Saudi FM Meets with Singaporean Counterpart, Signs MoU to Establish Strategic Partnership Council

The Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs met on Wednesday with his Singaporean counterpart. SPA
The Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs met on Wednesday with his Singaporean counterpart. SPA
TT

Saudi FM Meets with Singaporean Counterpart, Signs MoU to Establish Strategic Partnership Council

The Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs met on Wednesday with his Singaporean counterpart. SPA
The Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs met on Wednesday with his Singaporean counterpart. SPA

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah met on Wednesday with Singapore’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan.

The two officials reviewed bilateral relations and discussed ways to enhance them in various fields to achieve the aspirations of the two leaderships and their peoples.

Following the meeting, the two ministers signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a Strategic Partnership Council between the two countries. This reflects the commitment of both the Kingdom and Singapore to advance their relations across multiple domains, and aims to increase the volume of trade exchange, which reached $1 billion in 2024, thereby opening new horizons for cooperation between the two nations.

The meeting concluded with a press briefing delivered by Prince Faisal, during which he highlighted that the establishment of the Strategic Partnership Council represents a valuable opportunity to enhance cooperation and partnership across various sectors, particularly within the framework of initiatives linked to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

Prince Faisal also emphasized that Singapore is one of the world’s most important financial hubs and that the Kingdom looks forward to continuing its collaboration with Singapore to achieve broader economic benefits.



Kuwait Jails 13 Citizens, Fines them $87 Mn for Hezbollah Funding

A general view of the Kuwait Palace of Justice in Kuwait City, June 16, 2013. (Reuters)
A general view of the Kuwait Palace of Justice in Kuwait City, June 16, 2013. (Reuters)
TT

Kuwait Jails 13 Citizens, Fines them $87 Mn for Hezbollah Funding

A general view of the Kuwait Palace of Justice in Kuwait City, June 16, 2013. (Reuters)
A general view of the Kuwait Palace of Justice in Kuwait City, June 16, 2013. (Reuters)

Kuwait’s Court of Cassation on Monday sentenced 13 citizens to three years in prison for raising funds through a charity to support Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

The court also fined them 27 million Kuwaiti dinars ($87 million), overturning a previous acquittal by a lower court.

The court that issued the sentencing was presided over by Judge Abdullah Jassim Al-Abdullah.

Initially, the Criminal Court had acquitted the defendants, citing the absence of legislation explicitly criminalizing unlicensed fundraising for public purposes since the establishment of Kuwait's Social Affairs Department on December 14, 1954.

The court said this legal gap limited its authority under Article 132 of the Code of Criminal Procedures and Trials. However, the decision was reversed by the higher court.

The defendants had been interrogated in November 2021 over alleged financial support to organizations linked to Hezbollah.

At the time, the Public Prosecution ordered their detention, and security authorities conducted extensive investigations into financial transfers suspected of funding such groups in Lebanon.

The case dates back to November 2021. The charges included significant financial transfers made over several years to foreign entities, including in Lebanon, prompting authorities to scrutinize transaction records.

The defendants denied the charges, claiming they had worked with a charity committee for 30 years, primarily sponsoring orphans in Lebanon and other countries.

In March 2024, the Court of Cassation classified Hezbollah as a banned terrorist group, describing it as an armed organization working to undermine Kuwait’s system and spread Iran’s revolutionary ideology.

The ruling officially confirmed Hezbollah’s designation as a terrorist entity under Kuwaiti law.