Good morning, fellow fans of weekend relaxation. We have a light (but engaging) issue for you this morning before we all slide into the first weekend of Ramadan.

PSA- Civil defense officials are still warning that rain and thunderstorms are in the forecast through Sunday for Asir, Jazan, Qassim, the Eastern Province, Madinah, Hail, and the Northern Borders. Expect moderate to heavy rain with a risk of flash floods and blowing sand. Taif, Tabuk, and Madinah could also see periods of heavy rain through the weekend.

Winds will continue to be stiff across those areas through Tuesday, according to our favorite weather app.

☁️WEEKEND WEATHER–Expect a mix of sun and clouds today over Riyadh with a daytime high of 31°C falling to 19°C overnight. It’s shaping up to be a cloudy weekend, with the overcast weather continuing through Tuesday. Expect plenty of wind Sunday through Tuesday in the capital city.

So, when do we eat? Maghrib prayers are at 6:02 pm today and you’ll have until 4:44 am tomorrow to finish your sohour.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

Local mining company Khatawat is reportedly one of four bidders for gold exploration rights in two areas near Egypt’s Sukari gold mine, Asharq Business reports, citing an unnamed Egyptian official. Canada’s Lotus Gold, Russia’s Infinity, and Nubian Mining are also reportedly vying for the projects. Shalateen Mineral Resource Company launched the international tender in May 2022 for gold exploration rights at five different sites.

PSAs-

#1- Private sector companies interested in bidding for outdoor advertising on highways between cities can submit their offers to the Roads General Authority (RTA) by no later than Monday, 6 May, the RTA said in a post on X.

#2- Government employees looking to switch into other departments or other roles can apply through a newly launched job mobility service by the Human Resources and Social Development Ministry (HRSD), according to a post on X. The new service aims to facilitate direct and external transfers among government entities.

SPORTS-

⚽ In the Saudi Pro League tonight we have three matches kicking off at 10pm: Abha will be facing Al-Wehda | Al-Hazm vs. Al-Shabab | and Al-Khaleej vs. Al-Akhdoud.

Tomorrow: Al Ahli vs. Al Nassr | Al Tai vs. Al Ettifaq | Al Feiha vs Al Riyadh — all at 10pm.

Saturday, 16 March: Al Hilal vs. Damac | Al Fateh vs Al Ittihad | Al Raed vs. Al Taawoun — again, all at 10pm.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

It’s a toss-up between the US presidential election and Tiktok for which story is getting the most attention this morning in the global business press. Media outlets around the world are taking stock of Trump v. Biden, Round II — it’s the first rematch between US presidential contenders since 1956. They’re also asking what’s next for Tiktok after the House of Representatives voted yesterday to give owner ByteDance six months to sell it or face a ban in the US of A.

Must-read on the US election:Biden and Trump clinch nominations, setting the stage for a grueling general election rematch (Associated Press).

Must-read on TikTok:What’s next for TikTok and its US users after House approves ban (Financial Times).

Cue the protectionists: Overseas takeovers of high-profile western companies are raising hackles in London and Washington. Rishi Sunak is pushing for legislation that would prevent UAE-backed RedBird IMI from bidding for The Telegraph. And across the pond, Joe Biden is expected to speak out today against Nippon Steel’s USD 14.9 bn bid for US Steel.

Closer to home:

SIGN OF THE TIMES-

A Cayman Islands court has frozen lawyer Ronald William Gibbs’ access to USD 45 mn worth of assets — including a superyacht, Cayman Compass reports. This development follows in a recent UK court ruling where Gibss was ordered to pay USD 45 mn in damages to Princess Deema bint Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for misappropriation of funds. The latest ruling freezes all of Gibbs assets and prevents him from selling his multi-mn USD yacht. Gibbs is a former partner at global law firm Linklaters.

In context: Princess Deema had entrusted Gibbs with USD 25 mn to buy a property in Paris back in 2011, before she changed her mind. She has been asking for her funds back — which had been gifted to her by her father before his death — since 2013.

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