Return to Transcripts main page

Connect the World

U.S. Official Says Ukraine Agrees to Peace Proposal, Zelenskyy Says Much Work Ahead; Trump's Original 28-Point Peace Plan Reduced to 19 Points; Pentagon Investigates Sen. Mark Kelly for Urging Troops to Defy Illegal Orders; Trump Administration to Reinterview Refugees Admitted under Biden; Riyadh, Epicenter of Saudi Economic Plans, Faces Housing Crunch; Saudi Developer NHC Building Green Suburb in Riyadh Desert; UAE Top Diplomatic Adviser Speaks about Sudan Crisis; FAA Counts 52,000+ U.S. Flights Scheduled for Today. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired November 25, 2025 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[10:00:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): And welcome to what is the second hour of the show from our Middle East programming headquarters. I'm Becky

Anderson in Abu Dhabi, where the time is just after 7 in the evening.

Is this a breakthrough?

One U.S. official says that Ukraine has agreed to a peace proposal. Ukrainian officials are a little more measured.

In the face of a possible court martial, Senator Mark Kelly dismisses new efforts to target him. We'll explain why he is under investigation by the

Pentagon.

And refugees under review; the U.S. plans to scrutinize those who entered the U.S. under President Biden. A live report coming up for you from

Washington.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ANDERSON: It's a big question. Today's Russia's nearly four-year-long war on Ukraine, closer to ending. One U.S. official says that Ukraine has

agreed to a proposal, at least, to end the war.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says much work still lies ahead and we don't yet know how close Russia is to getting on board to what is this

U.S. proposal.

Well, earlier today, Russia's foreign minister scolded Europe and Ukraine for demanding revisions that reduced what was an original 28-point plan to

19 points.

One thing we do know, Russian missiles and drones are still hitting Ukraine, with the latest attacks targeting Kyiv and killing at least seven

people. Residents in the capital again forced to take shelter underground as those missiles fell.

And Ukraine launched a drone attack into Russia, killing three people there.

A U.S. Senate Democrat downplaying expectations that a deal has been reached or that president Donald Trump's plan will ever come to fruition.

Here's what Chris Van Hollen told CNN a bit earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-MD): The Trump administration announcing a deal, announcing that the Ukrainians have agreed to something when, in fact,

they've not agreed to something. And so that may well be going on here.

It's possible, of course, that there was some meeting of the minds among -- between the Americans and the Ukrainians in Geneva. But again, if you're

Vladimir Putin and the Russians, whatever they may have agreed to is probably very different than what Trump put forward in his 28-point plan.

So, this is just negotiating against ourselves, this negotiation in public. We saw what happened in Alaska. It went nowhere; it emboldened Putin.

Trump, while he says he's going to impose more sanctions on those who buy Russian oil, he has essentially blocked the bipartisan legislation in the

United States Senate. So it doesn't seem like we're getting anywhere very quickly; in fact, maybe going backwards.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, Paula Hancocks here with me in Abu Dhabi, keeping an eye on what is going on diplomatically.

U.S. and Russian officials have been holding talks, as we understand it, here in Abu Dhabi on president Trump's proposal. Look, it does appear --

and we've just been reporting that things are pretty unclear as to where all of this is headed.

What are you hearing?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, we know that the Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is here in Abu Dhabi. We know that he is meeting

with the Russian delegation, according to a U.S. official. We don't know exactly who's in that Russian delegation.

But that's a meeting that started yesterday. It's continued into today. And we are waiting for anything to come out of that. We heard from his

spokesperson, saying it's going well and we remain optimistic. That's as much as we have from Abu Dhabi at this point.

What we have been hearing from the U.S. official, though, saying that the Ukrainians have agreed to the peace deal and that there are minor details

to be hammered out, that's further than the Ukrainian officials are willing to go publicly.

So it's unclear whether we are hearing extra optimism from the U.S. side or whether something has been hammered out behind the scenes. Volodymyr

Zelenskyy, for example, has said that there is still much work lying ahead. He is planning on going to Washington.

We've at least heard that from officials, saying that he wants to go to Washington to speak face-to-face to president Trump, to hammer out some

sensitive topics.

ANDERSON: We've heard from Sergey Lavrov, who is the Russian foreign minister.

[10:05:00]

Suggesting that Russia are very keen for any plan to look very like what he describes as the Anchorage plan. Those (INAUDIBLE) speaking to pretty much,

who have been asked about that plan, describe it as Russian talking points to a degree.

