Tag Archives: Saudi Arabia

Hat in a hornets nest

That is the expression I was given, or better stated that is the expression I remembered as I read something in the Arab News. The actual expression is ‘kick the hornet’s nest’, which translates to “Saying something that makes a large group of people angry or upset all at once.” Which pretty much translates to the setting we have here. And in the Arab News we see “Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned remarks made by the US ambassador to Israel suggesting that Israeli control over the entire Middle East would be acceptable, describing the comments as reckless and a violation of international law.” And as I see it (no disrespect to Israel) is that the middle east can only set in a normalized way when it is controlled by Saudi Arabia and the UAE (a setting I always had faith in) and as far as I know, so does the larger international community. I have no problem that Israel is part of all this, as that is how I personal see it, but the remark by Ambassador Mike Huckabee is quite literally kicking the hornets nest. As such US envoy to Israel Mike Huckabee is trying to carry favor in Tel Aviv (my view on the matter) and that was ‘transmitted’ to Riyadh and the news we see now is the direct result of this. As such we now see “The ministry said the remarks represented a dangerous precedent, particularly as they came from a US official, and amounted to a disregard for relations between the US and countries across the region. It warned that such positions carry grave consequences and threaten global peace and security by inciting hostility toward the peoples and states of the Middle East, while undermining the foundations of the international order based on respect for sovereignty and internationally recognized borders.” I think that (should he have been directed by Washington, that Washington is trying a slightly different tactic, that optionally is shaped by some in a setting towards the Gaza ‘solution’, but I am grabbing at chopsticks at present. And that is a ‘variation’ of ““Grabbing at” food with chopsticks refers to the impolite, frantic, or picky behavior of searching through dishes to find specific pieces, rather than taking the item directly in front of you.” Washington seemingly wants to set the table by picking out the good pieces trying to carry favour and possibly trying to get to the larger stage by seemingly implying that they are making headway whilst the stuff in front of them aren’t being dealt with (or so it would seem). A setting that is my view on the matter. Weirdly enough, I am actually listening to Jesus Christ Superstar at present, which was unintended, but the setting brings a smirk to my face. 

So whilst the New Arab end the article with “The Kingdom reaffirmed its firm opposition to any actions or statements that infringe on the sovereignty, borders or territorial integrity of states, reiterating that a just and comprehensive peace can only be achieved by ending the occupation and implementing a two-state solution. That solution, the statement said, must include the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.” I like that setting as Hamas didn’t exist in those days and any solution that filters Hamas out of that is all right with me. I reckon that I am not alone in this, but that is what it is. I was around Rafah in 1982 and that mess was never dealt with and seeing that same mess half a century later gives me the thought that there is no hope for Palestine, not whilst Hamas is part of that. They did that to themselves and I feel it is essential to clean up that part of Palestine, only then can Palestine be pushed to something real. But as I see it, the remarks by the US Ambassador has no grounds, it was not to get a conversation started, it was merely to seemingly prepare the table with the big chunks of meat in front of the United States whist ignoring the larger settings that are driving any conversation nowhere. Because as I see it there will never be any solution in play whilst Saudi Arabia, the UAE and in this case Egypt are out of that equation. It makes sense that Israel is included in this conversation, but I don’t see it help any, it merely requires a solution they could live with, it is not something Tel Aviv would care to heard, but that is as I see it the reality we have here and no ‘Board of Peace’ is setting that scenery by whisking away the ‘good’ pieces of meat from that table setting. I could be wrong but that is my view on the matter. 

It might be simplistic, but that is what I see after watching that mess for almost 44 years. Have a great day out there. In this heat I feel the need for a cheese sandwich, a sandwich with cold pieces of cheese, for refreshment value of course.

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The way of the dodo

Yes, that is a path that I am walking at present. You see, I am (originally) a Catholic. As such I tend to miss the Islamic markers around me. And this year I was aware of Ramadan, even though I do not practice it. So the news given by Morocco World News (at https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2026/02/279298/impossible-moon-saudi-arabia-faces-scrutiny-after-declaring-wednesday-as-1st-day-of-ramadan/) caught me unaware for two reasons. The first setting is that the accusation that Saudi Arabia made an Islamic booboo (as expressions go) is out of the realm of my conception of Islam. In this I am biased. I see Shia Islam (Iran) as evil and Sunni Islam (Saudi Arabia) as good. As such I see Islam of the UAE on the same footing as Saudi Arabia. If people want to convict me of these thoughts, that’s fair (as long as they are Muslim)

So the news given to me was ‘Impossible Moon: Saudi Arabia Faces Scrutiny After Declaring Wednesday as 1st Day of Ramadan’, I was own a different footing. I got that it was Ramadan as Google informed me it was, nothing complex about this. But then I tend to rely on Google on many matters, like the Horoscope, Chinese days and a few more like this and Ramadan fits in that setting for me. So a the News from Rabat is given to me In the form of “Another year, another controversy as experts and observers across the world are surprised and nearly shocked over Saudi Arabia’s decision to declare Wednesday as the first day of Ramadan 2026.

