Analysis People & Lifestyle Biden’s first win: Saudi Arabia opens airspace to Israel Saudi Arabia has announced it will open its airspace to all air carriers, including Israeli flights – marking a stepchange for the kingdom which has a historical stance of not officially recognising Israel. The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) issued a statement on Thursday saying that the country’s airspace was now open to all […] July 15, 2022 In association with
Opinion Biden Middle East Sink or swim? Biden’s tour puts US reputation on the line The President has a delicate balancing act as he courts favour with America's Middle East allies July 15, 2022
Biden Middle East What the papers say: Day two of Biden’s Middle East trip A round up of the opinion and views published by regional and international media on US president Biden’s trip to the Middle East. LOCAL PAPERS: Saudi Arabia’s Arab News: Saudi Arabia, US have chance to reenergise their relationship Arab News ran an opinion piece authored by Dr Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg, the GCC assistant secretary-general for […] July 15, 2022
Tourism Saudi Arabia to open airspace to all airlines, including from Israel Saudi Arabia said it would open its airspace to all air carriers, paving the way for more overflights to and from Israel, in a decision welcomed by US President Joe Biden who is due to visit the kingdom on Friday. The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said the country’s airspace was now open […] July 15, 2022
Biden Middle East Biden defends Saudi trip and will not avoid human rights talk US president Joe Biden said on Thursday he would not avoid talking about human rights when he visits Saudi Arabia on the second leg of his Middle East trip and stressed his position on the murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi was “absolutely” clear. Biden heads to the kingdom on Friday where he will seek to boost […] July 15, 2022
Economy Biden brings Palestinians aid but no new peace plan US President Joe Biden will not come with a plan to restart the stalled Israel-Palestinian peace process when he visits the West Bank on Friday, at the end of the first leg of his Middle East trip, a senior administration official said. Biden will restate his backing for a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict […] July 15, 2022
Biden Middle East Biden heads to Saudi Arabia amid tension over oil President Joe Biden will discuss energy supply, human rights, and security cooperation in Saudi Arabia on Friday on a trip designed to reset the US relationship with a country he once pledged to make a “pariah” on the world stage. Biden will hold meetings with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed […] July 15, 2022
Analysis Development I2U2: America’s answer to curbing China and upping food security Israel, India, the US and the United Arab Emirates came together on Thursday for an historic meeting as the “I2U2” collective. The futuristic name refers to the first letters of the four countries. US president Joe Biden and Israel’s prime minister, Yair Lapid, lent the initiative a maiden boost, joining a four-way call in Jerusalem […] July 14, 2022
Analysis Biden Middle East Biden’s ‘Jerusalem Declaration’ could slash UAE-Iran trade The US and Israel pledged today to deny Iran nuclear weapons – a move that could dissuade global trade partners from dealing with Tehran, experts have said. The freshly united stance from US president Joe Biden and Israeli prime minister Yair Lapid represents a rare show of unity by allies long divided over Iran diplomacy. The […] July 14, 2022
Biden Middle East What the papers said: Day one of Biden’s Middle East trip A round up of some of the opinion and views published by regional and international media on US President Biden’s trip to the Middle East. LOCAL PAPERS: Abu Dhabi’s The National: Joe Biden’s trip to Jerusalem met with ambivalence and optimism The National noted that while there is cautious optimism that Biden will help to […] July 14, 2022
Biden Middle East Biden savours ‘homecoming’ to Israel as Saudi leg looms Israel embraced US president Joe Biden as an old friend on Wednesday at the start of a high-stakes visit dominated by efforts to bring Israel closer to Saudi Arabia and persuade Washington’s Gulf allies to pump more oil. Landing at Ben Gurion Airport, whose runway he first trod in 1973 as a senator, Biden bumped […] July 14, 2022
Biden Middle East US and Israel sign pledge to deny Iran nuclear weapons US president Joe Biden and Israel’s prime minister Yair Lapid today signed a joint pledge to deny Iran nuclear weapons, closing ranks on Tehran. A senior Biden administration official said the agreement will expand on the long-standing security relationship between the United States and Israel. “This declaration is pretty significant, and it includes a commitment […] July 14, 2022
Economy Iran says it and Saudi Arabia interested in more talks Iran and Saudi Arabia are interested in holding more talks, Tehran’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday, three months after a fifth round of contacts aimed at restoring relations between the Middle East’s two main rival powers. Tehran gave an update on the status of the talks as US President Joe Biden landed in Israel in […] July 14, 2022
Energy Biden en route to Israel for high-stakes Middle East visit US President Joe Biden arrives in Israel on Wednesday to kick off a high-stakes trip to the Middle East dominated by efforts to persuade Gulf allies to pump more oil and bring Israel and Saudi Arabia closer together. Biden will spend two days in Jerusalem for talks with Israeli leaders before meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud […] July 13, 2022
Analysis Biden Middle East The Biden-Saudi dilemma: To arm or not to arm? The Biden administration is reportedly discussing lifting its ban on US sales of arms to Saudi Arabia, but whether the decision is actioned remains to be seen. The internal US deliberations are informal and “at an early stage”, with no decision imminent, four sources told Reuters. But as US president Joe Biden prepares for a […] July 12, 2022
Biden Middle East US weighs resumption of offensive arms sales to Saudi Arabia The Biden administration is discussing the possible lifting of its ban on US sales of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia. But any final decision is expected to hinge on whether Riyadh makes progress towards ending the war in neighboring Yemen, according to four people familiar with the matter. Senior Saudi officials pressed their US counterparts […] July 12, 2022
Exclusive Biden Middle East Diriyah’s CEO: the American at the heart of Saudi’s transformation There has never been a better time for US companies to invest in Saudi Arabia, according to the American businessman in charge of one of the kingdom’s biggest giga-projects. As group CEO of Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA), Jerry Inzerillo has been at the helm of shaping the $50.6 billion transformation of the 14km2 district […] July 8, 2022
Opinion Biden Middle East A picture could paint a thousand words when Biden meets MbS There are many issues to discuss but a simple photograph may reveal all we need to know about US-Saudi relations July 8, 2022
Opinion Biden Middle East Biden’s focus in Saudi should be on the long-term Mid-term election success will tempt the American president to go for quick wins, but he must enter into talks with an eye on the global demand for energy July 8, 2022
Analysis Biden Middle East US-Saudi trade relationship in rude health The US-Saudi trade relationship rebounded from the pandemic lows of 2020 to posting record high exchanges of non-oil and non-defence goods last year as vehicles and vaccines boosted American imports into the kingdom. According to data from the US-Saudi Business Council, total trade volume amounted to SR92.5 billion ($24.7 billion) during 2021, rising 22 percent […] July 8, 2022
Analysis Biden Middle East Biden’s Saudi visit is a test of pragmatism over populism Ever since the White House announced in June that US President Joe Biden would be embarking on a trip to the Middle East – the first of his presidency – the possible motives behind it have been the subject of keen debate. Slated to take place from July 13-16 the trip has also been the […] July 8, 2022
Analysis People & Lifestyle Security is what MbS wants most of all from Washington As the architect of Saudi Vision 2030, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman quickly won plaudits the world over as a great moderniser and the face of reform in the kingdom. But the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 complicated matters. Shunned by many leaders – both political and business – MbS has […] July 8, 2022