And that is how the original 28-point plan that we heard, that was leaked last week, we heard much discussion about, was also described. These are

Russian talking points.

Now what we do understand at this point is that that original U.S.-drafted 28-point plan, that was hashed out and discussed in Geneva in the past

couple of days, has been reduced to a 19-point plan.

So for our viewers' sake, what do we understand to be the details in that plan?

Because this is what the U.S. say Ukraine is effectively happy with. Ukrainians are saying, hold on; no, not so much. And we haven't heard

anything from Russia at this point.

So what's this framework that we're talking about?

HANCOCKS: So this is what we heard from Zelenskyy, that there have been certain elements of that 28-point plan that were simply unacceptable to

Kyiv, that have been deleted or have been taken out.

Now we understand that after Ukraine and Europe was blindsided by that 28- point plan last week, Europe put its own plan forward. So potentially we can look at that plan and assume that some of the details, some of the

differences are what we will see in this recent plan.

We're still hearing from U.S. officials, though. They're not going to publish that because it's still a work in progress.

But for example, things like pressure on Kyiv to cede certain territory, like the Donbas, for example, in Eastern Ukraine, which Russia has

illegally annexed but doesn't occupy at this point, that is key strategically for Ukraine to hold onto.

The idea that Ukraine will never be allowed to join NATO, for example, another red line for Kyiv and also for many European officials.

And then, for example, the limiting the size of its military. We heard from the head of the E.U., you can't be a sovereign nation unless you have

control over how big your military is, for example. So certainly those are the key points that could have been taken out. But we don't know for sure.

ANDERSON: Yes, it's good to have you keep across it. Thank you.

We are glad to welcome retired U.S. Navy Admiral James Stavridis. He's a CNN senior military analyst and a former NATO Supreme Allied Commander.

Good to have you. We are trying to get to the bottom of what this 19-point plan might look like. We do know that a U.S. official has said Ukraine has

agreed to this latest peace proposal.

What's your sense of what that proposal may look like at this point?

And what do you see happening next?

ADM. JAMES STAVRIDIS, U.S. NAVY (RET.), FORMER NATO SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER: First and foremost, Becky, as you know, life is compared to

what -- and compared to where we were three, four days ago with a, I thought, very bad 28-point plan.

Now what is being bruited is 19 points and presumably more acceptable to our Ukrainian partners. I can speculate about what's in it. I would guess

there are strong security guarantees. We could even think Article-like security guarantees.

I would suspect there is accommodation for the Ukrainians to continue to receive advanced weapons from the West. Those are military aspects. I would

suspect there will be accountability for war crimes on both sides but certainly on Russian malfeasance, for example, in Bucha, early in the war.

And then finally, I think there is probably some kind of language that ensures NATO would be able to respond if called upon by a further Russian

attack. So those kind of terms, I think they're pretty good. I'm sure Zelenskyy thinks they're pretty good.

The question is, will Putin accept them?

ANDERSON: Let's focus on these -- this NATO point here, because, as the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, I think you can provide us some real

insight as to what's going on here.

Among the key changes included, at least in the European counterproposal to the original U.S.-drafted plan, has to do with NATO. That draft U.S. plan

including a provision that NATO will not expand further, stipulating that Ukraine will agree to not join NATO.

[10:10:00]

Now the European draft, as we understand it -- and we've seen a copy of this at CNN -- removes those provisions, saying that, quote, "Ukraine

joining NATO depends on the consensus of NATO members."

Just explain with your insight why NATO countries would stop well short of the Trump administration's original concessions on expansion.

STAVRIDIS: I think that, first and foremost, the NATO treaty is very clear and explicit here. And it simply says that any nation can join NATO if it's

a democracy, if it is in a position to further the ideals of the alliance and if the other nations agree it.

So for NATO to simply blockade itself from any further example of taking in Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia -- there are plenty of candidates out there -- I

think it's just an unrealistic demand on the part of Russia that ultimately will not be fulfilled.

ANDERSON: And the positioning of NATO troops is another key issue. The European plan has NATO fighter jets stationed in Poland. But troops would

not land inside Ukraine.

So how would peace be kept in Eastern Ukraine in that scenario?

STAVRIDIS: Point one, those fighter jets can be over Ukraine, as you well appreciate, in a matter of minutes. And they'll be not only in Poland,

they'll be, for example, at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. They'll probably be in other NATO nations that are close by Ukraine.

So the ability to simply throw up a no-fly zone over Ukraine is very powerful and doesn't require boots on the ground.