The Gulf country aligns with other nations in the region and beyond, who are facing scrutiny over their decision, with experts and astronomy centers stressing that the crescent moon, called the “hilal”, was impossible to sight last night.” This kinda caught me unaware. I am not a Muslim and as such I am in the dark of these matters. I for one (with my scientific mind) was thinking that as the world is almost a sphere that some will not see what some do see. So, what is visible from Mecca (or Riyadh) might be out of view for Rabat , Casablanca and a few more places. But that is thrown upside down as we are given “Critics say the declaration is against all available data contradicting declarations from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and beyond, which started fasting for Ramadan today. Astronomers had warned prior that highly unfavorable celestial conditions would make it impossible to sight the moon yesterday, February 17. Astronomy calculations suggest the moon sat before or simultaneously with the sun in most Islamic countries. This would serve as an obstacle to leave an observable crescent above the horizon, with both the moon’s age and angular separation from the sun also far below globally accepted visibility thresholds.” I am merely posting what Morocco World News is giving me, because in the first I am not Muslim, I am also neither a astronomer and I wouldn’t be able to do these calculations without an additional 4 years of University level of mathematics and calculus. So I lose out three times. And when we get to the setting of “According to Evrim Agaci, a Turkish science and education organization, the moon was supposed to disappear a mere 42 seconds ahead of the sun’s descent last night” it seems a matter of less than a minute and that is the slimmest of all astronomical settings as I personally see it. And my lack of knowledge and insight into science (as given above) I heralded with “The same source detailed how the moon will set before the sun in many cities, including in Abu Dhabi, where the moon sets one minute before sunset. “In Riyadh, it will set 37 seconds earlier,” Gulf News reported. Several other countries like Jordan, Oman, and Egypt announced Thursday as the first day of Ramadan, acknowledging the impossibility of sighting the moon. Saudi Arabia’s controversy is not limited to this single incident, especially as the Gulf country has long been treated as a reference point by many Muslim countries that model their own calendar decisions on Saudi announcements.” And my comical setting of a town proclamatory walking through Yas Mall (in Abu Dhabi), ringing a bell proclaiming ‘Ramadan has started’ brings a small grin to my mind knowing that the sin goes down a mine later and everyone can enjoy their foods until sunrise. But that is me, always trying to see the bright spot on the moon (its right between Ptolemaeus and Mare Nectaris) And yet, this article gives us another setting, one that I had no knowledge of and no expectation of. It is seen in “Observational data consistently show Morocco is among the most accurate in determining the start of lunar months, as they base their Islamic calendar on actually sighting the crescent moon with the naked eye. This approach relies on different methods, including engaging clerics, astronomers, and armed forces units in a coordinated effort.” I did not expect that to be a strength of Morocco. As such we might say ‘Calculate it again, Sam’ with a small wink at Casablanca. So even as I go the way of the Dodo, I do see that we are all fallible and we all come to conclusions. I am not judging Saudi Arabia, the UAE or even Morocco. But a setting of this magnitude happens. We might think bad, good or anywhere between there and uncaring. But the fact that this happens brings a smile to my face. Because we are all fallible and someone wanting to enter Ramadan a day early should be heralded into doing the best for his or her faith. It is seemingly that simple, at least that Is what I think.

You all have a lovely day and abstain from offering any Elderly Muslim water between dawn (Suhoor) to sunset (Iftar), I would want to do this for humanitarian reasons, but apparently it is not an option to Muslims, knowing this makes my heart hurt a little more than I am comfortable with.

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The idea that was 

There is a setting that we at times tend to forget. Disney paved the way and some will like that path and some will not. But it isn’t up to Disney and others can follow that path. Particularly a path that was set out by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman. The name of that movie was Titan AE. The setting was one that I see as a movie that was released in a bad time setting. 2000-2001 was not a great time setting for a lot of people and it was competing with MI2, Gladiator, The Perfect Storm and X-men. A non-Disney animation doesn’t really hold up a candle to that. But in this age of special effects and graphic Machine learning design (calling it AI sounds like a mass) this setting could well work in the age of Netflix/Paramount/Disney plus all competing for a larger slice of the pie. I reckon that Don Bluth has a lot more materials and that setting might help him. So what happens when this 95 minute setting becomes a mini series of 4 episodes each an hour long? I reckon that there are reasons why some of the cast members would love to get involved and when you see the average scripts that these studios accept, the complete rewrite of a decent script might hold water with these streamers. A setting where we get the good, the bad and the energetic and it all comes to blow starting in episode 3 with episode 4 as the finale. You see, some are thinking the other way round, but I reckon that Titan AE has what it takes to get into a real action movie. The stage was properly presented by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman. As such whilst some go for the ‘the movie was a failure’ some could see the open sided win that is right there for the taking and it might make for a decent mini series. As I see it, the streamers see the benefit of that equation. That being said, there is no reason why the original designers couldn’t offer this to the SBA or a player like Dubai One. The options is not seeing it, but seeing where it could hold water too and the second option might require more rewrite (making it more Arabic set) but the story doesn’t change and the makers had a decent setting to begin with. So whilst everyone is redoing the same thing (example: Harry Potter and Percy Jackson) others might seek a wider spread of a setting that was in the past a little too constricting. As such is there a setting where the new could be derived from the old, whilst not relying on a remaster?  I don’t think from animation to real life action is a remaster, but that is merely me. And when the stage is placed on the new borders, some might create an entirely new frontier. That is something worth considering (at least that is what I think).

