Saudi Leadership Congratulates Djibouti on Independence Dayhttps://english.aawsat.com/5034663-saudi-leadership-congratulates-djibouti-independence-day
Saudi Leadership Congratulates Djibouti on Independence Day
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (SPA)
Saudi Leadership Congratulates Djibouti on Independence Day
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (SPA)
The Saudi leadership congratulated on Thursday President of the Republic of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh on the occasion of Independence Day, The Saudi Press Agency reported.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud sent a cable of congratulations to Omar Guelleh wishing him continued good health and happiness, and the government and people of Djibouti steady progress and prosperity.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, sent his well-wishes to Omar Guelleh on the occasion of his country’s Independence Day.
Makkah Gears Up for Ramadan with Tourism Drive, Record Hospitality Growth https://english.aawsat.com/business/5242092-makkah-gears-ramadan-tourism-drive-record-hospitality-growth-%C2%A0
Makkah Gears Up for Ramadan with Tourism Drive, Record Hospitality Growth
Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb and other officials during his inspection tour on Tuesday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism has raised the readiness of Makkah’s hospitality sector to its highest level ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, stressing that serving pilgrims and visitors remains a top national priority.
Makkah is preparing to receive worshippers and visitors amid a marked expansion in hospitality capacity. The city now has more than 2,200 licensed accommodation facilities, reflecting growth of 35 percent over the past year. The number of licensed hotel rooms has exceeded 380,000, up 25 percent, while total domestic and inbound tourism spending is projected to surpass SAR 143 billion ($38.1 billion) in 2025.
The wider Makkah region recorded unprecedented performance indicators last year, both in visitor numbers and tourism spending, underscoring sustained growth and operational readiness.
Total domestic and international visitors exceeded 50 million, marking a 14 percent increase compared with 2024.
Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb announced the figures during an annual inspection tour on Tuesday, stressing that the indicators reflect a major expansion in accommodation capacity and record growth in visitor numbers.
The tour included inspections of temporary lodging facilities designated for pilgrims, part of a proactive plan to increase capacity during peak seasons, alongside early preparations for the upcoming Hajj.
Vision 2030 targets surpassed
Official data has shown that Saudi Arabia has exceeded its Vision 2030 targets for the Umrah. The number of pilgrims arriving from abroad rose from 8.5 million in 2019 to more than 18 million in 2025, surpassing the original goal of 15 million by 2030.
A number of hotels surrounding the Grand Mosque in Makkah. (General Authority for Awqaf)
Service quality indicators improved as well, with pilgrim satisfaction reaching 94 percent, exceeding Vision 2030 benchmarks.
Workforce development kept pace with demand, as the number of licensed tour guides rose to more than 980, a 23 percent increase.
Masar Mall project
Al-Khateeb announced a joint financing agreement between the Tourism Development Fund and the Arab National Bank with Hamat Holding to support the Masar Mall project. The development carries a total cost of SAR 936 million (about $250 million).
The project is expected to become the largest shopping center in Makkah with the capacity to accommodate around 20 million visitors annually.
Its location near the Haramain High-Speed Railway station and a direct pedestrian link to the Grand Mosque are expected to strengthen the city’s commercial and tourism infrastructure.
Jeddah: Gateway to pilgrims
Meanwhile, Jeddah continues to consolidate its position as a complementary destination to Makkah and a primary gateway for pilgrims, while also expanding its role as a coastal tourism hub.
The city welcomed more than 13 million domestic and international visitors in 2025, a 10 percent increase from 2024. Tourism spending reached SAR 28 billion ($7.47 billion), up 6 percent year on year.
Jeddah’s hospitality sector also expanded, with more than 500 licensed facilities and over 33,000 licensed rooms.
The city is currently developing 46 tourism projects valued at SAR 21 billion ($5.6 billion) and expected to add more than 11,000 hotel rooms and further strengthen its tourism infrastructure and economic value.
