BUSINESS – Hadalsame Media

EXCLUSIVE: Saudi Arabia’s ‘strategic plan’ to take Turkey down

hadalsame — Tue, 06 Aug 2019 11:11:08 +0000

(Hadalsame) 06 August 2019 – In a confidential Emirati document seen by MEE, Mohammed bin Salman’s scheme to confront Erdogan’s government is outlined in full.

Saudi Arabia has begun implementing a “strategic plan” to confront the Turkish government, after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman decided he was being “too patient” with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the wake of journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder.

The plan is detailed in a confidential report based on open- and closed-source intelligence prepared by the kingdom’s ally, the United Arab Emirates.

The intelligence report is one of a monthly series written by the Emirates Policy Centre, a think tank with close links to the Emirati government and security services.

Entitled “Monthly Report on Saudi Arabia, Issue 24, May 2019”, the report is of limited circulation and intended for the top Emirati leadership. It does not appear on the think tank’s website. A copy has been obtained by Middle East Eye.

It reveals that in Riyadh in May, orders were given to implement the strategic plan to confront the Turkish government.

The aim of the plan was to use “all possible tools to pressure Erdogan’s government, weaken him, and keep him busy with domestic issues in the hope that he will be brought down by the opposition, or occupy him with confronting crisis after crisis, and push him to slip up and make mistakes which the media would surely pick up on”.

Middle East Eye contacted the Emirates Policy Centre for comment, with no reply by the time of publication.

Restricting influence

Riyadh’s aim is to restrict Erdogan and Turkey’s regional influence.

“The kingdom would start to target the Turkish economy and press towards the gradual termination of Saudi investment in Turkey, the gradual decrease of Saudi tourists visiting Turkey while creating alternative destinations for them, decreasing Saudi import of Turkish goods, and most importantly minimising Turkish regional role in Islamic matters,” the report says.

‘Erdogan went too far in his campaign smearing the kingdom, especially the person of the crown prince’

– Emirates Policy Centre report

According to the report, Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, took the decision to confront Turkey following the assassination of Khashoggi by a team of Saudi agents in their country’s Istanbul consulate.

The murder of the Saudi journalist, a Middle East Eye and Washington Post columnist, created international outrage, in large part due to Turkey’s insistence on Riyadh providing accountability and transparency over the affair.

“President Erdogan … went too far in his campaign smearing the kingdom, especially the person of the crown prince, using in the most reprehensible manner the case of Khashoggi,” the reports says

In the document, the Emirates Policy Centre claims Turkey did not provide “specific and honest” information to assist the Saudi investigation into the killing, but instead leaked “disinformation” to the media “all aimed at distorting the image of the kingdom and attempting to destroy the reputation of the crown prince”.

‘The sacrificial animal’: UN report reveals details of Khashoggi’s final moments

Riyadh had concluded that Erdogan failed in his attempt to politicise and internationalise the case and now was the time to mount the fightback, the report says.

Both the CIA and leading members of the US Congress have accepted the Turkish intelligence assessment of Khashoggi’s murder.

The CIA also concluded that Mohammed bin Salman almost certainly signed off on the operation, an assessment based on its own intelligence as well.

“The accepted position is that there is no way this happened without him being aware or involved,” said a US official familiar with the CIA’s conclusions, the Washington Post reported.

Since then, a report by United Nations human rights investigator Agnes Callamard detailed the difficulties the Turkish authorities had in investigating the murder and gaining access to the consulate building and the home of the consul-general.

Callamard concluded independently that the crown prince ordered Khashoggi’s murder.

The pressure begins

Last week came the first public sign of the campaign detailed in the Emirati document coming to life.

Saudi authorities blocked 80 Turkish trucks transporting textile products and chemicals from entering the kingdom through its Duba port.

Three hundred containers carrying fruit and vegetables from Turkey had also been held in Jeddah’s port, according to a Turkish official who spoke to MEE on condition of anonymity.

The number of Saudi tourists visiting Turkey decreased 15 percent (from 276,000 to 234,000) in the first six months of 2019, according to official data released by the Turkish tourism ministry.

A Saudi customer looks at a touristic leaflet brochure about Turkey at a travel agency in the capital Riyadh (AFP)

Saudi Arabia has approximately $2bn worth of direct investment in Turkey, according to the Turkish foreign ministry data from 2018.

