MUST-READS

• Russia, Germany, UK urge restraint as Iranian threat puts Middle East on edge

  Russia, Germany and Britain on Thursday urged countries in the Middle East to show restraint and Israel said it was preparing to "meet all its security needs" in a region on edge over an Iranian threat to strike Israel. The German airline Lufthansa, one of only two Western carriers flying to Tehran, extended a suspension of its flights to the Iranian capital and Russia warned against travel to the Middle East.

• Opinion: A Million Dollar Middle East Peace Plan

  Short-sighted leaders on both sides are fueling a new generation of violence and hatred. Hamas’s bloody terrorism is bad enough, but I wouldn’t be surprised if tomorrow the current war expands to Lebanon or Iran—or if a radiation ‘dirty’ bomb explodes in Tel Aviv, making parts of the city uninhabitable. The only good news is that the political careers of both Bibi Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas are clearly coming to an end. Both of these deplorable leaders have led their peoples to a dead end.

• US restricts travel for diplomats in Israel amid fears of Iran attack

  The United States has restricted travel for its embassy personnel in Israel amid fears of an attack by Iran. The US embassy said staff had been told not to travel outside the greater Jerusalem, Tel Aviv or Beersheba areas "out of an abundance of caution". Iran has vowed to retaliate, blaming Israel for a strike on its consulate in Syria 11 days ago, killing 13 people. Two US officials have told the BBC's US partner CBS News that an attack could come as soon as Friday.

• Oil prices head back up on Middle East jitters

  Oil prices rose in early trade on Friday on heightened tensions in the Middle East, where Iran has promised to retaliate for a suspected Israeli air strike on its embassy in Syria, which could risk disruptions to supply from the oil producing region. Brent crude futures climbed 34 cents, or 0.38%, to $90.08 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 44 cents, or 0.51%, to $85.45, at 0033 GMT.

• Industrial Policy is Back But the Bar to Get it Right Is High

  Governments have traditionally used targeted interventions known as industrial policy to make domestic producers more competitive or promote growth in selected industries. While some developing countries continued to use it, industrial policy fell out of favor across most of the world for years, because of its complexity and uncertain benefits. Now, industrial policy appears to be back everywhere. The pandemic, heightened geopolitical tensions, and the climate crisis raised concerns about the resilience of supply chains, economic and national security, and more generally about the ability of markets to allocate resources efficiently and address these concerns. As a result, governments came under pressure to have a more active industrial policy stance.

• Al Hilal thrash Al Ittihad to win Saudi Super Cup

  Al Hilal beat Al Ittihad 4-1 in the final of the Saudi Super Cup on Thursday to stay on course to win four trophies this season, with the injured Neymar watching his teammates cruise to victory. The trophy, lifted in Abu Dhabi's Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium, is the first of the season for the Riyadh giant, but is unlikely to be the last as the team is also 12 points clear of Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr at the top of the Saudi Pro League with just seven games remaining.

• Race for AI Supremacy in Middle East Is Measured in Data Centers

  One of the best places to view the Gulf states’ unfolding rivalry over artificial intelligence is inside an unmarked building in an industrial park near a golf course on the outskirts of Dubai. The windowless facility is cool and extraordinarily clean. Upon entering, guests step onto sticky blue floor mats designed to prevent stray sand particles from making their way inside. Like the scorching heat outside, any speck of desert dust could be hazardous to the multimillion-dollar equipment stored within.

• Saudi banks’ foreign assets surge by 22%, reflecting robust international investments

  The foreign assets of Saudi Arabia’s commercial banks surged by 22 percent in February, reaching a total of SR347.63 billion ($92.7 billion), compared to the same month of the previous year. This notable increase, as reported by recent data from the Kingdom’s central bank, also known as SAMA, reflects a significant expansion in the institution’s international holdings and investments. Conversely, Saudi banks witnessed a 38 percent surge in foreign liabilities over the same period, increasing to SR288.22 billion. This rise, which encompasses various financial obligations to banks outside the Kingdom, resulted in the calculation of net foreign assets amounting to SR59.41 billion.

• Saudi Arabia and the UAE Spur a Gulf States Space Race

  The Gulf Cooperation Council states are on a transformative journey, tapping into sectors like renewable energies, sports, entertainment and tourism to diversify their traditionally hydrocarbon-dependent economies. This path has already led them to broaden their diplomatic horizons beyond their own territorial limits. Now, with space as their next grand venture, it is taking them beyond the very bounds of Earth itself. The GCC states’ ambitious space programs are driven by domestic economic ambitions and commercial interests, with key ongoing projects like the futuristic smart cities of Masdar City in the United Arab Emirates and NEOM in Saudi Arabia relying on space applications and AI technologies. But the emerging space race is also a matter of national pride. Countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia aim to advance their space programs to enhance their global prestige and soft power. Both have made big moves in the space sector to complement their respective long-term visions, but also as part of a competitive rivalry.

• Airbus Beats Boeing for Deliveries in 2024

  Boeing’s deliveries of commercial aircraft have faltered in the first three months of the year, according to the company’s reports, published yesterday. The U.S. aircraft manufacturer delivered just 83 planes in Q3, down from 130 in the same three-month period of last year. In the meantime, its sole major competitor, Europe’s Airbus, saw an uptick in Q1, having delivered 142 of their planes, marking an increase from their Q1 2023 figure of 127.

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