Saudi Crown Prince Launches 'National Strategy for Transport, Logistics'

Business

June 30th, 6:35am

NEOM - Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

In a move set to anchor Saudi Arabia’s position as a global logistics hub connecting three continents and to revamp the Kingdom’s transportation sector, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman unveiled on Tuesday the “National Strategy for Transport and Logistics.” Apart from consolidating the Kingdom’s position as a logistics center for three of the world’s continents, the strategy looks to improve all transport services and enhance integration between logistics systems and modern modes of transport to support comprehensive development in Saudi Arabia. It encompasses a host of vital projects that enable the achievement of economic and social goals and promotes effective governance models to enhance institutional work within the transportation sector. This will be done in a manner consistent with the “Transport Ministry” rebranding to the “Ministry of Transport and Logistics Services.” “The strategy will strengthen human and technical capabilities in the transport and logistics sector in the Kingdom,” affirmed the Crown Prince. “It will enhance the connection with the global economy and enable our country to invest its geographical position in the middle of the three continents in diversifying our economy by establishing an advanced logistics services industry, building high-quality systems of services, and applying competitive business models to enhance productivity and sustainability in the logistics sector,” he explained. “Transport and logistics are a major focus of the programs of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and a vital enabling factor for economic sectors towards sustainable development,” he added. The Crown Prince pointed out that the strategy focuses on developing infrastructure, launching several platforms and logistic zones in the Kingdom, implementing advanced operating models and systems, and strengthening effective partnerships between the government and the private sector. This direction is steered toward achieving four main goals: transforming Saudi Arabia into a logistics hub, enhancing livability across the Kingdom, enhancing fiscal sustainability, and improving public entities' performance. The Crown Prince added that the strategy also aims to advance Saudi Arabia to place fifth globally in-transit passengers, increase international destinations to more than 250, and launch a new national air carrier. These developments would enable other sectors such as Hajj, Umrah, and tourism to achieve their national goals. Furthermore, the strategy will seek to raise the capabilities of the air cargo sector by doubling its capacity to reach more than 4.5 million tons. “The strategy enables us to reach a capacity of more than 40 million containers annually including all associated investments in developing port infrastructure and enhancing its integration with the logistic areas in the Kingdom, as well as expanding its connectivity with international shipping lines, to integrate with rail and road networks, which contributes to improving the efficiency of the transport ecosystem and its economics,” said the Crown Prince concerning maritime transport. He also clarified that railways provide services for both passengers and the freight transport sector through a network of 5,330 km of track, 450 km of which are in the Haramain high-speed railway between Makkah and Madinah, which is the most extensive high-speed transport project in the region. The strategy will also upgrade the total length of future railways to an estimated 8,080 km, including the “Land Bridge” project, which spans over more than 1,300 km. It will have a capacity to transport over three million passengers and more than 50 million tons of freight annually, connecting the Kingdom’s ports on the coast of the Arabian Gulf with the ports of the Red Sea coasts. Self-evidently, the plan and “Land Bridge” project unlock new and promising opportunities for the Kingdom’s rail line by having it pass through modern logistic centers, economic hubs, industrial cities, and mining activities. The Crown Prince added that this would improve the Kingdom’s logistic performance index and rank Saudi Arabia among the top ten countries in the world in the field. Moreover, the rail line will include an open market for operators and investors. The plan also encourages regional interconnection with Arab Gulf states by a railway line, positioning the Kingdom as an influential player in regional and international transport economies. The Crown Prince stressed that the strategy is based on essential pillars such as the Kingdom’s major road networks, for which the Kingdom retains top global standing in terms of its connectivity. Altogether, the Kingdom will be among the most internationally advanced countries in terms of road quality and safety, as the strategy includes many initiatives aimed at reducing the number of road traffic accidents, following the best global practices, as well as achieving efficient connectivity, and developing public transport services in Saudi cities. The Kingdom is also looking to achieve sustainability goals, preserving the environment, reducing fuel consumption by 25%, and providing intelligent solutions that facilitate traveler mobility between cities and the transport of goods. According to the Crown Prince, this will be implemented through adopting global cutting-edge and innovative technologies. He pointed out that one of the strategy's main objectives is to increase the contribution of the transport and logistics sector to the national GDP. While the contribution of this sector to the Kingdom’s GDP is currently about 6%, the strategy aims to raise it to 10%, making the transport and logistics sector a significant contributor to the national economy, enabling business growth, expanding investments, and increasing the sector’s annual non-oil revenues to reach about SAR45 billion in 2030. “We are proud of the achievements made under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and are planning to move forward in making many more for our country and to advance its leading position in the world by increasing efforts and achieving more successes supported by our highly ambitious people,” noted the Crown Prince. “We are all confident in our ability to achieve national goals in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030,” he asserted.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3054791/saudi-crown-prince-launches-national-strategy-transport-logistics

