“One of the things I believe strongly, from my own experience over the last thirty years and looking at the sweep of history, is that there’s no such thing as a hereditary enemy; that we are not fated to conflict or animosity; and even what seemed to be the most virulent and violent hatreds can go away, can change.” Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Blinken’s audacious final message for the Middle East [Atlantic Council]
Via Natasha Turak in cnbc.com: “Oil is no longer an energy security challenge – it’s going to be gas, electricity, predominantly minerals,” Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman told attendees at the annual Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh. “Today some of these countries, they have, as a country, 50% of the ownership of some of these required minerals and critical minerals … countries are racing to access critical minerals and secure their own supply chain. Rushing to secure access to resources will ultimately lead to higher emissions, higher metals costs and higher energy prices.” The energy minister was referring to minerals critical to the energy transition and advanced technologies – including lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, manganese and other rare earth elements crucial for making things like electric vehicles, batteries, renewable energy technology, computers, and household goods.
Via Patrick Wintour in theguardian.com: Security for Israel, he argued, had to include a credible political horizon for the Palestinians, or else Hamas “or something equally abhorrent” will “grow back”. He said the country “must abandon the myth they can carry out de facto annexation, without cost and consequence to Israel’s democracy, to its standing, to its security”. Yet, he complained, “Israel’s government has systematically undermined the capacity and legitimacy of the only viable alternative to Hamas: the Palestinian Authority”. Indeed, the weakening of Iran is probably the biggest regional impact of the war in Gaza. Biden had a point this week in claiming that, all told, Iran “is weaker than it has been for decades”. He elaborated: “Iran’s air defences are in shambles. Their main proxy, Hezbollah, is badly wounded, and as we tested Iran’s willingness to revive the nuclear deal, we kept the pressure with sanctions. Now Iran’s economy is in desperate straits.” A 35-year tack to build a defence strategy around a proxy army had been eviscerated in a matter of months.
in arabnews.com: Saudi authorities welcomed the announcement of a Gaza ceasefire agreement on Wednesday and expressed the Kingdom’s appreciation for the efforts of mediators from Qatar, Egypt and the US. The Kingdom stressed the need for adherence to the deal, an end to Israel’s aggression against Gaza, and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory and all other occupied Palestinian and Arab lands. It also highlighted the importance of building on the agreement by addressing the underlying reasons for the conflict and enabling the Palestinian people to secure their rights, the foremost of which is the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Ongoing transformation in the global screen industry has created an opportunity for GCC countries to establish themselves as prominent players. As the industry grapples with...[By Tarek Matar, Karim Sarkis and Maansi Sagar via strategyand.pwc]
The delegation consists of nine technical teams covering various sectors, including goods, services, investment, general provisions, e-commerce, intellectual property, government procurement, rules of origin, and...[via spa.gov]
After years of regulatory uncertainty under both Democratic and Republican administrations, Trump has pledged to protect bitcoin ownership and encourage blockchain...[By Carla Sertin via agbi.com]
68.1m international tourists visited the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries by the end of 2023, according to data issued by the Statistical...[via arabianbusiness.com]
Since China is the US’s third-biggest export destination for food and agricultural products after Canada and Mexico, Beijing may retaliate by...[By Martin Keulertz via agbi.com]
A recent analysis by Capital Economics highlights the consequences of these tariffs and their broader implications for global trade dynamics. The administration's agenda to...[By Issac John via khaleejtimes.com]
Saudi Arabia’s non-oil economy started 2025 on a high as business conditions improved substantially. This improvement was largely due to the fastest increase in total...[By Yara Abi Farraj via economymiddleeast.com]
Some of the Kingdom’s prominent military branches are participating in the drills, including forces from the Presidency of State Security and the Saudi Arabian National...[via arabnews.com]
Strategic inbound and domestic M&A activity in the region surged 88 per cent year-on-year to reach $36 billion during the first 10 months...[By Tala Michel Issa via arabianbusiness.com]
The Saudi Arabia Council of Health Insurance (CHI) has announced penalties against several employers for failing to meet mandatory health insurance...[By Roxanne Libatique via insurancebusinessmag.com]
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh on Monday. The two leaders held an official session...[via arabnews.com]
"Ultimately, we're going to see the seasonal dance: Gas prices are going to go up this spring regardless of tariffs or not, they're going to...[By Julie Hyman and Josh Lipton via yahoo.com]
The ceasefire will go into effect on Sunday, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani announced during a press conference in Doha. "It gives...[By Alex MacDonald and Yasmine El-Sabawi via middleeasteye.net]
It stated that the first phase of the ceasefire would involve the exchange of captives and prisoners and a return to "sustainable calm", with the...[By Rayhan Uddin via middleeasteye.net]
“What we’ve done over the past four years,” Blinken said, “building on the Abraham Accords, was to try to get to their ultimate realization, which...[By Frederick Kempe via atlanticcouncil.org]
US President Joe Biden may be on the brink of finally securing a ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, but his...[By Hussein Ibish via thenationalnews.com]
