Saudi Arabia Underscores its Support for Int’l Efforts to Combat Extremism

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Underscores its Support for Int’l Efforts to Combat Extremism

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)

The Saudi government reiterated on Tuesday Riyadh’s support for international efforts aimed at combating extremist ideology and at drying up its sources of funding.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chaired the cabinet meeting that was held in Jeddah.

The cabinet hailed the United Nations General Assembly's adoption of a resolution on "Measures to Combat Islamophobia" and the appointment of a UN Special Envoy to combat Islamophobia.

In this regard, it underscored Saudi Arabia's commitment to international efforts aimed at countering extremist ideologies and fostering peace, dialogue, and coexistence for global prosperity.

The cabinet welcomed the outcome of the international conference organized by the Muslim World League (MWL) in the holy city of Makkah under the theme "Building Bridges between Islamic Schools of Thought and Sects".

It expressed its gratitude to the scholars of the Muslim nation who took part in the conference for acknowledging Saudi Arabia’s significant efforts in serving Islam and Muslims, housing the two holy mosques, attending to their visitors and boosting Islamic solidarity.

Moreover, the cabinet underlined the state's continuous support for charitable work in the Kingdom and its emphasis on maximizing its impact on members of society.

It highlighted the achievements of the Fourth National Campaign for Charitable Work that kicked off last week, noting the significant engagement by donors.

The cabinet hailed a significant economic milestone: non-oil activities reaching a 50% share of the Kingdom’s real GDP in 2023. The achievement aligns with the objectives of Vision 2030 to diversify its resources and achieve a thriving economy, it stressed.

The cabinet added that this success signifies the effective implementation of Vision 2030's programs and major projects to foster new growth engines beyond oil.



GCC Welcomes Agreement between Yemen Govt, Houthis

Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)
Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)
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GCC Welcomes Agreement between Yemen Govt, Houthis

Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)
Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi welcomed on Wednesday the agreement between the legitimate Yemeni government and Iran-backed Houthi militias to de-escalate the situation with regard to the Yemeni banking sector and airlines.

The agreement was announced by the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, on Tuesday.

Albudaiwi expressed the GCC's support for all regional and international efforts and the efforts led by the UN special envoy aimed at achieving peace and security in Yemen.

The announcement underscores the importance the international community attaches to the Yemeni crisis, he added, hoping the agreement will pave the way for Yemeni parties to start the political process, under UN auspices, to reach a comprehensive political solution that achieves security and stability in the country.

He reiterated the GCC's continued support and full solidarity with Yemen, its government and people, and its keenness to encourage all efforts to de-escalate and maintain stability in order to reach peace.