MUST-READS

• Microsoft turns to the Middle East for its latest bet on AI

  Microsoft will invest $1.5 billion in Abu Dhabi’s G42, an artificial intelligence group that has faced questions over its ties to China.

  The companies will collaborate on AI and digital infrastructure, in a move that sees Microsoft’s AI empire expand into the Middle East for the first time.

  The move could attract sizeable scrutiny from regulators.

• Opinion: How Gaza war is pushing the region eastward

  As the US has doubled down on its support for Israel since the Gaza conflict began in Oct. 2023, countries like China and Russia have opted not to follow suit. The frustration with the status quo is providing non-western power brokers with fresh incentives to forge a regional order that gives Washington less importance. At the very least, this discontent will likely accelerate the push for strategic autonomy from the west—aiming to establish a new regional order where less emphasis is placed on the US.

• Saudi foreign minister arrives in Pakistan to discuss how to help with the country’s economic crisis

   Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister on Monday led a high-level delegation on a two-day visit to Pakistan, which is seeking help in overcoming one of its worst economic crises.

  Prince Faisal bin Farhan's visit comes a week after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia, one of Pakistan's closest allies and a a leading supplier of oil to Islamabad.

  Prince Faisal is expected to meet with Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari.

  According to Pakistani officials, Prince Mohammed told Sharif that Saudi Arabia would invest $5 billion in Pakistan.

• Decoding Oil’s Perplexing Reaction to Iran’s Attack on Israel

  Oil’s surge over the past month has already built in the geopolitical risk premium from the Middle East. A move higher will most likely depend on whether Israel decides to retaliate, and if the movement of real oil cargoes are actually disrupted.

  Moreover, if things get uglier in the region, Saudi Arabia and its OPEC+ allies are holding more than 5 million barrels a day of spare production capacity — roughly twice the output of Kuwait — to fill any gaps. The group has pledged to remain vigilant if markets tighten this summer.

• Pakistan’s premier calls for closer cooperation with Saudi Arabia to enhance investment in Pakistan

  Pakistan’s prime minister called for closer cooperation between Saudi Arabia and his cash-strapped Islamic nation to enhance Saudi investment in his country, a government statement said Tuesday. Shehbaz Sharif made his remarks during a meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan who arrived Monday in the capital, Islamabad, to discuss a range of issues, including how to help Pakistan overcome its economic crisis. The previous week, Sharif met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia, one of Pakistan’s closest allies and a leading supplier of oil to Islamabad. According to Pakistani officials, Prince Mohammed had assured Pakistan that Saudi Arabia would invest $5 billion in Pakistan.

• We need to renew our ties with Saudi Arabia: Rep. Mark Green

  Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., discusses House Speaker Johnson’s proposal to take up separate foreign aid bills on ‘The Bottom Line.’

• GCC holds emergency meeting amid regional tension, calls for International Conference on Palestinian state

  The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has called for an international conference to comprehensively address the Palestinian issue, with the aim of establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

  This proposal came during the GCC's 44th extraordinary meeting held on Monday in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, alongside a joint ministerial meeting with Central Asian countries. Hosted at the Qatari Embassy and chaired by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Bin Jassim Al Thani, prime minister and minister of foreign affairs of Qatar, the meeting was attended by prominent Gulf state foreign ministers.

• Top US, Saudi military generals hold call after Iran attack

  Saudi Arabia’s Chief of General Staff Gen. Fayyad Al-Ruwaili held a phone call with Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. to discuss international allies and the security situation in the Middle East following Iran’s attack on Israel, Joint Staff Spokesperson Navy Capt. Jereal Dorsey announced on Monday.

  The two officials highlighted the partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia, reaffirming their commitment to promoting peace and stability in the region.

• G42 Made Secret Pact With US to Divest From China Before Microsoft Deal

  Microsoft Corp.’s just-announced partnership with Abu Dhabi’s G42 followed behind-the-scenes negotiations between the US government and the Middle Eastern firm, which agreed to divest from China and pivot to American technology. G42, a holding company focused on artificial intelligence, held talks with the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security and came to an understanding last year, according to people familiar with the discussions. Under the arrangement, G42 agreed to pare back its presence in China or face potentially punitive measures from Washington, they said.

• Saudi Arabia third most sleep deprived country in the world, expert says
  Saudi Arabia has been identified as the third country worldwide for the shortest sleep duration, according to Dr. Mana Al Shahrani, a Consultant in Sleep Medicine at King Fahd Medical City.
  During a discussion on Al Ekhbariya TV, Dr. Al Shahrani highlighted the prevalent issue of sleep deprivation among Saudis, who typically get only 6 to 7 hours of sleep per night.

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