logo
US President Donald Trump arrives in Riyadh

US President Donald Trump arrives in Riyadh

Argaam13-05-2025

US President Donald Trump arrived in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, marking his first foreign trip since beginning his second term in office.
Trump was received at King Khalid International Airport by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz.
The visit aims to bolster economic ties between the United States and Saudi Arabia.
The visit aims to consolidate bilateral relations between both countries in various fields and discuss priorities.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Pakistan, UAE voice concern over Israel-Iran war as Trump seeks ‘end' to nuclear threat
Pakistan, UAE voice concern over Israel-Iran war as Trump seeks ‘end' to nuclear threat

Arab News

time35 minutes ago

  • Arab News

Pakistan, UAE voice concern over Israel-Iran war as Trump seeks ‘end' to nuclear threat

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates expressed deep concern over Israel's escalating war with Iran, the foreign office said on Tuesday, as US President Donald Trump said he wanted a 'real end' to Iran's nuclear program and warned of potential new developments in the coming days. The exchange between Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his UAE counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, took place over a phone call, according to the official intimation. The war between Iran and US ally Israel, which began on Friday when Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities, has alarmed a region already on edge since Israel's military assault on Gaza began in October 2023. Iran launched its own retaliatory missile attacks, targeting dozens of strategic sites in Israel, as civilian casualties mounted on both sides. There has been no sign of de-escalation so far, with both sides continuing to strike military and economic targets, raising fears of a wider regional conflict. 'Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar received a call from the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister of UAE, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan,' the foreign office of Pakistan said in a social media post. 'The two leaders discussed the evolving regional situation in the wake of Israel's military strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran,' it added. 'They expressed deep concern over the escalating tensions and underscored the urgent need to support efforts for ensuring regional peace and stability.' Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50, received a call from the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister of UAE, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan @ABZayed. The two leaders discussed the evolving regional situation in the wake of… — Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) June 17, 2025 Earlier, Trump spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One while returning from a Group of Seven summit in Canada. He said he may send US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff or Vice President JD Vance to Iran for talks, but added, 'it depends on what happens when I get back.' 'Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, it's very simple,' he continued, adding that he wanted a 'real end' to Iran's nuclear ambitions, with Tehran 'giving up entirely' on any weapons program. The US president also warned residents in Tehran to evacuate amid fears of further escalation, but remained vague about Israel's next steps in the conflict. 'You're going to find out over the next two days,' he said. 'Nobody's slowed up so far.' With input from Reuters

Foreign ownership in Saudi equities tops $105bn despite market pullback
Foreign ownership in Saudi equities tops $105bn despite market pullback

Arab News

time36 minutes ago

  • Arab News

Foreign ownership in Saudi equities tops $105bn despite market pullback

RIYADH: Foreign investors held SR394.58 billion ($105.2 billion) in Saudi equities as of June 12, marking an annual decline of 1.1 percent, although their market share rose amid a broader downturn. According to the latest data from Saudi Exchange, the dip in foreign ownership comes as the total value of holdings in the main market fell to SR9.14 trillion, down from SR9.95 trillion in June 2024, as valuations across key sectors — including financials, materials, and energy — softened. The increase in foreign investors' market share — from 4.01 percent to 4.32 percent — is attributed to the overall decline in market size. Saudi nationals remain dominant in the market, holding SR8.68 trillion, or 94.94 percent of total ownership, down from SR9.48 trillion, or 95.28 percent, a year earlier. Investments from Gulf Cooperation Council countries also dipped, with holdings falling from SR70.17 billion to SR67.46 billion, despite their share slightly increasing to 0.74 percent. The drop in market capitalization coincided with a 1.5 percent decline in the Tadawul All Share Index on June 12, driven by losses in heavyweight stocks such as Al Rajhi Bank and Saudi Arabian Mining Co. The selloff came amid renewed geopolitical tensions in the region. 'While solid fundamentals offer a hopeful outlook, the market's reaction was more heavily influenced by geopolitical tensions,' said Milad Azar, a market analyst at XTB MENA, in comments to Reuters. His statement followed the US decision to reposition diplomatic staff in the region, stoking concerns over escalating tensions with Iran. The move added pressure to already cautious markets, where investors have been rebalancing portfolios in response to rising interest rates and shifting risk appetite. Despite recent volatility, the long-term outlook for foreign participation remains strong. Saudi Arabia's inclusion in global emerging market indices — such as MSCI, FTSE Russell, and S&P Dow Jones — continues to support passive fund flows. Reforms under Vision 2030, including enhanced transparency, stronger corporate governance, and an expanding privatization pipeline, are widely viewed as central to boosting long-term investor engagement in Saudi Arabia's capital markets. The government's commitment to diversifying the economy has opened new sectors for investment, while regulatory upgrades have helped align local practices with international standards. As part of these reforms, Tadawul has undergone a transformation in recent years to enhance its global appeal. The market's inclusion in major emerging market indices between 2018 and 2019 helped unlock billions in passive fund inflows. Since then, Tadawul has focused on improving disclosure quality, streamlining Qualified Foreign Investor registration, and modernizing its trading and post-trade systems. This evolution continues to attract international capital through a growing pipeline of sector-diverse initial public offerings. Recent listings in health care, technology, and consumer goods have provided foreign investors with broader exposure to non-oil growth areas, further supporting portfolio diversification. Meanwhile, ongoing efforts to enhance post-trade infrastructure and environmental, social, and governance reporting are expected to improve overall market competitiveness and strengthen the exchange's appeal to long-term institutional investors.

