Seven Labor Courts Inaugurated Across KSA to Attract Investment

Justice Minister Waleed al-Samaani (2nd right) and Ministry of Labor and Social Development Ahmad Al-Rajhi (2nd left) at the launch of labor courts during a special event at the Justice training center in Riyadh on Sunday. SPA
Justice Minister Waleed al-Samaani (2nd right) and Ministry of Labor and Social Development Ahmad Al-Rajhi (2nd left) at the launch of labor courts during a special event at the Justice training center in Riyadh on Sunday. SPA
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Seven Labor Courts Inaugurated Across KSA to Attract Investment

Justice Minister Waleed al-Samaani (2nd right) and Ministry of Labor and Social Development Ahmad Al-Rajhi (2nd left) at the launch of labor courts during a special event at the Justice training center in Riyadh on Sunday. SPA
Justice Minister Waleed al-Samaani (2nd right) and Ministry of Labor and Social Development Ahmad Al-Rajhi (2nd left) at the launch of labor courts during a special event at the Justice training center in Riyadh on Sunday. SPA

Saudi Arabia inaugurated on Sunday seven labor courts aimed at providing a safe and attractive work environment and stabilizing the labor market.

Justice Minister and President of the Supreme Judicial System Waleed al-Samaani announced the completion of the specialized judicial system by establishing the labor courts and exercising their competencies stipulated in the Sharia Pleadings Law.

In the first phase, seven labor courts will be launched in Riyadh, Makkah, Jeddah, Abha, Dammam, Buraidah and Madinah, he explained, noting that these courts will be added to 27 labor departments and nine other departments inside appeal courts across the Kingdom.

These courts and departments will be operating with 139 judges and 99 legal specialists.

The operation of labor courts is an important step toward boosting the local labor market as well as creating conducive investment climate in the Kingdom in accordance with its Vision 2030, the Minister stressed.

He pointed to the Ministry’s keenness to ensure that the labor justice environment is fully digital, adding that judges who will work in these courts have been selected based on judiciary experience, knowledge, and efficiency.

Samaani said the shift and progress in the legal sector were thanks to the full support provided by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense.

The introduction of specialized labor courts will improve the performance of working teams inside these courts and will contribute to the development of the justice system, he added.

The justice facility has undergone a qualitative leap, aimed at promoting it to serve the beneficiaries and reaffirm the leadership’s will to apply the principle of justice and restoration of rights.

He stressed the Ministry’s continued development of judicial and documentary work and its support for specific initiatives that will ensure further progress and development.

He called on the specialists to contribute to this development via available means of communication.



New KSrelief Aid Convoy Crosses Rafah to Deliver Food Baskets to Gaza

The latest KSrelief convoy was carrying food baskets for the people of Gaza. (SPA)
The latest KSrelief convoy was carrying food baskets for the people of Gaza. (SPA)
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New KSrelief Aid Convoy Crosses Rafah to Deliver Food Baskets to Gaza

The latest KSrelief convoy was carrying food baskets for the people of Gaza. (SPA)
The latest KSrelief convoy was carrying food baskets for the people of Gaza. (SPA)

A new humanitarian aid convoy from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) crossed the Rafah border into Gaza on Friday with essential food baskets for Palestinians affected by the ongoing crisis, as part of the Saudi fundraising campaign to aid the Palestinian people.

The Saudi Center for Culture and Heritage, KSrelief’s implementing partner, has established several new camps in Al-Qarara area of southern Gaza and Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis in preparation for winter.

Through these efforts, KSrelief aims to alleviate the severe suffering caused by the dire living conditions in Gaza, ensuring that vital food and shelter reach those in the most vulnerable areas.


Joint Military 'Gulf Shield Exercise 2026' Concludes in Saudi Arabia

Flags of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries at an event (AFP)
Flags of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries at an event (AFP)
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Joint Military 'Gulf Shield Exercise 2026' Concludes in Saudi Arabia

Flags of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries at an event (AFP)
Flags of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries at an event (AFP)

The joint military "Gulf Shield Exercise 2026" concluded in Saudi Arabia on Friday, with the participation of the air forces and air-defense forces of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, alongside the GCC Unified Military Command, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The exercise was conducted as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen regional defense cooperation and enhance combat readiness.

Its maneuvers included advanced operational scenarios featuring simulations of multidimensional air and missile threats, joint air maneuvers, and integrated field exercises, with a focus on improving operational integration, strengthening command-and-control systems, and enhancing operational efficiency within a joint operational environment.
The exercise seeks to develop qualitative military capabilities, bolster combat readiness to confront current, emerging, and future threats, and entrench the concepts of collective defense and flexible deterrence, thereby contributing to the region's security and stability.

Gulf Shield Exercise 2026 is regarded as one of the key pillars of military cooperation among GCC countries, reflecting ongoing efforts to enhance defense integration and strengthen the capacity to respond to regional and international challenges.

At the conclusion of the exercise, the participating forces carried out a joint aerial display that demonstrated a high level of harmony and operational integration, as well as their ability to plan and execute in accordance with unified operational concepts and advanced professional standards.


Saudi Arabia Expresses Deep Regret over Damage to Qatari Embassy in Kyiv

 Smoke rises in the city after Russian drone and missile strikes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 9, 2026. (Reuters)
Smoke rises in the city after Russian drone and missile strikes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 9, 2026. (Reuters)
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Saudi Arabia Expresses Deep Regret over Damage to Qatari Embassy in Kyiv

 Smoke rises in the city after Russian drone and missile strikes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 9, 2026. (Reuters)
Smoke rises in the city after Russian drone and missile strikes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 9, 2026. (Reuters)

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed on Saturday the Kingdom’s deep regret over the damage sustained by the Qatari Embassy in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, as a result of recent shelling.

The ministry stressed the need to protect diplomatic missions and their personnel in line with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

The ministry reiterated the Kingdom's support for all diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the Russian-Ukrainian crisis through peaceful means.