Author: Mahdeehassan

Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud, minister of interior, on Tuesday inaugurated the medical center and Military Medical Committee clinics at the security complex in eastern Riyadh. Both facilities are affiliated with the Ministry of Interior’s medical services. After the inauguration, Prince Abdulaziz toured the medical center’s facilities and was briefed on its equipment and therapeutic and diagnostic services, including emergency care, general medicine, physical therapy and rehabilitation, and pharmacy services. These facilities are intended to enhance the efficiency of healthcare services and facilitate access for beneficiaries, the Saudi Press Agency reported. Prince Abdulaziz also inaugurated the Military Medical Committee clinics, which…

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Council of Senior Scholars condemned attacks by the Houthis in Yemen against civilian locations, as it accused the Iran-backed militia of terrorism and attempting to target the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. In a statement issued by its General Secretariat on Wednesday, the council said the actions of the group had fueled instability and threatened the lives of innocent people, and alleged attempts to target Islam’s two holiest sites represented a grave act of aggression against Muslims. The actions of the Houthis were no less dangerous than those of extremist groups such as Daesh and Al-Qaeda,…

CAIRO: Any military support Egypt provides to Saudi Arabia would be limited to defending the Kingdom and not involve attacks on Yemen, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said on Wednesday. Cairo would be prepared to help defend the territory of other Arab countries if asked to do so, he added, but reiterated that any military action would not extend beyond Egypt or a fellow Arab state whose security and stability Cairo sought to protect. El-Sisi’s remarks, in a statement delivered by presidential spokesperson Mohammed El-Shennawy, came two days after the Egyptian parliament postponed until Oct. 26 a vote on authorization of…

JEDDAH: The perceived risk to shipping through the Bab Al-Mandab Strait exceeds the actual threat, while container volumes entering the port have returned to levels close to those recorded late last year, a senior Red Sea Gateway Terminal executive said on Wednesday. Karim Omran, vice president, group commercial, at the Jeddah-based operator, told Arab News that major carriers’ decisions to return to the route informed his assessment. He told Arab News: “Major shipping lines, including CMA CGM, Maersk and MSC, have announced that they are returning to the strait. “My current assessment is that the perception of risk is higher…

RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a written message for King Salman from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Wednesday. The message was delivered to the crown prince by Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh, the Saudi Press Agency reported.  During the meeting, the two sides reviewed Saudi-Egyptian relations and opportunities to further strengthen them. They also discussed regional developments and the coordination of efforts regarding these matters.

ANKARA: Turkiye will submit to parliament a mandate allowing for military personnel to be deployed to Saudi Arabia under its joint defense pact with ‌Saudi Arabia and ‌Pakistan, a ‌lawmaker from the ruling AK Party told Reuters on Wednesday. The lawmaker said the mandate would be sent to parliament once a ‌bill ‌ratifying the accord ‌has been approved. Turkiye ‌submitted the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement — signed by the three countries ‌in August — to parliament for ratification on Tuesday, moving NATO’s second-largest army closer to a formal mutual defense pledge with Riyadh.

RIYADH: When Sara Shahid’s first grade pupils heard alarming sounds during the school day, as Saudi air defense interceptions took place, some immediately recognized what they thought they were hearing. “Is that real, teacher? Is that real bombing? Are those missiles?” they asked. For Shahid, a mother of two, what stood out was that some of her young pupils were already familiar with the language of conflict. “Some of them already knew these terms,” she told Arab News. “Some of them probably knew something about it from home, their mums and dads, parents talk.” The school had regularly practised emergency…

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister and Finance Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim met with Chairman of the Islamic Development Bank Group Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser and stressed the strength of the long-standing strategic partnership between Malaysia and the IsDB. The two sides discussed ways to strengthen support for small and medium-sized enterprises, encourage entrepreneurship and job creation, and expand private-sector development to contribute to inclusive economic growth, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday. The meeting concluded with both sides reaffirming their shared commitment to deepening cooperation among countries of the Global South, mobilizing innovative financing, and strengthening the partnership…

RIYADH: The Saudi and Kuwaiti foreign ministers condemned the Houthis’ ongoing attacks and threats against neighboring countries in a call on Tuesday. Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah affirmed solidarity between the Kingdom and Kuwait as they faced attacks from the Houthi terrorist militia on civilian areas, threatening regional security and stability, according to the Saudi Press Agency. The Iran-backed group in Yemen has intensified its attacks against the Kingdom this month, targeting Saudi airports, energy infrastructure and civilian areas, including several deadly strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and other airports in the…

RIYADH: The Saudi ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed Al-Jaber, on Tuesday accused the Houthis of exploiting the humanitarian and economic crises in the country to finance their military operations and obstruct peace efforts. In a message posted on social media platform X, he said the Iran-backed militia had diverted state revenues, including taxes, customs duties and telecommunications income, to fund attacks against the Yemeni people, Saudi Arabia and commercial vessels in international waterways, while failing to pay public-sector salaries or provide basic services in parts of Yemen under its control. The ambassador highlighted the situation in Taiz, where Yemeni government forces…