Episode 3: Chirac Asked Assad to Disarm Hezbollah In Exchange for Maintaining Presence In Lebanon

Features

June 30th, 6:25am

London - Ibrahim Hamidi

Syrian President Hafez al-Assad and French President Jacques Chirac in Paris on July 16, 1998 (Getty)

Asharq Al-Awsat reveals messages exchanged between then-Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and Syrian President Hafez al-Assad in the mid-1990s, which are part of the many documents that late Syrian Vice President Abdel-Halim Khaddam carried from his office to Paris when he left Syria in 2005. In 1996, Assad decided to dispatch Khaddam to Paris to meet with French President Jacques Chirac and inform him of the decision to re-open the Syrian-Iraqi borders closed since 1982. In fact, Assad wanted to coordinate with Chirac to mitigate any violent US reaction to the attempt to break Saddam Hussein’s “isolation.” He was also seeking to gain the French president’s trust, after succeeding in putting pressure on the US to include France in the arrangements for the monitoring of the “April Understanding”, which was concluded in 1996 following the Israeli Grapes of Wrath war in Lebanon. Chirac met with Khaddam on July 31, 1996. According to the minutes of the meeting, the Syrian president sought to inform his French counterpart that the situation in Iraq was worrying – “a bomb about to explode” - and that reopening the borders “stop on any new adventures by the Iraqi regime.” The French president, who wanted to keep the content of the meeting confidential, surprised Khaddam by opening another file that falls within Assad’s priorities: the Syrian military presence in Lebanon and the possibility of starting negotiations with the new Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On July 7, 1996, Khaddam recommended that Assad send an envoy to France, carrying a letter to Chirac to explain Damascus’ position. Assad agreed and Chirac received the Syrian vice president on July 31. According to the minutes of the meeting, Khaddam told the French president: “The subject that Mr. President assigned me to convey is related to Iraq. President Chirac knows that there are old rivalries between us since the 1960s. We have borne a great deal of harm from Iraq and we have objected to the unwise policy, both in the war against Iran (1980-1988) and then in the invasion of Kuwait (1990).” He continued: “In fact, the situation in Iraq is now worrying. It is a bomb that threatens to explode in the region due to the embargo imposed on the country. Therefore, Syria took an approach to open the borders with Iraq, which have been closed since 1982. Of course, such a move will be within the framework of Security Council resolutions. You know that the international borders between Iraq and Jordan are open, the borders with Turkey are open, so with Iran.” Khaddam detailed the reasons behind the approach envisaged by Damascus, saying: “First, the great sufferings of the Iraqi people. The second matter is the ongoing work by outside parties to cause fighting, a civil war among some segments of the Iraqi people. If such war erupts, it will blow up the whole region.” He added: “Third, we believe that a new and realistic atmosphere for relations between the two countries would stop the Iraqi government from taking any action that undermines security and stability in the region […] Our step curbs Saddam’s adventures.” Chirac replied: “I need not say that for me this is good news. I am making the same analysis about the risks of this embargo. France has worked a lot at the United Nations to take a step forward with Resolution 986. Of course, one can judge as he likes the grave responsibilities, which are Saddam’s responsibilities, for what happened. But no one wants to push the Iraqi people, given their situation, to a movement that could explode the entire region. The return to normalcy between Syria and Iraq is very good news.” The French president went on to say, according to the minutes of the meeting: “I very much welcome this decision, because it is very important for the stability in the region. Of course, neither America nor Israel may appreciate this very much, but France fully agrees with it.” He continued: “We want to participate in the peace process, and no peace process is possible without Syria. Please be confident that France will not take any position, especially regarding the peace process, that could upset Syria […] I say this because I had a long call with Netanyahu upon his request, and he said that he would also call this week. I found him relatively more flexible than he was 10 or 15 days ago when he was in America […]He did not change his position on the principle of land for peace, but he did not say anything about the Golan. We believe that it is necessary to negotiate the Golan. He confirmed his desire to return