Author: Mahdeehassan

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia fended off missiles and drones on Tuesday as top regional officials met in Iran for talks to help ease tensions in the Middle East. The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen said Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed three ballistic missiles aim toward the Kingdom’s Eastern Province. In southern Saudi Arabia, air defenses knocked down four drones targeting the region, said Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki, the coalition’s spokesperson. The Saudi Civil Defense issued warnings, around 3 a.m. Saudi time on Tuesday, for the Eastern Province and Al-Kharj before giving the all-clear. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been…

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia fended off missiles and drones on Tuesday as top regional officials met in Iran for talks to help ease tensions in the Middle East. The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen said Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed three ballistic missiles aim toward the Kingdom’s Eastern Province. In southern Saudi Arabia, air defenses knocked down four drones targeting the region, said Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki, the coalition’s spokesperson. The Saudi Civil Defense issued warnings, around 3 a.m. Saudi time on Tuesday, for the Eastern Province and Al-Kharj before giving the all-clear. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been…

RIYADH: When 14-year-old Moayed Al-Qarni stepped up to the microphone at a Riyadh event marking International Stuttering Awareness Day, he had a simple message to share: “My words are important, and they deserve to be repeated.” His statement resonated with many in the audience, which included people who stutter, their families and speech specialists who had gathered to discuss a condition that affects millions worldwide but is often misunderstood. The event featured personal stories, panel discussions and an open-mic session, creating a space where participants could speak openly about experiences that are frequently hidden behind embarrassment or anxiety. For 25-year-old…

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister for Consular Affairs Khalid Al-Qahtani received Ukraine’s ambassador to the Kingdom, Anatolii Petrenko, in Riyadh on Monday. They discussed consular issues of mutual interest. Meanwhile, Ibrahim Al-Subhi, director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs branch in Madinah, received Kazakhstan’s consul general in Jeddah, Saken Iztay. They discussed matters of mutual interest. Earlier, Kazakhstan’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Madiyar Menilbekov, met with Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, supervisor-general of the Saudi aid agency KSrelief, at its headquarters in Riyadh. They discussed humanitarian and relief affairs. Menilbekov praised KSrelief’s professionalism and humanitarian projects and programs worldwide.

RIYADH: The Royal Saudi Naval Forces launched HMS Neom this weekend, the second combat vessel in the second phase of the Kingdom’s Al-Sarawat Project, at the Navantia shipyard in San Fernando, Spain. The launch on Sunday follows the completion of the ship’s hull construction and assembly. Its systems will be equipped, installed and integrated in Saudi Arabia before acceptance trials are conducted on land and in Saudi waters, supporting technology transfer and the localization of naval military industries. The ceremony was attended by Royal Saudi Naval Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Gharibi, Saudi Ambassador to Spain…

JEDDAH: Alfaisal University and Saudia Cargo have signed a memorandum of understanding to advance artificial intelligence research, develop curricula and expand training opportunities in the logistics sector. The agreement establishes a framework for joint research, student training and professional development, with a focus on AI applications in air cargo and logistics. It was signed by Dr. Khaled Al-Kattan, the university’s vice president for finance and administration and dean of the College of Medicine, and Hashim Alsharif, vice president of strategy at Saudia Cargo. Under the agreement, the two sides will explore research programs involving students, faculty and staff, focusing on…

RIYADH: Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman is leading a delegation to Tehran for talks between countries party to the Makkah Agreement and Iran, as part of efforts to ease regional tensions, a Saudi Foreign Ministry official told Al Arabiya.

RIYADH: The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said on Monday it had destroyed two ballistic missile launchers in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa, including one used to fire a missile toward Riyadh that Saudi air defenses intercepted. Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, announced the operation in posts on X, saying the coalition had destroyed the two launch platforms. “Operations continue to dismantle the terrorist Houthi militia's ballistic missile network,” Al-Maliki said in a separate post. The counterstrike followed an overnight missile attack on Riyadh that was intercepted and destroyed by Saudi air defenses, according…

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's Noor Astronomy Observatory in Qassim has captured a new image of the Rosette Nebula, revealing vast clouds of glowing gas and dust illuminated by a cluster of young stars, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday. The image showcases the Rosette Nebula, a vast star-forming cloud of gas and dust located thousands of light-years from Earth, in shades of pink, purple and blue surrounding the open star cluster NGC 2244. The cluster's newly formed stars shape the surrounding cosmic environment through powerful radiation and stellar winds, SPA reported. Issa Al-Ghafili, head of Noor Astronomy, said such observations…

RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis held talks on Sunday in Riyadh, pledging to deepen cooperation on energy, investment and digital connectivity as the countries marked 100 years of diplomatic relations. The crown prince received Mitsotakis at Al-Yamamah Palace, where an official reception ceremony preceded the talks, the Saudi Press Agency reported. In a joint statement issued at the end of the visit, both sides stressed the need to protect international shipping routes and keep energy supplies flowing without interruption. They expressed concern about attacks on energy infrastructure and their effects on supplies…