DUBAI: Saudi Arabian state oil group Aramco on Tuesday reported a 44.6 percent drop in third-quarter net profit, in line with analysts’ estimates, dented by lower crude oil prices and volumes sold as the coronavirus crisis choked demand.
Weaker refining and chemicals margins have also hit the company’s net profit, which fell to $11.79 billion for the quarter ended Sept. 30 from $21.29 billion riyals last year.
Analysts had expected a net profit of $11.89 billion in the third quarter, according to the mean estimate from three analysts, provided by Refinitiv.
“We saw early signs of a recovery in the third quarter due to improved economic activity, despite the headwinds facing global energy markets,” Saudi Aramco Chief Executive Officer Amin Nasser said in a statement.
The company said it would distribute a dividend of $18.75 billion for the third quarter of this year, in line with its plan to pay a base dividend of $75 billion for 2020.
Saudi Aramco Q3 profit slumps 44.6% as coronavirus pandemic chokes demand
https://arab.news/m3fb8
Saudi Aramco Q3 profit slumps 44.6% as coronavirus pandemic chokes demand
- Weaker refining and chemicals margins have also hit the company’s net profit
- Company said it would distribute a dividend of $18.75 billion for the third quarter of this year
NYC college suspends officer who told pro-Palestinian protester ‘I support killing all you guys’
- An unidentified protester filmed the officer at Thursday’s graduation for the College of Staten Island, part of the public City University of New York system that was rocked by a recent police crackdown on campus protests
NEW YORK: A campus safety officer at a public college in New York City has been suspended after footage circulated online showing him cursing at pro-Palestinian protesters during a graduation ceremony and saying he supported killing them all, the school confirmed Friday.
An unidentified protester filmed the officer at Thursday’s graduation for the College of Staten Island, part of the public City University of New York system that was rocked by a recent police crackdown on campus protests.
In a highly edited video shared by Instagram accounts affiliated with student protest organizers, a demonstrator can be heard yelling at the officer, “You support genocide!”
“Yes I do, I support genocide,” says the officer. “I support killing all you guys, how about that?”
In another clip posted in the video, the officer can be heard hurling an expletive at another protester, followed by “your mother.”
Phone calls and emails seeking comment from the officer on Friday were unsuccessful. A person who answered a number listed under his name hung up when a reporter identified themself, and emails were not immediately returned.
CUNY confirmed the suspension Friday but declined to provide details, such as whether the officer was on paid leave.
“We condemn the offensive language used by a CUNY officer,” College of Staten Island spokesperson David Pizzuto said in a statement. “His words don’t reflect the values of the College of Staten Island or the 50 officers on our Public Safety staff. The officer has been suspended pending a full review of the incident, and we will take further action as appropriate.”
Protest camps sprang up across the US and in Europe as students demand their universities stop doing business with Israel or companies that support its war efforts. Organizers seek to amplify calls to end Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which they describe as a genocide against the Palestinians.
The United Nations’ top court ordered Israel on Friday to immediately halt its military offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, but stopped short of ordering a ceasefire for entire Palestinian territory. The International Court of Justice has said there is a “plausible risk of genocide” in Gaza — a charge Israel strongly denies.
Where We Are Going Today: Amm Shaltat
If you are a fan of Egyptian pastries, particularly Mushaltat, then look no further than Amm Shaltat, which translates to Master of Mushaltat, for their specialization in this delectable pie.
Amm Shaltat have garnered great success since opening their first branch in Riyadh. Now with a new location on Palestine Street in Jeddah, they bring their authentic flavors closer to home.
The dish is made by layering thinly rolled dough with fresh ghee, which is then folded multiple times to create a flaky, multi-layered structure reminiscent of puff pastry. Before baking, it is brushed with ghee or butter to achieve a golden brown, crispy crust.
The traditional rural Egyptian Mushaltat pie is a beloved savory pastry known for a flavorful mixture of minced meat, sausage, mixed cheeses, vegetables and many other fillings.
Mushaltat is enjoyed as a snack, breakfast, or main dish in Egypt. It is believed to be a great source of energy because it is high in calories. Some enjoy it plain with honey and feta cheese, while others prefer sweet variations filled with cream or chocolate and topped with powdered sugar.
Many visitors indulge in the sweet Mushaltat pie which feels like being transported to the bustling streets of downtown Cairo. The sausage pies deliver the same perfect taste.
However, the restaurant should perhaps consider looking at operational efficiencies. There are seemingly too few ovens and an inadequate ordering system, which has resulted in long queues and many dissatisfied customers.
For more information, visit their Instagram page @3m.shaltat.
A journey through time: Tahlel Museum’s tribute to Asir’s culture
- The museum is home to many heritage pieces, including coins, traditional costumes, wood art, and agricultural tools
- It also includes the owner's artistic works of Al-Qatt Al-Asiri, geometric shapes, and tribal symbols painted in vibrant colors
ASIR: Perched atop the Souda Mountains in the Abha region of Asir province in southern Saudi Arabia is a modest museum created by an Asiri woman called Halima Asiri.
Passionate about old Saudi heritage, Asiri established the Tahlel Museum in a small traditional house.
It includes many heritage pieces, including coins, traditional costumes, wood art, and agricultural tools. It also includes her artistic works of Al-Qatt Al-Asiri, geometric shapes, and tribal symbols painted in vibrant colors.
