Author: Mahdeehassan

MANAMA: The 31st meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council Electricity and Water Cooperation Committee was held in Manama on Monday, chaired by Bahrain’s Minister of Electricity and Water Affairs Yaser bin Ebrahim Humaidan, with the participation of GCC member states, including Saudi Arabia. GCC Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi said the electricity and water sectors are a strategic priority and a cornerstone of joint GCC action, the General Secretariat noted in a statement. He also stressed the importance of water security and emergency preparedness, as well as exploring multilateral water interconnection projects to strengthen Gulf resilience. The meeting was held under Bahrain’s…

LONDON: Saudi Arabia is to begin rectifying the status of Yemeni nationals living in the Kingdom without legal residency documents, the Interior Ministry said on Monday. The move follows a directive from King Salman after Rashad Al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, requested that Saudi authorities address the status of Yemenis residing in the country through irregular means, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The Interior Ministry said it would carry out the initiative with the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority. Saudi officials described the effort as…

BRUSSELS: The secretary-general of the Muslim World League, Mohammed Al-Issa, met leaders and other figures from Belgium’s Muslim community in Brussels on Monday. Al-Issa, who also chairs the organization’s Association of Muslim Scholars, praised the contributions of the country’s Muslim community to the promotion of coexistence and social cohesion, in particular mutual respect. During the meeting, the League said, Al-Issa emphasized the importance of obtaining from trusted local scholars religious rulings and guidance that are relevant to the particular circumstances of each country. Those who are most familiar with their communities are the ones best placed to understand the social…

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye on Monday agreed to immediately implement collective-defense commitments under the previously agreed Makkah Defense Alliance, including the swift deployment of agreed forces and other military capabilities to the Kingdom amid ongoing threats. The decision was announced following an emergency meeting of the alliance’s Strategic Political and Defense Committee in Riyadh to discuss security developments and threats Saudi Arabia is facing during the regional conflict with Iran and its proxies. The alliance was formed by an agreement signed on Aug. 7. In a message posted on the social media platform X, the Saudi defense minister,…

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Monday strongly condemned continued Iran-backed Houthi attacks targeting civilians and civilian and economic infrastructure in the Kingdom, as well as repeated attacks on Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh and other Saudi cities. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned attacks targeting Saudi vessels in the southern Red Sea and the Bab Al-Mandab strait. “The Kingdom affirms that since the Houthi terrorist militia’s coup against the legitimate Yemeni government in 2014, it has exerted diligent and continuous efforts to support efforts to reach a comprehensive and sustainable political solution in Yemen,” the ministry said. “However, the…

RIYADH: The Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a wide-ranging dialogue at Egmont Palace in Brussels with Sheikh Mohammad Al-Issa, Secretary-General of the Muslim World League (MWL) and Chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars, according to a statement from MWL on Sunday.  The event was held under the theme “The Importance of Dialogue in a Changing World.” Participants included ministers, parliamentarians, representatives of European governments and senior religious leaders. Representatives of international organizations and universities, along with civil society experts, also attended. The dialogue and accompanying discussions addressed a range of topics against the backdrop of international changes and…

Proposed transaction values FFAI’s robotics business at approximately $200 million; FF EAI Robotics Ecosystem Inc. now trades on Nasdaq under the ticker FFR; FF advances robotics commercialization, U.S. manufacturing and its broader Physical AI strategy Robotics commercialization advances: FF has established a portfolio of 24 robotics products across three forms, entered commercial delivery and reported an average gross margin of approximately 30.9% in Q2 2026 for its “Four-Core Full-Stack AI” robotics products. Physical AI ecosystem expansion: FF is advancing its broader Physical AI strategy across intelligent robotics, AI, industry applications and shared intelligent mobility, supported by its “Four-Core Full-Stack AI”…

RIYADH: Creativity thrives not only through constant production but also through moments of reflection, industry leaders said at the Creative Industries Summit in Riyadh, where discussions focused on heritage, identity and the future of Saudi Arabia’s growing creative economy. Speakers at the summit, which runs until Oct. 5 at Riyadh’s JAX District, highlighted the importance of pausing to reflect in an increasingly fast-paced world, arguing that meaningful innovation often emerges from a deeper understanding of culture, history and personal experience. “For the Creative Industries Summit happening now in Saudi Arabia, it’s a time to reflect on what creativity and culture…

RIYADH: Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Elkhereiji received Denmark’s newly appointed Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Merete Juhl in Riyadh on Sunday. He welcomed the ambassador and wished her success in her new duties, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on X. In a separate meeting, Elkhereiji also received Japanese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Yasunari Morino in Riyadh. The two discussed bilateral relations and regional and international developments, as well as efforts to address them.

RIYADH: The Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen will continue providing operational support to Yemeni forces until the country’s state institutions are restored and the threat posed by the Houthi militia is eliminated, its spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki said on Sunday. Al-Maliki said the coalition remains committed to supporting the Yemeni government and people, as well as efforts to restore state institutions and end the Houthi takeover, the Saudi Press Agency reported. Al-Maliki accused the Houthi militia of continuing to commit serious violations against Yemenis, including imposing internal sieges, forcibly displacing residents, restricting access to food, looting resources and…