MUST-READS

• Influential Muslims
  Saudi King Abdullah named world’s most influential Muslim

  The list accords him the place in light of Saudi Arabia being home to Islam’s two holy cities of Makkah and Madina, which millions of Muslims visit throughout the year, as well as the kingdom’s oil exports. Rounding out the top three are Dr Ahmad Muhammad al-Tayyeb, grand sheikh of Al-Azhar University and grand imam of Al-Azhar mosque, and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The top nine are all political leaders and royals, including Morocco’s King Mohammed VI and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

• GCC Visa
  Unified GCC visa policy being mulled by tourism ministers

  A unified GCC visa for tourist and businesspeople from 35 Arab and foreign countries could be available, according a high-ranking Kuwaiti official. Arab News reports that Samira Al-Gharib, assistant undersecretary for tourism at the Kuwaiti Ministry of Trade, told a local newspaper that the GCC interior ministries are considering introducing a “unified tourism visa”.

• Saudi Arabia keeps the oil market guessing

• Renewable Energy Investment
  2 Ways You Can Profit From Saudi Arabia’s $109 Billion Solar Boom

  First Saudi Arabia's economy has been booming right along with its population in recent years. For example, between 2011 and 2013 economic growth ranged from between 3.6% and 8.6%. and 4.7% in the first quarter of 2014.

• Turkey and Anti-ISIS Coalition
  Exclusive: Turkey OK’s American Drones to Fight ISIS

  “They are letting us do a ton of signals work,” a U.S. official working the issue said, using military jargon for the interception of hostile communications. “They have not objected to just about anything on the surveillance side. The fights have been about manned aircraft coming in and out.” The dispute over flying the manned aircraft has been a source of considerable tensions behind the scenes since the U.S. campaign against ISIS began in August. But the outlines of that dispute spilled out into the open this week.

  • FT - Turkey: In the line of fire'
• Global Oil Markets
  Cheap Oil: The Kingdom Strikes Back

  Are the Saudis trying to put the frackers in their place? Perhaps. But it’s more likely that the kingdom is focused, as it has been for the past decade or so, with bringing opposition within OPEC to heel. The Saudis are locked in a struggle with Iran for the control of the cartel, and the two countries now are playing a game of chicken over prices. Both said they intend to keep producing regardless of how far prices fall. Whose economy can hold out the longest? The Saudis are happy to take that bet.

  • Bloomberg - U.S. Imports of Saudi Crude Rebound From Four-Year Low
  • Bit Tooth Energy - Tech Talk - Pessimistic Talk in a time of surplus
  • Bloomberg - Don’t Mess With Saudis in Oil Bear Market Global Shakeout
  • Foreign Policy - Alleged Oil Shock Isn't All That Shocking
  • CSM - $100 … $80 … $70? $60? $50? How low will oil prices go? (+video)
  • BBC News - Is the oil crash a secret US war on Russia?
• Education
  Outstanding Saudi teachers to get cars and cash

  The Saudi Ministry of Education plans to reward "outstanding educators" with luxury cars like BMWs, as well as large cash sums. Riyadh says the bonuses don't just apply to classroom teachers, but also to school heads and educational advisers. Top

• Extremism
  Poll finds IS popular among 5% of Saudis

  A recent American survey revealed that only 5 percent of Saudis, or around half a million citizens, view the so-called Islamic State (IS) terror group favorably.

• Riyadh Shooting
  Image revealed of Saudi suspected of killing American

  “We are deeply saddened and regret to confirm the death of one of our employees, and the injury to another in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,” a statement from Vinnell Arabia said.

  • Arab News - Riyadh gunman has criminal record
• Markets Sentiment Index
  Morocco Grabs Limelight as Companies Focus on Frontiers

  Corporate sentiment toward frontier markets has improved noticeably over the past three months, according to the latest WSJ Frontiers/FSG Frontier Markets Sentiment Index. Based on a sample of around 200 multinational companies, the index, created exclusively for WSJ Frontiers by Washington-based consultancy Frontier Strategy Group, suggests companies are sharpening their focus on key frontier countries such as Kenya, Saudi Arabia and Morocco.

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