MUST-READS

• Saudi Arabia restricts visit visa holders from entering Makkah during Hajj season

  The Saudi Ministry of Interior has announced entry restrictions to Makkah for holders of all types of visit visas from May 23 to June 21, 2024, coinciding with the upcoming Hajj season. The ministry clarified that visit visas do not include authorization to perform Hajj. Visitors currently in Saudi Arabia on visit visas are advised to refrain from traveling to Makkah during this period to avoid penalties under the Kingdom’s regulations. These measures are part of the security and organizational preparations aimed at ensuring the safety and security of authorized pilgrims and allowing them to perform their religious rituals without disruption.

• Harvard students end protest as university agrees to discuss Middle East conflict

  Protesters against the war between Israel and Hamas were voluntarily taking down their tents in Harvard Yard on Tuesday after university officials agreed to discuss their questions about the endowment, bringing a peaceful end to the kinds of demonstrations that were broken up by police on other campuses. The student protest group Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine said in a statement that the encampment “outlasted its utility with respect to our demands.” Meanwhile, Harvard University interim President Alan Garber agreed to pursue a meeting between protesters and university officials regarding the students’ questions.

• Jeddah Historic District, Cruise Saudi team on sustainability strategies
  Jeddah Historic District Program and Cruise Saudi plan to cooperate on how to handle more international cruise visitors while preserving historic sites and benefiting the community.

• U.S. tells Qatar to evict Hamas if it obstructs Israeli hostage deal

  Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivered the message to Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in April, according to the official, who like others interviewed for this report spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations.

• IDC expects Saudi Arabia’s ICT spending to hit $37.4B by 2024-end

  Spending on the information and communication technology (ICT) market in Saudi Arabia is expected to reach about $37.4 billion by the end of 2024, showing a growth of 3.3% year-on-year, said Hamza Naqshabandi. Vice President for Custom Solutions in the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META) at International Data Corporation (IDC).   On the sidelines of the ICT Indicators Forum, Naqshabandi told Argaam that the main factors driving this growth include the emergence of pioneering and emerging digital sectors such as e-tourism, entertainment, and e-sports.

• Oil price could exceed $100 a barrel if Middle East conflict worsens, World Bank warns

  A serious escalation of tensions in the Middle East would push the price of oil above $100 (£80) a barrel and reverse the recent downward trend in global inflation, the World Bank has said.

  The Washington-based institution said the recent fall in commodity prices had been levelling off even before the recent missile strikes by Iran and Israel – making interest rate decisions for central banks tougher.

  But it added that its forecast that crude prices would average $84 a barrel this year would prove too optimistic in the event of the crisis worsening.

• Book Review: The Conflicts Shaping the Middle East

  The recently released book “Battleground – 10 Conflicts that Explain the New Middle East” by historian Christopher Phillips provides a useful overview of ten ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.  The author takes an ambitious approach to explaining these conflicts, trying to pack in a great deal of information into ten chapters that describe the conflicts and countries involved.

• Commentary: Gulf states’ response to Iran-Israel conflict may decide outcome of crisis

  Dana Stroul, who until December was the most senior civilian official at the Pentagon with responsibility for the Middle East, insisted: “Whatever regional politicians may say, the military, security and intelligence establishments of both the Arab states and Israel are quite clear – that Iran is the centre of gravity for instability, the export of terrorism and its illicit nuclear weapons programme.”

• Iran vs Israel: A look at their air forces amid fears of extended conflict

  The Iranian air force has 37,000 personnel, but decades of international sanctions have largely cut the country off from the latest high-tech military equipment, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London (IISS).

• Perspective: Israel Exposes the Contradictions in Biden’s Foreign Policy

  The main non sequitur at issue concerned Biden’s dual message to Israel following this weekend’s massive barrage of drones and missiles from Iran. Part I says that American support for Israel is, and will forever remain, “ironclad.” Part II qualifies that the US is determined to “prevent escalation,” meaning a wider regional or even global war. That second aspect requires leaning on Israel to show restraint in its retaliation. But which of the two parts has priority?

• 10 of 916 results<< 1 … 6 7 8 … 92 >>