Saudi Arabia
latest news & developments
From summits to substance: Europe’s chance to meet Africa on its terms
The clustering of Africa summits in 2026 is not coincidental. It reflects a continent whose geopolitical and economic weight is growing and whose governments are increasingly…
Welcome to the age of empire
The South African government has navigated this period remarkably well. It has not capitulated to any of the stronger blocs, whilst retaining its dignity and independent views
Middle East conflict reaches SA’s doorstep
President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged South Africans in Israel to cross the land border into Jordan — one of the few remaining safe exit routes
Qatar halts LNG output as Iran conflict hits Gulf energy infrastructure
Qatar is one of the world’s largest exporters of liquefied natural gas and a suspension of output removes roughly 20% of global trade by volume from immediate supply
G20’s youth forum split over wording and accountability structure
For the first time in 14 years, the G20 youth engagement group (Y20) closed its summit last week without issuing a communiqué — the set of recommendations that usually feeds into…
Tesla to open operations in Saudi Arabia amid boycott and protests
The decision to open Tesla operations during protests against the company and its owner, Elon Musk, over his actions in the US is likely to add to the country’s public relations…
Blood dollars to water pistols: Tale of the unwanted tourist
After the stall during 2020’s pandemic, travellers have come storming back exponentially each year
SA’s agricultural export growth cools slightly in second quarter of 2024
Despite this drop, trade figures remain encouraging, but various departments need to address policy and other issues to boost exports
‘Bad for business’: Gulf states scramble to avert wider war
Much is at stake for the wealthy, US-friendly Gulf states, whose expensive economic diversification plans rely on a peaceful environment for business and tourism
Social media fuelling illicit trade in cheetahs
About 65% of the web addresses analysed indicated that the users were also trading in other wildlife such as lion, tiger, leopard, reptiles, birds, antelope and primates This…
Total football, total sportswashing
The beautiful game arrives at the perfect time to scrub the mud off Afcon’s lead sponsor
Delinking from the West is critical for SA, says Godongwana
The finance minister was speaking on a panel in Davos about the expansion of Brics This content is restricted to registered users and subscribers. Get Your Free Account The Mail…
The casualties of Biden’s stance on Israel
The US president could pay dearly at the polls, as the global economy counts the costs of fracturing
Saudis use ‘sportswashing’ to paint over alleged killings
The government denies any wrongdoing, describing the allegations of the murder of Africans on the country’s borders as unfounded
Brics: A conflicted but emerging new centre of global power?
We could yet witness the bloc emerge as a new power hub but only after a plethora of issues have been solved