That year, Turkish exports to Saudi Arabia were valued at around $2.64bn, while imports from the kingdom stood at $2.32bn.

Behind the scenes, other signals have been sent to Ankara.

The Emirati report says “in a sign that the Saudi leadership has severed its relationship with … Erdogan and started treating him as an enemy”, King Salman approved “without hesitation” a recommendation from an advisory committee not to send an official invitation to attend a high-profile Organisation of Islamic Cooperation summit in Mecca.

The Turkish president’s name was added to the list of those excluded from the summit, alongside Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Eventually, King Salman decided to allow the Qatari emir to attend the event in Mecca, though Erdogan’s invitation was not forthcoming.

‘Secret embargo’: Saudi Arabia stops Turkish exports from entering kingdom

The Turkish government is aware of the Saudi crown prince’s attempts to sever relations and is trying to combat them through keeping direct communications with his father, King Salman.

A senior Turkish official, speaking anonymously, said the existence of a Saudi strategy to punish Turkey over its stance on the Khashoggi case wasn’t surprising.

“We are aware of what they are doing. It is almost public, to the extent that you could see their activities on Saudi-backed social media and Saudi state media,” the official told MEE, noting that they had openly called for a boycott.

“Tourist arrivals are decreasing, while we are having problems related to Turkish exports. We are closely following the situation.”

The Turkish official said, however, that Ankara does not believe that Saudi citizens are altering their stance on Turkey, despite the government in Riyadh’s efforts.

“Istanbul, for example, is still full of Saudi tourists. Saudi officials should check the BBC’s poll on Erdogan’s popularity in the Middle East. Then they will realise that they are failing,” the official said.

Erdogan phoned the king on Thursday, raising the problem of Turkish exports being held at Saudi ports.

Another Turkish official, also speaking anonymously, said Erdogan’s phone call with the Saudi king was cordial and focused on regional developments, such as Syria and the Palestine question.

The official, who was informed about the call, said the king was lucid and supportive of Turkish concerns with regard to Syria.

In the same call, Erdogan invited King Salman and his family, including the crown prince, to Turkey.

This article is available in French on Middle East Eye French edition.

Source: MEE

Hadalsame Media

DAAWO: Google oo caloosha ka dooxday shirkadda Huawei (Inta aadan telefoonka iibsan intan ogoow)

hadalsame — Mon, 20 May 2019 11:37:27 +0000

(Mountain View, CA) 20 Maajo 2019 – Google ayaa la sheegay inay gebi ahaanba baabi’isay shatigii camaaliqada isgaarsiineed ee Chinese-ka ah ee Huawei, kaddib markii ay Washington ku eedaysay inay ku hoowlanayd hoowlo basaasnimo oo ay u hayso maamulka Beijing.

Camaaliqada Silicon Valley ee dhanka tiknolojiyadda ayaa sidaa darteed goysey xiriir kasta oo ay wax kula wadaagaysey Huawei sida isu gudbinta barnaamijyada hardware iyo software, sida ay faafinayaan Reuters iyo Verge report.

Sidaa darteed, Huawei ayaa sidaa ku waayi doonta adeegsiga hannaanka ama barnaamij howleedka Android ee ay telefoonnadu ku shaqeeyaan iyo updates-kiisa hadii si kale loo yiraahdo ubucda telefoonka. Telefoonnada cusub ee soo socda ee Huawei ayaan sidoo kale adeegsan karin Google apps, sida Google Play Store iyo Gmail apps sida Google Maps. Waxaanse la hubin in laga geli karo Youtube maadaama ay Google iska leedahay.

Yeelkeede, waxay weli xaq u yeelan doontaa dufcadda loo yaqaanno qaybta furan ee Android operating system.

Shirkada Google oo lagu eedeeyay inay ciyaar siyaasadeed dheeleyso ayaa ku qiil samaysatay inay ku khasban tahay inay raacdo xeerarka iyo go’aamada kasoo baxa DF Maraykanka oo liiska madoow ku dartay Huawei, basle dad badan ayaa aaminsan inay lasoo shir tegi doonto barnaamij iyada u gaar ah, sida iPhone.

Dad kale ayaa qaba in ay ooyintu orgiga ka wayn tahay oo HUAWEI lagu haysto inay dabaqayso shabakadda 5G oo ah mid aysan weli diyaarsan sharikaadka tartanka kula jiro, waxaana si taa looga hortago lagu furay muran ganacsi oo la siyaasadeeyay.

