Author: Steven Sahiounie

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is home to a third of Forbes Middle East’s “30 Most Valuable Banks,” with a 25 percent annual rise in the Kingdom’s entities’ accumulative market value.    

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s capital has been placed 25th in the International Institute for Management Development Smart City Index this year, up five spots since 2023.

RIYADH: Buoyed by the millions of Umrah performers and worshippers throughout the holy month of Ramadan, Saudi Arabia braces for a surge in travel for Eid Al-Fitr. 

The share of the Chinese yuan on Russia’s foreign exchange market hit an all-time high in March, the Bank of Russia (CBR) reported in its financial risk review on Monday.

More than 1600 university professors from over 270 institutions across North America have united in condemning “scholasticide” in Gaza, a term term referring to school massacres. According to a joint letter, the professors “condemn Israel’s systematic attacks on educational life in Gaza” and the destruction or damage inflicted upon all 12 universities since the onset of the war. “All 12 universities in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged. The International Monetary Fund estimates that the war on Gaza has cost the education sector $720 million,” the letter reads. The letter further voiced complete opposition to “Israel’s” genocidal campaign and accused…

Iraq and Iran’s presidents reiterated in a phone call their support for Gaza and urged cooperation between Muslim countries to halt the genocide. In a phone call with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi emphasized the necessity of cooperation between countries of the Islamic world to stop the crimes committed by the Israeli occupation against Palestinians. Raisi stressed that the religious and humanitarian responsibility of putting an end to the Israeli genocide against Gaza falls on all Muslim countries and free people of the world.  From his end, the Iraqi president stressed the necessity of strengthening ties between both countries “away…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his government has set a date for a major ground operation in Rafah, the last remaining Palestinian shelter in Gaza. The Israeli leader is under pressure both from close ally the US, which sees the promised offensive as a major threat to civilians, and from members of his own coalition, who demand military action. Some 1.3 million people, most of them displaced from other parts of the Palestinian enclave, are estimated to be crammed into the city, which is located at Gaza’s border with Egypt. In a short video statement on Monday night, the…

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Tuesday received a phone call from his Maltese counterpart Ian Borg. During the call, they discussed developments in the Gaza Strip and its surrounding areas, and the efforts made toward alleviating the crisis, the Kingdom’s foreign ministry said. Source: Arab News

The United States does not have any evidence that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza as it carries out its war against Palestinian group Hamas, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has said. Israel declared war on Hamas last October after a surprise and deadly cross-border raid staged by the militant group, in which at least 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 taken hostage. The subsequent Israeli bombing and ground operation in Gaza has killed at least 33,000 people, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. Austin, who was delivering opening remarks on the Pentagon’s 2025 budget request, was interrupted…

Algeria’s persistent advocacy for Palestinian UN membership signals a renewed push for international recognition amid ongoing discussions at the United Nations Security Council. The 15 members of the United Nations Security Council held closed consultations yesterday, followed by an open session to discuss Palestine’s request, which was referred by the UN Secretary-General to the Security Council on April 3rd, to join the United Nations. Algeria has long held a heavy responsibility by amplifying the voice of the Palestinian people during discussions regarding Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations. For years, Algeria has been striving to garner international support for Palestine to…