Syria: SDF’s Mazloum Abdi Says Implementation of Integration Deal May Take Timehttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5242091-syria-sdf%E2%80%99s-mazloum-abdi-says-implementation-integration-deal-may-take-time
People sit outdoors surrounded by nature, with the Tigris river flowing in the background, following a long atmospheric depression, near the Syrian-Turkish border in Derik, Syria, February 16, 2026 REUTERS/Orhan Qereman
Syria: SDF’s Mazloum Abdi Says Implementation of Integration Deal May Take Time
People sit outdoors surrounded by nature, with the Tigris river flowing in the background, following a long atmospheric depression, near the Syrian-Turkish border in Derik, Syria, February 16, 2026 REUTERS/Orhan Qereman
Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces, said the process of merging the SDF with Syrian government forces “may take some time,” despite expressing confidence in the eventual success of the agreement.
His remarks came after earlier comments in which he acknowledged differences with Damascus over the concept of “decentralization.”
Speaking at a tribal conference in the northeastern city of Hasakah on Tuesday, Abdi said the issue of integration would not be resolved quickly, but stressed that the agreement remains on track.
He said the deal reached last month stipulates that three Syrian army brigades will be created out of the SDF.
Abdi added that all SDF military units have withdrawn to their barracks in an effort to preserve stability and continue implementing the announced integration agreement with the Syrian state.
He also emphasized the need for armed forces to withdraw from the vicinity of the city of Ayn al-Arab (Kobani), to be replaced by security forces tasked with maintaining order.
Israeli Far-Right Minister to Push for ‘Migration’ of West Bank, Gaza Palestinians https://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5242087-israeli-far-right-minister-push-%E2%80%98migration%E2%80%99-west-bank-gaza-palestinians%C2%A0
A Palestinian man checks leather belts as people prepare for Ramadan, in the old city of Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 17,2026. (Reuters)
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Israeli Far-Right Minister to Push for ‘Migration’ of West Bank, Gaza Palestinians
A Palestinian man checks leather belts as people prepare for Ramadan, in the old city of Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 17,2026. (Reuters)
Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he would pursue a policy of "encouraging the migration" of Palestinians from the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, Israeli media reported Wednesday.
"We will eliminate the idea of an Arab terror state," said Smotrich, speaking at an event organized by his Religious Zionism Party late on Tuesday.
"We will finally, formally, and in practical terms nullify the cursed Oslo Accords and embark on a path toward sovereignty, while encouraging emigration from both Gaza and Judea and Samaria.
"There is no other long-term solution," added Smotrich, who himself lives in a settlement in the West Bank.
Since last week, Israel has approved a series of measures backed by far-right ministers to tighten control over the West Bank, including in areas administered by the Palestinian Authority under the Oslo Accords, in place since the 1990s.
The measures include a process to register land in the West Bank as "state property" and facilitate direct purchases of land by Jewish Israelis.
The measures have triggered widespread international outrage.
On Tuesday, the UN missions of 85 countries condemned the measures, which critics say amount to de facto annexation of the Palestinian territory.
"We strongly condemn unilateral Israeli decisions and measures aimed at expanding Israel's unlawful presence in the West Bank," they said in a statement.
"Such decisions are contrary to Israel's obligations under international law and must be immediately reversed.
"We underline in this regard our strong opposition to any form of annexation."
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called on Israel to reverse its land registration policy, calling it "destabilizing" and "unlawful".
The West Bank would form the largest part of any future Palestinian state. Many on Israel's religious right view it as Israeli land.
Israeli NGOs have also raised the alarm over a settlement plan signed by the government which they say would mark the first expansion of Jerusalem's borders into the occupied West Bank since 1967.
The planned development, announced by Israel's Ministry of Construction and Housing, is formally a westward expansion of the Geva Binyamin, or Adam, settlement situated northeast of Jerusalem in the West Bank.
The current Israeli government has fast-tracked settlement expansion, approving a record 52 settlements in 2025.
Excluding Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, more than 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements and outposts, which are illegal under international law.
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