Dubai News TV

By Hussain Shahid As Saudi Arabia prepares to potentially join the BRICS, there is much to consider in terms of the impact on the country’s economy. While some may view this as a simple geopolitical move, it could have significant economic implications for the region and the world as a whole. First and foremost, it is important to understand the economic power of the BRICS nations. Together, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa represent 40% of the world population and 25% of global GDP. If Saudi Arabia were to join this group, it would not only significantly increase the size and influence of the bloc, but also provide the country with access to a powerful network of economic partners. The potential benefit of Saudi Arabia joining BRICS One potential benefit of Saudi Arabia joining BRICS is increased trade opportunities. With its strong oil and natural gas resources, Saudi Arabia could become a key player in the energy trade within the bloc, which already do...

NEOM Green Hydrogen Company (NGHC), a joint venture between renewables developer ACWA Power, gas company Air Products, and the futuristic city project NEOM, has reached financial close on a Saudi green hydrogen plant with US$8.4 billion. The company also said it concluded a $6.7 billion agreement with Air Products  (APD.N) for the plant's engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC). https://twitter.com/IDoulis/status/1661044557738397697 The company secured an exclusive 30-year off-take agreement with Air Products for all the green ammonia it will produce. Hailed as the world’s “largest” carbon-free green hydrogen plant, the project will produce up to 600 tonnes per day of hydrogen by the end of 2026. It will be powered by up to 4GW of solar and wind power to produce the green hydrogen which will then be used to produce green ammonia. Located in the northwest of Saudi Arabia, in Oxagon – the region where NEOM is being built – the project has secured th...

SpaceX has launched the first female Saudi Arabian astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi into space on a private mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Rayyanah Barnawi, a stem cell researcher, became the first woman from the kingdom to go to space, and along with fighter pilot Ali al-Qarni, she will be the first Saudi Arabian to visit the ISS. Blasting off from Kennedy Space Center, the crew included a US businessman and a retired NASA astronaut who now works for the company that arranged the trip. https://twitter.com/ShirazHassan/status/1660671538717421586 The multi-million dollar flight is the second private flight to the space station organized by the company Axiom Space. Last year, they sent three businessmen there, with another retired NASA astronaut. Eventually, the company plans to add its own rooms to the ISS, before forming a stand-alone outpost for hire. Axiom won’t say how much the tickets for the passengers are for the planned 10-day mission. But th...

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stressed his commitment to Palestinian statehood at the Arab League summit, amid intensified US efforts to broker a normalization deal between the Gulf kingdom and Israel. “We will not delay in providing assistance to the Palestinian people in recovering their lands, restoring their legitimate rights, and establishing an independent state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital,” bin Salman said in his address to the Jeddah conference, where considerable attention was focused on Syrian President Bashar Assad’s return to the forum after a 12-year suspension. “The Palestinian issue was and remains the central issue for Arab countries, and it is at the top of the kingdom’s priorities,” added the de facto Saudi leader, who is known by his initials MBS. The comments were largely standard for leadership in Riyadh, which has long insisted publicly that it remains committed to the Palestinian cause and will only normalize ties w...

Cristiano Ronaldo topped Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid athletes in 2023, with his earnings nearly doubling after his move to Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia. The football superstar earned $136 million, thanks to an estimated annual playing salary of $75 million. This makes him the world's highest-paid athlete, according to  Forbes' rankings . Lionel Messi is second on the list with a combined earnings of $130 million. France captain and Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe rounded out the top three with $120 million in earnings. https://twitter.com/SherazKRajput/status/1653730724086960130 Other athletes on the list include Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James and Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez at fourth and fifth places. The advent of LIV Golf also saw two of its golfers make the top 10. Former world No.1 Dustin Johnson made the biggest gain. He came in sixth place with $107 million, after switching to LIV Golf. He was joined by fellow LIV golfer ...

