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Riyadh, Washington Stress Joint Work to Achieve Regional, Int’l Security and Peace

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and US President Donald Trump pose for a photo at the Saudi-US Investment Forum at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and US President Donald Trump pose for a photo at the Saudi-US Investment Forum at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP)
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Riyadh, Washington Stress Joint Work to Achieve Regional, Int’l Security and Peace

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and US President Donald Trump pose for a photo at the Saudi-US Investment Forum at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and US President Donald Trump pose for a photo at the Saudi-US Investment Forum at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP)

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and US President Donald Trump consolidated on Tuesday the cooperation between their countries as they took part in the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh.

Crown Prince Mohammed said joint work between Riyadh and Washington is not limited to economic cooperation, but extends to achieving security and peace in the region and world.

Trump said a “great dawn” was awaiting the Middle East and that the leaders of the region are capable of seizing this opportunity, remarking that Saudi Arabia was at the “center of the world.”

Crown Prince Mohammed said economic ties between Saudi Arabia and the US have been deep-rooted for over 90 years, starting with their energy cooperation and now extending to knowledge and innovation.

Saudi Arabia is the United States’ biggest economic partner in the region and joint investments are the foundations of the economic relations between them, he added.

The size of the partnership between the amounts to 600 billion dollars and agreements announced at the forum have reached 300 billion dollars, he remarked. Forty percent of the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s investments are poured into the US.

Moreover, Crown Prince Mohammed stressed that Saudi Vision 2030 succeeded in achieving an unprecedented economic transformation aimed at diversifying the economy and empowering the private sector.

For his part, Trump said: “We're still just at the dawn of the bright new day that awaits the people of the Middle East if the responsible nations of this region seize this moment, put aside differences and focus on the interests that unite the people.”

He added that he would not hesitate to use military force to defend “our allies and friends” in Saudi Arabia, expressing his appreciation for the Kingdom’s role in the talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

Crown Prince Mohammed, he continued, is the best example of Washington’s strong allies and Riyadh was on its way to becoming the center of world business.

On Gaza, Trump said its people deserve a “much better future” and that the US is working on stopping the “horrible” war there.

“We wouldn't have had the problems of October 7th if I were president. We wouldn't have had Ukraine, Russia, if I were president,” he said, reiterating similar assertions he had made in the past. “The West should not be dragging itself backward into another endless war in Europe.”

On Lebanon, Trump said it “has been endlessly victimized by Hezbollah and their sponsor, Iran,” adding that his “administration stands ready to help Lebanon create a future of economic development and peace with its neighbors.”

Turning to Iran, he warned that if its “leadership rejects this olive branch and continues to attack their neighbors, then we will have no choice but to inflict massive maximum pressure, drive Iranian oil exports to zero, like I did before.”

“Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” he vowed.

On the Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen, he criticized the Biden administration for removing them from the terrorism list. Trump blacklisted them again when he became president.

The United States military launched more than 1,100 strikes on the Houthis in Yemen, which has forced them to stop targeting American ships in the Red Sea, he added.

Turning to his Saudi hosts, Trump praised the warm reception accorded to him by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz eight years ago, saying he will never forget it.

“The graciousness of the royal family and the Saudi people is really unsurpassed no matter where you go,” he stressed.

He hailed the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed, adding that he admires him for his leadership of the new and modern Middle East.

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Gulf

Saudi Support Bolsters Yemen’s Health Sector in Fight Against Epidemics

Yemen has made efforts to offset shortages in healthcare personnel. (Government media)
Yemen has made efforts to offset shortages in healthcare personnel. (Government media)
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Saudi Support Bolsters Yemen’s Health Sector in Fight Against Epidemics

Yemen has made efforts to offset shortages in healthcare personnel. (Government media)
Yemen has made efforts to offset shortages in healthcare personnel. (Government media)

Yemen’s Health Ministry has warned that a sharp decline in foreign funding threatens efforts to combat epidemics, most notably measles, polio and diphtheria, in a country whose health infrastructure has been devastated by war and weakened in its ability to confront successive disease outbreaks.

The legitimate Yemeni government, with Saudi backing through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) and international partners, has, however, managed to restore operations at more than 3,000 health facilities and prevent the collapse of the healthcare sector.

The ministry said that a drop of more than 65 percent in external support this year has undermined the health sector’s capacity to respond to disease outbreaks.

Last year alone, Yemen recorded more than 23,000 confirmed measles cases and 214 deaths, amid concerns that epidemics could spread further in areas with low vaccination coverage.

Ali Al-Walidi, deputy minister of public health and population for primary healthcare, noted that the health sector had faced major challenges over the past 11 years because of the war ignited by the Houthis, which caused healthcare services to deteriorate to below 50 percent after extensive damage to medical facilities.

He said the ministry, with support from KSrelief, the World Bank, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), had succeeded in maintaining the health system and preventing its collapse, while also restoring operations at more than 3,200 health facilities, representing around 60 percent of the country’s total health centers.

Al-Walidi added that the ministry had worked to offset shortages in medical personnel caused by deaths and injuries during the war, as well as the migration of healthcare workers abroad, by training and qualifying new staff, helping ensure the continuation of essential health services in many areas.

Vaccination challenges

The official warned that the Houthi group’s ban on vaccination campaigns in areas under its control had led to the return of polio, with around 30 cases recorded last year, despite Yemen having been certified polio-free by the WHO in 2009.