Hadalsame Media

GULUF GANACSI: Shiinaha oo jawaab middi ku taag ah ka bixiyay tarriifo uu Maraykanku kusoo rogey + Sawirro

hadalsame — Mon, 13 May 2019 14:37:48 +0000

(Beijing) 13 Maajo 2019 – Beijing ayaa ka aarsatay Washington oo tarriifooyin is daba joog ah kusoo rogtey badeecooyinka ay u dhoofiyaan Maraykanka, iyadoo markeeda badeeco ku kacaysa $60 milyan oo doollar oo Maraykanka ka timaada tarriifooyin dheeraad ah dul dhigtay.

Sida ay maanta sheegtay Wasaaradda Ganacsiga Shiinuhu, waxay tarriifadan cusubi hirgeli doontaa wixii loo gaaro 1-da bisha Juun ee soo dhow.

Kordhintan cusub ee tarriifooyinkan oo sare loo dhigay ilaa 25 boqolkiiba waxay toos u saameeynaysaa ilaa 5,000 oo nooc oo ah badeecooyinka uu Maraykanku keeno suuqyada Shiinaha.

Todobaadkii tegey, Aqalka Cad ayaa kordhiyey tarriifooyinka saaran badeeco ku kaceeysa ilaa $200 bilyan oo doollar oo uu Shiinuhu ka iibiyo Maraykanka, taasoo laga dhigay 25% iyadoo markii hore ahayd 10%.

Sidaa darteed, tillaabada Beijing waxay jawaab u tahay midda maamulka Trump oo tan iyo markii uu xilka la wareegey dagaal ganacsi ku hayey dalka Shiinaha.

Hadalsame Media

British Company Finds Gas Reserve In Ethiopia

hadalsame — Mon, 06 May 2019 17:50:21 +0000

(Jigjiga) 06 May 2019 – NewAGE has discovered 1.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in a locality called Elkuran, according to the private weekly newspaper in Ethiopia, The Reporter. The company has made the discovery near the site where the Chinse Poly GCL has started test gas production a year ago. NewAge currently operate the Adigala and Ogaden blocks in Ethiopia.

The paper has reported quoting Guang Tutlam (MD), the State Minister of Ethiopia’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum. “We are now working on the gas commercialization. We are looking at ways how to market the gas,” the state Minister told the Reporter.

African Global Energy in its official website stated that development options in Ogaden are currently under review and include small-scale domestic projects and LNG export with nearby operator Poly GCL, the Chinese company, which has been testing production in the area.

The Reporter also stated that an American company, Greencom, has requested the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum to supply it with natural gas. Greencom has proposed to build a gas processing plant which produces various petroleum products from gas. “The company plans to use a Gas-to-Liquid (GTL) technology to change the gas into liquid petroleum products including gasoline and gas oil. The total investment cost is estimated at two billion dollars,“ It said.

“The GTL technology has been applied in other countries. Technologically, it has been tested. What Greecom wants from us is the supply of gas for the GTL plant. We have told them to discuss the matter with New Age,” the Minister told The Reporter.

NewAge has significant positions in the Ogaden Basin to the south of the country and the Adigala Basin in the north. It is recalled that in the same Ogden area of Somali region of Ethiopia, a Chinese company, Poly GCL Petroleum Investments, has been started test production of gas about a year ago.

New Business Ethiopia

Hadalsame Media

Visualizing Africa’s Free Trade Ambitions

hadalsame — Mon, 15 Apr 2019 08:46:04 +0000

(Hadalsame) 15 April 2019 – A united African continent working towards common goals would be a major force on the global economic stage.

To this end, nations in the region have been working towards an ambitious plan to create the world’s largest trade area. The Gambia recently became the latest country to ratify the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), helping the agreement reach critical mass to move forward.

Today’s graphic helps put the region – and the status of AfCFTA – into perspective.

The Patchwork Problem

One key to unlocking the region’s economic potential is making it easier for Africa’s 55 countries to trade with one another.

Currently, Africa is a patchwork of regulations and tariffs, and trade between countries has suffered as a result. For example, only 10% of Nigeria’s annual trade activity is with other African countries. This is a surprising given the country’s dominant economic standing and location firmly in the center of the continent.

As a whole, Africa’s intra-continental trade level hovers at just around 20%, while nations in Europe and Asia are at 69% and 59%, respectively. Clearly, there is a lot of room for growth.