Point two, you could kind of finesse the "no NATO troops" by not having them be under NATO command. When I was Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, I

had command of 150,000 troops at any given moment. They were under NATO command. There was a NATO flag flying over their headquarters.

On the other hand, you could have a scenario in which, bilaterally, the Ukrainians admit a contingent from Poland. A group from Estonia, Latvia,

Lithuania, the Nordic countries, I think would all be willing to put troops on the ground, perhaps not under a NATO flag but under their own national

flag. They could then constitute a kind of tripwire.

Those are two mechanisms that I think would go a long way toward assuaging the concerns of the Ukrainians.

ANDERSON: James, your insight is invaluable. Thank you very much indeed for joining us.

And more on this, of course, as we get it.

Well, the Trump administration is ready for another legal battle after a federal judge threw out the indictments against James Comey and Letitia

James.

What is next for two of the president's high-profile political foes?

Plus, Democratic senator Mark Kelly hitting back after he becomes the Trump administration's latest target. More on that is after this.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:15:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ANDERSON: The U.S. Justice Department is planning to appeal a judge's decision to dismiss the cases against both former FBI director James Comey

and the New York attorney general, Letitia James.

The judge ruled that the prosecutor overseeing both cases against president Trump's political foes had been unlawfully appointed as interim U.S.

attorney. Both Comey and James praising the ruling. The White House, meantime, says this legal fight is far from over.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: This judge took an unprecedented action to throw these cases out to shield James Comey and

Letitia James from accountability based on a technical ruling.

And the administration disagrees with that technical ruling. And I know the Department of Justice will be appealing this in very short order. So maybe

James Comey should pump the brakes on his victory lap.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, CNN's Katelyn Polantz following this story for us. And she joins us now.

So what do we believe the U.S. Justice Department's legal basis for an appeal in these two cases is?

What are your sources telling you?

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, we do believe that the Justice Department will be appealing. They have said

so much, not just the White House press secretary but the attorney general has said so as well.

One of the things that we are waiting to see, though, is exactly what they argue. Very likely they're going to just say this judge, who made this

ruling, she's at the trial level. She got it wrong. They will go to the appeals court and ask to reverse this decision.

But they also are very likely to back up Lindsey Halligan and to say that not only did Lindsey Halligan, as the interim U.S. attorney in Eastern

District of Virginia in late September and early October, have the ability as a prosecutor to go into the grand jury.

They're also very likely to say that she had that ability because Donald Trump as president has the power to appoint people and that the attorney

general, Pam Bondi, also was backing Halligan in that role at that time.

Although the paperwork that they have shown on that has been backdated, put into place much later than the day that Halligan went into the grand jury

for both the Comey case or the James case.

Here's a little bit more of Pam Bondi, the attorney general, on her thinking yesterday, just a few hours after both of these indictments were

dismissed by a judge.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAM BONDI, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: We'll be taking all available legal action, including an immediate appeal to hold Letitia James and James Comey

accountable for their unlawful conduct.

I'm going to keep going on this. I'm not -- you know, I'm not I'm not worried about someone who has been charged with a very serious crime. His

alleged actions were a betrayal of public trust. So ...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POLANTZ: She's speaking there at the end about James Comey. Now there is a very significant question now on whether Comey could still be charged

again. The judge's ruling said that the indictment is dismissed and it is dismissed without prejudice, meaning, in legal terms, prosecutors could

look at it again and bring it back.

However, there's a timing issue. There was only five years to bring a case against James Comey related to September 2020 congressional testimony he

gave. That's what he was charged related -- he was alleged to have lied during with this case.

And so now there's a question of whether Bondi and the Justice Department or whoever the U.S. attorney is in the Eastern District of Virginia, would

they have the ability to still try and charge Comey?

His lawyer in a statement yesterday said, no, this indictment is done and it's not coming back. Becky.

ANDERSON: Good to have you, Katelyn. Thank you.

Katelyn Polantz on the story for you.

The legal battle on James Comey and Letitia James doesn't appear to be slowing. Then Donald Trump's political retribution campaign continues.

The Pentagon has announced that it is launching an investigation into Democratic senator Mark Kelly, even threatening to recall the retired Navy

captain to active duty just to court-martial him.

The center of president Trump's ire is this video. Kelly and five other Democrats made this video, calling on U.S. troops to defy any, quote,

"illegal orders."

The president made call, calling that, quote, "seditious behavior punishable by death."

