Culture AWSN predicts soaring Saudi Arabia demand for women’s sports apparel All Women’s Sports Network, a television network founded by Hollywood actor Whoopi Goldberg at the end of 2024, is expected to launch in Saudi Arabia later this month. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia advances gas ambitions as $100B Jafurah plant comes online The Finance Ministry reported that initial output at the massive Jafurah gas field has begun, with a capacity of 450 million cubic feet per day. Saudi Arabia
Yemen's STC separatists advance in Hadramout as UAE-Saudi rift grows The fighting between the UAE-backed southern separatists and Saudi-aligned tribal forces, nominal allies against the Houthis, has raised concerns about the division of Yemen. Yemen
Newsletter: City Pulse Riyadh Winter at Tantora returns to AlUla Also this week: Desert dining in AlUla, Camel Festival turns 10 and art from Jeddah to Tashkent By Rebecca Anne Proctor In Dubai, reporting on culture
Analysis US-Gulf critical minerals ties grow in bid to weaken China’s grip on industry By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Analysis South Korea’s $15B jet offer expands UAE's options as US moves to sell Saudis F-35s By Francesco Schiavi In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance
Italy and Saudi Arabia in talks for major deals as ties grow under Meloni The government of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which came into power in October 2022, has been working to deepen ties with energy- and cash-rich states in the Middle East and North Africa. Saudi Arabia
What Saudi crown prince's call to stop weapons exports means for Israel The crown prince’s comments come amid persistent opposition to Israel’s strikes against Hamas in Gaza in the Arab world. Legacy: Gulf
What $6.9B China-Saudi currency swap means for Beijing’s efforts to globalize yuan China’s increasing economic influence and the high price of the US dollar, which has increased amid increasing interest rates to tame inflation, have led some economies to switch to cheaper yuan-denominated transactions. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia to sign more than $500M in deals with African countries Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih said the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund, will make some “game changing” investments in Africa. Saudi Arabia
What the Gulf states new unified visa means for Saudi, UAE, other citizens The new Schengen-like visa — allowing seamless travel between members Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — will be introduced during 2024-25. Legacy: Gulf
Saudi campaign to boycott TikTok spreads to private sector Many Saudis are calling for a boycott of the popular social media platform over it allegedly removing pro-Saudi content. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s PIF in talks to inject $250M into Chinese car maker The kingdom is looking to develop its electric vehicle market as its economy diversifies away from oil. Saudi Arabia
Oil prices rise after Saudi Arabia, Russia extend output cuts The Kingdom has maintained its oil output cut of 1 million barrels per day since July in an attempt to stabilize the market and prop up prices amid weakened demand. Saudi Arabia
Saudi defense chief concludes US trip, seeks security assurances as Gaza rages Prince Khalid bin Salman’s preplanned trip included meetings with top US officials. Saudi Arabia is concerned that the war between Israel and Hamas could hurt its interests. Legacy: Gulf
Saudi Aramco, QatarEnergy, UAE’s Emirates among Fortune Arabia top 10 The list of 500 companies from 22 Arab countries posted around $1.6 trillion in revenues in 2022, yielding a net profit of $343 billion. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia's oil cuts weigh heavy on economy, GDP tanks by 4.5% The kingdom's economy shrunk by the most since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 due to energy measures. Saudi Arabia
Tourism tipping point: Middle East travel boom delivering economic boost as Israel-Hamas war threatens recovery The outbreak of fighting between Israel and Hamas in October 2023 has undercut a fledgling tourism rebound in the Holy Land after years of struggle.