Saudi Arabia Expands Support in Yemen with New Health, Women’s Empowerment Initiatives

Saudi humanitarian aid to Yemen has covered all aspects of life, including the health sector. (Saba)
Saudi humanitarian aid to Yemen has covered all aspects of life, including the health sector. (Saba)
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Saudi Arabia Expands Support in Yemen with New Health, Women’s Empowerment Initiatives

Saudi humanitarian aid to Yemen has covered all aspects of life, including the health sector. (Saba)
Saudi humanitarian aid to Yemen has covered all aspects of life, including the health sector. (Saba)

Saudi Arabia, through its King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), continues to expand its humanitarian and development programs across Yemen, focusing on improving living conditions for vulnerable groups and promoting economic recovery in areas ravaged by war.

In the city of Seiyun, in the Hadramout Governorate, KSrelief launched a new package of specialized health services for women and their families under the “Bidaya” (Beginning) project, implemented by the Al-Amal Women’s Cultural and Social Foundation. The initiative benefits around 21 families in Wadi Hadramout and aims to close critical healthcare gaps for those most in need.

The project provides free medical consultations, diagnostic tests, and essential medicines, as well as awareness sessions on disease prevention, vaccination campaigns for unvaccinated children, and reproductive and mental health services. It covers about 180 cases across primary, physical, and psychological care.

Amer Al-Amri, Deputy Governor of Hadramout for the Valley and Desert Affairs, described the initiative as “a key contribution to strengthening healthcare services in remote areas.”

He highlighted the importance of partnership with KSrelief in delivering projects that directly address citizens’ needs, adding that the programs “also help empower women and prepare them to play a greater role in supporting their families and local communities.”

Alongside its humanitarian efforts, Saudi Arabia is advancing economic empowerment programs aimed at improving livelihoods and promoting stability. KSrelief recently distributed vocational toolkits to 650 women as part of its Professional Empowerment Project in the governorates of Marib, Hadramout, Lahj, Al-Mahrah, Shabwa, Taiz and Socotra.

The toolkits span various trades, including food production, livestock breeding, perfume and incense making, photography, sewing and embroidery, phone repair, and fishing net weaving, enabling participants to launch small income-generating projects and support their families.

Targeting 1,500 beneficiaries, the project is part of a broader Saudi strategy to help Yemen transition from dependence on relief aid to sustainable development.

Organizers said the program offers job opportunities for vulnerable groups, particularly widows and female breadwinners, by providing them with professional tools and training to start small businesses without significant capital.

These initiatives reflect Saudi Arabia’s comprehensive approach that combines immediate humanitarian aid with long-term development planning to alleviate suffering and improve living standards in conflict zones.

According to KSrelief, Saudi Arabia has implemented hundreds of projects in Yemen in recent years, covering sectors such as health, education, food security, water, women’s empowerment, and psychosocial support.



Saudi-Lebanese Security Cooperation Foils Smuggling of Nearly 4 Million Amphetamine Pills

Security cooperation between the Kingdom and Lebanon contributed to tracking and seizing the narcotic substances (Saudi Ministry of Interior).
Security cooperation between the Kingdom and Lebanon contributed to tracking and seizing the narcotic substances (Saudi Ministry of Interior).
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Saudi-Lebanese Security Cooperation Foils Smuggling of Nearly 4 Million Amphetamine Pills

Security cooperation between the Kingdom and Lebanon contributed to tracking and seizing the narcotic substances (Saudi Ministry of Interior).
Security cooperation between the Kingdom and Lebanon contributed to tracking and seizing the narcotic substances (Saudi Ministry of Interior).

Information provided by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior helped Lebanese authorities foil an attempt to smuggle nearly 3.9 million amphetamine pills, the ministry said on Friday.

The seizure was made following intelligence shared by the Saudi ministry’s General Directorate of Narcotics Control as part of efforts to monitor criminal networks involved in drug trafficking, the ministry's security spokesperson Brigadier General Talal bin Shalhoub said in a statement.

Bin Shalhoub said cooperation between Saudi and Lebanese authorities in tracking and intercepting narcotics reflected the level of security coordination between the two countries in combating cross-border criminal networks.