[10:20:02]

Well, Kelly and the other Democrats say they were just reminding service members of their oath to the Constitution. CNN's Alayna Treene is at the

White House.

What's been the reaction from Senator Kelly, Alayna?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He has been very defiant and arguing that he's not going to be backing down from this fight, Becky. But to get

into this a little bit more, I mean, this is an unprecedented Pentagon investigation into Senator Kelly.

And they argue it's over, quote, "serious allegations of misconduct."

And one of the things that I think is most notable here is that, through this investigation, we've heard now from this Defense Secretary, Pete

Hegseth, but also from the Defense Department.

Overall, they now call themselves the Department of War -- that they could even recall Kelly back into military service, essentially, in order to face

a potential court martial or administrative punishment.

Now I think one of the things to recognize is there's a reason they're targeting Senator Mark Kelly overall. It's not just because he's one of the

most prominent of that group of six Democratic lawmakers who participated in that video.

It's because of his status as a senior officer who retired from the Navy. He is required to remain available to recall for active duty. And that's by

military law. That does not necessarily apply to the other five lawmakers.

And so that's kind of what we saw Senate -- excuse me -- Secretary Hegseth point out yesterday in a post and calling for more accountability for this

video.

Now I do want you to listen, though, to what we have heard from Senator Kelly himself -- again, very defiant, pushing back on what he argues is

the Trump administration trying to bully him. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARK KELLY (D-AZ): We know what political violence is. And we know what causes it, too. You know, the statements that Donald Trump made is

inciteful (sic), incites others. He's got millions of supporters. People listen to what he says, more so than anybody else in the country.

And he should be careful with his words. But I'm not going to be silenced here.

Is it stressful?

I've been stressed by, you know, things more important than Donald Trump trying to intimidate me into shutting my mouth and not doing my job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: Look, again, he is not backing away from this fight, Becky. But I think what's important to note is, when you hear from people in the Trump

administration, some Republican lawmakers as well, a lot of them have argued that they believed that video, essentially telling members of the

military and service not to obey unlawful orders.

And that is currently U.S. law. I think the problem that many Republicans - - and, again, White House officials -- have taken with that video is the idea that they haven't pointed out which order that the Trump

administration may have given that they consider unlawful.

I will argue, though, there's also many Republicans who believe that this reaction from the Trump administration and the White House has gone far,

way too far.

I mean, especially when they point -- to they point to the president's Truth Social post, saying that they believe that the these lawmakers

engaged in seditious behavior punishable by death.

And then this investigation, one of those Republicans we've heard from is Don Bacon. He's also a former member of the military.

And he essentially said, look, I think that video was ill-advised but I do not believe that it warrants the reaction from the president and from the

Defense Department, that they are currently going down that path.

And so I -- honestly, we have to stay tuned to see where this could lead. It could potentially be very messy. But from Kelly's part at least, he is

arguing that this is an intimidation effort and that he's willing to continue fighting on this front. Becky.

ANDERSON: Yes, stay on it, Alayna, thank you.

Well, still to come, an unprecedented move in U.S. immigration policy. Why thousands of refugees vetted under President Biden are now facing fresh

scrutiny. That is, after this.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:25:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ANDERSON (voice-over): Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Here are your headlines this hour.

A U.S. official says that Ukraine has agreed to a plan to end the war with Russia and that only minor details need to be sorted out. Ukrainian

president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says much work still lies ahead and Russia's position as of now is unclear.

U.S. and Russian officials have been holding talks on the U.S. proposal here in Abu Dhabi.

Well, the U.S. attorney general says the Justice Department will appeal a judge's decision to dismiss the cases against both James Comey and Letitia

James. The judge said that president Trump's appointment of the interim U.S. attorney, Lindsey Halligan, who was leading the prosecution, was

invalid.

But she left open the possibility that Comey and James could be charged again.

We're following new data about the U.S. economy. A government report shows wholesale inflation picked up speed in September, a sign that prices could

soon heat up even more for consumers.

The shutdown-delayed Producer Price Index for September showed that prices increased 0.3 percent on a monthly basis, keeping the annual inflation rate

at 2.7 percent.

ANDERSON: The Trump administration taking a closer look at refugees who were admitted to the U.S. under President Joe Biden and some of them may

have to sit for new interviews.

According to an internal memo, it is part of what is a comprehensive review of the refugees' cases and necessary to ensure they don't pose a national

security or public safety threat, according to the administration.

