MUST-READS

• Chronicles of a recent visit to Medina and Makkah

  I live in Milwaukee; Wisconsin and our family visit began by applying and getting Saudi- e-visa for general visit (tourism). You will get multiple visit visa and will be for 1 year duration. At the airport you will get up to 3 months to stay. This is very streamlined, and I was surprised that I received it within 10 minutes of submitting it.

• SRC, Al-Rajhi Bank sign $1.54bn deal to boost residential real estate

  Saudi Real Estate Refinancing Co. and Al-Rajhi Bank have entered into an agreement to expand the pool of new housing options for the Kingdom’s residents. The deal involves the purchase of a real estate financing portfolio valued at SR5.8 billion ($1.54 billion). The agreement is the fourth deal struck between SRC, which is fully owned by the Public Investment Fund, and Al-Rajhi Bank. It is the largest of its kind in Saudi Arabia’s banking sector, bringing the total value of agreements between the two entities to SR10.8 billion. This collaboration is part of SRC’s commitment to bolstering the residential real estate market in the Kingdom and facilitating financial institutions in offering various solutions to citizens, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

• Iran says at least 103 people killed, 141 wounded in blasts at ceremony honoring slain general

  No group immediately claimed responsibility for what Iranian state media called a “terroristic" attack shortly after the blasts in Kerman, about 820 kilometers (510 miles) southeast of the capital, Tehran. While Israel has carried out attacks in Iran over its nuclear program, it has conducted targeted assassinations, not mass-casualty bombings. Sunni extremist groups including the Islamic State group have conducted large-scale attacks in the past that killed civilians in Shiite-majority Iran, though not in relatively peaceful Kerman.

• European NATO members strike deal to buy up to 1,000 Patriot missiles

  NATO on Wednesday said its procurement arm would support a group of member countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain, with a contract to buy up to 1,000 Patriot air defence missiles. The agency awarded a production and delivery contract to COMLOG, a joint venture between Raytheon and MBDA, the transatlantic military alliance said in a statement, adding that European production of the missiles would be expanded.

• OPEC+ set to hold monitoring meeting in early February

  OPEC+ plans to hold a meeting of its Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) in early February, though an exact date has not been decided, three sources from the alliance said. OPEC+, which comprises the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies led by Russia, usually holds such meetings every two months to monitor the implementation of its production agreements. The committee brings together leading countries within the alliance, including Saudi Arabia, Russia and the United Arab Emirates.

• Commentary: Ethiopia-Somaliland Deal Cranks Up Tension in the Red Sea

  Sovereign real estate deals may sound like ancient history — but they are still a thing. Even in 2024, a nation’s territory can be a commodity, to be sold or rented at the right price. The practice may sound like pillage, but it’s a better alternative to military coercion. On Jan. 1, Ethiopia, the world's most populous country without sea access, signed a preliminary deal to rent a 20-kilometer (12-mile) expanse of coast from its neighbor for half a century. Further negotiations, including over price and payment terms, are expected, and a final deal could come as soon as this year.

• Why Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Joined the Fight Against Israel

  The war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas has drawn in the Houthi rebels who have controlled northwestern Yemen for nearly a decade. Like Hamas, the Houthis are hostile to Israel and backed by Iran. The rebels have disrupted traffic in the Red Sea by repeatedly attacking ships there. They say they’re targeting Israel-linked vessels, though ships with no such direct connection have been affected. The Houthis have also attempted to strike Israel with missiles and drones.

• Iran-Saudi Relations: Iran Air Suspends Relaunch of Saudi Flights

  Iran’s flag carrier Iran Air suspended plans to restart flights to Saudi Arabia after an eight-year hiatus, in a setback for one of the few concrete signs of the countries’ political detente. Jeddah-bound pilgrimage flights from Tehran, Mashhad and Isfahan scheduled for Wednesday were canceled because the Saudi authorities haven’t issued the necessary permits, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported, citing Iran Air Spokesman Hesam Ghorbanali.

• Ivanhoe Electric Executive Chairman Robert Friedland to Deliver a Keynote Presentation at the Future Minerals Forum

  Mr. Robert Friedland, Executive Chairman of Ivanhoe Electric Inc., will deliver a keynote presentation at the Future Minerals Forum titled "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia...Mining with a Greater Purpose and Powering Great Ideas", on January 10th at 12:40 p.m. local time. President and Chief Executive Officer Taylor Melvin will participate in a panel discussion titled "Navigating a complex future. Building a robust and resilient mineral supply roadmap", on January 10th at 4:15 p.m. local time.

• Hwjn review: Charming cast work their magic as Saudi bestseller excels on big screen

  Directed by Yasir Alyasiri, who co-wrote the screenplay for the Saudi blockbuster with Abbas, the opening salvo of Hwjn packs in so much information that the film nearly stalls before its plot has even started moving. Hwjn, pronounced "haw-jen", begins by depicting a stereotypical jinn, or evil genie. However, as it turns out, the film's protagonist Hwjn (Baraa Alem) is only watching a movie in a cinema. Over narration, he goes on to reveal how jinn have families and jobs like humans. They can co-exist in the world with humans.

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