And when you have considered that as a solution, what will some do about those not ‘in league’ with Zeus, but what happens when a simple girl enters The Eleusis Ploutonion? Did anyone consider being original and brave? The setting that someone is pushing the boundaries of the past into the future by using the known parts and throw them upside down. Because the facts that were were often whispered by the victor. So what happens when someone found tablets that were set in hidden scriptures. Hidden because the victors would never allow them to be released or to survive. But what happens when someone with the powers of a god could foresee that happening and they would have had ways to plant the fruits of their achievements in other ways?

It is just a thought, but we are always ‘pushed’ to accept the writings of the old, but what happens when there are older writings still? Where could they be hidden and how could they be ‘resurrected’? It just a thought to have, because the bulk of movies and series never go into that equation. Just like seemingly no one considered that Titan AE might become an excellent movie.

Just food for thought. Have a great day.

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Choices of an inspiring nation

We might not always agree with the choices ones nation makes, but there is no denying that the Olympics are the proper breeding grounds for Nationalism. At present the rankings are held by Norway – Italy and the United Stated, but this is a tally that could change at least twice a day and the Netherlands is racing the United States as both have 6 golden medals. And there is more, but this is not about the medals. Fayik ABDI (KSA) did not get any, but the setting that someone from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is participating is blowing my mind. There is an absolute absence of snow in the 2,149,690 square kilometers it inhabits. As such to see someone in that tally getting so kind of placed in the 95th position is quite remarkable. Yes, there are all kind of people making some yabayaba statement, but I was born in the Netherlands, they have snow there. I have also lived in Sweden. Another nation with plenty of snow and I never made that list (as did millions of Dutch and Swedes), so come to think to it a remarkable setting. The same goes for Alex Astridge, a 19 year old Emirati who is set to become the first male Alpine skier from the desert nation to compete at the Olympic Winter Games. I did not see the results, but there is an expected setting that he is not making that list. No worries, he is at least an Olympic competitor, something billions of people will never be able to do. 

And whilst some might belittle that setting, keep in mind that they never made it anywhere there. I almost got there in my younger days (in fencing), but I never had the required points to qualify and I saw one of my opponents get there (and I was happy for him) He was Oscar Kardolus and today I learned he is no longer among us. He was a great fencer. For comparison he got the Dutch title 18 times. I was not good enough to get it even once (to make sure you won’t think that I am on his level). As such we are all a little more nationalistic during the Olympics. Even those who are by large not interested in sports. 

So whilst we are watching how our nations are doing during these days and we are keeping our forgers crossed for others. Like most of the Commonwealth is keeping its fingers crossed for Canada (women’s hockey) to slap USA silly (if at all possible) and whilst almost whole of Canada is holding its breath for the semi-finals on February 21st and the finals on February 22nd, most of the Commonwealth will hold its breath too, especially as they are likely to face off against USA as well. And to some it might not make sense, but then I was never one to watch submarine racing either (that’s a spectator sport) and the funnies keep on coming. So whilst you might avoid sport events, almost 95% of any nation is watching with baited breath on how its nation is doing, even if they realise that their contender might never make the podium. Sport achievements are respected almost everywhere and that is something, because its roots were seen in Ancient Olympics 776 BC, something that was brought back to life in the 1896 Summer Olympics. A sporting event that brings people together for 2800 years now (minus the interruption) I personally see this setting as a great way to bring some ‘parties’ together in an informal way to get a dialogue started. Sometimes a non-formal setting might be the way to get a discussion going. That being said I am massively against politic entering the Olympic field, but on the audience stand, people start talking (as people do) and when they are on their nationalistic foot, optional open, especially when their team is winning. 

In this world we need to have these moments in time, especially when the media and some other players can no longer be trusted. The neutral places where a dialogue can be called for might be the best setting to have.

Have a great day.