Well, roughly 235,000 refugees entered the U.S. between 2021 and 2025. CNN's Priscilla Alvarez is covering the story from Washington. I spoke to

her last hour about the timeline for this review process.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: According to this internal memo that we obtained, the administration plans to at least start

a list within 90 days of who they consider priorities.

So while we don't know exactly when they would start the reinterviews for those that they select, the anticipation or, rather, what is anticipated

here is that it could be a few months off.

What is not a few months off, however, is another part of this memo that is also equally important and that is that pending applications for adjustment

of status in the United States have been put on hold.

Now this is something that is specific to the refugee population who, again, comes to the United States. Under U.S. law, they are required to

adjust their status for permanent status in the U.S. after they have been here for at least a year.

So this certainly delivers a blow to those refugees who have been waiting that time and have submitted their applications as they try again to obtain

that permanent status in the U.S.

And Becky, it bears repeating that not only is this one of the most vulnerable populations in the -- in the world that, again, must show that

they have been persecuted or may face persecution in their home country.

It's also a population of immigrants in the United States who have already been heavily scrutinized before they even arrive to the country. These are

refugees who are abroad, who must go through vigorous vetting and checks, an entire process that takes years, not only to even be considered to come

to the U.S.

But then in addition to that, to go through the vetting to come to the U.S. So this is what has been so stunning for the refugee advocates who work

with these populations, because, when they arrive to the U.S., it is determined that they have been -- that they are safe, that they are -- do

not pose a public safety or national security threat.

The Trump Administration is taking a different approach.

[10:30:00]

They are essentially saying that the idea behind the reinterview here is to ensure that refugees did indeed meet the definition before they were

admitted to the United States and that status could be terminated by the agency, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and that the individual

wouldn't have an opportunity for appeal.

So all of this taken together can put refugees, who are already in the United States and have already gone through again that years-long process,

in this limbo.

Now one refugee advocate who I spoke with said this, quote, "Just the threat of this unspeakably cruel just isn't unspeakably cruel. And to

threaten refugees with taking away their status would be retraumatizing and a vicious use of taxpayer money."

So certainly, that has been the response I've received from multiple advocates.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Priscilla Alvarez speaking to me earlier.

U.S. president Trump's latest executive order allows the Department of Energy to corroborate -- to collaborate -- sorry -- with tech companies and

academics to use AI for more scientific research. This is called the Genesis Mission program.

The plan to develop a new AI platform using federally-funded scientific data that would train AI models for research in both private and government

sectors, furthering Trump's push for AI acceleration in the United States.

Joining us now from New York is CNN's business tech editor, Lisa Eadicicco, with a closer look at this initiative.

And, Lisa, walk us through this, the priorities of this program if you will, and its significance.

LISA EADICICCO, CNN BUSINESS TECH EDITOR: So the real goal with this program is to find a way to apply AI to this troves of data that the

Department of Energy's National Laboratories has built over decades and decades and to use AI to further scientific research.

And part of that involves building this platform to share that data, because there's so much work being done in AI right now, that's not

necessarily happening in the government but is happening at universities and other academic institutions and in the private sector, especially when

it comes to building chips and new AI models.

A lot of that work is happening in the private sector. And so far those advancements have been applied to business and consumer applications. So

this is really a push to use that technology for scientific research. And we don't know exactly who will be participating yet.

The executive order did not mention any specific tech companies that will be involved. But we have seen tech giants collaborate with the Department

of Energy in the past -- Dell, Oracle, Nvidia are all among the tech companies that have agreements in place to work on supercomputers for

different national laboratories.

So it wouldn't be surprising to see more of those agreements moving forward. And it seems like this program is really designed to facilitate

that.

Now the other piece of this as well that's really important is the energy component, because electricity prices have been rising. And part of that is

due to the fact that AI is creating more demand for electricity.

Now, of course, there are other factors that also impact electricity bills. The energy grids need to be modernized and upkept. And that's part of what

this initiative will also do, will be to make energy grids more efficient and reverse some of those price hikes.

But we don't know exactly how that will be done yet. But it is important because tech giants are increasingly investing in data centers, which means

there could be even more of a strain on the power grid coming up as well.

And this really also fits --

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: Good to have you. I'm sorry. I just lost you just at the end there. Go on, go on.

EADICICCO: I was just going to say this also fits into president Donald Trump's broader push behind AI and making the U.S. a leader in artificial

intelligence. It fits into his AI action plan, which was announced earlier this year.

