Al-Riyadh Newspaper, July 28, 2025: Regional Dynamics: Stability Through Shifting Alliances

The provided sources cover a range of topics primarily centered on Saudi Arabia’s advancements and initiatives. These include a successful surgical separation of conjoined twins highlighting the Kingdom’s medical expertise, and economic discussions around the “Riyadh Agreement” to boost investment in Syria. The texts also touch upon environmental efforts by Aramco to reduce gas flaring and emissions, developments in various sectors like tourism and industry, and the implementation of new employment policies to increase nationalization in medical and engineering fields. Furthermore, there are updates on sporting events, cultural activities, and wildlife rehabilitation programs, showcasing a broad spectrum of progress and international engagement.

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Saudi Arabia’s Conjoined Twin Separation Program

Saudi Arabia has a long-standing and successful program for the separation of conjoined twins, which has achieved significant medical milestones and is recognized internationally.

Here are the key details about Siamese twin separation, drawing from the provided sources:

• Recent Separation Case: Celine and Eileen
• Twins’ Origin and Condition: The most recent successful separation involved Syrian conjoined twins named Celine and Eileen. They were one year and five months old at the time of the operation. Their mother, who was a refugee in Lebanon, was initially pregnant with triplets: two conjoined girls (Celine and Eileen) and one normal boy.
• Conjoining Area: The twins were conjoined at the lower chest and abdomen. They shared a pericardium (heart sac) and liver, with a possibility of sharing intestines.
• Pre-Operative Procedure: A crucial step before the main separation surgery was a skin expansion procedure. This involved placing balloons under the skin to stretch it, creating enough skin to cover the surgical area after separation.
• Location: The separation surgery took place at King Abdullah Specialist Hospital for Children in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• Medical Team and Duration: The operation was a complex surgical procedure that lasted 8 continuous hours. It involved a comprehensive medical team of 24 specialist doctors and experts, in addition to nursing and technical staff. These national cadres were trained in various specialties, including pediatric surgery, anesthesia, and plastic surgery, to enhance their expertise in such intricate operations. The procedure was designed to be carried out in 6 stages.
• Leadership Support: The operation was performed under the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. This support ensures the program receives continuous care and funding.
• Outcome: The operation was successful, adding another medical achievement to the Kingdom’s record. The twins’ family expressed their deep gratitude for the advanced medical care provided to their daughters.
• The Saudi Program for Conjoined Twin Separation
• Scope and Experience: The recent operation on Celine and Eileen was the 66th operation within the Saudi Program for Separating Conjoined Twins. It also marks the fourth separation of conjoined twins specifically from Syria.
• Historical Impact: Over more than 35 years, the program has studied and evaluated 150 cases of conjoined twins from 27 countries around the world. Out of these, 65 sets of twins have been successfully separated.
• National Expertise and Global Role: Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, the head of the medical team, emphasized that these achievements are a testament to the integrated national efforts and demonstrate the efficiency of Saudi medical professionals. The program reinforces Saudi Arabia’s commitment to humanitarian service and its position as an international center and house of expertise in this rare medical specialty.
• Commitment to Safety: Throughout all stages of the separation surgeries, the program aims to ensure the highest degrees of accuracy and safety.

Saudi Arabia’s Green Transformation: Energy and Environmental Sustainability

Saudi Arabia is undertaking significant efforts in renewable energy and environmental sustainability, reflecting a strategic shift towards economic diversification and a greener future. These initiatives are championed by major national entities like Saudi Aramco and the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources.

