US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other officials in Jeddah on Thursday for talks aimed at “advancing a common vision in the region.”
The National Security Council confirmed Mr Sullivan’s trip, and said talks would centre on the Yemen peace process and “initiatives to advance a common vision for a more peaceful, secure, prosperous and stable Middle East region interconnected with the world".
Saudi officials said the visit touched on “strategic relations between the two countries and ways to enhance them in various fields".
The Biden administration has been working to upgrade relations with Saudi Arabia after a strain last year concerning oil-production cuts and other issues.
The visit also comes as Washington pursues its goal of expanding the Abraham Accords, hoping for Israel and Saudi Arabia to normalise relations.
The New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman on Thursday wrote that the Biden administration is pursuing a regional grand bargain for a US-Saudi mutual security pact under which Riyadh would normalise relations with Israel in return for Israel granting concessions for Palestinians.
The Biden administration this week criticised Israel after the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed ahead with reforms to the Supreme Court, which have led to weeks of bitter protests.
Brian Katulis, senior fellow and vice president of the Middle East Institute in Washington, told The National that he believes the judicial overhaul is not helpful to an expansion of the Abraham Accords.
Mr Katulis recommended that the Biden administration should “raise the connection between these two issues” to the Israelis, and tell America's longtime ally that it is “missing an opportunity here".
An NSC official declined to say whether the talks in Riyadh discussed Israel's judicial overhaul.
The 2020 Abraham Accords led to the UAE and Bahrain starting formal relations with Israel. Morocco and Sudan followed suit.
The Biden administration is also facing domestic pressure as it moves to expand Saudi relations, which historically have ebbed and flowed.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
De De Pyaar De
Produced: Luv Films, YRF Films
Directed: Akiv Ali
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Rakul Preet Singh, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jaaved Jaffrey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Company%20Profile
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Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The bio
Favourite food: Japanese
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Favourite hobby: Football
Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough
Favourite country: UAE
Royal wedding inspired menu
Ginger, citrus and orange blossom iced tea
Avocado ranch dip with crudites
Cucumber, smoked salmon and cream cheese mini club sandwiches
Elderflower and lemon syllabub meringue
THREE
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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10.
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South Korea
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
THE%20SWIMMERS
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