Saudi FM Announces Launch of Work of Committee Tasked with Mobilizing Int’l Action to Stop War on Gaza

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah speaks during a press conference during the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit to discuss Gaza crisis, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, November 11, 2023. (Reuters)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah speaks during a press conference during the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit to discuss Gaza crisis, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, November 11, 2023. (Reuters)
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Saudi FM Announces Launch of Work of Committee Tasked with Mobilizing Int’l Action to Stop War on Gaza

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah speaks during a press conference during the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit to discuss Gaza crisis, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, November 11, 2023. (Reuters)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah speaks during a press conference during the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit to discuss Gaza crisis, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, November 11, 2023. (Reuters)

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah announced on Saturday the launch of the work of the ministerial committee tasked with mobilizing international action to end the war on Gaza.

The committee will kick off its work from China.

The committee was formed at the Arab-Islamic summit that was held in Riyadh last week and that focused on the conflict in Gaza.

Officials at the summit decided to exert pressure to kick off a serious political process that would lead to lasting and comprehensive peace in the Palestinian territories in line with relevant international resolutions.

The foreign minister of Saudi Arabia and his counterparts in several countries, as well as the secretary-generals of the Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation, were tasked with leading the efforts of the committee.

Earlier on Saturday, Prince Faisal met with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell on the sidelines of the Manama Dialogue 2023 held in Bahrain.

The officials discussed the developments in Gaza with Prince Faisal reiterating the Kingdom's rejection of the continued military escalation and violations committed by Israeli forces against civilians, stressing the importance of stopping the escalation and forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza Strip.

Prince Faisal stressed the importance of securing urgent humanitarian corridors for sending relief assistance to children, women and civilians in Gaza, and called on the international community to take a stance against all flagrant violations of international humanitarian law practiced by the Israeli forces against civilians in Gaza.



Egyptian Government Approves Formation of Higher Coordination Council with Saudi Arabia

The formation of the Higher Coordination Council reflects the level of partnership between Saudi Arabia and Egypt. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The formation of the Higher Coordination Council reflects the level of partnership between Saudi Arabia and Egypt. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Egyptian Government Approves Formation of Higher Coordination Council with Saudi Arabia

The formation of the Higher Coordination Council reflects the level of partnership between Saudi Arabia and Egypt. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The formation of the Higher Coordination Council reflects the level of partnership between Saudi Arabia and Egypt. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

In an effort to strengthen the partnership between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the Egyptian government approved on Wednesday the establishment of a higher joint coordination council.

On September 10, 2024, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Aty held a joint news conference with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, during which he announced that the two countries were in the final stages of launching the Egyptian-Saudi Higher Coordination Council, chaired by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

He emphasized that the council would serve as a comprehensive framework for deepening bilateral relations and fostering collaboration in politics, economics, trade, development, and investment, aligning with the interests of both nations’ peoples.

In its Wednesday session, Egypt’s Cabinet approved the decision to establish the council. According to a government statement, the body will seek to “intensify communication and enhance cooperation between Egypt and Saudi Arabia in areas of mutual interest.”

The council, as outlined by the statement, will include ministers and officials from both countries covering relevant sectors. It will convene regular meetings alternately in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, with provisions for extraordinary meetings as needed.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Ayman Mohseb, deputy chairman of the Arab Affairs Committee in Egypt’s House of Representatives, said that the move reflects the advanced level of partnership between the two nations, describing the council as a “cornerstone for activating relations and expanding cooperation in various fields.”

“This step will significantly advance cooperation across diverse domains, driven by the political will of the two countries’ leaderships,” Mohsab said, adding that the new body would facilitate coordination between Cairo and Riyadh on a wide range of regional issues and areas of mutual interest.

During a meeting with Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan on Tuesday, El-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s “pride in its historic relations with Saudi Arabia, both at the leadership and popular levels, and across all sectors.”