Lebanon, Israel end second round of maritime border talks

An aircraft flies over a base for UN peacekeepers of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in Naqoura, near the Lebanese-Israeli border, southern Lebanon October 29, 2020. (Reuters)
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Updated 30 October 2020
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Lebanon, Israel end second round of maritime border talks

  • The delegations met for around four hours for a second day straight at a base of the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL in the Lebanese border town of Naqura
  • The talks have been shrouded in secrecy, with little information emerging about any progress being made

NAQURA: Lebanon and Israel, still technically at war, wrapped up a second round of maritime border talks Thursday under UN and US auspices to allow for offshore energy exploration.
The delegations met for around four hours for a second day straight at a base of the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL in the Lebanese border town of Naqura, Lebanon's National News Agency and Israel's energy ministry said.
The talks have been shrouded in secrecy, with little information emerging about any progress being made.
"At the end it was determined that another round of talks will take place during the coming month," the Israeli energy ministry said.
A Lebanese source close to the negotiations said they would resume on November 11.
A first round of talks had been held on October 14, and the second had started on Wednesday.
After years of quiet US shuttle diplomacy, Lebanon and Israel this month said they had agreed to begin the negotiations in what Washington hailed as a "historic" agreement.
The announcement came weeks after Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates became the first Arab nations to establish relations with Israel since Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994.
But Lebanon has insisted the negotiations are purely technical and do not involve any political normalisation with Israel.
Lebanon, reeling from its worst economic crisis in decades, is hoping to settle the maritime border dispute so it can continue exploring for hydrocarbon reserves in the Mediterranean.

Exploration is on hold in an area off its coast named Block 9, as a section of it is located in an 860-square-kilometre (330-square-mile) area claimed by both Israel and Lebanon.
NNA said the Lebanese delegation carried with it "maps and documents showing the points of contention and the Israeli enemy infringing on the Lebanese right to include part of Block 9".
In February 2018, Lebanon signed its first contract for offshore drilling for oil and gas in Block 9 and Block 4 with a consortium comprising energy giants Total, ENI and Novatek.
Lebanon in April said initial drilling in Block 4 had shown traces of gas but no commercially viable reserves.
While the US-brokered talks look at the maritime border, a UNIFIL-sponsored track is also due to address outstanding land border disputes.
UNIFIL head Major General Stefano Del Col welcomed Tuesday what he called "a unique opportunity to make substantial progress on contentious issues along" the land frontier.


Saudi FDI net inflows jump 44% in Q1 to $5.9bn

Updated 2 min 39 sec ago
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Saudi FDI net inflows jump 44% in Q1 to $5.9bn

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia attracted SR22.2 billion ($5.9 billion) in net foreign direct investment in the first quarter of 2025, up 44 percent year on year, driven by rising inflows and sharply lower capital outflows. 

According to figures released by the General Authority for Statistics, this compares to SR15.5 billion during the same period last year. The figure, however, marked a 7 percent drop from the final quarter of 2024, when inflows totaled SR24.0 billion. 

Gross inflows — the total foreign capital entering the Kingdom — stood at SR24 billion, up 24 percent from SR19.4 billion in the first quarter of 2024, but down 6 percent from the SR25.6 billion recorded in the preceding quarter.

Net FDI reflects the actual retained investment after subtracting outflows such as dividends, loan repayments, or capital exits — making it a more accurate indicator of lasting foreign capital in the economy. 

The FDI boost coincides with Saudi Arabia’s growing appeal among global investors. In April, the Kingdom climbed to a record 13th place in Kearney’s 2025 Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index while maintaining its rank as the third most attractive emerging market, underscoring strong investor confidence. 

In its latest release, GASTAT stated: “The volume of outflows amounted to about SAR 1.8 billion during Q1 of 2025. It achieved a decrease of 54% compared to Q1 of 2024, where the volume of outflows reached SAR 3.9 billion.” 

