: Saudi Arabia to play in 2025 and 2027 CONCACAF Gold Cups. Qatar did the same before hosting the …
: US health care is “a system in which taxpayers bear the cost of major medical care, but this …
: 🚨 Saudi Arabia condemns Israel’s decision to expand settlements in the Golan Heights and its …
: My latest on COP16: Saudi-hosted UN summit secures more than $12 billion in new pledges but fails to …
: Veterans of Arab uprisings warn Syrians of perils ahead.
: 🚨 Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrives in Aqaba for Syria talks
: Bashar al-Assad didn’t even inform his younger brother, Maher, commander of the Army’s elite 4th …
: 🚨 Fifa confirms Saudi Arabia as host of 2034 World Cup.
: 12 books that help explain what is happening in Syria.
: Samsung Pay launches in Saudi Arabia after receiving approval from the central bank. Google Pay …
: Apple to finally sell directly to consumers in Saudi Arabia online next year, will open its first …
: Front pages of Saudi newspapers today leading with the fall of the Assad regime in Syria.
: 🚨 Saudi Arabia welcomes the “positive steps” taken to provide security for the Syrian people, avoid …
: 🚨 South Korea’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia named defence minister as President Yoon Suk Yeol and his …
: YouTube has passed the competition to become the most popular service for podcasts in the US, with …
: Chinese exports and investment are pouring into Saudi Arabia as the kingdom’s demand for green tech …
: The UK is “willing to consider” allowing Saudi Arabia to join the trilateral fighter jet programme; …
: Saudi Arabia has lifted a moratorium on drug-related executions as the kingdom dials up its “war on …
: 🚨 My latest story: Drug smugglers target Saudi Arabia as social change increases youth’s exposure to …
: At last, Riyadh Metro will open to the public on December 1. Here’s a fun little story I wrote about …
: The term “sugar daddy” appears on the front page of Saudi daily Okaz. Probably a first?
: “A mistake many analysts make, particularly Americans, is viewing the U.S. as the only agent of …
: Arab states are banking on Saudi Arabia to use its relationship with Trump and political heft in the …
: “You can talk about your work as your work. It’s your newsletter, or your email, or your blog. Or …
: 🚨 FT Scoop: UK PM Keir Starmer to visit Saudi Arabia and UAE next month in bid to boost investment.
: Japan really only has one rule: Don’t inconvenience others.
: Iran’s deputy FM tells FT that his country remains open to negotiations with Trump but warns that …
: Saudi coffee chain Kyan opens a branch.. in the Bronx, under a franchise agreement.
: 🚨 FT Exclusive: Former CEO of PIF-backed developer Roshn is suing the company for more than $100 …
: Here’s my latest story: Gulf states wary of return to Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” against Iran
: Two Saudi officers killed and one wounded in “lone wolf” attack at training camp for Yemeni …
: “In the end, Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric about invading immigrant hordes, his macho posturing …
: American Strongman Returns to Power As Divided Nation Ponders Future
: Cory Doctorow: “…to resist enshittification, you have to impose switching costs on yourself.”
: My story from last week’s Saudi investment conference: the PIF plans to further scale back the share …
: Elon Musk is in early talks with Saudi Arabia and Qatar about backing xAI, could roughly double the …
: My latest story examines how Saudi reforms led to a surge in female labour force participation from …
: “If you are guaranteed to be competitive in every national election, even if you nominate a …
: My latest: Saudi regulator to investigate media giant MBC over report calling Sinwar a “new face of …
: Cory Doctorow: “You can single-handedly disenshittify your experience of virtually the entire web, …
: Obituary of pioneering Saudi female artist Safeya Binzagr.
: Our big read on the Saudi economy: After eight years of whirlwind construction activity and …
: “With a web flooded with AI generated slop and the platforms themselves encouraging it, the role of …
: KAUST president pledges to stop any AI collaboration with China that could jeopardise the Saudi …
: “There is no love lost between Hizbollah and Saudi, but Lebanon is a sovereign state and this is a …
: Dave Winer, one of the people who inspired me to blog, celebrates 30 years of blogging today: “Every …
: My latest: Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal resumes work on the Jeddah Tower project, …
: Saudi ambassador to the UK: “As the government in Israel seems further away than ever from …
: OpenAI was a research lab — now it’s just another tech company.
: “A website is, among other things, a container. The shape of that container both constrains and …
: Saudi Arabia is ready to abandon its unofficial oil price target of $100 a barrel as it prepares to …
: My latest: The rise of MBS saw a relaxation of the Saudi dress code, but we are now seeing a …
: “Roads are barren, inhospitable landscapes whose only redeeming value is allowing us to reach …
: Weekend in al-Baha, southwest Saudi Arabia.
: As Saudi Arabia reassesses its priorities and the PIF shifts focus to huge domestic commitments, the …
: Saudi Public Health Authority says no cases of mpox detected in the kingdom, urges citizens to avoid …
: Russian fuel oil exports to Saudi Arabia doubled between June and July to power generation plants …
: Saudi PIF injects another $1.5 billion into Lucid. The EV maker told FT earlier this year that the …
: Second-quarter profits were 40% down at Americana, which operates KFC, Pizza Hut and Krispy Kreme in …
: Saudi Arabia is set to officially submit its bid book for the 2034 World Cup in an event hosted by …
: 17-year-old Saudi swimmer Mashael Alayed finishes 6th in the W 200m freestyle H1. She leaves the …
: “..a monetary commitment—even a small one—is a helpful tool to find people who are genuinely …
: My latest story: Saudi Arabia lures foreign filmmakers with beautiful landscapes, modern studios and …
: “You are not creative and then create something, you become creative by working on something, …
: My latest: How Saudi-owned MBC is outplaying Netflix to dominate the Middle East streaming market.
: “And since America is also a place that admires ambition and hustle, this fosters a culture of …
: Saudi Arabia says 1,301 people died in this year’s hajj. 83% of them were unlicensed pilgrims who …
: “Sony defined how we listen to music and watch television at home. It pushed the boundaries in video …
: “After years of capture, digital distribution is returning to open formats like email and even the …
: It’s time we added full credit pages to books like we do for films.
: Saudi Arabia is seeking a larger share of a shrinking pie at a time when many other countries are …
: Rule number one: Only ever leave voice notes for someone you are confident likes you.
: Saudi Aramco’s VC fund invests in China effort to create rival to OpenAI.
: Saudi Arabia is selling roughly $12 billion worth of shares in its national oil company Aramco, as …
: Saudi Arabia rejects US request to deploy troops in Gaza. Egypt, UAE and Morocco are considering the …
: My latest: Saudi Vision 2030 faces a reality check at it reaches its midway point, with tough …
: Many Saudis grumble about government spending on foreign consultants, complain that ministries and …
: BlackRock signs a deal with the Saudi Arabia to open a multi-class investment firm in Riyadh, …
: You don’t have to be a “content creator” to have a website.
: “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.
: 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. …