MUST-READS

• Syria War Crimes
  How all sides are committing war crimes in Syria

  A report published Wednesday by a United Nations-appointed commission on Syria indicates that both the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and rebel factions seeking its overthrow, including the extremist Islamic State, are guilty of war crimes amid the country's ongoing, brutal civil war. Last week, the U.N. said at least 191,000 Syrians have died since hostilities broke out in 2011.

• Iraq Airstrikes
  U.S. relies on Persian Gulf bases for airstrikes in Iraq

  The U.S. military is relying on bases in the Persian Gulf and elsewhere in the Middle East to carry out airstrikes in Iraq but is masking the locations and other details about the units and aircraft involved to avoid embarrassing partners in the region.

  • Washington Post - Here's everything the U.S. military has hit with airstrikes in Iraq
  • WSJ - Islamists in Iraq Rely on Mines, Booby Traps in Battlefield Strategy
  • NYT - U.S. Mobilizes Allies to Widen Assault on ISIS
• Syria
  Possible airstrikes in Syria raise more questions

  The intelligence gathered by U.S. military surveillance flights over Syria could support a broad bombing campaign against the Islamic State militant group, but current and former U.S. officials differ on whether air power would significantly degrade what some have called a "terrorist army."

  • CNN - Opinion: ISIS is forcing a 'moment of truth'
  • Al-Jazeera - American fighting with Islamic State killed in Syria
  • Washington Post - U.S. rules out coordinating airstrikes in Syria with Assad
  • Reuters - U.S. air strikes on Syria would face formidable obstacles
  • Quartz - This is the Syrian town where the first US airstrikes could fall
• Food Imports
  Saudi Arabia food imports worth $24 billion annually

  Saudi Arabia imports almost 70 per cent of its food requirements, according to an economic study conducted by the Saudi Agriculture Exhibition, which noted that the Kingdom pays 90 billion Saudi riyals ($24 billion) annually in return for food. The study, which was released on Tuesday, noted that food expenditure in Saudi Arabia constitutes 26 per cent of all consumer spending and predicted that food consumption will significantly increase by 55.3 per cent to reach 424 billion riyals ($113 billion) by 2016.

• Haia
  Gaming Social Media

  Saudi Arabia’s Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice is crying “Foul!” over a video clip that has been appearing on various social media sites. The clip purports to show a member of the Commission uttering threats against blackmailers and homosexuals while presenting himself as a member of the vice police. His is not a part of the Commission but an imposter, authorities say, and they are determined to find out who he is and to punish him.

• Extremism
  Saudi jails 17 for up to 33 years for terrorism offenses

  A Saudi special court sentenced 17 people to between nine and 33 years in jail for joining a "terrorist cell" in the kingdom and fighting abroad, state news agency SPA reported Monday.

• Labor
  Contractors in Saudi Arabia welcome foreign firms, demand equal treatment

  Several Saudi contractors have said they are not against the Council of Ministers’ decision to allow foreign contractors to enter the Saudi market as long as they are given equal opportunities.   They said all local contractors are hoping for the same treatment foreign contractors will be given and that the Ministry of Labor should grant local contractors the necessary visas to allow them to recruit workers. 

• Art
  Saudi artist relates the human impact of Mecca’s redevelopment

  Ahmed Mater, one of Saudi Arabia’s leading artists, showed an audience at Sotheby’s London last night, Tuesday 12 August, the rampant development in Mecca that has transformed Islam’s holiest site into a luxury destination. Even the official logo of the municipality features a bulldozer alongside Islamic iconography.

• Housing
  Saudis second-biggest investors in Dubai real estate sector

  DLD’s report revealed that citizens of Saudi Arabia were ranked in second place on the list of GCC real estate investment after making 1,121 transactions worth AED3,371 billion in the first half of 2014.

• Infrastructure
  GCC to spend $86bn on infrastructure projects

  Infrastructure project awards across the GCC are forecast to exceed $86billion in 2014, an increase of 77.8 percent over 2013. New figures released by construction intelligence firm Ventures Onsites how a dramatic increase in contract awards across the region, in every country except Saudi Arabia.

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