The report noted that this represented a 7 percent increase from the fourth quarter of 2024, when outflows stood at SR1.7 billion. 

The narrowing gap between inbound and outbound foreign capital underscores the resilience of the Kingdom’s investment environment amid ongoing economic transformation efforts. 

It also reflects a growing trend of multinational companies establishing regional headquarters in the Kingdom. Under new localization rules linked to government contracts, several global firms have set up or expanded their presence in Riyadh. 

In March, Dell Technologies became one of the latest tech giants to open a regional office in the Saudi capital, joining companies such as PepsiCo, Schneider Electric, Morgan Stanley, PwC, and Deloitte — all of which have ramped up operations to tap into the Kingdom’s rapidly evolving market and $1.1 trillion giga-project pipeline. 

The Kingdom’s performance comes against a backdrop of global declines in foreign direct investment.  

According to the UN Conference on Trade and Development, inward FDI inflows in Saudi Arabia fell 31 percent in 2024 to $15.73 billion, while outflows rose 27.1 percent to $22.04 billion.  

The report attributed the downturn to persistent trade tensions, geopolitical uncertainty, and weakening investor sentiment worldwide.  

Earlier this month, S&P Global said it expects FDI into Gulf Cooperation Council countries to slow further in 2025, citing lower oil prices and a more gradual rollout of economic diversification plans across the region. 


Saudi unemployment rate drops to 2.8% in Q1: GASTAT 

Updated 6 min 1 sec ago
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Saudi unemployment rate drops to 2.8% in Q1: GASTAT 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s overall unemployment rate dropped to 2.8 percent in the first quarter of 2025, down 0.7 percentage points from the previous quarter, official data showed. 

According to figures released by the General Authority for Statistics, the jobless rate also declined by 0.7 points year on year. The labor force participation rate for both Saudis and non-Saudis increased to 68.2 percent, marking a rise of 1.8 points from the previous quarter and 2.2 points from the same period last year. 

The Kingdom’s strengthening labor market aligns with Vision 2030, the nation’s strategic roadmap focused on creating job opportunities for citizens and driving economic growth. Curbing joblessness remains a core pillar of the broader socio-economic reform agenda. 

In its latest release, GASTAT stated: “The employment-to-population ratio for Saudis increased by 0.5 percentage points compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, reaching 48.0 percent, and increased by 0.5 percentage points compared to the first quarter of 2024.” 

Among Saudi nationals, the jobless rate fell to 6.3 percent in the first quarter — a 0.7-point drop from the earlier quarter and 1.3 points lower year on year. Participation in the workforce among Saudis edged up to 51.3 percent, a quarterly improvement of 0.2 points. 

To support job seekers and streamline employment efforts, the Kingdom continues to promote digital platforms such as Jadarat, a unified national system for connecting Saudis to job opportunities. 

The share of Saudi women engaged in the labor force rose to 36.3 percent in the first quarter, up 0.3 percentage points from the preceding quarter.

“Additionally, the employment to population ratio of Saudi females increased by 0.7 percentage points, reaching 32.5 percent. At the same time, the unemployment rate of Saudi females decreased by 1.4 percentage points, recording 10.5 percent, compared to the previous quarter of 2024,” GASTAT added.

Among Saudi men, participation in economic activity increased slightly to 66.4 percent, while their unemployment rate declined by 0.3 percentage points to 4.0 percent. 

GASTAT’s report also revealed that 94.8 percent of unemployed Saudis are open to working in the private sector. Of these, 76.1 percent of women and 86.3 percent of men expressed willingness to work at least eight hours a day. 

Additionally, 58.7 percent of Saudi women seeking employment and 40.4 percent of their male counterparts expressed willingness to commute for one hour or more to reach their workplace. 

Alongside the survey findings, GASTAT also published register-based labor market statistics for the same timeframe. 

