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QUOTED
“When people cannot grow food, they migrate. This migration often leads to tension and conflict in the receiving areas, creating a cycle of dislocation and violence. This is an issue that touches every aspect of our lives — food security, national security, migration, air quality and biodiversity.” Saudi Arabia’s Climate Envoy and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir, How Saudi Arabia is leveraging artificial intelligence to tackle land degradation [Arab News]
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TOP STORY
Coinciding with the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16), the fourth edition of the Saudi Green Initiative Forum with the slogan “By Nature, We Take Initiative” concluded. [more]
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MORE TOP STORYLINES
Via Etan Vlessing, Georg Szalai in hollywoodreporter.com: The Red Sea International Film Festival has officially kicked off its fourth edition as A-listers and international auteurs converged in Jeddah’s old town of Al-Balad in Saudi Arabia’s second-largest city for a decidedly glamorous opening ceremony. Emily Blunt, Cynthia Erivo, Eva Longoria, Michelle Yeo, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones in a flowing blue sky gown and cape, Squid Game breakout Hoyeon, Michelle Rodriguez, Bollywood star Aamir Khan, competition jury president Spike Lee, action stars Will Smith and Vin Diesel, Kareena Kapoor, Saudi actor Khaled Yeslam and Daniel Dae Kim were among the global stars in lavish outfits at the opening gala on Thursday night. The glamorous event saw the stars converge on the main building of the city’s new Culture Square that mixes traditional architecture and modern technology. The site is being touted as “the new home of film” in Jeddah and Saudi Arabia.
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Via Paul Carsten in msn.com: Oil prices pared some gains on Thursday after a source told Reuters OPEC+ has agreed to delay a planned oil output hike until April 2025. The planned delay comes as OPEC+, made up the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries plus allies including Russia, tries to support prices as it wrestles with weak demand, notably from China, and rising supply outside the producer group. There remains the question of how long the delays could last, with this only the latest in a series. OPEC+ was originally due to begin raising output in October as part of a plan to gradually unwind the groups most recent layer of output curbs of 2.2 million barrels per day.
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Via Shahana Yasmin in independent.co: Saudi Arabia recently launched a rather unusual cola, crafted not from corn syrup or cane sugar but from the nation’s most prized fruit—dates. Named Milaf Cola, the drink was developed by Thurath Al-Madina, a subsidiary of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, and launched at the Riyadh Date Festival by the company’s CEO, Bander Al-Qahtani, and the Saudi agriculture minister Abdulrahman Al-Fadley. The cola’s star ingredient are premium dates which are packed with fiber, antioxidants, and essential minerals such as magnesium and potassium, and are revered in the Middle East for their health benefits. Milaf Cola claims it contains no added sugar and is able to harness the superfood’s health benefits, positioning itself as a healthier alternative to conventional sodas without compromising on flavour.
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MORE ON THE KINGDOM AND BEYOND
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Saudi Arabia has finalised an arrangement for securing a shariah-compliant revolving credit facility worth $2.5 billion, the...[By Enas Alashray and Ahmed Tolba via reuters.com]
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Dakar Rally drivers and riders recount Stage 2 of the event, where competitors took two days to traverse nearly 1000 km....[via youtube.com]
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Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund plans to raise $7 billion from its first murabaha credit facility, as the fund diversifies its funding...[By Aarti Nagraj via thenationalnews.com]
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Saudi Arabia raised $12 billion from global debt markets in a three-part bond sale, attracting strong investor...[By Rachna Uppal and Enas Alashray via reuters.com]
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Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry confirmed that the provisions of the “Use of Security Surveillance Cameras” law prohibit the transfer or publication of security surveillance camera...[via arabnews.com]
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Among the venues announced Tuesday for the 24-team regional competition were the 70,000-capacity King Fahd Sports City Stadium and King Saud University Stadium, both in...[via france24.com]
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That the Gulf’s various sovereign wealth funds have become some of the most dominant players in global dealmaking has rarely been in...[By Matthew Martin via bloomberg.com]
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Saudi Arabia’s water sector witnessed significant shifts in 2023, with a 31 percent increase in desalinated seawater production, now comprising 50 percent of the country’s...[via azernews.az]
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Saudi Arabia will need estimated funding of SAR139 billion ($37.02 billion) in 2025 to cover the potential budget deficit. Finance minister Mohammed Al Jadaan has approved...[By Pramod Kumar via agbi.com]
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Saudi Coffee Company has launched its second annual Saudi Sip of Excellence Competition in partnership with the global nonprofit Alliance for Coffee Excellence. Designed...[By April Hawksworth via gcrmag.com]
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Saudi Arabia, one of the largest bond issuers in emerging markets last year, has started 2025 with a funding spree as the country fuels its...[By Abeer Abu Omar and Matthew Martin via yahoo.com]
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Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport and Riyadh King Khalid International Airport each posted record passenger traffic in 2024, reflecting the continuing strong performance of aviation...[By Dermot Davitt via moodiedavittreport.com]
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The world’s top crude oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, has raised the price of its crude loading for Asia in February by more than expected...[By Tsvetana Paraskova via oilprice.com]
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The Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) and the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) have announced that the first mandatory phase of the...[By Aayushya Ranjan via techafricanews.com]
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In a move that has both bemused and intrigued the global beverage industry, Saudi Arabia has launched Milaf Cola, a fizzy drink made from dates....[via youtube.com]
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WWE, in partnership with The General Entertainment Authority (GEA), on behalf of HE Turki Alalshikh, announced that the 39th annual Royal Rumble will be held in January...[via wwe.com]
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Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. The Secretary reaffirmed U.S. support for...[via state.gov]
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Severe storms hit Saudi Arabia, as torrential rains and high winds delayed flights at King Abdulaziz International Airport, in Jeddah, on Monday, January 6. Severe rains,...[via news.yahoo]
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A coalition of armed opposition factions has gone on the offensive in northern Syria, capturing some 250 cities, towns, and villages and more than doubling...[By Charles Lister via mei.edu]
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Iran will send missiles, drones and more advisers to Syria, a senior Iranian official said on Friday,...[By Maya Gebeily, Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Parisa Hafezi via reuters.com]
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Flooding in April 2024 in the UAE, for example, killed five people and cost $1.8-$2.3 billion in property damage, according to Gallagher Re reinsurance brokerage. In...[By Jonathan Gorvett via agbi.com]
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Dubai will reintroduce the 30 percent sales tax on alcohol in January, according to an email sent by a local alcohol distributor to venues in...[By Neil Halligan via agbi.com]
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