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Gulf

Saudi Arabia, Yemen Sign $150 Mn Petroleum Supply Deal to Support Energy Sector, Power Plants

Tuesday's agreement was signed by Minister of Electricity and Energy Eng. Adnan Al-Kaf and Saudi Ambassador to Yemen and SDRPY General Supervisor Mohammed bin Saeed Al Jaber. (SPA)
Tuesday's agreement was signed by Minister of Electricity and Energy Eng. Adnan Al-Kaf and Saudi Ambassador to Yemen and SDRPY General Supervisor Mohammed bin Saeed Al Jaber. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia, Yemen Sign $150 Mn Petroleum Supply Deal to Support Energy Sector, Power Plants

Tuesday's agreement was signed by Minister of Electricity and Energy Eng. Adnan Al-Kaf and Saudi Ambassador to Yemen and SDRPY General Supervisor Mohammed bin Saeed Al Jaber. (SPA)
Tuesday's agreement was signed by Minister of Electricity and Energy Eng. Adnan Al-Kaf and Saudi Ambassador to Yemen and SDRPY General Supervisor Mohammed bin Saeed Al Jaber. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia and Yemen signed on Tuesday an agreement worth $150 million to supply petroleum derivatives for power plants across various Yemeni governorates.

The agreement was signed under the patronage of Yemeni Prime Minister Dr. Shaya Mohsin Zindani and is part of Saudi Arabia’s support through the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY) to the Yemeni Ministry of Electricity and Energy, reported the Saudi Press Agency.

It was signed by Minister of Electricity and Energy Eng. Adnan Al-Kaf and Saudi Ambassador to Yemen and SDRPY General Supervisor Mohammed bin Saeed Al Jaber.

The petroleum derivatives support, consisting of diesel and mazut, will fuel more than 70 electricity generation plants across various Yemeni governorates, helping boost the stability and continuity of electricity services and support vital sectors linked to electrical energy.

The support reflects Saudi Arabia’s longstanding commitment to supporting the Yemeni people and alleviating their humanitarian suffering, particularly amid rising temperatures.

It is expected to contribute to stimulating commercial activity, creating job opportunities, and promoting economic growth in Yemen.

An additional agreement was also signed between the Yemeni oil company PetroMasila, the Yemeni Ministry of Electricity and Energy, and SDRPY to support the sustainability of PetroMasila’s operations as a state-owned company, strengthening its capabilities, improving operational efficiency, and ensuring continuity of services in support of the Yemeni government.

The initiative will be implemented under a comprehensive governance framework to ensure that assistance reaches the final beneficiaries, through a supreme committee linked to the prime minister and comprising several Yemeni entities responsible for overseeing and monitoring the distribution of petroleum derivatives to power plants based on the identified needs of electricity generation facilities across Yemen.

SDRPY provided petroleum derivatives grants in 2018 valued at $180 million, one in 2021 worth $422 million, another in 2022 amounting to $200 million, and one in 2026 valued at $81.2 million.

The current $150 million grant comes as searing summer temperatures approach and amid an urgent need to improve electricity service quality to better daily life and living standards for the Yemeni people.

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Gulf

Iranian Attacks on Gulf Intensify, Kuwait Bears Brunt

Smoke rises near Kuwait International Airport after a drone strike targeted a fuel depot. (File photo/AFP)
Smoke rises near Kuwait International Airport after a drone strike targeted a fuel depot. (File photo/AFP)
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Iranian Attacks on Gulf Intensify, Kuwait Bears Brunt

Smoke rises near Kuwait International Airport after a drone strike targeted a fuel depot. (File photo/AFP)
Smoke rises near Kuwait International Airport after a drone strike targeted a fuel depot. (File photo/AFP)

Iranian attacks on Gulf states have intensified sharply in recent days, with Kuwait bearing the brunt as fighting between the United States and Iran resumed and tensions rose in the Strait of Hormuz.

From the renewed escalation last Wednesday through early Thursday, Kuwaiti forces detected about 77 hostile drones and 18 missiles in the country’s airspace, according to an Asharq Al-Awsat tally.

The missiles included eight ballistic missiles and 10 cruise missiles. Kuwaiti forces intercepted or otherwise dealt with the threats.

The latest attacks stood out for causing casualties and damage.

