Arab News
Arab News was the first newspaper to provide a Saudi perspective in English on a wide range of national, regional and global issues through its diverse collection of columnists. This content keeps track of the Kingdom's policies and developments in Saudi society. Arab News is printed in color simultaneously at its state-of-the-art facilities in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam. It can be found on newsstands throughout the Middle East.
KAPSARC develops 3 models for Saudi energy system. RIYADH: The King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) has developed three models and tools for the economy and energy system in Saudi Arabia, in an effort to boost and diversify Saudi Arabia’s economic and energy prosperity and achieve its Vision 2030 goals.
The center’s researchers have designed the Vision 2030 dynamic input-output tool, the KAPSARC energy model, and the energy policy simulator tool, in order to enhance the understanding of energy economics and environmental policies. “In order to predict the future of economic and energy issues and face future energy challenges, the number of open-source models and tools reached more than 20 models, 1,800 databases, and 14 research tools,” Dr.
Fahad Al-Turki, vice president of research at KAPSARC, said. KAPSARC’s researchers have designed the Vision 2030 dynamic input-output tool, the KAPSARC energy model, and the energy policy simulator tool. Mohammed Al-Tuwaijri the ideal candidate to lead WTO. The new director general of the World Trade Organization (WTO) will be elected this month.
This is easily the most important choice in the history of the WTO and its predecessor the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. In times of crisis, leadership matters. It also matters that the new head of the organization is equipped with the abilities required to run the organization. They are: A solid understanding of the global economy, an understanding of how governments and multilateral organizations work and interact, diplomatic acumen, and leadership skills. On July 8, Saudi Arabia put forward its candidate in Mohammed Al-Tuwaijri. Arabnews. Leaks from last month indicate that a deal with colossal scope has been agreed between China and Iran.
All the details of the agreement are not yet known, but the parts that have been reported show that this will be the biggest deal between China and any Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) country. However, considering the potential of both nations, it does not go beyond their capacity. The total range of the deal is reported to be $400 billion spread over a period of 25 years, which works out as $16 billion of Chinese investment in Iran each year. These investments will be in areas such as telecommunications, gas, oil, petrochemicals, harbors, railroads, and banking. The concessions extended by Iran to China may look unusual for a country known for its sensitivity on national sovereignty issues, but both Beijing and Tehran have a tradition of aiming at longer-term strategic targets.
Al-Fouta’s facelift: Riyadh’s historical district slated for renovation. RIYADH: A major project is set to bring back the glory of 15 old palaces in the Kingdom’s capital.
The work is part of broader restoration work in the historical districts of central Riyadh, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Minister of Culture and Chairman of the Heritage Authority, announced on Sunday. Managed by the Ministry of Culture, represented by the Heritage Authority, in partnership with the Royal Commission for Riyadh and the Riyadh municipality, the project comes as part of King Salman’s keenness to preserve Saudi heritage and falls under the direction of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. From 15 palaces, seven in the western district of Al-Fouta date back to 1944, while three in eastern Al-Fouta date back to 1935. The project will also restore five royal palaces: King Fahd Palace, King Abdullah Palace, Princess Haya bint Abdulrahman Palace, Prince Sultan Palace, and Princess Al-Anoud Palace in Dhahira, Al-Fouta, and Umm Salim districts. Saudi Voyagers Association launches memberships. Jordan tightens grip on gatherings amid rising COVID-19 cases.
BEIRUT: Prime Minister-designate Mustapha Adib said on Monday he had met Lebanon’s president for more consultations, raising doubts that he could form his cabinet by a deadline agreed with France of early this week to start hauling the nation out of deep crisis.
Lebanese leaders promised French President Emmanuel Macron in Beirut on Sept. 1 to form a government in two weeks, part of a roadmap drawn up by Paris to start reforms aimed at ending the worst crisis since Lebanon’s civil war ended three decades ago. “God willing, all will be well,” Adib told reporters following his meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun.
An official source had previously said the prime minister-designate, a Sunni Muslim under Lebanon’s sectarian system of power sharing, would present plans for his cabinet on Monday. Houthi violence in Yemen displaces thousands of students. BEIRUT: Prime Minister-designate Mustapha Adib said on Monday he had met Lebanon’s president for more consultations, raising doubts that he could form his cabinet by a deadline agreed with France of early this week to start hauling the nation out of deep crisis.
