Saudi Defense Minister Arrives in Istanbul to Head Kingdom’s Delegation at 1st Meeting of Makkah Agreement Committee

Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Türkiye's Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Turkish Chief of General Staff General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, Pakistan's Chief of Defense Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Saudi Arabia's Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, and Saudi Arabia's Chief of General Staff General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili pose before the first committee meeting under the joint defense accord, the "Makkah Joint Defense Agreement", in Istanbul, Türkiye, August 31, 2026. (Reuters)r
Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Türkiye's Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Turkish Chief of General Staff General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, Pakistan's Chief of Defense Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Saudi Arabia's Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, and Saudi Arabia's Chief of General Staff General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili pose before the first committee meeting under the joint defense accord, the "Makkah Joint Defense Agreement", in Istanbul, Türkiye, August 31, 2026. (Reuters)r
TT

Saudi Defense Minister Arrives in Istanbul to Head Kingdom’s Delegation at 1st Meeting of Makkah Agreement Committee

Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Türkiye's Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Turkish Chief of General Staff General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, Pakistan's Chief of Defense Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Saudi Arabia's Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, and Saudi Arabia's Chief of General Staff General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili pose before the first committee meeting under the joint defense accord, the "Makkah Joint Defense Agreement", in Istanbul, Türkiye, August 31, 2026. (Reuters)r
Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Türkiye's Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Turkish Chief of General Staff General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, Pakistan's Chief of Defense Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Saudi Arabia's Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, and Saudi Arabia's Chief of General Staff General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili pose before the first committee meeting under the joint defense accord, the "Makkah Joint Defense Agreement", in Istanbul, Türkiye, August 31, 2026. (Reuters)r

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz arrived in the Turkish city of Istanbul to head the Kingdom’s delegation at the first meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee, established under the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.

The ministers of defense and foreign affairs, commanders of the armed forces and senior Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani officials are taking part in the meeting to discuss international security and bolstering cooperation and defense integration between their countries.

The meeting is scheduled to discuss developing defense capabilities, boosting operational integration among the armed forces, and cooperating in defense industries, including joint production and research and development, and strengthening joint efforts to combat terrorism.

The meeting will discuss the establishment of a framework for the general secretariat and its associated mechanisms, as well as defining areas of joint work and preparing a roadmap for future steps within the framework of the agreement.

Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan signed the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement in Makkah on August 7, in the presence of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.



Saudi Royal Order Promotes and Appoints 34 Board of Grievances Judges

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs a cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA file)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs a cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA file)
TT

Saudi Royal Order Promotes and Appoints 34 Board of Grievances Judges

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs a cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA file)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs a cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA file)

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud issued on Friday a royal order promoting and appointing 34 judges at the Board of Grievances.

President of the Board of Grievances and Chairman of the Administrative Judiciary Council Dr. Ali bin Ahmed Al-Ohaydib said the administrative judiciary enjoys the support of King Salman and the attention and follow-up of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

This is reflected in the royal order, which supports the Board of Grievances, motivates its judges and personnel, and advances the administrative judiciary, he added.


Saudi-Malaysian Security Cooperation Foils Smuggling of 505.6 Kilograms of Ketamine

An image showing a portion of the seized quantity of ketamine (Saudi Ministry of Interior)
An image showing a portion of the seized quantity of ketamine (Saudi Ministry of Interior)
TT

Saudi-Malaysian Security Cooperation Foils Smuggling of 505.6 Kilograms of Ketamine

An image showing a portion of the seized quantity of ketamine (Saudi Ministry of Interior)
An image showing a portion of the seized quantity of ketamine (Saudi Ministry of Interior)

Saudi Ministry of Interior security spokesperson Brigadier General Talal bin Shalhoub stated that intelligence provided by the General Directorate of Narcotics Control to Malaysian authorities enabled the Royal Malaysian Customs Department Anti-Narcotics Unit to thwart an attempt to smuggle 505.6 kilograms of ketamine.

Bin Shalhoub praised the ongoing operational coordination between the two nations in intercepting illicit drugs, emphasizing that this joint success reflects tight security integration to counter transnational organized crime networks, SPA reported on Friday.

He affirmed that Saudi Arabia remains vigilant in tracking and dismantling criminal syndicates that target national security and youth with narcotics, continuing coordinated global efforts to protect societies from the illicit drug trade, SPA added.


UAE President Pardons Abdul Rahman Yusuf Al-Qaradawi

UAE flag / File Photo- Reuters
UAE flag / File Photo- Reuters
TT

UAE President Pardons Abdul Rahman Yusuf Al-Qaradawi

UAE flag / File Photo- Reuters
UAE flag / File Photo- Reuters

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued a pardon on Friday for Abdul Rahman Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, who was convicted by the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal on 27th August 2026 of the offences with which he was charged and sentenced to ten years' imprisonment and a fine of AED200,000.

The ruling was first issued on August 27, 2026, after finding Al-Qaradawi guilty of the charges against him.

According to Friday's announcement, the necessary procedures have been taken to implement the presidential pardon.