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Bank on this

Early this morning the Khaleej Times alerted me to a story (any https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/finance/united-arab-bank-posts-45-surge-in-2025-profit-as-assets-and-income-climb). Now we all assume that banks make all the money, but that is not the whole story. You see under Sharia law banks have ‘limitations’. Or perhaps better stated “Islamic banking operates under Shariah law, primarily prohibiting interest (aka: riba), excessive uncertainty (aka: gharar), and gambling (aka: maisir). Key rules include mandatory asset-backing for transactions, sharing risks and profits between bank and customer, and investing only in ethical, halal businesses. Common structures include Murabaha (cost-plus financing), Ijarah (leasing), and Musharaka (joint venture).” Are settings that an islamic banks need to adhere to. So when you see these ‘limitations’ and then the Khaleej Times gives us ‘United Arab Bank posts 45% surge in 2025 profit as assets and income climb’ we might see another side, mainly the side of how well the UAE is doing at present. The subtext “A key highlight of the year was the Sharjah-based lender’s successful Dh1.03 billion rights issue, which increased the bank’s paid-up capital by around 50%” with the added “The bank recorded a net profit of Dh438 million for the year ended 31 December 2025, up from Dh301 million in 2024. Total income climbed 31 per cent to Dh797 million, fueled by what the bank described as “strong momentum” across its core businesses. Non-interest income surged by 56 per cent, while net interest income rose 24 per cent.” this is what I call a massive boost to the UAE economy, so whilst you are getting fed up (tired too) on how bad the United States is doing, you see here an example on how it could be done and people better consider the fallout, because at present any dollar (Euro’s and Pounds too) that aren’t currently being invested in Europe, America, Commonwealth, Europe and a few other places are likely being invested in the UAE. I don’t know how well Saudi Arabia is doing, but it is doing a lot better than Europe. So when we get to “Chairman Sheikh Mohammed bin Faisal bin Sultan Al Qassimi said 2025 marked a pivotal year for the bank as it celebrated its golden jubilee and unveiled a refreshed brand identity. “It proved to be a transformative period for UAB, reinforced by decisive strategic initiatives and robust financial performance,” he said. “Operationally, the Bank delivered solid profitability, supported by disciplined execution, prudent risk management, and enhanced operating leverage.”” You know that they are doing it right and a strong willed and able minded board of directors was at the head of that setting. I reckon that the western world will eagerly look at the reports of SAMA (Saudi Central Bank) and the CBUAE (Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates). Because as I see it, the 2025 results are merely the beginning and if my predictions hold firm, the Western world (and its banks) will come under the spell of ‘Dry Well psychoses’ soon enough and when the opportunities of Wall Street dry up because of the economy in the United States, these two countries will get a lot of opportunities ‘handed’ to them and whilst we might worry about the Influence they will gain, these ‘new’ banks will have to adhere to Sharia law and the laws of the land, which prohibits them from making certain steps. So while we might stop at “UAB also reported healthy asset quality, with a net reversal of impairment charges amounting to Dh51 million, translating to a cost of risk of –41 basis points. The bank attributed this to strong recoveries and its “robust risk framework.” Its cost-to-income ratio improved to 46 per cent, down from 52 per cent the previous year, while return on shareholders’ equity stood at 16 per cent.” Banks on a global setting haven’t seen this since the post-WWII Golden Age, which went from 1950–1973, as such the last really successful ‘boom’ period was 53 years ago, so you better bet on the non-Islamic banks taking notice at present. Whilst President Trump will be wondering where the money is going to and he might wonder why no one is betting on his ‘beautiful’ bills, I get the notion that banks might want to vacate towards the settings of SAMA and the CBUAE at their earliest convenience, especially as this comes with an almost certain guarantee for return on their investors. As such I noticed the settings we are given and I wonder how well ADNOC is doing in all this, because their profits go somewhere, don’t they and as I see it, the CBUAE is a safe bet to consider. 

Have a great day today, Perhaps tomorrow I get to write on some gaming IP. 

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Thinking of the Post

You’ve got it, the post, or more classically names the Washington Post. It has been on the mind of millions for the longest of times. In 1989 Robert Downey Jr. wishes he was a reporter for the Washington Post in Chances are. In 2017 Steven Spielberg makes Meryl Streep into its publisher Katharine Graham and over time there have been enough mentions and references to see that the Washington Post is (or sadly stated was) a global icon in news media. I still see it as a global icon, but I do realise that as a star in the top of the Christmas tree it has played its course and we all wonder how long it will hold out on that premiere position and perhaps that is how it will end, a true ornament of global media, the top of the tree. So I was a little taken back when this morning I saw the news (via most other media) that a third of its staff is about to be let go. So lets first start with what I personally see as a brazen lie, we see (at https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-communications/how-jeff-bezos-brought-down-the-washington-post) ‘How Jeff Bezos Brought Down the Washington Post’ and it comes with the byline “The Amazon founder bought thereof  paper to save it. Instead, with a mass layoff, he’s forced it into severe decline.” It was bought in August 2013, Jeff Bezos purchased The Washington Post and other local publications, websites, and real estate for US$ 250 million, transferring ownership to Nash Holdings LLC, Bezos’s private investment company. I have to ask the simple question. How much did the Washington Post cost Jeff Bezos up to now? I think that a newspaper who should bring in millions a day is now see as “The Post has lost around 500,000 subscribers since the end of 2020 and was set to lose $100 million in 2023, according to The New York Times.” (Source: Wiki) As such the Washington post has costed Jeff Bezos well over $350,000,000 dollars. There are only so many ‘pretty pennies’ any billionaire can fork over. And nearly ALL AMERICANS are to blame here. Consider the simple truth. If you are an American and you have not bought at least 100 newspapers as since August 2014, you are part of that problem. And I am just considering you part of that problem if you did not buy 100 Newspapers in the period 2013-2026. There are a few more reasons, but that it the crunch. As there are 350,000,000 US Citizens, we can consider you part of that problem if you bought less than 100 newspapers in 12 years. The number should be a lot higher, but you might have the divide attention between the LA Times, Boston Globe, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and a few others. News media is on the way out and they have themselves to blame for it. Instead of setting proper media trenches, America let slip the setting by allowing 6,000 newspapers to exist in the USA. That is a separation of 58,400 people per newspaper and they are all vying for advertisement money, classifieds and attention. Is it a wonder that a place like the Washington Post goes down? The utter stupidity of that is beyond me to understand. I get that there are more newspapers, local newspapers, but consider that there are merely 50 states. Where did the 6,000 newspapers go? It comes down to 120 newspapers PER STATE. And with every iteration that is out there, the big ones suffer, I reckon that several of the newspapers I mentioned are in a similar predicament and that is before they consider the online presence they have or lack to have. As spoken we get the setting (at https://www.npr.org/2026/02/04/nx-s1-5699328/washington-post-layoffs-jobs-bezos) where we see ‘Bezos orders deep job cuts at ‘Washington Post’’ which has much more business sense as a setting and here we see “The Washington Post moved Wednesday at the behest of owner Jeff Bezos to cut a third of its entire workforce. The layoffs affect every corner of the newsroom. In a newsroom Zoom call, Executive Editor Matt Murray called the move “a strategic reset” it needs to compete in the era of artificial intelligence. The paper had not evolved with the times, he said, and the changes were overdue in light of “difficult and even disappointing realities.”” Which is note completely true either. You see, there is no AI at present and all who are appeasing to that “lie” are selling themselves short. Actually AI is still two decades away but the setting that is now coming is creation of events through DML and LLM is real and when verification and validation happens it will become a problem, but as I see it, there is no real validation and verification and that happens by REAL journalists at present (editors too) but as I see it, created stories are a problem and an AI could do my blog if it had what I have and as I see it places like Grok are no where ready because they lack the ability to cater to multi dimensional viewpoints, so at present I am still a superior power there. I reckon that some of these journalistic dinosaurs are similar too (if they are not part of the Jurassic Park franchise) and that is the value they currently have and it is a dwindling setting at present. So when we get

