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QUOTED
“The main accomplishment of the series is that it’s kind of humanising Saudi football. Because so far, I think people all over the globe, they were just thinking about dollar signs.” Danyel Reiche, Georgetown University in Qatar, who researches the intersection of politics and sport in the region, Football presents Saudi Arabia with soft power tool paving the way for World Cup [Arab Weekly]
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TOP STORY
With ‘International Anti-Corruption Day’ just observed on December 9th, Oumeyma Chelbi and Robert P. Beschel Jr. examine Saudi Arabia’s anti-corruption drive for the Middle East Council on Global Affairs. [more]
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MORE TOP STORYLINES
Via Alex Lawler in yahoo.com: OPEC cut its forecasts for oil demand growth this year and next on Wednesday, highlighting weakness in China, India and other regions in the producer groups fifth consecutive downward revision. The weaker outlook highlights the challenge facing OPEC+, which comprises the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies such as Russia. OPEC+ earlier this month delayed its plan to start raising output until April 2025 against a backdrop of falling prices. In a monthly report, OPEC said it expects 2024 global oil demand to rise by 1.61 million barrels per day (bpd), down from 1.82 million bpd last month. OPEC had kept the 2024 outlook unchanged until August, a view it had first taken in July 2023. The bulk of this revision is made in the third quarter, taking into account recently received bearish data for the third quarter, OPEC said in the report.
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Via Tim Callen, Kristin Smith Diwan and Robert Mogielnicki in agsiw.org: On December 11, FIFA will announce that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup. While this will be no surprise given the kingdom is the only bidder, the formal announcement will start the clock ticking on a decade of intense preparations ahead of the big kickoff. The 2034 tournament will be the first held in a single host country under the new expanded 48 team format. The 2026 and 2030 tournaments will also have 48 competing teams, but both will be held across multiple host countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States in 2026 and Morocco, Portugal, and Spain in 2030. The World Cup is the most watched sporting event in the world. An estimated 5.4 billion television viewers tuned in for the 2022 tournament in Qatar, and 3.4 million people attended the matches. Hosting the 2034 World Cup therefore provides Saudi Arabia with a huge opportunity to present itself on the global stage, attract visitors to the country, and showcase the ambitious reforms that it is pursuing under Vision 2030. It will also offer the country a chance to address the criticism it has faced in certain parts of the world for its human rights record and its continued advocacy of fossil fuel usage.
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Via Jennifer Bell in alarabiya.net: Saudi Arabia’s capital marked a historic milestone this month with the launch of its first metro system – and it is already proving to be an instant success with 1.9 million passengers utilizing the transport link in the first week of operations. Riyadh Metro, which began operations on December 1, is a multi-billion-dollar project featureing six color-coded lines spanning 176 kilometers with 85 stations, and has 183 trains manufactured by industry leaders Siemens, Bombardier, and Alstom, establishing itself as the world’s longest driverless metro network. The metro is designed to carry 1.2 million passengers daily, with plans to scale up to 3.6 million, helping to ease traffic jams and reduce reliance on cars.
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MORE ON THE KINGDOM AND BEYOND
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Saudi Arabia's national teams who competed in international science and academic contests had tremendous success, winning 107 global awards across 25 events held between September...[via mawhiba.org]
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The Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) has launched the Next Saudi Generation Program to support and develop Saudi talent in motorsports. The program, conducted in...[via spa.gov]
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Speaking in an interview with China Media Group (CMG), Araghchi said that the newly restored Iranian-Saudi ties have a lot of potential that haven’t been...[via alarabiya.net]
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Milan forward Tammy Abraham has hailed the impact of the support in Riyadh as his side booked their place in the Supercoppa Italiana final. The Englishman...[via yahoo.com]
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The Saudi Arabian group SAVOLA has sold all its assets in Iran for 705 million Saudi riyals (approximately $188 million) and is exiting the country. SAVOLA,...[via iranfocus.com]
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Since Ronaldo's arrival in the SPL, the league has grown leaps and bounds. Players like Karim Benzema, Neymar, Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mane, and...[By Apratim Banerjee via si.com]
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The Line 3 (Orange Line) covering Madinah Road would connect the east of Riyadh to its west, and extends from Jeddah Road in the west...[via saudigazette.com]
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On the back of the busiest sporting year Saudi Arabia has ever had, punctuated by news of the nation’s successful 2034 FIFA...[By Mark Lomas via alarabiya.net]
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The State Department approves the possible sale of 20 MK 54 MOD 0 Lightweight Torpedoes to Saudi Arabia for $78.5 million, according...[via alarabiya.net]
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Prince Faisal reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to supporting Syria’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity while emphasizing efforts to achieve security, stability, and prosperity for the...[via eurasiareview.com]
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The Saudi Ministry of Interior’s Absher Business platform has introduced updated fees for seven services offered to establishments, according to Okaz newspaper. Among the changes,...[via gulfnews.com]
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Rising sea levels driven by the climate crisis will overwhelm many of the world’s biggest oil ports, analysis indicates. Thirteen of the ports with the...[By Damian Carrington via theguardian.com]
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Saudi officials have signed a preliminary deal this week to issue residential mortgage-backed securities, a first for the Gulf. The Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company (SRC),...[By Valentina Pasquali via agbi.com]
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Government employees were among 145 people arrested in Saudi Arabia over corruption charges last month. The country’s Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) conducted 1,462 “oversight visits”...[By Gavin Gibbon via agbi.com]
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South Africa’s strong legacy at the Dakar Rally continues in 2025, with more than half of the vehicles at the event in Saudi Arabia being...[via youtube.com]
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Wages for Saudis in the private sector rose by 45 per cent in 2024, as Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development...[By Khitam Al Amir via gulfnews.com]
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Adding another tournament to a busy decade of football events, Saudi Arabia will host the 2026 Gulf Cup. The news was confirmed on the sidelines of...[via insideworldfootball.com]
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Travel and tourism service providers and booking platforms have been ordered by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism to remove unlicensed hospitality facilities from their listings...[By Neil Halligan via agbi.com]
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This is a collection of 37 photos chosen by AP photo editors.
...[via apnews.com]
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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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According to one high-ranking regional diplomatic source, Assad’s recent visit to Moscow was a turning point. While the Syrian leader was in Russia, forces led...[By Ali Hashem and Mohammad Ali Shabani via amwaj.media]
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Syria's new interim prime minister said he aimed to bring back millions of Syrian refugees, protect all...[By Maya Gebeily and Timour Azhari via reuters.com]
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In the wake of former Syrian leader Bashar Al-Assad’s downfall, Iraqi Shiite political elites are now coming to terms with a radical ...[via amwaj.media]
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The World Bank once estimated that about a quarter of the gasoline that is consumed in Tunisia has been smuggled into the country from Libya...[via csis.org]
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U.S. investor Acadia Infrastructure Capital and companies including Microsoft ...[By Simon Jessop via reuters.com]
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