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Gulf

ASEAN Opens Summit with GCC Nations 

Asian and Gulf officials join hands for a group photo as they attend ASEAN-GCC-China Summit at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 27, 2025. (Reuters)
Asian and Gulf officials join hands for a group photo as they attend ASEAN-GCC-China Summit at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 27, 2025. (Reuters)
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ASEAN Opens Summit with GCC Nations 

Asian and Gulf officials join hands for a group photo as they attend ASEAN-GCC-China Summit at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 27, 2025. (Reuters)
Asian and Gulf officials join hands for a group photo as they attend ASEAN-GCC-China Summit at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 27, 2025. (Reuters)

A regional association of Southeast Asian nations held a three-way summit Tuesday with China and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in efforts to expand economic engagement and bolster resilience as they grapple with a volatile global trading system due to US tariff hikes.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, in his opening remarks, said the inaugural summit in Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur would open up a new chapter of dialogue and cooperation.

The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the GCC and China collectively has a combined GDP of nearly $25 billion and a market of over 2 billion people, offering vast opportunities to synergize their markets and promote cross-regional investment, he said.

“I am confident that ASEAN, the GCC, and China can draw upon our unique attributes and shape a future that is more connected, more resilient, and more prosperous,” he told the summit, attended by Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

Li said the three-way cooperation would benefit all sides, contributing to economic development and peace in the region. China is ASEAN's top trading partner, and has sought to present itself as a reliable ally to the region amid its rivalry with the US. The GCC supplies over a third of China's crude oil imports.

“China will join ASEAN and the GCC in forging synergies that multiply rather than simply at our own strength,” he said.

Malaysia is the current chair of ASEAN, which also includes Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Earlier Tuesday, Anwar told a separate ASEAN-GCC forum that partnership between the two blocs would be key to navigate an increasingly complex world due to economic uncertainty and geopolitical challenges.

Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al Sabah said the two blocs, which held their first summit in Riyadh in 2023, would build on their momentum to deepen cooperation and “improve our ability to face crisis.” He said the GCC is ASEAN's seventh largest trade partner, with total trade reaching $130.7 billion in 2023.

The GCC comprises Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Anwar said last week the GCC already has strong links with the US and “wants to be close to China too.”

The second GCC-ASEAN summit marks a turning point in relations between the Gulf and Southeast Asian nations, GCC Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi said on Sunday.

Speaking at a ministerial meeting ahead of the summit, Albudaiwi said the partnership holds vast potential to strengthen security, development, and prosperity across both regions, serving the interests of their peoples and enhancing their joint presence on the global stage.

“This summit comes at a pivotal moment in regional and global history, where major transformations intersect with the aspirations of our peoples for a more stable future,” Albudaiwi said.

He stressed the growing need for coordinated, responsive, and integrated regional partnerships, and reaffirmed a collective commitment to advancing cooperation to broader and more impactful horizons.

Albudaiwi noted that since the first GCC-ASEAN summit in Riyadh in October 2023, the GCC General Secretariat has worked to implement strategic priorities endorsed by both sides. Specialized working groups were formed and cooperation tracks activated across various fields.

He highlighted several joint initiatives, including the Gulf-ASEAN Investment and Economic Forum held in Riyadh in May 2024, which served as a platform to align visions and reinforce the shared ambition to build a strategic economic partnership.

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Gulf

Iraqi Ambassador in Riyadh: Land Transport of Pilgrims Dictated by Regional Conditions

Iraqi Ambassador in Riyadh Safia Taleb Al-Suhail (photograph: Turki Al-Oqaili)
Iraqi Ambassador in Riyadh Safia Taleb Al-Suhail (photograph: Turki Al-Oqaili)
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Iraqi Ambassador in Riyadh: Land Transport of Pilgrims Dictated by Regional Conditions

Iraqi Ambassador in Riyadh Safia Taleb Al-Suhail (photograph: Turki Al-Oqaili)
Iraqi Ambassador in Riyadh Safia Taleb Al-Suhail (photograph: Turki Al-Oqaili)

Iraq’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia Safia Taleb Al-Suhail said the number of Iraqi pilgrims this year has reached around 41,000, with their convoys beginning to arrive in Saudi Arabia at a rate of about 1,500 pilgrims per day through the Jadidat Arar border crossing in the north of the Kingdom, within an integrated system of services.

Al-Suhail confirmed, in statements to Asharq Al-Awsat, that coordination between Baghdad and Riyadh is taking place at the highest levels, through the ministries of Hajj and Umrah and interior in both countries, to discuss security arrangements and ensure the transport of pilgrims until they perform their rituals with ease and reassurance.

The ambassador explained that Iraq’s adoption of exclusively land transport this year came out of concern for pilgrims’ safety in light of current regional conditions, and to avoid any emergency that could hinder their completion of the pilgrimage, praising the Jadidat Arar crossing and the facilities and advanced infrastructure it provides.

41,000 pilgrims

Safia Al-Suhail said Iraq’s quota for this season amounts to 41,000 pilgrims, according to available information, in addition to 200 doctors, as announced by the official authorities in the Iraqi Hajj and Umrah Commission.

She noted that this quota includes pilgrims from all Iraqi provinces and the Kurdistan Region, along with accompanying administrative, medical, guidance, and media staff.

Adoption of land transport

The ambassador said Baghdad adopted this season the option of transporting pilgrims exclusively by land through the Jadidat Arar crossing in northern Saudi Arabia, a decision taken out of concern for pilgrims’ safety and in line with the current realities in the region.

