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QUOTED
“There is complete synergy and coordination among all government sectors to ensure the success of our bid to host this global event. We will deliver the best edition in the history of the World Cup on Saudi soil in 2034.” Saudi Football Federation president Yasser Al-Misehal, Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup Bid Conference Highlights Key Aspects of the Largest World Cup [Saudi Press Agency]
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TOP STORY
Saudi Arabia has been confirmed in a virtual meeting of 200 FIFA member federations as the host of the 2034 World Cup. [more]
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MORE TOP STORYLINES
Via David Watkinson in bbc.com: Saudi Arabia has invested around £5bn in sports since 2021, when the countrys crown prince Mohammed bin Salman made it a key part of his strategy to diversify the economy, with a host of major sporting events brought to the kingdom, including high-profile boxing and Formula 1. The countrys domestic football league now includes world stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Neymar Jr, and the countrys Public Investment Fund owns Newcastle United and launched the breakaway LIV golf series. However, the country has been accused of sportswashing – using its unprecedented spending on sport to improve the oil-producing kingdoms reputation over its human rights record and environmental impact. So what will a World Cup in Saudi Arabia look like?
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Via Barak Ravid in axios.com: White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan is expected to travel to Israel, Egypt and Qatar this week in a last ditch effort to reach a hostage-release and ceasefire in Gaza deal before President-elect Trumps inauguration in six weeks, two sources with knowledge of the trip told Axios. Sullivan will meet with Israeli leaders to discuss a number of issues, including a hostage-release and ceasefire in Gaza deal, the latest developments in Syria, as well as Lebanon and Iran, White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett told Axios in a statement. He’s then planning to travel to Cairo and Doha to meet Egyptian and Qatari leaders and discuss their mediation efforts.
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Via Sean Mathews in middleeasteye.net: Gulf states who spent years trying to crush Islamic political movements viewed as a threat to their rule are now reconciling, potentially working with a government in Syria headed by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) that is backed by rival Turkey and courting the US. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt have been caught off guard by what one Egyptian diplomat characterised to Middle East Eye as the “quick rebranding” of HTS, a former al-Qaeda affiliate. The UAE has also been unnerved by the US’s manoeuvring to open backchannels of communication to HTS via Turkey, according to a senior western official.
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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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Photos from the Syrian capital Damascus on Tuesday showed the surreal scene of the intransigent Assad’s former ministers sitting at a huge table with representatives...[By Laura Rozen via substack.com]
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Israel's arrest of almost 30 mostly Jewish citizens who allegedly spied for Iran in nine covert cells...[By Jonathan Saul via reuters.com]
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Bahrain’s Investcorp Capital has announced investments exceeded $280 million across various asset classes in the last six months. These potential growth sectors included real estate, infrastructure...[By Pramod Kumar via agbi.com]
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