Author: Mahdeehassan

Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc. (NASDAQ: FFAI) (“FFAI”) and FF EAI Robotics Ecosystem Inc. (NASDAQ: FFR) (formerly AIxCrypto Holdings, Inc. and AIXC) (“FFR”) signed definitive agreements on October 12, 2026, for FFR to acquire FFAI’s robotics assets and business in an all-stock transaction. FFR to become the First U.S.-Listed Pure-Play Humanoid and Bionic EAI Robotics Company under the agreement. The parties agreed on a valuation of approximately $200 million for FFAI’s robotics business and approximately $60 million for FFR on a fully diluted basis. The closing is expected to be completed by the end of October 2026. Los Angeles, CA…

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense has urged the public to exercise caution and stay away from valleys and flood-prone areas as thunderstorms are expected across most regions of the Kingdom, with heavy rain potentially triggering flash floods. The General Directorate of Civil Defense advised residents to remain in safe places, avoid swimming in valleys and areas where water accumulates, and follow official instructions issued through media outlets and social media platforms. According to the National Center for Meteorology’s forecast for Saturday, Oct. 17, moderate to heavy thunderstorms could bring torrential runoff, hail and strong winds that stir up dust and…

RIYADH: Adel Al-Jubeir, minister of state for foreign affairs, climate envoy, and commissioner general of Expo 2030 Riyadh, met Micheal Smith, Ireland’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, in Riyadh on Friday. He also met the Danish and Finnish ambassadors, Merete Juhl and Jukka Pajarinen, later the same day. The minister and the diplomats discussed mutual interests, the Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry said on X on Friday.

JEDDAH: Friends gathering for the weekend, traffic on busy roads and residents heading to work and college are among the everyday scenes that people in Jeddah say have continued despite regional tensions. Residents who spoke to Arab News expressed confidence in their safety, with many saying daily life in the coastal city remained largely unchanged. “Life in Jeddah is going on as usual, and everything feels calm and normal,” Saudi national Ahlam Alhindi said. “I personally feel safe living here, and I’m happy that we can continue our daily lives without worrying too much. I’m grateful for the safety and…

DHAHRAN: It took Riyadh-resident Amal Sghaier nearly 22 hours and several detours to return home from her vacation in South Korea this week. Airport closures due to recent unrest meant her original journey was not possible, so she entered the Kingdom by car via King Fahd Causeway. While she enjoyed her first trip to Seoul, she was adamant she would not extend her eight-day trip. Despite pleas from loved ones to divert to her native Tunisia or elsewhere; she wanted to return to Saudi Arabia. “I want to go home,” she told anyone who suggested she should delay her trip…

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Syrian counterpart, Asaad Al-Shaibani, met on Friday in Riyadh to discuss strengthening ties and addressing shared regional challenges. During the talks, Al-Shaibani reaffirmed Syria’s solidarity with Saudi Arabia following recent Houthi attacks on civilian facilities in the Kingdom. He said Saudi security was integral to the security of Syria and the wider region. The ministers also highlighted their commitment to closer cooperation in addressing shared regional challenges. The meeting followed a phone call between the ministers on Oct. 11, during which Al-Shaibani condemned the Houthi militia’s attacks on Riyadh’s King…

CAIRO: Saudi Arabia called for stronger regional cooperation on health-related issues, and greater investment in prevention, public health and primary care, during a three-day World Health Organization meeting that concluded on Thursday in Cairo. Health ministers and senior representatives from the 22 countries and territories in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region who gathered for the regional committee’s 73rd session discussed ways in which health systems could be strengthened amid protracted emergencies and diminishing resources. Nouf Alnumair, Saudi Arabia’s deputy minister for international cooperation at the Ministry of Health, led the Kingdom’s delegation. She outlined healthcare reforms that have taken place…

Bandar Al-Khorayef, Saudi Arabia’s minister of state and acting governor of the General Authority for Military Industries, recently delivered a lecture at King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Command and Staff College of the Ministry of National Guard on military industries, localization and building sustainable national capabilities in the Kingdom. The lecture was attended by Maj. Gen. Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Anazi, the college’s commander, and several ministry officials, the Saudi Press Agency reported. Al-Khorayef reviewed the development of the military industries sector under Saudi Vision 2030, including efforts to localize industries and technologies and build sustainable defense capabilities, strengthening the Kingdom’s strategic…

RIYADH: Japan’s foreign minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, on Thursday offered his condolences for the loss of lives in recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. During a call with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Motegi said that attacks on civilians were intolerable, as he affirmed Japan’s condemnation of a series of strikes against the Kingdom this month by the Iran-backed militia in Yemen, which have killed at least 20 people and injured more than 350. He “strongly called on the Houthis to immediately stop escalating the situation and has directly called on Iran to urge the Houthis to exercise restraint…

BEIRUT: The UN Security Council on Thursday condemned “in the strongest terms” the escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, and affirmed the Kingdom’s “inherent right” to self-defense. The presidential statement highlighted in particular the deadly strikes against Riyadh’s main airport this month. Council members condemned “the reckless strikes” on Oct. 10 and 11 targeting King Khalid International Airport, which killed 14 people and wounded more than 300. They also cited “multiple strikes on other airports and Saudi Aramco facilities” across the Kingdom, which they said had hit civilian aviation and energy infrastructure and killed and injured civilians. The comments marked…