Today's Brief 23/04/2025

JS Analysis:https://youtu.be/wDVOY07kMmA?si=NSS4cjIVgfk9A-Ko

1 .Saudi Arabia, the largest country on the Arabian Peninsula, is a land of vast deserts, profound religious significance, and transformative modern ambitions. Bordered by Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Oman, Yemen, and the Red Sea and Persian Gulf,

its capital, Riyadh, anchors a nation where ancient traditions intersect with futuristic visions.

The Rub' al Khali (Empty Quarter), the world’s largest sand desert, dominates its terrain, while the holy cities of Mecca and Medina birthplaces of Islam attract millions of Muslims annually for the Hajj pilgrimage, one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

Historically, Saudi Arabia emerged as the cradle of Islam in the 7th century and later unified under King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud in 1932.

The 1938 discovery of oil revolutionized its economy, making it the world’s leading oil exporter and a linchpin of OPEC.

Today, Vision 2030, spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, drives diversification through mega-projects like NEOM, a $500 billion smart city, and the Red Sea tourism initiative, aiming to reduce oil dependency and boost sectors like tech, entertainment, and renewable energy.

Politically, Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy ruled by the Al Saud dynasty, balancing alliances with Western powers and regional leadership in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Economically, the nation leverages its oil wealth (25% of global reserves) while investing in green initiatives like the Saudi Green Initiative to combat climate change.

As a G20 member and custodian of Islam’s holiest sites, Saudi Arabia remains a geopolitical heavyweight, blending religious authority, energy dominance, and 21st-century aspirations.

2 .Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is set to resume on 30

th June after a four-year suspension

3 .India has significantly increased its gold reserves in recent years, leading to a notable rise in the proportion of gold within its total foreign exchange holdings.

While the claim that this share reached 12% by February 2025 appears to be slightly overstated based on available data, the Reserve Bank of India's active gold acquisition has indeed driven the share up from 6.7% in 2019 to approximately 11.6% - 11.7% by April 2025. This increase reflects a strategy to diversify India's foreign exchange assets and bolster its resilience against global economic uncertainties.

The country's total gold reserves reached a peak of 879 tonnes by February 2025, positioning India among the top nations globally in terms of gold holdings, which, along with foreign currency assets, Special Drawing Rights, and the Reserve Tranche Position with the IMF, constitute the nation's foreign exchange reserves managed by the RBI.