The number of Saudis registered with the General Organization for Social Insurance and the Civil Service rose to 2.92 million in the first quarter of 2025, up from 2.89 million in the previous quarter. Of these, 2.42 million were employed in the private sector and 492,620 in the public sector. 

Meanwhile, the total number of registered workers in the Kingdom — including Saudis and non-Saudis — increased to 12.8 million, compared to 12.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2024. 


Saudi Arabia eyes untapped opportunities in Mauritania, Morocco

Updated 27 min 7 sec ago
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Saudi Arabia eyes untapped opportunities in Mauritania, Morocco

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia is strengthening its trade and investment ties with Africa as more than 30 top investors and officials visit Mauritania and Morocco to explore opportunities across multiple sectors.

The delegation, led by the Federation of Saudi Chambers, began an official visit to Northwest Africa on June 29. The agenda includes meetings to highlight investment incentives, assess the business climate, and identify partnership opportunities in key economic sectors, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The mission aims to promote the Kingdom’s investment prospects and foster collaboration between Saudi companies and their African counterparts, thereby advancing trade and economic cooperation.

This initiative is part of the FSC’s broader efforts to enhance international economic ties and align with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy, which focuses on diversifying the Kingdom’s economic base and expanding global partnerships. It also reflects Riyadh’s growing interest in deepening commercial engagement with African nations.

“Both sides hope that this visit will open new horizons for trade and investment relations,” SPA reported, noting that trade with Mauritania reached SR119 million ($32.13 million), with Saudi exports accounting for 99 percent.

Trade with Morocco totaled SR5 billion, with 13 percent of this amount representing imports, signaling untapped investment opportunities that the visit aims to uncover.

Led by FSC Chairman Hassan Moejeb Al-Huwaizi, the delegation will hold talks with Mauritanian officials and business leaders in Nouakchott. The two-day mission aims to strengthen bilateral economic ties and foster strategic partnerships across various sectors.

A joint Saudi-Mauritanian business forum will be held to explore cooperation opportunities, featuring participation from the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, the Ministry of Investment, the General Authority of Foreign Trade, and the Saudi Fund for Development.

Saudi exports currently dominate the trade balance with Mauritania, while imports remain limited at around SR100,000. Mauritania is Saudi Arabia’s 88th largest export destination and 196th in terms of imports.

Key Saudi exports to Mauritania include metals, rubber products, dairy and animal-based goods, and machinery. Imports from the West African country primarily consist of fish and shellfish, tea and spices, textiles and unstitched garments, as well as medical and optical instruments.

Trade volume with Morocco stands at SR5 billion, with imports making up 13 percent.

In 2024, Riyadh and Rabat signed a cooperation agreement between their chambers of commerce aimed at deepening economic ties. The pact facilitates financial collaboration, information exchange, joint events, trade delegations, and dispute resolution, all designed to promote stronger business partnerships.

With this African outreach, the FSC continues its international expansion efforts, having recently completed trade missions to 17 countries as part of its Vision 2030-driven strategy to open new markets and boost trade and investment.


Hong Kong’s last active pro-democracy group says it will disband amid security crackdown

Updated 32 min 32 sec ago
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Hong Kong’s last active pro-democracy group says it will disband amid security crackdown

  • League of Social Democrats co-founded in 2006 by former lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung
  • LSD is the last group in Hong Kong to stage small protests this year

HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s League of Social Democrats said on Sunday that it would disband amid “immense political pressure” from a five year-long national security crackdown, leaving the China-ruled city with no formal pro-democracy opposition presence.

The LSD becomes the third major opposition party to shutter in Hong Kong in the past two years.

Co-founded in 2006 by former lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung as a radical wing of the pro-democracy camp, the LSD is the last group in Hong Kong to stage small protests this year.

Mass public gatherings and marches spearheaded by political and civil society groups had been common in Hong Kong until 2020, but the threat of prosecution has largely shut down organized protests since.

