Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin receives Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in Jerusalem with a handshake on Nov. 19, 1977. AFP
Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin receives Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in Jerusalem with a handshake on Nov. 19, 1977. AFP

1977 - When Sadat went to Israel

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Updated 19 April 2025
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1977 - When Sadat went to Israel

1977 - When Sadat went to Israel
  • As the first Arab leader to visit the country, the Egyptian president made a bid for peace that outraged the region

CAIRO: On Nov. 8, 1977, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat announced in the Egyptian parliament — in the presence of Yasser Arafat, leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization — that he was prepared to travel to Jerusalem to begin negotiations for a peace process with Israel. 

The announcement shocked all those present and, as word spread, surprised the whole world, including Israel itself; if Egypt recognized Israel diplomatically, it would be the first Arab state to do so. 

Things moved fast after that. Just 11 days later, Nov. 19, Sadat arrived in Jerusalem for a three-day visit. On Nov. 20, he addressed the Knesset, Israel’s parliament. 

“Today, I have come to you with firm steps, to build a new life and to establish peace,” he told the assembled members. 

“We all on this Earth, Muslims, Christians and Jews alike, worship God and nobody but Him. God’s teachings and commandments are love, sincerity, purity and peace.”

How we wrote it




Arab News featured Anwar Sadat’s visit to Israel on its front page, capturing events leading to the historic peace deal.

He had, he said, consulted no one before making his decision, either among his colleagues or fellow Arab heads of state. 

He spoke of the families of the “October 1973 war victims … still in the throes of widowhood and bereavement for sons and the death of fathers and brothers.” 

It was, he said, his duty “to leave no stone unturned to spare my Egyptian Arab people the harrowing horrors of another destructive war, whose extent only God can know.” 

Certain facts, Sadat added, had to be faced by Israeli authorities “with courage and clear vision.” They had to withdraw from Arab territories they had occupied since 1967, he said, including Jerusalem. Furthermore, any peace agreement must secure “the basic rights of the Palestinian people, and their right to self-determination, including the right to establish their own state.”

Key Dates

  • 1

    Sadat becomes the first Arab leader to visit Israel and addresses the Israeli parliament the next day. “Before us today,” he says, “lies the … chance for peace … a chance that, if lost or wasted, the plotter against it will bear the curse of humanity and the curse of history.”

    Timeline Image Nov. 19, 1977

  • 2

    At the invitation of US President Jimmy Carter, Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin arrive at Camp David for 10 days of talks.

    Timeline Image Sept. 5, 1978

  • 3

    The two leaders sign a framework for peace, the Camp David Accords, at the White House in Washington.

    Timeline Image Sept. 17, 1978

  • 4

    They are jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

    Timeline Image Oct. 27, 1978

  • 5

    Sadat and Begin sign Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty in Washington.

    Timeline Image March 26, 1979

  • 6

    Sadat assassinated in Cairo by Islamist extremists.

Sadat’s bold gamble sparked anger at home and abroad. Ismail Fahmy, Egypt’s foreign minister, resigned from his position two days before the visit. In his memoirs, he described Sadat’s initiative as “an irrational move in a complicated and long game of peace.” Sadat appointed Mahmoud Riad as the new foreign minister, who resigned as well. 

Indeed, there was no shortage of critics in Egypt, including prominent politician Fouad Serageddin and the author Youssef Idris, who described Sadat’s gesture as “a submission and humiliation of the victorious Egyptian will in the face of a defeated enemy,” a reference to the October 1973 victory of Egyptian and Syrian forces over Israel in the Sinai and the Golan Heights. 

Many Arab countries in the region put relations with Egypt on hold, and froze joint projects and investments in the country, which was also expelled from the Arab League. 

This anger was mirrored in streets across the region, with demonstrations taking place in several Arab cities including Beirut, Damascus, Baghdad, Aden, Tripoli and Algiers. 




