Middle East Experience

French president seeks to address France’s colonial legacy in north Africa..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Macron meets Algerian-born French citizens with one eye on election

In 2021 the greatest number of casualties caused by ISIS were in Afghanistan, Iraq and West Africa, according to a Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center report.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: ISIS attacks jump after US Afghanistan pullout – intel. Cntr.

Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy addressed concerns over the rise of antisemitism, Gaza issues, and Iran's nuclearization with new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Knesset speaker Mickey Levy becomes first top Israeli to meet with Olaf Scholz

MK Wasserman Lande: "Those who delegitimize the only Jewish homeland are discriminating against the Jewish people by denying their right to self-determination.“
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: What is antisemitism? Legislators from around world to discuss definition

A new gaming division will require “compliance with all applicable laws and regulations from operators, suppliers and employees.”..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Ras al-Khaimah to allow gaming as Wynn Resorts plans project

UAE state prosecutors summoned people who shared videos on social media of defense forces intercepting missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthis at Abu Dhabi, state news agency WAM reported on Wednesday.The Public Prosecution warned that videos “endanger vital and military facilities and would affect the security and stability of society.”UAE's Attorney General Hamad al-Shamsi said: “Deterrent legal measures will be taken against those who publish these materials,” warning community members of the “dangers of publishing and circulating these materials on social media,” and calling for compliance with the laws in force in the country, according to WAM.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The Attorney General cautioned against violating the laws regarding sharing such videos on social media which he said creates confusion in society.He also warned of the “dangers of rumors and the negative consequences they have on the state, which may reach the point of threatening societal peace and create of a state of panic and fear among individuals for reasons that have no basis in reality.”The UAE intercepted early Monday a missile attack launched by the Iran-backed Houthis targeting Abu Dhabi, the second such attempted strike within less than a week.Monday's attack comes a week after the Houthis used cruise and ballistic missiles, as well as drones, in an attack on Abu Dhabi that killed three people and injured six others.Read more:UAE cooperated closely with US to repel second Houthi attack on Abu Dhabi: AmbassadorUAE forces destroy Houthi launch site that targeted Abu Dhabi: Defense ministryUAE, Saudi Arabia thwart separate Houthi attacksHouthis attacked UAE in retaliation for Arab Coalition gains in Yemen: Analysts
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: UAE prosecutors summon people who posted videos of Houthi attack on Abu Dhabi

A restaurant in Saudi Arabia is offering patrons in the Kingdom a unique experience -- dishes with a side of skull and blood in the company of zombies and vampires.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The restaurant, “Shadows,” caters to horror film buffs with strong stomachs, allowing them to savour their dishes while staff in gory costumes put on interactive shows. It’s located in the Boulevard entertainment district of the capital Riyadh.“I came here to have fun and laugh... but the atmosphere and the shows are actually very scary,” one diner, Nora al-Assad, told AFP.“I’ve lost my appetite,” added the 26-year-old who works in human resources, as a waiter presented her meal on a tray with a smiling black skull.Her friend, Jawaher Abdullah, a doctor, was more than thrilled to wolf down her dinner.“I like horror in general... I think the atmosphere is great and lots of fun,” she said, before taking a selfie with a performer with a fake bleeding chest wound.For businessman Sleiman al-Amri, the restaurant experience caters to his hunger for a good adrenaline rush.“We’re always looking for new and exciting things to do in Riyadh,” said the 45-year-old, dining with his family.Amri, donning the traditional dishdasha robe, added: “Going to restaurants used to be about eating, getting full, chatting, and we’d go back home.“But now we are eating, we are enjoying our time -- and we’re also terrified.”The rise of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2017 has ushered many sweeping reforms, with the Kingdom opening its doors to tourists in 2020.In the past, Saudis would have to go abroad for entertainment, but a social shift -- including the opening of cinemas and mixed-gender concerts -- has changed the local dynamic.Read more: Saudi Arabia, Cirque du Soleil to debut shows, establish regional officeMDLBeast Soundstorm festival symbolizes a new society for young SaudisRas al-Khaimah’s Marjan signs deal with Wynn, includes hotel, ‘gaming amenities’
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Diners in Boulevard Riyadh City thrilled by horror-themed restaurant

First Abu Dhabi Bank, the United Arab Emirates’ biggest lender, posted a record net profit in 2021, fueled by the country’s economic recovery from the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.Shares fell more than three percent however after the bank said it would pay a lower dividend this year than last, split for the first time into cash and shares.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Chief Executive Hana Al Rostamani said the investment banking business had had “an exceptional year.” Earnings were helped by a 59 percent jump in non-interest income from a year earlier, driven by gains in investment banking and trading.FAB reported a net profit of AED 12.53 billion ($3.41 billion) last year, up about 19 percent from AED 10.55 billion in 2020. According to Refinitiv Eikon data, the UAE lender was expected to report an annual net profit of AED 12 billion.The bank also reported a fourth-quarter net profit of AED 3.3 billion, up 3 percent from a year earlier, which beat analysts’ estimates.Its proposed dividend of AED 0.70 per share was lower than the AED 0.74 paid out in 2020, which partly hurt FAB’s share price on Thursday, one analyst said.FAB shares were down 3.4 percent in afternoon trade, underperforming the benchmark Abu Dhabi index that fell 1.4 percent. The bank’s shares are still up 5.6 percent year-to-date on improving earnings expectations amid higher interest rates.The lender said the dividend will be split into AED 0.49 a share in cash and AED 0.21 as scrip dividend. New shares will be issued at 17.97 a share, it said.Smaller rival Emirates NBD posted a 34 percent rise in annual profit on Wednesday.FAB last year acquired the Egyptian unit of Bank Audi, which helped revenue from its international operations grow 26 percent year-on-year.Read more:Emirates NBD’s profit jumps, says ready for higher ratesKuwait approves Credit Bank capital hike by $933 mln to $10.9 blnGulf economies to grow faster in 2022, oil price fall biggest threat
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: UAE’s biggest lender FAB sees dip in share prices despite record profits

Saudi Arabia will mark “Founding Day” annually on February 22 with the date being an official holiday according to a royal order issued by King Salman bin Abdulaziz on Thursday, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.The decree states that February 22 every year will be an official country-wide holiday.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“Taking into account that the middle of the year 1139H, corresponding to the month of February of the year 1727, signals the commencement of the reign of Imam Muhammad bin Saud,” SPA reported, describing the foundation of the Saudi state.The relevant authorities will receive further information to implement the new rule, according to the press agency.The historyThe decision to commemorate “Founding Day” on February 22 dates back three centuries, according to SPA, during the leadership of Imam Muhammad bin Saud when he founded the First Saudi State in early 1727.His rule lasted until 1818, “with Diriyah as its capital and the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as its constitution,” according to SPA.It reportedly survived multiple phases of hardships.At the end of the initial founder’s rule, Imam Turki bin Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Saud succeeded in 1824 and established the second Saudi state which lasted until 1891, according to the same SPA report.Ten years later, in 1902, King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Faisal Al Saud succeeded and established the third Saudi State, uniting it under the name of the ‘Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,’ concluded the SPA report.Read more:Saudi Arabia, UAE, UK, US condemn Houthi attacks, reaffirm support for Gulf securitySaudi Arabia: 4,500 year-old ‘funerary avenues,’ burial monuments discovered in AlUla
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia to commemorate ‘Founding Day’ on Feb. 22 annually: Royal order

Hezbollah is wary of new challenges, including the risk that local and regional adversaries will seek to replace Hariri with more hawkish figures..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Hariri resignation further entrenches Iranian influence in Lebanon