Syrian Air Says It Is Resuming Its Direct Flights to UAE on Sunday

 Travellers are welcomed at Damascus's airport. (AFP file)
Travellers are welcomed at Damascus's airport. (AFP file)
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Syrian Air Says It Is Resuming Its Direct Flights to UAE on Sunday

 Travellers are welcomed at Damascus's airport. (AFP file)
Travellers are welcomed at Damascus's airport. (AFP file)

Syria's flag carrier Syrian Air will resume direct flights to Dubai and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates starting on Sunday, the airline said in a Facebook post.

All flights between Syria and the UAE had been suspended in January after opposition factions toppled former leader Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

The announcement comes days after the UAE's civil aviation authority announced the resumption of air flights between the Gulf country and Syria. No UAE-based airlines have announced plans to fly to Syria so far.

The resumption of flights between the two countries followed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s first visit to the UAE as leader, where he met UAE's President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.



Saudi Arabia Stresses Int'l Community's Role in Establishing Peace in Palestine

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Stresses Int'l Community's Role in Establishing Peace in Palestine

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

The Saudi government stressed on Tuesday the role of the international community in ending the “catastrophic consequences” of the Israeli assault on the Palestinian people, as well as “protecting innocent civilians, and creating a new reality where Palestine can enjoy peace” in line with international resolutions.

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

At the outset of the meeting, the cabinet expressed gratitude to God Almighty for the honor bestowed upon the Kingdom in serving the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque, and for the continued success achieved during last year's Hajj.

Over 1.6 million pilgrims were facilitated in performing their rituals with ease and tranquility, as the Kingdom dedicated all its resources and efforts under the constant guidance of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, it added.

The cabinet praised the efforts of the Supreme Hajj Committee and all personnel involved in serving the pilgrims for their effective implementation of security, preventive, organizational, and health plans. These efforts have established the Kingdom as a global model in crowd management and in providing high-quality services to visitors of the Two Holy Mosques and the holy sites.

The cabinet reviewed the efforts of the relevant authorities in meeting the needs of pilgrims from Iran and securing hundreds of flights and overland journeys to ensure their safe return home amid its brief war with Israel. It stressed that serving and caring for pilgrims remains one of the Kingdom's highest priorities and most important responsibilities.

Crown Prince Mohammed briefed the cabinet on the contents of messages received by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques from Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, Vietnam's President Luong Cuong, and Angola's President Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco. The messages addressed bilateral relations with the Kingdom and ways to support and strengthen them across various fields.

Moreover, the cabinet reviewed regional and international developments, reiterating the Kingdom's positions, as expressed by the Crown Prince in his communications with leaders of brotherly and friendly countries, and its continued support for international efforts to promote regional and global peace and security, address crises, ease tensions, and advance dialogue through diplomatic means as an effective path to resolving disputes.

The cabinet underlined the statement issued by the Kingdom that expressed solidarity with Qatar and the categorical rejection of any infringement on its sovereignty or any threat to its security and stability.

The cabinet reiterated that the Kingdom welcomes the signing of the peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, hoping that it will fulfill the aspirations of both nations' peoples for development and prosperity, while upholding regional and international security and stability.

Furthermore, the cabinet highlighted the commencement of operation of the Global Water Organization (GWO) from its headquarters in Riyadh as a reaffirmation of the Kingdom's commitment to boosting international initiatives. This development underscores Saudi Arabia's eagerness to strengthen cooperation among countries by supporting collaborative efforts to address the growing challenges related to water, as an essential resource for life.

The cabinet noted Saudi Arabia's election as vice chair of the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board as well as its selection as a member of the High-Level Group for Partnership, Coordination, and Capacity-Building for Statistics for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (HLG-PCCB).

Additionally, it highlighted the inclusion of the Uruq Bani Ma'arid Protected Area in the Green List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The cabinet welcomed the concluding statement issued by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) experts regarding the 2025 Article IV consultation with Saudi Arabia. The statement praised the Saudi economy's high resilience in the face of global economic challenges, the expansion of non-oil economic activities, the containment of inflation, and the unemployment rate reaching historic lows, aligning with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.

Moreover, the cabinet highlighted the results of the 7th King Abdulaziz Quality Award, lauding the commitment of the winning entities to adopting the principles of institutional excellence and enhancing performance quality, which contributes to improved outcomes and helps achieve national objectives.