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The new director of the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) Beirut desk, Fawaz Al-Otaibi, accompanied by his assistant Hiba al-Houssami, visited the Director of the National News Agency (NNA), Ziad Harfouche, at his office in the Ministry of Information. The pair discussed an array of media affairs and stressed the importance of constructive cooperation in the field of news.
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has arrived in Ain-el-Tineh for talks with House Speaker Nabih Berri.
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon
The Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), signed today an air services agreement with the Republic of Belarus. The agreement deals with enhancing bilateral cooperation in the civil aviation field.
The agreement was signed by Eng. Naif Ali Al Abri, Chairman of CAA and the Director of the Aviation Division of the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Belarus.
Moreover, the agreement aims to regulate operational and technical matters in a manner that serves joint interests in the field of air services.
Al Abri told Oman News Agency (ONA) that the agreement allows national air carriers to directly link Muscat and Minsk, in addition to other destinations in Oman.
On his turn, Dr. Abdullah Masoud Al Harthy, Honorary Consul of Belarus to Oman pointed out that the agreement will contribute to enhancing cooperation in tourism, business and economic fields.
Source: Oman News Agency
The Kingdom of Bahrain has expressed its utmost sympathy and solidarity with the Republic of India over the victims of the landslide incident in the state of Maharashtra in central-western India, which resulted in the death of a number of people and left many others missing.
In a statement, the Foreign Affairs Ministry expressed its sincere condolences to the government and people of India, as well as to the families and relatives of the victims, wishing a speedy recovery to all the injured.
Source: Bahrain News Agency
Khazaen Dry Port (KDP), an affiliate of Asyad Group, signed a new service agreement with the National Mineral Water Company SAOG (Tanuf) to provide storage, transport and handling services through KDP’s top-notch facilities.
With this agreement, Tanuf will capitalize on Asyad Group’s state-of-the-art integrated logistics ecosystem through KDP, reducing distribution times and logistics costs. Tanuf will also leverage KDP’s strategic location in proximity to Oman’s major consumer hubs, commercial ports and Muscat International Airport to optimize transportation and storage operations.
KDP’s partnership with Tanuf is further proof of the port’s vital role in the domestic supply chain, boasting an integrated logistics offering and comprehensive infrastructure that encompasses developed storage facilities and advanced technical capabilities. Situated in Oman’s flagship Khazaen Economic City (KEC), KDP is ideally positioned to meet the local market’s demand, in line with Asyad’s commitment to empowering Oman’s private sector with unparalleled access to major regional and global markets.
Highlighting the significance of this collaboration, Saad Ramadhan Bait Nasib, Executive Director of KDP, stated: “Our partnership with Tanuf showcases our unwavering commitment to putting our enhanced value proposition at the service of local producers looking to bolster their commercial activities and improve their competitiveness and efficiency. This reflects Asyad Group’s consistent efforts toward enhancing Oman’s national food security through its integrated assets and targeted partnerships. Keeping pace with Asyad’s strategy, KDP will continue to seek out enabling partnerships and improve its offering to position itself as a pivotal trade hub across industries.”
Abdel Nasser Al Daissy, General Director of Tanuf, said: “We are excited about this partnership with KDP, as it provides us with vital access to a world-class infrastructure network and a wide array of integrated logistics services. With KDP by our side, Tanuf can now take full advantage of Oman’s strategic geographic location to tap into thriving regional and global markets.”
As Oman’s first land port, KDP covers in its initial phase an area of 100,000 sqm in South Al Batinah and has witnessed remarkable progress in business and operations since its launch in 2021. Today, it features an annual handling capacity of 70,000 containers.
KDP continues to improve its value proposition and attract local and global customers, in line with Asyad Group’s strategy of supporting the private sector and enabling Oman’s various industries, thereby cementing Oman’s standing as a prominent manufacturing and distribution center and a key global logistics hub.
Source: Oman News Agency
Shaikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister, paid an inspection visit to the partial opening of the underpass at the intersection of Al Fateh Highway with Awal and Bani Otbah avenues (Al Fateh Grand Mosque Junction).
Wael bin Nasser Al Mubarak, Minister of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, Ibrahim Hassan Ali Al Hawaj, Works Minister, and Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al Murshid, CEO of Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) were present.
The development project is considered an essential part of developing the vital highway, which is funded within the Gulf Development Program by the SFD, at a total cost of about BHD 35 million.
The Deputy Primer praised the efforts of the Works Ministry in developing Bahrain’s infrastructure, particularly Al Fateh Highway development project, which is being carried out in accordance with the highest standards of accuracy, taking into account the traffic flow on this strategic street during construction, and which, once completed, will reduce traffic congestion on the roads in the capital city of Manama.
Al Hawaj said that the project works to meet Bahrain’s current and future development needs, as well as to revitalize the economy, as it connects Mina Salman intersection with the North Manama Causeway Bridge, which connects to Bahrain Bay.
As part of the ministry’s plans to improve traffic flow as the remaining parts of the project are completed, the partial opening of the underpass will provide additional work spaces, which can be used to complete the rest of the project on schedule, he added.
