Briefly

SAUDI ARABIA

Crown prince named prime minister

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud was appointed prime minister on Tuesday by royal decree. The royal decree appointing him as prime minister was carried by the Saudi Press Agency. It said King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud will continue to chair the Cabinet meetings that he attends. The 37-year-old crown prince has taken the lead on Vision 2030, the kingdom's wide-ranging plan to transform its economy and end its dependency on oil. US President Joe Biden visited the kingdom and met with the crown prince earlier this year, acknowledging the continued importance of relations with the world's largest oil exporter.

UNITED KINGDOM

New trade chief makes US her first trip

Britain's new Secretary of State for International Trade Kemi Badenoch will visit New York on Wednesday in her first overseas trip in the role. She is expected to stress the importance of the United States as a trading partner even as talks over a free trade deal between the countries are blocked. Liz Truss, who became prime minister this month, said Britain is not prioritizing a free trade deal with the US "in the short to medium term". Truss, herself a former trade minister, had previously highlighted such a deal with the US as a key opportunity of the UK leaving the European Union. Badenoch will highlight the importance of US investment in Britain even in absence of a free trade agreement.

PAKISTAN

Economic corridor seen reviving tourism

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, will help revive the tourism sector of Pakistan, which has faced a serious setback due to recent floods, Pakistan Tourism Department Corporation Managing Director Aftab-ur-Rehman Rana said. The CPEC includes a vast network of roads from the south, east and north of Pakistan, making resorts in north Pakistan accessible to tourists, and it will play a vital role in the revival of tourism when the situation becomes normal after the floods, Rana said. He said it will not only create economic activity in the local areas, but will also have a positive impact on the national economy.

Agencies - Xinhua