Key initiatives and achievements in renewable energy and sustainability include:

• Renewable Energy Integration and Efficiency:
• Saudi Aramco is committed to net-zero methane emissions by 2050 and aims for near-zero conventional gas flaring by 2030. This strategy heavily emphasizes integrating renewable energy sources and enhancing energy efficiency standards across all its operations.
• The mining sector, through companies like Ma’aden, is also integrating renewable energy. An example is the development of a 6 MW solar power plant to power the Mansoura and Masarra gold mine, aimed at diversifying the energy mix and reducing the carbon footprint of mining operations.
• Discussions and agreements are also taking place at a national level. For instance, the Saudi Minister of Energy and the Syrian Minister of Energy signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster cooperation in various energy fields, including renewable energy and energy efficiency.
• Emissions Reduction and Carbon Management:
• Aramco has set ambitious goals to reduce its carbon emission intensity from exploration and production by 15% by 2035 and targets a 52 million ton reduction in CO2 equivalent emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 2035.
• The company is actively implementing carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies. The Wa’ad Al-Shamal power plant, in particular, is highlighted as a model that combines integrated solar combined cycle (ISCC) with high-efficiency gas-fired power generation to directly contribute to carbon reduction.
• Aramco has surpassed its own targets for reducing methane gas emission intensity, achieving an 11.4% decrease in methane emissions in its exploration and production sector in 2024, attributed to strengthened gas recovery systems and leak reduction efforts.
• Despite a global increase in gas flaring, Aramco is making significant progress towards its near-zero flaring goal. In 2024, it installed 13 new flare gas recovery systems, which prevented the flaring of 7,319 million standard cubic feet of gas.
• Aramco is also innovating new procedures to reduce flaring during operational halts by more efficiently managing gas pressure, and has sought a patent for this. Its Al-Berri gas plant successfully reduced scheduled flaring by 65% in 2024, leading to a reduction of 3.6 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions.
• Sustainable Mining Practices:
• The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources is steering the Saudi mining sector towards optimal utilization of natural resources while adhering to the highest environmental responsibility standards.
• A key aspect of this is the rehabilitation of mining lands. An notable example is Ma’aden’s initiative around the Al-Jalamid mine, where over three million trees have been planted to prevent soil erosion and support local wildlife.
• Water resource preservation is another priority, with treated water being reused in mining processes. A significant infrastructure project involved building a 450 km pipeline to transport treated water from Taif to mining sites, enhancing water consumption efficiency. A similar network for Wa’ad Al-Shamal industrial city provides 12 million cubic meters of treated water annually.
• To enhance environmental sustainability, there’s a focus on increasing green spaces around mining complexes, with nearly 130,000 trees planted in mining areas.
• The mining investment system serves as a crucial legal framework for environmental governance, including penalties for illegal mining and environmental degradation.
• International Collaboration:
• Saudi Arabia, through Aramco, is a signatory to the World Bank’s “Zero Routine Flaring by 2030” initiative, demonstrating its commitment to global environmental goals. This global partnership supports projects aimed at reducing methane and gas flaring. An example of a successful collaborative project is in Uzbekistan, where an $11 million allocation led to a significant reduction in methane emissions through the repair of gas leaks.

These integrated initiatives underscore Saudi Arabia’s strategic commitment to diversifying its energy sources, significantly reducing its environmental footprint, and promoting sustainable practices across vital economic sectors, aligning with its broader national development goals.

Oil Market Dynamics, Geopolitics, and Sustainability Shifts

The oil market is currently characterized by a complex interplay of supply and demand dynamics, geopolitical tensions, and a strategic shift towards environmental sustainability by major players like Saudi Arabia.

Here’s a discussion of these dynamics:

1. Oil Price Fluctuations and Market Outlook:

• Recent market movements show West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude dropping to $65.16 and Brent crude falling to $68.44, marking their lowest settlement levels since early July. These declines are linked to market anticipation of increased supply from Venezuela and OPEC+.
• Despite initial drops, oil prices later saw a slight increase after the European Union (EU) approved its eighth package of sanctions against Russia, aimed at its energy sector. Brent crude traded at $69.35 and WTI at $67.52 following this development.
• The market is closely watching trade talks, particularly between the U.S. and the EU, and the U.S. and Japan, as these developments can ease global trade tensions and impact oil demand.

