UAE Ambassador to Syria Takes Post in Damascus

President Bashar al-Assad welcoming Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Damascus, November 2021. (Syrian Presidency)
President Bashar al-Assad welcoming Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Damascus, November 2021. (Syrian Presidency)
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UAE Ambassador to Syria Takes Post in Damascus

President Bashar al-Assad welcoming Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Damascus, November 2021. (Syrian Presidency)
President Bashar al-Assad welcoming Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Damascus, November 2021. (Syrian Presidency)

The first United Arab Emirates ambassador to Damascus in nearly 13 years took up his post on Tuesday.

Syrian state media said the country’s Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad received Ambassador Hassan Ahmad al-Shihi’s credentials.

The UAE embassy was reopened in Syria in late 2018 and a charge d’affaires has been in charge of the diplomatic mission since then.

Al-Shihi will be the first UAE ambassador to Syria since 2011.

Al-Shihi served as the UAE's ambassador to Iraq since 2015 and held a previous post as the ambassador to Sudan.

The reopening of the UAE embassy in Syria in December 2018 ended seven years of strained relations following the Arab League's decision to suspend Syria's membership and severe ties with the country.

The UAE is the first Arab country to restore ties with Damascus. In November 2021, Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed visited Damascus and met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

In March 2023, al-Assad arrived in the UAE for an official visit, accompanied by his wife. Assad held talks with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, during which they discussed on bilateral ties.



Saudi Govt Condemns Israel for Resuming Strikes on Gaza

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
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Saudi Govt Condemns Israel for Resuming Strikes on Gaza

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)

The Saudi government condemned on Tuesday Israel for resuming its attacks on Gaza.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chaired the cabinet meeting that was held in Jeddah.

The cabinet emphasized the international community's responsibility to intervene urgently to stop the Israeli crimes in Gaza and end the humanitarian crisis faced by the brotherly Palestinian people.

Crown Prince Mohammed briefed the ministers on the telephone talks he held with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

The cabinet reviewed the latest developments in the Arab, regional, and international arenas, reiterating the Kingdom's steadfast positions on these issues and its support for efforts promoting regional and global security and stability.

Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary said the Cabinet welcomed the conclusion of peace negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as the signing of a border demarcation agreement between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

The cabinet commended the launch of the Saudi Architecture Characters Map, which highlights 19 architectural styles that represent the Kingdom's geographical, natural, and cultural traits. The initiative will help in the preservation of urban heritage, the enhancement of quality of life, and the development of urban landscapes.

The cabinet discussed strategies to boost development and service projects and reinforce the social welfare and protection system in order to accelerate progress, harness potential, and achieve the nation's ambitions.

It also reviewed indicators of the national economy's performance and the Kingdom's credit rating upgrades by international agencies, underscoring the continued implementation of structural reforms and the creation of an environment conducive to unprecedented economic transformation and diversification, in line with the goals of Vision 2030.

Moreover, the cabinet expressed hailed the proactive security monitoring and response to drug smuggling networks, carried out in partnership with brotherly and friendly countries. He specifically praised the Iraqi Ministry of Interior for intercepting an attempt to smuggle 7 million amphetamine pills, acting on information provided by the Saudi Ministry of Interior.