MUST-READS

• Rare clash in Najaf puts Sistani, Saudi outreach in focus

  On the face of it, the dispute revolves around remarks made by Muneer Al-Khabbaz a decade ago—ostensibly so upsetting now to Sadr that he has suggested that the Saudi scholar should leave Iraq. Amid speculations about the underlying motives, two theories stand out. On the one hand, given Khabbaz’s close association with Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani—the supreme religious authority in Najaf—some link the clash to the looming leadership succession at the city’s seminary. Others highlight contention over Saudi Arabia’s recent outreach to Iraq’s Shiites.

• Is Saudi Arabia Set On Becoming A Global Gas Leader?

  Saudi Arabia may be the third largest producer of crude oil in the world, after the U.S. and Russia, but its gas output has struggled over the years to make much of a mark in the global market. Currently, it produces around 4.2 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) a year – making it the ninth biggest producer in the world – but this goes to meeting domestic consumption needs. Associated (with oil drilling) gas accounts for around half of the Kingdom’s present production, although the non-associated percentage has more than doubled since 2012. However, last week saw twin announcements that might begin to change that, in line with Saudi Arabia’s target of becoming a major gas exporter by 2030 as part of its ‘Vision 2030’ plan.

• How Hezbollah is trying to counter Israel’s high-tech surveillance
  Coded messages. Landline phones. Pagers. Following the killing of senior commanders in targeted Israeli airstrikes, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, Hezbollah, has been using some low-tech strategies to try to evade its foe's sophisticated surveillance technology, informed sources told Reuters. It has also been using its own tech – drones – to study and attack Israel's intelligence gathering capabilities in what Hezbollah's leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, has described as a strategy of "blinding" Israel.

• Wind energy is powering America more than coal for the first time ever

  American energy generation has gotten just a little bit cleaner this year. Data from the Energy Information Administration suggests that wind power is a bigger source of electricity than coal for the first time ever. Data from the agency says that wind was responsible for 47.7 million megawatthours of energy in April, vs. coal’s 37.2 million megawatthours.

• Saudi Oil Market Share in China Set for Rebound

  Saudi crude oil exports to China have been on the decline for four consecutive months, the report noted, adding some traders expected this to change in August, with imports from the kingdom rising for the first time since May. In July, Saudi oil exports to China totaled 36 million barrels, which comes in at a little over 1 million bpd, Reuters also reported, citing shipping data from Kpler. For August, however, some traders expect a total of at least 44 million barrels, Reuters said.

• Saudi Team ‘Falcons’ Achieves First Title in Esports World Cup

  The Saudi Team 'Falcons' won the first title during the Esports World Cup, the most prestigious gaming event globally. In the popular game "Call of Duty: Warzone," the Falcons emerged as champions, earning 1,000 points and securing the top position in the Esports World Cup rankings. The grand final took place at the SEF Arena in Riyadh, with an enthusiastic crowd in attendance. The Falcons delivered an outstanding performance, accumulating 227.9 points to claim the championship title. The Fnatic team secured second place with 217.9 points, while the team of Twisted Minds achieved third place with 179.3 points.

• Saudi Aramco seeks at least US$3 billion from first bond sale in three years

  Saudi Aramco is looking to raise at least US$3 billion from its first bond sale in three years, according to sources familiar with the plan. The world’s biggest oil exporter is offering debt with 10-, 30- and 40-year maturities, according to a source with knowledge of the matter. Meetings with fixed income investors are expected to start on Tuesday (Jul 9), the source said.

• Saudi’s latest drug bust: thousands of narcotics tablets, 760 pounds of qat

  Saudi Arabia is a major destination for the amphetamine Captagon, though seizures have decreased recently due to more enforcement in transit countries like Jordan, according to a recent report.

• PIF to invest near SAR 500 mn in Saudi Re’s capital increase

  PIF closer to a significant minority stake in Saudi Re: The Public Investment Fund (PIF) is set to acquire a 23.1% stake in local ins. player Saudi Re after signing a binding agreement that will see it fully subscribe to a capital increase, according to a disclosure to Tadawul. The signing of the binding agreement follows multiple extensions of an MoU signed between the two parties last October

• Meet the ​Music ​Entertainment Company Making Saudi Arabia the World’s Most Pioneering New Live Music Destination

  Born out of a burning desire to foster a homegrown music and live events scene, and in turn, nurturing ventures like MDLBEAST Records and world-class events such as the Soundstorm music festival and XP Music Futures conference, MDLBEAST is transforming Saudi Arabia into the elite music destination of the future. Now, the group has turned its attention to the Kingdom’s venues and infrastructure, embarking on a history-making project shaping the country’s live music scene with a slew of new venues and creative spaces for collaboration.

• 10 of 61739 results<< 1 … 310 311 312 … 6,174 >>