ANDERSON: Lisa, this is fascinating. Always good to have you. Thank you.

Well, AI investment was a key focus during the Saudi crown prince's visit to Washington a week ago today. Mohammed bin Salman securing agreements to

bolster his country not just in the global AI race but in other key areas as well; defense, critical minerals and civil nuclear power.

It all goes back to his driving mission, his Saudi first agenda, if you will, to diversify the kingdom's economy away from oil. Well, I explored

what that looks like on the ground in the capital, Riyadh, the real epicenter of Vision 2030, where a rush of talent and capital to support the

country's growth, has ushered in what is a massive housing crunch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ANDERSON (voice-over): It's the beating heart of Saudi Arabia's economic transformation and a magnet over the past decade for millions of Saudis and

expats seeking to be part of the crown prince's vision for a diversified economy.

ANDERSON: It's after work. It's after dark and it is Riyadh season.

[10:35:08]

And it's to venues like this boulevard world that so many of the families here flock to enjoy themselves.

This is a city teeming with life.

ANDERSON (voice-over): All this action has surged demand for housing and sent prices soaring, causing a housing crunch. Since 2019, prices have gone

up 90 percent for apartments in Riyadh and over 50 percent for villas, according to real estate consultancy Knight Frank.

CHRISTOPHER PAYNE, PARTNER, KNIGHT FRANK: Obviously we've seen the effect coming through in the rental market as well, with, in some cases, prices up

similar amounts. Maybe 70 or 80 percent, depending on the district that we're looking at.

ANDERSON (voice-over): It's an affordability challenge that's not lost on the country's leadership. The crown prince taking a two-pronged approach,

freezing rent prices for five years and building more homes.

PAYNE: What's really required now is a whole different kind of concept. A large suburb, maybe, maybe 50,000 houses, 75,000 houses, that looks quite

different from what we've had in the past.

ANDERSON (voice-over): The man charged with bringing that mandate to life is Mohammad Albuty. He's the head of Saudi Arabia's real estate developer.

MOHAMMAD ALBUTY, HEAD, NATIONAL HOUSING COMPANY: NHC has been established to boost supply to partnership with the private sector and to incentivize

the market.

ANDERSON (voice-over): We met at their flagship development, Khuzam, about a half-hour from the center of Riyadh.

ALBUTY: This is the largest community being developed since inception of Saudi. It is a city within a city of 4 million (ph) square meters. It will

host minimum 75,000 units.

ANDERSON (voice-over): And he shows me the big picture, quite literally, a massive model of NHC's ambition for Khuzam, to reimagine Saudi living,

trading single-plot villas for a first-of-its-kind community, where every need is within walking distance.

ALBUTY: We have apartments, villas, townhouses, even bigger villas and all other amenities; different schools, shopping malls -- example, this is one

of the big shopping malls -- boulevards.

ANDERSON (voice-over): It's like the suburbs common in the West but with a twist in keeping with the kingdom's grand aspirations, one of the biggest

parks in the world.

ALBUTY: This park is seven kilometers. And if you take it as a round trip, it is 15 kilometers. So your daily target of walking steps, you can make it

easily here. It's four times Hyde Park (ph).

ANDERSON (voice-over): Albuty tells me that rentals will make up about a 10th of the total offering, mostly apartments. It's villas for young Saudi

families that are the primary focus.

So what would a villa like this cost?

ALBUTY: Offhand (ph), it started from 850 to 1 million and they end up like 1.4.

ANDERSON: So this is sar (ph)?

ALBUTY: Yes, sar (ph) --

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: -- around $250,000, which is -- that's a reasonable price.

ALBUTY: That is.

ANDERSON: Yes.

I guess the point about making these properties affordable is that it frees up income for young Saudis to spend elsewhere.

ALBUTY: Yes, exactly. This is make more disposable income for families to spend.

ANDERSON: Just doing this drive, everywhere around here is construction. I mean, just out here, this is desert out here.

ALBUTY: Five years ago, all what you are seeing is like this. Just in one minute, we will enter the city. You will see a different city, different

view. You see a lot of residents outside. You will feel something different.

Khuzam is ushering in a new concept for a city that has only known desert, nature taking the lead.

That can be just a slogan, I guess. But it is very clear that these green spaces are incredibly important to this project.

ALBUTY: Exactly. We (INAUDIBLE) consider it from day one. We even use the nature to maximize our community. You see the flowers, the green, the

valley and wadi here.

ANDERSON: This was a valley.