US President Jimmy Carter (C) congratulates Sadat (L) and Begin (R) at the White House lawn after signing of the historic peace treaty. AFP

Sadat’s visit to Jerusalem was the first step in a two-year process of negotiations between Egypt and Israel, brokered by the US, which ended with Sadat and Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin signing a peace treaty in Washington on March 26, 1979, in the presence of President Jimmy Carter, following the Camp David Accords in September 1978. 

Sadat effectively had signed his own death warrant. Among the individuals and organizations that called for his death were Omar Abdel Rahman, leader of an extremist Islamist group active in Egypt at the time; the Muslim Brotherhood; and Ayatollah Khomeini, leader of the Iranian revolution. 

On Oct. 6, 1981, while he attended the annual military parade in Cairo to celebrate Egypt’s 1973 victory in the Sinai, Sadat and 10 other people were gunned down by members of Tanzim Al-Jihad, an Egyptian Islamist group. 

  • Hani Nasira is an Egyptian academic and political expert, as well as the director of the Arab Institute for Studies. He is the author of more than 23 books. 


Pakistan stresses increasing trade, tourism cooperation with Bangladesh amid improving ties

Pakistan stresses increasing trade, tourism cooperation with Bangladesh amid improving ties
Updated 30 sec ago
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Pakistan stresses increasing trade, tourism cooperation with Bangladesh amid improving ties

Pakistan stresses increasing trade, tourism cooperation with Bangladesh amid improving ties
  • Deputy PM Ishaq Dar meets Bangladesh high commissioner to discuss ties, says Pakistan’s FO
  • Islamabad, Dhaka have sought closer ties since ex-Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina’s ouster in 2024

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday stressed the need to enhance cooperation in trade and tourism with Bangladesh, the Pakistani foreign office said, as Dhaka and Islamabad attempt to forge closer ties amid improving bilateral relations. 

Pakistan and Bangladesh have improved their strained ties since August last year after former premier Sheikh Hasina fled to India, forced by a violent student-led protest. Pakistan and Bangladesh were once one nation but split in a brutal 1971 war, with Bangladesh drawing closer to India. 

Bangladesh’s High Commissioner Iqbal Hussain Khan met Dar, who also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister, in Islamabad to discuss bilateral ties, the Pakistani foreign office said. 

“Appreciating the positive trajectory of bilateral ties, he [Dar] emphasized the need to further expand cooperation- especially in trade, tourism, & people-to-people exchanges,” the foreign office said. 

In February this month, Bangladesh and Pakistan started direct government-to-government trade with Dhaka importing 50,000 tons of rice from Islamabad, a sign of improving relations between the two. 

Direct private trade between the countries restarted in November 2024, when a container ship sailed from Pakistan’s Karachi to Bangladesh’s Chittagong. It was the first cargo ship in decades to sail directly between the two nations. 

In recent months, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus have met on the sidelines of international forums, including the United Nations General Assembly in New York and the D-8 Summit in Cairo.

These interactions have been described as cordial, with both leaders expressing a desire to deepen bilateral cooperation.


SIC, Investindustrial forge alliance to drive Saudi industrial expansion


SIC, Investindustrial forge alliance to drive Saudi industrial expansion

Updated 1 min 10 sec ago
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SIC, Investindustrial forge alliance to drive Saudi industrial expansion


SIC, Investindustrial forge alliance to drive Saudi industrial expansion


RIYADH: SIDF Investment Co., the financial arm of the Saudi Industrial Development Fund, has entered into a strategic partnership with European private equity firm Investindustrial, marking its first international private equity commitment.

The agreement is aimed at catalyzing new industrial investments in the Kingdom by localizing advanced manufacturing and integrating Saudi small and medium-sized enterprises into Investindustrial’s global value chains.

The partnership is a significant milestone for SIC as it broadens its international engagement and supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives. These include attracting institutional capital, localizing industrial expertise, and contributing to the National Industrial Strategy, which targets increasing the number of factories to 36,000 by 2035.

