Category: General

Jeddah: The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, chaired the Cabinet session in Jeddah on Tuesday.

During the session, the Cabinet discussed the progress of cooperation between Saudi Arabia and various countries worldwide.

The discussions also addressed the efforts made to enhance bilateral and collective work with further broad fields and multiple areas that serve mutual interests and common benefits.

In this regard, the Cabinet discussed the separate agreements reached between Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan in the field of energy.

These agreements reflect a commitment to the sustainability and stability of petroleum markets, as well as advancements in cooperation in the clean energy sector. Such efforts contribute to achieving a globally organized energy transition and building a more sustainable future for the three countries and the world.

In his statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, Minister of Media Salman bin Yousef Al-Dossary
said the Cabinet discussed the outcomes of Saudi Arabia’s participation in the 15th session of the Islamic Summit Conference.

The Cabinet said that Saudi Arabia’s presidency of the previous session was dedicated to enhancing collaborative work, developing unified positions, fostering unity, and taking positive actions at all levels to address challenges.

Furthermore, the Kingdom exerted all efforts aimed at resolving conflicts and promoting regional and global peace and security, Al-Dossary added.

The Cabinet commended the outcome of the meetings of Arab states concerned with the environment, hosted by Riyadh last week, underlying the Kingdom’s keenness on working with regional and international organizations to enhance joint action on agriculture, food, and water security to achieve sustainable development goals.

The Cabinet addressed other items on its agenda, and issued several decisions, among which the following:

First:

Approving a cooperation agreement between the government of the Kingdom of Saud
i Arabia and the government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on energy.

Second:

Approving a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Energy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Mines and Energy in the Federal Republic of Brazil.

Third:

Approving a memorandum of understanding concerning political consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and Burkinabes Abroad of Burkina Faso.

Fourth:

Approving a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the cultural field between the Ministry of Culture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth in the Sultanate of Oman.

Fifth:

Authorizing the minister of Islamic affairs, dawah and guidance, or a deputy, to discuss and sign with the Georgian side a draft memorandum of understanding in the field of Islamic affairs between the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia an
d the Islamic sheikhdom in the Republic of Georgia.

Sixth:

Approving a memorandum of understanding in the field of Islamic affairs between the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance and the Somali Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs.

Seventh:

Approving an agreement in the field of agricultural scientific research between the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and the Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries.

Eighth:

Approving a memorandum of understanding for technical and scientific cooperation in the field of meteorology and climate between the Saudi National Center for Meteorology and the Tunisian National Institute of Meteorology.

Ninth:

Approving two memoranda of understanding and cooperation between the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources and the Moroccan Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, and the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in the fields of mineral wealth, mining, and miner
al resources.

Tenth:

Approving the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s accession to the Geneva Act of The Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs.

Eleventh:

Authorizing the minister of economy and planning, chairman of the board of the general authority for statistics, or a deputy, to discuss with the following entities — the National Center for Statistics and Information in the Sultanate of Oman, the Planning and Statistics Authority in the State of Qatar, the Central Statistical Bureau in the State of Kuwait, and the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center in the United Arab Emirates — regarding memoranda of understanding for cooperation in the field of statistics, and to sign them.

Twelfth:

Authorizing the president of the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority, or a deputy, to discuss with the Qatari side regarding a memorandum of understanding between the Saudi Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority and the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority in
the State of Qatar, to cooperate in enhancing integrity, transparency, and preventing and combating corruption, and to sign it.

Thirteenth:

Approving a memorandum of understanding between the Saudi Central Bank and the Qatar Central Bank, regarding cooperation in the field of central-banking activities.

Fourteenth:

Approving the implementation of a decision by the Financial and Economic Cooperation Committee for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, adopted at its 120th meeting, which includes the adoption of the final draft of amended regulations exempting industrial inputs from fees and taxes.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh: The General Directorate of Passports has said that it is fully prepared to handle the arrival of pilgrims in the Kingdom for the upcoming Hajj season 1445 AH.

