MUST-READS

• Cristiano Ronaldo closes in on Saudi record after scoring perfect hat-trick for Al Nassr

  Cristiano Ronaldo scored a perfect hat-trick on Saturday evening to continue his prolific season as Al Nassr thrashed Al Wehda 6-0 in the Saudi Pro League.

  Already clear in the SPL's top scorer standings, Ronaldo took his tally to 32 goals in 31 games – and 41 in 40 matches in all competitions – with his 66th career hat-trick.

  Ronaldo opened the scoring at Al Awwal Stadium in the fifth minute when Wehda goalkeeper Munir Mohamedi's poor clearance found the Nassr captain on the edge of the area. The Portuguese forward brought the ball into the box and curled a right-footed effort into the bottom corner.

• Saudi Arabia’s Flyadeal considering new Airbus jet order amid route expansion plans

  Saudi Arabia's budget airline Flyadeal is considering placing an order for more single-aisle Airbus aircraft and upgrading its existing order of 50 narrow-body jets, as it seeks to grow its international route network.

  Flyadeal, an all-Airbus fleet operator, is looking into converting its existing order of A320 Neos and A321 Neos to higher specification aircraft, Steven Greenway, the new boss of the no-frills carrier, told The National.

  The potential modification will increase the maximum take-off weight, improve the performance of the jet engines and secure the so-called ETOPS certification that allows for longer flights over water.

• Saudi students among global winners in Apple’s developer program

  Two students from Saudi Arabia are among the global winners in Apple’s developer programme, highlighting the region's potential in the growing technology segment.

  Jawaher Shaman, the creator of the My Child app that assists people with speech conditions, is among the top three “distinguished winners” of the Swift Student Challenge, joining Elena Galluzzo from Canada and US-based Dezmond Blair.

  A total of 50 distinguished winners were chosen, from a pool of 350 winning submissions, and they have been invited to attend Apple's annual Worldwide Developer Conference, which runs from June 10 to 14 at its headquarters in California.

• Commentary: The longshot plan to end the war in Gaza and bring peace to the Middle East

  “The Saudis have a global and regional leadership role in the Islamic world that the others don’t have,” said Hussein Ibish, senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. “They have [more than] 30 million people and a lot of regional factions and divisions, so they have to worry about their internal political stability as well as their Arab leadership role.”

• Despite Oct. 7, Netanyahu is determined to run for reelection, and certain he can win

  Netanyahu believes that Israel is in the midst of a war that will last for many years to come and that only he is fit to lead this challenge. More than that though, he is convinced that he will win an election — perhaps in the coming months — if a proposal for a hostage deal comes to a vote and wins the expected majority it needs to pass.

• The Emergent Gulf Sovereign Wealth Fund-Global Tech Nexus

  These efforts are not just garnering global attention but also – in some cases – paying off. On April 15, Microsoft announced a $1.5 billion strategic investment in G42 for a minority stake and Microsoft’s vice chair and president, Brad Smith, joining the Emirati company’s board. At Saudi Arabia’s annual tech-focused LEAP conference, Amazon Web Services announced plans to spend $5.3 billion to create a new infrastructure region in the kingdom. Gulf countries are racing to build data centers with the help of local, Asian, and Western companies.

• Perspective: Unfairly Maligned? The Cost of Mediation on Qatar-U.S. Relations

  Moreover, many of Qatar’s past actions toward Gaza that voices within the United States and Israel now denounce were implemented at the behest of officials in Washington and Tel Aviv. A look back at Qatari mediation in Gaza over the past decade could remind U.S. policymakers of Qatari maneuverability in the region when crises erupt.

• Saudi Arabia’s Deserts have been turning green around the Holy Cities

  After heavy rains, parts of Saudi Arabia’s desert near Mecca and Medina have turned green. This transformation, particularly in the West, is due to excess water, leading to the growth of grass and plants. Photos show camels grazing on fresh grass, and once arid areas are now vibrant with color. This unusual sight has also been visible from NASA satellites.

• Saudi Arabia’s non-oil business activity growth steady in April
  Saudi Arabia's non-oil business activity grew at a steady rate in April despite a slowdown in new order growth, a survey showed on Sunday, with domestic demand driving output.
  The seasonally-adjusted Riyad Bank Saudi Arabia Purchasing Managers' Index stood at 57.0 in April, the same as March, and well above the 50.0 mark denoting expansion in activity.
  The Output subindex retreated slightly to 61.9 in April from a six month high of 62.2 the previous month, but continued to reflect strong demand conditions, with Wholesale & Retail registering the strongest expansion in output.

• Saudi PMI stabilizes at 57 points in April, business activity up sharply

  The seasonally adjusted Riyad Bank Saudi Arabia Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), formerly S&P Global Saudi Arabia PMI, kept unchanged at 57 points in April 2024.   The non-oil private sector saw a strong operational improvement in April.   Meanwhile, business activity hit sharply at the beginning of the second quarter, according to sub-sector data, the wholesale and retail businesses witnessed the strongest expansion in output.

• 10 of 61258 results<< 1 … 357 358 359 … 6,126 >>