What is AfCFTA?

AfCFTA is the biggest free trade agreement since the establishment of the World Trade Organization.

The objective of the agreement is to create a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of business people and investments.

Last year, 44 African leaders signed an agreement to ratify AfCFTA, with half that number needed to move the agreement forward. Earlier this week, The Gambia was the 22nd country to announce that its government has ratified the agreement, meeting the threshold to officially put the wheels in motion.

We have witnessed a historic moment for the African Continent. AfCFTA is now set to become operational within
the month, creating a single continental market for goods and services.

– Mark-Anthony Johnson, CEO, JIC Holdings

The good news for the agreement is that many of Africa’s largest economies – including Egypt and South Africa – are already on board. There is, however, one significant holdout.

The Elephant in the Room

Even though the threshold for pushing AfCFTA forward has been reached, Nigeria’s lack of commitment is still a major blow to the strength and credibility of the agreement.

Nigeria’s situation is complicated. The country’s economic prospects are bright, and Lagos is on a trajectory to become the world’s largest city over the next few decades. On the other hand, there is fierce opposition from labor unions, and the country is home to largest concentration of people living in extreme poverty in the world.

[AfCFTA is] an extremely dangerous and radioactive
neo-liberal policy initiative.

– Ayuba Wabba, President of NLC, Nigeria’s largest labor union

While the majority of African nations appear to be on board with the plan to enact AfCFTA, it remains to be seen whether Nigeria comes along for the ride or decides to go it alone.

Hadalsame Media

Nando’s and Wetherspoon win Preston local business awards

hadalsame — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 19:23:33 +0000

(Hadalsame) 12 April 2019 – A public vote designed to celebrate local businesses in one city backfired – after Nando’s and Wetherspoon took top prizes.

Business luminaries in Preston had invited independent outfits to compete in their Smiles Better Awards show.

But residents in the Lancashire city made their feelings known – plumping for the two national chains in favour of the homegrown competition.

A local restaurateur said it “doesn’t show Preston in a great light”.

Peri-Peri chicken chain Nando’s was hot favourite in the restaurant of the year category, while pub of the year was won by JD Wetherspoon outpost the Twelve Tellers.

‘Like Boaty McBoatface’

Mark O’Rourke, who owns a group of local eateries, said it wasn’t fair to put local independents up against national chains.

“Wherever you go in the country and go into a Wetherspoon’s or a Nando’s, it’s the same as the last one you went into,” he said.

Mr O’Rourke, who runs We Don’t Give A Fork, Fino Tapas and the Otter’s Pocket in the city centre, was awarded multiple retailer of the year.

However, he said his complaints were “not about me winning more awards” but about giving local businesses a chance.

Source: BBC

Hadalsame Media

2019 iPhone Rumors

hadalsame — Sun, 07 Apr 2019 21:05:51 +0000

(Hadalsame) 07 April 2019 – In 2019, Apple is expected to continue offering iPhones in multiple sizes and at multiple price points to provide customers with choice. 2018 brought the iPhone XS (5.8 inches), the iPhone XS Max (6.5 inches), and the iPhone XR (6.1 inches). The two XS devices have higher price tags starting at $999, while the XR is priced starting at $749.

We’re expecting a similar lineup in 2019, perhaps with a continuation of both the iPhone XS and XR devices, with rumors suggesting we’ll see 5.8 and 6.5-inch OLED iPhones along with a 6.1-inch LCD iPhone. We don’t yet know what Apple will call the new iPhones, but iPhone XI or iPhone 11 are possibilities for the iPhone XS successors. Given that naming is up in the air, we’re going to be referring to the upcoming iPhones as the “2019 iPhones” for now.

Rumors about the 2019 iPhones started before the iPhone XS and XR were even announced, and we’ve heard quite a few details on what we can expect. Design wise, the 2019 iPhone lineup will look similar to the 2018 iPhone lineup, but Apple may be planning to use a new frosted glass design for the back of the devices.

Apple is expected to continue using OLED displays for the 2019 devices, and while some rumors suggest Apple may go with an all OLED lineup, doing away with the LED displays of the iPhone XR, other rumors believe Apple will stick with LEDs because of the high price of OLED displays.

All 2019 iPhones are likely to adopt upgraded A13 chips from TSMC, Apple’s chip supplier. Chip upgrades typically bring improved performance and efficiency, and the A13 will be no different.

Hadalsame Media