MUST-READS

• Saudi Arabia announces stringent penalties for unauthorised Hajj pilgrims

  Saudi Arabia has announced stringent penalties against individuals attempting to perform the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage without an official permit. The Ministry of Interior said that enforcement would begin next month, targeting those violating Hajj rules in Mecca, the Central Area, and sacred places from June 2 to June 20.

• When is Eid al-Adha? And when will Hajj 2024 begin? All you need to know

  The Muslim world is gearing to celebrate Eid al-Adha this year on or around Sunday June 16, according to various astronomical calculations. The date, however, can change depending on the beginning of the Dhu al-Hijjah month. It is expected that Saudi Arabia will call on Muslims in the Kingdom to sight the crescent moon on June 6.

• Expat remittances surge in Saudi Arabia, hit two-year high

  Monthly remittances of expatriates in Saudi Arabia reached SR11.9 billion in March, marking their highest in nearly two years, according to official figures. The remittances in March increased by 4 per cent against the same month last year, figures from the Saudi Central Bank showed.

• Saudi Arabia AI development head reveals they will divest from China if US steps up and asks them to

  Amit Midha, CEO of Alat, Saudi Arabia’s new investment fund for semiconductor and artificial intelligence technology, stated that the country would divest from China if requested by the US. Alat is an investment firm backed by $100 billion in capital from the Public Investment Fund. Midha emphasized that while current requests focus on maintaining separate manufacturing and supply chains, Saudi Arabia would comply with US concerns and divest if partnerships with China posed issues.

• Alipay+ expands to Saudi Arabia. Good news for luxury?

  Chinese fintech giant Ant Group is aggressively expanding abroad, with its eyes now on Saudi Arabia. Singapore-based Ant International, which extends the group’s innovative fintech solutions to global markets, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA) to facilitate business growth in the kingdom.

• Saudi Arabia readies six airports to receive Hajj 2024 pilgrims

  Saudi civil aviation authorities said they have designated six main airports for receiving Muslims, who will attend next month’s annual Hajj pilgrimage. They are King Abdulaziz International Airport in the Red Sea city of Jeddah; Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Airport in Medina; Taif International Airport in the western city of Taif; King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh; Prince Abdulmohsen International Airport in the coastal city of Yanbu; and King Fahd International Airport in the western city of Dammam.

• Saudi Aramco maintains $31 billion dividend despite lower Q1 net income

  Saudi Arabia's state oil giant Aramco (2222.SE), opens new tab expects to pay $31 billion in dividends to the Saudi government and its shareholders despite reporting lower earnings for the first quarter on Tuesday, hit by lower oil prices and volumes sold. The Saudi government, which directly holds about 82.2% of Aramco, relies heavily on the company's payouts, which also include royalties and taxes. The kingdom, the world's biggest oil exporter, is spending billions of dollars to diversify its economy away from crude.

• Exclusive: Shell in talks to sell Malaysia fuel stations to Saudi Aramco, sources say

  Energy giant Shell is in talks with Saudi Arabia's state-owned Saudi Aramco to sell its gas station business in Malaysia, the second-largest such network in the country, four industry sources aware of the discussions said, and a deal could be worth up to $1 billion. Shell said Malaysia is important to the company. "We remain committed to the mobility business in the country," it said in an updated statement on Tuesday, without elaborating.

• Opinion: A U.S. Deal Could Make Saudi Arabia the Next Egypt

  Will they, or won’t they? That is the question that the Middle East-watching world has been asking for the past few weeks. Will the United States and Saudi Arabia announce the big defense pact-plus deal that officials in both countries have been working on since at least mid-2023?

• Saudi Arabia’s Donia Abu Taleb set to make historic step for women at Paris Olympics 

  Donia Abu Taleb took an historic step for Saudi women when she earned direct qualification for the taekwondo competition at the Paris Olympics and is determined to take another huge stride in France later this year. The 27-year-old punched her ticket to the Games at the Asian qualifiers in March and her achievement was celebrated by Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, the minister of sport and head of the Saudi Olympic Committee.

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