to the peace process with Syria and Lebanon, but without saying anything about any preparations he might make.” Chirac also said, according to the minutes of the meeting: “If the Israeli army withdraws from southern Lebanon, this assumes that the Lebanese army will take over the guarantee of the entire border. France has said that it is ready to put observers, but on the other hand, this means disarming Hezbollah, and this is of course a matter that is related to Syria and concerns it. Syria, cannot accept this for free. The question is: What is the reward? For example, withdrawing from the Golan and ensuring its military presence in Lebanon for some time after the operation? And if I say so, for two reasons: 1 - France will only act after consulting with Syria. We are keen on Lebanon and its independence, as well as the special ties between Lebanon and Syria, and we will not do anything against Syria’s interests. 2- The Israelis always try to contact those who can help them, but in the end, they make their own decisions and do not care of what others think […] Of course, we will not dictate their behavior, but what we must say is that withdrawal is not excluded.” Khaddam said that he thanked the French president for the information and France’s stance towards Syria, adding: “In our opinion, Netanyahu is making a maneuver. In Lebanon, he does not want to withdraw according to Resolution 425. Withdrawal according to Resolution 425 is not a problem for us. The state there will carry out its tasks and assume its responsibilities. But he wants to kill two birds with one stone. He wants to sabotage the relations inside Lebanon and between the Lebanese factions. He also wants to create a rift between Syria and Lebanon.” Here, President Chirac said: “There is an element that must be taken into account. I met Netanyahu before he came to power […] The idea I had of him at the time was that he was intelligent, young and ambitious, but not a man of convictions. The problem is that it is poorly surrounded. Some military men want and seek revenge, and religious people on the other hand, but he is young and ambitious and wants to stay in power as long as possible. Since he is intelligent, he knows that he cannot remain in the future unless he seeks peace, for a man of war is a man of the past, and a man of peace is a man of the future […] The only place where he can act is Lebanon. Lebanon costs him a lot without giving him anything. I fear that one day he will take an initiative that upsets Syria, Lebanon, and everyone else. Therefore, I say that this possibility must remain, so as not to be surprised by it.” Khaddam replied: “Suppose we wake up one morning and see that Israel has withdrawn from the South. Trust me, no one will cry about it. But this should not be done in the context of negotiations or in a separate peace.” Chirac answered: “They know it well, but the problem is that you wake up in the morning and see that the Israelis are gone.” “Then we shall drink to them,” the Syrian vice president said. Chirac asked: “But what happens later?” “Nothing. There is an existing state, but the question now is: Will the resistance in Lebanon stop? Nobody guarantees that,” Khaddam remarked. The French president asked again: “But can (Hezbollah) be disarmed?” The army can do this tactically, but politically it cannot. Syria can. What does Syria demand in return for this disarmament?” He continued: “If the withdrawal takes place and (Hezbollah) is not disarmed, this will lead to provocations... But if it is disarmed, then Syria loses (something), and there must be something in return for that, which is to guarantee a Syrian presence in Lebanon. Perhaps these are dreams. What I want is for us to have a strong and intimate connection.” Khaddam replied: “As President Chirac said, and as I said, and as President Assad asked me to say, we want to raise the level of contacts between us. We want a French presence in the region because this is a window that gives us some hope in the current international situation. This orientation requires communication, coordination and discussion. […] We want a just and comprehensive peace, and we want France to be at the center of this peace. […] we must remain wary of Netanyahu’s maneuvers. He is intelligent and ambitious, but also dogmatic. He may try to improve himself but without letting go of his beliefs.”

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3054776/episode-3-chirac-asked-assad-disarm-hezbollah-exchange-maintaining-presence

Egypt Hinges on UN Action to Help Solve GERD Dispute

Arab World

June 30th, 6:14am

Cairo - Mohammed Abdo Hassanein

This satellite image taken Sunday, July 12, 2020, shows the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile river in the Benishangul-Gumuz region of Ethiopia. (Maxar Technologies via AP)

