Category: Politics

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) distributed yesterday 112 tons of food baskets in the Chitral and Dir districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan, benefiting 8,106 individuals in the flood-hit areas.

This aid comes within the relief and humanitarian projects implemented by the Kingdom via the center to support the needy groups in Pakistan.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Eng. Waleed bin Abdulkarim El-Khereiji received today in Riyadh U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf.

During the meeting, they reviewed Saudi-U.S. relations and ways to enhance and develop them in various fields. They also discussed developments on the regional and international arenas, and the efforts made in this regard.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud sent a verbal message to President of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire Alassane Ouattara concerning bilateral relations and ways to enhance cooperation.

Royal Court Advisor Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Qattan delivered the message during his meeting in Abidjan today with President Ouattara.

During the meeting, Qattan extended warm greetings from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to the president of Côte d’Ivoire, as well as their wishes for the continued progress and prosperity of the government and people of Côte d’Ivoire.

The president of Côte d’Ivoire conveyed his greetings and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, HRH the Crown Prince, and the government and people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

During the meeting, the two sides reviewed bilateral relations and exchanged points of view on issues of common concern.

The president of Côte d’Ivoire expressed his country’s support for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s bid to host Expo 2030 in Riyadh. He also expressed his welcome for the first Saudi-African and fifth Arab-African summits to be held in the Kingdom this year.

During a press conference held after the meeting, Qattan expressed thanks and appreciation of the Kingdom’s government for its support, which stems from the relations between the two countries.

The meeting was attended by Saudi Ambassador to the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire Saad bin Bakhit Al-Qathami.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) in Oman today signed a development finance agreement with the Oman Development Bank worth $53.33 million as part of the $150-million support program provided by the Government of Saudi Arabia through the SFD for Oman.

The agreement was signed with the bank by the co-chairs of the Saudi-Omani joint committee for the management of the program to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Oman, where Saeed al-Qahtani represented the SFD from the Saudi side, and Zahir Al-Abri and Acting CEO of the Oman Development Bank Hamad Al Harthy represented the Omani side.

The agreement aims to support the initiatives of the Oman Development Bank in the financing activities of SMEs, enhance social and economic growth, and create jobs in various states and governorates of Oman. The Oman Development Bank is one of Oman’s most prominent government entities that provides financing facilities for micro, small, and medium enterprises in the Sultanate.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

The Turkish Defense Ministry announced the killing of 1,185 anti-Turkey militants, most of whom were from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, since the beginning of this year.

Turkish Defense Spokesman Zaki Ak Turk said in a media circular today that his country’s forces have neutralized 1,185 terrorists since the beginning of this year, including 39 in the past seven days inside the country, northern Syria and Iraq.

He added that the Turkish army has neutralized 38,528 terrorists since July 24, 2015, from various terrorist organizations such as the PKK, ISIS, and PYD/YPG, stressing the continuation of large-scale military operations in northern Syria and Iraq until they neutralize the last armed opponent.

Regarding border security, he said that the forces arrested 667 people, 34 of whom were members of armed organizations, as they attempted to cross the country’s borders illegally in the past seven days.

He stated that the number of people who were arrested while trying to enter Turkish territory illegally during the current year amounted to 6,423, including 451 belonging to armed organizations.

The Turkish official added that his country’s forces also prevented 4,887 people from crossing the border illegally during the past seven days, and that the number of people who were prevented before crossing the border since the beginning of the year reached 150,584 people./End

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

The Bureau of the Council of Representatives has strongly condemned and denounced the statements made by the Spokesperson of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the conditions of prisoners in Bahrain, describing them as flagrant interference in the kingdom’s domestic affairs.

The bureau affirmed that Bahrain boasts a well-established legal and human rights system and a number of independent national mechanisms with the mandate to monitor human rights in the country.

This is done through the supervisory role of the Council of Representatives, in addition to the role of National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR) and the Prisoners and Detainees Rights Commission (PDRC), which have conducted unannounced visits to the Reform and Rehabilitation Center to investigate allegations regarding the conditions of inmates, the panel said.

The bureau praised the continuous response and cooperation between the Ministry of Interior and national mechanisms concerned with human rights.

The Representatives Council’s Bureau emphasised the significance of adhering to the United Nations Charter’s principles of good neighbourliness and non-interference in others’ internal affairs, urging Iran’s officials to avoid false information that may harm relations between the two countries.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

The Equal Opportunities Committee at the Ministry of Information today held its third meeting for this year, under the chairmanship of Abdulla Khalil Buhejji, Bahrain News Agency (BNA) Director-General.

The panel reviewed and assessed its initiatives and proposals over the past period, extending between March and September.

The participants discussed the executive plan for the implementation of the committee’s strategic plan for 2023-2024, aiming at enhancing women’s status and roles in the Ministry of Information, and promoting their contribution to the national media process in the kingdom, thereby achieving its goals.

The committee paid tribute to Dr. Ramzan bin Abdullah Al Noaimi, Minister of Information, for his support and interest in implementing the committee’s work outcomes and initiatives aimed at consolidating the principle of equal opportunities, given its importance in bringing about more gains for Bahraini women in various development sectors.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

The international conference organised by the National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR) under the theme “The Impact of Human Activity on the Right to a Healthy and Clean Environment: Practices, Challenges, and Solutions”, kicked off today.