2. Supply-Side Factors:

• OPEC+ and Venezuela: There is anticipation of increased oil supplies from Venezuela, potentially adding over 200,000 barrels per day (bpd), which would benefit American refiners needing heavy crude. However, OPEC’s Secretariat has clarified that the OPEC+ Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) lacks the authority to make production decisions, deeming media reports about production adjustments as “untrue”.
• Russia and Sanctions: The EU’s sanctions against Russia, including price caps on energy companies, are intended to reduce Russian oil revenues. However, the effectiveness of the current $60 per barrel price cap is debated, as it has not significantly curtailed the flow of Russian oil to global markets.
• Concerns have been raised regarding the impact of these sanctions on India’s energy security, specifically affecting refineries like Nayara Energy.
• Despite sanctions, India’s refineries, such as Reliance and Nayara, have benefited from discounted Russian crude, and have subsequently exported refined products to Europe, circumventing some of the sanctions’ intended effects.
• Russia’s oil and refined product sales revenue declined by approximately 14% year-on-year in June, reaching $13.57 billion. Russian crude production remained stable at around 9.2 million bpd in June, while exports of crude and petroleum products decreased.
• Global Production Trends: Argentina’s oil and gas output reached a two-decade high in June, driven by shale oil from the Vaca Muerta basin. ExxonMobil is also reportedly negotiating exploration and production agreements in Trinidad and Tobago.

3. Demand-Side Factors:

• U.S. Inventories: U.S. crude oil inventories have declined by approximately 9% below the five-year seasonal average, signaling a tightening supply in the market. Gasoline inventories also dropped, while distillate fuel inventories increased. These figures, combined with rising oil prices, suggest strong demand in the U.S. market.
• Seasonal Demand: Saudi Arabia’s imports of Russian fuel oil reached a record high of 212,000 bpd in the past month to meet electricity generation needs, as temperatures regularly exceed 45 degrees Celsius during July and August. This highlights regional demand spikes influenced by climate.

4. Environmental and Sustainability Initiatives Affecting Oil & Gas:

• Global Gas Flaring: Global gas flaring during oil extraction increased to its highest level in two years in 2024, wasting an estimated $63 billion worth of energy. This amounted to 151 billion cubic meters of gas flared, releasing 389 million tons of CO2 equivalent emissions. Despite these global trends, initiatives like the World Bank’s “Zero Routine Flaring by 2030” are actively promoting solutions.
• Saudi Aramco’s Leadership in Flaring Reduction: Saudi Aramco is at the forefront of innovative practices to reduce methane gas emissions and flaring.
• Aramco aims for net-zero methane emissions by 2050 and near-zero conventional gas flaring by 2030.
• The company targets a 15% reduction in carbon emission intensity from exploration and production by 2035 and a 52 million ton reduction in Scope 1 and 2 CO2 equivalent emissions by 2035.
• Aramco has surpassed its methane emission intensity targets, achieving an 11.4% decrease in 2024 in its exploration and production sector, thanks to enhanced gas recovery systems.
• In 2024, Aramco installed 13 new flare gas recovery systems, preventing the flaring of 7,319 million standard cubic feet of gas.
• The Al-Berri gas plant reduced its scheduled flaring by 65% in 2024, leading to a reduction of 3.6 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions.
• Aramco differentiates flaring into scheduled, routine, and non-routine categories, with ongoing efforts to reduce all types through operational improvements and predictive maintenance.
• The company is a signatory to the World Bank’s “Zero Routine Flaring by 2030” initiative, emphasizing its commitment to sustainable practices.
• Broader Energy Transition: Beyond oil and gas, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources is pushing the mining sector towards sustainability through initiatives like Ma’aden’s 6 MW solar power plant for its gold mine, aimed at diversifying the energy mix and reducing carbon footprint. Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies are also being implemented across various sectors.

