Biden in Saudi Arabia to revive bilateral ties

• Biden’s direct flight is the first by an American president from Israel to Saudi Arabia, the last stop of the president's Middle East tour.
• Biden met Saudi King Salman before participating in a "working session" headed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

GCC citizens look to pour investment in UK real estate

• According to a May report by property consultancy Knight Frank, Gulf-based high-net-worth families have returned to property investments in recent months
• GCC investors are leveraging a weak pound to buy assets in the UK's luxury property market after the pound fell to its lowest level against the dollar since March 2020 in June

US President to broaden ties in visit to Saudi Arabia, Israel

• Air Force One will also make an unprecedented direct flight between the Jewish state and the Gulf kingdom that does not recognize its existence
• Biden's trip to Saudi Arabia is seen as part of efforts to stabilize oil markets rattled by the Ukraine war, by re-engaging with a country that has been a key strategic ally of US

GCC leaders condemn assassination of former Japan PM

• Abe was giving a speech for a candidate in Nara just ahead of Sunday's parliamentary elections, when a man shot him from behind with a handmade firearm
• The UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan joined the world leaders in expressing his condolences and sympathy to the Japanese government and people

Middle East startups raise $1.8 billion in first half of 2022

• The fintech sector remained the most capital attracting sector, raising nearly $1.7 billion and accounting for 34 percent of the total funding secured across all markets
• Transport and logistics and e-commerce came in second and third, each raising respectively $1 billion and $501 million

Digital health sector to cross $230bn in five years

• Increased adoption of digital-health technologies is expected to unlock an estimated US$230 billion globally - including US$10 billion in the Middle East - over the next five years
• Healthcare will play a significant role in building and empowering the new generation of govts, says Mohamed Yousef AlSharhan, Deputy Managing Director of WGS Organization

UN envoy cancels Western Sahara trip

• The Polisario Front that seeks independence for the desert territory said it deeply deplores that the occupying state of Morocco has once again resorted to obstructionism
• Morocco sees the region as part of its sovereign territory, but the Polisario and its main patron Algeria want a referendum on full independence

Emrill appoints new director

• Johnson will be responsible for building and developing the organization's strategic vision and accelerating growth across Emrill’s key services in the UAE and the wider GCC region
• With over 25 years of senior management experience, Johnson has held managerial roles in the UAE, UK, Europe, and Australia

Strong earthquake shakes southern Iran, killing five

• Situated on the edge of several tectonic plates and crossing various fault lines, Iran is an area of strong seismic activity
• Hormozgan governor said most of the damage occurred in the village of Sayeh Khost, close to the epicenter

Metaverse: Opportunities, challenges and laws in GCC