It is hard to disagree (I don’t have any facts on that, but the setting of 3,000,000 paying subscribers does have a handle, it might be too small, it might not, but I think it is too small and the 6,000 newspapers are part of that. I think that a newspaper needs to have journalists, it needs to have a national/global section and I think that over 2,000 papers are unable to do that. They all hope for the materials that floats them and the advertisements that bring them dollars. Not a way to run any newspaper (my number 2,000 is purely speculative and arbitrary) but to see that one third of the newspapers are unable to fill such a gap and merely capture the faces that read headlines is part of the problem. 

That is the setting that I fear that is part of the problem and I do not agree with Jeff Bezos, but he was not part of that problem ever. And to give you the other setting, Wikipedia gives us “In 2018, Khashoggi was murdered by Saudi agents in Istanbul.” This is a blatant lie. I ripped a hole in that UN research with nothing more than logic and there are more settings that never made sense, but that is the world we are in now, “Guilty until proven innocent” that is the era that what some call AI is vying for and until there is proper verification and validating that is all you will get and at some point someone will say “If only we still had the Washington Post” but that is the moment when this is too late. I might live long enough for that moment too come (I am no longer a spring chicken). And at the speed things are coming, I will see this moment and say “You see, I was right all along”, but those in the thick of things will not care and others will feel to hopeless. 

That is the refractionary reality of things to come. Have a great day.

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The Grass on the grave

It comes with a setting. The first is the grass is always greener on the other fellows grave. The other setting is that we are on the setting that we are given that one good turn deserves another.

Do I sound a little weird? Yes, that is the case, but it comes with the numbers that we are being smacked with and as we are considering what a brain drain will do to the United States. This setting is one that might need work.

To set the first stage we are given: 

It concerns over 88,000 people who are getting made redundant in these 5 companies alone, I reckon the whole set will be a lot worse soon enough and when you think that they are with their backs against the wall, consider the following.

That is just Saudi Arabia who is in need for thousands of position, as such the Muslims in America might have a decent solution coming their way and the UAE is in a similar state, both nations needing IT staff, which puts the people at Amazon, Microsoft, IBM and Oracle in a decent state. Both places are in a good setting for job placements and those who cannot live in a more strict muslim way might consider the UAE, but that is not me side setting the job offerings in the mix, but most of these forms are doing it to deal with the cost of data centres and that is not a good enough reason for me. The brain drain that it leads to might be more disastrous than anything else the United States could be headed to.

Now both Saudi Arabia and the UAE could post advertisements in the metro sections of the news papers in the places where these job losses occur with an optional website where these people could apply and upload their resume. At that point it becomes the setting for these two nations to see who they could use and who not. At the setting we see with Aramco (Saudi Arabia) and ADNOC (UAE) and that is before they are looking at people for their data centres. I reckon that the braindyain will be very real for the United States. I reckon that the advertisement we see in the Arab News might soon have a much smaller number. 

So that is the small setting that we are facing now and the job cuts that American companies are putting themselves on, might be the solution that Saudi Arabia, the UAE and even other nations might need. So if you are on that redundancy train, here is a little reminder that “Your next big opportunity may be where you are right now” and lets see that solution work for you, because when you are one of 88,000 the setting does not work in your favor, as such I thought of giving some who might need your expertise to set the stage for you and not against you. 

So you all have a great day and I will find a way for others to know what some of you might be going through at the start of 2026.

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What is true?