The announcement follows a previous agreement in March between SIC and Ashmore Investment Saudi Arabia to launch a private closed-end industrial fund. The SR400 million ($106.6 million) initiative — the first of its kind in the Kingdom — is managed by a global asset manager and aims to support a wide array of industrial assets. That move laid the foundation for SIC’s private equity strategy to stimulate domestic investment and expand global partnerships.

“This agreement represents a new chapter for SIC,” said Fahad Al-Naeem, CEO of SIC. “By partnering with Investindustrial, we’re bridging global reach, operational depth, and industry specialization into our ecosystem, positioning Saudi Arabia as the platform for regional and international manufacturing growth.”

The targeted sectors include machinery and equipment, automation, medical devices, and sustainable consumer products, with an emphasis on local value creation and industrial innovation.

This move comes as the Kingdom ramps up efforts to strengthen its industrial base and draw international investment into strategic sectors. In April, Saudi Arabia’s Industrial Production Index rose 3.1 percent year on year, led by gains in manufacturing and mining. Manufacturing activity alone climbed 7.4 percent annually, with a 0.5 percent uptick month on month.

Adding to this momentum, the government launched the Standard Incentives for the Industrial Sector program in May, offering up to 35 percent financing on initial capital expenditure per project, capped at SR50 million. The initiative supports facility development and operations over a seven-year term.

“SIC will utilize its local market expertise to pave the way for global manufacturers to establish a footprint in Saudi Arabia and connect with international supply chains, benefiting from the Kingdom’s competitive position,” Al-Naeem added.

Investindustrial, which has raised €17 billion and operates across eight global offices, focuses on mid-market companies with a mission to drive sustainable value creation and support global expansion.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has emerged as a key strategic growth region for Investindustrial’s portfolio companies,” said Andrea Bonomi, chairman of Investindustrial.
“Many of our investments align closely with the goals of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, fostering strong and natural synergies for long-term value creation,” Bonomi added.

The signing ceremony was attended by Prince Sultan bin Khaled, vice chairman of SIC, and Italy’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Carlo Baldocci, reflecting the high-level support backing the agreement.

The deal further advances SIC’s role as a gateway for institutional-grade industrial investment into Saudi Arabia, reinforcing its mandate to help build a globally competitive and resilient manufacturing sector.


Saudi’s Manga Productions, Japan’s KOEI TECMO announce new gaming partnership

Saudi’s Manga Productions, Japan’s KOEI TECMO announce new gaming partnership
Updated 7 min 53 sec ago
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Saudi’s Manga Productions, Japan’s KOEI TECMO announce new gaming partnership

Saudi’s Manga Productions, Japan’s KOEI TECMO announce new gaming partnership
  • Manga Productions licensed for Nioh 3 in Mideast, North Africa
  • Full Arabic support for region’s gamers, says CEO Essam Bukhary

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Manga Productions has announced a partnership with Japan’s KOEI TECMO as the publisher of the highly anticipated action game Nioh 3 in the Middle East and North Africa region.

According to a recent Saudi Press Agency report, the game is scheduled for release in early 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Steam.

Nioh 3 is the latest installment in the popular RPG series known for its mysterious samurai setting, earning widespread acclaim for its unique blend of Japanese mythology and intense combat.

The series has achieved global success, selling over 8 million copies worldwide. This new installment features an open-world environment and innovative combat system that allows players to switch between “samurai” and “ninja” fighting styles during battles.

As a part of this collaboration, Manga Productions will handle its Arabic translation, marketing and publishing for the Middle East and North Africa region.

Manga Productions, which is a subsidiary of the Mohammed bin Salman Foundation, will engage Saudi creators in the localization process to ensure a culturally relevant experience for Arabic-speaking gamers.

Dr. Essam Bukhary, CEO of Manga Productions, stated: “The launch of Nioh 3 with full Arabic support for gamers in the region is an additional step towards delivering world-class experiences while empowering Saudi talent at every stage of development.”

He added: “The trust we have earned from our global partners reflects Manga Productions’ capabilities in publishing, distribution, and marketing, as well as our continued success in professionally delivering high-quality content to audiences in the region while respecting local culture.”

