MUST-READS

• Iraqi fighters head to Syria to battle rebels but Lebanon’s Hezbollah stays out, sources say
  Hundreds of Iran-backed Iraqi fighters crossed into Syria on Monday to help the government fight rebels who seized Aleppo last week, but Lebanon's Hezbollah has no plans for now to join them, according to sources. Iran's constellation of allied regional militia groups, aided by Russian air power, has been integral to the success of pro-government forces in subduing rebels in Syria who rose up against President Bashar al-Assad in 2011.

• Macron and Saudi crown prince sign partnership deal, call for Lebanon elections

  President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed a strategic partnership on Monday aimed at deepening bilateral ties and de-escalating conflict in the Middle East, including Lebanon, where the two leaders called for presidential elections.  Macron's state visit is the first by a French president to Saudi Arabia since Jacques Chirac in 2006, cementing what the presidency calls a "very close relationship". In 2021, Macron became one of the first Western leaders to meet Prince Mohammed in Saudi Arabia after the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul.

• Saudi Arabia to abandon US defence treaty for more modest alternative

  A full-blown US-Saudi treaty would need to pass the US Senate with a two-thirds majority and this would be a non-starter unless Riyadh recognises Israel, the sources said. The pact now under discussion would involve expanding joint military exercises and drills to address regional threats, mainly from Iran. It would foster partnerships between US and Saudi defence firms, with safeguards to prevent collaboration with China, the sources said. The agreement would promote Saudi investment in advanced technologies, especially drone defence. The US would increase its presence in Riyadh through training, logistics and cyber security support, and might deploy a Patriot missile battalion to enhance missile defence and integrated deterrence. “Saudi Arabia will get a security deal which will allow more military cooperation and sales of US weapons, but not a defence treaty similar to that of Japan or South Korea as initially sought,” said Abdelaziz al-Sagher, head of the Gulf Research Institute think-tank in Saudi Arabia.

• Saudi economy expected to grow 4.7% in 2025, 2026: World Bank

  Saudi Arabia’s economy is forecast to grow 4.7% in 2025 and 2026 driven by higher oil output, the World Bank (WB) said in a recent report. The Kingdom’s economy is expected to grow by 1.1% in 2024, supported by robust growth in non-oil activities at 4.6%. WB highlighted that Saudi Vision 2030 has spurred significant investments in tourism and renewable energy, alongside strong performance in the retail and hospitality sectors. It also noted a decline in the Kingdom's unemployment rate, indicating a strong labor market.

• 6 Saudis sentenced to 5 years in prison each and SR50000 in fine for circulating counterfeit banknotes

  The Economic Crimes Wing under the Public Prosecution has completed investigations into the charges against the citizens accused of violating the Criminal Law on Counterfeiting and Imitation of Money and the Law for Combating Financial Fraud and Breach of Trust. It was revealed in the investigations that one of the defendants had requested counterfeit money, amounting to SR100,000 from a website that was operating from outside the Kingdom. This suspect had used counterfeit banknotes and circulated them together with other Saudis, and was involved in financial fraud by earning wealth through using the counterfeit banknotes.

• Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah start a ceasefire after nearly 14 months of fighting

  The ceasefire calls for an initial two-month halt to fighting and requires Hezbollah to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops are to return to their side of the border. Thousands of additional Lebanese troopsand U.N. peacekeepers would deploy in the south, and an international panel headed by the United States would monitor compliance. The ceasefire began at 4 a.m. Wednesday, a day after Israel carried out its most intense wave of airstrikes in Beirut since the start of the conflict that in recent weeks turned into all-out war. At least 42 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to local authorities. The ceasefire does not address the devastating war in Gaza, where Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages and the conflict is more intractable.

• Saudi Arabia: Shaping Global Urbanization Discussions at Urban 20 Summit

  A Saudi delegation, led by Advisor at the General Secretariat of the Saudi Arabian Council of Ministers Fahd Al-Rasheed, actively participated in the 7th Urban 20 (U20) Global Summit in Rio de Janeiro. The summit, one of the world’s most influential urban development forums, highlighted Saudi Arabia's continued leadership in shaping global urbanization strategies. The U20 gathers cities from G20 member states to address pressing economic, climate, and developmental challenges. Saudi Arabia has played a prominent role in the forum since 2019, with Al-Rasheed previously serving as Chair in 2020 during Saudi Arabia’s G20 presidency.

• With Trump back, Israeli settlers revive goal of full control of West Bank
  After a record expansion of Israeli settlement activity, some settler advocates in the occupied West Bank are looking to Donald Trump to fulfil a dream of imposing sovereignty over the area seen by Palestinians as the heart of a future state. The West Bank has been transformed by the rapid growth of Jewish settlements since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned at the head of a far-right nationalist coalition two years ago. During that time, an explosion in settler violence that has led to U.S. sanctions.

• Saudi Arabia voices concern over extremist Israeli statements about West Bank sovereignty and settlements

  The Saudi Council of Ministers, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman in Riyadh on Tuesday, reiterated its concern over the extremist Israeli statements about imposing sovereignty over the West Bank, and the construction and expansion of settlements. "These Israeli actions undermine peace efforts, threaten the region's security and stability, and represent a blatant violation of international laws and relevant UN resolutions," the Cabinet said. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the session, Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary said that the Cabinet strongly condemned the continued targeting of Palestinian civilians and relief and humanitarian agencies by the Israeli occupation forces, and called on the international community to fulfill its responsibilities vis-à-vis the continuous aggression faced by the Palestinian people.

• US envoy in Beirut for talks after Lebanon, Hezbollah approve truce draft
  U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein landed in Beirut on Tuesday for talks with officials on a truce between armed group Hezbollah and Israel, Lebanon’s state news agency said, hours after a proposal drafted by Washington [USN:L8N3MP1Q8 TEXT:“won a nod”] from the Iran-backed group. The visit indicates progress in U.S.-led diplomacy aimed at ending a conflict which spiralled into all-out war in late September, when Israel launched a major offensive against Iran-backed Hezbollah.

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