That is at time the question. You see there are settings where we see accusations and at times I wonder what is true. The setting given to us is given by Memri (at https://www.memri.org/reports/saudi-arabia-draws-closer-pro-muslim-brotherhood-axis-terror-–-and-wages-intensive-media) and we see:

Now, I have questions, because as much as I understand the given settings from Saudi Arabia and the Muslim Brotherhood. And some sources give me “As of 2015, it is considered a terrorist organization by the governments of Bahrain, Egypt, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.” As such I have doubt that this is the settings that Saudi Arabia is embracing. It makes much more sense (in light of what we see here) that the quote “Saudi Arabia has recently made a sharp turn in policy. While drawing closer to Qatar and Turkey – the patrons of the Muslim Brotherhood, an organization some of whose branches are designated as terrorist in the U.S. –  it is simultaneously waging an unprecedented media campaign against the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is leading a determined global campaign against the Muslim Brotherhood axis of terrorism.” Is a misleading one. There is the definite chance that it is the intention of 

Saudi Arabia for guide Qatar and Turkey away from the Muslim brotherhood as there is much to be gained for all three to see the Muslim brotherhood lose sources of their enablement. Now, I am not Muslim and I don’t see any merit in questioning these settings, but when I look at the critics on Memri, I am given “Critics argue that MEMRI often provides selective, out-of-context translations to portray the Arab and Muslim world negatively, functioning as a pro-Israel propaganda machine.” And as such we would never see any pro-israeli source misrepresent Saudi needs would it? (In case you missed this, the previous part was sarcasm) there are a few settings that don’t ring true (or non-authentic). You see, this was about the Muslim brotherhood as such why do we get “Al-Tuwaijri accused Abu Dhabi of assisting Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza by spying against this organization, providing the location of its rocket launchers, and supplying equipment and ammunition to Israel via bases in Yemen, Eritrea, and Somalia. Finally, he claimed that Abu Dhabi is involved in combating the Muslims and Islamic organizations in the West, which apparently refers to the UAE’s campaign against the Muslim Brotherhood and similar extremist Islamic groups.” It is out of context and to that setting I say ‘Where is the evidence that this is happening?’ I for one do not believe this because the oldest ‘premise’ is that Israel only trusts what Israel can find themselves and they would never ‘rely’ in Arabic intelligence and even if that was the case, no journalist or think tank would ever have that kind of intelligence and from that setting the article sounds another degree of untrue. And whilst some might ‘trust’ the Muslim Brotherhood. To me it comes at a price no one would ever want to pay, not Saudi Arabia and not the UAE. This sounds like an Iranian ploy to drive people asunder and not in a nice way. And at present Iran cannot do anything because the Americans are breathing down there necks and with Hamas out of commission the dubious honor is given to the Muslim Brotherhood. As such there is optional debate on a lot of things, not in the least regarding Y. Yehoshua who in 2026 is said to be working on “As of January 2026, he has been reporting on the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, attacks, including investigations into failures, leadership changes within the IDF, and operations against Hamas leaders.” As I personally see it Hamas and the MB are as much a threat to Saudi Arabia as any enemy they currently have and as such things ring untrue. So when we look at H. Varulkar I get more questions than answers, mainly because I am not Muslim and I do not look at Muslim issues, as such there is a lot I do not know, but the news here does not sound correct. As I see it, at present the ‘job’ of Memri seems to be to create a larger rift between Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Is this true? What is true? I believe it to be the essential repair of the rift between Saudi Arabia and the UAE. And the time is essential for those who want to create a rift between Saudi Arabia and the UAE need to strike now, because as I see it Iran cannot make any moves in the near future and as such they got an Israeli journalist to do their dirty work (it is seemingly the case, whether this is correct is beyond me), but the entire setting comes across as untrue and hollow. And me for one wonders about the article, there is a certain lack off evidence. We merely get the alleged ‘stopgap’ “Bin Bakhit cited the Quranic verse which states that “Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but rather a Muslim monotheist” (Quran 3:67), and emphasized that these two narratives cannot be reconciled.” Perhaps this is an explanation, but if it was, it would be a lot more ‘fattened’ with reason as to why it was an explanation. But here my non-Muslim side comes rearing its head as the meaning by me is diminished to some extent. And for these ‘journalists’ to merely ‘assume’ that one direction is in play is another failing of the article. The fact that the interests of Saudi Arabia was to diminish the hold the Muslim Brotherhood has on Qatar and Turkey is not even contemplated in the article (perhaps it wasn’t needed) and then there is the third setting, Egypt has 120 million people and they regard the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation and recently we were given “In January 2026, the U.S. and Egypt recognized the group as a threat due to its alleged continued involvement in extremist ideologies, terror, and links to organizations like Hamas.” As such I see more reasons why there is a debatable setting to this article and it pushes Saudi Arabia in a setting of distrust by too many ‘allies’ Saudi Arabia has. As such the article comes across as untrue, but then I have been wrong before and I am not Muslim, as such I might not see the elements that matter, but that is my view and as the Western media is currently not to be trusted there are a few settings that allow certain people and organisations to play the cards they have to seed mistrust in too many eyes. 

So am I right? Am I wrong? I reckon it is anyones guess. Have a great day today.

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What is the real alert?

That is the stage I am seeing. Not some (as I personally see it) an alert cry of Barclays getting out of Silver, offering $312 per ounce as the ‘alerting’ video is giving rise to, it looks lovely, but if you check even one setting, we see when we look deeper “a dramatic 2025 where, despite huge short positions, silver prices soared above $90, forcing institutions like TD Securities to close positions at significant losses, as retail and institutional demand causes a severe supply squeeze.” As such was the video a position so that others holding a short setting might unload it unto others? I have no knowledge of commodities, but Abu Dhabi and Dubai were ‘accused’ as the people ‘demanding’ silver as a real commodity, not a settlement or a dollar setting. As such I got curious. There is no 2 week calendar anywhere, but perhaps I wasn’t looking where I needed to look. At present we are given “Barclays holds a strongly bullish position on silver for 2026-2027, projecting significant price increases to $75 $75/oz and $65 $65/oz, respectively, due to expectations of a Federal Reserve easing cycle, a weaker U.S. dollar, and inflationary pressures. These forecasts represent a substantial upgrade in their precious metals outlook, marking a very constructive view on the sector.”, as such I see no closing any market in 2 weeks, or any $312 offering and then there are some questions on billions of ounces the do not exist. 