Hisashi Koinuma, president and chief operating officer of KOEI TECMO, said the success of DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS has further strengthened the partnership with Manga Productions to bring Nioh 3 to Arabic-speaking gamers.

Abdulaziz Al-Naghmoush, head of business development and content licensing at Manga Productions, welcomed the pact.

“Following our collaboration on DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS, which was well-received for delivering a uniquely localized Arabic experience, we are now taking a new step with Nioh 3.”

He said the offering would be a “seamless, localized experience that makes players feel as if it was made especially for them from day one.”


Foreign ownership in Saudi equities tops $105bn despite market pullback

Foreign ownership in Saudi equities tops $105bn despite market pullback
Updated 30 min 35 sec ago
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Foreign ownership in Saudi equities tops $105bn despite market pullback

Foreign ownership in Saudi equities tops $105bn despite market pullback

RIYADH: Foreign investors held SR394.58 billion ($105.2 billion) in Saudi equities as of June 12, marking an annual decline of 1.1 percent, although their market share rose amid a broader downturn. 

According to the latest data from Saudi Exchange, the dip in foreign ownership comes as the total value of holdings in the main market fell to SR9.14 trillion, down from SR9.95 trillion in June 2024, as valuations across key sectors — including financials, materials, and energy — softened. 

The increase in foreign investors’ market share — from 4.01 percent to 4.32 percent — is attributed to the overall decline in market size. 

Saudi nationals remain dominant in the market, holding SR8.68 trillion, or 94.94 percent of total ownership, down from SR9.48 trillion, or 95.28 percent, a year earlier.

Investments from Gulf Cooperation Council countries also dipped, with holdings falling from SR70.17 billion to SR67.46 billion, despite their share slightly increasing to 0.74 percent. 

The drop in market capitalization coincided with a 1.5 percent decline in the Tadawul All Share Index on June 12, driven by losses in heavyweight stocks such as Al Rajhi Bank and Saudi Arabian Mining Co. The selloff came amid renewed geopolitical tensions in the region. 

“While solid fundamentals offer a hopeful outlook, the market’s reaction was more heavily influenced by geopolitical tensions,” said Milad Azar, a market analyst at XTB MENA, in comments to Reuters. 

His statement followed the US decision to reposition diplomatic staff in the region, stoking concerns over escalating tensions with Iran. The move added pressure to already cautious markets, where investors have been rebalancing portfolios in response to rising interest rates and shifting risk appetite. 

Despite recent volatility, the long-term outlook for foreign participation remains strong. Saudi Arabia’s inclusion in global emerging market indices — such as MSCI, FTSE Russell, and S&P Dow Jones — continues to support passive fund flows. 

Reforms under Vision 2030, including enhanced transparency, stronger corporate governance, and an expanding privatization pipeline, are widely viewed as central to boosting long-term investor engagement in Saudi Arabia’s capital markets.

The government’s commitment to diversifying the economy has opened new sectors for investment, while regulatory upgrades have helped align local practices with international standards. 

As part of these reforms, Tadawul has undergone a transformation in recent years to enhance its global appeal. The market’s inclusion in major emerging market indices between 2018 and 2019 helped unlock billions in passive fund inflows. Since then, Tadawul has focused on improving disclosure quality, streamlining Qualified Foreign Investor registration, and modernizing its trading and post-trade systems. 

This evolution continues to attract international capital through a growing pipeline of sector-diverse initial public offerings. Recent listings in health care, technology, and consumer goods have provided foreign investors with broader exposure to non-oil growth areas, further supporting portfolio diversification. 

Meanwhile, ongoing efforts to enhance post-trade infrastructure and environmental, social, and governance reporting are expected to improve overall market competitiveness and strengthen the exchange’s appeal to long-term institutional investors.


