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“Saudi Minister of Commerce Dr. Majed Al-Qasabi issued a decision banning the commercial use of symbols and logos of countries, as well as religious and sectarian symbols and logos. This is aimed at preventing the abuse or misuse of these symbols and logos. The ministry had previously announced the ban on using Saudi Arabia’s flag, which includes the name of God, the word of monotheism, the state emblem (the two swords and the palm tree), and pictures of the leadership and officials and their names in commercial transactions, including “printed materials, goods and products, media bulletins, special gifts, and others.”” Saudi Arabia bans commercial use of symbols and logos of other countries [Zawya]

TOP STORY

Saudi FM participates in G20 Summit in Brazil

G20 Brazil

The G20 2024 summit is being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on November 18 and 19 with a focus on the fight against hunger, poverty and inequality; sustainable development and reform for global governance. [more]

 

MORE TOP STORYLINES

G20 talks in Rio reach breakthrough on climate finance, sources say

Via Jake Spring and Lisandra Paraguassu in reuters.com: Diplomatic tensions over global warming spilled over into the G20 summit negotiations in Brazil this week, with sources saying the 20 major economies reached a fragile consensus on climate finance that had eluded U.N. talks in Azerbaijan. Heads of state arrived in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday for the G20 summit and will spend Monday and Tuesday addressing issues from poverty and hunger to the reform of global institutions. The talks must now also grapple with how to address escalating violence in Ukraine after a deadly Russian airstrike on Sunday.

Saudi Arabia Seeks to Balance Relations with Iran and Israel

in oilprice.com: The first signs of a thaw came in March 2023, when Iran and Saudi Arabia restored diplomatic relations after more than seven years following a surprise Chinese-brokered agreement. But it was Israel’s invasion of Gaza in October 2023 — soon after the U.S.- and EU-designated Palestinian terrorist group Hamas carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel — that gave real impetus to Iran-Saudi rapprochement efforts. Since the war erupted, Iran and Israel have traded direct aerial attacks for the first time. The tit-for-tat assaults have brought the region to the brink of a full-blown conflict. Saudi Arabia is concerned that these escalating tensions between Israel and Iran could spiral out of control and lead to a broader regional conflict that may impact their interests, said Hamidreza Azizi, fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.

Trump's oil and gas friendly energy secretary pick seen as fantastic in Middle East

Via Lauren Holtmeier and Herman Wang in spglobal.com: US President-elect Donald Trumps selection of oil industry veteran Chris Wright as energy secretary will likely be welcome in the Middle East where hydrocarbons dominate its economies, with one Saudi government official describing the nomination to S&P Global Commodity Insights on condition of anonymity as fantastic. Wright, whose nomination to head the Department of Energy was widely reported Nov. 16 in the midst of the COP29 UN climate change summit, is CEO of oilfield services firm Liberty Energy, which has extensive operations in hydraulic fracturing. He is a climate change skeptic who has called net-zero plans sinister.

 

MORE ON THE KINGDOM AND BEYOND

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Saudi Arabia’s Neo Space Group to Acquire UP42 from Airbus

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How FIFA helped pave the way for Saudi 2034

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Saudis Resist Restating Fossil Fuel Transition Pledge at COP29

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