By James M Dorsey Long banned, Christmas has finally, at least tacitly, arrived in Saudi Arabia; just don’t use the name in marketing or be ostentatious about your tree. Coffeeshops serving beverages in red cups with snowflakes on them are ok. So is the sale of soap bars named ‘Tis the Season and Vanilla Bean Noel. Christmas trees that sell at up to US$3,000 a piece are slightly […]
Arabian Post Staff The four-and-a-half day working week is another twist in the UAE’s drive to attract business and investment in the Gulf Cooporation Council (GCC). according to a GlobalData analysis. It points out how the weekend switch is the latest in a string of measures that have enhanced the competitiveness of Abu Dhabi and Dubai as regional centers, as it puts them on the same working […]
Arabian Post Staff The GCC leaders affirmed today the importance of completing pillars of the GCC common economic, defence and security integration and unity and coordinating stances in order to enhance solidarity and stability among GCC member states, serve their interests, avert them regional and international conflicts, fulfill aspirations of their people and strengthen their regional and international role through unified political positions and new partnerships regionally […]
By James Dorsey A cursory look at Saudi Arabia and Iran suggests that emphasizing human rights in US foreign policy may complicate relations but has little impact on regional stability or the willingness of protagonists to reduce tension and manage conflicts when it is in their interest. A post 9/11 US emphasis on human rights was not what inspired homegrown popular Arab revolts over the past decade […]
James M Dorsey It may not have been planned or coordinated but efforts by Middle Eastern states to dial down tensions serve as an example of what happens when big power interests coincide. It also provides evidence of the potentially positive fallout of a lower US profile in the region. Afghanistan, the United States’ chaotic withdrawal notwithstanding, could emerge as another example of the positive impact when […]
James M Dorsey The US withdrawal from Afghanistan will likely clarify what the Gulf’s security options are. Gulf states are likely to monitor how Russia and China handle the perceived security vacuum and security threats in the wake of the US withdrawal and abandonment, for all practical matters, of Central Asia. It will tell Gulf states to what degree Russia and China may be viable alternatives for […]
Performance across Saudi Arabia’s various real estate market asset classes remains mixed. However, the residential market continues to outperform, according to the latest quarterly Saudi Arabia Real Estate Market Review by global property consultants, Knight Frank. Knight Frank notes that the number of residential transactions in Riyadh are up 77%, year on year and a similar story is playing out on the Red Sea coastal city of […]
Arabian Post Staff Anghami Inc, the music streaming platform and service in the Middle East and North Africa, and Vistas Media Acquisition Company Inc., a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company led by CEO F. Jacob Cherian and co-founders Saurabh Gupta and Abhayanand Singh, announced they have sought regulatory approval for their proposed business combination. The business combination is subject to customary closing conditions, including the approval […]
I believe Brent’s 6% plunge last night to close below 70 for the first time since May is an ideal opportunity to accumulate high beta shale drillers and oil services shares that were gutted by 20 to 25% in the brutal correction since the past month. The world oil market is tight and has a deficit of 2.4 MBD. So it made perfect political sense for OPEC […]
In the battle to be the pre-eminent travel hub in the Middle East, the latest research from ForwardKeys, which has the world’s freshest and most comprehensive fight booking data, reveals that in the first half of 2021, Doha seized and consolidated a lead over Dubai. In the period 1st January to 30th June, the volume of air tickets issued for travel via Doha was 18% higher than it was […]
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was not only the founder of the most successful political federation in the modern history of the Arab World but also the architect of the UAE’s innovative, globalised oil and gas sector. The late UAE President defied the populist trend in OPEC in the 1970’s to nationalise the assets of foreign oil companies. Instead, he signed joint ventures and concession agreements […]
by James M. Dorsey Personality as well as the conflation of genuine national interest with personal ambition contribute to the widening gap between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. It was only a matter of time before Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman would want to come out on his own and no longer be seen as the protégé of his erstwhile mentor and Emirati counterpart, […]
