MUST-READS

• Saudi Arabia’s Abyan Capital closes $18m Series A round, led by STV

  Abyan Capital, a pioneering robo-advisory firm in Saudi Arabia, has closed an impressive $18m Series A funding round, with STV taking the lead alongside Wa’ed Ventures and RZM Investment, according to wamda. Since its inception in 2022, Abyan Capital has reshaped Saudi Arabia’s financial advisory landscape, offering automated, user-friendly, and Shariah-compliant investment and savings solutions. The company’s range of products empowers users to efficiently manage investments, optimize asset allocations, and achieve financial objectives seamlessly.

• US National Security Adviser Insists on No Saudi Defense Pact Without Israel Normalization

  Jake Sullivan, who serves as President Joe Biden’s top national security aide, told the UK-based Financial Times that the materializing deal currently being discussed with Saudi Arabia centers on a “bilateral understanding” between the US and the Gulf kingdom on defense issues as well as a nonnegotiable normalization process with Israel. Similarly, the deal would also center on a framework providing “meaningful steps on behalf of the Palestinian people,” he added.  

• China vs. U.S.: Who’s Winning Hearts and Minds?

  The U.S. is currently beating China in the competition for leadership approval in much of the world. But, as a new Gallup report shows, this approval can depend a great deal on who is in power. Based on relative net approval scores, the U.S. enjoyed an advantage in 81 out of 133 countries that Gallup surveyed in 2023, while China had an advantage in 52. The United States' net approval advantage was largest in Kosovo at +154 points (+78 U.S. net approval and -76 Chinese net approval). China’s advantage was largest in Russia at -132 points (-82 U.S. net approval and +50 Chinese net approval). In any country, net approval of the U.S. minus net approval of China results in a relative net approval score between 200 and -200. A score of 200 means everyone approves of U.S. leadership and disapproves of Chinese leadership, while a score of -200 indicates the opposite. A score of 0 suggests parity, where the U.S. and China share the same net approval score.

• Biden warns Netanyahu against major Rafah offensive as divide between the 2 leaders grows

  President Joe Biden on Monday urgently warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against launching an offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah as the divide between the two leaders continues to grow along with the mounting Palestinian death toll. The call between Biden and Netanyahu came as Israel appeared to be moving closer to a major military operation to root out Hamas militants in Rafah — something that Biden and his top aides have repeatedly told Israeli officials will only lead to more death and worsen the despair in the war-ravaged territory.

• Hamas responds to ceasefire deal; Israel strikes in eastern Rafah

  While Hamas today said it had accepted a three-phase ceasefire/hostage release deal, Israel called Hamas’ proposal insufficient and said that it was proceeding with targeted military operations in eastern Rafah. It said it would, however, send a low-level delegation to Cairo to continue negotiations. A White House official said that Hamas had proposed some amendments to an April 26 draft negotiated by Egypt, the United States, Israel, and Qatar.

• Israeli military takes control of vital Rafah crossing from Gaza into Egypt
  The Israeli military seized control of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt on Tuesday and its tanks pushed into the southern Gazan town of Rafah after a night of air strikes on the Palestinian enclave.
  The Israeli offensive took place as mediators struggled to secure a ceasefire agreement between Israel and its Hamas foes and as the conflict entered its 8th month.
  The Palestinian militant group said late on Monday it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal but Israel said the terms did not meet its demands.
  • Reuters - Gaza ceasefire uncertain, Israel vows to continue Rafah operation
• Gulf Artists Make a Splash at the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale

  The second Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, which opened in Riyadh February 20, comes to a close in late May after a busy and popular run. Featuring 177 works by 100 international artists, the show, “After Rain,” reflects “a sense of revitalization and renewal, calling to mind the refreshing scent of the air when rain has fallen,” according to the print catalogue. Metaphorically echoing ideas of regeneration and change in Saudi Arabia’s social and cultural developments, the show’s theme also more literally contemplates the necessity of water for all life on Earth and the relationship of this resource to the desert environment of Saudi Arabia and other countries.

• F-15EX ‘Dogfights’ Eurofighter, Rafale Aircraft For Big, Fat Saudi Deal; Can Boeing Outdo Airbus & Dassault?

  With three options on the table, there is also conjecture that the kingdom might take the Qatar route and make its fleet more diverse by adding Rafales to the mix of its existing fleet comprising the F-15SA and the Eurofighter Typhoons. Although the officials in the kingdom have not officially acknowledged their interest in the French Rafale or the Airbus Eurofighter, a potential acquisition of either of these fighters may come as yet another setback to the US arms industry, which is believed to be steadily losing ground to European and even Chinese and Russian arms manufacturers in the Middle Eastern region.

• Saudi Arabia’s private sector workers grow to 11.3M in April

  The total number of workers in the Saudi private sector reached 11.27 million in April 2024, the National Labor Observatory said. The total number of nationals working in private-sector entities stood at 2.36 million in the same month, of which male and female workers accounted for 1.39 million and 970,240, respectively. Meanwhile, the number of expats working in the private sector reached 8.92 million. Meanwhile, a total of 18,540 Saudis joined the private sector workforce for the first time.

• U.S. Shuffles Military Assets in Middle East After Gulf Pushback

  The U.A.E. informed the U.S. in February that it would no longer permit American warplanes and drones based at Al Dhafra air base in Abu Dhabi to carry out strikes in Yemen and Iraq without notifying Emirati officials ahead of time. That has prompted U.S. commanders to send the additional aircraft to Al Udeid air base in Qatar, the small Persian Gulf monarchy that hasn’t imposed similar restrictions, U.S. officials said.

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