Page 14 - Saudi Arabia

India, Saudi Arabia conduct first joint military exercise 'SADA TANSEEQ'

The validation phase of 'SADA TANSEEQ', the first joint military exercise between the Indian Army and the Royal Saudi Land Force was completed at the Mahajan Field Firing Ranges on Thursday, according to an official statement. The 12-day exercise from January 29 to February 9 was aimed at achieving interoperability between the two forces and acquaint each other with operational procedures and combat drills under the UN mandate, it said. The Indian contingent of the 20th Battalion of The Brigade of Guards Regiment and the Saudi Arabian contingent comprising a group of 45 soldiers participated in the exercise conducted in two phases. The first phase focused on combat conditioning and tactical training. The second culminated in physical exercises and validation. Both contingents jointly took part in the validation phase which included the creation of a temporary operating base, the establishment of an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance grid and a mobile vehicle check post an

No Israeli ties unless Gaza 'aggression' halted, says Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has resumed talks with the US about forging closer defense ties after a pause following the start of the Israel-Hamas war, people familiar with the discussions said in late January

Yemen appoints Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak as country's new Prime Minister

In a surprise move, Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, Yemen's foreign minister, has been appointed as the country's new Prime Minister, according to Al Jazeera

Blinken meets Saudi crown prince amid heightened West Asia tensions

Blinken is also set to visit Egypt, Qatar and Israel this week and push to advance the Egyptian- and Qatari-mediated conversations with Hamas to achieve a hostage deal

PGA Tour strikes $3 billion deal with Fenway-led investment group

The deal was unanimously approved by the PGA Tour board, which includes six players - Tiger Woods, Patrick Cantlay, Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth, Webb Simpson and Peter Malnati

Aramco says it will not increase maximum daily production on state orders

Saudi Arabia's oil giant Saudi Aramco said on Tuesday it will not try to increase its maximum daily oil production to 13 million barrels a day after receiving an order from the country's Energy Ministry. The firm, known formally as the Saudi Arabian Oil Co., said it would maintain its maximum output at 12 million barrels a day. It did not give a reason for the decision. However, crude oil prices globally have fallen over recent months as demand has been soft. Benchmark Brent crude traded Tuesday around USD 81 a barrel. Aramco reported earning USD 161 billion last year, claiming the highest-ever recorded annual profit by a publicly listed company and drawing immediate criticism from activists worried about climate change.

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami in Saudi Arabia on their pre season tour

Inter Miami played six preseason matches last season. Most were behind closed doors with few people watching, all took place in Florida and the biggest news probably came when some fans prematurely set off fireworks and got ejected from the exhibition-season opener. It's wildly different this season. Such is life in Lionel Messi's world. The soccer icon and Inter Miami have a two-game tour of Saudi Arabia this week, the first match on Monday against Al-Hilal and the second match coming Thursday against Al Nassr one where Messi may share the pitch again with longtime rival and fellow great Cristiano Ronaldo, assuming the Portugal star has recovered enough from a calf injury to play. The club already has played two exhibitions this year one in El Salvador, one at Dallas' Cotton Bowl and has matches in Hong Kong and Japan still to come after the Saudi swing is complete. It's basically an around-the-world, big-crowd, big-money, bright-spotlight batch of preseason games for Inter Mia

Opec+ unlikely to decide oil policy on February 1, will wait several weeks

Oil prices have found support from more positive sentiment about demand this week and rising geopolitical tensions from attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthi group on Red Sea shipping

Won't recognise Israel without path to Palestinian state: Saudi official

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister says the kingdom will not normalise relations with Israel or contribute to Gaza's reconstruction without a credible pathway to a Palestinian state. Prince Faisal bin Farhan's remarks in an interview with CNN broadcast late Sunday were some of the most direct yet from Saudi officials. It puts them at odds with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has rejected Palestinian statehood and described plans for open-ended military control over Gaza. The dispute over Gaza's future coming as the war still rages with no end in sight pits the United States and its Arab allies against Israel and poses a major obstacle to any plans for postwar governance or reconstruction in Gaza. Before the October 7 Hamas attack that triggered the war, the US had been trying to broker a landmark agreement in which Saudi Arabia would normalise relations with Israel in exchange for US security guarantees, aid in establishing a civilian nuclear programme in the kingdom,

Saudi fund PIF gives initial price guidance for three-part bond: Report

PIF is the chosen vehicle of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, to drive the country's ambitious plan to wean itself off oil as it diversifies Saudi economy