5. Geopolitical and Trade Policy Impacts:

• U.S. Trade Deals: The U.S. has reached trade agreements, such as with Japan, which involve reducing tariffs on Japanese car imports in exchange for significant Japanese investment in the U.S. economy. This easing of trade tensions could positively influence market stability.
• EU Sanctions: While the EU’s sanctions on Russian energy have caused some disruption, their long-term effectiveness in significantly altering global oil flows remains a subject of debate, as Russian oil has found new markets and new routes for refined products.
• Regional Cooperation: Saudi Arabia and Syria signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in various energy fields, including oil, gas, petrochemicals, electricity grid interconnection, and renewable energy. This signals regional efforts to strengthen energy ties and potentially reduce reliance on external markets.
• Impact on Food Security: The ongoing conflicts, particularly in Gaza, are highlighted as having a severe impact on humanitarian aid and access to essential goods like food and fuel, exacerbating a “catastrophic humanitarian situation”. While not a direct oil market dynamic, these conflicts affect regional stability and indirectly influence global commodity prices and aid efforts.

Saudi Arabia’s Chemical and Environmental Regulations

Saudi Arabia is actively implementing a range of industrial chemical regulations and initiatives as part of its broader strategic shift towards economic diversification and environmental sustainability. These efforts are championed by key national entities, ensuring responsible management of chemical substances and their environmental impact across vital economic sectors.

Key areas of focus in industrial chemical regulations include:

• Chemical Clearance for Industrial Use: The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources manages the “chemical clearance service” to regulate the entry and exit of chemical substances used in industrial facilities.
• In June 2025, the Ministry processed 543 requests for this service, including 522 requests for importing unrestricted or restricted chemical materials and 21 requests for export permits for restricted chemical materials. These requests involved 993 items.
• The service aims to provide streamlined and timely procedures for industrial investors to obtain permits for chemical import/export, ensuring compliance with industrial facility regulations. This enhances industrial output by facilitating the efficient flow of chemical materials through customs checkpoints.
• Emissions Reduction and Carbon Management (Gas and Methane): Major energy companies, particularly Saudi Aramco, are at the forefront of regulating and minimizing harmful chemical emissions from their industrial operations.
• Aramco is committed to achieving net-zero methane emissions by 2050 and near-zero conventional gas flaring by 2030.
• Its strategy includes a target to reduce carbon emission intensity from exploration and production by 15% by 2035 and achieve a 52 million ton reduction in CO2 equivalent emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 2035.
• Key components of this strategy involve the integration of renewable energy sources, enhanced energy efficiency standards, and the implementation of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies. The Wa’ad Al-Shamal power plant, for instance, serves as a model by combining integrated solar combined cycle (ISCC) with high-efficiency gas-fired generation to reduce carbon emissions.
• Aramco has surpassed its methane emission intensity targets, achieving an 11.4% decrease in 2024 in its exploration and production sector, primarily due to improved gas recovery systems and leak reduction efforts.
• In 2024, Aramco installed 13 new flare gas recovery systems, which prevented the flaring of 7,319 million standard cubic feet of gas.
• The Al-Berri gas plant successfully reduced its scheduled flaring by 65% in 2024, leading to a reduction of 3.6 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions.
• Aramco also categorizes flaring (scheduled, routine, non-routine) and employs innovative procedures, such as managing gas pressure during operational halts, for which it has sought a patent, to reduce flaring.
• Globally, despite a general increase in gas flaring, Saudi Aramco’s proactive efforts distinguish it, as it is a signatory to the World Bank’s “Zero Routine Flaring by 2030” initiative.
• Environmental Governance in the Mining Sector: The Saudi mining sector, guided by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, is adopting robust environmental responsibility standards for optimal resource utilization.
• Initiatives include rehabilitating mining lands, such as Ma’aden’s project around the Al-Jalamid mine, where over three million trees have been planted to combat soil erosion and support wildlife.
• Water resource preservation is prioritized through the reuse of treated water in mining processes, exemplified by a 450 km pipeline transporting treated water to mining sites.
• There is a focus on increasing green spaces around mining complexes, with nearly 130,000 trees planted in mining areas.
• The mining investment system provides a legal framework for environmental governance, including penalties for illegal mining and environmental degradation.
• Food and Drug Safety Regulations: The Food and Drug Authority conducts extensive inspection visits to facilities under its supervision to ensure compliance with health and safety standards.
• In June 2025, 3,631 inspection visits were carried out across 2,805 facilities, resulting in 471 violations.
• The authority closed 28 facilities for operating without proper licenses and halted 7 production lines due to violations affecting product safety. It also confiscated 318 types of non-compliant products.
• The authority highlighted issues like unsafe storage, cross-contamination, unsanitary conditions, and the absence of a food safety official, which led to the closure of a food factory and confiscation of 753 kg of products.
• The authority also confiscated over 10,000 used and expired medical devices and supplies stored in scrapyards and closed an unlicensed fodder warehouse due to unknown source products and poor hygiene. This underscores the strict enforcement of regulations concerning the handling, storage, and quality of chemical and biological materials in consumer and industrial products.
• Water Treatment and Reuse Regulations: New regulations are being applied by the General Organization for Irrigation to manage and develop activities related to dams and the reuse of treated water across the Kingdom. This includes monitoring and controlling these activities to ensure efficient water consumption and environmental protection.