Lebanese leaders promised French President Emmanuel Macron in Beirut on Sept. 1 to form a government in two weeks, part of a roadmap drawn up by Paris to start reforms aimed at ending the worst crisis since Lebanon’s civil war ended three decades ago. “God willing, all will be well,” Adib told reporters following his meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun. An official source had previously said the prime minister-designate, a Sunni Muslim under Lebanon’s sectarian system of power sharing, would present plans for his cabinet on Monday.
Only one person to blame for Israel’s virus omnishambles. Why the US Electoral College system is problematic. In a little under two months, the US will once again put to the test an archaic electoral anomaly that has failed its democracy five times in its history and twice so far this century: The Electoral College.
When Al Gore and George W. Bush competed for the presidency in 2000, Gore won the popular vote. However, the Electoral College votes allocated to each candidate were so evenly distributed that only the state of Florida was left to try to decide the victor from the vanquished. Car-ismatic Saudi artist to display her latest work in Jeddah for National Day. NEW YORK: The UN General Assembly on Saturday adopted a Saudi-proposed resolution calling for a global coordinated response to fight the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
The draft resolution, adopted by a large majority, praised Saudi Arabia’s efforts, as chair of the G20 presidency, against the pandemic and in assisting developing countries without any discrimination to fight the unprecedented health challenges posed by the COVID-19. While presenting the draft resolution, Abdallah Al-Mouallimi, Kingdom’s ambassador to the UN in New York, said: “This pandemic has ravaged our world and resulted in around 1 million deaths in 9 months, and infected 28 million people around the world.” He said the pandemic is threatening international health security, causing huge damage to the economies of states around the globe, and interrupting all aspects of human life. He said the pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of global health.
UN adopts Saudi resolution to fight pandemic. RIYADH: Saudi abstract artist Shalimar Sharbatly is set to showcase her latest work in Jeddah as part of the Kingdom’s 90th National Day celebrations.
The municipality of Jeddah, in cooperation with the artist, has launched the “Draw the Nation” initiative, which will see the art displayed to the public from Sept. 23. Sharbatly, a pioneer of the “Moving Art” school, is widely known for her style of painting on cars. A custom-designed, hand-painted Porsche 911 and a Formula 1 racing vehicle that she painted, known as “La Torq,” are the most notable of her works. The Porsche was showcased at the Paris Motor Show, and “La Torq” was unveiled at the 2017 Grand Prix de Monaco. Both vehicles were also exhibited at the Louvre museum in Paris, in the “Moving Art” exhibit in 2017. Arab coalition targets Houthi bases in Sanaa. ANKARA: A provocative live-fire drill by the Turkish navy off the coast of Cyprus was branded illegal on Saturday, as reports emerged that the US is drawing up plans to withdraw from the strategic Incirlik air force base.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen to Incirlik,” Ron Johnson, the US senator who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee for Europe, told the Washington Examiner. “We hope for the best, but we have to plan for the worst.” US withdrawal would be a blow to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, suggesting that the US no longer trusts him. Thousands of Israelis protest outside Netanyahu’s residence. Afghans express cautious optimism as historic talks begin. KABUL: Afghans were cautious in expressing hope on Saturday as historic US-brokered talks between the Taliban and government delegates began in Doha, Qatar, to end a decades-old conflict in Afghanistan.
“People are cautiously optimistic and happy, given there are lots of differences between the two sides and the fact that in the past peace deals were broken. But we hope that our leaders have learnt from the past 40 years of mistakes of war where we either fought among ourselves or were used by foreign powers,” Hafiz Abdul Qayoum, a former governor for Nuristan province, which lies nearly 340 km to the east of Kabul near the border with Pakistan, told Arab News.
He added that peace required “sacrifice, tolerance, and self-denial” and that the delegates must take into consideration the “wishes of the people” and not “debate over their interests.” Anger as death-row prisoner sworn in as Sri Lankan MP. COLOMBO: A Sri Lankan politician on death row for murder was on Tuesday sworn in as a legislator in the country’s parliament amid angry scenes. Premalal Jayasekara became the first convict to take oath as a legislator in the country after being escorted from prison for the swearing-in ceremony. “This disparaging act has not only drawn global attention, but has also created a permanent scar in the annals of history with the entry of a death-row prisoner to the legislature,” said Imran Mahroof, an opposition member of parliament from the eastern part of the island nation. “In Sri Lanka, the man who kills a cow goes to jail, while the man who kills another man goes to parliament,” he told Arab News.
