Riyadh Prepares to Host Strategic GCC Dialogues with Russia, India

Gulf foreign ministers and GCC Secretary-General Dr. Jassim Mohammed Al Budawi meet in Doha in June. (GCC)
Gulf foreign ministers and GCC Secretary-General Dr. Jassim Mohammed Al Budawi meet in Doha in June. (GCC)
TT

Riyadh Prepares to Host Strategic GCC Dialogues with Russia, India

Gulf foreign ministers and GCC Secretary-General Dr. Jassim Mohammed Al Budawi meet in Doha in June. (GCC)
Gulf foreign ministers and GCC Secretary-General Dr. Jassim Mohammed Al Budawi meet in Doha in June. (GCC)

The foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries will meet in Riyadh on Monday for their 161st Ministerial Council. They will also hold joint separate meetings with their counterparts from Russia, India and Brazil.

GCC Secretary-General Dr. Jassim Mohammed Al Budawi said in August that the Ministerial Council will tackle several issues related to joint Gulf work, and regional and international developments.

The members of the council will hold a number of joint ministerial meetings with several countries to discuss cooperation and coordination and exchange views on regional and international developments.

The ministers will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the seventh GCC-Russia strategic dialogue. The two parties had previously underscored the importance of the dialogue between them to achieve common interests and deepen relations.

They had approved the Gulf-Russian 2023-2028 joint plan that is aimed at strengthening ties and exchanging expertise in several areas.

The parties last met in Moscow in July. They agreed to intensify efforts to achieve peace, security, stability and prosperity around the world.

They agreed to respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of nations and to refrain from meddling in their internal affairs. They stressed the need to confront challenges and crises through peaceful means, prioritize dialogue and resolve conflicts through negotiations.

The meeting welcomed GCC efforts to pave the way for a political solution to the crisis in Ukraine.

The GCC ministers will also meet with their Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the first ever between the two sides.

They will also hold joint talks with Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, who was invited to Riyadh by Al Budawi during a visit to Brazil in June.

Officials are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding and joint work plan aimed at bolstering and developing relations between them.



Saudi Crown Prince Meets with Chinese Foreign Minister

The Saudi Crown Prince met on Sunday with the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs in Riyadh. SPA
The Saudi Crown Prince met on Sunday with the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs in Riyadh. SPA
TT

Saudi Crown Prince Meets with Chinese Foreign Minister

The Saudi Crown Prince met on Sunday with the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs in Riyadh. SPA
The Saudi Crown Prince met on Sunday with the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs in Riyadh. SPA

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, met on Sunday with Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi in Riyadh.

During the meeting, they reviewed relations and explored ways to develop them in a manner that serves the mutual interests of the two countries.

They also discussed recent developments in the region and the world.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah; Minister of State, Cabinet Member and National Security Advisor Musaed Al-Aiban; and Saudi Ambassador to China Abdulrahman Al-Harbi.

Attending from the Chinese side were Director-General of the Department of West Asian and North African Affairs at the Chinese Foreign Ministry Chen Weiqing and China’s Ambassador to the Kingdom Chang Hua.


Saudi Arabia Condemns Sydney Terrorist Attack

This screen grab of UGC video taken on December 14, 2025 and received courtesy of Mike Ortiz shows beach-goers fleeing Bondi Beach after gunmen opened fire, in Sydney on December 14, 2025. (Photo by Mike Ortiz / UGC / AFP)
This screen grab of UGC video taken on December 14, 2025 and received courtesy of Mike Ortiz shows beach-goers fleeing Bondi Beach after gunmen opened fire, in Sydney on December 14, 2025. (Photo by Mike Ortiz / UGC / AFP)
TT

Saudi Arabia Condemns Sydney Terrorist Attack

This screen grab of UGC video taken on December 14, 2025 and received courtesy of Mike Ortiz shows beach-goers fleeing Bondi Beach after gunmen opened fire, in Sydney on December 14, 2025. (Photo by Mike Ortiz / UGC / AFP)
This screen grab of UGC video taken on December 14, 2025 and received courtesy of Mike Ortiz shows beach-goers fleeing Bondi Beach after gunmen opened fire, in Sydney on December 14, 2025. (Photo by Mike Ortiz / UGC / AFP)

Saudi Arabia condemned on Sunday the terrorist attack that took place in Sydney, Australia, which resulted in the death and injury of a number of people.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said “the Kingdom affirms its stance against all forms of violence, terrorism, and extremism.”

“The Kingdom also expresses its sincere condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Australia, and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured,” the statement added.


Saudi Arabia Condemns Attack on UN Facility in Sudan

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
TT

Saudi Arabia Condemns Attack on UN Facility in Sudan

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the Kingdom's condemnation and denunciation of the attack on a United Nations compound in Kadugli, Sudan, SPA reported.

The Kingdom emphasized the necessity of an immediate cessation of hostilities, the preservation of Sudan's unity and institutions, and the imperative of providing protection for civilians and implementing the commitments made in the Jeddah Declaration (commitment to protect civilians in Sudan) on May 11, 2023.