These integrated efforts demonstrate Saudi Arabia’s commitment to implementing robust regulations and sustainable practices in managing industrial chemicals and their broader environmental impacts.

Gaza: A Deepening Humanitarian Crisis and Calls for Aid

The Gaza Strip is experiencing a profound and escalating humanitarian catastrophe, marked by a severe shortage of essential supplies, a collapsing healthcare system, and widespread displacement. This crisis has drawn urgent international warnings and condemnation.

Key aspects of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza include:

• Food Insecurity and Famine:
• The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported 5 new deaths due to famine and malnutrition within 24 hours, bringing the total to 127 cases, including 85 children.
• The government media office in Gaza states that the Strip requires 600 aid trucks daily to meet the basic needs of the population, including children’s milk, humanitarian aid, and fuel. It highlighted that 250,000 cans of children’s milk are needed monthly to combat severe malnutrition.
• Reports indicate that levels of hunger and malnutrition have reached critical levels in the Arab region, and specifically in Palestine, the pre-war food insecurity rate of over 31% of the population has drastically worsened due to the “war of annihilation” and the imposed siege on Gaza.
• Healthcare System Collapse:
• UN and aid organizations warn of the imminent collapse of the healthcare system in the Strip, leading to fears of mass deaths among children due to malnutrition, lack of water, medicine, and healthcare.
• The Director General of the Ministry of Health in Gaza called for urgent medical evacuation for critically injured individuals who require complex operations that are unavailable in Gaza.
• There is a critical need for immediate entry of medical and food supplies, including high-calorie nutritional supplements, therapeutic foods, antibiotics, IV fluids, and protein sources. The warning states, “every delay is measured by a new funeral, and every silence means another child dying in his mother’s arms without medicine or milk”.
• Obstacles to Aid and Civilian Targeting:
• Despite a declared “tactical, local suspension” of military operations by Israeli forces for humanitarian efforts in Deir al-Balah and Gaza City, intended to expand aid efforts and secure “guaranteed corridors” for aid convoys, international warnings continue to escalate regarding the deepening humanitarian catastrophe.
• 38 citizens, including two children and 24 aid seekers, have been martyred or injured due to Israeli forces targeting them in various parts of Gaza, including near aid distribution centers.
• The Euro-Med Monitor for Human Rights describes aerial aid drops as “humiliating” and ineffective in addressing the starvation in Gaza, demanding instead the opening of land crossings for sufficient aid. These drops are seen as an “additional episode of humiliation and undermining Palestinian dignity” that serve Israeli political and military objectives. Aerial drops also carry “real dangers” due to the overcrowding in the limited areas of the Strip.
• The UNRWA Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, reiterated that aerial aid drops “will not end the escalating famine” and “can cause civilian deaths,” calling them “just a distraction and throwing dust in the eyes”. He stressed that delivering aid by truck is “much easier, more effective, faster, safer, and dignified,” noting that UNRWA has 6,000 aid trucks waiting in Jordan and Egypt for entry into Gaza.
• Political Context and Calls for Solutions:
• The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs views Israeli reactions to international recognition of Palestine as “hostile to peace” and a “refusal of political and negotiated solutions,” arguing that these actions deepen “crimes of genocide, displacement, and starvation”.
• There are ongoing reports of the destruction of homes in Jerusalem by Israeli authorities, forcing families to demolish their own homes or face exorbitant fines, as part of a plan to “empty the city of its original inhabitants”.
• The Palestinian National Council Chairman condemned Israeli naval actions against aid ships as a “piracy crime” and a “flagrant violation of international law and human rights,” perpetuating “collective punishment” against Gaza residents.
• Calls for an immediate lifting of the siege and the permanent opening of crossings, ensuring a constant and full flow of children’s milk, aid, and fuel, away from temporary or partial solutions. The Director General of the Ministry of Health in Gaza stated that the declared truce holds no value unless it transforms into a real opportunity to save lives.

