Saudi Archives - Voice of the Cape

Saudi think tank proposes exile of Hamas leaders to Algeria

A Saudi Arabian think tank has outlined a plan to end Israel’s war on Gaza, by transferring the leadership of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas to the Algerian capital, Algiers. According to a report by French newspaper Le Monde on Wednesday, a “confidential document” released by the Riyadh-based Gulf Research Center was drafted by its director Abdelaziz Al-Sagher following a meeting on 19 November in the Kingdom with Anne Grillo, head of […]

25 December 2023

International

Saudi Arabia proposed as location for $8bn ‘floating city’ megaproject

INTERNATIONAL Italian design house Pierpaolo Lazzarini has revealed plans for a gigantic $8bn turtle-shaped terayacht, with Saudi Arabia as the proposed location for the project. If funded, the project would be the world's largest water structure. The boat, Pangeos, a name derived from the prehistoric supercontinent Pangea, could potentially house up to 60,000 guests. The Lazzarini design house is known for its ambitious luxury transportation concepts. Earlier this year, it unveiled a flying superyacht concept powered […]

19 November 2022

International

Saudi Arabia considers public offering to fund Mecca megaproject

INTERNATIONAL Saudi Arabia has asked US investment bank Lazard for ways to fund construction of its $500bn futuristic desert-city Neom, as well as a $27bn megaproject in the holy city of Mecca. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) is considering selling debt from the projects and an initial public offering on the Saudi stock exchange. The sovereign wealth fund is chaired by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and has more than $600bn in […]

11 November 2022

International

China, Saudi Arabia assure Pakistan of $13 billion in funding amid ongoing crises

China and Saudi Arabia have guaranteed $13 billion in funding to Pakistan as it continues to struggle with economic and environmental crises. According to the newspaper Dawn, Pakistani Finance Minister Ishaq Dar told reporters that China said it will provide $4 billion worth of sovereign loans to the country, as well as refinancing a further $3.3 billion in commercial bank borrowings and increasing currency swaps by up to $1.45 billion. That […]

6 November 2022

International

Iran makes mixed overtures to Saudi Arabia amid new alignments

INTERNATIONAL Iran has called for Saudi Arabia to distance itself from Israel, while making diplomatic overtures to its arch-rival. "You are relying on an Israel which is collapsing, and this will be the end of your era," Hossein Salami, the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, was quoted as saying, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency on Thursday. His comments come a day after a top adviser to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah […]

21 October 2022

International

World Cup 2022: Qatar Airways cuts destinations to make way for fans

INTERNATIONAL Qatar Airways has withdrawn from 18 destinations around the world to create capacity for football fans travelling to attend the World Cup next month. The national carrier’s chief executive Akbar al-Baker said its priority would be to accommodate flights landing into Doha’s Hamad International Airport for the tournament, which kicks off on 20 November. "No, we don't have any new destinations," Baker told a press conference on Tuesday when asked whether the […]

19 October 2022

International

Saudi Arabia snubs US officials ahead of ‘Davos in the Desert’

INTERNATIONAL US government officials have not been invited to a Saudi investment conference planned for later this month, with the organiser saying they did not want the gathering "to become a political platform". The decision not to invite American officials, a departure from previous years, comes as tensions rise between longtime partners Washington and Riyadh over the Saudi-led OPEC+ cartel's recent vote to cut oil production by up to two […]

18 October 2022

International

Dismantling US-Saudi ties could rupture American influence in Gulf, say experts

INTERNATIONAL Following a wave of US outrage against Saudi Arabia for an Opec+ decision to cut oil production, experts and former officials have said that the US-Saudi relationship is too complex to be fully dismantled, and that President Joe Biden should assess the impact on the entire Gulf region before amending policy. Opec+, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, said its decision earlier this month to cut oil production by two million […]

18 October 2022

International

Saudi cousin of Mohammed bin Salman threatens West with ‘jihad and martyrdom’

INTERNATIONAL A cousin of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has issued a violent threat against the West amid souring relations over a decision by Opec+ to cut oil production. In a message "to the West", Prince Saud al-Shaalan is seen in a video circulating on social media saying "anybody who challenges the existence of this kingdom, we are all projects of jihad and martyrdom". The prince is heard issuing his warning in English […]

16 October 2022

Saudi

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