The minister noted that a new diversion at Al Fateh Mosque intersection will operate three lanes of the underpass, with two lanes for southbound traffic and one lane for northbound traffic. At the current light signal, two additional northbound lanes will be provided above the undrpass, providing the necessary space for the remaining underpass segments on the southwest side of the Gulf Hotel.
The CEO of SFD said that Al Fateh development is one of the Gulf Development Program projects to develop Bahrain’s infrastructure and promote sustainable development and economic growth, as well as contribute to the development of the transportation sector.
It is noteworthy that the Al Fateh highway development project aims to increase the capacity of the street to reach 140,000 vehicles per day, a 61% increase from the previous situation for the volume of traffic used for the same street, which was 87,000 vehicles per day. In terms of the three-lane Al Fateh highway underpass, which will be fully operational on the scheduled date, it will extend 600 meters in both directions.
Source: Bahrain News Agency
House Speaker, Nabih Berri, on Tuesday welcomed at his Ain al-Tineh residence, Prime Minister Najib Mikati, with whom he discussed the country’s general situation, and the latest political developments, especially the looming deadline of the Lebanese Central Bank Governor. In this vein, Speaker Berri affirmed to Mikati that “the government should hold a cabinet session to appoint a Central Bank Governor as soon as possible.’ Speaker Berri separately welcomed deputy head of the Supreme Shiite Islamic Council, Sheikh Ali al-Khatib.
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon
Saudi Arabia has expressed its condemnation and denunciation of the terrorist incident that targeted the Jaalle Siyaad Military Academy in Mogadishu, the capital of the Federal Republic of Somalia, which resulted in the death and injury of a number of people.
In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Affairs Ministry expressed sincere condolences and sympathy to the victim’s families, the government, and the people of Somalia on this immense loss, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.
Source: Bahrain News Agency
Prime Minister, Hussein Arnous, discussed on Tuesday with Mr. Salem Hamdi, Director General of the Arab Atomic Energy Agency (AAEA) cooperation between Syria and the Agency.
Talks during the meeting dealt with the role of AAEA to enhance cooperation among Arab countries in the energy domain, provide expertise and scientific consultations, and the significance of boosting the role of research centers, in addition to employing sciences to address the challenges that face Arab countries and peoples.
Discussions also tackled the need for “wide investment of the Arab mentality and its creative ability in different aspects of economic, social and natural sciences, the great potential available to Arab countries and the importance of integration among them in the domain of training and rehabilitation.”
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency
His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Southern Governor, the Honorary President of the Bahrain-Japan Business and Friendship Society (BJBFS) met with Nasser Al-Arayadh, President of the BJBFS, and members of the society.
The governor affirmed that the Bahraini-Japanese ties are continuing to develop in all fields, under the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the follow-up of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
His highness was briefed on the society’s programs for 2023.
HH Shaikh Khalifa lauded BJBFS role in promoting cultural and economic exchange.
The society president commended the keenness and follow-up of HH to enhance cooperation by adopting cultural activities.
Source: Bahrain News Agency
Prime Minister Muhammad Al-Sudani confirmed that the electricity sector is a priority for the government, in all sectors of energy transmission and distribution, in addition to production, calling on the GE company to cooperate with the Ministry of Electricity in meeting the needs of the aforementioned sectors.
The media office of the Prime Minister said in a statement, “Al-Sudani received, this morning, Tuesday, the CEO of (GE) Energy Company, Eric Gray, and his accompanying delegation, in the presence of the Minister of Electricity and a number of advisors.
Al-Sudani directed, during the meeting, to work to expedite the completion of the company’s work for combined cycles in order to increase energy production without the need for more fuel.
The statement added, “During the meeting, they also discussed the gas investment sector, as Al-Sudani affirmed the government’s determination to zero the burning of associated gas, and benefit from it in energy production projects and other transformational industries.”
For his part, the company’s delegation presented the projects it is implementing in Iraq, especially in the field of energy production, and the company’s CEO confirmed the commitment to implement the maintenance contracts signed with the Ministry of Electricity, to improve the electricity grid and develop its work.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency
The Republic of Uganda expressed today Tuesday, its readiness to open an embassy in Baghdad.
In a statement, the ministry said, “Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein received the advisors of the President of the Republic of Uganda for the Middle East and the special envoy of the Foreign Minister, Muhammad Ahmad Kasoli.”
It added: “Fuad Hussein received a written message from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uganda, Odingo Jiji Abu Bakr, which includes the Ugandan side’s desire to develop bilateral relations between Baghdad and Kampala, and to seek to raise the level of diplomatic representation between the two sides and to open a permanent embassy in the capitals of the two countries.”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed his “thanks and appreciation for the content of the message and the sincere desire it contained to develop bilateral relations,” noting “the importance of the African continent for Iraq and its endeavor to develop relations with African countries in various fields, especially with the Republic of Uganda.”
Hussein welcomed “the genuine desire of the Republic of Uganda to open an embassy for it in Baghdad,” stressing “the readiness of the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide all possible facilities to proceed with this direction.”
Source: National Iraqi News Agency