In Davos, Israel's Prez calls ties with Saudi key to ending war in Gaza

Normalising ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia is a key element of ending the war with Hamas and a gamechanger for the entire Middle East, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Thursday at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in the Swiss town of Davos. It's still delicate, it's fragile, and it will take a long time, but I think that it is actually an opportunity to move forward in the world and the region towards a better future, Herzog said. It comes days after Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, said on a Davos panel that the kingdom agreed regional peace includes peace for Israel. He said Saudi Arabia certainly would recognise Israel as part of a larger political agreement. But that can only happen through peace for the Palestinians, through a Palestinian state, he said. US Secretary Antony Blinken also reiterated in a talk at Davos that a pathway to statehood for Palestinians could help improve Israel's security and its relations with other countrie

Welspun Corp's associate arm EPIC bags Rs 3,000 cr orders in Saudi Arabia

Homegrown Welspun Corp on Thursday said its associate company East Pipes Integrated Company for Industry (EPIC) has received orders worth around Rs 3,000 crore in Saudi Arabia. "Associate company East Pipes Integrated Company for Industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has received cumulative orders exceeding (Saudi Riyal) SAR 1.32 billion (Rs 3,000 crore)," Welspun Corp said in a statement. The new orders include supply of steel pipes to Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) with value exceeding SAR 1 billion (Rs 2,200 crore) inclusive of value added tax for manufacturing and supply of steel pipes. Another order for manufacturing and supply of steel pipes to Saudi Arabian Oil Co. (Aramco) is worth over SAR 153 million (Rs 339 crore) inclusive value of added tax. The order for double jointing and coating of steel pipes to Aramco has a value exceeding SAR 170 million (Rs 377 crore) inclusive of value added tax. EPIC is Saudi Arabia's leading manufacturer of Helical Subme

IPO-bound Firstcry to expand operations in Saudi; allocate Rs 155 crore

Already a prominent player in the Saudi market, this investment will further strengthen its position

RAF conducted 'targeted strikes' against Houthi rebel sites: UK PM Sunak

Sunak noted that Houthis in recent months have conducted a series of "dangerous and destabilising attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea

Saudi Arabia calls for restraint after US-British airstrikes on Yemen

The group has been attacking commercial ships it says are linked to Israel or bound for Israeli ports

A complex region encounters bigotry and prejudice

Robert Kaplan's latest book aims to offer a fresh survey of the 'Greater Middle East', but in doing so, it grossly simplifies complex political issues, reflecting American interests and prejudices

Oil fell by more than 2% as Saudi price cuts counter West Asian worries

Brent crude slid 2.2%, or $1.74, to $77.02 a barrel by 1024 GMT while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures shed 2.3%, or $1.73, to $72.08

India, Saudi Arabia ink Haj agreement with 1,75,025 pilgrim quota for 2024

India and Saudi Arabia on Sunday signed a bilateral agreement under which New Delhi has been allocated a quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims for the annual Haj pilgrimage in 2024. Minority Affairs Minister Smriti Irani accompanied by Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan signed the Bilateral Haj Agreement 2024 with Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan in Jeddah. According to an official statement, a total quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims from India has been finalised for Haj 2024 with 1,40,020 seats being reserved for pilgrims to proceed through Haj Committee whereas 35,005 pilgrims would be permitted to proceed through private operators. "Pleased to announce the formalisation of the Bilateral Haj Agreement 2024 between India and Saudi Arabia. I, along with Hon'ble MoS for External Affairs, Shri @MOS_MEA, presided over the signing. Also engaged in productive discussions on matters of mutual interest with @tfrabiah, Saudi Minister of Haj and Umrah Affairs, Irani .

Brics became positive, stable force for good: China on bloc's expansion

China on Tuesday said that the BRICS has become a "positive and stable force for good" in international affairs and its expansion with five more countries showed its bright prospects and expressed its full confidence in the group's future. In August, the top BRICS leaders at the grouping's summit in Johannesburg approved a proposal to admit six countries, including Argentina, into the bloc with effect from January 1. However, Argentina's new President Javier Milei last week announced withdrawing his country from becoming a member of the BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa). Playing down President Milei's move to withdraw his country from becoming a member of the BRICS, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a media briefing here that the addition of new members serves common aspiration of emerging markets and developing countries. "Let me make it very clear that we are fully confident in the BRICS' future," Wang said when asked to comment on Milei's ...

India turns to Saudi as purchases of Russian crude oil fall in December

Indian Oil Corp, which was set to get the Sokol oil, had to withdraw from its inventory and buy from the Middle East to make up the shortfall, sources told Reuters last month