According to a statement released after a meeting chaired by Director General of Passports Lieutenant General Sulaiman bin Abdulaziz Al-Yahya, the directorate will use the latest technology and multilingual staff to ensure a seamless pilgrim experience.

Al-Yahya urged passport officers to serve the pilgrims with dedication.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Two persons have been reported dead and 18 injured in 8 road accidents within the last 24 hours, the Traffic Management Center said on Tuesday.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

Manama, General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Minister of Interior, received Dr. Gerold Vollmer, the Director of Arab Gulf States, Near and Middle East and North Africa Affairs at the Austrian Ministry.

Marian Alexander, Austrian Ambassador to Bahrain and Major-General Dr. Shaikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Deputy Chief of Public Security, attended.

The minister commended the Bahraini-Austrian relations, especially in security cooperation to face challenges.

The meeting reviewed the Interior Ministry’s initiatives and projects, including the alternative penalties project and the open prison programme. It also discussed cooperation and expertise exchange between the interior ministries of the two countries based on the “Statement of Intent”, which was signed by Gen. Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah and his Austrian counterpart, during his visit to Austria last January.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

Bethlehem – Ma’an – A senior sovereign Palestinian source stated that what is being promoted about submitting a request from official leadership figures to the occupying state not to release Commander Marwan Barghouti is completely baseless, and that this news is merely flimsy fabrications and sorcery from some suspicious media outlets.

The source confirmed that the Palestinian leadership, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, worked and are still working to release all male and female prisoners, led by Brother Marwan Barghouti, Comrade Ahmed Saadat, and all prisoners.

The senior source called on the media to be careful in dealing with fabricated news that sparks strife and distorts the efforts made to stop the aggression against our people.

Source: Maan News Agency

Baghdad, The Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Army, Lieutenant General Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah, the Deputy Commander of Joint Operations, Lieutenant General Qais al-Muhammadawi and the Commander of the Ground Forces, arrived on Tuesday morning at Karbala Operations Sector.

A statement by the Ministry of Defense stated that the visit aims to check out the security situation and the deployment of units in the governorate.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

Baghdad, Military Intelligence arrested the so-called (collection official) of the ISIS terrorist organization in Nineveh Governorate.

A statement by the Intelligence Directorate said: ‘The terrorist was arrested in a precise ambush in Al-Ayadhiyah district, based on accurate intelligence information.’

He added: “He is wanted by the Iraqi judiciary in accordance with the provisions of Article (4/ of Terrorism) in the Tal Afar District, where he held the position of what is called the collection official (money) from citizens at the time and depositing it to the terrorist organization. He also worked with the terrorist detachments in the Tal Afar District to target the Security forces, and he has been delivered to the requesting party.’

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

Nablus – Together – An-Najah National University was distinguished by being the only Palestinian university that succeeded in entering the Times World Classification of Universities in Asia (THE Asia University Rankings 2024) issued by the British Times Higher Education Foundation, where ‘Najah’ achieved all the required standards.

The Times Higher Education ranking of Asian universities for 2024 included: Conducting a comprehensive assessment of universities active in research fields across five basic axes: teaching, research environment, research quality, international standing, and industry.

Prof. Dr. expressed Abdel Nasser Zaid, President of the University, expressed his pride in this achievement, stressing that the University continues to excel in various international classifications, and works within an academic and research strategy that keeps pace with international standards, which enhances the role of An-Najah National University as a leading institution in the field of higher education and scien
tific research.

The Times World Classification of Asian Universities is based on 18 performance indicators related to teaching, scientific research, knowledge transfer, and international questionnaires. These indicators evaluate five main areas: teaching (learning environment): 24.5%, research environment (volume or rate of research productivity, research income, reputation): 28%, citations (research impact): 30%, international standing (international students, international professors, international collaborations): 7.5% and application in industry (knowledge transfer): 10%.

It is worth noting that there are main criteria for entering universities in this classification: Among them is that the university published more than 1,000 research papers over the past five years, and more than 150 research papers per year.

