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Ahmed Al Omran Profile
Ahmed Al Omran

@ahmed

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Saudi correspondent @FT 📰 Previously seen in @nytimes , @WSJ and @NPR 📩 Email: ahmed.alomran @ft .com 📝 Subscribe to my newsletter:

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Joined September 2006
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
7 months
📢 Some personal news: Excited to re-join @FT as Saudi correspondent to cover the kingdom and the Gulf during these ~ interesting times ~ Please send tips, story ideas and more 📩 ahmed.alomran @ft .com
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
2 years
Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed becomes Twitter’s second-largest investor after Elon Musk
@Alwaleed_Talal
الوليد بن طلال
2 years
Dear friend "Chief Twit" @elonmusk Together all the way 🤝🏻 @Twitter
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Ahmed Al Omran
2 years
Jared Kushner seen in the first row at the Saudi investment forum that just started in Riyadh this morning
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Ahmed Al Omran
2 years
Elon Musk attending the World Cup final in Lusail Stadium, Qatar
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Ahmed Al Omran
5 months
New by me @FT — Saudi officials fear brutal images emerging from the shattered Gaza Strip will radicalise their young population, disrupt economic and social reform plans
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Ahmed Al Omran
17 days
Food supplies into Gaza dwindling as UN warns of looming famine
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Ahmed Al Omran
26 days
🚨 Saudi athlete Dunya Abutaleb beats Israel’s Abishag Semberg, a bronze-medalist in Tokyo, to qualify to the quarterfinals in W -49km taekwondo #Olympics #Paris2024
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Ahmed Al Omran
4 months
Americana, which operates KFC and Kirspy Kreme in the Middle East, reports 51.8% decline in Q1 profit as boycott over Gaza war and Ramadan slump hit sales 📉
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Ahmed Al Omran
1 year
KSA has NOT officially accepted invitation to join BRICS yet. Saudi FM Prince Faisal says they “appreciate” invite but wait for details on nature of membership, would make decision after “internal deliberations.”
@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
1 year
🚨 Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Iran invited to join BRICS
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Ahmed Al Omran
1 year
Kuwait orders all restaurants and cafés in the country to offer customers free filtered tap water and not force them to buy bottled water 🚰 Rest of GCC should do this or at least give customers a choice between local and imported bottled water brands.
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Ahmed Al Omran
2 years
Kushner now on stage with former Italian PM Matteo Renzi after a sudden change of schedule. Their session was originally supposed to take place in 1h 40m
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Ahmed Al Omran
4 months
Saudi Arabia rejects US request to deploy troops in Gaza. Egypt, UAE and Morocco are considering the idea
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
11 months
🚨 Iran’s Sepahan game against al-Ittihad in the Asian Champions League cancelled after the Saudi team refused to take the pitch reportedly due to the presence of a Qassim Suleimani’s bust in the ground
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Ahmed Al Omran
1 year
Trump’s name misspelled as “tramp” in a Saudi newspaper today
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
1 year
☀️ It’s hot in the Gulf: 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia warns daytime temperatures in the Eastern Province would reach 46-50ºC this week 🇧🇭 Bahrain records unprecedented electricity consumption as A/C systems struggle to cope 🇶🇦 Qatar to hold national dialogue on climate change in October
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Ahmed Al Omran
2 years
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair @SenatorMenendez calls for immediate freeze of US cooperation with Saudi Arabia, including arms sales (via @AndrewDesiderio )
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Ahmed Al Omran
1 year
🚨 Saudi crown prince gives interview to Fox News to be aired next week
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
10 months
Half-way to Vision 2030: PwC report card on Saudi Arabia’s progress towards key reform goals
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
11 months
🚨 Saudi Arabia rejects calls for forcibly displacing Palestinians, calls for immediate ceasefire and lifting the siege on Gaza —cabinet statement
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
27 days
China will send 800 Mandarin language teachers to Saudi Arabia. First batch of 175 teachers to arrive in the kingdom later this month
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Ahmed Al Omran
12 days
Shipping giant Maersk opens its largest logistics park in the Middle East at the Saudi port of Jeddah with an investment of $250 million —SPA 🚢
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
2 months
🇸🇦 Saudi developer Dar Al Arkan signs deal to build a Trump Tower in Jeddah
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
10 months
FIFA chief Gianni Infantino confirms on Instagram that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup after what he described as “constructive dialogue and extensive consultation.”
