A Saudi court sentenced five people to death for the murder of government critic Jamal Khashoggi but ruled that last year’s assassination wasn’t premeditated and said it didn’t have enough evidence to incriminate two top officials close to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
At a cultural gathering in the region of Qatif in Saudi Arabia’s oil-rich east, a poet recited some of his work before taking questions. The audience of 80 or so people was engaged and smiling, while a man quietly served coffee and tea in espresso-sized paper cups.
Saudi Arabia set a valuation target for Aramco’s initial public offering well below Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s goal of $2 trillion and pared back the size of the sale to ensure the world’s largest oil producer successfully lists on the Riyadh stock exchange next month.
For the second straight year, the risks of doing business in Saudi Arabia are pushing their way onto the agenda of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s glittering investment showcase.
A Saudi Aramco director and a member of the royal council overseeing the world’s biggest oil exporter were arrested along with other top officials as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman seeks to strengthen his hand amid a reform push that includes a stake sale in the company next year.