: “Video podcasts are the worst of both worlds. They’re not as good as actual video content designed …

: I have been using Kagi instead of Google for a few months now and pretty happy with it too.

: “The great argument for democracy is not that it will produce good rule, but that it will prevent …

: My latest: Saudi officials fear the brutal images emerging from the shattered Gaza Strip will …

: The US still stuck in its blue bubbles vs green bubbles debate? Rest of the world runs on WhatsApp.

: “We weren’t designed to have the output of all of human history at our fingertips, nor to be …

: Earlier this month I shared my media diet here.

: Cathay Pacific to relaunch passenger flights between Hong Kong and Riyadh in Q4 as HK government …

: Saudi dairy giant Almarai plans to spend $4.8 billion over the next five years to boost food …

: “Writing for a global audience is harder than isolating your prose in one locale.”

: “In Dubai the government doesn’t bother us,” Telegram CEO Pavel Durov says. He describes the Gulf …

: “Be independent. We can build things on the web without them. Better things.”

: Saudi dairy giant Almarai leaves Arizona valley after it was targeted by the state over groundwater …

: Big companies heed Saudi Arabia’s demand to set up regional HQs in Riyadh, but leading banks have …

: Saudi Arabia transfers further 8% stake in Aramco to the PIF, boosting the sovereign wealth fund’s …

: Thinking of the Downs-Thomson paradox in the context of growing public frustration with traffic …

: Shares of Al Rajhi Bank are up nearly 270% since Saudi Arabia unveiled plans to diversify the …

: Saudi clubs will return to the transfer market for more big signings in the summer after last year’s …

: “Subvert the status quo. Own a website. Make and share links.”

: When I worked for NPR my cubicle was near the music desk, and I was lucky to attend Tiny Desk …

: MLS club DC United had all expenses paid and received appearance fees for four friendlies during a …

: 📢 Some personal news: Excited to re-join Financial Times as Saudi correspondent to cover the kingdom …

: Saudi Arabia has lined up Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and HSBC to raise about $20 billion by selling …

: Saudi Aramco is continuing to send tanker loads of crude and fuels through the Red Sea despite the …

: Saudi firm MIS invests $5 million in AI startup Anthropic as part of their Series D funding round. …

: Saudi-backed EV maker Lucid sold just 6,001 cars in 2023.

: Saudi bank Al Rajhi and petrochemicals giant Sabic named on Bloomberg’s “50 Companies to Watch in …

: Former British chancellor Philip Hammond launched a consulting business after leaving government. …

: Saudi Arabia has declared the year 2024 would be officially known as the “Year of Camels” 🐪

: Saudi Arabia’s nuclear research reactor is almost complete. Argentine company Invap, which built the …

: Saudi media giant MBC will go public, listing 10% of its shares on Tadawul after the IPO plan was …

: Signal is essential, but keeping the E2E encrypted messaging app up and running is expensive: the …

: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is expected to travel to Riyadh this Sunday for an extraordinary …

: Half-way to Vision 2030: PwC report card on Saudi Arabia’s progress towards key reform goals.

: Take a closer look at the Saudi Pro League’s attendance numbers and a pattern emerges: fans in …

: Spent some time this morning reading Caryle Murphy’s Pulitzer-winning dispatches from Kuwait at the …

: The Asian Football Confederation rules that Iran’s Sepahan forfeited their game against Saudi side …

: Dubai-based television network OSN, which exclusively owns MidEast rights for HBO programming, edits …

: Saudi Arabia launches national donation campaign for Gaza after three weeks into the conflict. …

: FIFA chief Gianni Infantino confirms on Instagram that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup …

: Australia will not bid for the 2034 World Cup, clearing the way for Saudi Arabia to host the …

: “As an American Jew, you’re safer in Saudi Arabia right now than you are on a college campus like …

: Saudi officials have firmly warned the US in recent days that an Israeli ground incursion into Gaza …

: Saudi Arabia says the show must go on even as the region reels from the war in Gaza.

