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  • Iraq to trade crude oil for Iranian gas to settle power debt, prime minister says

    Iraq will begin trading crude oil for Iranian gas to end the recurring issue of payment delays to Tehran due to the need for U.S. approval, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Sudani said on Tuesday. Sudani said Iran had cut gas exports to Iraq by more than 50% as of July 1 after Baghdad failed to secure U.S. approval to disburse owed funds, but Tehran had now agreed to resume gas exports in exchange for crude oil.

  • Why Muna AbuSulayman Is The Powerhouse You Should Know About

    Muna AbuSulayman, a distinguished philanthropist and international development leader, has emerged as a prominent figure in the world of cross-sector work, bringing with her a wealth of experience spanning over 25 years. Currently serving as a partner at Transform VC, AbuSulayman is devoted to unlocking the potential of untapped talent.

  • Soft power: Saudi Arabia flexes muscles with launch of new Gulf airline Riyadh Air

    As the deafening roar of an F35 fighter jet washes over the Paris air show, Tony Douglas allows himself a moment of nostalgia: he was formerly responsible for the UK government agency charged with buying the planes. Now he is in charge of a different aviation proposition, leading the launch of a new commercial airline belonging to the Saudi Arabian state. Riyadh Air, owned by the country’s Public Investment Fund, was first revealed in March alongside a provisional order for up to 72 Boeing 787 aeroplanes.

  • Women making waves: First Iranian and Saudi female surfers at a World Surfing Games stand up for female empowerment

    “It means a lot. We’re the three of us. We're the first females to compete and go to the World Surfing Games and it's an honour and it just feels great to pave the way for all the other young generations, females, especially in Saudi,” Alfaqeef said. _“_The journey just started and it's a long way, but I'm so happy and proud to be the first.

  • Saudi: ACWA Power signs $1.5 billion project deal in Kazakhstan

    Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power has signed a roadmap agreement with the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan and Samruk-Kazyna, the country’s Investment Development Fund, for a major wind energy and battery storage project, according to a press statement from the company.

  • Saudi Arabia Makes Soft Power Comeback in Iraq

    Saudi Arabia's soft power initiatives may help the kingdom advance its economic interests in Iraq and help strengthen Iraq’s ties with a key Gulf Arab neighbor.

  • Money talks: how Saudi Arabia’s soft power project is shaking up sport

    As Saudi Arabia’s sporting ambitions grow, people continue to wonder what lies behind it all. We live in a world that prefers certainty over nuance, simple answers not complex truths. But the following is all true: it is about sportswashing, using sport as a tool of soft power, and improving the lives of its population, 70% of which is under 35, and diversifying its economy, all at the same time.

  • Perspective: Cristiano Ronaldo’s topsy-turvy Saudi sideshow upstaged by power of Nuno

    That campaign may look very different and not just because the top tier will expand from 16 to 18 teams. More big names are on the way. Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Karim Benzema – as well as coaches such as José Mourinho and Zinedine Zidane – are all being linked with Saudi Arabia. Once such speculation would have been dismissed, but things have changed.

  • How Turkey’s president Erdogan has maintained a tight grip on power in the country

    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a populist with increasingly authoritarian tendencies, is scheduled to take the oath of office and start his third presidential term Saturday following his latest election win. Erdogan, who has led Turkey as prime minister or president for 20 years, prevailed in a runoff race last weekend despite the country's ongoing economic crisis and his government's criticized response to a February earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people. Known as “reis,” or “the chief,” among his fans, the 69-year-old Erdogan already is the longest-serving leader in the Turkish republic’s history. His reelection to a five-year term that runs until 2028 extends his rule into a third decade, and he could possibly serve longer with the help of a friendly parliament.

  • Saudi Arabia’s growing cinema soft power

    Mohammed Al Turki, 36, heads Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Film Foundation, his name splashed all over posters and movie credits at the world's biggest cinema gathering on the French Riviera. The foundation, formed two years ago, holds its own annual festival and has already financed 168 movies, including eight in the official selection at Cannes this year. Among them was festival opener "Jeanne du Barry" about a French prostitute falling in love with King Louis XV, played by Johnny Depp.