To view the classification results: click here

Source: Maan News Agency

Dammam, King Faisal University (KFU) was ranked among the best international universities in five scientific fields, according to the QS World University Rankings 2024.

The fields were chemical engineering, medicine, chemistry, pharmacy, and computer science.

The acting president of the university, Muhanna Al-Dalami, expressed his joy and pride regarding this significant accomplishment, reaffirming KFU’s esteemed position among global counterparts.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Dhahran, The Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Aramco) today published its financial results for the first quarter of 2024, highlighting progress made in its growth strategy, an Aramco press release stated.

In the release, the company’s report shows a net income of SAR102.3 billion in the first quarter of 2024, compared to SAR119.5 billion in the same period of 2023. Cash flow from operating activities also decreased slightly, coming in at SAR126.0 billion compared to SAR148.6 billion during the same period last year. The free cash flow dipped to SAR85.3 billion from SAR115.9 billion in Q1 2023. The report also stated that the gearing ratio improved to -3.8% by March 31, 2024, compared to -6.3% at the end of 2023.

The company expects total dividends of SAR466.1 billion to be declared in 2024, including base dividends of SAR304.4 billion and performance-linked dividends of SAR161.7 billion.

The release also stated that SAR28.9 billion of engineering, procurement, and construction contracts were awarded for Fadhil
i Gas Plant expansion, which is expected to add 1.5 billion standard cubic feet per day (bscfd) in processing capacity.

Moreover, Aramco announced the addition of 15 trillion standard cubic feet (tscf) to proven gas reserves and two billion stock tank barrels of condensate at the Jafurah unconventional field.

According to the release, Aramco has completed its acquisition of a 100% equity stake in Chilean retailer Esmax, “supporting the company’s downstream expansion”. It said that this would increase the overall venture capital funding to more than double, to SAR28.1 billion, expanding the company’s ability to finance disruptive new technologies in a variety of sectors, including the digital and sustainability fields.

Aramco’s President and CEO Amin H. Nasser said that the performance in the first quarter demonstrates the company’s resilience. He emphasized Aramco’s position as a leading global energy supplier, catering to economies, industries, and people worldwide.

Nasser said: “We also continue to exec
ute our long-term strategy, and in the first quarter made significant progress on expanding our gas business and growing our globally integrated downstream value chain, while maintaining our focus on consistently delivering value for our shareholders.

“Looking ahead, I expect our portfolio to continue to evolve as we aim to contribute to an energy transition that offers solutions to climate challenges, but at the same time recognizes the need for affordable, reliable, and flexible energy supplies.”

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Gaza – Together – The director of the Kuwait Specialized Hospital in the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, Suhaib Al-Hams, confirmed that the health situation in Rafah Governorate is catastrophic, and that Kuwait Hospital is the only one in the center of Rafah, and it is crowded with patients and wounded.

He added in press statements that the amount of food, beds, equipment, and fuel in the hospital is not sufficient to continue operating for a long time.

Al-Hams pointed out that the hospital receives dozens of martyrs and wounded, and that there are difficulties in dealing with them due to the lack of medical capabilities and supplies, explaining that the only x-ray machine in the hospital stopped working as a result of the pressure of the cases.

Regarding the health situation in the city of Rafah, he said: Abu Youssef Al-Najjar Hospital, which is the only government hospital in Rafah, is among the areas that the occupation ordered to evacuate, and that there is no room to evacuate the hospital and
there is no room for the wounded or the displaced.

He called on the international community and the Arab and Islamic world to intervene urgently and immediately to stop the Israeli aggression against the city of Rafah.

Source: Maan News Agency

Manama, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Hamad sent a cable of congratulations to His Excellency Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, on his inauguration for a new presidential term.

HM the King wished the president success in performing his duties.

HM King Hamad lauded the Bahrain-Russia relations and affirmed the keenness to further enhance cooperation.

Source: Bahrain News Agency