Page 33 - Middle East

External Affairs Minister Jaishankar holds talks with Kuwaiti counterpart

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday held wide-ranging talks with his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah to elevate bilateral relations. The Kuwaiti foreign minister arrived here on Wednesday evening on a nearly 18-hour visit. "Glad to welcome this morning, along with @MOS_MEA, FM @anmas71 of Kuwait. Productive discussions on our bilateral agenda & regional developments," Jaishankar said on Twitter. "Will co-chair Joint Commission with him to elevate our relationship further," he added. Kuwait remains a reliable supplier of crude oil and LPG to India. Historically, India-Kuwaiti ties have always had an important trade dimension. India has consistently been among the top trading partners of Kuwait. In the financial year 2019-20, Kuwait was the 10th largest oil supplier to India and it met about 3.8 per cent of India's energy needs. The total bilateral trade with Kuwait during 2019-20 was USD 10.86 billion, according to official data. Vario

It's time Gulf Arab States look away from Oil and find new revenue sources

We are approaching an energy inflection point in the global economy: plentiful oil supply, a demand plateau by 2030 and more competitive renewable-energy options

Protestors shut down roads as Lebanese pound plummets to new low

Protesters blocked roads with burning tyres and dumpsters across Lebanon on Tuesday

Russian, Chinese hacking groups target pharma companies for Covid-19 data

Singapore-based cyber intelligent firm Cyfirma says 15 active hacking campaigns are underway; US, UK and Japan among a slew of other nations also on cybercriminals' target list

How rich is Saudi Arabia? Kingdom does the math in balance sheet overhaul

Despite Saudi's oil wealth, creating enough jobs for the kingdom's young population is a challenge

Saudi pressures global firms to move to Riyadh as it challenges Dubai

From the start of 2024, the Saudi government and state-backed institutions will stop signing contracts with foreign firms that base their Middle East headquarters in any other country in the region

Oil hits 13-months highs on fears of tensions in the Middle East

Oil prices have rallied over recent weeks also as supplies tighten

Israeli army chief slams Iran Nuclear Deal as strategically unacceptable

Chief of the General Staff of Israeli Defense Forces described the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as a deal that is unacceptable to Israel

Dramatic drop in Saudi Arabia executions after laws changed in 2020

Saudi Arabia was for years one of the world's most prolific executioners

Indian missions in UAE warn employment seekers against fake agents

Indian diplomatic missions in the United Arab Emirates have warned jobseekers against fake agents, a media report said

GoAir announces expansion of services to United Arab Emirates

Budget carrier GoAir on Thursday announced expansion of its services to the UAE with launch of new flights to Sharjah from Mumbai, Delhi, Kochi and Kannur

Alpha Vector eyes Middle East, Europe as export markets for its e-bicycles

E-bicycle segment in India accounts for only 2-3 per cent of the total bicycle market

Russia calls for collective security in Persian Gulf, US blames Iran

Russia's foreign minister called for collective efforts to prevent a large-scale war in the Persian Gulf and got strong support from all Security Council members except the United States

BPCL to cut dependence on Middle East LPG, seek bids from global suppliers

The latest tender is aimed at getting better prices for supplies compared with those from the Middle East and to diversify sources of LPG, according to the objectives listed in the document

Kuwait's National Guard minister picked as next crown prince: Report

The nomination makes Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah the possible heir apparent to the new emir

Threat to evacuate US diplomats from Iraq raises fears of military action

Any move by the United States to scale down its diplomatic presence in a country where it has up to 5,000 troops would be widely seen in the region as an escalation of its confrontation with Iran

Kerala to Philippines, remittance boom is turning into a bust for Asia

Overall, remittances to the Asia-Pacific region will drop 12% in the second half of 2020 compared with the same period last year, Fitch Ratings said this month

MakeMyTrip announces foray into United Arab Emirates for expansion

MakeMyTrip announced its foray into the United Arab Emirates with its portfolio of travel offerings across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain.

Trump's Middle East deal is good. But still, a long way to go towards peace

Past Nobel laureates who have been honored for advancing peace in the Middle East - Yasir Arafat, Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, Anwar el-Sadat, Menachem Begin - have not been saints

As Arab Gulf starts opening to Israel, Palestinians face a reckoning

Palestinian leaders face calls to overhaul their strategy to avoid becoming marginalised in a region where Israel and most Sunni Arab regimes share a fear of Iran