The great Arabian novelist, who has died at the age of 76, carried the mountains of southern Arabia to the heart of France in his famous work, published in 2000.

For decades, two separate states - North and South Yemen - existed side-by-side, until the Cold War ended. Suddenly, the two came together. For a brief moment, united Yemen prospered.

Vast and reliable datasets held by the state are increasingly being made publicly available around the region. Those using this data to design new products and services are driving growth.

The Gulf states are showing that their security is indivisible and that they will pursue their defence from any that offer it, creating a new 'strategic autonomy' borne of the Trump era.

Riyadh wants the powerful NVIDIA processors to help it develop an Arabic large language model. With the US reassured over technology transfer risks, an export licence is forthcoming.

With almost 100 vessels, including 42 large crude carriers, the company is outperforming its competitors. Analysts say this owes something to its diversified structure and links to Saudi oil exports.

Al Majalla's December cover story highlights the signficance of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit to Washington in November

The legislation needed to make a strong bond unbreakable is still being discussed, but a $1tn in pledged investment and mutually beneficial commitments in technology help pave the path

The reported value of announced deals during the visit stands at approximately $557bn

A tour of the latest releases from Arabic publishing houses on topics covering fiction, philosophy, science, history, and politics