SAUDI ARABIA/FRANCE : New intermediaries between Paris and Riyadh

Spotlight SAUDI ARABIA 15/11/2017

Mbs has sidelining people in defence circles who were not under his control.

Defence industry channels in disarray

In a massive purge on November 4, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman managed to achieve what no other Saudi Arabian leader has done - sidelining people in defence circles who were not under his control. [...]

Spotlight SAUDI ARABIA FRANCE 05/07/2017

Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's new crown prince

French seek new negotiation channels for Saudi deals

Paris is looking to get back in with the Saudis after the flurry of deals that Riyadh has struck with the US in a blossoming relationship underscored by Donald Trump's visit last month. [...]

FRANCE 23/11/2016

French desperately seek Sawwaf

The French foreign ministry encouraged Mazen Al Sawwaf to go into partnership with French companies wanting to invest in Saudi Arabia, but the businessman has left them high and dry. [...]

SAUDI ARABIA 09/11/2016

Defence companies discover Al Jadaan

The departure of Saudi Arabia’s finance minister Ibrahim Al Assaf on October 31 has prompted concern among Western defence companies because a number of big contracts were awaiting his approval. [...]

SAUDI ARABIA 09/11/2016

Mazen Al Sawwaf

Mazen Al Sawwaf, the ephemeral Franco-Saudi intermediary whom former French [...]

SAUDI ARABIA FRANCE 26/10/2016

Francioli triumphs in Riyadh

According to our sources, the Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG) is poised to relaunch its acquisitions after several months of [...]

Spotlight SAUDI ARABIA FRANCE 02/03/2016

Salman re-writes Saudi deal-making rules

The surprise news on February 22 that Saudi Arabia had ordered six observation satellites from the US company DigitalGlobe, following on from Riyadh's brutal ditching of the Euros 3 billion DONAS three-way package of French military materiel for Lebanon, has [...]

SAUDI ARABIA FRANCE 16/12/2015

ODAS stays in game thanks to MIC

France's military exports bureau ODAS, headed by Edouard Guillaud, organised [...]

SAUDI ARABIA 02/12/2015

Kashoggis reappear under Salman Free

OSC Group, the British company that provides outsourced services to companies, has turned to one of Riyadh's oldest networks to [...]

Insiders SAUDI ARABIA 28/10/2015

Mohammed Bin Salman, the team behind Saudi Arabia's new strong man

At a little over 30 years old, Mohammed Bin Salman has in a matter of months become Saudi Arabia's strong man. He is the all-powerful Minister of Defence, head of the royal court, director of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs and chairman of the supreme council of Saudi Aramco and has control over all major affairs.Whether it be operations in Yemen against the rebel Houthis or negoti [...]

SAUDI ARABIA 23/09/2015

Nesma, the new Binladin Group

A new player looks set to replace Saudi BinLadin Group as the go-to partner for Western companies after construction contracts in Saudi Arabia. [...]

SAUDI ARABIA EUROPE 23/09/2015

Jeddah urban train deal sorts men from boys

Major Western companies are keeping a close eye on the tender to build Jeddah's new underground rail line. The outcome will indicate which intermediaries have clout in King Salman's Saudi Arabia. [...]

Special report SAUDI ARABIA FRANCE 08/09/2015

The new business networks between Paris and Riyadh

Special investigation into new Franco-Saudi business networks

Much has changed in the way Saudi Arabian defence deals are signed and sealed since King Salman bin Abdelaziz acceded to the throne in January. The businessmen who unwisely hitched their wagon to Mutaib bin Abdullah, the head of the Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG) and favourite son of the late King Abdullah bin Abdelaziz, are now out of the picture. The new and all-powerful defence minister Mo [...]

Spotlight SAUDI ARABIA FRANCE 24/06/2015

Alwaleed's Franco-Saudi networks takeover

With the next meeting of the Franco-Saudi Business Council due to take place on June 24, Saudi Arabian Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, the billionaire businessman who heads the vast conglomerate Kingdom Holding, is looking to take a [...]

SAUDI ARABIA FRANCE 10/06/2015

Laurent Fabius

Laurent Fabius, the French foreign minister, recently met his Saudi [...]

