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Gulf

Saudi-African Summit Underlines Need to Stop Gaza War

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman emphasized the necessity to stop the war in Gaza and create the appropriate conditions for the return of stability. (SPA)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman emphasized the necessity to stop the war in Gaza and create the appropriate conditions for the return of stability. (SPA)
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Saudi-African Summit Underlines Need to Stop Gaza War

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman emphasized the necessity to stop the war in Gaza and create the appropriate conditions for the return of stability. (SPA)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman emphasized the necessity to stop the war in Gaza and create the appropriate conditions for the return of stability. (SPA)

Leaders at the Saudi-African Summit on Friday stressed the need to stop the war in Gaza, and to find a just, comprehensive and equitable solution that meets the aspirations of the brotherly Palestinian people, denouncing the serious Israeli violations of international humanitarian law.

In an opening speech on behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman emphasized the keenness of Saudi Arabia and African countries to enhance cooperation in a way that contributes to establishing security and peace in the region and the entire world.

Prince Mohammed also condemned “the military aggression and targeting of civilians in the Gaza Strip, and the continued violations of international humanitarian law by the Israeli occupying authority,” noting the necessity of stopping the war and forced displacement, and creating conditions for the return of stability and peace.

Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairman of the African Union Commission, said that the Palestinian issue was at the heart of the problem of peace and security in the world.

“We are required to develop a very urgent practical plan that embodies the position of Africa, Saudi Arabia, and the Arab world, guaranteeing the rights of the Palestinian people to freedom, dignity and independence, as well as security and stability for countries and peoples of the whole region,” he stated.

The President of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh, said that Gaza was experiencing a new Nakba, adding that the seriousness of the current situation requires “an immediate response and a strong donation, to help our people and brothers in Gaza by all possible means.”

Emmerson Mnangagwa, President of Zimbabwe, described the developments in Gaza as “unfortunate,” expressing his concern over the violation of international humanitarian rights, and reiterating the call to revive the political process towards lasting peace in the region.

In turn, President of Nigeria Bola Ahmed Tinubu voiced his concern about the situation in Palestine, praising Saudi Arabia’s commitment to protecting the legitimate rights of the Palestinians, and affirming his country’s support for a peaceful solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, in accordance with the principles and charters of the United Nations.

Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, Chairman of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council, said that everyone was concerned about the destruction, killing and displacement taking place in Gaza. He also expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people and their right to establish their legitimate state on the borders of June 1967.

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Gulf

Empty Quarter: Reservoir of Energy and Graveyard for Drones

The Empty Quarter lies atop two of the world’s largest oil and gas fields (SPA)
The Empty Quarter lies atop two of the world’s largest oil and gas fields (SPA)
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Empty Quarter: Reservoir of Energy and Graveyard for Drones

The Empty Quarter lies atop two of the world’s largest oil and gas fields (SPA)
The Empty Quarter lies atop two of the world’s largest oil and gas fields (SPA)

Stretching across the southern Arabian Peninsula, the Empty Quarter desert spreads like an endless sea of sand. It covers three Saudi administrative regions and extends across four countries, accounting for more than 67% of Saudi Arabia’s sand accumulations and about 22% of the Kingdom’s total land area.

Occupying nearly a fifth of the Arabian Peninsula, the vast desert is viewed by observers as both a reservoir of energy and a graveyard for drones targeting Saudi Arabia. Saudi defense authorities frequently announce interceptions of attacks headed for oil installations in the desert.

The Empty Quarter, one of the world’s largest sand seas, is also among its harshest environments, with temperatures reaching unbearable levels.

National Geographic describes it as a land “tamed only by the most resilient and wise of men despite its harshness,” a testament to the endurance of nomadic Bedouin tribes who forged unique bonds of kinship and marriage across generations.

Beneath the harsh landscape lie immense riches. The Empty Quarter sits atop some of the world’s largest oil and gas reserves. Nearby lie giant fields such as Shaybah, among the world’s largest crude oil fields on the desert’s edge, and Jafurah, Saudi Arabia’s largest unconventional gas field discovered to date. Jafurah alone holds an estimated 200 trillion standard cubic feet of gas and more than 60 billion barrels of condensate.

The Jafurah oil field. Aramco

The result is a striking contrast: a silent desert resting above resources that help drive the global economy.

Since March 5, the Empty Quarter has taken on another, unexpected role — a graveyard for drones targeting Saudi Arabia.

In just one week, its sands swallowed more than 63 drones as Saudi defenses carried out 27 interception and destruction operations, preventing them from striking the Shaybah field and reinforcing confidence in the Kingdom’s ability to protect energy supplies and ensure their delivery to global markets.

Ironically, three countries across which the Empty Quarter stretches — Saudi Arabia, which holds about 80% of the desert, along with Oman and the United Arab Emirates to the east, have faced Iranian drone, ballistic missile and cruise missile attacks.

The Shaybah oil field. Reuters

While many civilian and military sites have been affected, the attempt to target Shaybah marked what analysts described as an escalation threatening global energy sources.

A recent study by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) found that the Empty Quarter was once far different from the barren landscape it is known for today.

In the distant past, it was home to lakes, rivers and green plains that supported rich ecosystems and helped early human populations spread across the Arabian Peninsula.

Today it is among Saudi Arabia’s hottest and driest regions, with average rainfall of less than 50 millimeters a year and summer temperatures exceeding 50°C.

But researchers say these harsh conditions followed a wetter climate period known as “Green Arabia,” which lasted between 11,000 and 5,500 years ago in the late Quaternary era.

During that time, strong monsoon rains from Africa and India — driven by orbital climate shifts — fueled vegetation and wildlife across the region.

The desert’s name reflects both its scale and isolation. Saudi sources say it was called the “Empty Quarter” because it occupies roughly a quarter of the Arabian Peninsula and lacks permanent human settlement, aside from a small number of nomadic Bedouins, with limited wildlife and vegetation.

Some sources also refer to parts of the desert as “Al-Ahqaf,” believed to apply mainly to its southern reaches between Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Yemen.

Tradition links the area to the ancient people of ‘Ad and the legendary city of Iram, said to lie buried beneath the sands.

The Empty Quarter is more than a vast expanse of desert. It is a landscape where extremes meet — immense natural wealth beneath a silent sea of dunes, and a remote terrain that has quietly become a shield protecting vital energy supplies.

Gulf

Saudi Foreign Minister Discusses Regional Escalation with Spanish Counterpart

Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Foreign Minister (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Foreign Minister (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Foreign Minister Discusses Regional Escalation with Spanish Counterpart

Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Foreign Minister (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Foreign Minister (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah received a phone call on Thursday from his Spanish counterpart José Manuel Albares.

During the call, they discussed the regional escalation and the efforts being exerted in this regard.

Gulf

Pakistani Prime Minister Arrives in Jeddah

Pakistan's Prime Minister arriving in Jeddah - SPA
Pakistan's Prime Minister arriving in Jeddah - SPA
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Pakistani Prime Minister Arrives in Jeddah

Pakistan's Prime Minister arriving in Jeddah - SPA
Pakistan's Prime Minister arriving in Jeddah - SPA

Pakistan's Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and his accompanying delegation arrived in Jeddah on Thursday, SPA reported.

At King Abdulaziz International Airport, the Pakistani prime minister was welcomed by Deputy Governor of Makkah Region Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz, and several other officials.