The Newspaper Columns of Today

Here are the titles of the columns found in the newspaper, along with their first two paragraphs of detail in English:

• Column Title: Word
• Author: Nawal Al-Jabr
• Paragraph 1: Since the war began, Gaza Strip has been suffering immensely. Its Palestinian body is collapsing under the weight of one of the worst human catastrophes of the new century. Famine, the collapse of the healthcare system, and the absence of water and medicine have all become a daily reality, with international warnings now documented, while the international community seems to be not just capable of intervention – but merely desirous of it.
• Paragraph 2: And from among the ruins, Palestine has once again emerged to the forefront of international politics, but this time its appearance was not as a sovereign issue requiring recognition, but rather as one embedded in security files. This transformation did not stem from a closed diplomatic arena, but from the streets of Europe, which witnessed escalating popular anger, and from parliaments that began to see the continuation of “neutrality” as implicit complicity in creating the catastrophe.
• Column Title: The Article
• Author: Tahani Abdullah Al-Khayal
• Paragraph 1: At a pivotal moment in the region’s economic history, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Chairman of the Council of Ministers, led an unprecedented strategic initiative, calling for the lifting of sanctions imposed on Syria, stemming from an ambitious vision that sees the Middle East as a new center for growth and prosperity with measured steps on the ground. A vision that was not merely a slogan, but began to embody reality.
• Paragraph 2: During the visit of US President Donald Trump to Riyadh in May 2025, the lifting of US sanctions imposed on Syria was officially announced, in direct response to the initiative of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. This announcement constituted a turning point that opened the doors for cooperation and investment, after years of freezing.
• Column Title: The Article
• Author: Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulmohsen Al-Faraj
• Paragraph 1: Visitors to the markets notice the closure of many commercial stores. Some of these stores belong to famous commercial brands. The reason is the high rental prices, which have started to eat away at the profits that companies obtain from their sales.
• Paragraph 2: The economy, as we know, is an interconnected chain. What affects one link immediately transfers to the rest of the links, though not always instantly. After some time, the rising real estate prices, which are complained about by famous commercial stores, are also suffered by Saudi residents whose incomes are not very large for everyone.
• Column Title: Analysis
• Author: Dr. Turki Faisal Al-Rashid
• Paragraph 1: The strategic environment of the Arab region is witnessing deep unrest, as tensions never truly subside in one spot before flaring up in another. The latest of these events were the ongoing incidents in As-Suwayda in the Syrian state, which could have passed as an internal matter that its parties could understand and reach solutions to their internal problems, had it not been for the blatant Israeli intervention and aggression, exploiting the difference in military power to tamper with the region and continue provoking, under the pretext of ‘protecting the Druze,’ against a sovereign state. This is what the Kingdom officially announced through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressing its rejection and condemnation of the continuous Israeli attacks on Syrian territories.
