Author: Mahdeehassan

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia expressed its condolences to Turkiye after four military personnel were killed in a helicopter crash in the eastern province of Malatya. In a statement posted on X, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed the Kingdom’s “sincere condolences and heartfelt sympathy” to the families of those who died and to the government and people of Turkiye. The Kingdom also expressed solidarity with the victims’ families and with the Turkish government and people. Turkiye’s defense ministry said on Thursday that four personnel were killed when an S-70 helicopter crashed in Malatya. The wreckage was located and search-and-rescue operations…

RIYADH: The Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and China’s special envoy for the Middle East, Zhai Jun, discussed regional security, diplomatic efforts to ease tensions and the protection of vital shipping routes on Thursday. The talks during their meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Riyadh focused on continuing Houthi attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, and their implications for regional stability, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The officials also reviewed bilateral ties and diplomatic efforts to contain regional crises and prevent further escalation. Maritime security and energy supplies were a particular focus, with both officials…

RIYADH: Two drones were intercepted and destroyed in the Riyadh region in separate incidents on Thursday.One of the interceptions took place in the morning and the second in the evening, according to the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen. The drone that was intercepted in the evening was launched by the Houthis, the coalition added. The coalition's spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki later announced that another drone had been destroyed in the Eastern Province.

RIYADH: The Muslim World League this week held an event in Cordoba, Spain, to celebrate the intellectual and scientific legacy of Muslim scholars. The meeting, in Al-Andalus, focused on the philosopher Ibn Rushd, known in the West as Averroes. The MWL described the gathering as the first of its kind since the end of Muslim rule in Al-Andalus. It chose the Cordoba-born scholar as its central figure because of the recognition his work commands across cultures, the Saudi Press Agency reported. Supported by the UN Alliance of Civilizations, the event brought together academics, intellectuals and religious leaders from Spain and…

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia handed the presidency of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization’s General Conference to Oman on Thursday, highlighting institutional reforms and calling for Arab solidarity amid what it described as continuing Houthi attacks. The handover took place at the opening of the conference’s 28th session in Muscat, attended by ministers and delegation heads from Arab member states. In a speech delivered on his behalf by Education Minister Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan, Saudi Culture Minister Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan condemned attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia against the Kingdom’s territory, civilian infrastructure and holy sites.…

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has launched a large-scale coral restoration facility on the Red Sea coast, aiming to produce up to 360,000 corals annually and restore 100 hectares of reef by 2030. The opening of what KAUST describes as the world’s largest coral restoration facility was announced at the COP31 climate conference in Antalya, Turkiye, according to a university statement published late Wednesday. The KAUST Coral Restoration Initiative (KCRI) operates a land-based nursery and research campus. It aims to plant more than 2 million corals across 100 hectares of reef at Shushah Island…

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology has launched a large-scale coral restoration facility on the Red Sea coast, aiming to produce up to 360,000 corals annually and restore 100 hectares of reef by 2030. The opening of what KAUST describes as the world’s largest coral restoration facility was announced at the COP31 climate conference in Antalya, Turkiye, according to a university statement on Wednesday. The KAUST Coral Restoration Initiative operates a land-based nursery and research campus. It aims to plant more than 2 million corals across 100 hectares of reef at Shushah Island by 2030 and…

RIYADH: Fragments of two ballistic missiles that were destroyed over Makkah fell in the village of Sabouha, the Saudi Civil Defense said early on Thursday. Earlier, two drones launched by the Houthi militia were intercepted and destroyed in the Makkah and southern regions, the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen said on Wednesday. The spokesperson for the coalition Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki said separately that three cruise missiles launched by the Houthi militia toward the Riyadh region had been destroyed. Later on in the evening, the coalition announced that air defenses intercepted and destroyed two Houthi ballistic missiles in Saudi…

JEDDAH: A seabed cleanup initiative at Jeddah Marina removed 9.3 tonnes of waste from the Red Sea, bringing together hundreds of divers, volunteers and government agencies in one of the city's largest marine conservation campaigns, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday. Held under the patronage of Jeddah Gov. Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Jalawi, the initiative concluded this week at the marina in North Obhur. According to SPA, 419 registered divers and volunteers completed more than 300 dives during 64 hours of fieldwork, recovering plastics, metals, tires and other waste from the seabed. Around 6,160 kilograms of plastic, representing…

Saudi Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Ambassador Dr. Saud Al-Sati received British Permanent Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Lindy Cameron in Riyadh on Tuesday. They discussed bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on X. Meanwhile, Saudi Deputy Minister for Multilateral International Affairs Abdulrahman Al-Rassi received British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Stephen Charles Hitchen in Riyadh on Tuesday. The two discussed issues of mutual interest, the Foreign Ministry said.