Author: Mahdeehassan

RIYADH: Saudi Deputy Minister for International Economic Affairs Rakan Tarabzoni represented the economy minister at the 10th meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council Economic and Development Affairs Authority’s Permanent Ministerial Preparatory Committee in Manama on Sunday, alongside committee members from GCC states, the Economy Ministry said in a statement. The meeting, chaired by Bahrain’s Minister of Finance and National Economy Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa, discussed regional developments and ways to strengthen Gulf economic cooperation. GCC Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi said accelerating economic integration, completing the Customs Union and advancing the GCC Common Market were essential to boosting the competitiveness of…

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan and Turkiye condemned on Sunday ongoing Houthi attacks on the Kingdom, including strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that killed and injured civilians and damaged civilian infrastructure. In a joint statement, the four countries, known as the R4 Group, called the attacks a “blatant violation of international law” and a “flagrant violation” of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Saudi Press Agency reported. They said the strikes were a dangerous escalation that threatened Saudi Arabia’s security and the safety of civilians. The group pledged solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its full support…

RIYADH: King Salman sent a written message on Sunday inviting Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman to attend the second EU-GCC Summit in Saudi Arabia on Oct. 24. The Saudi ambassador to Oman, Ibrahim bin Saad bin Bishan, delivered the letter on behalf of the king to the Omani undersecretary of the ministry of foreign affairs for political affairs, Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali Al-Harthy, according to the Saudi Press Agency. The summit will gather leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE, as well as European leaders, represented by President of the European Council…

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed the latest regional escalation and efforts to de-escalate tensions with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araqchi, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday, as Riyadh continued diplomatic contacts following attacks on the Kingdom. Araqchi said in a post on Telegram that Iran was ready to provide any assistance to facilitate dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The contact was the first publicly reported communication between the two foreign ministers since the recent escalation in attacks on Saudi Arabia by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militia. Prince Faisal also received calls from the foreign ministers…

RIYADH: As concerns grow over the current situation in Riyadh, people in the capital’s Diplomatic Quarter are continuing with their daily routines, with a Saudi citizen and a South Korean student describing a sense of normality and security during street interviews with Arab News. Speaking from the Diplomatic Quarter, Saudi citizen Haifa Abdullah said the situation had not changed her outlook on daily life, expressing confidence in the Kingdom’s ability to protect its citizens. “The situation is safe and secure, and nothing will stop us,” Abdullah said. “Our lives and dignity are protected, and the government has not fallen short…

RIYADH: Countries and international organizations have condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia’s airports, including Saturday’s strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that killed 12 people and injured 309 others, according to Saudi authorities. The condemnations, carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), came as the Iran-backed Yemeni militia continued its attacks on the Kingdom’s civilian aviation infrastructure, prompting calls for international action to protect civilians and prevent further escalation. Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said early Sunday that the dead included four Saudi citizens and nationals of Bangladesh, Palestine, the US, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Sudan.…

JEDDAH: Long before AlUla became a thriving tourism and commercial hub, archeologists quietly spent decades searching, researching and meticulously documenting the remnants of ancient prosperous civilizations that flourished in the region. Among them was Dr. Laila Nehmé, a French archeologist who has worked in AlUla since 2002 on various projects as a research fellow with the French National Centre for Scientific Research, in cooperation with the Saudi Ministry of Culture. The now 60-year-old expert’s main research interest is the civilization of the Nabataeans, an ancient Arab people. “Working at Hegra was a dream for someone specialized in the Nabataeans,” she…

JEDDAH: More than 40 years after he last visited Jeddah, Graham Duncan, from Edinburgh, returned last week to the city he knew as a child — this time accompanied by his 20-year-old son, Joey, who wanted to see the legacy that Graham’s father, George, helped build. Graham left Jeddah in 1982 at the age of 18. His return on Oct. 5 was not just a journey into his own past, but an opportunity to introduce Joey to the city where his grandfather spent almost 15 years. Dr. George Duncan was an architect and town planner who worked with Jeddah’s former…

COPENHAGEN: Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Denmark Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Hadithi met with Susanne Hyldelund, state secretary for trade and investment at the Danish foreign ministry, in Copenhagen on Friday. They reviewed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen them, particularly in trade and investment, the Saudi Embassy stated on X. Meanwhile, Saudi Ambassador to Sweden Aseil Al-Shehail recently met Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard to discuss shared priorities and ways to strengthen dialogue and cooperation.

RIYADH: Twelve people were killed and over 300 more were wounded in Saturday's missile attack targeting King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) in the Kingdom's capital, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) announced early Sunday. In a statement, GACA said the dead included four Saudi citizens as well as two Bangladeshi nationals, a Palestinian, a US citizen, an Egyptian, a Jordanian, a Syrian and a Sudanese. "The attack also left (309) others injured, including individuals in critical condition," the statement said. Hours after the attack, the spokesman for the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen announced that the King Fahd…