ALBUTY: It was a valley.

ANDERSON: Yes.

ALBUTY: We kept it as a reservoir for the whole community.

ANDERSON: And this is recycled water.

ALBUTY: And it's recycled water and used for irrigation. This is part of what we are selling. We are selling the lifestyle. So we decided --

ANDERSON: The call to prayer?

ALBUTY: -- yes. The country can enable us to bring that concept here for anyone. For $200,000, you can live this life.

ANDERSON (voice-over): It's the grand bargain for what is the incredibly young Saudi population and a key boost for the kingdom's goal of 70 percent

home ownership by the landmark year of 2030.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[10:40:08]

ANDERSON: We will be back with more news after this.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ANDERSON: Well, we updated you last hour on the latest diplomatic efforts to stop the war in Sudan. U.S.-led mediators have proposed a ceasefire plan

to end what has led to the world's worst humanitarian catastrophe.

Basically, they're calling for a three-month truce, followed by a nine- month political process to try and end the suffering, deaths and the alleged atrocities. It's been presented to the warring factions, Sudan's

armed forces and the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Now the RSF says it agrees to the truce. But the head of Sudan's armed forces, Assaf (ph), is rejecting it, accusing the mediators of bias.

Now two of those mediators, the UAE and the U.S., met here in Abu Dhabi today. The UAE widely accused of arming the RSF and the general of the

armed forces alluded to that in his refusal to sign on to the ceasefire. Well the UAE strongly denies those allegations.

I was able to discuss the situation with this country's top diplomatic adviser, Anwar Gargash. I pushed him to clarify Abu Dhabi's interests in

Sudan and what, if any, ties the country has with the RSF. But I began by asking him where the ceasefire efforts stand now that the U.S. is taking a

more active role.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANWAR GARGASH, DIPLOMATIC ADVISER TO UAE PRESIDENT: I think right now we have American leadership at the top and I think this is always a good

thing.

America has been involved and we have a Quad statement that actually charts the course ahead and will move us from this situation that we have, the

civil war that is raging in Sudan, to basically a humanitarian ceasefire unhindered humanitarian access toward a civilian transition government.

ANDERSON: Can I just address these continued allegations about the UAE's support for the RSF, materially, militarily and politically?

For example, these are allegations that have been refuted in the past time and again by the UAE.

Can you be quite clear about the UAE's interests or interests in Sudan?

GARGASH: I think our position is very clear. I mean, unconditional ceasefire, humanitarian pause leading to a permanent ceasefire -- and this

should be unconditional. It should happen now -- and I think humanitarian support on a massive scale to Sudan.

[10:45:00]

Today we are the second largest contributor to humanitarian aid in Sudan after the United States. And we want to scale up.

I think also, we have clearly come and said these are two warring parties. So needless to say, one of the warring parties will take a position against

what the UAE is calling for. And that is basically a transition to civilian rule.

This is really the UAE position and we stated it once, twice. And clearly these are quite principled position and it's difficult for one to argue

with.

Now coming back to the interests of the UAE and Sudan, I think primarily I want to say that they are not economic. I mean, the whole Sudan world, for

example, which is part of the attack on the UAE, represents just 1 percent of UAE and gold imports.

I think on a geostrategic level is to see a unified Sudan that is basically a contributor to stability in the region and that means we should not have

really the past influence of the Muslim Brotherhood or other radical groups.

And from that perspective, I think the geostrategic argument is extremely important for how the UAE looks at the region. We are an influential

country in the region. Maybe somebody doesn't like it. But matter of fact, we are. And as a result, I think we have a regional view on what we want to

see in countries around us.

ANDERSON: I'm wondering how you restore trust and faith by the Sudanese people or by some parts of the Sudanese community, when there is consistent

allegations, continued allegations about the support that the UAE has for the NSF. And I wonder what steps have been taken to comply with the U.N.

arms embargo on Sudan.

GARGASH: I think the UAE is being consistent; that, on arms, we have not moved any arms in to the warring parties in Sudan following the beginning

of the civil war. Hundreds, there was, what, around 162 flights from the UAE going and moving humanitarian assistance to Sudan.

Now every, every flight tracker thinks that any plane going from the UAE is being -- is taking some suspicious stuff.

But how do you account for these 162 flights that are taking humanitarian support?

So I am not worried about the UAE and the Sudanese people. We've had and we continue to have an excellent relationship forged through a long history of

constructive engagement.