He revealed that the Health Ministry had carried out several polio vaccination campaigns in liberated provinces, where no cases have been recorded this year, while continuing routine immunization programs to reach children across different regions, particularly in remote districts and displacement camps.

With UN reports documenting about 23,000 measles infections and 214 deaths last year, particularly in the provinces of Taiz, Hodeidah, Amran and Saada, Al-Walidi warned of renewed outbreaks of measles, diphtheria and whooping cough due to declining immunization rates in Houthi-controlled provinces, where vaccination campaigns have been suspended since 2023.

The official said the ministry had ensured the availability of routine vaccines at all health facilities and had implemented outreach campaigns to reach remote areas and displacement camps where children struggle to access healthcare centers.

The campaigns covered 121 districts across 15 provinces and involved 8,538 health workers, who provided vaccines and a range of services related to maternal and child health, nutrition and reproductive health.

Funding cuts

Regarding fever outbreaks, the official said the National Malaria and Vector-Borne Disease Control Program had carried out interventions following seasonal rains, with support from KSrelief.

However, he stressed that the 65 percent reduction in external support for the health sector this year would have negative repercussions on the continued supply of medicines and medical equipment to health facilities, in addition to training and capacity-building programs.

On efforts to address the decline, he stressed that the Health Ministry, in cooperation with health sector partners, was implementing a plan to bridge the gap caused by the funding shortfall, while maintaining coordination with KSrelief, the WHO and UNICEF to ensure the continuity of essential health services and prevent disruptions to immunization and epidemic-control programs.

He added that the health strategy for 2026-2030 is expected to be announced next July after being prepared in cooperation with the Geneva Institute and the WHO, with support from the World Bank and participation from the Civil Service Ministry, health offices and universities, as part of efforts to strengthen the health sector’s ability to confront challenges in the coming years.

Gulf

Saudi Arabia Condemns Terrorist Attack on Security Checkpoint in Pakistan

Police officers inspect the site of a suicide bombing that occurred at a security checkpoint in Fatah Khel, Bannu town, in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (AP).
Police officers inspect the site of a suicide bombing that occurred at a security checkpoint in Fatah Khel, Bannu town, in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (AP).
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Saudi Arabia Condemns Terrorist Attack on Security Checkpoint in Pakistan

Police officers inspect the site of a suicide bombing that occurred at a security checkpoint in Fatah Khel, Bannu town, in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (AP).
Police officers inspect the site of a suicide bombing that occurred at a security checkpoint in Fatah Khel, Bannu town, in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (AP).

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned and denounced the terrorist attack targeting a security checkpoint in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in Pakistan, which left several Pakistani police officers dead and others injured, the Saudi Press Agency said on Sunday.

In a statement, the ministry affirmed the Kingdom’s solidarity with the Pakistani government and people following this painful incident and reiterated its complete rejection of terrorist and extremist acts that attempt to undermine the security and stability of Pakistan and the brotherly Pakistani people.

The Kingdom also extended its sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims, as well as to the government and people of brotherly Pakistan, while wishing the injured a speedy recovery.

A suicide attack on a security post in northwest Pakistan killed at least 14 police officers early Sunday.

Gulf

Bahrain: Detained IRGC-linked Group Consisted of Members of Dissolved Scholars Council

A view of Bahrain's financial district in the capital city of Manama. (Reuters file)
A view of Bahrain's financial district in the capital city of Manama. (Reuters file)
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Bahrain: Detained IRGC-linked Group Consisted of Members of Dissolved Scholars Council

A view of Bahrain's financial district in the capital city of Manama. (Reuters file)
A view of Bahrain's financial district in the capital city of Manama. (Reuters file)

Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior clarified on Sunday that the organization linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Wilayat Al-Faqih ideology consisted of members of the dissolved “Islamic Scholars Council.”

The members of the organization had formed and led a terrorist organization, financed terrorism, coordinated with Iran and groups in Iraq and Lebanon classified as terrorist organizations, and received military training in support of those activities, said the ministry in a statement carried by Bahrain’s state news agency BNA.

The ministry announced that security measures it had taken led to the arrest of 41 members of the organization in Bahrain. Eleven other members based in Iran have been identified as intermediaries between the IRGC and operatives affiliated with the organization in the kingdom.

The ministry noted that members of the organization “practiced systematic intimidation against members of Bahrain’s Shiite community, exploiting them and carrying out covert activities.”

“The organization had infiltrated a number of religious, social, charitable and educational institutions, including kindergartens, schools and religious seminaries, as well as key areas of community activity” with the aim “to promote allegiance to foreign entities, specifically the IRGC, while encouraging hostility towards the state and disregard for its laws at the expense of national loyalty.”

It added that the organization also “sought to influence and undermine the national will of members of the Shiite community in Bahrain.”

The ministry added that members of the organization “sought to control and politicize sermons delivered by religious scholars and Hussaini reciters in mosques, matams (community centers) and religious occasions, while resorting to intimidation against those overseeing such activities.”

“The organization committed criminal acts and engaged in practices that spread fear among citizens, in addition to collecting funds for unlawful purposes and activities in violation of the law, posing a threat to community security and civil peace through receiving funds from IRGC operatives in Iran to finance terrorist activities in Bahrain,” continued the statement.

The ministry said the organization's activities had been under surveillance and monitoring, and that the measures taken were aimed at safeguarding the security of Bahrain and preserving the safety and stability of society in all its segments and components.

The ministry stressed that it will “continue to counter any threats to the kingdom’s security and stability and will take firm action against any attempts to undermine civil peace or incite discord and division within Bahraini society.”