Iraq reforms stymied by wave of attacks blamed on pro-Iran groups. BAGHDAD: War-scarred Iraq hopes to launch reforms and revive its battered economy, but the drive is being derailed by a wave of violence blamed largely on shadowy pro-Iranian groups. Since Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi took office in May, he has promised to rein in rogue militias, fight corruption and roll out long-awaited restructuring after years of war and insurgency. But the closer his government gets to its stated aims, the more armed actors with suspected links to Washington’s arch enemy Tehran are lashing out, top Iraqi officials and analysts told AFP.
“Every time these groups see us getting close to their military or economic interests, they either launch rockets or propaganda campaigns to distract us,” said one senior government official. Violence was already rising before Kadhimi traveled to Washington last month to meet US President Donald Trump, who was Wednesday expected to announce further troop withdrawals from Iraq. Unified Arab policy must be adopted towards Turkey’s destructive practices, says Egyptian FM. CAIRO: Thousands of Egyptians have taken to their social media accounts to express solidarity with the Sudanese people in light of the recent, devastating floods, which resulted in the death and injury of hundreds and the displacement of thousands forced to leave their homes due to the high water levels. On Twitter, the hashtags #WeStandWithSudan and #FromMyHeartPeaceToKhartoum trended. Egyptian Minister of Health Hala Zayed traveled to Khartoum on Tuesday evening at the head of a medical delegation of 20 doctors, nurses, and specialists in the fight against pandemics, bringing with them medical supplies and vaccines.
The minister assured her Sudanese counterpart of Egypt’s full support, affirming that Egypt would be ready to meet any of Sudan’s health needs. Saudi Culture Ministry to launch first oil museum. Experts discuss ways to protect Saudi Arabia’s heritage. Billion-dollar bubble? SoftBank ‘whale’ unnerves global markets. Riyadh and Islamabad share the same hopes and vision for settling Kashmir. Myanmar’s Suu Kyi pulls out of first election trip over coronavirus. Dubai’s Emirates refunds $1.4 billion to customers affected by COVID-19 travel restrictions. ‘Made in Hong Kong’ brand suffers as trade tensions deepen. HONG KONG: At the Koon Chun Sauce Factory workers are scrambling to cover hundreds of thousands of bottles with new “Made in China” labels as the popular Hong Kong brand falls victim to spiraling diplomatic tensions. Founded nearly a century ago, the family-owned factory has survived a world war, multiple economic crises and the slow withering of Hong Kong’s manufacturing base as companies looked for cheaper labor in mainland China.
Tokyo Olympics will go ahead ‘with or without COVID’: IOC official. LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida: LeBron James had 28 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists, Anthony Davis added 34 points and 10 rebounds and the Los Angeles Lakers evened the Western Conference semifinals by beating the Houston Rockets 117-109 on Sunday night.Markieff Morris scored 16 points for the Lakers. Lakers hold on to beat Rockets, tie series. LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida: LeBron James had 28 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists, Anthony Davis added 34 points and 10 rebounds and the Los Angeles Lakers evened the Western Conference semifinals by beating the Houston Rockets 117-109 on Sunday night.Markieff Morris scored 16 points for the Lakers.
Saudi energy minister meets historic challenges. Sept. 8, 2020 will mark the first anniversary of Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman becoming Saudi energy minister. Iran regime uses iron fist in times of stress. There appears to be a correlation between Iran’s increasing military adventurism in the region and the regime’s deployment of brute force inside the country that is aimed at suppressing its population and any political opposition. Poor countries desperate for Covid vaccines may be outbid by richer neighbors. PARIS: Fourteen people accused of helping terrorist gunmen attack the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish supermarket went on trial Wednesday, over five years after days of terror that sent shockwaves through France. Saudis boost bank balances despite pandemic. Egypt’s external debt down to almost $111bn. Barcelona want face-to-face meeting to change Messi’s mind.
