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  • How Long Do Muslims Fast For Ramadan Around the World?

    Ramadan starts on Sunday evening, with the first day of fasting on Monday, March 11 this year. The holy month is based on the Islamic lunar calendar which is 11 days shorter than the Gregorian solar year, and so its start shifts earlier each year. While the number of days of Ramadan are equal for all Muslims observing it around the world, the length of the daily fast is not. During Ramadan, observers vow to abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual activities through daylight hours. This means that those living further north have to fast for much longer than their counterparts living closer to the equator or even to those in the Southern hemisphere, which is currently tilted away from the sun. This chart, based on data from website islamicfinder.com, shows how Muslims fasting for Ramadan in Oslo theoretically will have to do so for 15 hours and 15 minutes, while those living in Jakarta, Indonesia, will only need to fast for approximately 13 hours and 13 minutes. Meanwhile, those living in Melbourne will have just 13 hours and 25 minutes of daylight, depending on the exact day of the Ramadan month.

  • Debate: Will Emirati, Saudi accession to BRICS shift their alliances?

    The BRICS group of countries could soon include both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This trajectory partly stems from Gulf Arab aspirations to balance alliances with the west. It also appears driven by a desire for greater influence on the global stage, and bolstered commercial ties with BRICS members—primarily China.

  • Who are the favorites as F1 heads to Saudi Arabia for the second race of the season?

    Unsurprisingly given he is on a run of eight straight victories, Verstappen is the favourite going into this weekend. But he didn’t win in Saudi Arabia last year, that race one of just three that eluded him in his record-breaking 2023 campaign. Instead Sergio Perez emerged victorious, bringing his very best to this street track – as he so often does when the walls close in.

  • A year ago, Beijing brokered an Iran-Saudi deal. How does détente look today?

    Given how hostile Iranian-Saudi relations were in the years leading up to the March 2023 agreement, such restoration of diplomatic ties was significant. Until a year ago, there were no diplomatic relations between the two countries since Riyadh severed ties with Tehran in January 2016, in response to attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad following the execution of Shia cleric Nimr Baqir al-Nimr. The Saudi state’s killing of this cleric raised sectarian temperatures in the Middle East. It drastically heightened friction in Tehran-Riyadh relations, which had steadily deteriorated against the backdrop of armed conflicts and political crises in Bahrain, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen in the aftermath of the 2011 Arab Spring. 

  • Will Saudi Arabia scrap SR400 fee imposed on expat dependents?

    Saudi Arabia is reconsidering a monthly fee levied on expatriates’ dependents as the kingdom is seeking to attract foreign talents to boost Saudi economy, a government minister has disclosed. “The decision to impose the fees on dependents was necessary because they benefited from the state subsidies on water, electricity, etc,” Saudi Minister of Finance Mohammed Al Jadaan said.

  • Is Saudi Arabia’s Gas Megaproject Jafurah Too Good to be True?

    According to Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman last week, an extra 15 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas deposits has been proven at Saudi Aramco’s Jafurah gas field. Saudi Aramco has a long history of suddenly finding new reserves, particularly at times when Saudi Arabia’s geopolitical position in the world looks to be in decline.

  • A deal between Israel and Hamas appears to be taking shape. What would it look like?

    Israel and Hamas are inching toward a new deal that would free some of the roughly 130 hostages held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for a weekslong pause in the war, now in its fifth month. U.S. President Joe Biden says a deal could go into effect as early as Monday, ahead of what is seen as an unofficial deadline — the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, around March 10. A deal would bring some respite to desperate people in Gaza, who have borne a staggering toll, as well as to the anguished families of Israeli hostages taken during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war.

  • What Does A Family Office In The Middle East Look Like?

    The Middle East is a region boasting a significant population of ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) individuals and families. In 2022 alone, the Middle Eastern region hosted 6,000 UHNW individuals with a combined net worth of USD$995 billion. This staggering wealth has also fostered the growth of Family Offices, entities that are dedicated to serving UHNW families in the region.

  • Saudi Founding Day 2024: What is it and how is it different from National Day?

    Thursday, February 22, marks Saudi Arabia's Founding Day, a new annual holiday to commemorate the founding of the first Saudi state. The holiday was established with a royal decree issued by King Salman in 2022 through the official Saudi Press Agency. It said the holiday will commemorate the history of Saudi rule dating back hundreds of years.

  • Saudi Founding Day 2024: What is it and how is it different from National Day?

    Thursday, February 22, marks Saudi Arabia's Founding Day, a new annual holiday to commemorate the founding of the first Saudi state. The holiday was established with a royal decree issued by King Salman in 2022 through the official Saudi Press Agency. It said the holiday will commemorate the history of Saudi rule dating back hundreds of years. It is a different event to Saudi National Day, which falls on September 23.