Kuwait said several Iranian strikes targeted vital facilities and scattered debris across multiple locations, causing material damage and injuring six people, including four members of the Kuwaiti armed forces.

Three land border posts in northern Kuwait were also attacked, causing further damage and one injury.

Kuwaiti Defense Minister Sheikh Abdullah Al-Sabah checks on the health condition of those injured as a result of the Iranian aggression. KUNA

Kuwait’s consulate general in the southern Iraqi city of Basra was targeted again on Monday.

Kuwait condemned the attack and acknowledged the Iraqi government’s efforts to confront such incidents. It also called for “immediate and decisive” action to hold those responsible accountable and prevent a recurrence.

The continued attacks drew broad condemnation and expressions of solidarity from Gulf states.

Calls to strike back at launch sites

Academic and political researcher Ayed al-Manaa said Gulf Cooperation Council states should prepare for further Iranian retaliation following US attacks.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, al-Manaa urged Gulf states to respond to the sources of fire rather than remain on the defensive.

He said the escalation showed that Tehran had gone too far, particularly during the 40-day war.

Iran, he added, could retaliate against nearby US forces or Israel instead of targeting Gulf states.

Al-Manaa said Iran’s conduct reflected a lack of respect for Gulf sovereignty and a disregard for fraternal ties, neighborly relations and shared religious bonds.

Gulf states are peaceful countries that maintain normal relations, trade and neighborly ties with Iran, he said.

Tehran had treated that position with disdain, he added, making it necessary for Gulf states to raise their level of readiness and prepare to confront and respond to further attacks.

Fragile truce, vague memorandum

Political analyst Khaled al-Habbas said the renewed fighting between Washington and Tehran, and the failure of the ceasefire to hold, showed that the memorandum of understanding reached in mid-June was broad and highly ambiguous.

He said the uncertainty was most evident in provisions dealing with the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions on Tehran and its frozen assets.

Al-Habbas said other factors were also driving the crisis.

These included “the deep hostility and mistrust between the two sides, the aggressive nature of the Iranian regime and the sharp divisions between hardline leaders within the Revolutionary Guards and other officials who support negotiations with the United States.”

Doubts over Iran’s commitment to a deal

“The continuation of Iranian aggression against some Gulf states, alongside attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, indicates that the Iranian side is not serious about reaching a final agreement,” al-Habbas said.

He said the negotiations also faced major obstacles, while the ceasefire remained fragile.

Tension and instability would therefore continue to define the regional landscape for now, he added.

Al-Habbas did not rule out further exchanges of military action in the region, although he said both sides appeared keen to avoid a return to full-scale war.

“The danger remains, however, and all possibilities are still open. This is why Gulf states are following these developments with concern,” he said.

He praised Gulf states for successfully confronting Iranian attacks while continuing to support diplomatic efforts to prevent a return to war and the risks it would pose to the region.

Al-Habbas called for greater regional and international diplomatic pressure on Iran to isolate it politically and expose what he described as its aggression.

He said Iran should be held responsible for the damage caused by “this blatant aggression,” while Gulf states retained the right to defend themselves at a time and place of their choosing.

Gulf

Saudi Arabia: Iranian Attacks on Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan Threaten Regional Security

Kuwait City. (KUNA)
Kuwait City. (KUNA)
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Saudi Arabia: Iranian Attacks on Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan Threaten Regional Security

Kuwait City. (KUNA)
Kuwait City. (KUNA)

Saudi Arabia strongly condemned Iran's continued "unjustified attacks" on Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, reaffirming its full support for the measures taken by the three countries in response to what it described as Iran's blatant attacks.

Kuwaiti civil defense personnel work to contain a fire at Kuwait International Airport following the Iranian attack on fuel storage tanks. (File photo: KUNA)

In a statement, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated its condemnation of what it described as Iran's actions threatening regional security and stability and violating the principles of international law and good-neighborliness.

It stressed the importance of an immediate halt to all forms of military escalation and called for a return to dialogue and the resolution of disputes through diplomatic means.

Gulf

Saudi Minister of Defense Offers Condolences to Emir of Qatar

Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani - AAWSAT
Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani - AAWSAT
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Saudi Minister of Defense Offers Condolences to Emir of Qatar

Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani - AAWSAT
Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani - AAWSAT

Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz made a phone call on Thursday to Emir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

During the call, the minister expressed his condolences and sympathy to the amir over the death of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.