: Saudi Arabia confirms intention to bid for the 2034 World Cup.

: Saudi oil revenues this quarter are likely up by nearly $30 million a day compared with April-June, …

: Over the past 18 months, aggrieved former players filed 21 complaints to FIFA about contractual …

: Kuwait orders all restaurants and cafés in the country to offer customers free filtered tap water …

: $957 million <– Saudi Pro League’s spending on players this summer, second highest in the …

: Revenue from PwC’s Saudi consulting business rose by about 40% to nearly £1.5 billion, helping the …

: “In the early days of social media, founders invited their friends. Who invited their friends. And …

: Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund launches SRJ, a company that will invest in acquiring and …

: Saudi Arabia is set to host Ukraine peace talks next week in Jeddah as western powers seek to …

: IMF cut its 2023 GDP growth projection for Saudi Arabia to 1.9% to reflect the impact of prolonged …

: The Saudi government body in charge of running the Two Holy Mosques in Mecca and Medina update their …

: Saudi Pro League announces that former Chelsea executive Michael Emenalo will be in charge of the …

: iOS feature request: Time-limited notifications per app. For example, I want to get updates from the …

: Saudi Pro League hires IMG to secure international broadcast deals for the next two years.

: ATP Tour held “positive” talks with Saudi Arabia’s PIF about investing in men’s tennis.

: My latest story with Tariq Panja published in the New York Times today: the Saudi Pro League plans …

: Saudi citizen kidnapped in Lebanon.

: Saudi Arabia to restore diplomatic relations with Canada to their previous level after 2018 spat.

: Saudi Arabia in talks over $200m deal to sponsor the new African Super League.

: Remember Ask Jeeves?

: BlackRock is seeking to raise $1 billion for a new Middle East infrastructure and private …

: Saudi king officially invites Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to the Arab leaders summit.

: “Google turns 25 this year. Can you imagine? It’s only 25 — yet it’s almost impossible to recall …

: Saudi Arabia plans to open three resorts in the Red Sea this year and 13 more resorts in 2024.

: Twitter suddenly removed 2FA (via Authy app) and deactivated my account about an hour ago. I managed …

: “[The internet] wasn’t supposed to be six boring men with too much money creating spaces that no one …

: Biden thanks Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and Djibouti for assistance with evacuating US government …

: GCC+3 foreign ministers condemn Israeli attacks on al-Aqsa and emphasize “Arab leadership role” to …

: Saudi crown prince announces launch of 4 “Special Economic Zones”.

: Iranian delegation arrives in Saudi Arabia to pave the way for reopening diplomatic missions.

: New website for Saudi sovereign wealth fund’s venture arm reveals ties to more than 50 VC and PE …

: Saudi Arabia and Syria agree to resume diplomatic ties and reopen embassies after Eid al-Fitr, …

: Saudi National Bank says “no impact” on plans after losing roughly $1.17 billion on Credit Suisse …

: Kuwait’s Constitutional Court rules that last year’s parliamentary election was void and that the …

: FIFA confirms that “Visit Saudi” will not sponsor the Women’s World Cup after protests by players …

: New Saudi national carrier officially announced ✈️ PIF-backed “Riyadh Air” aims to reach 100 …

: US releases Saudi engineer from Guantánamo after two decades without trial.

: Saudi Arabia deposits $5 billion in Türkiye’s central bank.

: Saudi-owned broadcaster MBC pulls controversial series about the 1988 hijacking of Kuwaiti airplane …

: Residential rents in Jeddah spiked by 23% in January compared to the same month last year, while …

: Saudi Arabia condemns “racist and irresponsible” call by Israeli official to erase the Palestinian …

: Saudi non-oil economy will continue growing well in excess of 5% in 2023, driven by sustained …

: White House says Biden’s decision to reevaluate US-Saudi relations after the Opec+ decision was …

: Saudi FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan meets Zelenskyy in Kyiv today —SPA

: Netflix cuts subscription prices in all Arab countries except the six GCC states.

: Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli raid on Nablus.

: Saudi Arabia will make a $1 billion deposit in Yemen’s Aden-based central bank today, as the …

: Saudi sovereign wealth fund becomes the largest outside shareholder of Nintendo 🎮

: Gulf sovereign wealth funds interested in buying minority stakes in NBA teams 🏀

: 🚨 Saudi Arabia to host the FIFA Club World Cup 2023 in December.

: Saudi sovereign wealth fund invests $1.3 billion in four local construction firms.

: Saudi Arabia reiterates “rejection of settlements in the occupied Palestinian Territories” and warns …

: Saudi king and crown prince order sending urgent medical, food, shelter and logistical aid to help …

: Saudi crown prince tells Erdoğan in telephone call that the kingdom stands with Türkiye to help it …

: Twitter Blue is now available to users in Saudi Arabia, making it one of just 12 markets where the …

: Five minutes before the transfer deadline, Chelsea finally sent over a document for the Ziyech deal. …

: Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli raid on the Palestinian town of Jenin.

: Elon Musk has testified in the Tesla fraud trial that the PIF had “unequivocally wanted to take …

: 🚨 Kuwait government resigns after stalemate with parliament over loan forgiveness proposal.

: Egypt-born Nemat “Minouche” Shafik to become the 20th president of Columbia University.

: Saudi crown prince launches a new infrastructure fund with a focus on entertainment and cultural …

: Twitter’s move to kill third-party clients is potentially a signal that its “Blue” subscription …

: Saudi sovereign wealth fund governor refuses to testify at Musk’s Tesla fraud trial.

: Saudi crown prince announces that plans to develop the royal family’s ancestral hometown of Diriyah …

: Number of ATMs in Saudi Arabia down by 11.5% in two years as the kingdom pushes for “cashless” …

: Saudi Arabia and fellow GCC states condemn “provocative actions” by Israeli official who stormed …

: Dubai suspends 30% tax on alcohol sales.

: Saudi government approves cooperation agreement between the kingdom’s Ministry of Sports and the …

: Saudi sovereign wealth fund takes control of augmented reality company Magic Leap.

: Snap to set up an office and content creator studio in Riyadh after signing a cooperation agreement …

: Saudi Arabia calls on Taliban to reverse decision banning women from higher education.

: One point worth noting on the armband controversy: Fifa updated its rules before the 2002 World Cup …

: Saudi sovereign wealth fund acquires 9.5% stake in wind farm developer Skyborn Renewables.

: NYT obtains study that McKinsey conducted for Saudi Arabia’s wealth fund ahead of launching the LIV …

: NSO Group’s claim of sovereign immunity in US courts likely to fail.

: Saudi Arabia is now the only candidate to host the 2027 Asian Cup after India’s football federation …

: Al Saqi Books, Europe’s largest Middle Eastern specialist bookseller, is to close its shop in London …

: Saudi Arabia submits bid to host the Women’s Asian Cup in 2026.

: Jamie Zawinski: “Most social media services want to lock you in. They love their walled gardens and …

: Chinese President Xi Jinping expected to arrive in Saudi Arabia December 7th and attend a …

: Saudi energy minister announces discovery of two unconventional natural gas fields in the kingdom’s …

: Saudi food delivery app Jahez acquires rival The Chefz in $173 million cash and stock deal.

: This year’s World Cup match balls come with a sensor that collects spatial positioning data in real …

: It’s been a month since Elon Musk took over Twitter.

: Saudi crown prince orders all government departments in the kingdom to provide all support and …

: Saudi developer Dar Al Arkan discloses deal with the Trump Organization in stock market filing. The …

: “[W]here there is an opportunity to lose money on tech these days, Masayoshi Son still seems one …

: Saudi Arabia set to host 70 works by Andy Warhol in al-Ula exhibition this winter.

