MUST-READS

• Saudi Finance Hub Bigger Than Canary Wharf Seeks $700 Million

  Saudi Arabia’s main finance district — almost three times the size of London’s Canary Wharf — is looking to raise about $700 million from equity investors to fund further development of its Riyadh real estate complex. The King Abdullah Financial District, or KAFD, is planning to raise the money by putting some of its income-generating buildings into a real estate investment trust and offering a stake to investors through a listing on the Saudi stock exchange, according to people familiar with the matter.

• Build details showcase incredible scale of Saudi Arabia’s Line megacity

  To help make all this happen, Saudi Arabian authorities have now commissioned a new SAR 700-million (almost US$190-million) concrete multi-plant factory that will be capable of producing up to 20,000 cubic meters (roughly 700,000 cubic ft) of concrete per day, most of which will be for the Line, with the remainder going to other Neom projects. There are also over 100,000 workers busy removing huge amounts of earth 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to make space for its massive foundations.

• Where a Million Desperate People Are Finding Shelter in Lebanon

  In Lebanon, the displaced are practically everywhere. In Beirut, the capital, where many are staying, they have set up makeshift tents on the corniche by the sea, crafting shelters out of stray metal poles, bits of awnings and blankets. In the city’s parks and squares, some families have placed floor coverings on the ground, anchoring them with cases of water and folded blankets. Others are taking shelter anywhere that they can, mostly in schools but also in unfinished buildings.

• U.S. Central Command Conducts Multiple Strikes on Underground Iran-Backed Houthi Weapons Facilities

  U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted multiple, precision airstrikes on numerous Iran-backed Houthi weapons storage facilities within Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen that contained various advanced conventional weapons used to target U.S. and international military and civilian vessels navigating international waters throughout the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. These actions were taken to degrade the Houthi's capability to continue their reckless and unlawful attacks on international commercial shipping and on U.S., coalition, and merchant personnel and vessels in the Red Sea, Bab Al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden, and to degrade their ability to threaten regional partners.

• Tech-savvy Qatif grandmother keeps Saudi traditions alive for the social media generation

  Dressing in traditional clothing and glistening gold jewelry is the daily norm for Fatma Abdullah Al-Malak, a 72-year-old, tech-savvy Saudi grandmother from Qatif who is working hard to keep the spirit of local culture alive through her social media activity. She creates educational content about local heritage and traditions, including clothing and cooking, and shares it on Instagram. In one video, for example, she explains the traditional significance of the Alrdah, a cloak or robe that hangs loosely across the shoulders and is worn by women when they leave the house.

• Israeli siege plan for Gaza under scrutiny as U.S. demands urgent change

  The “General’s Plan” is being pushed by some members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government, despite pushback from the Israeli military, human rights groups and the White House. On Sunday, citing international and U.S. law, top Biden administration officials gave Israel a month to reverse course or risk losing American military assistance.

• As Saudi Arabia looks to diversify economy, Hollywood takes notice

  While Hollywood is interested in how the Saudis can fund projects, the Saudis see it the opposite way, according to some dealmakers. The country’s intent, they say, is to create a studio and production infrastructure at home and use Hollywood talent to bolster it. The focal point of that has been Neom, the futuristic city being built on the coast of the Red Sea. Neom already has six sound stages — with another four in the works — and the area boasts a cash rebate of up to 40% for qualifying projects.

• Egypt-Saudi Arabia Electricity Interconnection to be Complete in 2025

  The first phase of the Egypt-Saudi Arabia electricity interconnection project will be operational by June 2025, according to Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly. Comprising 1,200 km of overhead transmission lines, the project aims to facilitate the exchange of up to 3 GW of electricity upon completion. The transmission line will connect Saudi Arabia’s 380 kV Madinah East and 380 kV Tabuk converter stations with Egypt’s 500 kV Badr station. “The project will have a capacity of 1.5 GW and facilitate energy exchange between both countries,” Madbouly stated. “It will be a major milestone, with a total capacity of 3 GW which will surpass the total regional energy capacity of Gulf Cooperation Council countries.”

• 16 ministry officials among 21 arrested as major drug trafficking network busted in Riyadh

  The arrested persons were accused of crimes such as smuggling drugs from outside the Kingdom; replacing seized narcotics with similar ones before they were destroyed by the competent authority; transporting, promoting and trading drugs; destroying the evidences of transactions carried out by the defendants in drug cases, and leaking information about their convictions.

• Inter Milan becomes first club to get Saudi investment license

  Italy’s Inter Milan has become the first international football club to receive a licence in Saudi Arabia. The ministry of investment licence will support the club in extending its brand presence in the Middle East and growing its fanbase. Inter Milan, or Nerazzurri, will bring its expertise and experience as a top-level football club to the country. “Through promoting talent and sports culture, the Nerazzurri club aims to contribute positively to the country’s future ambitions,” the club said in a statement.

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