Heat-related hajj deaths continue to make waves in the foreign press over the weekend, with the reason for the extreme heat behind the rising fatalities this year linked to climate change, Reuters reported, citing a ClimaMeter report. The report claims that human-caused climate change increased the temperatures by 2.5°C to reach 51.8°C in Makkah. “We interpret the Saudi Arabia heatwave as a very uncommon event whose characteristics can mostly be ascribed to human driven climate change,” Davide Faranda, one of the report’s authors said, linking it to “fossil fuel burning.”
Meanwhile, Fox News is out with an opinion piece by Neom advisory board member Ali Shihabi on the importance of the Kingdom’s role in what he describes as a “volatile region.” He argues that a sought defense pact between Riyadh and Washington “would serve to keep the GCC solidly in the US orbit in an increasingly multipolar world.” “These are, after all, states with the resources and the will to actively support the United States in upholding the US.-led regional order,” Shihabi writes.
Also gaining some traction in the foreign press:
- The performances of some Saudi Premier League players in the Euro 2024 is turning heads, beating perceptions about the level of competition in the SPL which is usually deemed subpar. (Reuters)
- Extreme H has unveiled the first hydrogen powered racing car, with the world’s first hydrogen race series set for an opener in Saudi in April next year. (Reuters)