MUST-READS

• Saudi Crown Prince, Putin discuss bilateral cooperation and Ukraine conflict

  The Crown Prince emphasized the Kingdom’s commitment to doing everything possible to support dialogue and find a political solution to the conflict in Ukraine. The Russian President expressed his continued support for these efforts, according to the SPA. The conversation followed a Tuesday meeting in Jeddah, where Ukrainian and American officials convened under the auspices of Saudi Arabia to discuss Ukraine-Russia ceasefire proposal. At the meeting, Ukraine expressed readiness to accept the US proposal for a 30-day interim ceasefire, with Washington committing to discuss proposals for a lasting peace that ensures Ukraine’s long-term security.

• Saudi Arabia tries to shed ‘pariah status,’ remaking itself as a key middleman in global conflicts

  MBS, as he is widely known, is trying to transform Saudi Arabia’s image from the deeply conservative, oil-rich theocracy whose officials murdered the American-based Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 into a regional giant built on diplomacy, business, tourism, entertainment and sports. “This is a new Saudi Arabia — better educated, well-traveled and more open to ideas than in the past,” added Lippman, author of the book “Saudi Arabia on the Edge.” As well as the Ukraine summit, Trump revealed last week that the first foreign visit of his second term would be to Saudi Arabia, just as it was during his first administration. As then, he said that, in return, the Saudis had agreed to invest a bonanza sum in American businesses, this time $1 trillion.

• Frankly Speaking: How did Saudis become mediators for global conflicts?

  Appearing on the Arab News current affairs program “Frankly Speaking,” Dr. Abdulaziz Sager, founder and chairman of the Gulf Research Center, highlighted the significance of the US-Russia talks in Riyadh, noting that Saudi Arabia’s neutral stance had positioned it as an ideal convener. “Saudi Arabia has taken an important position that has led to this meeting, which means Saudi Arabia originally refused to take a side — neither with the Russians nor with the Ukrainians,” Sager said. Global media outlets have highlighted Saudi Arabia’s unique positioning, noting that it has maintained positive ties with both Russia and the West throughout the Ukraine conflict, which began on Feb. 24, 2022, when Russia launched what it called a “special military operation.”

• Multinational Exercise Spears of Victory 2025 in Saudi Arabia Concludes

  The Saudi Arabian annual multinational exercise, Spears of Victory, was held this year from Jan. 26 to Feb. 6 by the Royal Saudi Air Force’s (RSAF) Air Warfare Center, located at King Abdulaziz air base near Dhahran. The exercise is considered one of the largest multinational exercises in the Middle East and aims to strengthen military partnerships, with 15 nations involved. RSAF Maj. Gen. Mohammed bin Ali Al-Omari, the commander of the exercise, said that the aim was to enhance allied combat readiness (especially in the electronic warfare field), provide a ground for the exchange of expertise in planning and implementation, and to promote joint operational strategies. This year, more than 70 air assets from nine countries took part in the large-scale exercise: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Greece, France, Qatar, the UK, the US, the UAE, and Pakistan. Furthermore, seven additional countries participated as observers: Australia, Egypt, Italy, Jordan, Morocco, South Korea, and Spain.

• Navigating Trump’s unpredictability: What next for Gulf-US ties?

  The Gulf Arab monarchies see the Trump administration’s vision for Palestine aligning with right-wing Israeli fantasies at the expense of regime security in Arab countries, which have long been close US allies. There is no doubt that there will be an impact on how GCC states look at Washington. As much as Gulf Arab leaders have tended to value Trump’s business-oriented approach to the Gulf, which avoids emphasis on human rights or talk of “values” steeped in liberal idealism, the chaotic nature of his leadership unsettles them. Rather than pursuing aggressive and maximalist foreign policy agendas, Saudi Arabia and other GCC states are instead focused on promoting greater stability in the region. Such stability in the neighbourhood is necessary for the success of their economic diversification and development initiatives such as Saudi Vision 2030.

• Opinion: Gulf-China relations are strictly business

  Hardly a day goes by without a story about China’s growing presence in the Gulf, which is a remarkable transition. When I started working on a PhD focusing on China-GCC relations in 2011, an economist at a regional sovereign wealth fund dismissed the project out of hand: “How are you going to write 100,000 words on selling cheap stuff and buying oil”? Nearly 15 years later the narrative has shifted hard in the other direction, with China generally considered a major external power in the region. That does not mean its role in the Gulf is any better understood.  First and foremost, the Gulf remains a place to get energy. For decades, China has had a voracious appetite for imported oil and gas and it will continue to be the world’s largest importer in the near term. Gulf countries typically provide it with between 40-50 percent of its crude oil imports and an increasingly large percentage of its LNG.

• Joint Statement by Saudi Finance Minister and IMF Managing Director on Supporting Recovery in the Middle East’s Conflict-Affected Economies

  On the sidelines of the inaugural annual global AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia (February 16-17), Saudi Arabia's Finance Ministry and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) co-hosted a high-level roundtable on "Working Together to Support Recovery in the Middle East's Conflict-Affected Economies", with a focus on Syria,  bringing together finance ministers of countries in the region, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Syria, the Managing Director of Operations at the World Bank Group and heads of other International Financial Institutions and the Arab Coordination Group.

• RCRC announces launch of Riyadh Creative District

  This new project is set to become a cornerstone in Riyadh’s evolution into a world-class metropolis, integrating seamlessly with the capital’s major development initiatives. It aims to foster a thriving ecosystem where creative minds, industry leaders, and emerging talent can collaborate to develop content and new ideas, drive cultural and technological advancements, and contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The Creative District aligns with Saudi Arabia’s long-term strategic vision by emphasizing the role of media, technology, culture and innovation in economic diversification and sustainable growth.

• Sony Pictures Classics Acquires Haifaa Al Mansour’s Saudi Thriller ‘Unidentified’

  Sony Pictures Classics has acquired “Unidentified,” the latest feature from groundbreaking Saudi director Haifaa Al Mansour. The film reunites Al Mansour with SPC 13 years after it came aboard her landmark 2012 debut “Wadjda,” which became the first feature to be shot entirely in Saudi Arabia, the first feature shot by a female Saudi director and the first Saudi Oscar submission. Currently in post-production and described as a contemporary Arab-language thriller, “Unidentified” — written and produced by Al Mansour and Brad Niemann (“The Perfect Candidate”) — stars Mila Al Zahrani (“The Perfect Candidate”) and Shafi Al Harthi (“A Woman’s Life”).

• Saudi Arabia removes restrictions on foreign on-demand charter flights

  The move builds on impressive growth in Saudi’s private aviation market with 23, 612 business jet flights recorded in 2024, an increase of more than 4,600 flights on 2923 figures. Domestic flights accounted to 9,206 (+26% on 2023) movements last year. In line with Saudi Arabia’s aviation strategy as part of Vision 2030, GACA’s General Aviation Roadmap was launched in May 2024 to establish the country as a general aviation hub in the region. There is currently an unprecedented infrastructure programme underway to establish new private airports and terminals across the Kingdom. GACA’s roadmap will deliver six dedicated business aviation airports and a further nine dedicated business aviation hubs. It will also increase the FBO and MRO capacity for business jets.

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