Platini quizzed in Swiss investigation of $2M FIFA payment. Macron’s Lebanese ‘faux pas’ Understanding and respecting intellectual property rights. Christchurch white supremacist gunman, Brenton Tarrant, jailed for life without parole. Oil price hits five-month high as hurricane heads for US refineries. UNIFIL urges Israeli, Lebanese ‘restraint’ Egypt calls for international meeting of tourism ministers to discuss revival of sector. A free supermarket offers dignity to Lebanon’s most vulnerable. US presidential election a dilemma for Arab Americans. Saudi students working remotely at risk from cyberattacks: Experts. Showbiz world mourns death of Saudi actor Mohammed Hamza. Saudi woman manipulates wire to create impressive items. New Zealand court hears survivors’ horror stories of hiding under blood soaked corpses in 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks. German finance minister sees ‘no way back’ from EU joint debt.
South Africa retail industry feels pain from coronavirus pandemic. Bayern Munich beat PSG to win Champions League. Celtics first to advance in NBA playoffs, Doncic nails epic game winner. Lebanon’s new start needs to be locally led. Middle East’s extremism and sectarianism can be traced back to Iran. Kremlin critic Navalny hospitalized with poisoning. Virus closes door on 100k Bangladeshi migrants. Stored crude, condensate could be shipped from shut Libyan ports.
Apple becomes 1st US company to hit $2 trillion in market value. Bucks, Lakers stunned in playoff openers. ‘Return of a legend’ — Koeman officially named new Barcelona coach. OPEC+ stresses need for all members to comply with output cuts. Virus opens door to innovative mortgage refinancing. Virus opens door to innovative mortgage refinancing. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan: A partnership too important to fail. Mumbai must face up to climate change’s existential threat. Reem Al-Frayan, executive director of the G20 Saudi Secretariat. Saudi Arabia to take part in virtual parliamentary speakers’ conference. GCC secretary-general denounces Iran’s ‘threats’ against UAE. Israel renews assaults on Gaza, shuts fishing zone. Seoul tightens restrictions after spike linked to churches. Libyan Air Force destroys mercenary convoy near Egyptian ‘red line’ Cash for chaos as brokers swoop in on battered Beirut after blast. Education in GCC region seeks a ‘new normal’ as coronavirus crisis drags on.
Libya’s GNA govt detains 35 Egyptian fishermen. Saudi body to help UN devise policies for sustainable living. Why must it always take a disaster to instigate change? Saudi clinics carry out 2 million virus tests. Jordan to close border with Syria after spike in COVID-19 cases. Saudi Arabia urges stability and unity in Sudan. Over half of Beirut health facilities ‘non-functional’: WHO. Macron warns Iran: Don’t meddle in Lebanon's fightback from Beirut blast. Aramco faces grilling as oil heads into ‘eye of the storm’ INTERVIEW: For Richard Attias, the man behind Saudi Arabia’s ‘Davos in the Desert’, no mission is impossible. Lebanese diaspora in London protest in support of Beirut protesters. Saudi women embrace COVID-19 measures at driving schools. Global insurance companies should capitalize on Saudi Arabia’s consolidation trend. New US Iran envoy Elliot Abrams joins fight to block Tehran’s weapon access. More than 250,000 people now recovered from COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia.
A travel-experience company has Saudi Arabia’s nature and culture in its sights. Lebanon prime minister Diab to call for early polls after deadly Beirut blast. Angry Lebanese set up mock gallows amid calls for ‘revenge’ over blast. Google Cloud prepares for Black Friday ‘peak on top of peak’ A year after Kashmir lost its special status Trump versus TikTok — an expert’s view. Saudi customs train dogs to sniff out infected air travelers. UNESCO extends Saudi scientist’s goodwill ambassador role for another 2 years. French president traveling to Lebanon after deadly explosion. Initial investigations point to negligence as cause of Beirut blast. Saudi monetary authority eases financial transaction restrictions to mitigate impact of COVID-19. Dutch PM tells citizens to relax, saying there’s enough toilet paper for 10 years. European leaders’ video-conference on Syria may bring extra cash to Ankara. Most Saudi Arabia, UAE residents ‘scared’ of coronavirus: poll. US blames Russia, not Assad, for Turkey’s loss.