MUST-READS

• Women Driving
  Court date for two Saudi women’s rights activists

  Two women's rights activists held for more than three weeks in Saudi Arabia are to appear in court on Thursday, activists said. Loujain Hathloul has been detained since Dec. 1 after she tried to drive into the kingdom from neighbouring United Arab Emirates in defiance of a ban.

• Saudi Budget
  Saudi budget to be released later this week -local media

  The budget is anxiously awaited by financial markets because it will be the first detailed look at how Saudi Arabia intends to handle the economic impact of this year's oil price plunge. Stock markets in Saudi Arabia and around the Gulf plunged earlier this month because of fears that Riyadh would react to cheaper oil by sharply cutting back its spending on infrastructure and other projects, hurting corporate profits.

• U.S. - Iraq
  Catch and Release in the Land of Two Rivers

  National security officials are slowly realizing that its foes in the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) look very familiar—embarrassingly so. They look an awful lot like the people in various mugshots dressed in identical, yellow, made-in-the-USA jumpsuits that were released in years past.

• Labor
  Saudi Arabia sets up call centers to avoid labour disputes

  Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Labour has established call centres in six key construction hubs in order to address problems between labourers and employers.

• Kuwait
  Kuwait pulls licence of company that publishes critical newspaper

  Kuwait's trade minister has canceled the business license of the company that publishes a newspaper known for being critical of the government, citing violations of corporate regulations, the newspaper reported on Tuesday.

• Green Buildings
  KSA captures 15% of Arab green building projects

  The Kingdom currently has more than 300 projects out of 2,000 green projects spread throughout the Middle Eastern countries, he told Al-Sharq Al-Awsat daily.

• ISIS and Lebanon
  Amid Raging Violence in Syria, Lebanese Sunnis Turn Backs on Islamic State

  The twin suicide bombings were overshadowed by the fallout from the Charlie Hebdo killings, but their nine victims were no less innocent than the slain citizens in Paris. While the al Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front militant group claimed responsibility for the attack, Lebanese Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk said that initial information suggested that it was the work of the Islamic State. Whatever the case, the attack marked the worst violence in Lebanon since the army clashed with Islamist militants in Tripoli in October, and renewed fears that the Syrian conflict was spilling over into the country.

• Women
  Gyms for women, Saudi coaches demanded

  Women in the Eastern Province are calling for the establishment of health clubs and gyms that provide high quality services, modern equipment and professional Saudi female coaches.

• Saudi Budget - 2015
  Saudi Arabia cannot do without high state spend

  On the deficit side, it was the first time in seven years that the Kingdom has reported one, again reaffirming the significance of oil prices in its calculations. The treasury posted a surplus of $103 billion in fiscal year 2012 when the average price of crude was $109 a barrel. It fell to $53 billion in 2013 with the decline in oil price to $105, and coupled with stronger actual state spending.

  • The Conversation - Oil prices: Fiscal Change May be Coming for Gulf states
  • Saudi Ministry of Finance (Press Release) - Recent Economic Developments
• Education
  Opinion: Needless clamor against scholarship program ‘is baseless and instigates unnecessary fear’

  The argument against sending students on scholarships is baseless and instigates unnecessary fear.

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