That setting and the accusation of  fraud is as far as I can tell a setting of optimal liability towards YouTube and its ‘deliverer’ as YouTuber ‘Crises Signal’ what is true? Is he right and is the complete media and banking system corrupt to the core? I would believe the first part, but there are issues with the second part and the accusations towards Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Riyadh does not sit well with me. As I see it, Islam does not reward the deceivers and these three places are loaded with true believers in Islam. Yes, I know that anything is fair in war, but these parties aren’t interested in war, they merely want what is due to them (as we get presented) and is this where the fish are captured to ‘buy’ the short positions. At least that is what I can get out of this and there is a loosely connected second part. 

It was given to me by the Guardian (at https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jan/26/death-penalty-saudi-arabia-executions-essam-shazly-human-rights) where we see ‘‘Don’t they have mercy?’: A mother on losing her son in a record year of Saudi executions’ and the Guardian always ready to collect on ‘human’ suffering. The story is seemingly about “Essam al-Shazly is the latest foreign national to die in a ‘horrifying’ surge in capital punishment under the rule of Mohammed bin Salman” but you are being lied to. Not outright lies, the stories are to ‘include’ and connect Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud to what is happening here, but as I personally see it, he might not even be aware of what is going on. You see, Saudi Arabia has an absolute no tolerance on drugs. This is not new, this has been the case for a long time and as such this is Saudi law. As such the courts convict him and executed him. There is every chance that the Crown Prince might not be aware of the existence of Essam al-Shazly and we are getting shown “far from being a drug trafficker her son fished for a living and was coerced into smuggling, then forced into a confession by Saudi officials.” No matter what we are told, he did smuggle and that comes with the punishment of death. And the ‘forced into a confession’ sounds nice, but did that actually happen? It might, it might not. But the people reading this are thinking “oh, what a poor drug dealer” but you would be wrong. There is an absolute law in Saudi Arabia and it states that in this war on drugs “including the death penalty for smugglers and repeat offenders.” As such it was a given and this has been a given fact for years but these dealers finding mules or smugglers giving out an assumed story “that they have several profitable lines and only those who never done this have a good chance of coming through” all whilst 95% (a speculated number) is getting nabbed at the borders. I reckon that there profit margin is a thousand fold, so if one in a hundred makes it through they still make a fortune and as I see it Essam al-Shazly is one of the 99 who didn’t make it and that is a shame, but the punishment of these crimes is known. As such I wonder who is sacrificing these 99 people so that they get one through and they get the 100 times the investment. I think that these 100 all get send through at nearly the same time, which would buckle the Police system and the bigger the chance would be that 2 out of 100 get through, but this is a pure speculative thought on what is going on. 

So when we get to ““The fault lies with the judge; don’t they have any mercy at all? Drugs are harmful it is true, but you caught a carrier, he is not a dealer,” she says. “Punish him for that.”” No, it does not lie with the judge, the punishment was clear on all smugglers and a carriers is a smuggler, even if you call that person a mule. As such he got punished for that. So whilst we then get the actual price of the Guardian “While Saudi Arabia tries to project a benign international image through hosting major sporting and cultural events, including 2034 World Cup, the execution of hundreds of mostly impoverished foreigners for non-violent drug crimes has gone largely unnoticed and unreported. In some cases, they were sentenced to death for trafficking drugs in return for the promise of just a few hundred dollars.” And in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia there are no ‘non-violent’ drug crimes, there are drug crimes and most of them face the death penalty, and as I see it, merely the first time user who is caught might not get the death penalty. The setting might seem harsh, but Saudi Arabia is not in the market of waging a war on drugs, they are all sentenced to die. And considering that in 2024 we were given “Since 1971, the U.S. has spent more than a trillion dollars on the war on drugs”, I agree that something needs to be done and Saudi Arabia took the other path. And unless there is a better way to capture the people behind the drugs trade, it seems that Saudi Arabia has the only path available to them. Perhaps when the world realizes that any drug action towards Saudi Arabia comes with the death penalty, smugglers and mules will consider that they are in a useless battle they cannot win, because a 1%-3% survival chance is not a real chance you should ever consider. 

And the setting that the Guardian gives us all might seem humanitarian, but it is deceptive. The rules were out there in the open, the Guardian had access to them, So giving is a cry story about a mother exploiting her grief to get a story might be one of the lowest things they have ever done. But when it comes to Saudi hatred the Guardian has always done what it needed to do to get other Saudi haters on the same page of whatever they deem a worthy cause, but I think that America has had its days with the war on drugs and as such I think that the Saudi way might be best for Saudi Arabia and the 30-40 arrests Egyptian smugglers is a price to pay, lets face it, they have 118 million people, they can lose 50, considering the price that Saudi Arabia has to pay when 1000 get addicted you have to consider 0.00004237% versus 0.02832%, in the setting of numbers, the Egyptians lose. When you look at the numbers, the KSA is keeping its population as safe as it can and that is if only 1000 get affected, when the numbers increase the Egyptians end up having even less of a chance. The Guardian needs to get its head straight. We all have priorities and the KSA has its priority and it has capital punishment, as such it seems simple. Someone is making actual war on drugs and is showing no compassion. As such I might suggest an advertisement on Egyptian TV where the KSA makes its sentiment known on TV and newspapers, perhaps when less people take the dangerous step of heading down this path something might be resolved. Perhaps Egyptian authorities will get a name or a place where from they operate. Did the Guardian consider this step? Were they aware of what they were doing?

