Will not bar Qatar from Arab summit in Riyadh, says Saudi crown prince

Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman says Qatar will not be barred from the Arab summit in Riyadh later this month but predicted the standoff with Doha could last a long time.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman's comments were made to local editors during a visit to Egypt this week and published today in the independent Al-Shorouk newspaper.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties with Qatar in June, accusing the tiny but super-rich Gulf state of supporting militant groups and forging close ties with Shiite Iran.
The prince described Iran, Turkey and militant groups as the "contemporary triangle of evil." He said Saudi Arabia was seeking to end the close relations between Iran on the one hand and Russia and Syria on the other.

Saudi Prince discusses economy on Egypt trip; pledges to invest $10 bn

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman continued a visit to Egypt today focused on economic cooperation, with Riyadh agreeing a $10 billion investment with Cairo for a futuristic mega city project.

Prince Mohammed accompanied Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to review construction projects near the Suez Canal before boarding a boat with the president to tour the waterway.
A Saudi government source said the two countries had agreed to set up a joint $10 billion fund to develop areas of Egypt linked to the NEOM project.

The $500 billion NEOM mega city, unveiled by Prince Mohammed last year, is planned to be a biotech and digital hub spread over 26,500 square kilometres (10,000 square miles) in an area facing Jordan and Egypt.

Saudi Arabia to invest $64 bn in Western-style entertainment in next decade

Saudi Arabia announced plans today to spend billions on building new venues and flying in Western acts, in a total overhaul of its entertainment sector that would be unthinkable not long ago.

Long known for its ultra-conservative mores, the kingdom has embarked on a wide-ranging programme of social and economic reforms driven by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
At a glitzy press conference in Riyadh, General Entertainment Authority chief Ahmad bin Aqeel al-Khatib told reporters the kingdom is set to invest $64 billion in its entertainment sector over the coming decade.

"We are already building the infrastructure," Khatib said, adding that ground had been broken for an opera house.
"God willing, you will see a real change by 2020," Khatib said, adding that more than 5,000 events were planned for the coming year.

14 civilians killed in Saudi-led air strikes on Yemen market

Saudi-led air strikes killed at least 14 civilians in a village market near Yemen's battleground third city Taez as a nearly three-year bombing campaign intensified, an official and medics said on Wednesday.

The Tuesday strikes also killed 11 rebel fighters and wounded 16 civilians, a local official loyal to the Saudi- backed government told AFP.

The official, who asked not to be identified, said the strikes were intended as air support for a local revolt against the Huthi rebels in the village of Al-Haima, northeast of Taez, but the warplanes hit the wrong target.

Taez is held by forces loyal to the Saudi-backed government but much of the surrounding countryside is in the hands of the rebels and it has been a key battleground in the country's devastating civil war.

To the west, on the Red Sea coast, Saudi-led air strikes killed 22 Huthis south of the key rebel-held port of Hodeida, military and medical sources said.

The strikes targeted reinforcements sent by the Huthis from the rebel-held capital Sanaa, the sources said.

Among the dead was Yasser al-Ahmar, a tribal chief, they added.

The Saudi-led coalition launched its intervention in support of the internationally recognised government in March 2015.

But despite its superior firepower, the rebels still control the capital and much of the north.

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Lebanon crisis: PM Saad Hariri suspends resignation, vows to protect nation

Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Wednesday said he was suspending his surprise resignation, pending talks, providing a potential way out of a political crisis that has rocked the country.

And in a rousing address before large crowds of supporters gathered outside his Beirut home, he pledged he would stay in the country and protect its "stability."

Lebanon has been thrown into turmoil by Hariri's shock November 4 announcement from Saudi Arabia that he was stepping down, as well as his prolonged absence afterwards.

The resignation was seen as a ratcheting up of tensions in the long-running rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and raised fears that Lebanon would be paralysed by regional tensions.

Hours after his arrival back in Beirut, Hariri met with President Michel Aoun, who had refused to accept the premier's resignation until he returned to Lebanon.

"I discussed my resignation with the president of the republic who asked me to wait before submitting it... and allow for more consultations," Hariri told reporters afterwards.
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Donald Trump visits Israel after urging West Asia to 'drive out' terrorists

US President Donald Trump was on Monday set to land in Israel to tackle the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, a day after urging Arab and Islamic leaders to unite and "drive out" terrorists while toning down his own harsh rhetoric about Muslims.

Trump's Israel visit comes after he delivered a powerful speech at the Arab-Islamic-American summit in Riyadh on Sunday.

The US President will hold talks with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders and also address regional security issues during the course of his two-day stop, CNN reported.

Trump, while addressing the leaders of 55 Muslim-majority countries in Saudi Arabia, sought to redefine his relationship with the Muslim world after making a slew of Islamophobic remarks on the campaign trail, calling for a ban on Muslims and declaring "Islam hates us".

He described the battle against terrorist groups as a "battle between good and evil" as he told Muslim-majority countries to redouble their counterterrorism efforts.

Trump rejected the idea that the fight against terrorism was a struggle between religions.

"This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects or different civilisations," Trump said.

"This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it. This is a battle between good and evil," he said.

While Trump said that he was "not here to lecture" the Muslim world, his speech went beyond outreach.

In his most forceful argument, Trump exhorted Muslim-majority countries to do more to eradicate terrorist groups that claim the mantle of Islam, urging Muslims to "drive out" terrorists.
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In Saudi Arabia with Trump, Melania and Ivanka give the headscarf a miss

United States First Lady Melania Trump and President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump eschewed the strict Saudi Arabia dress code while attending different events in the country.

Melania and Ivanka, who are accompanying Trump on his first international trip as President, were seen without headscarves during Trump's key speech in front of heads of state in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

Melania on Sunday visited the American International School in Riyadh and an all-women General Electric service center without a headscarf.

"Enjoyed talking to the incredible women working hard @GE_Saudi service center. Great strides being made towards the empowerment of women," Melania tweeted.

"Had the honor of visiting 1st all-women process service center in #Riyadh, #SaudiArabia. Thanks to @GE_Saudi for the invite!" she said in another tweet.

Similarly, Ivanka Trump was also seen without a headscarf while attending a women's empowerment roundtable at Tuwaiq Palace with civil society leaders, prominent businesswomen and female Saudi elected government officials, CNN reported.

"Today I met with Saudi Arabian women leaders and learned directly of their accomplishments, challenges & vision for the future. #POTUSAbroad," Ivanka tweeted.

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