Iran media declares President Raisi dead, no official confirmation yet
"The president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi, had an accident while serving and performing his duty...Geostrategy
Israel calls for immediate release of hostages, reports two Thai people held in Gaza killed
The Israeli army said Thursday that two Thai hostages earlier believed to be alive in Gaza were killed in the...Geostrategy
Dubai Government reduces public debt by US$7.8bn
DUBAI, UAE - The Public Debt Management Office (PDMO) of the Government of Dubai's Department of Finance (DOF) announced a...The achievement has been realized within a year and a half since the establishment of the office in 2022.
This includes a full redemption of Sukuk certificates worth $898 million, the repayment of bilateral and syndicated facilities totaling $1.4 billion.
China grants Approved Destination Status to Saudi Arabia
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – China on Tuesday granted Approved Destination Status (ADS) to the Gulf Kingdom. The bilateral agreement, signed...The bilateral pact allows Chinese citizens to travel to Saudi Arabia in group tours in addition to facilitating greater ease of access.
ADS will drive greater connectivity between Saudi Arabia and China and unlock new opportunities across the tourism ecosystem.
QatarEnergy inks pact with Marubeni
QatarEnergy will supply naphtha to Marubeni for 10 years.This pact builds on the five-year Naphtha sales agreement signed in 2018 between QatarEnergy and Marubeni Corporation.
Japan-based Marubeni Corporation is the largest petrochemical feedstock trading entity and aggregator in Asia.
Israeli minister in first public visit to Saudi Arabia amid bilateral talks
Israel's Tourism Minister Haim Katz is the first Israeli minister to head an official delegation in Saudi Arabia, where he...Katz's visit comes after a Saudi envoy on a visit to the occupied West Bank pledged that the Palestinian cause will be "a cornerstone" of any normalization deal with Israel.
The visit by a delegation headed by Nayef al-Sudairi was Saudi Arabia's first in three decades to the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since the 1967 Arab-Israel war.
Rising demand for critical metals pose dilemmas for investors
PARIS, FRANCE - Soaring demand for the raw materials needed for the transition towards renewable energy is creating dilemmas for investors...Demand for lithium, an essential component of car batteries, could increase ninefold between 2022 and 2050, said the International Energy Agency.
Lithium and other metals that the IEA calls “key to the clean energy transition” will be the topic of a summit hosted by the global energy watchdog in Paris.
Saudi Arabia, amid Israel talks, sends envoy to West Bank
The delegation was led by the Saudi non-resident ambassador to the Palestinian territories, Nayef al-Sudairi, who was to meet Palestinian...The delegation from Saudi Arabia, which crossed overland from Jordan, was the first from Saudi Arabia to visit the West Bank since the 1993 Oslo Accords
The Saudi visit comes as Washington has been leading talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia on a normalization that would mark a game changer for the Middle East
China slams US sanctions over Iran aircraft program
Washington last week slapped sanctions on "seven individuals and four entities" based in Iran, China, Russia and Turkey it said...China notes that US has included some Chinese enterprises and individuals in the 'Specially Designated Nationals List', a commerce ministry spokesman said
"The United States side should immediately stop its unreasonable suppression of Chinese enterprises and individuals," spokesman said
Saudi Arabia denounces attack that killed two Bahrain soldiers
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia--Saudi Arabia on Tuesday condemned an attack on its territory that killed two Bahraini military personnel near the border...According to Bahrain's military, one officer and a soldier were killed in a drone attack carried out by Yemen's Houthi rebels
A Houthi delegation completed five days of talks in Riyadh last week, the first such public visit since hostillities broke out
UAE and India look to boost ‘comprehensive strategic partnership’
New York, US-- The UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed has held talks with Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister...The two ministers reviewed the issue of climate change and bilateral cooperation in this regard, and also discussed the UAE's hosting of COP28 this year
The UAE's foreign minister emphasized that the two countries are keen to support multilateral international action to find effective solutions to all global challenges
Bahrain says 2 soldiers dead in attack near Saudi-Yemen border
The victims "were martyred while performing their sacred national duty to defend the southern borders of the sister Kingdom of...The statement from Bahrain's military said the "terrorist act" was perpetrated by Houthi "attack drones" in an undisclosed location in southern Saudi Arabia
Houthis' TV channel reported separately on Monday that "four citizens" were injured in Saudi attacks on Yemeni territory near the border on Monday