And with regards to the few activists that are basically turning you know, their criticisms to the UAE, we can never win them. And I don't think I'm

worried about that.

ANDERSON: You have talked about a foolish campaign being waged against the UAE.

Who are you pointing the finger at here?

GARGASH: Well, I think different groups. I mean, you get, for example, genuine interest -- and I don't have a problem with that, an NGO that has

genuine concern with regards to the humanitarian situation in Sudan. I have no problem with it. I'm willing to address these issues, you know,

constructively.

I think the issue here is the UAE is criticized by Muslim Brotherhood and other factions in extremist political Islam, regardless of the file with

Sudan or anything else because we are actually presenting in the region a counter-narrative.

A lot of the noise that we see today in social media, especially in Arabic social media, is manufactured. It's driven noise. And I think when I say

we've become more determined, it means that this is the wrong way to deal with the UAE. If you put us under pressure, we actually get better at

dealing with crises and finding more constructive ideas.

ANDERSON: Can I get your response to Donald Trump's designation of some factions or chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terror organization?

And how does the U.S. president's decision to designate some groups affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood influence the Sudan file?

[10:50:03]

GARGASH: Well, I think president Trump's designation or move to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization is strategic, courageous

and historical decision.

Because it addresses really one of the major roots of extremism in how a militant group with a lot of its proxies and others have actually changed

the narrative by using Islam as a political tool.

And that will affect their ability to control mosques. It will affect their ability to finance. It will affect their ability to organize. The link

between the South Sudanese army and between Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood is organic.

ANDERSON: I just want to press you on this point. You see the existence of the Muslim Brotherhood in Sudan, as I understand it, as a significant

security issue for Sudan and for the region, which is what the UAE's interest is.

GARGASH: Yes. Definitely, definitely. We've also seen that some of the main fighting force, really, of the Sudanese armed forces in this three-

year vicious civil war, have been actually Muslim Brotherhood brigade driven by Muslim Brotherhood commanders in order to reinstate themselves as

and go back as the government of Khartoum.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Anwar Gargash speaking to me earlier.

Well, you are watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. There is a lot more ahead. Stay with us.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ANDERSON: We've got an update on the jewel heist at the Louvre. French police have detained more than -- or sorry -- four more suspects in last

month's brazen daytime robbery. Officials say two men and two women from Paris are now in custody and will be questioned. They join four other

suspects detained in October.

Now remember, thieves raided the museum's Apollo Gallery on October the 19th, making off with crown jewels worth an estimated $102 million.

Authorities have still not located those jewels.

Well, the Federal Aviation Administration is readying for what it calls the busiest Thanksgiving period in 15 years. An estimated 360,000 flights are

expected to happen during the week, with a peak of 52,000 on Tuesday. Sunday is expected to also be busy, as many return home. Pete Muntean with

more on traveling this holiday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're just getting started for what's going to be a huge week for the Thanksgiving travel rush. Not totally

without snags already. And Monday, the FAA briefly imposed a ground stop for some flights going in and out of both main airports in Dallas.

That was due to an air traffic control radio frequency outage. Tuesday is expected to be the busiest in terms of the number of flights in the air,

52,000 flights expected to be handled by air traffic controllers in the U.S.

And the head of the Federal Aviation Administration says this is the Super Bowl for air travel. On the heels of a government shutdown, that caused

widespread air travel issues, air traffic controllers are getting paid again and staffing shortages have gone down.

[10:55:00]

But transportation secretary Sean Duffy says now it is on passengers to hold up their end of the deal. He's been pushing what the Trump

administration calls a new golden age for air travel.

A big part of that is what Duffy calls a civility campaign. Duffy says it's important to say please and thank you to flight attendants. Always a good

idea. But also dress well like people did boarding flights back in the 1950s.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN DUFFY, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: I call this just maybe dressing with some respect. You know, whether it's a pair of jeans and a decent shirt, I

would encourage people to maybe dress a little better, which encourages us to maybe behave a little better. Let's try not to wear slippers and pajamas

as we come to the airport.

I think that's positive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MUNTEAN: Begs mentioning that the number of unruly passengers has gone way down from their high in 2021, when fights and ugliness on planes occurred

in regularity, due in part to mask mandates.

But this year has not been without its issues. There have been 1,400 incidents of unruly passengers reported by flight crews since the start of

2025. But that's more than four times lower than four years ago -- back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, that's Pete Muntean for you.

And that is it for CONNECT THE WORLD. Stay with CNN, though. "ONE WORLD" is up.

END