China In-Focus — Bezos raises questions on Twitter in China; BMW and Audi suspend shipments by train – Arab News
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BEIJING: With Twitter agreeing to Elon Musk’s $44 billion offer, speculation is rife about how will this change the social media platform’s Chinese content policy.
Twitter is blocked in China, where Musk, the world’s richest person, has key business interests.
There are questions on what the deal will mean for Twitter’s China content policy as Musk’s Tesla relies heavily on China for production and vehicle sales.
Amazon.com Inc. founder Jeff Bezos has asked in a post on Twitter if Elon Musk’s $44 billion cash deal to buy Twitter gives China “a bit of leverage over the town square.”
“My own answer to this question is probably not. The more likely outcome in this regard is complexity in China for Tesla, rather than censorship at Twitter,” he later tweeted.
Musk said in a tweet on Monday: “I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means.”
Political activists expect that Musk’s ownership of Twitter will mean less moderation and reinstatement of banned individuals including former US President Donald Trump.
BMW and Audi suspend shipments by train to China, Nikkei reports
German carmakers BMW and Volkswagen’s Audi have suspended shipments of cars by rail from Germany to China due to the war in Ukraine, the Nikkei business daily reported.
The suspension comes almost two months after BMW said it had halted the export of cars to Russia and would stop production on the ground there.
“Due to the current geopolitical situation, our train transport on the Silk Road and Trans-Siberian Railway has temporarily been switched to alternative routes or transportation modes to ensure planning and supply security,” the report quoted a BMW spokeswoman as saying.
Audi, BMW and Volkswagen did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters.
In March, Audi said it was adjusting its manufacturing operations at its Hungarian factory, which accounts for a chunk of the country’s exports, because of the war in Ukraine.
(With inputs from Reuters)
RIYADH: To develop Saudi Arabia’s second wind power generation project, the renewable energy team at the Energy Ministry is expected to issue a request for qualifications for the contract by the third quarter of 2022.
The Yanbu wind independent power project has a planned capacity of 850 megawatts, according to MEED.
Along with the hybrid concentrated solar power and the solar photovoltaic project in Hinakiyah, the Yanbu wind scheme makes up round 4 of Saudi Arabia’s National Renewable Energy Program.
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Commerce issued 5,319 commercial registers in the entertainment sector in 2022 so far, Al-Eqtisadiah reported.
It said 683 registers were issued for parks, while 1,351 for entertainment centers and 3,285 for event organizations.
The ministry noted that all registers are active.
Riyadh achieved the highest number of commercial registers, followed by Makkah and the Eastern Province.
RIYADH: The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority has launched the next phase of its 7 billion dirhams ($1.9 billion) smart grid strategy, covering the years 2021 to 2035, according to MEED.
The first phase of the state utility firm’s program from 2014 to 2035 has achieved its short-term goals, MEED reported citing DEWA.
Between 2015 and 2020, the firm has replaced electricity and water meters with smart meters. Over 2 million meters are automatically read.
Between 2015 and 2017, DEWA fully automated its transmission network connected to the 400 kilovolt and 132 kilovolt substations.
RIYADH: Algeria has cautioned that it will halt natural gas flows to Spain if it re-exports supplies as diplomatic tensions with Morocco escalate, according to Bloomberg.
This comes as the Spanish energy minister Teresa Ribera announced that Madrid will allow for gas flows to Morocco via the Maghreb-European pipeline, also known as MEG.
“We see the Algerian warning as a reminder that no Algerian gas should go to Morocco. We expect Morocco to announce a specific LNG contract in Spain with specific volumes, and this should hopefully address the concerns,” Bloomberg reported, citing analysts from investment banking firm JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Algeria poses as Europe’s largest supplier after Russia and Norway, providing as much as 8 percent of its gas imports.
On the other hand, Morocco is planning to purchase liquified natural gas and direct it to Spanish re-gasification terminals, to be later piped through the MEG pipeline, according to Morocco’s energy minister Leila Benali.
Since the MEG pipeline is owned by Moroccan, Spanish, and Portuguese firms, flows can be reversed without Algeria’s consent, according to Morocco.
RIYADH: Abu Dhabi’s real estate developer Aldar Properties is planning an initial public offering of three of its fully owned business divisions next year, the company’s CEO told Sky News Arabia.
Talal Al Dhiyebi said the company will potentially offer shares in its three core businesses – Aldar Education, Aldar Estates, and Aldar Hospitality and Leisure.
He revealed a long-term plan to invest 10 billion dirhams ($2.7 billion) in various sectors, with a particular focus on Saudi Arabian and Egyptian markets.
Aldar had earlier reported solid financial results during the first quarter of 2022, as the acquisition of Egypt’s SODIC last year gave it a strong boost.
During the last six months, the firm completed 5.5 billion dirhams worth of acquisition deals in Egypt and the UAE, the executive noted.
