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Gulf

Mohammed bin Salman, Egypt’s Sisi Discuss Regional Developments

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, welcomes Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Jeddah on Monday. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, welcomes Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Jeddah on Monday. (SPA)
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Mohammed bin Salman, Egypt’s Sisi Discuss Regional Developments

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, welcomes Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Jeddah on Monday. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, welcomes Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Jeddah on Monday. (SPA)

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held talks in Jeddah on Monday on developments in the Middle East. 

Meeting over an iftar banquet at the Salam palace, they discussed the close historic bilateral relations between their countries and means to develop them in various fields. They also reviewed several issues related to the Arab and Muslim arenas. 

Egyptian presidency spokesman Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy said Crown Prince Mohammed stressed to Sisi the “centrality” of relations between their countries, hoping to elevate them further to serve the interests of their people. 

Sisi, for his part, noted the “great development in the fraternal ties between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, stressing the importance of strengthening cooperation in different fields.” 

The leaders discussed developments in Gaza, underlining the need for all parties to respect the ceasefire agreement and implement US President Donald Trump’s peace plan. They called for increasing humanitarian aid to the enclave and their unimpeded delivery, said El-Shennawy. 

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi meet in Jeddah on Monday. (SPA)

 

They expressed their rejection of attempts to displace the Palestinian people, adding that the solution to the crisis lies in launching a comprehensive political process that leads to the implementation of the two-state solution. 

Crown Prince Mohammed and Sisi also tackled several regional and international developments. They stressed the need to avert escalation and tensions in the region and to support peaceful solutions through dialogue. 

They called for bolstering Arab solidarity to confront challenges, while underscoring respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations. 

They agreed to maintain contacts and bolster consultations and political coordination to preserve regional stability, said El-Shennawy. 

The meeting was attended by Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah; Minister of State, Member of the Cabinet, and National Security Advisor Dr. Musaed Al-Aiban; Minister of State, Member of the Cabinet for Shura Council Affairs Dr. Issam bin Saad bin Saeed; President of the General Intelligence Presidency Khalid Al-Humaidan. 

Also present were Egyptian FM Badr Abdelatty, chief of intelligence Hassan Rashad and other officials. 

Sisi departed Jeddah later on Monday and he was seen off by Crown Prince Mohammed. 

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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.