Syz the moment

The Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh won the right to host the Expo 2030 world fair, vote results showed on Tuesday, in another diplomatic victory for a Gulf country after last year's soccer World Cup in Qatar. South Korea's port city of Busan and Rome in Italy were also in the running to host the five-yearly event that attracts millions of visitors and billions of dollars in investment. “Our goal in the Kingdom is to organize the first environmentally friendly exhibition that achieves a zero level of carbon emissions,” Expo blueprint team member Eng. Nouf Bint Majid al-Muneef said. “The Riyadh Expo 2030 site will be powered by clean resources that rely on solar energy, and we are developing high standards for resource efficiencies and detailed strategies to enhance biodiversity, eliminate food waste, and ensure green waste management and recycling.” Source: Reuters, Al Arabiyah

Middle East and Saudi Arabia strategic importance for the global economy and financial markets is growing at a fast pace. BlackRock said Monday that Amin Nasser, the CEO of Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, is joining the asset manager’s board of directors. The world’s largest asset manager said the move reflects the firm’s emphasis on the Middle East as part of its long-term strategy. BlackRock had more than $8 trillion in client assets under management as of 2022. (NB: Not sure that the #esg activists will like it...) Source: CNBC