Saudi Arabia will continue to pursue drug-trafficking activities that threaten the kingdom’s security and youth, disrupt smuggling operations and arrest those involved, he added.


Riyadh to Host UNITAR’s First Cybersecurity Office

The office will help address global cybersecurity capacity gaps. (National Cybersecurity Authority) 
The office will help address global cybersecurity capacity gaps. (National Cybersecurity Authority) 
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Riyadh to Host UNITAR’s First Cybersecurity Office

The office will help address global cybersecurity capacity gaps. (National Cybersecurity Authority) 
The office will help address global cybersecurity capacity gaps. (National Cybersecurity Authority) 

The United Nations has selected Riyadh as the headquarters of the first cybersecurity-focused office of its training and research arm, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

The move reflects Saudi Arabia’s global leadership in the sector and the success of its cybersecurity model at the national, regional and international levels.

The office will spearhead initiatives and projects focused on capacity building, policy development, and joint research and development programs, helping to strengthen the skills of a broad range of beneficiaries and specialists while advancing cybersecurity globally.

Its objectives align with the Global Initiative for Building Cyber Capacities, launched by Saudi Arabia in partnership with the United Nations and its specialized agencies, particularly through research and development programs, training courses and workshops aimed at enhancing the capabilities of policymakers, law enforcement officials, diplomats and cybersecurity professionals worldwide.

Musaed Al Aiban, Minister of State, Member of the Council of Ministers, and Chairman of the NCA Board of Directors, praised the support the sector receives from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.

He said the selection reflects the leadership’s continued commitment to promoting international cooperation and joint action in cybersecurity.

Al Aiban added that the decision underscores Saudi Arabia’s leading position in the strategic sector and the achievements of its cybersecurity model since the establishment of the NCA as the country’s competent authority and national reference body for cybersecurity. He also highlighted the creation of the Saudi Information Technology Company (SITE) as the authority’s strategic and technical partner in developing the sector.

Saudi Arabia has established a strong track record in supporting strategic cybersecurity initiatives, further cementing its standing as a preferred destination for international organizations and institutions, Al Aiban underlined. He added that the Kingdom has long championed international initiatives aimed at enhancing the stability of cyberspace, contributing to societal prosperity, economic growth and human well-being worldwide.

For his part, Majed Al Mazyed, Governor of the National Cybersecurity Authority, said the UN’s decision further reflects Saudi Arabia’s internationally recognized leadership in cybersecurity, as evidenced by a range of global benchmarks.

He noted that Saudi Arabia retained its position as the world’s top-ranked country in cybersecurity for a second consecutive year in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2025. He also pointed to the Kingdom’s designation by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN agency for information and communication technologies, as a “Role Model” in the highest tier of the Global Cybersecurity Index 2024.

Michelle McDonough, Executive Director of UNITAR, said the launch of the institute’s first cybersecurity office and the choice of Riyadh as its headquarters underscore Saudi Arabia’s leadership and its pivotal role in advancing international cybersecurity efforts.

She added that the office will work with partners to address cybersecurity capacity gaps globally and help transform shared risks into shared resilience by connecting institutions and organizations across regions.

Saudi Arabia already hosts several regional and international cybersecurity bodies, including the Arab Cybersecurity Ministers Council, the Global Cybersecurity Forum Foundation, and the Cyber Economics Center, established through a partnership between the foundation and the World Economic Forum.

 

 

 

 

 


UAE Categorically Denies Reports Alleging the Transfer of Funds to Iran

A view of the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi. (WAM)
A view of the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi. (WAM)
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UAE Categorically Denies Reports Alleging the Transfer of Funds to Iran

A view of the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi. (WAM)
A view of the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi. (WAM)

The United Arab Emirates categorically denied on Friday media reports alleging the transfer of funds from the UAE to Iran, including allegations concerning USD 3 billion.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed that these allegations are “entirely false and unfounded”, stressing that “no frozen Iranian funds have been released, transferred, or facilitated through the UAE.”

The Ministry called on media outlets “to exercise accuracy, rely on official sources, and refrain from publishing or circulating unverified information and unfounded allegations,” reported the UAE's state news agency WAM.