I don’t know, I am merely asking questions and I am not asking them from Saudi Arabia as their point of view is clear. I might not completely agree with it, but it is their country, they are their laws and 90% of that nation is Sunni Muslim, so are all these convicted people Muslims? As such there is a setting of Muslim law and there is a larger setting here that the Guardian is seemingly actively avoiding. 

Have a great day, make a profit today, but I foresee a danger if you depend on some silver stories out there. 

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Where are we heading?

That is the setting that I foresee and it worries me. I ‘accidentally’ stumbled upon an article (at https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Saudi-Aramco-Dismisses-Oil-Glut-Narrative-as-Seriously-Exaggerated.html) where we can watch a disturbing element. The headline given is ‘Saudi Aramco Dismisses Oil Glut Narrative as ‘Seriously Exaggerated’’it paused me as oil glut is defined as “An oil glut occurs when the global supply of crude oil significantly exceeds demand, resulting in an oversupply that cannot be fully consumed or sol” it would drive prices down, now we are always ‘in the market’ for cheap oil and even as I never gave credence to a car, I get why we need it. So the article gives us “The International Energy Agency (IEA) this week raised its oil demand growth estimate and expects growth at 930,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2026, up by 70,000 bpd from last month’s assessment”, so who is the IEA? As given (at the IEA site) “The IEA family is made up of 32 Member countries, 13 Association countries, and 4 Accession countries seeking IEA membership” now for the interesting setting. This setting does include the United States (Brent oil) but does not include Saudi Arabia (Aramco) or the UAE (ADNOC), how do they get to drive down the price and talk about ‘oil demand’? Especially with the two largest contributors missing, oh, and it is also missing Iran and Venezuela. So is this a place where whining individuals start doing the Oliver Twist (please, can I have some more?) And where is the justice in making anyone produce more? Oil is a finite commodity and the nations who have it have every right to get their stock valued as high as possible (which is not in my best interest) but I gather that the United States have their stock in this through Brent Oil. As we are ‘given’ that “In 2024, the U.S. exported approximately 10.7 million barrels per day (b/d) of petroleum, while importing roughly 8.4 million b/d. The U.S. primarily exports light sweet crude and refined products like gasoline and diesel to over 170 countries.” As such they export 100% of what they import, as such they want the oil as cheap as possible, so their profit margins go up as much as possible. And for them 10,700,000 daily barrels where the price goes down 10%, whilst selling goes u by 5% makes for an interesting spreadsheet. But I do not see that part reflected anywhere do I? As such I wonder who will speak up for Saudi Arabia or the UAE? I personally don’t care that much about Venezuela or Iran but there you have it. A micro economy that is ultimately bending to the will of America and its need for greed. A setting that is not in the interest of either Saudi Arabia or the UAE and we are passing that by for the need of greed?  And when you realise this oil glut is a scenario that the IEA prefers, because they want to spike their profits and that is only possible when they bring oil prices down, but oil will spike and sooner than you think. With these data centers popping out nearly everywhere, the setting gets a much larger spike, because the planet is low on energy resources. And the IEA has you covered there too. They give us “Global electricity generation to supply data centres is projected to grow from 460 TWh in 2024 to over 1000 TWh in 2030 and 1300 TWh in 2035 in the Base Case.” Consider that setting when you consider that the Energy requirements of data centers will more than double over the next 4 years. That comes down to 25% growth a year and the nuclear facilities that are under construction will not come online before 2035. So where will oil stand in that case? I might not care about oil, but when the population of nearly every country will bitch when their petrol prices keep on spiking, year after year.

That is the reality and as I see it, the people ‘needing’ data centers also need oil prices to go down, so how is this fair on Saudi Arabia or the UAE? We seemingly forget on what is fair. The setting is as I see it jumping into the proverbial exploitation setting of the United States and after Venezuela and Greenland, sod we need to give in to the United States, more over can we even consider giving in to this American Administration and its need for greed? They wasted to opportunities they had and they now have a $38,600,000,000,000 debt. I think we have given enough, time to bail out and time to find more responsible people, because some say that greed is eternal, and until now I really never saw it that way. 

We are in a dangerous time and adjusting the ‘economic’ sentiment to what greed America and its vessels have is clearly the wrong move. So whilst the oilprce article gives us “But the market continues to be oversupplied, the Paris-based agency noted. “Indeed, benchmark crude oil prices remain $16/bbl lower than a year ago, reflecting the large global supply surplus that built up over the past 12 months, in line with our forecasts,” the IEA said.” As such the response “Oil glut predictions are seriously exaggerated,” by Aramco’s Nasser seem to be spot on. And it seems he is alone preaching against the choir of greed driven individuals. And as I see it, the IEA seemingly agrees with him. 

So where do we go now?

Have a great day today, I am a mere 150 minutes from breakfast at this time.

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