She added: “The first convoys of Iraqi pilgrims departed on the evening of Sunday, April 26, and their first groups were received under the supervision of Prince Faisal bin Khalid, Governor of the Northern Borders Region, who gives this matter continuous attention that we highly appreciate, as he, along with officials in Arar, ensured that the reception of Iraqi pilgrims was at the highest level of hospitality, facilitation, and services.”

Jadidat Arar crossing

Al-Suhail praised the Jadidat Arar crossing, noting that it “features advanced infrastructure that we personally reviewed along with embassy staff, including a Hajj hall exceeding 9,000 square meters, with a capacity of up to 20,000 pilgrims per day, 68 passport counters, six inspection points, in addition to an integrated medical and security system operating around the clock.”

She noted that “transport is proceeding at a rate of about 1,500 pilgrims per day, via convoys of modern, air-conditioned buses, and rest stations along the route inside Saudi territory, within a fully equipped tent city prepared by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah according to the highest standards, providing accommodation, meals, healthcare, and places for prayer.”

Coordination with the Saudi side

Al-Suhail stressed that relations between Iraq and Saudi Arabia are long-standing and well established, bringing together ties of religion, neighborliness, kinship, and shared interests, with the leaders of both countries keen to maintain and develop them across various fields, noting that the Hajj file holds a special place in this relationship as a matter with religious and humanitarian dimensions that rises above any other consideration.

She pointed out that Iraq was the first among more than 150 countries to sign the Hajj arrangements agreement for the 1447 AH season with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, a step reflecting the depth of coordination and the keenness of both brotherly countries to remove obstacles for pilgrims, according to the ambassador.

She added: “Coordination this season has taken place at the highest levels between Iraq’s Supreme Hajj and Umrah Commission and Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, and in parallel between the interior ministries of both countries, as the Iraqi interior minister held extensive meetings to discuss security preparations and ensure the transport of pilgrims, attended by the head of the Supreme Hajj and Umrah Commission, the head of the Border Ports Authority, operations commanders, and provincial police leaders, in cooperation with their counterparts on the Saudi side.”

According to the ambassador, “coordination included securing the land routes inside Iraq up to the Arar crossing, after which the Saudi side assumes responsibility from the crossing to the holy sites, within an integrated framework that reflects what can be described as ‘fraternal security coordination between the two neighboring countries.’”

Preparing a tent city to accommodate pilgrims

Regarding facilities, she commended the efforts made by the Kingdom under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and the Crown Prince in serving pilgrims, noting that services include streamlined customs and passport procedures, round-the-clock health and emergency services, full logistical support, transport and guidance services, in addition to a tent city designated to accommodate pilgrims, affirming that Saudi personnel working at the crossing are playing a notable role.

She affirmed that the Iraqi diplomatic mission, in coordination with the consulate general in Jeddah and the Iraqi Hajj mission, is following up on pilgrims’ affairs and providing the necessary consular and administrative services.

Al-Suhail recalled, in her remarks on the land route, the “Zubaydah Trail,” one of the oldest Hajj routes in Islamic history, associated with Zubaydah bint Jaafar, wife of Caliph Harun al-Rashid, who devoted her wealth to developing it and providing water for pilgrims between Kufa and Makkah.

In conclusion, the ambassador affirmed that Iraq, with its government, people, and religious authorities, places the Hajj journey above all considerations and works in a spirit of partnership with Saudi Arabia to ensure that this season is smooth, safe, and successful, God willing.

Gulf

Saudi Arabia Affirms Peace Requires Ceasefire, Establishing Palestinian State on 1967 Borders

Saudi Arabia's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Wasil. File Photo/Saudi Foreign Ministry
Saudi Arabia's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Wasil. File Photo/Saudi Foreign Ministry
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Saudi Arabia Affirms Peace Requires Ceasefire, Establishing Palestinian State on 1967 Borders

Saudi Arabia's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Wasil. File Photo/Saudi Foreign Ministry
Saudi Arabia's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Wasil. File Photo/Saudi Foreign Ministry

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stressed the seriousness of the situation in the region, renewing its condemnation of Israeli attacks on Palestine and Lebanon.

This came in a speech by Permanent Representative of the Kingdom to the United Nations Dr. Abdulaziz Alwasil, in which he reiterated the Kingdom’s condemnation of Iranian attacks on civilian facilities and the resulting human and material damage, SPA reported.

The Kingdom affirmed its rejection of altering the historical and legal status quo of Jerusalem and its Islamic holy sites, and its condemnation of illegal settlement activities for violating international law and undermining the prospects for peace.

The Kingdom stressed that achieving peace requires a ceasefire, preventing displacement, withdrawal from Gaza, and the establishment of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.

Gulf

Saudi Arabia Reaffirms Commitment to NPT at Eleventh Review Conference

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Saudi Arabia Reaffirms Commitment to NPT at Eleventh Review Conference

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed the importance of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as a fundamental pillar of the global non-proliferation regime, stressing full implementation of its provisions and balance among its three pillars.

The stance was made by the Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Dr. Abdulaziz Alwasil, at the general debate of the Eleventh NPT Review Conference in New York.

The Kingdom called on nuclear-weapon states to honor their disarmament pledges, affirming that the only guarantee against nuclear weapons use is their complete elimination.

It also affirmed the inherent right of States Parties to peaceful uses of nuclear energy in accordance with the treaty. It underscored the importance of transparency and cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The speech addressed Iranian attacks against the Kingdom, targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, which were condemned by the international community. It stressed the importance of regional security, good neighborliness, non-interference in internal affairs, and Iran's full cooperation with the IAEA.

The Kingdom affirmed that establishing a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction is a collective international responsibility, noting that Israel's refusal to join the treaty remains a major obstacle to this goal.