“This is my small museum, where I exhibit the work of Al-Qatt Al-Asiri, a kind of natural color painting that have been certified by UNESCO as part of the list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Each pattern has a name and a symbolic meaning. Men do not practice this art, thus women are the only ones who specialize in it,” Asiri told Arab News.
Asiri is one of the few women who still uses natural materials to create the art of Al-Qatt Al-Asiri. These colors are extracted from coal, rice, turmeric, pomegranate peel, stones and other sources.
“I take 24 colors from nature, such as clover, coal, stone, and leaves, grind them into a paste, and use that paste to paint canvases and walls,” she said.
Ancient coffee and teapots, clay cups, copper household utensils, and other artifacts are on display in one of the rooms.
“The handcrafted items found here date back to 400-500 years, and the people of the Asir region used them all,” Asiri said.
She incorporated a model of the old town in which she formerly resided in the museum. The town has since fallen into ruin.
“The old roads were difficult, and women had to carry wood, walk, and climb mountains to get to their homes. The model that I constructed depicts the hardship and strength of women in Asir,” she explained.
The museum also features the traditional attire worn by women in the Asir region.
“I have items of clothing that Asir women wear on their wedding night. I also have regular clothes, like straw hats,” she added.
Asiri started collecting antiques that date back centuries when she was young, and she made sure to collect antiques and present them in her museum in a unique way.
There are numerous kinds of swords, weapons, and clothing that the locals used in battle displayed on the walls.
The location also features a workshop where guests can learn how to paint Al-Qatt Al-Asiri works, in addition to selling her artwork on commission.
“I teach Al-Qatt Al-Asiri art as a trainer. I frequently get big groups of people, and not so long ago, I trained a group of foreign women,” she said.
The museum is also linked to a cafe where she serves traditional Asiri dishes like areekah using natural honey.
“Many foreigners have visited, including ambassadors and ministers,” she said.
Asiri greets visitors when entering the museum with a famous Asiri phrase, “a thousand welcomes.”
Owing to its natural beauty and rich cultural heritage, the Asir region is highly sought-after by those seeking to explore unspoiled landscapes, wander through charming villages, and explore historic castles.
Gaza zookeeper fears for his animals after fleeing Rafah
KHAN YOUNIS: In a cowshed in Gaza’s Khan Younis, zookeeper Fathi Ahmed Gomaa has created a temporary home for dozens of animals, including lions and baboons, having fled with them from Israel’s offensive in Rafah.
“We’ve moved all the animals we had, except for three big lions that remain (in Rafah),” he said.
“I ran out of time and couldn’t move them.” Ahmed abandoned his zoo in Rafah when Israel ordered the evacuation of parts of the southern Gazan city.
Before the offensive, the city on the border with Egypt had been spared a ground invasion, and more than half of the Gaza Strip’s population was sheltering there.
Now, the Israeli offensive has sent more than 800,000 people fleeing from Rafah, according to the UN, with Gomaa and his family among them.
“I am appealing to the Israeli authorities: these animals have no connection to terrorism,” Gomaa said, saying he wanted their help in coordinating with aid agencies to rescue the lions left behind in Rafah.
He fears they won’t survive long on their own.
“Of course, within a week or 10 days, if we don’t get them out, they will die because they’ll be left with no food or water.”
Gomaa said he had already lost several of his animals to the war: “Three lion cubs, five monkeys, a newborn monkey, and nine squirrels.”
And while the squawking of parrots fills the air, many of Gomaa’s other birds are no longer with him.
“I released some of the dogs, some of the hawks and eagles, some of the pigeons, and some of the ornamental birds. I released many of them because we didn’t have cages to transport them.”
In the cowshed, Gomaa is making do with what he has, using improvised fencing to raise the heights of the pens so that their new inhabitants, spotted deer, can’t leap out.
Israeli troops began their assault on Rafah on May 7, defying widespread international concern for the safety of the 1.4 million civilians sheltering in the city.
EU considers possible Rafah border mission, diplomats say
BRUSSELS: Talks on deploying a EU mission at the Rafah border crossing in Gaza are at a preliminary stage and the deployment will not happen without an end to the war between Israel and Hamas, a senior EU official said on Friday.
EU foreign ministers will hold their monthly meeting in Brussels on Monday, and discuss how to improve humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza.
Two diplomats said the US had suggested the EU revive its EU Border Assistance Mission or EUBAM Rafah, which has not been operational since 2007, when Hamas seized full control of Gaza.
The crossing is the main entry point for aid from Egypt and has been closed since Israeli forces took control of it from the Gazan side nearly three weeks ago.
Rafah city is now fire in an Israeli military assault, which judges at the top UN court said on Friday should immediately halt.
“Even if we now have people on the ground talking to the different parties and seeing how it could be done, we are in a very preliminary part of the story,” said the senior official.
The official said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell could be mandated by the 27 members on Monday to come up with “some kind of operative conclusions that could allow the mission to deploy.”
He said a deployment could not happen “in the current circumstances, not in war circumstances.”
“We are talking about the future,” the official said.
Three EU diplomats said the discussion would be on the table, but there was nothing concrete to discuss. One said the proposal was a “long shot.”
The mission would need unanimous approval from EU member states. Also, EUBAM is a civilian mission, and given the potentially dangerous nature of the operation, personnel and equipment would need to be adapted.
Diplomats said that such a mission could go ahead only if Egypt and Israel were also in favor.
Two US officials said Washington was reviewing options to secure the opening of the Rafah crossing, but no definitive plans have been developed yet. Israel began its offensive in Gaza after Hamas’ deadly attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7.