: Trump family signs a deal with Saudi real estate developer Dar Al Arkan to put his name on a housing …

: Saudi crown prince travels to Indonesia to attend G20 summit, will visit other Asian countries as …

: 4 Welsh football fans attempting to reach Qatar in electric car in time for Wales’ first game in the …

: Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF and BlackRock sign MoU to explore opportunities of infrastructure …

: PIF-backed ACWA Power expects financing for Neom’s $5bn green-hydrogen plant to be completed before …

: Saudi king and crown prince strongly condemn Istanbul bombing in cables of condolences sent to …

: “People argue that we should reduce oil production. And then . . . you have a crisis and people are …

: Saudi-US relations strong enough to survive recent disagreement over the kingdom’s oil policy, …

: Saudi crown prince visit to Pakistan has been postponed. It was originally scheduled to take place …

: A Twitter engineering manager, upon being told to cut hundreds of workers, vomited into a trash can. …

: Saudi crown prince expected to meet chaebol tycoons to discuss partnerships for Neom during visit to …

: Saudi Arabia is working with Lazard on funding options, including a potential IPO, for Masar — a $27 …

: Saudi-owned SALIC acquires 9.2% stake in LT Foods, an Indian basmati rice processing company.

: Skift: “Saudi Arabia’s increasing focus in the tourism sector and the shift to leisure travel has …

: Launched Riyadh Bureau, a newsletter focused on Saudi Arabia. You can subscribe here

: Saudi Infrastructure Gets Upgrade to Lure Pilgrims and Tourists Muslims doing the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca have for years clambered into cars and buses after …

: How Saudi Arabia Plans to Transform the Pilgrimage Experience As part of the Saudi government plans to diversify the economy, the kingdom’s authorities hope to …

: Saudi Arabia’s football federation has banned referee Fahad al-Mirdasi for life over match fixing …

: I shared some thoughts on Saudi Arabia’s chanes at the World Cup with Jeffrey Marcus for his …

: Back to Blogging Ways My first serious attempt to write online was through blogging, and that’s how many people have come …

: Mike Pompeo visited Saudi Arabia on Sunday during his first foreign trip just few hours after he was …

: Middle East Monitor (MEMO) on Wednesday published a news item saying that Saudi authorities have …

: Unemployment rate among Saudi citizens keeps rising despite government effort to ban foreigners from …

: Saudi police said security forces shot down an unauthorized toy drone in the Khozama district in the …

: Wakanda Will No Longer Watch From the Shadows AMC premiered “Black Panther” last night for a VIP audience in Riyadh, heralding the return of …

: From Wikipedia: The eyebrow flash is an unconscious social signal, wherein a person, wishing to …

: “One of the most exciting parts of Arab Fashion Week Riyadh, the first official fashion week hosted …

: Foreign ministry told journalists to come for a press conference at 1pm. Around noon they sent a …

: Saudi Arabia establishes a college for cyber security and artificial intelligence. The new college …

: I should use this account more often.

: On the challenges of Saudi economic reform: “The difficulty lies in the fact that there is no …

: Saudi foreign minister says kingdom’s position on the Palestinian cause is “unflinching” …

: Barcelona just broke their own transfer record for a player they don’t really need …

: Chrome is turning into the new Internet Explorer 6 www.theverge.com/2018/1/4/…

: Saudi attorney-general confirms the arrest of 11 princes www.alriyadh.com/1652437

: Twitter says it does not block or remove controversial tweets of world leaders because it would hide …

: White House officials explain how they manage Trump to limit the damage caused by his tweets

: Taiwan to allow gay marriage in first for Asia.

: It seems that Twitter is down for some users

: I do share Dave Winer’s nostalgia for the old blog format. He was an inspiration when I started …

: The government of Dubai releases a new font in collaboration with Microsoft. Available for both …

: Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah, a member of Kuwait’s ruling family, has denied claims made in a U.S. …

: Testing the new site. I’m @ahmed by the way.