Saudi Arabia Says Keen to Continue Working with US

Saudi Ambassador to Washington Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz and US President Donald Trump are seen on Monday. (SPA)
Saudi Ambassador to Washington Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz and US President Donald Trump are seen on Monday. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Says Keen to Continue Working with US

Saudi Ambassador to Washington Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz and US President Donald Trump are seen on Monday. (SPA)
Saudi Ambassador to Washington Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz and US President Donald Trump are seen on Monday. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia stressed on Monday its keenness on maintaining cooperation with the United States in various fields, especially amid the current challenges in the Middle East, said the Kingdom’s Ambassador to Washington Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz.

Princess Reema represented Saudi Arabia at the inauguration of Donald Trump as president of the United States. She conveyed the congratulations of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, who wished Trump success in his second term in office.

In a statement, she emphasized the importance of the historic relations and strategic partnership between Riyadh and Washington.

“Nearly 80 years have passed since the late founder, King Abdulaziz Al Saud, met with former US President Franklin D. Roosevelt in February 1945, where the foundations for a strong relationship between the two friendly nations were laid,” she remarked.

“Since then, the strategic partnership between the two countries has successfully strengthened security and peace, overcoming many political and economic challenges together,” Princess Reema said.

The ambassador noted that the Kingdom's government looks forward to continuing cooperation with the United States across various fields, especially in light of the current challenges facing the Middle East.

Additionally, she underscored the depth of Saudi-American relations, which have spanned decades and encompass various political, economic and developmental areas. These relations are part of a partnership aimed at boosting global stability and security.



Qatar Pledges Aid for Gaza as More Trucks Cross into the Territory

 This picture taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip shows an afternoon view of destroyed buildings in Gaza, on January 20, 2025, following a ceasefire deal a day earlier between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas group. (AFP)
This picture taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip shows an afternoon view of destroyed buildings in Gaza, on January 20, 2025, following a ceasefire deal a day earlier between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas group. (AFP)
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Qatar Pledges Aid for Gaza as More Trucks Cross into the Territory

 This picture taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip shows an afternoon view of destroyed buildings in Gaza, on January 20, 2025, following a ceasefire deal a day earlier between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas group. (AFP)
This picture taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip shows an afternoon view of destroyed buildings in Gaza, on January 20, 2025, following a ceasefire deal a day earlier between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas group. (AFP)

Qatar on Monday announced plans to supply post-ceasefire Gaza with resources via a “land bridge” at Kerem Shalom, on the border between Egypt, Israel and the coastal Palestinian enclave.

After sending 25 fuel trucks to Gaza on Monday, Qatar plans to supply Gaza with 3.3 million gallons (12.5 million liters) of fuel over the next 10 days, its Foreign Ministry said. The fuel is intended to provide basic services and power hospitals and shelters.

Over the course of the 16-month war, the majority of aid has crossed into Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing, although it has intermittently closed amid disagreements over what kind of aid can be allowed into the strip. Israel previously restricted entry of some equipment, arguing it could be used for military purposes by Hamas.

Allowing more aid into Gaza is a central tenet of the ceasefire deal’s first phase and will be key to later reconstruction efforts. The deal allows for hundreds of trucks — more than Israel has previously allowed — to deliver aid to Gaza.

Egypt’s state-run press center said Monday that at least 300 aid trucks entered Kerem Shalom and the Nitzana crossing to the south since the ceasefire took effect, as well as 12 diesel trucks and four gas trucks.

However, some of those trucks have carried food aid labeled for UNRWA, the UN agency that Israel has vowed to ban from operating even as it remains the primary distributor of aid in Gaza.

Truck drivers told The Associated Press that throughout the war, vehicles have been turned back for minor bureaucratic infractions or not having aid properly packaged or wrapped.

“If items are approved, we unload them and head back to Egypt ... Some trucks have to drive all the way back with packages they left with that contain expired food aid or that the driver’s or truck information is not listed correctly,” driver Hamdy Emad said.