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A6 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 24 November 2020
Yemen rebels claim attack on Saudi oil facility in Jiddah

By JON GAMBRELL to a request for comment.
Associated Press Its stock traded slightly
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates up Monday on Riyadh’s
(AP) — Yemen’s Houthi reb- Tadawul stock exchange
els said they struck a Saudi as crude oil prices re-
oil facility in the port city of mained steady above $40
Jiddah on Monday with a a barrel.
new cruise missile, just hours The claimed attack comes
after the kingdom finished just after a visit by outgo-
hosting its virtual Group of ing U.S. Secretary of State
20 leaders summit. Mike Pompeo to the king-
The kingdom did not im- dom to see Crown Prince
mediately acknowledge Mohammed bin Salman , a
any attack as videos on so- meeting that reportedly in-
cial media suggested a fire cluded Israeli Prime Minister
struck a Saudi Arabian Oil Benjamin Netanyahu. The
Co. facility in Jiddah before kingdom also just hosted
dawn. A later satellite pho- the annual G-20 summit,
to also suggested a fire oc- which concluded Sunday.
curred. Brig. Gen. Yehia Sa- A Saudi-led coalition has
rie, a Houthi military spokes- This Monday, Nov. 23, 2020 satellite image from Planet Labs Inc. annotated by TankerTrackers. been battling the Irani-
man, tweeted that the com, shows a damaged tank and fire-suppressing foam on the ground at a Saudi Arabian Oil Co. an-backed Houthis since
rebels fired a new Quds-2 facility in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia. March 2015, months after
cruise missile at the facility. Associated Press the rebels seized Yemen’s
He posted a satellite image lar to the bulk plant on fire, A satellite photo from Plan- mediate precautions to capital, Sanaa. The war has
online that matched Ar- with wailing sirens heard et Labs Inc. later published take in the event of an at- ground into a stalemate
amco’s North Jiddah Bulk and police cars alongside by TankerTrackers.com ap- tack and stay alert in case since, with Saudi Arabia
Plant, where oil products a highway by the facil- peared to show damage to of additional future at- facing international criti-
are stored in tanks. ity. Details of the videos one of the tanks at the bulk tacks.” cism for its airstrikes killing
That facility is just southeast posted predawn Monday plant and what appeared Saudi state-run media civilians. The Houthis have
of Jiddah’s King Abdulaziz matched the general lay- to be fire-suppression foam did not acknowledge the used Quds, or “Jerusalem,”
International Airport, a ma- out of the bulk plant. How- on the ground near it. Houthi claim. Saudi Ar- missiles to target Saudi Ara-
jor airfield that handles in- ever, passers-by could not The U.S. Consulate in Jid- amco, the kingdom’s oil bia in the past. The Quds-
coming Muslim pilgrims en see damage to the tank dah said it wasn’t aware giant that now has a sliver 1 has a copy of a small,
route to nearby Mecca. farm from the highway run- of any casualties from the of its worth traded publicly Czech-made TJ-100 jet en-
Online videos appeared ning beside the facility later claimed attack. It urged on the stock market, did gine, with a range of 700 ki-
to show a tank farm simi- Monday morning. Americans to “review im- not immediately respond lometers (435 miles). q

UAE eases limits on foreign ownership to attract investors

By ISABEL DEBRE of the freewheeling image COVID-19 has battered
Associated Press that the UAE, with its 8 mil- its economy, which draws
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- lion foreigners and just 1 largely from the tourism,
ates (AP) — The United million Emiratis, sought to hospitality and aviation in-
Arab Emirates has relaxed project to the world. dustries.
and removed a range of The dramatic changes The presidential decree
limits on foreign ownership come as the UAE has that alters the corpo-
of companies, state-run spent billions of dollars rate law helps the UAE
media reported Monday, preparing to host some 25 “strengthen its leading
in the country’s latest bid million visitors for the World position regionally and
to boost its global status Expo, which was pushed globally as an attractive
and attract foreign in- back to 2021 because of destination for projects
vestors.The overhaul sig- the pandemic. The emir- and companies,” state-
nals yet another startling ates also expect Israelis to run WAM news agency re- In this Nov. 18, 2020 file photo, people walk past the U.S.A
change for the federation join the legions of foreign- ported. Pavilion at the site of Dubai Expo 2020, in Dubai, United Arab
of seven desert sheikh- ers who have opened up The reforms allow foreign Emirates.
doms as it grapples with businesses and bought entrepreneurs and inves- Associated Press
the economic fallout of apartments in the coastal tors to set up their own
the pandemic. cities of Dubai and Abu companies without involv- sitions and serve as chairs ing quotas and retain full
Earlier this month, the UAE Dhabi following a break- ing local shareholders, for onshore companies. foreign ownership would
announced a series of re- through U.S.-brokered nor- the agency said. That’s a Companies that want to set up shop.
forms to its Islamic legal malization deal between welcome development be publicly traded will be The move deals a ma-
code, allowing unmarried the countries. Dubai in for the country’s many able to sell up to 70% of jor blow to longstanding
couples to cohabitate, particular, which was tee- expatriates who long had their shares instead of the rentier benefits for Emirati
improving protections for tering on the brink of an their ownership capped current 30% limit. citizens, many of whom
women and loosening re- economic downturn be- at 49% in firms outside free The amendments will cer- made their livings as fig-
strictions on alcohol con- fore the pandemic thanks zones. Other legal amend- tainly diminish the appeal urehead company part-
sumption. The country’s Is- to a weak real estate mar- ments remove quotas re- of 45 “free” zones across ners. Still, no one expects
lamic “personal” laws had ket, is eager for the influx quiring that Emiratis hold the UAE, where those public resistance from lo-
at times flown in the face of capital and travelers. the majority of board po- wanting to avoid local-hir- cals. q