MUST-READS

• Al Hilal chief hits back at Koeman criticism of Saudi Pro League
  Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman underestimates the quality of the Saudi Pro League, Al Hilal CEO Esteve Calzada said on Thursday after the Dutchman refused to select winger Steven Bergwijn because of the player's move to Saudi Arabia. Bergwijn, 27, joined Al Ittihad from Ajax Amsterdam last month and was publicly called out by Koeman who said international selection was now closed to the player. Former Manchester City executive Calzada said the Dutch coach undervalued the Saudi top-flight, which in the last two years, helped by the country's Public Investment Fund, has spent a huge sum of money attracting top talent from across Europe.

• Prince Faisal bin Salman congratulates Dr. Mortel for obtaining Saudi citizenship

  Prince Faisal bin Salman, special advisor to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and chairman of the Board of Directors of the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah), congratulated Dr. Mortel on the occasion of obtaining the Saudi citizenship. During his meeting with Dr. Mortel at the Darah headquarters in Riyadh, Prince Faisal underscored the keenness of Saudi Arabia and its leadership on attracting experts and thinkers from various fields so as to contribute to the process of building a strong cultural and scientific society in the country.

• Saudi Arabia’s RHQ Programme continues to gain momentum

  In 2024, the RHQ mandate is now in full effect. As of 1 January, MNCs without an RHQ in Saudi Arabia are no longer eligible to bid in government tenders above SAR1 million (USD266,000). Over 350 MNCs have obtained RHQ licences, with most choosing Riyadh as their base of operations. The capital city is already an economic business hub and is fast becoming a regional headquarters destination for international companies, with big names like Amazon, Google, Microsoft and PepsiCo already having a presence there.

• Lucid’s boss on sputtering EV market, Elon, and doing business in Saudi Arabia

  I didn’t go out and try to seek Saudi money specifically. But I needed billions of dollars. And to get that, we needed a proof point, because there was a whole phalanx of EV startups just trying to ride the coattails of Tesla’s market cap. So we partnered with McLaren and we developed the most advanced electric motorsport battery pack. And guess what happened? Saudi Arabia said we’d like to host a Grand Prix event for electric motorsport. That Saudi race was the first race where our battery pack featured and that was the proof point for the Saudis. So these talks were happening with His Excellency, Yasir [Al-Rumayyan], in the summer of 2018. He’s quite an accomplished racing driver, and I decided that none of my test drivers were driving our cars fast enough to impress. So I took him out. I think I scared the devil out of him, flat out around the block. And they were in.

• Secretary Blinken’s Call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud
  Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud to discuss the death of Yahya Sinwar and the importance of ongoing efforts to end the conflict and secure the release of hostages. The Secretary discussed ongoing work towards a post-conflict period in Gaza that ensures Hamas does not remain in power and provides a path for the people of Gaza to rebuild their lives and realize their aspirations. The Secretary and Foreign Minister also discussed the situation in Lebanon and the urgent need to deliver humanitarian aid to all vulnerable populations there. The Secretary expressed appreciation for the humanitarian aid Saudi Arabia is providing to Lebanon and reaffirmed continued U.S. efforts to promote a diplomatic resolution along the Blue Line that implements United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701. The Secretary thanked the Foreign Minister for Saudi Arabia’s role to promote regional peace and stability.

• Saudi Arabia extends grace period for payment of 50% traffic fine reduction for another six months

  The Ministry of Interior announced on Thursday the extension of the grace period for the payment of a 50 percent reduction in accumulated traffic fines for another six months. This is in implementation of the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi Press Agency reported. According to the directive of the highest authorities, the new grace period will end on April 18, 2025. The royal directive came in the wake of the expiry of a previously announced six-month grace period on Friday, October 18, 2024

• How Noor Stars became the Arab world’s biggest YouTube star

  “It was 2011. We were at an airport in Turkey, and we had been there all day, with my sister, brother, and my mother. She was in a wheelchair. We were cold, we were hungry, and we were scared. Someone was supposed to pick us up, but nobody came. I kept saying, ‘Oh God, why us, why me? What did I do to go through all of this, and I am not even 14 years old?’ But now I see, everything happens for a reason.” Whatever the reason, a lot has happened. Three years later, in Michigan, Naim made her first-ever YouTube video. And today, at just 27, Naim – better known as Noor Stars – is the biggest Arab female YouTube star on the planet, with 21.1 million subscribers to her channel. Add to that nearly 16 million on Instagram, 3.4 million on Facebook, 10.3 million on TikTok, and 3 million on Snapchat – combined with her podcasts – Naim has nearly 60 million followers across her multiple platforms.

• US stealth bombers strike 5 Houthi weapons bunkers

  In December 2023, the Pentagon launched Operation Prosperity Guardian, a mission led by the U.S. and involving multiple countries, which has sought to protect ships transiting the waterway. Most companies have instead rerouted away from the Red Sea, though, and U.S. Navy vessels located there have faced repeated attacks from the group, which America’s government considers a terrorist organization. “At the direction of President Biden, I authorized these targeted strikes to further degrade the Houthis’ capability to continue their destabilizing behavior and to protect and defend U.S. forces and personnel in one of the world’s most critical waterways,” Austin said.

• Surprise Battlefield Encounter Led to Hamas Leader’s Death

  In the end, the Israeli officials said, he was killed above ground on Wednesday, alongside two other militants, with no sign of hostages nearby. The Israeli authorities said they had confirmed his death on Thursday, using dental records and fingerprints. His DNA was also tested for confirmation, according to one Israeli official and the White House. While some hoped Mr. Sinwar’s death might signal an end to the Israeli invasion, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that the offensive would not stop just because the engineer of last year’s deadly surprise attack on southern Israel had been killed.

• Sinwar’s killing means much uncertainty for the war in Gaza but also possible opportunity

  “This would really be the cherry on the icing of the cake for Israel,” said Nomi Bar-Yaacov, an associate fellow of the International Security Program at the Chatham House think tank in London. “It should be easier to reach a deal.” With the architect of the Oct. 7 attacks eliminated, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could now tell Israelis that one of the war’s aims has been reached. Politically, that might allow him to be more flexible on a cease-fire deal that ends the war in exchange for hostages — a condition he has so far refused to accept, at least in part, critics say, because it could threaten his rule.

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