Saudi Arabia, France make their move in Lebanon

Source: Al-Monitor (Read full story)

The Saudi decision to give $3 billion in aid to the Lebanese army to purchase French weapons and ammunition came as a surprise to both supporters and opponents of the move. The amount is the highest ever to the army, but the most alluring aspect of the initiative is not limited to the allocated sum. In fact, rarely has the Lebanese state received any donations. Rather, the bigger surprise is the emerging Saudi-French partnership, which constitutes a turning point in the Middle East. With the shrinking American role in the area, a void has opened that regional forces and terrorist organizations from everywhere are rushing to fill.

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Kuwait economy in desperate need of reform

Source: Al-Monitor (Read full story)

Kuwait is celebrating the new year while its economic files remain disrupted. The country depends on oil revenues to stimulate all of its economic mechanisms, and the Kuwaiti government owns a significant sovereign fund investing financial surpluses accumulated over the years. However, the government has yet to achieve the economic reform milestones that are much needed and necessary at this time. Registering 10 billion to 12 billion Kuwaiti dinars ($35 billion to $40 billion) in surplus in the past fiscal years, Kuwait is nowadays receiving reports from specialized international bodies — such as the International Monetary Fund — indicating that it will face fiscal deficits in a few years unless it rationalizes its spending and improves its non-oil sovereign resources.

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Job security for 1.5 million Saudis

Source: Arab News (Read full story)

Saudi Arabia on Monday announced a series of welfare programs for its citizens, including an unemployment insurance scheme and a housing loan support program for deserving applicants.  The insurance scheme comes in line with the government’s push to employ more citizens in the private sector to tackle long-term unemployment that officials see as unsustainable in light of high population growth.  The introduction of unemployment insurance is designed to make it more attractive for young Saudis to seek jobs in private companies, where the starting salary and other benefits are less generous than in government departments.

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4 Islamists, 2 MPs, 1 woman and 1 Shiite in new lineup – Seven new faces in reshuffled [Kuwaiti] cabinet

Source: Kuwait Times (Read full story)

Two Amiri decrees were issued yesterday accepting the resignation of seven ministers and appointing seven others after Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah carried out an expanded reshuffle in his fifth Cabinet that was formed in August following parliamentary elections. The line-up includes a new minister for oil and another for finance after the outgoing ministers requested to be relieved of their posts. The number of Islamist ministers doubled to four and the number of women and Shiites was cut to just one each from two in the previous lineup.

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Saudi Arabia jails five for up to 30 years for refinery bomb plot

Source: The National (Read full story)

A Saudi court has jailed five people for up to 30 years on charges including plotting to blow up an oil refinery on behalf of Al Qaeda, state media reported today.  The official SPA news agency gave no details of when the alleged plot against the refinery in Yanbu took place.  But the trial is believed to be the latest in a series of prosecutions begun in July 2011 for alleged offences committed during the peak of Al Qaeda violence in the kingdom between 2003 and 2006.  The court found that some of the defendants had “plotted to blow up the Yanbu oil refinery and participated in preparing car bombs to that end,” SPA reported.

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Irish prime minister arrives to boost ties

Source: The Peninsula (Read full story)

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny arrived in Doha yesterday on a two-day official visit to the country.  He and his delegation were welcomed at Doha International Airport by the Minister of Economy and Trade HE Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, Qatar’s non-resident Ambassador to Ireland Khalid Rashid Salem Al Homoudi Al Mansouri, and Ireland’s non-resident Ambassador to Qatar Patrick Hennessy.  Kenny is accompanied by Minister for Enterprise Richard Bruton and 100 businessmen — from varied fields such as agriculture, energy, construction and e-learning — who will hold meetings to strengthen the growing economic, political and cultural ties. The visit and trade mission is expected to improve trade and business opportunities for Irish and Qatari companies.

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