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Gulf

EU Calls for Immediate Humanitarian Truce in Gaza

A handout photo made available by the Saudi Foreign Ministry press office, shows Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan (R) receiving EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell at AlUla, Saudi Arabia, 08 January 2024. (EPA/ Saudi Foreign Ministry handout)
A handout photo made available by the Saudi Foreign Ministry press office, shows Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan (R) receiving EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell at AlUla, Saudi Arabia, 08 January 2024. (EPA/ Saudi Foreign Ministry handout)
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EU Calls for Immediate Humanitarian Truce in Gaza

A handout photo made available by the Saudi Foreign Ministry press office, shows Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan (R) receiving EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell at AlUla, Saudi Arabia, 08 January 2024. (EPA/ Saudi Foreign Ministry handout)
A handout photo made available by the Saudi Foreign Ministry press office, shows Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan (R) receiving EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell at AlUla, Saudi Arabia, 08 January 2024. (EPA/ Saudi Foreign Ministry handout)

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell renewed on Monday the call for an "immediate humanitarian truce" in the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip that has been ongoing for more than three months.

During a visit to Saudi Arabia's AlUla, Borrell discussed with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan the war in Gaza and the "joint peace initiative."

This was Borrell’s fourth trip to the region since Oct. 7 when the war in Gaza erupted.

He confirmed, in statements to reporters before leaving AlUla, that Europe will not participate in protecting commercial ships navigating the Red Sea as part of Operation Atalanta.

The military operation is being carried out by the EU Naval Force to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia.

Replying to a question by Asharq Al-Awsat, Borrell said the Europeans have no intention of taking part in protecting commercial vessels in the Red Sea amid the attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen on international shipping.

The operation is aimed at combating piracy, he stated.

Borrell stressed that his discussions in Saudi Arabia focused on the efforts to achieve an immediate truce in the Gaza Strip and deal with the significant humanitarian crisis.

In a post in the "X" platform, he added that he discussed with the Saudi FM the joint peace initiative and steps to translate the international consensus on the two-state solution into action.

He declared: "The path will be difficult, but there is no alternative to peace."

He also extended an invitation to Prince Faisal to visit Brussels on Jan. 22.

Borrell had previously urged the need to stop the unfolding human tragedy in Gaza.

"We need an immediate humanitarian pause, leading to a more sustainable one and for hostages to be released," he posted on X.

The EU official also met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his visit to Saudi Arabia.

They compared notes about their talks in the region and efforts to de-escalate, alleviate the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, and bolster the indispensable UN role.

According to Reuters, a US official revealed that Blinken and Borrell discussed efforts to prevent the expansion of the Gaza conflict.

Back in September, the Saudi Foreign Ministry announced that the Kingdom, in cooperation with the Arab League, the EU, Egypt, and Jordan, had launched efforts to revitalize the Palestinian-Israeli peace process.

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Gulf

Saudi Foreign Minister, Egyptian Counterpart Discuss Regional Developments

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah
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Saudi Foreign Minister, Egyptian Counterpart Discuss Regional Developments

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah received a phone call on Saturday from Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Dr. Badr Abdelatty.

They discussed the latest regional developments and agreed to maintain bilateral coordination and consultation on these issues.

Gulf

Albudaiwi: GCC States Consistently Seek to Enhance Global Security and Stability

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. SPA
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. SPA
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Albudaiwi: GCC States Consistently Seek to Enhance Global Security and Stability

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. SPA
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. SPA

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi said that the GCC member states consistently seek to enhance security, stability, development, and prosperity to serve the mutual interests of the region's peoples and the entire world.

This comes in light of the rapid geopolitical shifts as well as growing security and economic challenges facing the globe, according to SPA.

During his participation in a panel session on GCC-European strategic links, held today in the Czech capital, Prague, on the sidelines of the GLOBSEC Global Security Forum 2026, the GCC secretary-general said: "The GCC General Secretariat’s participation in the GLOBSEC Global Security Forum 2026 embodies its keenness to maintain an active presence in regional and international forums. This engagement aims to bolster communication and exchange perspectives with international partners, decision-makers, and experts, thereby supporting efforts to maintain regional and international security while keeping pace with rapid global changes."

He also pointed out that the region has recently witnessed several events that have heavily impacted security and stability, adding that the GCC states have sustained their continuous diplomatic efforts to de-escalate and defuse tensions in the region, promoting paths of dialogue and diplomacy to protect regional security, stability, and the safety of its peoples.

The GCC secretary-general underscored the paramount importance of protecting the security of air and maritime corridors, ensuring freedom of navigation, the safety of supply chains, and the stability of global energy market.

"The stability of the Gulf region remains a fundamental pillar for the stability of the global economy and international maritime security," he reiterated.

Albudaiwi explained that recent developments have proven that the security of Europe and the Middle East has become unprecedentedly interconnected, asserting that any disruption in the Gulf region and its surrounding maritime passages directly affects the European economy, global energy security, supply chains, and international stability as a whole. He stressed that Gulf stability is no longer merely a regional matter, but has become a shared international interest.

Discussing the future of Gulf-European relations, Albudaiwi mentioned that both sides aspire to elevate their ties to broader horizons.

He added that the upcoming GCC-EU Summit will contribute to cementing cooperation across numerous fields and achieving the mutual interests of both parties, emphasizing the significance of reaching tangible results that serve both sides and elevate their ongoing cooperation.

Gulf

Saudi Arabia Says Will Not Allow Practices That Deviate Hajj from its Objectives

Security commanders are seen at the press conference in Makkah on Friday (Bashir Saleh)
Security commanders are seen at the press conference in Makkah on Friday (Bashir Saleh)
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Saudi Arabia Says Will Not Allow Practices That Deviate Hajj from its Objectives

Security commanders are seen at the press conference in Makkah on Friday (Bashir Saleh)
Security commanders are seen at the press conference in Makkah on Friday (Bashir Saleh)

Saudi Arabia said it would not allow the Hajj to be used for any activity that strays from its religious purpose, as more than 1.5 million pilgrims arrived from abroad by Friday afternoon.

He made his statement during a press conference by Hajj security commanders at the Unified Security Operations Center (911) in the Makkah region.

Officials outlined security, traffic, and organizational plans for this year’s holy pilgrimage, along with related instructions and guidelines.

Lt. Gen. Mohammed Al-Bassami, director of Public Security, said the Hajj security system was fully ready to carry out its duties.

“Our goal is for pilgrims to reach their destination, perform their rituals, and return home safely,” he stressed.

Al-Bassami said crowd management plans focused on regulating pilgrim flows and minimizing overlap between routes. Technology, he said, was playing a key role alongside security personnel on the ground.

He said authorities were prepared for various scenarios based on risk assessments, following extensive drills and field exercises to test the readiness of all security agencies.

Lt. Gen. Mohammed Al-Omari, commander of the Special Emergency Forces at the Presidency of State Security, described the security plans as “integrated, proactive and flexible.” He said security forces were deployed in the central area and the holy sites to protect pilgrims.

Maj. Gen. Dr. Hammoud Al-Faraj, director general of Civil Defense, said preparations for the Hajj season were complete.

“We trained all bodies involved in serving pilgrims on self-protection,” he said, adding that male and female volunteers were working alongside Civil Defense personnel across all tasks and operations.

Maj. Gen. Dr. Saleh Al-Murabba, commander of the Passports Forces for Hajj, said the “Makkah Route” initiative accounted for 30% of arriving pilgrims. He said 1,518,153 pilgrims had arrived from outside Saudi Arabia by Friday afternoon.