“The crown prince has set out the parameters for his citizens by condemning the targeting of civilians, calling for creation of a Palestinian state, and ignoring Hamas to support the rival Palestinian Authority.”
Karen Elliott House, Opinion: A Saudi-Israeli Peace Deal Isn’t Dead [WSJ]
“We are seeing that momentum of multinational companies, ministries, government organizations, locally owned companies all coming into KAFD, creating a business ecosystem that feeds on itself.” Gautam Sashittal, CEO, King Abdullah Financial District Development & Management Co., JLL among global businesses moving their regional HQs to Riyadh, reveals KAFD CEO [Arab News]
“If the world is going to have any shot of reaching the climate goals laid out in the Paris Agreement, it’s going to need more and more CCS. And such has been the delay, that carbon capture technologies will also have to be deployed to remove CO2 directly from the air to undo some of the damage already caused. At the upcoming COP28 climate summit, organized by the oil exporting United Arab Emirates, there’s widespread expectation that the global oil industry will be encouraged to double down on deployment.” Carbon Capture Desperately Needs a Reality Check After Lost Decade [Bloomberg]
“The 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (known as COP28) is poised to provide a platform for the oil and gas industry to increase its ambition in reducing operational emissions, which are responsible for roughly 15 percent of greenhouse gas emissions globally. As such, COP28 will be a litmus test for the oil and gas industry’s commitment in contributing to global climate change mitigation efforts. Emissions from flaring, venting, and leaking methane or carbon dioxide gas in the global oil and gas supply chain account for 2.7 gigatons of CO2-equivalent emissions annually, more than double that of aviation. Reductions in the oil and gas industry’s scope one and two emissions present a near-term opportunity for constructive, quantifiable, and verifiable action.”
Why COP28 is right to prioritize global methane and flaring reduction [Atlantic Council]
[U.S. President] Biden and the Saudi crown prince affirmed the importance of working towards “sustainable peace” between Israelis and Palestinians as soon as the crisis subsides, the White House said, adding they will be “building on the work that was already underway between Saudi Arabia and the United States over recent months.”
Biden, Saudi crown prince discuss Israel-Hamas war diplomacy [Reuters]
“The kingdom currently operates 160 vehicle factories. Of this number, 33 are dedicated to the production of parts, accessories, and engines, while 21 are focused on vehicle manufacturing and structural components, including various processing works. An additional 106 facilities are geared toward the production of trailers, semi-trailers, and trucks.”
Hyundai Building New Plant In Saudi Arabia For Combustion, Electric Vehicles [Motor1]
“It pains us at the time of our meeting what Gaza is witnessing today, from escalating violence that is being paid for by innocent civilians… The conditions must be created for the return of stability and the achievement of lasting peace that will ensure a just solution to establish a Palestinian state within 1967 borders in order to achieve security and prosperity for all.”
Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), has called for the establishment of a Palestinian State along the 1967 borders [India Today]
“The United States and Saudi Arabia have a common interest in preserving the stability, security and prosperity of the Gulf region and consult closely on a wide range of regional and global issues. Saudi Arabia plays an important role in working toward a peaceful and prosperous future for the region.”
-A news release from the offices of South Dakota Sen. John Thune and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Ben Cardin (D-Md.), who are in Saudi Arabia now to meet with top Saudi leaders on the war in Israel and Palestine. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also traveled to Saudi Arabia, taking a trip over the weekend to discuss regional security with officials. [THE HILL]
“Today the rationales and aims for nuclear power in Saudi Arabia seem set in stone: technology development, energy diversification away from carbon fuels, optimal long-term management of its fossil resources, and, not least, strategic weight in the Middle East and beyond that Riyadh is confident would result from possession of nuclear energy assets.”
Mark Hibbs, Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Nuclear Policy Program, What’s behind Saudi Arabia’s quest for a nuclear programme? [New Arab]
“When you celebrate your past, it allows you to be optimistic about the future.”
Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO of Diriyah Company, How PIF giga-project Diriyah Company is creating a global destination [PIF News]