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
4 months
My latest @FT — Saudi Vision 2030 faces a reality check at it reaches its midway point, with tough choices to be made about mega-projects amid fast approaching self-imposed deadlines
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
1 year
Jeddah’s sunset yesterday was something else. (SPA photos)
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
13 days
As Saudi Arabia reassesses its priorities and the PIF shifts focus to huge domestic commitments, the era of the kingdom being perceived as a source of easy money is coming to an end
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
2 years
Messi in a bisht 😂
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
2 years
Gianni Infantino gives interview to beIN Sports Arabic channel ahead of the World Cup final, says he has learned how to dance Qatari folk dances (if the translation is accurate)
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
10 months
🚨 Saudi Arabia launches a public donation campaign to help the people of Gaza at the directives of the king and crown prince —state news agency
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
2 years
Saudi crown prince seen wearing a scarf in Qatar colors while in Doha for the World Cup opening
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
4 months
New by me and @ChloeNCornish : Many Saudis grumble about government spending on foreign consultants, complain that ministries and authorities are now simply “RFP machines.” Consultants aware of local criticism, but say government getting their money’s worth
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
1 month
🏊🏼‍♀️ 17-year-old Saudi swimmer Mashael Alayed finishes 6th in the W 200m freestyle H1. She leaves the games with a new personal record #PARIS2024 #OlympicGames
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Ahmed Al Omran
11 months
Saudi Arabia’s flag carrier officially brings back its old identity and colors
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
2 months
Saudi PIF-owned firm @newmurabba unveils design for 45,000-seat stadium as part of new real estate development in northwestern Riyadh
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
1 year
🚨 Saudi Arabia confirms reaching deal with Iran to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies within 2 months after talks in China
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
5 months
How Jordan, Saudi Arabia and UAE are walking a fine line to protect their interests as Iran and Israel raise the stakes
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
8 months
Qatar dedicates the last part of the Asian Cup opening to Gaza: host nation captain handed over the oath tournament to captain of Palestine NT, and Palestinian music to conclude the ceremony
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
1 month
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia’s delegation at the #Paris2024 Olympics opening ceremony
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
1 year
Saudi sovereign wealth fund launches SRJ, a new company that will invest in acquiring and creating new sports events IP, commercial rights of popular sports competitions and hosting major global events in the kingdom
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
1 year
View of King Abdullah Stadium in Jeddah tonight as @ittihad fans wait for the introduction of Karim Benzema
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Ahmed Al Omran
1 year
🚨 Riyadh-bound aircraft of Saudi Airlines damaged after coming under fire at Khartoum airport with crew and passengers on board. Flights to and from Sudan suspended until further notice —statement
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
5 months
“Dead-end War” — Front-page headline in Saudi-owned daily @aawsat_News marking six months since the start of war on Gaza
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
2 years
Mnuchin visited the Gulf 18 times during his time in office and filed papers to create a precursor to his new investment firm just one day after leaving government. He raised $2bn from four Gulf states, half of it from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
5 months
Saudi Aramco awards $7.7 billion contracts to expand gas production. Lion’s share going to Korea’s Samsung and GS E&C, making it the biggest order for Korean companies in the kingdom’s history 🇸🇦🇰🇷
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
10 months
🇧🇭 Bahrain government confirms that its ambassador in Tel Aviv has returned home and the Israeli ambassador to Manama left “a while ago.” Direct flights between the two countries stopped for weeks too, statement adds.
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
1 year
Al-Ettifaq won the Saudi league title in 1983 without a single defeat. They won the King’s Cup (twice), the Crown Prince Cup, multiple Gulf and Arab club championships. Signing Henderson is definitely _not_ the most significant day in their history.
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
2 years
Saudi FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan meets Zelenskyy in Kyiv today —SPA
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
2 years
Full house expected for Saudi Arabia vs Argentina at Lusail Stadium #KSA #ARG
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
2 years
Saudi fans celebrating outside Lusail Stadium after the game
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Ahmed Al Omran
2 years
Kuwait FA says the national team will not withdraw from the Gulf Cup in Iraq despite “disorganization” that prevented the country’s official delegation from attending the opening ceremony
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
2 years
Saudi Arabia calls on Taliban to reverse decision banning women from higher education.
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
2 months
New by me and @grimes_ce — Saudi Arabia builds studios and offers financial incentives to lure foreign filmmakers, but Hollywood still reluctant
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
1 year
🚨 Iran says it reached a deal with Saudi Arabia to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after mediation by China. No confirmation from the kingdom yet
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
1 year
“[The internet] wasn’t supposed to be six boring men with too much money creating spaces that no one likes but everyone is forced to use because those men have driven every other form of online existence into the ground.”
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
2 years
Shaye al-Nafisah, who scored Saudi Arabia’s first goal in their 1984 Asian Cup final triumph, died aged 60. He probably never received the recognition he deserved because he played his whole career at a little-known club in a small town outside Riyadh.
