IMCTC Marks 10th Anniversary, Decade of Joint Global Counter-Terrorism Efforts https://english.aawsat.com/gulf/5219995-imctc-marks-10th-anniversary-decade-joint-global-counter-terrorism-efforts%C2%A0
IMCTC Marks 10th Anniversary, Decade of Joint Global Counter-Terrorism Efforts
The IMCTC was established in December 2015 by an initiative from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and launched under the patronage of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (SPA)
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IMCTC Marks 10th Anniversary, Decade of Joint Global Counter-Terrorism Efforts
The IMCTC was established in December 2015 by an initiative from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and launched under the patronage of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (SPA)
The Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) commemorated its tenth anniversary on Monday, marking a decade of joint institutional work dedicated to enhancing security and confronting terrorism and extremism globally.
Established in December 2015 by an initiative from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and launched under the patronage of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, the coalition aimed to unify the Muslim world against the transnational threat of terrorism.
A pivotal moment occurred in 2023 when Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz assumed the chairmanship of the IMCTC Council of Ministers of Defense, marking a new phase of enhanced oversight and strategic momentum.
In February 2024, Prince Khalid reinforced this commitment by announcing SAR100 million in financial support from the Kingdom, alongside 46 specialized training scholarships for member states.
Over the past 10 years, the IMCTC has implemented an integrated operational model based on four key areas: intellectual, media, countering the financing of terrorism, and military, benefiting thousands of trainees.
IMCTC Secretary-General Major General Mohammed Al-Moghedi stressed that the anniversary is a milestone for evaluating progress and envisioning the future.
The coalition, built on continuous support from the Kingdom, will expand initiatives focusing on sustainability, knowledge transfer, and deepening partnerships to strengthen security, peace, and the values of moderation, he added.
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)
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.
Saudi Foreign Minister Discusses Regional Escalation with Spanish Counterparthttps://english.aawsat.com/gulf/5250540-saudi-foreign-minister-discusses-regional-escalation-spanish-counterpart
Saudi Foreign Minister Discusses Regional Escalation with Spanish Counterpart
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.
Pakistani Prime Minister Arrives in Jeddahhttps://english.aawsat.com/gulf/5250528-pakistani-prime-minister-arrives-jeddah
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.
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