Major Saudi firms in Forbes Top 500 list

Source: Arab News (Read full story)

With the support of Sheikh Nahyan Mabarak Al Nahyan, the UAE’s minister for culture, youth and community development, Forbes Middle East hosted a prestigious event at Ritz Carlton, Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, in recognition of The Top 500 Companies in the Arab World and The Top 100 Making an Impact.
The event, which included an exclusive award ceremony and gala dinner, was attended by senior government officials, top executives from various business sectors, and an array of other high profile guests. The event was also graced by the presence of Nasser bin Aqeel Al-Tayyar, president of Arab Publisher House, who welcomed Sheikh Nahayan along with other dignitaries.

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Cabinet ministers resign amid standoff with MPs

Source: Kuwait Times (Read full story)

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The new developments came amid reports that the Assembly might be dissolved just a month before a June 16 crucial ruling by the constitutional court on the controversial amendment of the electoral law. But a number of MPs ruled out the possibility, saying they expected the Amir to issue a decree to suspend the Assembly for one month, based on a clause in the constitution. The measure will give just enough time for the ruling to be issued while the Assembly is not in session. Among many possibilities, the court could declare the electoral law amendment as unconstitutional, which will mean forcing the Assembly’s dissolution and calling for fresh elections.

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US-led action in Syria would empower Iran, not weaken it

Source: The National (Read full story)

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The Iranian leadership has a successful track record of emerging as the winner whenever a sovereign state in the Middle East experiences instability, civil war or foreign intervention. For instance, the protracted civil war in Lebanon created a ripe environment for Iranian leaders to give birth to one of the strongest non-state actors in the region, Hizbollah. Also, after the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, Iranian leaders were immediately able to help create a powerful Shiite proxy in Iraq – the Mahdi Army – as well as coordinate with Shiite leaders to infiltrate Iraqi governmental affairs. The Iranian leadership and Revolutionary Guard’s strategies are characterised not by public or foreign interventions, but by clandestine investments in local, community-based, organised groups that empower a proxy capable of fighting not only regional governments but world powers.

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UAE denounces Iran lawmakers’ visit to islands

Source: Khaleej Times (Read full story)

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Meanwhile, the Federal National Council has expressed condemnation and denunciation of the visit made recently by a delegation from Iran’s Shura Council to the three occupied UAE Islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa. In a statement issued today, the FNC said the policy of ‘Fait accompli’ practiced by Iran to perpetuate its occupation of UAE’s islands would not change historical and legal facts that confirm UAE sovereignty over the islands, and their territorial waters, airspace, continental shelf and exclusive economic zone, as being an integral part of the UAE. Condemning the Iranian Shura Council’s, the FNC denounced the Iranian provocative acts which constitutes a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the United Arab Emirates over its territory and undermines all efforts for a peaceful settlement to end the Iranian occupation of the islands.

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Prince Turki on Saudi Arabia’s Role after Arab Awakening

Source: Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs (Read full story)

Prince Turki Al Faisal of Saudi Arabia, chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research & Islamic Studies, delivered an address at the Harvard Kennedy School titled Saudi Arabia’s New Foreign Policy Doctrine in the aftermath of the Arab Awakening. The talk on April 25, 2013 was the culmination of a daylong workshop on Saudi Arabia hosted by the school’s Middle East Initiative in the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

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GCC chief slams Khamenei over interference in Bahrain

Source: Saudi Gazette (Read full story)

Abdullatif Al-Zayani, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), has condemned remarks by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Bahrain and its people during a recent conference in Iran. Al-Zayani dismissed the statements Khamenei made at the “Muslim Scholars and Islamic Awakening” held in Iran recently as “reprehensible fallacies” and a “blatant interference” in the internal affairs of Bahrain. He said the statements were in breach of the principles of the religion of Islam and good neighborliness, as well as the international law.

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Riyadh made capital of Gulf Monetary Council

Source: Arab News (Read full story)

The Gulf Monetary Council has signed an agreement declaring Riyadh as its headquarters here yesterday.
The agreement was co-signed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah representing the Kingdom and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the council Fahd Al-Mubarak representing the council.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait are the four members in the monetary council, the Saudi Press Agency reported yesterday. The council aims to launch a single currency at least by 2015, according to earlier reports.

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Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to Travel to the Middle East

Source: U.S. Department of Defense (Read full story)

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel will travel to Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates April 20-27. Hagel will first travel to Israel where he will meet with Minister of Defense Moshe Ya’alon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres to further the close military to military relationship between the United States and Israel.  Hagel’s trip follows on President Barack Obama’s visit to Israel where he announced that the United States and Israel will negotiate a new 10-year agreement to provide Israel with foreign military financing.  The secretary will also discuss regional challenges including those presented by Iran and Syria.

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