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Fifth Session of Political Committee under Saudi-Chinese Joint High-Level Committee Held in Riyadh 

The ministers held the fifth session of the Political Committee under the Saudi-Chinese High-Level Joint Committee to discuss ways to bolster cooperation across all sectors. (SPA)
The ministers held the fifth session of the Political Committee under the Saudi-Chinese High-Level Joint Committee to discuss ways to bolster cooperation across all sectors. (SPA)
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Fifth Session of Political Committee under Saudi-Chinese Joint High-Level Committee Held in Riyadh 

The ministers held the fifth session of the Political Committee under the Saudi-Chinese High-Level Joint Committee to discuss ways to bolster cooperation across all sectors. (SPA)
The ministers held the fifth session of the Political Committee under the Saudi-Chinese High-Level Joint Committee to discuss ways to bolster cooperation across all sectors. (SPA)

Saudi Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi met in Riyadh on Sunday for talks on the comprehensive strategic partnership between their countries.

They praised the level of relations across all fields, including the economic, trade, investment, and energy sectors.

They underscored that the visit coincides with the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and China, which have witnessed significant development and alignment of vision.

The ministers held the fifth session of the Political Committee under the Saudi-Chinese High-Level Joint Committee to discuss ways to bolster cooperation across all sectors.

They stressed their keenness to provide mutual support on matters related to the vital interests of both countries. They underlined their support for measures that achieve security, stability, development, and prosperity in both nations, in a manner that meets the aspirations of the leadership of both countries.

The Saudi side reaffirmed its adherence to the One-China policy, recognizing the Chinese government as the sole legitimate government representing all of China, stressing that Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory.

The Chinese side expressed its support for the development and strengthening of Saudi-Iranian relations and praised the Kingdom’s leadership role and efforts to achieve regional and international security and stability.

It lauded the economic developments taking place in the Kingdom under Saudi Vision 2030. It commended the outcomes of the Arab-China Riyadh Summit for Cooperation and Development hosted by the Kingdom in December 2022.

Saudi officials expressed their support for China hosting the second China-Arab Summit and the second China-GCC Summit in 2026.

Chinese officials also expressed Beijing's readiness to participate in the World Expo 2030 Riyadh.

The two parties exchanged views on regional and international issues of common interest, expressing their readiness to boost communication and coordination on these matters.

They underscored their support for efforts to achieve a comprehensive and just solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, establishing an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the two-state solution, international resolutions, and the Arab Peace Initiative.

Both sides also signed an agreement on the mutual waiver of visas for holders of diplomatic, private, and service passports.

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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.