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are exploring the option to launch a ‘Schengen-style” visa for tourists. It will make easy for visitors to enter the Gulf countries and spend vacations there. The development was confirmed by Fatima Al Sairafi, Minister of Tourism in Bahrain. He said discussions have been taking place at the ministerial level among GCC nations on how to achieve a unified single visa. Speaking during the Arabian Travel Market (ATM 2023) in Dubai, she said that the unified visa system could be happening very soon. Citing the example of Europe, the minister said the benefits of such a visa regime are available to all of the countries. She said that Bahrain has benefited from co-promoting the country along with the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. https://twitter.com/lovindubai/status/1653791537187135492 Diversified tourists “We targeted 8.3 million tourists for 2022 but achieved 9.9 million visitors because we co-promoted Bahrain along with the UAE and...

Emirates Airline President Tim Clark has wished“good luck” to the new players and said that the rise of a new airline in Saudi Arabia will be good for the region and aviation. Speaking at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2023, Tim Clark said the launching of two new airlines in the Kingdom over the last year would be “very interesting”. “In the case of Saudi Arabia, you are going to have three airlines, Riyadh Air, NEOM and [existing carrier] Saudia. This is going to be very interesting to watch how this will go on." Tim Clark said: “Riyadh has been the most recent part of the Saudi aviation policy. Saudia is going to think, ‘I’m going to need a piece of this as well’. And NEOM is going to be a major development in the East of Saudi Arabia. https://twitter.com/shootsprintrite/status/1653454446498545695 Tim Clark "flattered" “If they are going to spend trillions of dollars, it’s great for the area, it’s great for the aviation industry, and good luck to the...

The crescent Moon that signals the end of the holy month of Ramadan was spotted in Saudi Arabia on Thursday evening, according to SPA .  According to the Saudi Supreme Court, tomorrow, Friday (April 21), is the first day of Eid Al Fitr for this year 1444 AH. This date also marks the first day of Islamic calendar month Shawwal. Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has said that Eid Al Fitr holiday will begin from Friday, April 21. The holidays will be for a period of four days and regular working hours will commence from Tuesday, April 25. This applies to private and non-profit sectors in the Kingdom. The Saudi moon-sighting committee had invited all Muslims to try and sight the moon on the evening of Ramadan 29 (Thursday). Islamic months last for 29 or 30 days, depending on when the Moon is sighted. With the Moon being spotted on Thursday, the holy month of Ramadan lasted for 29 days. https://dubainews.tv/eid-al-fitr-2023-announced-shawwal-cr...

Dubai News The International Astronomical Center (IAC) has stated that there is no possibility of sighting the Shawwal crescent on Thursday, Ramadan 29, corresponding to April 20, and, as a result, Eid Al-Fitr is likely to fall on Saturday, April 22. The IAC's prediction is based on astronomical information, and the exact date of Eid will be confirmed by the concerned authorities based on the sighting of the new moon. Sighting the crescent on Thursday evening is difficult, as it requires a precise telescope, a professional observer, and exceptional weather conditions. Even using a telescope, the crescent is not expected to be seen from anywhere in the Arab world. The IAC added that due to the possibility of seeing the crescent with a telescope from some parts of the Islamic world on Thursday, and due to the occurrence of conjugation before sunset, and the setting of the moon after sunset in all regions of the Islamic world, it is expected that the majority of the count...

Dubai News Emirati astronaut  Sultan al-Neyadi  has shared footage of Makkah aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Al-Neyadi tweeted a video of the Kingdom's holy site on his Twitter page, calling the footage “a gift for Salman’s children on these blessed nights”. https://twitter.com/Astro_Alneyadi/status/1648014861807263772?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1648014861807263772%7Ctwgr%5Ea3b5d59af3b4d4c4947ff5c267e2e1eefb46f29e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fenglish.alarabiya.net%2FNews%2Fsaudi-arabia%2F2023%2F04%2F18%2FEmirati-astronaut-Sultan-al-Neyadi-shares-images-Saudi-Arabia-s-Mecca-from-space He added: A dedication to the country of the two holy mosques, the landing site o revelation and the land of the message, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” The footage showed Makkahand Medina lit up and Saudi’s Arabia’s Grand Mosque glowing in the dark. The Emirati astronaut has regularly been sharing footage onboard ISS since embarking on hi...