Dr. Mohammed bin Mubarak bin Daina, Minister of Oil and Environment and Special Envoy for Climate Affairs, in addition to local, regional and international experts participated in the event.

Addressing the conference, Dr. Bin Daina affirmed Bahrain’s full commitment to all the environmental treaties and programmes it had ratified, highlighting the issuance of the updated Environment Law (7) of 2022 to ensure a healthy and safe environment.

Bahrain’s significant environmental achievements, both locally and internationally, demonstrate its commitment to environmental protection and sustainable development goals (SDGs) through various programmes, projects, and initiatives, the minister said.

Ali Ahmed Al Derazi, NIHR President, asserted that the important conference is held amid the significant progress Bahrain is making in the field of human rights, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, with the follow-up of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. He also highlighted the major role played by the Supreme Council for Environment (SCE), led by His Highness Shaikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, HM the King’s Personal Representative, SCE President, in the field of environmental preservation and sustainability.

Al Darazi emphasised Bahrain’s commitment to enhancing and protecting natural resources for sustainable development, as reflected in its constitution, national legislation, and established institutions.

He indicated that Bahrain aims to strike a balance between the preservation of its natural resources and the demands for development and urban expansion, ensuring a balanced development process.

He emphasised the NIHR’s role in protecting and promoting human rights in the kingdom, including the right to a safe and sustainable environment. He hoped the conference would raise awareness about peoples’ right to live in a healthy and sustainable environment.

Over 350 participants attended the conference in Bahrain, including official bodies, civil society institutions, representatives from UN agencies, Arab Network, national human rights institutions, Gulf, Arab, regional, and international institutions, and international experts and environmental rights activists.

The conference discussed the right to the environment and human rights, focusing on legislation, national institutions, and official bodies. It raised community awareness of human activity’s impact on environmental rights. In Bahrain, it emphasised a human rights-based approach to prevent negative environmental impacts, addressing challenges and proposing solutions to preserve environmental rights.

The conference recommended promoting and protecting the right to a healthy environment, promoting awareness-raising events, and contributing to the development of relevant national legislation.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs met with Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on the sidelines of 160th session of the Arab League Council at the ministerial level.

They discussed the UNRWA’s efforts in providing support and assistance to Palestinian refugees and providing them with the necessary services in various educational, health, and social fields, in addition to the projects implemented by the agency in the field of comprehensive humanitarian care to provide a safe and sustainable environment for refugees in the countries of the region.

They stressed the importance of the international community’s support for the UNRWA’s humanitarian role, projects and programmes aimed at alleviating the suffering of Palestinian refugees by providing them with the necessary care and meeting their daily life requirements.

They also emphasised the need to safeguard peace and security in the Middle East, in a way that preserves the rights of its peoples to security, stability, development and decent living.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

The Sultanate of Oman will take part in the plenary meeting of the World Heritage Committee’s 45th session, due to be held in Riyadh from 10 to 25 September 2023.

Oman’s delegation will be led by Dr. Hamad Saif Al Hamami, Permanent Representative of the Sultanate of Oman to the UNESCO. The delegation also includes experts in tangible cultural heritage, representing the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), the Environment Authority and Oman National Commission for Education, Culture and Science.

Oman attends the meeting in its capacity as member of the World Heritage Committee since the 44th session, organized from China via videoconferencing in 2021 after the session was adjourned in 2020 due to coronavirus pandemic.

Over the past four years, Oman assumed significant roles through its discussion of files submitted by member states.

The international committee accords three segments to its specialty in the global list of sites. Accordingly, it designates a site as a ‘cultural heritage site’, ‘natural heritage site’ or ‘mixed site’ that combines natural features and aspects of human intervention.

Source: Oman News Agency

The General Assembly of the International Camel Racing Federation (ICRF) Tuesday said, at the 3rd General Assembly of the ICRF, which was held in Taif, that it had endorsed Prince Fahad bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed as president of the federation until 2028.

The General Assembly also announced the federation executive board, elected for a five-year term ending in 2028, and approved holding the inaugural world championship for endurance camel racing in Al-Ula Province.

General Assembly members adopted a mechanism for establishing a unified competition calendar for relevant national federations, under the umbrella of the ICRF, and accepted 13 new national federations as members of ICRF.

The assembly ratified amendments to the ICRF by-laws and to the classification of national federation membership, and approved Taif as its headquarters.

Prince Fahad expressed gratitude to the wise Saudi leadership for the unwavering support and effort to empower citizens to assume international positions, and said the Kingdom is the “heart of camel racing globally”.

He paid tribute to Minister of Sports and Chairman of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal for leading the foundational phase of ICRF, and making it an international sport organization, as well as for the continuous support he lends to ICRF activities.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Cabinet’s Member, and Envoy for Climate Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir headed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s delegation participating in the Africa Climate Summit (ACS) 2023.

The summit was held in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, and attended by heads of states and governments, as well as international organizations.

Source: Saudi Press Agency