SAUDI ARABIA FRANCE 27/05/2015

Mohammed bin Salman

Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi Arabian deputy crown prince, defence [...]

SAUDI ARABIA FRANCE 13/05/2015

Interception, the secret part of DONAS contract

According to Intelligence Online's sources, the Franco-Lebanese defence contract being financed by Riyadh includes the supply of electronic interception materiel. [...]

SAUDI ARABIA 29/04/2015

SANG takes tribal tack in Yemen Free

King Salman bin Abdelaziz’s move to engage the Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG) in Operation Decisive Storm in Yemen on [...]

Spotlight SAUDI ARABIA 25/03/2015

Who are King Salman's new "treasurers" ?

While King Salman bin Abdelaziz settles in as Saudi Arabia's new ruler, the business community has also been busily positioning itself around him. Intelligence Online has the inside track on who are the business leaders closest to the new ruling [...]

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES UNITED STATES 11/03/2015

Al Mady tasked with reforming MIC

By appointing Mohammed Al Mady to head the publicly owned Military Industries Corp (MIC), King Salman Bin Adbelaziz is hoping to bring the company closer to the US. [...]

UNITED STATES CHINA SAUDI ARABIA 25/02/2015

Washington relaxes drone export rules

The Department of State announced on February 17 that it was going to facilitate US drone exports, all the better to avoid its Middle Eastern allies procuring the technology from China. [...]

PAKISTAN SAUDI ARABIA 25/02/2015

Salman renews nuclear pact with ISI

According to our sources, a Pakistani delegation travelled secretly to Riyadh on February 3 to reaffirm the strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia after King Salman bin Adbulaziz's accession to the throne. [...]

SAUDI ARABIA 11/02/2015

National Guard's future in doubt

While its troops are heavily deployed along the country's southern [...]

Spotlight SAUDI ARABIA 11/02/2015

King Salman deploys security trio

Saudi Arabia's new King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud appointed his son Mohamed bin Salman as defence minister and director of the royal court on January 23, handing him responsibility for the security woes currently facing the kingdom. Flanking the new [...]

SAUDI ARABIA 28/01/2015

Behind the scenes of Salman's accession

Salman bin Abdulaziz's accession to the throne took place as planned but behind the scenes it was accompanied by an epic palace battle. [...]

Breaking news SAUDI ARABIA 23/01/2015

King Salman will rely on Mohammed bin Salman and Mohamed bin Nayef

Following last night's death of King Abdullah, his successor Salman bin Abdelaziz has begun forming a smaller governing team which [...]

SAUDI ARABIA FRANCE UNITED STATES 14/01/2015

Paris, Washington's succession choices

Western capitals are speculating about the succession of King Abdullah, who was hospitalised on December 31. [...]

SAUDI ARABIA FRANCE 03/09/2014

Lebanese procurement package still unsigned

Much to the chagrin of French President François Hollande, Saudi [...]

Insiders EUROPEMIDDLE EAST 16/07/2014

The Fustok brothers, guardians of the financial secrets of King Abdullah

Brothers Mansour and Salah Fustok, are Lebanese Sunnis who have been established in the Gulf for more than 40 years. A third brother, Mahmoud, died in a road accident in 2006 but the two remaining brothers remain the gatekeepers that foreign companies need if they want access to the entourage of the king of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. They owe their close relationship to him to [...]

SAUDI ARABIA FRANCE 02/04/2014

Thales well-connected new ally

The French company has signed a partnership for the civil side of its activities with Mazen al-Sawwaf's Global. [...]

SAUDI ARABIA FRANCE 23/10/2013

EDF's ill-timed fight in Saudi Arabia

On the eve of a bid for nuclear power plants in Saudi Arabia, French energy giant EDF finds itself in arbitration with its former partner in the kingdom. [...]

Business moghul Ambani is key partner for defence contracts between France and India

Thiel is Trump's intelligence guru

Ivor Ichikowitz, the worldwide connections of the South African arms magnate Free

Norman Lamont, pillar of the British-Iranian business community

New intermediaries between Paris and Riyadh

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