UAE Underscores Support for Lebanon’s Security and Sovereignty

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and Joseph Aoun, President of Lebanon, stand for a photograph before a meeting at Al Shati Palace, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, April 30, 2025. Abdulla Al Bedwawi /UAE Presidential Court/Handout via REUTERS
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and Joseph Aoun, President of Lebanon, stand for a photograph before a meeting at Al Shati Palace, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, April 30, 2025. Abdulla Al Bedwawi /UAE Presidential Court/Handout via REUTERS
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UAE Underscores Support for Lebanon’s Security and Sovereignty

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and Joseph Aoun, President of Lebanon, stand for a photograph before a meeting at Al Shati Palace, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, April 30, 2025. Abdulla Al Bedwawi /UAE Presidential Court/Handout via REUTERS
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and Joseph Aoun, President of Lebanon, stand for a photograph before a meeting at Al Shati Palace, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, April 30, 2025. Abdulla Al Bedwawi /UAE Presidential Court/Handout via REUTERS

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed has underscored his country’s support for Lebanon’s security, stability and sovereignty, a joint statement said Thursday.

Sheikh Mohamed welcomed Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at Al Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

The statement said that the UAE President expressed hope that the visit would deepen the fraternal relations between the two countries and advance their shared interests and aspirations for progress and prosperity.

Sheikh Mohamed said he was keen to work jointly with Lebanon to foster development, prosperity, security, and regional stability.

According to the statement, Aoun stressed he was ready to continue strengthening bilateral relations.

The two sides discussed ways to foster bilateral relations in various fields, and to develop economic and investment sectors, through joint opportunities, knowledge exchange, and government development.

The UAE’s Government Experience Exchange Office of the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs will visit Beirut to share best practices in government performance and institutional excellence to benefit both countries’ public and private sectors, said the statement.

The two sides also agreed to allow travel for citizens by implementing necessary procedures and mechanisms to ease movement between the two countries.

Both sides expressed their aspiration to raise the level of mutual diplomatic representation and agreed to establish a joint UAE-Lebanon Business Council. The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development will send a delegation to Lebanon to explore and assess available joint cooperation projects.

Sheikh Mohamed reaffirmed Lebanon’s strategic importance within the Arab world, affirming that Lebanon is a key pillar of joint Arab action.



Saudi Foreign Minister Holds Phone Call with Foreign Minister II of Brunei Darussalam

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah -File Photo (Reuters)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah -File Photo (Reuters)
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Saudi Foreign Minister Holds Phone Call with Foreign Minister II of Brunei Darussalam

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah -File Photo (Reuters)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah -File Photo (Reuters)

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah held a phone call with Minister for Foreign Affairs II of Brunei Darussalam Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday.

During the call, the two officials reviewed bilateral relations between their countries and discussed issues of common interest.


King Salman Center Sets Up Camps for Displaced Gaza Residents


The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has established the largest displacement camp in Deir al-Balah, as displaced people struggle with the impact of war and cold weather (KSrelief)
The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has established the largest displacement camp in Deir al-Balah, as displaced people struggle with the impact of war and cold weather (KSrelief)
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King Salman Center Sets Up Camps for Displaced Gaza Residents


The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has established the largest displacement camp in Deir al-Balah, as displaced people struggle with the impact of war and cold weather (KSrelief)
The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has established the largest displacement camp in Deir al-Balah, as displaced people struggle with the impact of war and cold weather (KSrelief)

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) said it has set up the largest displacement camp in Deir al-Balah in Gaza, as thousands of Palestinians displaced by the war grapple with harsh winter conditions brought by a cold and rainy weather system this week.

Fahad Al-Osaimi, the center’s director of emergency relief, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the camp is sheltering more than 200 displaced families, with the number of beneficiaries exceeding 2,000 women, children and elderly people whose homes and tents were damaged or destroyed by the war and recent weather conditions.

He said the center is currently operating under a rapid response mechanism to appeals received by its operations and emergency room in the Gaza Strip.

Al-Osaimi said two fully equipped camps were completed this week, and that preparations are underway to establish several additional camps in coordination with relevant United Nations agencies, based on assessed needs on the ground.

He said the camp is playing a critical role in providing refuge to hundreds of families whose tents were flooded or collapsed due to heavy rainfall, offering safer shelter that helps mitigate humanitarian risks, particularly for children, women and the elderly.

Al-Osaimi said the center’s efforts extend beyond emergency shelter, noting that work is ongoing to establish organized camps that meet international humanitarian response standards and to ensure they are supplied with essential services.

These services include blankets, shelter materials, clothing for women and children, sanitation facilities such as toilets, hygiene kits and cleaning supplies, in addition to other forms of relief assistance as needs arise.

He said the interventions form part of KSrelief’s sustained efforts to alleviate the suffering of displaced people in the Gaza Strip and bolster their resilience amid severe humanitarian and weather conditions.

The deteriorating weather has coincided with growing uncertainty over the future of the ceasefire agreement and the possibility of moving to its second phase. According to local and international organizations, living conditions for displaced people continue to worsen.

Against this backdrop, the establishment of the largest displacement camp in Deir al-Balah marks a fresh chapter in Saudi Arabia’s emergency response to Palestinians, particularly Gaza residents, since the outbreak of the war following Oct. 7, 2023, providing lifelines to more than 2,000 people facing mounting challenges.


Saudi Interior Minister Meets with Kazakh Counterpart

The Saudi Minister of Interior met on Thursday with his Kazakh counterpart in Riyadh. SPA
The Saudi Minister of Interior met on Thursday with his Kazakh counterpart in Riyadh. SPA
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Saudi Interior Minister Meets with Kazakh Counterpart

The Saudi Minister of Interior met on Thursday with his Kazakh counterpart in Riyadh. SPA
The Saudi Minister of Interior met on Thursday with his Kazakh counterpart in Riyadh. SPA

Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz received in Riyadh on Thursday Kazakhstan’s Minister of Internal Affairs Yerzhan Sadenov.

During the meeting, they discussed ways to enhance security cooperation between the two ministries, in addition to reviewing a number of topics of mutual interest.