RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Riyad Bank has approved the assessment and preparation of an initial public offering of its investment banking unit, Riyad Capital. According to a Tadawul statement, the board of directors are considering listing the subsidiary on the main market of the Saudi Exchange. “Riyad Bank and Riyad Capital will coordinate to finalize the … Read more
DUBAI: Is there any hope for the children of Gaza amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, restrictions on aid access, and a looming famine in the north of the enclave? According to UN Children’s Fund spokesperson James Elder, who recently toured the length of Gaza, only an immediate ceasefire can turn the humanitarian situation around. Appearing … Read more
For Makkah pilgrims, Ramadan offers gateway to Saudi Arabia’s ‘culinary wealth’ MAKKAH: In Makkah during Ramadan, pilgrims and visitors get the chance to tuck into traditional Saudi Arabia dishes representing the diverse heritage of the Kingdom’s regions. Most iftar spreads in the holy city feature authentic Saudi Arabia cuisine including edam, kabsa, saleeg, haneeth, qusaran … Read more
UN fears ‘risky military adventurism’ could push Yemen into new cycle of war NEW YORK CITY: The longer the escalation of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea continues, the more complex the process of mediating a peace process in Yemen will become, the UN warned on Thursday. Officials expressed concern that the parties involved in … Read more
CAIRO: The International Monetary Fund said on Sunday that larger declines in oil prices or extended OPEC+ cuts could weigh on Iraq’s fiscal and external accounts. “Iraq needs to increase non-oil exports and government revenue, and reduce the economy’s vulnerability to oil price shocks,” they said in a concluding statement.
BAGHDAD: The Iran-backed Iraqi armed group Nujaba said on Friday it will continue launching attacks on US forces in the region until the Gaza war ends and US forces exit Iraq, days after another major Iran-backed group said it was suspending such attacks. Iraq’s shadowy Kataib Hezbollah said on Tuesday it would pause attacks on … Read more
Hours before Iraq filed a complaint against Iran to the Security Council, the Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein condemned, in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Iran’s attack on Irbil, considering the escalation “an attempt by Iran to export its internal problems.” Hussein, who was speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum held in … Read more
When Iraq produced one of football’s most remarkable underdog stories to win the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, their preparation for the tournament was marked by chaos and tragedy. Sixteen years later and Iraq’s build-up could not have been better. The Lions of Mesopotamia won the 2023 Arabian Gulf Cup in January for the first time … Read more
Look Ahead at 2024: Arab world enters the new year with a mix of hope, tension and trepidation IRBIL, Iraqi Kurdistan: As 2023 moves into the rearview mirror, the Middle East and North Africa can look ahead to the new year with a mixture of hope and trepidation. For many in the region, it has been … Read more
BAGHDAD: Parties that make up Iraq’s Shiite ruling alliance together took the single largest bloc of votes in Baghdad and most of the country’s southern provinces in provincial council elections, a Reuters tally of preliminary results showed. The election is seen as an indicator of the balance of power in a country where groups close … Read more