MUST-READS

• Development
  Saudi King Gets New Neighbors as Morocco Evades Regional Turmoil

  The $346 million plan by Jeddah-based Saudi Binladin Group will turn 250 hectares of former local-authority land into homes for 150,000 people, hospitals and an artificial lake.

• Iran Negotiations
  Iran president: Differences remain on nuclear deal

  The Iranian president has acknowledged that Tehran and world powers agree on the principles of a final deal on Iran’s nuclear program but that differences remain on the “details” that still need to be negotiated. The remarks by President Hassan Rouhani came as the two sides face a Nov. 24 deadline in ongoing nuclear negotiations to reach a comprehensive deal that would prevent Iran from making an atomic weapon while at the same time easing economic sanctions on Tehran for curbs on its nuclear program.

• Global Oil Markets
  Can Saudis beat North Dakota in an oil price war?

  Comments by Saudi officials indicate they continue to believe shale oil requires a price of $90 a barrel to be profitable, the analysts noted. While the Saudis think this represents a new floor for oil prices, the floor is actually falling as shale-oil production technology continues to improve, Citi said. (It costs just a few dollars a barrel to extract Saudi Arabian oil, but the International Monetary Fund in September estimated that the “breakeven” price required to balance the country’s budget rose to $89 a barrel in 2013 from $78 in 2012.)

  • WSJ - Oil Markets Fly Into a Perfect Storm
  • Daily Mail - In oil price war, Saudi's biggest rival is next door
  • Wall Street Journal - Iran Slashes Oil Prices to Asia Following Saudi Cut
  • Al Arabiya - Brent falls near four-year lows as rout extends
  • Bloomberg - Saudi Arabia Oil-Price Cuts Said to Be Aimed at Aiding Refiners
• AQAP
  AQAP eulogizes fighter killed in attack on Saudi border crossing

  The AQAP eulogy also indicated that al Omari was particularly incensed by Saudi Arabia's imprisonment of Hayla Quseir, as well as the "kidnapping" of May al Talaq and Amina al Rashed, among others. Hayla Quseir, also known as Umm al Ribab, was has been described as "the most dangerous woman in al Qaeda." She is said to have been involved in recruiting Saudi women to al Qaeda as well as financing the terrorist group and laundering money on its behalf. She was apparently so significant to the organization that upon her arrest by Saudi authorities in 2010, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninusla's deputy emir, Sa'id al Shihri, promised to take revenge on the Saudi regime for her detention.

• Anti-ISIS Coalition
  Behind Biden’s gaffe lie real concerns about allies’ role in rise of the Islamic State

  Biden has now apologized to both the United Arab Emirates and Turkey for the comments, but to anyone who has been following the conventional wisdom in foreign policy circles, it's not surprising that he would think this privately (even if it is surprising that he would say so publicly).

  • US News - Biden critique of allies' role in Syria creates headache for US in fight against Islamic State
  • NYT - Saudis Are Next on Biden’s Mideast Apology List After Harvard Remarks
• NCB IPO
  Saudi’s largest lender plans to raise $6bn in IPO

  Currently majority-owned by the state Public Investment Fund, NCB is the only unlisted lender among Saudi Arabia's 12 banks. It held assets worth about $101 billion at the end of 2013 and made net profits of $2.1 billion last year. At the offer price, NCB to be the third largest stock on the Saudi exchange, and the second-biggest bank, by market value. Al Rajhi is the current largest listed bank, with a market capitalisation of $30.8 billion. However, the 45 riyals per share value is considered cheap by analysts, who note that shares in state-run companies are often sold to the public at reduced rates as a way of spreading the kingdom's vast oil wealth.

• Social Freedom
  The Crackdown on Gay Men in Egypt

  In some ways, Egypt’s new government has become even more repressive and intolerant than the regime that was overthrown in early 2011. One disturbing example is the incarceration of dozens of gay men, a crackdown that has vilified a community that had hoped the popular uprising in 2011 would bring minorities greater freedom.

• American News
  The ISIS Conflict Has Saturated the American Mind

  In a recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, 94 percent of Americans said they were following the news of the horrendous and tragic beheadings of American journalists at the hands of ISIS. That number is astounding, seeing how public knowledge of the news can often be lacking.

  • Bloomberg - Army Says Troops Should Be Aware of Islamic State Threats
  • AP - Poll: Half Think U.S. at High Risk of Terror Attack
  • Defense One - In War and Tragedy, How the US Media Prioritizes Death
• Yemen
  Yemen: Power Vacuum In Sana’a Hampers Aid Response

  Following their victory, the Houthis quickly took control of other government facilities. At the same time, political parties endorsed a UN brokered deal that officially brought an end to the fighting. The agreement, signed by the Houthis and major political parties with President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi’s endorsement, called for the creation of a new government, a reduction in fuel prices and granted the Houthis a larger say in governmental decisions.

• 'A New Yemen'
  Khashoggi – Saudi Arabia and the Houthis

  We should realize the importance of the massive change that took place in Yemen last Monday. It is the birth of a new Yemen, added to the birth of a new Syria, a new Iraq and a new Arab world. However, I'll start the story from far away, from Italy to be exact.

  • Saudi Gazette - GCC demands return of state authority in Yemen
• 10 of 61716 results<< 1 … 6,092 6,093 6,094 … 6,172 >>