What to know about bunker-buster bombs and Iran’s Fordo nuclear facility

What to know about bunker-buster bombs and Iran’s Fordo nuclear facility
Updated 37 min 21 sec ago
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What to know about bunker-buster bombs and Iran’s Fordo nuclear facility

What to know about bunker-buster bombs and Iran’s Fordo nuclear facility
  • Fordo is Iran’s second nuclear enrichment facility after Natanz

BANGKOK: If the US decides to support Israel more directly in its attack on Iran, one option for Washington would be to provide the “bunker-buster” bombs believed necessary to significantly damage the Fordo nuclear fuel enrichment plant, built deeply into a mountain.
Such a bomb would have to be dropped from an American aircraft, which could have wide-ranging ramifications, including jeopardizing any chance of Iran engaging in Trump’s desired talks on its nuclear program. Israeli officials have also suggested that there are other options for it to attack Fordo as it seeks to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
But aside from a commando attack on the ground or a nuclear strike, the bunker buster bomb seems the most likely option.
What is the bunker-buster bomb?
“Bunker buster” is a broad term used to describe bombs that are designed to penetrate deep below the surface before exploding. In this case, it refers to the latest GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb in the American arsenal. The roughly 30,000 pound (13,600 kilogram) precision-guided bomb is designed to attack deeply buried and hardened bunkers and tunnels, according to the US Air Force.
It’s believed to be able to penetrate about 200 feet (61 meters) below the surface before exploding, and the bombs can be dropped one after another, effectively drilling deeper and deeper with each successive blast.
The bomb carries a conventional warhead, but the International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Iran is producing highly enriched uranium at Fordo, raising the possibility that nuclear material could be released into the area if the GBU-57 A/B were used to hit the facility. However, Israeli strikes at another Iranian nuclear site, Natanz, on a centrifuge site have caused contamination only at the site itself, not the surrounding area, the IAEA has said.
How tough a target is Fordo?

Fordo is Iran’s second nuclear enrichment facility after Natanz, its main facility. So far, Israeli strikes aren’t known to have damaged Natanz’s underground enrichment hall, nor have the Israelis targeted tunnels the Iranians are digging nearby.
Fordo is smaller than Natanz, and is built into the side of a mountain near the city of Qom, about 60 miles (95 kilometers) southwest of Tehran. Construction is believed to have started around 2006 and it became first operational in 2009 — the same year Tehran publicly acknowledged its existence.
In addition to being an estimated 80 meters (260 feet) under rock and soil, the site is reportedly protected by Iranian and Russian surface-to-air missile systems. Those air defenses, however, likely have already been struck in the Israeli campaign.
Still, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the goal of attacking Iran was to eliminate its missile and nuclear program, which he described as an existential threat to Israel, and officials have said Fordo was part of that plan.
“This entire operation ... really has to be completed with the elimination of Fordo,” Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the US, told Fox News on Friday.
Why does the US need to be involved?
In theory, the GBU-57 A/B could be dropped by any bomber capable of carrying the weight, but at the moment the US has only configured and programed its B-2 Spirit stealth bomber to deliver the bomb, according to the Air Force.
The B-2 is only flown by the Air Force, and is produced by Northrop Grumman.
According to the manufacturer, the B-2 can carry a payload of 40,000 pounds (18,000 kilograms) but the US Air Force has said it has successfully tested the B-2 loaded with two GBU-57 A/B bunker busters — a total weight of some 60,000 pounds (27,200 kilograms).
The strategic long-range heavy bomber has a range of about 7,000 miles (11,000 kilometers) without refueling and 11,500 miles (18,500 kilometers) with one refueling, and can reach any point in the world within hours, according to Northrop Grumman.
Whether the US would get involved is another matter.
At the G7 meeting in Canada, Trump was asked what it would take for Washington to become involved militarily and he said: “I don’t want to talk about that.”
In a weekend interview with ABC News, Israeli Ambassador Leiter was asked about the possibility of the US helping attack Fordo and he emphasized Israel has only asked the US for defensive help.
“We have a number of contingencies ... which will enable us to deal with Fordo,” he said.
“Not everything is a matter of, you know, taking to the skies and bombing from afar.”