MUST-READS

• Hunt for Critical Minerals Draws World Powers to Saudi Arabia

  Government officials and top mining executives descended on Riyadh this week to tap in to the gusher of cash the Saudis are pouring into mining investments. The kingdom is positioning itself at the center of a “super region” extending from Central Asia to the Middle East and Africa, which it says holds at least a third of the world’s natural resources, including critical minerals.

• Saudi Arabia wants to be the Saudi Arabia of minerals

  On January 10th the government revised its estimate of the value of its buried mineral wealth from $1.3trn to $2.5trn. This includes deposits of gold, copper and zinc. By the standards of Saudi oil riches, worth perhaps $20trn at today’s prices, that looks modest. By any other measure, it is gargantuan.

• Saudi-Israel normalization emerges as leverage for post-war Gaza

  Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who on Thursday concluded his fourth trip to the Middle East since the Gaza war erupted, said eventual rapprochement with Israel was among the topics he discussed during his meeting this week with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. US national security adviser Jake Sullivan also raised normalization during meetings in Israel and the West Bank last month, sources in both capitals said.

  Read more: https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2024/01/saudi-israel-normalization-emerges-leverage-post-war-gaza#ixzz8ObtO2v9J

• US State Department Hails Saudi Arabia’s Efforts in Combating Terrorism

  The state Department praised the Kingdom's efforts to raise standards and measures using modern technologies and tools in the security field, especially in combating terrorism and its financing, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported Wednesday. In its annual report on combating terrorism for 2022, the Department lauded the Kingdom for upgrading the security and international criteria for Saudi passports, adding that the new Saudi passport security features are comparable to the US' next-generation passport.

• Saudi Arabia and Canada resume commercial activities after a hiatus of 5 years

  The Federation of Saudi Chambers announced the reopening of economic cooperation and the resumption of commercial activities and events between the business sectors of Saudi Arabia and Canada. This was after a hiatus of five years when the federation suspended the activity of the Joint Business Council, missions and trade delegations.

• Ancient Fortified Oasis Discovered in Saudi Arabia

  A fortification that surrounded the Khaybar Oasis some 4,000 years ago has been found in the North Arabian Desert by researchers from the French National Center for Scientific Research and Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for Al-‘Ula, according to a Cosmos Magazine report. The nine miles of walls, which were between five and eight feet thick, enclosed more than 2,700 acres.

• Saudi Arabia says concerned about airstrikes in Yemen, calls for restraint

  Saudi Arabia said early Friday that it was following with “great concern” the military operations taking place in the Red Sea region and the airstrikes on several sites in Yemen.

  “While the Kingdom stresses the importance of preserving the security and stability of the Red Sea region, in which freedom of navigation is an international demand [and of] interest of the entire world, [Saudi Arabia] calls for restraint and avoiding escalation in light of the events the region is witnessing,” a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency read.

• Saudi Arabia accelerates diversification into lithium and gold sectors

  With the global petroleum industry under pressure in the call for a reduction in carbon dioxide numbers, Saudi Arabia has significantly increased its investment in the hunt for what many see as oil’s leading fuel replacement, lithium.

• Saudi Arabia gives Assad regime control over Hajj file, removing it from Syria opposition

  The decision by Saudi Arabia to hand over the authority to the Syrian regime comes over a decade after the Kingdom gave the responsibility to the Syrian opposition’s Supreme Hajj Committee in May 2013, following the closure of the Saudi embassy in Damascus and the withdrawal of Saudi diplomats in response to the Assad regime’s brutal crackdown on peaceful protests and the outbreak of the ongoing Syrian civil war.

• Saudi Arabia fast tracks efforts to become leader of minerals ‘super region’

  Making the metals and mining sector the third pillar of its economy, Saudi Arabia is taking a holistic approach to invest in the sector inside and outside the country. From unveiling $182 million in exploration incentives and 33 new mining licenses this year, to setting up Manara Minerals in 2023 and making a major deal in taking a 10% stake in Vale Base Metals only a few months later, Saudi Arabia is making sure that the country is seen as determined in its efforts to become the leader of the "super region", which has become the new buzzword, comprising Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia.

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