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QUOTED
“Cruise Saudi’s new ship is the 1,099-foot-long Aroya, boasting 1,678 cabins and carrying up to 3,362 passengers. In terms of length it is only slightly shorter than Royal Caribbean International’s Icon- and Oasis-class ships which are the biggest at sea and have roughly double Aroya’s capacity (at 6,700 to 7,600 passengers).” Biggest Retail Footprint At Sea Opens On Saudi Arabian Cruise Ship [Forbes]
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TOP STORY
AROYA Cruises’ flagship vessel, AROYA, has embarked on its inaugural journey across the Red Sea, marking a significant milestone for Cruise Saudi, a Public Investment Fund company, as it expands Saudi Arabia’s cruise tourism sector. [more]
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MORE TOP STORYLINES
in al-monitor.com: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday voiced hope that President-elect Donald Trump will pick up his work to normalize ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel, acknowledging a historic deal will not happen under Joe Bidens administration. Blinken until recently was still voicing hope at reaching an agreement, which he had dangled as an incentive for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to show moderation in the Gaza war. The work that weve done on putting in place the elements of that deal, including what we and Saudi Arabia would do together, what they would do with Israel, all of that is now there, Blinken said in an interview with MSNBC. My hope is well move as far as we can, but it wont be complete, he said. But well be able to hand it over, and then the next administration can decide how it wants to proceed.
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Via Humeyra Pamuk and Amina Ismail in voanews.com: Top diplomats from the Biden administration are in Damascus on Friday to meet new Syrian authorities led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a State Department spokesperson said, the first in-person and official meeting between Washington and Syrias de-facto new rulers. The State Departments top Middle East diplomat, Barbara Leaf, Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens and newly appointed Senior Adviser Daniel Rubinstein, who is now tasked with leading the Departments Syria engagement, are the first U.S. diplomats to travel to Damascus since Syrias opposition militias overthrew oppressive President Bashar al-Assad. The visit comes as Western governments are gradually opening channels to HTS and its leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and start debating whether or not to remove the terrorist designation on the group. The U.S. delegations travel follows contacts with France and Britain in recent days.
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in thearabweekly.com: Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission has registered 13,040 new urban sites, increasing the total number of documented sites with cultural and historical importance to 17,495 in various regions. The commission’s National Urban Heritage Register includes a list of urban sites that manifest a “lasting testament to the kingdom’s historical narratives for future generations,” the Saudi Press Agency reported. According to SPA, the most recent registered sites are 1,950 in Riyadh, 3,273 in Madinah, 1,531 in Al-Baha, 1,525 in Hail, 1,400 in Qassim, 972 in Aseer, 571 in Makkah, 363 in Al-Jouf, 351 in Jazan, 200 in Najran, 107 in Tabuk, 35 in the Northern Borders, and 762 in the Eastern Region.
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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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On Dec. 8, 2024, Bashar al-Assad’s regime fell. This is a fact, but it woefully understates the enormity, speed, and consequences of what has transpired....[By Munqeth Othman Agha via mei.edu]
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Nine Palestinian Americans sued the U.S. government on Thursday, alleging that it had failed to rescue them...[By Kanishka Singh via reuters.com]
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Turkey's central bank is expected to start a cycle of interest rate cuts next week after eight...[By Ezgi Erkoyun and Susobhan Sarkar via reuters.com]
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