China imposed a national security law on the former British colony in 2020, punishing offenses like subversion with possible life imprisonment following mass pro-democracy protests in 2019.

A second set of laws, known as Article 23, was passed in 2024 by the city’s pro-Beijing legislature covering crimes such as sedition and treason.

Current chair Chan Po-ying said the group had been “left with no choice” and after considering the safety of party members had decided to shutdown. Chan declined to specify what pressures they had faced.

“We have endured hardships of internal disputes and the near total imprisonment of our leadership while witnessing the erosion of civil society, the fading of grassroots voices, the omnipresence of red lines and the draconian suppression of dissent,” Chan told reporters, while flanked by six other core members including Tsang Kin-shing, Dickson Chau, Raphael Wong, Figo Chan and Jimmy Sham.

In February, the Democratic Party, the city’s largest and most popular opposition party, announced it would disband. Several senior members told Reuters they had been warned by Beijing that a failure to do so would mean serious consequences including possible arrests.

Earlier this month, China’s top official on Hong Kong affairs, Xia Baolong, stressed national security work must continue as hostile forces were still interfering in the city.

“We must clearly see that the anti-China and Hong Kong chaos elements are still ruthless and are renewing various forms of soft resistance,” Xia said in a speech in Hong Kong.

The League of Social Democrats is one of Hong Kong’s smaller pro-democracy groups known for its more aggressive tactics and street protests in its advocacy of universal suffrage and grassroots causes including a universal pension scheme. In a 2016 incident, Leung threw a round object at former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying inside the legislature.

Three LSD members were fined on June 12 by a magistrate for setting up a street booth where a blank black cloth was displayed and money was collected in public without official permission. Chan told reporters that the party had no assets to divest and no funds left after several of its bank accounts were shut down in 2023.

While never as popular as the more moderate Democratic Party and Civic Party, it gained three seats in a 2008 legislative election — its best showing.

The LSD’s founder Leung, 69, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit subversion in 2021 in the landmark ‘47 Democrats’ case. He is currently serving a sentence of six years and nine months in prison. Another member, Jimmy Sham, was also jailed in the same case and released in May.

The security laws have been criticized as a tool of repression by the US and Britain, but China says they have restored stability with 332 people so far arrested under these laws.

“I hope that the people of Hong Kong will continue to pay attention to the vulnerable, and they will continue to speak out for injustice,” Figo Chan said.


Gold Cup: Mexico into semifinals with shutout of Saudi Arabia

Updated 39 min 58 sec ago
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Gold Cup: Mexico into semifinals with shutout of Saudi Arabia

Defending champion Mexico found the scoring touch in the second half and advanced to the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals with a 2-0 victory over Saudi Arabia on Saturday night in Glendale, Arizona
Mexico will face Honduras in the semifinals Wednesday in Santa Clara, California Honduras ousted Panama after a 1-1 draw in regulation with a 5-4 edge in penalty kicks in a quarterfinal earlier Saturday in Glendale.
Alexis Vega got Mexico on the board in the 49th minute after his initial shot was stopped by Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi. Vega put in the rebound and the goal was confirmed following a VAR review that there was no offside violation.
Abdullah Madu of Saudi Arabia tried to reroute Mexico’s crossing pass in the 81st minute, but he instead put it past his goalie for an own goal and a 2-0 deficit.
Mexico controlled 60.3 percent of the possession time against Saudi Arabia and that was reflected in more shot attempts (18-1), shots on goal (5-0) and corner kicks (7-2).
Saudi Arabian goalkeeper Al-Aqidi made four saves, while Mexico’s Angel Malagon had none.
Mexico had advanced through the group stage with a 3-2 win over the Dominican Republic, a 2-0 shutout of Suriname and a scoreless draw with Costa Rica to win Group A with seven points.
Saudi Arabia defeated Haiti 1-0, lost to the United States 1-0 and tied Trinidad and Tobago 1-1 to finish second in Group D.