What to know about bunker-buster bombs and Iran's Fordo nuclear facility
What to know about bunker-buster bombs and Iran's Fordo nuclear facility

Arab News

timean hour ago

  • Arab News

What to know about bunker-buster bombs and Iran's Fordo nuclear facility

BANGKOK: If the US decides to support Israel more directly in its attack on Iran, one option for Washington would be to provide the 'bunker-buster' bombs believed necessary to significantly damage the Fordo nuclear fuel enrichment plant, built deeply into a a bomb would have to be dropped from an American aircraft, which could have wide-ranging ramifications, including jeopardizing any chance of Iran engaging in Trump's desired talks on its nuclear program. Israeli officials have also suggested that there are other options for it to attack Fordo as it seeks to destroy Iran's nuclear aside from a commando attack on the ground or a nuclear strike, the bunker buster bomb seems the most likely is the bunker-buster bomb?'Bunker buster' is a broad term used to describe bombs that are designed to penetrate deep below the surface before exploding. In this case, it refers to the latest GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb in the American arsenal. The roughly 30,000 pound (13,600 kilogram) precision-guided bomb is designed to attack deeply buried and hardened bunkers and tunnels, according to the US Air believed to be able to penetrate about 200 feet (61 meters) below the surface before exploding, and the bombs can be dropped one after another, effectively drilling deeper and deeper with each successive bomb carries a conventional warhead, but the International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Iran is producing highly enriched uranium at Fordo, raising the possibility that nuclear material could be released into the area if the GBU-57 A/B were used to hit the facility. However, Israeli strikes at another Iranian nuclear site, Natanz, on a centrifuge site have caused contamination only at the site itself, not the surrounding area, the IAEA has tough a target is Fordo?Fordo is Iran's second nuclear enrichment facility after Natanz, its main facility. So far, Israeli strikes aren't known to have damaged Natanz's underground enrichment hall, nor have the Israelis targeted tunnels the Iranians are digging is smaller than Natanz, and is built into the side of a mountain near the city of Qom, about 60 miles (95 kilometers) southwest of Tehran. Construction is believed to have started around 2006 and it became first operational in 2009 — the same year Tehran publicly acknowledged its addition to being an estimated 80 meters (260 feet) under rock and soil, the site is reportedly protected by Iranian and Russian surface-to-air missile systems. Those air defenses, however, likely have already been struck in the Israeli Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the goal of attacking Iran was to eliminate its missile and nuclear program, which he described as an existential threat to Israel, and officials have said Fordo was part of that plan.'This entire operation ... really has to be completed with the elimination of Fordo,' Yechiel Leiter, Israel's ambassador to the US, told Fox News on does the US need to be involved?In theory, the GBU-57 A/B could be dropped by any bomber capable of carrying the weight, but at the moment the US has only configured and programed its B-2 Spirit stealth bomber to deliver the bomb, according to the Air B-2 is only flown by the Air Force, and is produced by Northrop to the manufacturer, the B-2 can carry a payload of 40,000 pounds (18,000 kilograms) but the US Air Force has said it has successfully tested the B-2 loaded with two GBU-57 A/B bunker busters — a total weight of some 60,000 pounds (27,200 kilograms).The strategic long-range heavy bomber has a range of about 7,000 miles (11,000 kilometers) without refueling and 11,500 miles (18,500 kilometers) with one refueling, and can reach any point in the world within hours, according to Northrop the US would get involved is another the G7 meeting in Canada, Trump was asked what it would take for Washington to become involved militarily and he said: 'I don't want to talk about that.'In a weekend interview with ABC News, Israeli Ambassador Leiter was asked about the possibility of the US helping attack Fordo and he emphasized Israel has only asked the US for defensive help.'We have a number of contingencies ... which will enable us to deal with Fordo,' he said.'Not everything is a matter of, you know, taking to the skies and bombing from afar.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store