Egypt has said it hinges on the UN Security Council’s strong action in its long-standing feud with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Addis Ababa is building the dam on a tributary of the Nile, amid fears in Cairo and Khartoum that it would harm their water share in the river. Two weeks ago, Egypt and Sudan sent two separate letters to the UN Security Council pressing its members to convene an urgent meeting and discuss the dispute over the dam. They expressed concern that the issue could have serious ramifications that threaten peace and security throughout the region. The letters called upon the international community to engage in the dispute to help reach a peaceful settlement and it updated the Council on the developments pertaining to the negotiation process between the three countries. On Tuesday, Egyptian Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohamed Abdel Aty expected that the UN Security Council would issue a decisive resolution concerning the GERD dispute. He explained that Cairo presented a comprehensive document to protect its water rights. Egypt and Sudan seek to push the Security Council to convene swiftly before Ethiopia takes unilateral actions and starts the second phase of filling its giant hydropower dam next month. Signaling the possibility of holding such session, Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad Othman Jerandi met in Rome with Norway's Foreign Minister Ine Marie Eriksen Soreide on the sidelines of a joint meeting of the G20 Foreign and Development Ministers. They discussed the Security Council agenda for July, including the possibility of raising the issue of GERD and coordinating positions with the remaining member states. Aty reaffirmed that his country has resorted to all diplomatic channels to solve the dam crisis, adding that “Egypt wants peace, and it is keen to protect the rights of all Nile basin countries.”

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3054761/egypt-hinges-un-action-help-solve-gerd-dispute

Abu Dhabi Will Only Allow Vaccinated People in Some Public Spaces from Aug 20

Gulf

June 30th, 6:02am

Abu Dhabi - Asharq Al-Awsat

An Emirati man, wearing a protective mask, walks at al-Barsha Health Center in the Gulf Emirate of Dubai on December 24, 2020. GIUSEPPE CACACE | AFP via Getty Images

Abu Dhabi will only allow vaccinated people in some public spaces, including schools, restaurants, and shopping centers, from August 20, in efforts to fight the pandemic. The decision doesn’t apply to those who are unvaccinated because of an exemption, nor to children aged 15 and below. The list of places include shopping centres, restaurants, gyms, museums, resorts, and all other retail outlets, except those selling essential goods such as supermarkets and pharmacies. Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee said Monday that over 93 percent of the target group in Abu Dhabi have already been vaccinated. The Committee approved earlier a color-coded system on its health app which details testing and vaccination history. Those who have received their second dose will appear in green on the app; however, they are required to do a PCR test monthly in order to maintain the green light for 30 days. Those who are unvaccinated will appear in green for three days only after getting a negative PCR test. The UAE has so far recorded more than 631,000 cases, including 1,807 deaths. The latest restrictions come as Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, move towards more stringent restrictions on those who have not been inoculated. The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Tuesday reported 2,184 new cases, along with 2,105 recoveries and 5 deaths. The new cases were detected after conducting 281,000 tests. The total number of cases in UAE as of June 29 reached 631,160, while the total number of recoveries stood at 609,711. Also, Kuwait has said it will only allow fully vaccinated foreigners to enter the country and only its inoculated citizens will be allowed to travel abroad from August 1. In Oman, People aged 18 and above will be eligible for COVID vaccines in all governorates, Oman’s Ministry of Health (MoH) announced on Tuesday. The wider coverage takes effect on Sunday, the health ministry said in a statement on state media. Previously, people over 45 had been eligible for COVID shots, alongside special categories such as frontline workers and pregnant women. Media reports have said recently that hospitals nationwide were facing a sharp rise in infections. The country has recorded 266,536 cases and 3,056 deaths in total. By mid-April, Oman had given at least one dose to around 5 percent of the eligible population. This had increased to 24 percent by June 26, according to health ministry data. Data shows 854,274 doses have been given in the country of around 4.5 million people.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3054756/abu-dhabi-will-only-allow-vaccinated-people-some-public-spaces-aug-20

