Saudi Arabia Reviews Ongoing Efforts to Establish Palestinian State

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh on Tuesday. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh on Tuesday. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Reviews Ongoing Efforts to Establish Palestinian State

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

The Saudi government reviewed on Tuesday ongoing Arab-Islamic efforts to support the establishment of a Palestinian state, restore the Palestinians’ legitimate rights, and the Israeli forces' violations of international and humanitarian laws.

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

Crown Prince Mohammed briefed the cabinet on his recent meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. They discussed bilateral cooperation and ways to boost it, as well as current regional and international developments, focusing on collaborative efforts to promote security and stability.

The cabinet reviewed the outcomes of Saudi Arabia's participation in various meetings, where discussions emphasized the Kingdom's commitment to fostering joint international action aiming to achieve progress in various fields and contribute to efforts that bring about global development and economic prosperity.

It commended the outcomes of the 161st session of the Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the meetings GCC held with Russia, India and Brazil. It underscored the Kingdom's dedication to advancing Gulf cooperation at all levels and to supporting initiatives taken to strengthen Gulf ties with other countries.

The cabinet reviewed the outcomes of the OPEC+ meeting, during which the Kingdom and seven other members agreed to extend voluntary production cuts by 2.2 million barrels per day until November 2024.

The cabinet highlighted the International Monetary Fund's Article IV Consultation report that praised Saudi Arabia's leading role in international cooperation and progress toward achieving Vision 2030 goals. The IMF also acknowledged the Kingdom's efforts to diversify its economy, expand its economy base, and implement comprehensive structural reforms.

Moreover, the cabinet acknowledged the success of the recent Fintech conference, held in Riyadh, and the promising developments shown on the occasion, which reflect Saudi Arabia's aspirations to become a global fintech hub.

It praised Saudi Arabia's successful bid to host the 6th UN World Data Forum in 2026 granted in recognition to the Kingdom's achievements in the statistical sector and its track record in hosting successful international events.

The cabinet also hailedthe efforts of the Aligned for Advancing Lifesaving and Peace in Sudan group to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people, expand the delivery of humanitarian aid, and work toward a ceasefire agreement.



Syria's New Rulers Urge US to Lift Sanctions During Visit to Doha

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, meets Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha, Qatar, January 5, 2025. (SANA/Handout via Reuters)
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, meets Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha, Qatar, January 5, 2025. (SANA/Handout via Reuters)
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Syria's New Rulers Urge US to Lift Sanctions During Visit to Doha

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, meets Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha, Qatar, January 5, 2025. (SANA/Handout via Reuters)
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, meets Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha, Qatar, January 5, 2025. (SANA/Handout via Reuters)

Syria's new rulers said on Sunday that US sanctions on Syria were an obstacle to the war-torn country's rapid recovery and urged Washington to lift them during a visit by Syrian officials to Qatar.

"These sanctions constitute a barrier and an obstacle to the rapid recovery and development of the Syrian people who await services and partnerships from other countries," Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani told reporters after meeting with Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who also serves as foreign minister.

"We reiterate our calls for the United States to lift these sanctions, which have now become against the Syrian people rather than what they previously were: imposed sanctions on the Assad regime," he said.

Shibani, on his second foreign trip less than a month after former President Bashar al-Assad was ousted by opposition factions on Dec. 8, said that Qatar will be a partner in the new phase in Syria.

Doha had not normalized ties with Assad over his government's violent response to 2011 protests and backed the opposition instead.

Shibani, who was joined by Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and Head of Intelligence Anas Khattab, met with other senior Qatari officials including Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed Al-Khulaifi, a Qatari official told Reuters earlier.

Shibani presented the Qataris a clear roadmap for the near future in Syria and steps that would be taken by the new Syrian administration, Al-Khulaifi told reporters after the meeting.

"We are working together to prevent any foreign interference in Syrian affairs," Al-Khulaifi added.

Shibani said the roadmap is meant to "rebuild our country, restore its Arab and foreign relations, enable the Syrian people to obtain their civil and basic rights, and present a government that the Syrian people feel it represents them and all their components."

He is expected to also visit the United Arab Emirates and Jordan this week to "support stability, security, economic recovery and build distinguished partnerships," according to his account on X.

Shibani embarked on his first foreign trip to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday where Saudi officials discussed how best to support Syria's political transition.