Author: Mahdeehassan

RIYADH: Four people were injured by falling debris in Riyadh after air defenses knocked down Houthi missiles in the Saudi capital. Loud explosions were heard in Riyadh just before midnight on Tuesday as Saudi air defenses engaged hostile targets above the city. Shrapnel from two intercepted cruise missiles landed around 15 residential homes and injured four people, the Saudi Civil Defense said on Wednesday. The authority released images of the damage to the civilian residences. Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki, spokesman for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, said early Wednesday that a cruise missile was destroyed in Al-Kharj governorate.…

ABUJA: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) has launched a voluntary medical campaign in Nigeria to perform 108 open-heart surgeries and cardiac catheterization procedures. The campaign, launched in the capital Abuja on Tuesday in collaboration with the Al-Balsam Association for Health Training and Development, aims to carry out 28 open-heart surgeries and 80 diagnostic and therapeutic cardiac catheterization procedures. The procedures are being performed at Nizamiye Hospital in Abuja by a team of 10 Saudi volunteers, including specialist doctors, consultants, nurses, technicians and administrative staff. The team is working alongside local medical professionals to examine patients…

DAMMAM: Eastern Region Gov. Prince Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz received US Consul General Amy Smith at his office in Dhahran on Tuesday. During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations and other topics of mutual interest, the Saudi Press Agency reported. Meanwhile, Consul General of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sirojiddin Shamsutdinov visited Taibah University in Madinah. He met the university’s president, Dr. Nawal Al-Rasheed, and discussed ways to strengthen academic and educational cooperation, as well as scientific expertise.

ALKHOBAR: When an emergency alert rang out on a mobile phone inside a house in Saudi Arabia, a young boy responded with a few words of reassurance: “We’re in Saudi Arabia, don’t be afraid.” The moment, captured in a video that circulated on social media on Tuesday, showed two children relaxing at home when a security warning sounded. Rather than appearing alarmed, the boy sought to reassure another child beside him. The video, shared on X by the account @labeebhubb, attracted more than 650,000 views within 12 hours, with users impressed by the child’s confidence and spontaneous words of reassurance.…

I watched Sky News UK’s Yalda Hakim’s excellent interview with Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti, a senior spokesperson for the Houthi militia. I say excellent because Hakim, a renowned journalist who does not need my endorsement, remained neutral, impartial and professional and, by doing that, she left the door wide open for Al-Bukhaiti to hang himself and expose the true colors of the evil cult he represents. In Arabic, we have a saying that translates to “the excuse is worse than the sin” — and this could not be more applicable than to what Al-Bukhaiti said in response to Hakim’s questions as to…

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s minister of Islamic affairs, Dawah and guidance, Abdullatif Al-Asheikh, has received messages from 176 ministers, scholars, muftis and presidents of Islamic institutions in more than 70 countries, affirming their support for the Kingdom as it faces continuing attacks by the Houthis in Yemen, officials said. The messages condemned the recent strikes, including those that killed at least 12 people and injured 309 when the Iran-backed militia targeted Khalid International Airport in Riyadh over the weekend. Some of those killed were pilgrims, including the Bangladeshi Islamic scholar Nasrullah Al-Badr, who was killed while on his way to perform…

RIYADH: Beneath crystal chandeliers and gleaming display cases filled with diamonds, pearls, and gemstones, visitors are moving between jewelry brands in Riyadh this week searching for something more than precious metals. Industry leaders say Saudi consumers are looking beyond precious metals and gemstones, placing greater value on craftsmanship, originality, and personal meaning. That is all on display at Jewels of the World Fine Jewelry, which has opened at the Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah. The exhibition marks the first time the Jewels of the World series has expanded to two venues in the capital, running alongside Jewels of the World Luxe…

RIYADH: The US embassy in Riyadh said on Monday that American citizens had been detained for filming recent events in Saudi Arabia, which has suffered a string of deadly attacks by the Houthi militia. The US mission said “American citizens have been detained for taking photos of recent events,” without specifying how many were arrested. It noted that Saudi authorities have warned that “filming, publishing, or sharing information related to counter missiles and drones and their impact sites exposes you to legal liability.” The embassy also said US government employees must obtain its authorization before using any airport in the…

RIYADH: International efforts to ensure the sustainability of outer space must also address security threats, as lack of progress in one area could undermine progress in the other. The warning came from Ambassador Carlos Foradori at the Global Space Connectivity and Sustainability Events 2026 in Riyadh on Monday. Argentina’s permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, and chair of the Open-Ended Working Group on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space, said that the two issues must be addressed together. “These agendas are complementary, not competing,” he said. “Sustainability without security is fragile, because everything built for sustainability…

RIYADH: The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen said Monday that its forces intercepted a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis at the Saudi capital Riyadh. “Interception and destruction of a ballistic missile launched by the terrorist Houthi militia toward Riyadh,” Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Malki, spokesman for the coalition, wrote on X. Just after midnight on Tuesday, the coalition said that two ballistic missiles fired by Houthi rebels toward Khamis Mushayt were intercepted and destroyed. Earlier on Monday, the coalition said it was responding to an attack involving drones and cruise missiles. The Houthis have been attacking Saudi airports ‌and…