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
10 months
📆 Saudi Arabia approves using Gregorian dates for all official transactions, with few exemptions for Sharia-related rulings —cabinet statement
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
2 years
Atmosphere in the stands was amazing
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
1 year
🚨 Qatar and Bahrain to resume diplomatic ties
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Ahmed Al Omran
1 month
🚨 Saudi Arabia unveils design of King Salman Stadium in northern Riyadh. The 92,000-capacity arena set to open in late 2029, presumably will be one of the main venues for the 2034 World Cup 🏟️
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
4 months
Biden administration would not sign a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia if the kingdom and Israel did not agree to normalise relations —Sullivan
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Ahmed Al Omran
1 month
🚨 Saudi crown prince signs off the kingdom’s bid book to host the 2034 World Cup. Sports minister @AbdulazizTF and @saudiFF chief @Yalmisehal set to deliver it to FIFA in Paris this week
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
2 years
Qatar’s old Ministry of Interior building, designed by Lebanese architect William Sednaoui in the 1960s, has been converted into a luxury hotel set to open next month
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
2 months
🚨 American rapper Eminem to perform at Saudi Arabia’s MDL Beast music festival in Riyadh this December
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
7 months
🚨 Saudi Arabia warns against attacking Rafah, calls for urgent UN Security Council meeting to stop Israel from causing imminent humanitarian catastrophe —foreign ministry statement
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
7 months
This is not specific to Chinese tech companies. Saudi Arabia now has significant localization requirements for most JVs with foreign partners, including Western defense firms
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
2 months
Sen. Cory Booker meets the Saudi crown prince in Jeddah —SPA
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
1 year
Saudi Arabia says revenue from tourism in Q1 jumped to $9.86 billion, a 225% increase compared to the same quarter last year
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
3 months
Relationship with the US now is “a hundred times better than it was when this [Biden] administration came in,” a Saudi official told FT
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
2 years
Saudi governments wants 40% of consulting and advisory jobs to go for locals by 2024
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
1 year
Ramadhan Mubarak from Jeddah 🌙
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
2 months
🚨 Saudi Arabia urges citizens to leave Lebanon as the kingdom monitors developments in the southern border of the country —foreign ministry statement
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
1 year
Nouhaila Benzina named in the starting XI as Morocco faces S Korea, becoming the first player to wear hijab at the FIFA Women’s World Cup
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
11 months
Saudi Arabia will raise its 2030 tourism target from 100 million visitors to 150 million visitors. Officials say the old number is too low
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
3 months
This is now confirmed: Saudi Arabia seeks roughly $12 billion in Aramco share sale
@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
3 months
🚨 Saudi Arabia is due to decide later TODAY whether to proceed with a sale of at least $10 billion of its shares in Aramco
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
2 years
DIMA MAGHRIB 🇲🇦
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
27 days
👪 Saudi Arabia amends labour law to increase fully-paid maternity leave from 10 to 12 weeks
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
2 years
Workers put the final touches into al-Minaa Olympic Stadium in Basra as Iraq prepares to host the Gulf Cup next month for the first time since 1979
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
5 months
🚨 Saudi Arabia condemns the targeting of the Iranian consulate in Damascus —foreign ministry statement
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
4 months
Saudi Arabia warns Israel against attacking Rafah, describing the imminent operation as part of Israel’s “bloody and systematic” campaign aimed at forcefully storming all areas of the Gaza Strip and displacing its residents —foreign ministry statement
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
2 months
📺 New by @ChloeNCornish and me: How Saudi-owned MBC is outplaying Netflix to dominate the Middle East streaming market
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
11 months
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia strongly condemns the “heinous crime committed by Israeli occupation forces” by bombing the hospital in Gaza —foreign ministry statement
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
5 months
Saudi unemployment rate in Q4 2023 was 7.7%, lowest since KSA began collecting data. But labour force participation is also down. As @GulfStatesInst ’s Tim Callen notes, this suggests growing number of working-age Saudis are becoming discouraged from engaging in the labour market
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
8 days
Cristiano Ronaldo, dressed in a Saudi thobe, chats with Infantino on the sidelines of the Esports World Cup closing ceremony in Riyadh (via @aawsat_spt )
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
7 months
🚨 Saudi Arabia says important to conduct investigation into allegations against UNRWA workers to reach “evidence-based facts,” urges key donors to continue “supporting humanitarian missions” operating in Gaza —foreign ministry statement
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
10 months
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi expected to travel to Riyadh this Sunday for the extraordinary Islamic leaders summit to discuss the Gaza crisis. This would be his first visit to Saudi Arabia since the two countries agreed to restore diplomatic relations —AFP
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
2 years
@tod_tv The @tod_tv account is now being flooded by complaints from Saudi users, with some claiming the government’s @media_ksa has blocked access to the TOD app and website. Huge confusion and frustration for fans as the tournament begins. No comment from TOD so far.
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
3 months
Saudi Arabia is seeking a larger share of a shrinking pie at a time when many other countries are also seeking increased FDI to meet their development needs
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@ahmed
Ahmed Al Omran
1 year
LIV-PGA merger seen as a victory for Saudi sports strategy: Disrupt the incumbent, rapid evolution, complete reimagination
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