“This Bomber Task Force mission demonstrates our commitment to regional security and the collective capabilities of our military partners in the region…CENTCOM has the ability to very quickly put a significant amount of combat power in the air alongside our partners. We can do the same on the ground and at sea to meet any challenge decisively.”
-Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, head of Central Command, in a statement announcing the bomber flight meant as a show of force along with partner nations, including Saudi Arabia, to deter Iran. [Politico]
“We want to showcase ourselves as an energy exporting country, because we will be working hard in exporting hydrogen along with oil, along with liquid gases. We’ll be hopefully be doing electricity too.”
Saudi energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, at the COP27. [Reuters]
“Just to give you a sense, three years ago … we didn’t have a go-to market organisation and we didn’t have a local partner ecosystem. We didn’t have any of that. Now we have direct presence in five countries. You will see us expanding in the years ahead and you will see us continue to expand at least at the same rate as we are today.”
-Thomas Kurian, chief executive of Google Cloud, Google Cloud plans more data centres in Middle East expansion push [The National]
“This is my first official celebration in Saudi Arabia, the atmosphere was wonderful and fun, I did not have to travel to any other country for the celebrations, whether for Halloween, or even to enjoy singers from different countries of the world.”
-Ali Al-Otaibi, a Saudi who celebrated Halloween recently and is enjoying the entertainment options presented by Riyadh Season, quoted in a recent Jerusalem Post article, ‘Riyadh Season’ is evidence of great change in Saudi Arabia. [Jerusalem Post]
“The battery will be the defining technological and supply chain battleground for the industry in the next decade, and access to their constituent raw materials will be crucial.”
S&P Global Mobility Special Report: A reckoning for EV battery raw materials [S&P Global]
“I today announce the Public Investment Fund [of Saudi Arabia] aims to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.”
–Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in a speech at the U.N. climate talks in Egypt, known as COP 27. Saudi Arabia aims to generate 50 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2030, he added. [Bloomberg]
Ceer, the new PIF-backed electric car, “is the first Saudi automotive brand to produce electric vehicles in Saudi Arabia, and will design, manufacture and sell a range of vehicles for consumers in Saudi Arabia and the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, including sedans and sports utility vehicles.”
-Saudi Arabia’s PIF in a statement. PIF said its cars would be available in 2025, adding Ceer would draw more than $150 million in foreign direct investment. [Reuters]
“[We] in the Middle East, and especially in the Gulf region, want to see such commitment to our region’s peace and security. The war in Ukraine is highlighting the permanence of the strategic importance of the Gulf region to the whole world in term of energy security and the stability of world economy. Therefore, preserving its peace and stability is an international necessity. This may be a catalyst for the Americans and the Europeans to reconsider their indecision toward conflicts in the region and in standing up for the outstanding threats to the security and stability of the region. This cannot be realized without real and serious commitment to regional security and the security of their important partners with the full respect of their sovereignty and their national choices.”
HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal, Keynote Remarks to the 31st Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference [NCUSAR]
Saudi Arabia has issued 700 new licenses for female lawyers as it pushes to create more opportunities for women in the kingdom pursuing a career in law. The move by the Ministry of Justice raised the number of licensed female lawyers in Saudi Arabia to 2,100. “It helps increase women’s participation in law and greatly inspires the younger generation as it is an indication that the country wants more women lawyers.”
Safa Omran, a Jeddah-based lawyer. [The National]
“When a country hosts a Formula One event, it won’t cover up whatever the issues of the day might be. On the other hand, it will put the country on the map and give an opportunity to showcase tourism, innovation, maybe an internal dynamic to be able to show the local population that you are stepping out onto the world stage. There’s a whole series of strategic imperatives or merits as to why you would embark on that. The fact that there may be some media criticism, they’re probably used to it.”
-Michael Payne, Former IOC marketing boss. [Sports Business Journal]
