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UN Secretary General Visits Saudi Digital Government Authority's Innovation Hub in Riyadh

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres meets with officials at the Innovation Hub of the Digital Government Authority (DGA) in Riyadh on Friday. (SPA)
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres meets with officials at the Innovation Hub of the Digital Government Authority (DGA) in Riyadh on Friday. (SPA)
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UN Secretary General Visits Saudi Digital Government Authority's Innovation Hub in Riyadh

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres meets with officials at the Innovation Hub of the Digital Government Authority (DGA) in Riyadh on Friday. (SPA)
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres meets with officials at the Innovation Hub of the Digital Government Authority (DGA) in Riyadh on Friday. (SPA)

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and his accompanying delegation visited on Friday Saudi Arabia’s Innovation Hub of the Digital Government Authority (DGA) in Riyadh.

He met with DGA Governor Eng. Ahmed Alsuwaiyan. Saudi Arabia's Permanent Representative to the UN in New York Ambassador Dr. Abdulaziz Alwasil was also present during the visit.

The officials discussed issues of mutual interest, including digital government development, support for innovation, and the enhancement of sustainable digital transformation ecosystems. They reviewed the Kingdom's efforts in digital enablement to support the Sustainable Development Goals and improve government sector efficiency.

The meeting addressed avenues for cooperation between the DGA and UN organizations, particularly in knowledge exchange, the development of digital standards, the enablement of emerging technologies and artificial intelligence, the enhancement of digital capabilities, and the building of partnerships to improve the quality of digital services internationally.

Guterres was briefed on the DGA Innovation Hub, which houses a range of specialized laboratories and facilities, such as the Digital Inclusion Lab, Service Design Lab, Learning Experience Lab, and AI and Emerging Technologies Lab, along with other resources supporting innovation and the development of government digital solutions.

The DGA team presented an overview of the Kingdom's digital government strategy and progress in UN e-government development indicators, reflecting the maturity of the national digital experience and the advancement of the Kingdom's digital infrastructure.

Guterres commended the Kingdom's qualitative progress in digital government, stressing that the level achieved represents a leading international model and reflects a clear commitment to developing innovative and effective government services.

He emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation to support initiatives that foster an advanced digital future in service of global development.

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Gulf

Empty Quarter: Reservoir of Energy and Graveyard for Drones

The Empty Quarter lies atop two of the world’s largest oil and gas fields (SPA)
The Empty Quarter lies atop two of the world’s largest oil and gas fields (SPA)
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Empty Quarter: Reservoir of Energy and Graveyard for Drones

The Empty Quarter lies atop two of the world’s largest oil and gas fields (SPA)
The Empty Quarter lies atop two of the world’s largest oil and gas fields (SPA)

Stretching across the southern Arabian Peninsula, the Empty Quarter desert spreads like an endless sea of sand. It covers three Saudi administrative regions and extends across four countries, accounting for more than 67% of Saudi Arabia’s sand accumulations and about 22% of the Kingdom’s total land area.

Occupying nearly a fifth of the Arabian Peninsula, the vast desert is viewed by observers as both a reservoir of energy and a graveyard for drones targeting Saudi Arabia. Saudi defense authorities frequently announce interceptions of attacks headed for oil installations in the desert.

The Empty Quarter, one of the world’s largest sand seas, is also among its harshest environments, with temperatures reaching unbearable levels.

National Geographic describes it as a land “tamed only by the most resilient and wise of men despite its harshness,” a testament to the endurance of nomadic Bedouin tribes who forged unique bonds of kinship and marriage across generations.

Beneath the harsh landscape lie immense riches. The Empty Quarter sits atop some of the world’s largest oil and gas reserves. Nearby lie giant fields such as Shaybah, among the world’s largest crude oil fields on the desert’s edge, and Jafurah, Saudi Arabia’s largest unconventional gas field discovered to date. Jafurah alone holds an estimated 200 trillion standard cubic feet of gas and more than 60 billion barrels of condensate.

The Jafurah oil field. Aramco

The result is a striking contrast: a silent desert resting above resources that help drive the global economy.

Since March 5, the Empty Quarter has taken on another, unexpected role — a graveyard for drones targeting Saudi Arabia.

In just one week, its sands swallowed more than 63 drones as Saudi defenses carried out 27 interception and destruction operations, preventing them from striking the Shaybah field and reinforcing confidence in the Kingdom’s ability to protect energy supplies and ensure their delivery to global markets.

Ironically, three countries across which the Empty Quarter stretches — Saudi Arabia, which holds about 80% of the desert, along with Oman and the United Arab Emirates to the east, have faced Iranian drone, ballistic missile and cruise missile attacks.

The Shaybah oil field. Reuters

While many civilian and military sites have been affected, the attempt to target Shaybah marked what analysts described as an escalation threatening global energy sources.

A recent study by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) found that the Empty Quarter was once far different from the barren landscape it is known for today.

In the distant past, it was home to lakes, rivers and green plains that supported rich ecosystems and helped early human populations spread across the Arabian Peninsula.

Today it is among Saudi Arabia’s hottest and driest regions, with average rainfall of less than 50 millimeters a year and summer temperatures exceeding 50°C.

But researchers say these harsh conditions followed a wetter climate period known as “Green Arabia,” which lasted between 11,000 and 5,500 years ago in the late Quaternary era.

During that time, strong monsoon rains from Africa and India — driven by orbital climate shifts — fueled vegetation and wildlife across the region.

The desert’s name reflects both its scale and isolation. Saudi sources say it was called the “Empty Quarter” because it occupies roughly a quarter of the Arabian Peninsula and lacks permanent human settlement, aside from a small number of nomadic Bedouins, with limited wildlife and vegetation.

Some sources also refer to parts of the desert as “Al-Ahqaf,” believed to apply mainly to its southern reaches between Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Yemen.

Tradition links the area to the ancient people of ‘Ad and the legendary city of Iram, said to lie buried beneath the sands.

The Empty Quarter is more than a vast expanse of desert. It is a landscape where extremes meet — immense natural wealth beneath a silent sea of dunes, and a remote terrain that has quietly become a shield protecting vital energy supplies.

Gulf

Saudi Foreign Minister Discusses Regional Escalation with Spanish Counterpart

Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Foreign Minister (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Foreign Minister (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Foreign Minister Discusses Regional Escalation with Spanish Counterpart

Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Foreign Minister (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Foreign Minister (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah received a phone call on Thursday from his Spanish counterpart José Manuel Albares.

During the call, they discussed the regional escalation and the efforts being exerted in this regard.

Gulf

Pakistani Prime Minister Arrives in Jeddah

Pakistan's Prime Minister arriving in Jeddah - SPA
Pakistan's Prime Minister arriving in Jeddah - SPA
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Pakistani Prime Minister Arrives in Jeddah

Pakistan's Prime Minister arriving in Jeddah - SPA
Pakistan's Prime Minister arriving in Jeddah - SPA

Pakistan's Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and his accompanying delegation arrived in Jeddah on Thursday, SPA reported.

At King Abdulaziz International Airport, the Pakistani prime minister was welcomed by Deputy Governor of Makkah Region Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz, and several other officials.