• Paragraph 2: In the midst of these successive events and tensions that never stop, and which the international powers and the world do not seem to care much about, the talk about Arab food security and the necessity of achieving it no longer appears as a field for mere discussions or exaggerations. With time, it becomes an undeniable imperative, especially given the ongoing events in the world that are prone to further escalation at any moment for the most trivial reasons.
• Column Title: Knowledge Space
• Author: Dr. Khaled Al-Khudhari
• Paragraph 1: The term “cultural criticism” refers to an analytical approach that studies literary and artistic texts within their social and cultural contexts, and is not merely linguistic or from an aesthetic viewpoint. It does not ask “is this work beautiful or well-crafted?” but rather asks: “What are the cultural values reflected in this work? What ideology does it promote? What is silenced in this text?”.
• Paragraph 2: It is important for this reason that cultural criticism stems from the idea, or rather reflects, that the literary text is not innocent, but rather consecrates social and cultural powers (such as class, power, religion, race, gender, stereotypes), and is concerned with uncovering and analyzing silent aspects, and mechanisms of dominance within texts.
• Column Title: On My Mind
• Author: Mohammed Al-Rashidi
• Paragraph 1: My friend “Ahmed” eagerly anticipates next October, not for an annual holiday, but rather for a small vacation that has turned into a seasonal opportunity for him to invest in by renting an apartment in the neighborhood adjacent to Riyadh Boulevard using smart applications.
• Paragraph 2: Ahmed, a young Saudi man, started a simple project a year ago by renting a furnished apartment through applications. Guests from Germany, America, and other countries rent from him throughout the year. This might not cover all costs during the year, but with the Riyadh season, everything changes. The occupancy rate reaches 90%, and profits increase by 30%. This has become a ‘budget’ for him, which he relies on to cover all annual expenses.
• Column Title: Al-Khuzama
• Prepared by: Bakr Hatha Al-Sawt Al-Sura
• Paragraph 1: The poet expresses his feelings through the poem more than he expresses them through his voice. For the poem is the content of his message and the container of his feelings, and its artistic images and compositions flow easily for him in a poetic formulation, as if he is reading them on a pre-prepared book page, especially when they are ignited by a spontaneous creative spark without affectation.
• Paragraph 2: The poet Saud Al-Fahd Al-Shaaran Al-Marikhi says: Oh you who asked, Oh Saud, give me a word of Saud. My soul has no idea of a hidden wound. Oh Hamoud, a war from afar unites.
• Column Title: Path
• Author: Dr. Fayez bin Abdullah Al-Shehri
• Paragraph 1: While the Syrian government has reflected reassuring pragmatic orientations regarding its future political path, and has the desire to work with Saudi Arabia, and alongside its desire to open channels of communication with the world, this is not a worrying matter for anyone, as the Arab embrace is for the entire Arab world, and this is not a worrying matter for anyone, and especially since Syria is one of the countries that possess the opportunity to restore its political and economic balance.
• Paragraph 2: In the shadow of the deep transformations witnessed by the regional system in the East, Saudi Arabia’s step towards Syria is manifested through the “Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum 2025” and the signing of agreements exceeding $6.4 billion in value, as a strategic transformation that goes beyond the boundaries of economic rapprochement. The event not only reflects the beginning of a new phase in bilateral relations, but also points to a redefinition of the geo-economic interactions in the region.

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By Amjad Izhar
Contact: amjad.izhar@gmail.com
https://amjadizhar.blog

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