JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s maritime and logistics sector has absorbed nine months of regional conflict without interruption to trade, and Red Sea ports are handling record cargo volumes, the group CEO of shipping, logistics and freight company ABSA Al Barrak Group said on Wednesday. Speaking to Arab News on the opening day of the Saudi Maritime and Logistics Congress in Jeddah, Akshay Anand said the geography of the Kingdom provided options few countries in a comparable position would have. “From a

LONDON: Oman’s Duqm Special Economic Zone is negotiating new investments worth between 7 billion and 8 billion Omani rials ($18 billion to $21 billion) in the iron and aluminum sectors, with agreements on project work plans expected before the end of this year, according to the zone’s CEO. Ahmed bin Ali Akaak told Asharq Bloomberg in an interview on the sidelines of the UK-Gulf Cooperation Council strategic dialogue in London that the talks had reached “very significant understandings.” Finali

A shark known as ‘Bukangi’ has eluded authorities and returned to a canal in Busan, South Korea, after being guided toward the open sea. The incident has drawn significant attention online.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's flagship artificial intelligence firm Humain has landed its first customer for its planned giga campus in Neom’s Oxagon. Netherlands-based artificial intelligence cloud company Nebius has signed a preliminary agreement with the Public Investment Fund owned firm to offtake up to 50 megawatts at the date center — half of the initial 100 MW currently under construction as part of the first phase’s planned 360 MW total. The agreement was also signed by DataVolt, a developer, o

Diplomats from Europe and the Middle East, including Turkiye and Saudi Arabia, will gather in Istanbul to address key regional issues. The meeting will focus on the Palestinian issue, Yemen, the Strait of Hormuz, and efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

RIYADH: The Aster School has become the 11th establishment to join the Royal Commission for Riyadh City’s International Schools Attraction Program, which aims to expand educational options in the capital. According to the RCRC’s website, the International Schools Attraction Program is an initiative that creates a diverse educational ecosystem in Riyadh. The program is aimed at providing residents with “high-quality education tailored to meet both current and future needs.” The school caters to c

LONDON: Young Palestinian men armed with slingshots and stones helped save Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine from Israeli settlers who beat her while she was covering the olive harvest in the occupied West Bank, The Guardian newspaper reported. Levine, 64, suffered four fractured vertebrae, two broken ribs and four puncture wounds during the assault on Friday in Abu Falah, a Palestinian village north of Ramallah. She said masked settlers knocked her down and hit her repeatedly with wo

DUBAI: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said that he will not ask US President Donald Trump for a green light to strike Iran. “I will brief Trump on what we intend to do, but I will not ask him for the green light to strike Iran,” Netanyahu said. “I have issued a directive stating that the only acceptable solution is the overthrow of the regime in Iran.” Netanyahu planned to carry out strikes against Iran earlier this month but Trump objected to the idea of reigniting the fi

Taiwan is bracing for Typhoon Champi, which is causing flight cancelations and warnings for severe weather conditions as it approaches the island’s northeast coast.

Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Fahad bin Abdulrahman Al-Dosari praised on Wednesday the Lebanese government’s efforts to preserve the state and its national institutions. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam received Ambassador Al-Dosari at the Grand Serail with the ambassador conveying the greetings of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, said a statement from the PM’s office. The officials discussed bilateral relations and ways to boost cooperation between Saudi Arabia a

DUBAI: Saudi athletes Ali Al-Nakhli and Thamer Al-Zahrani each claimed gold at the fifth Asian Para Games (Aichi-Nagoya 2026) on Wednesday. The tournament, in Japan, runs until Oct. 24. Al-Nakhli’s medal came in the 100-meter T37 event, which he won with a time of 11.31 seconds, while his teammate Al-Zahrani added the second gold by taking the honors in the 400-meter T37 with a time of 55.74 seconds. Saudi athletes competing in other disciplines included Hani Al-Nakhli, who was unable to complet

A Druze source in Syria's southern Sweida province who opposes the policies of Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri has dismissed reports of plans to establish an Israeli military base in the province's southeastern countryside. The source also denied reports that the so-called National Guard was preparing to launch a major offensive against areas under Syrian government control and neighboring Daraa province, telling Asharq Al-Awsat that the claims were “media rumors with no basis on

 Lebanon's Justice Minister Adel Nassar vowed to pursue an investigation into a shipment of Hezbollah explosives to the end, saying the probe was expanding as he pressed for the case to be referred to the Judicial Council on national security grounds. “There are no limits to the investigation,” Nassar told Asharq Al-Awsat, insisting that political pressure would not interfere with the judiciary’s work. Nassar said the scale of the case and the dangers posed by the explosives justified re

King Fahd International Airport in Dammam has resumed normal operations following an attack on Wednesday that resulted in the deaths of a Saudi citizen and an Indian resident, as well as injuries to eight others. Additionally, a drone attack targeting the Shaybah oil field caused two fatalities and further injuries, but did not disrupt operations at the facility.

DOHA: Lusail International Circuit is gearing up to host the MotoGP Grand Prix of QATAR from Nov. 6 to 8 and the Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix from Nov. 27 to 29. The circuit’s managers are adding the finishing touches across grandstands, hospitality areas and wider event infrastructure for the races sponsored by Qatar Airways. Abdulaziz Ali Al-Muhannadi, CEO of the circuit, said: “Our preparations are nearing completion, with our teams focused on ensuring that every aspect of the venue is ready

SINGAPORE: Oil prices rose more than $1 a barrel ‌on Thursday after more Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia stoked concerns over a broader escalation of conflict and further disruptions to supplies from the Middle East. Brent crude futures rose $1.93, or 1.77 percent, to $110.75 a barrel at 07:42 a.m. Saudi time, while US West Texas Intermediate crude gained $1.43, or 1.47 percent, to $98.58. ​Brent had settled largely unchanged on Wednesday, while WTI had eased 67 cents. “Oil prices remain well bid

The fifth edition of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open will be held from January 30 to February 6, 2027, at the International Tennis Centre, featuring 28 singles players and 16 doubles teams competing for a $1.2 million prize fund. This WTA 500 tournament has grown significantly in popularity, drawing over 60,000 attendees in 2026, and aims to inspire community engagement and promote tennis participation through various initiatives.

The upcoming Israeli election might result in a change of leadership, but its policies toward Iran are expected to remain the same. Experts believe that regardless of the election outcome, Iran will continue to be seen as a primary adversary.

DUBAI: For years, Kuwaiti artist Aseel AlYaqoub worked without a gallery, a grant, or any certainty that her research-heavy work was reaching people. Winning the seventh Ithra Art Prize this month, she tells Arab News, gave her validation she did not realize she had been seeking. AlYaqoub won for “Flora Incognita,” an installation of invented hybrid desert plants escaping the colonial-era archives that named them. The prize comes with a $100,000 grant, and the work will join the permanent coll

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia's ATHR Gallery will show works by six artists at the prestigious fair, running from Oct. 23-25. Mohammad Alfaraj ‘The Storyteller’ ‘The Storyteller.’ (Supplied) “Every time we put together a booth (for an art fair), it feels less like curating and more like assembling fragments of a larger story, one that’s been unfolding across generations of Saudi artists long before I was paying attention, and one I hope continues long after,” Hamza Serafi, co-founder of Athr