Muslim Voter Shift to Green Party Over Gaza Offense; Economic and Political Developments in MENA Region
Muslim and Arab-American voters shift support from Kamala Harris to Jill Stein over Gaza stance, potentially impacting key battleground states.
Muslim and Arab-American voters, unhappy with the U.S. support for Israel's Gaza offensive, are shifting their support from Democrat Kamala Harris to Green Party candidate Jill Stein, which could influence the upcoming election in battleground states such as Michigan, Arizona, and Wisconsin. Leaders express frustration with the Democratic Party’s stance on Gaza, while both Stein and Trump actively seek the Muslim vote.
Meanwhile, in Germany, new approvals for war weapons exports to Israel have been paused due to legal disputes, although an outright ban hasn't been imposed. Legal challenges claim these exports violate humanitarian law, although the government maintains its decisions, citing international law and foreign policy considerations.
Turning to the Middle East, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 continues to make strides under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s leadership. Recent achievements include non-oil sectors contributing 50% to the GDP, hitting a tourism target of 109 million visitors, and reducing unemployment to 7.6%, alongside preparing to host global events like Expo 2030 and the FIFA World Cup 2034.
Oman has also reported notable economic success, with a $9.4 billion trade surplus in the first half of 2024, largely due to escalating oil and gas exports. The UAE remains a key non-oil trade partner, as evidenced by investment deals amounting to $35.12 billion.
In a move to bolster job opportunities in Saudi Arabia’s private sector, HADAF has extended the period for submitting employment support requests to 330 days from the inclusion of an employee's name in the GOSI records, reducing it to 180 days starting October 2024. This initiative aims to enhance job prospects for Saudi nationals and improve private sector development.
Lastly, following the US Federal Reserve's lead, the Saudi Central Bank has cut the repo rate by 50 basis points to 5.50% and the reverse repo rate to 5.00%. This adjustment aims to ensure monetary stability, with other Gulf central banks, including those in the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait, also reducing their rates.
Meanwhile, in Germany, new approvals for war weapons exports to Israel have been paused due to legal disputes, although an outright ban hasn't been imposed. Legal challenges claim these exports violate humanitarian law, although the government maintains its decisions, citing international law and foreign policy considerations.
Turning to the Middle East, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 continues to make strides under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s leadership. Recent achievements include non-oil sectors contributing 50% to the GDP, hitting a tourism target of 109 million visitors, and reducing unemployment to 7.6%, alongside preparing to host global events like Expo 2030 and the FIFA World Cup 2034.
Oman has also reported notable economic success, with a $9.4 billion trade surplus in the first half of 2024, largely due to escalating oil and gas exports. The UAE remains a key non-oil trade partner, as evidenced by investment deals amounting to $35.12 billion.
In a move to bolster job opportunities in Saudi Arabia’s private sector, HADAF has extended the period for submitting employment support requests to 330 days from the inclusion of an employee's name in the GOSI records, reducing it to 180 days starting October 2024. This initiative aims to enhance job prospects for Saudi nationals and improve private sector development.
Lastly, following the US Federal Reserve's lead, the Saudi Central Bank has cut the repo rate by 50 basis points to 5.50% and the reverse repo rate to 5.00%. This adjustment aims to ensure monetary stability, with other Gulf central banks, including those in the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait, also reducing their rates.
