Iraqi PM Eyes Boosting Relations with Saudi Arabia

The Iraqi Prime Minister with the Saudi Shura Council delegation (the Prime Ministry)
The Iraqi Prime Minister with the Saudi Shura Council delegation (the Prime Ministry)
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Iraqi PM Eyes Boosting Relations with Saudi Arabia

The Iraqi Prime Minister with the Saudi Shura Council delegation (the Prime Ministry)
The Iraqi Prime Minister with the Saudi Shura Council delegation (the Prime Ministry)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shiaa al-Sudani received a delegation from the Saudi-Iraqi Parliamentary Friendship Committee of the Shura Council, chaired by Council Member and Chairman of the Committee, Ibrahim al-Qannas.

The meeting was attended by the Saudi ambassador to Iraq and several members of the Iraqi parliament.

Sudani welcomed the delegation and stressed the importance of sustaining and strengthening relations between Saudi Arabia and Iraq at all levels. He also reiterated consolidating economic and commercial partnerships and cultural exchange relations.

He added that, since assuming its duties, the government has followed a path that adopts strengthening ties and regional integration, which aims to confront regional challenges and crises, coordinate positions, and establish rapprochement with nations.

The Prime Minister indicated that Baghdad has become an arena to solve regional issues, contributing to stability.

The Saudi delegation confirmed that the Kingdom values relations with Iraq at various levels and looks forward to participating in the proposed development projects and available investment opportunities in a way that promotes economic cooperation between the two countries.



Blaze at Cairo Telecom Building Kills 4 and Disrupts Internet, Phone

A boy wearing a mask looks on, as firefighters work to extinguish a fire that erupted in a telecommunications building in the Ramses district of downtown Cairo, Egypt July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
A boy wearing a mask looks on, as firefighters work to extinguish a fire that erupted in a telecommunications building in the Ramses district of downtown Cairo, Egypt July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
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Blaze at Cairo Telecom Building Kills 4 and Disrupts Internet, Phone

A boy wearing a mask looks on, as firefighters work to extinguish a fire that erupted in a telecommunications building in the Ramses district of downtown Cairo, Egypt July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
A boy wearing a mask looks on, as firefighters work to extinguish a fire that erupted in a telecommunications building in the Ramses district of downtown Cairo, Egypt July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

Four workers were killed and at least 22 others were injured in a fire that broke out on Monday at a key data center in Cairo, Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the spokesperson at Egypt's Health Ministry, told Reuters on Tuesday.

The blaze at a Telecom Egypt facility, which state TV said was contained on Monday, caused disruptions to communications across the capital.

Egypt's Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Amr Talaat, said in a statement on Tuesday that services will be gradually restored within 24 hours.

In a statement on Tuesday, Telecom Egypt said it mourned the employees that lost their lives and offered support for their families.

The fire halted phone calls, and disrupted internet access, with internet monitoring group Netblocks saying network data showed national connectivity at 62% of ordinary levels.

The health ministry posted alternative numbers for ambulance services across different governorates in case people were unable to reach its main hotline.

Besides phone calls, some digital banking services were also impacted including credit cards, ATM machines and online transactions, a bank source and residents said on Monday. Banks had already been closed for the day.

The injuries were mostly because of smoke inhalation, health ministry spokesperson Ghaffar said on Monday.

The state news agency MENA said on Monday the fire had been prevented from spreading to the entire building and neighboring rooftops.

An initial examination indicated that the fire was likely to have been caused by an electrical short circuit, MENA cited a security source as saying.