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.



UAE, Syria Foreign Ministers Discuss Bolstering Ties on UAE visit

A handout photo made available by the Emirates News Agency (WAM) shows United Arab Emirates Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (R) meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani (L) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 06 January 2025. (WAM)
A handout photo made available by the Emirates News Agency (WAM) shows United Arab Emirates Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (R) meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani (L) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 06 January 2025. (WAM)
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UAE, Syria Foreign Ministers Discuss Bolstering Ties on UAE visit

A handout photo made available by the Emirates News Agency (WAM) shows United Arab Emirates Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (R) meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani (L) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 06 January 2025. (WAM)
A handout photo made available by the Emirates News Agency (WAM) shows United Arab Emirates Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (R) meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani (L) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 06 January 2025. (WAM)

UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed bolstering "brotherly" ties with Syria during the first official visit by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani to the United Arab Emirates on Monday, Emirati state news agency WAM reported.

The two ministers also discussed the overall developments in Syria since former President Bashar al-Assad was ousted by opposition factions on Dec. 8.

The UAE's foreign minister reiterated the country's support for Syria's independence and sovereignty, WAM added.

Syria's Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra, head of intelligence Anas Khattab and the UAE's minister of state for defense affairs, Mohammed Fadel al-Mazrouei, also attended the meeting.

The UAE is part of Shibani's second foreign tour, which earlier took him to Qatar and will also include a visit to Jordan. He said the visits aim to "support stability, security, economic recovery and build distinguished partnerships", according to his account on X.

Shibani made his first foreign trip to Saudi Arabia last week, where Saudi officials discussed how best to support Syria's political transition.