interception.
  In a statement, Hezbollah said it downed a Hermes 900 drone in solidarity with Gaza, where Israel has been waging an almost eight-month-old war against Hamas, another Iranian-backed group.
  Video circulated online appeared to show a plane of a size corresponding to that of a Hermes, aflame and gyring earthward.

• Blinken discusses Israel’s Gaza ceasefire proposal with Middle East counterparts

  US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has discussed a three-phase Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza in a series of phone calls with his UAE, Saudi, Jordanian and Turkish counterparts.

  Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs, said the ceasefire deal announced by US President Joe Biden on Friday should be treated seriously and positively, Wam reported on Saturday.

  In a phone call with Mr Blinken on Saturday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan emphasised the kingdom’s support for immediate ceasefire efforts in Gaza, as well as a complete Israeli withdrawal from the strip.

  Israel's proposal for a ceasefire, in return for the release of Israeli hostages, was announced by US President Joe Biden at the White House on Friday.

• Esports World Cup CEO: Saudi Arabia the perfect place for our first global event

  The Esports World Cup, set to take place in Riyadh, will feature a diverse line-up of games, including Street Fighter, Overwatch and League of Legends. With a prize pool of $60 million, it is expected to attract top talent from across the globe. The event will also feature a festival of gaming and esports activities, alongside conferences and side tournaments.

• WRC Signs 10-Year Deal to Host Saudi Arabia Round

  Confirmation of a 10-year deal with Saudi Arabia was announced at this weekend’s Rally Sardinia, which has been attended by HRH Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al Abdullah Al-Faisal, Chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and the Saudi Motorsport Company. Rally Saudi Arabia is set to host the final round of next year’s expected 14-event championship in November and could be set to hold that berth for the next five years at least. The rally will be held around Jeddah with stages featuring a mixture of mountain and desert roads. A test event is likely to be held early next year as part of the Middle East Rally Championship.

• What’s in Biden’s 3-phase plan to end the war in Gaza?

  Over the weekend, an aide for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country had accepted a framework agreement for winding down its ongoing military campaign in Gaza, while insisting that the proposal put forth by Biden was “not a good deal” and that "there are a lot of details to be worked out." The plan arrives eight months after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks that left an estimated 1,200 dead in Israel. Since then, over 36,000 Palestinians and more than 600 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the ongoing war, while an estimated 84 people are still being held hostage in Gaza, according to multiple news outlets.

  • US Embassy - Remarks by President Biden on the Middle East
• Two more US officials resign over Biden administration’s position on Gaza war

  Alexander Smith, a contractor for the US Agency for International Development (USAID), said he was given a choice between resignation and dismissal after preparing a presentation on maternal and child mortality among Palestinians, which was cancelled by USAID shortly before it was due to be delivered last week.

• Another US MQ-9 Reaper drone goes down in Yemen, images purportedly show

  Another U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone went down in Yemen, images purported to show Wednesday, as Yemen’s Houthi rebels continued attacks on shipping around the Red Sea over the Israel-Hamas war. The Houthis released footage they said showed the aircraft being targeted with a surface-to-air missile in a desert region of Yemen’s central Marib province. It marked the third-such downing this month alone.

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