Facebook's Climb to $1 Trillion Needs an Asterisk

Opinion

June 30th, 5:46am

Tae Kim

Tae Kim -

Facebook Inc. investors celebrated the social media giant’s court victory on Monday in two major antitrust lawsuits by driving the company’s market value above $1 trillion for the first time. But a closer look at the judge’s decision reveals it may just delay the eventual reckoning. It is not an “all-clear” ruling. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg granted Facebook’s request to dismiss the suits filed last December by the Federal Trade Commission and a group of state attorneys general, which accuse the company of violating antitrust laws and leveraging its power in the social media market to stifle innovation and squash emerging competitors. The FTC requested court action to unwind Facebook’s prior acquisitions, including Instagram and WhatsApp, and restrict any future anticompetitive behavior. In Monday’s opinion, Boasberg said the government failed to provide the necessary facts or evidence to back up its claim that Facebook had a more than 60% monopoly share of the social networking market. Boasberg left it open for the regulators to refile an amended case within 30 days. This seems more like a technicality than a true dismissal of the complaints. It’s highly likely that the FTC will refile its lawsuit with the required data and evidence. Given that Facebook’s services reach nearly 3 billion users each month, it shouldn’t be difficult for the agency to come up with the required backup. And with antitrust scholar Lina Khan now leading the FTC, it’s also likely any renewed legal action will be formidable. Related reading: Facebook’s Great Unwinding May Have Just Begun Notably, the government’s main claim that Facebook’s “buy-or-bury” strategy, specifically its purchases of Instagram and WhatsApp, stifled emerging competitive threats was not criticized. The FTC “is on firmer ground in scrutinizing the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, as the Court rejects Facebook’s argument that the FTC lacks authority to seek injunctive relief against those purchases,” the judge wrote. At the end of the day, this will likely be just a delay of a few weeks in the government’s case against Facebook. The remedies the FTC asks for - including a possible breakup of the social media giant — are still on the table. Bloomberg

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3054751/tae-kim/facebooks-climb-1-trillion-needs-asterisk

UN: COVID Tourism Impact Could Top $4 Trillion

Business

June 30th, 5:36am

Asharq Al-Awsat

Passengers queue outside a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing site at Son Sant Joan airport in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, April 1, 2021. REUTERS/Enrique Calvo

The economic impact from the plunge in tourism since the pandemic emerged last year could top $4 trillion, a UN report said Wednesday. The joint report by the UN's World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) found that the lack of widespread vaccination in developing countries was leading to mounting economic losses. "Tourism is a lifeline for millions, and advancing vaccination to protect communities and support tourism's safe restart is critical to the recovery of jobs and generation of much-needed resources," AFP quoted UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili as saying in a statement. He noted that many developing countries are highly dependent on international tourism. The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic brought international air travel to a near halt for much of last year as many countries refused to allow non-essential travel. That punched a $2.4 trillion hole in the tourism and related sectors last year, and the report warns a similar loss may occur this year depending on the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. With COVID-19 vaccination rates wildly uneven -- with some countries having inoculated less than one percent of their population while others have topped 60 percent -- will see the economic damage concentrated in those countries with low vaccination rates. The report found "the asymmetric roll-out of vaccines magnifies the economic blow tourism has suffered in developing countries, as they could account for up to 60 percent of the global GDP losses." It noted they already suffered the biggest drops in tourism arrivals last year, estimated at between 60 percent and 80 percent. Although the tourism sector is expected to recover faster in countries with high vaccination rates, like the United States, the UNWTO doesn't expect international tourism to return to pre-pandemic levels until 2023 at the earliest. The 63-75 percent drop in international tourism this year from 2019 levels forecast by UNCTAD is expected to cause between $1.7 and $2.4 trillion euros in lost economic activity.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3054746/un-covid-tourism-impact-could-top-4-trillion

UAE Welcomes Ceasefire in Tigray

Gulf

June 30th, 5:27am

Abu Dhabi - Asharq Al-Awsat

Ethiopians, who fled the ongoing fighting in Tigray region, carry their belongings after crossing the Setit River on the Sudan-Ethiopia border, in the eastern Kassala state, Sudan December 16, 2020. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/File Photo

The UAE has welcomed the declaration of a ceasefire in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, stressing that a political solution is the only way to end the conflict in the country. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation affirmed that this decision is an important step to achieve a political settlement and the aspirations of the Ethiopian people to build a future that meets their aspirations for peace and prosperity. It added that a constructive dialogue within the framework of state institutions along with the rule of law and the constitution is the only way to bring lasting peace and stability to the country. Meanwhile, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed have discussed means to foster cooperation in different sectors for the benefit of the two sides. This came in a phone call Sheikh Mohamed received from the Ethiopian Prime Minister, during which they explored issues of common concern. They also highlighted the latest regional and international efforts to achieve peace, stability and development, especially in African countries.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3054741/uae-welcomes-ceasefire-tigray