Bahrain FM: Suspension of Qatar’s Membership is Correct Step to Preserve GCC

Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa in Manama, on November 9, 2014. (photo credit: AP/Hasan Jamali)
Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa in Manama, on November 9, 2014. (photo credit: AP/Hasan Jamali)
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Bahrain FM: Suspension of Qatar’s Membership is Correct Step to Preserve GCC

Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa in Manama, on November 9, 2014. (photo credit: AP/Hasan Jamali)
Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa in Manama, on November 9, 2014. (photo credit: AP/Hasan Jamali)

Bahrain's foreign minister on Monday suggested suspending Qatar's Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) membership until it accepts the demands of the Arab quartet.

"The correct step to preserve the GCC would be to freeze Qatar's membership until it sees reason and accepts the demands of our countries. If not, we will be fine with it leaving the GCC," Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa said on his Twitter account.

The minister also said in another tweet that "if Qatar thinks that its current playing with time and evading will buy it time till the upcoming GCC summit, then it's mistaken. If the situation remained as it is we won't attend this summit."

Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt on June 5 severed ties with Qatar for supporting extremism and terrorist groups, and issued Doha with a list of demands.

"Bahrain will not attend a summit with Qatar, which becomes closer to Iran each day and brings foreign forces (to its soil), dangerous steps for the security of GCC countries," Sheikh Khalid said in another tweet.



Saudi Crown Prince Holds Official Talks with King of Malaysia

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, receives King of Malaysia Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar at the Royal Court in Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh on Tuesday. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, receives King of Malaysia Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar at the Royal Court in Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh on Tuesday. (SPA)
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Saudi Crown Prince Holds Official Talks with King of Malaysia

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, receives King of Malaysia Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar at the Royal Court in Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh on Tuesday. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, receives King of Malaysia Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar at the Royal Court in Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh on Tuesday. (SPA)

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, received King of Malaysia Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar at the Royal Court in Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh on Tuesday.

A formal reception ceremony was held for the King of Malaysia, during which the national anthems of both countries were played, and the two leaders reviewed the guard of honor.

Crown Prince Mohammed and King Sultan held a session of official talks, discussing the strong fraternal relations between Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. They explored prospects for bilateral cooperation across various fields and addressed several issues of common interest.

The meeting was attended by Saudi Minister of State and Cabinet Member Prince Turki bin Mohammed bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, Minister of National Guard Prince Abdullah bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah. Also present were Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb, the accompanying minister, and Saudi Ambassador to Malaysia Musaed Al-Saleem.


Saudi Govt: High-Level Int’l Attendance at FII Conference Reflects Kingdom’s Global Standing

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs a cabinet meeting. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs a cabinet meeting. (SPA)
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Saudi Govt: High-Level Int’l Attendance at FII Conference Reflects Kingdom’s Global Standing

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs a cabinet meeting. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs a cabinet meeting. (SPA)

The Saudi government said on Tuesday that the high-level international attendance at the ninth edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference reflects global appreciation for the Kingdom's achievements and vision, cementing its status as a leading international economic destination and a global hub for leaders and innovators transforming visions into future-shaping investment strategies.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chaired the cabinet meeting in Riyadh.

The Crown Prince briefed the cabinet on the outcomes of his meetings with leaders and government heads from several countries who visited the Kingdom for the FII conference that was held in Riyadh last week.

The cabinet commended the Saudi economy's ability to keep pace with global transformations with flexibility, resilience, and alignment of resources, capabilities, and national priorities, while continuing to drive growth in non-oil sectors like advanced manufacturing, technology, tourism, and entrepreneurship.

It hailed the private sector's remarkable contribution to driving the growth of non-oil activities since the launch of Vision 2030, reflecting the effectiveness of economic policies and reforms in enabling the business environment to flourish.

Moreover, the cabinet viewed the Kingdom's winning the presidency of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions for three years, starting in 2031, as confirmation of its global leadership in enhancing transparency and governance.

The cabinet also praised AlUla for winning three World Travel Awards for 2025, an achievement that embodies its continued excellence and growing prominence on the regional tourism map, showcasing its wealth of diverse historical, cultural, and civilizational assets.


MWL Extends Condolences to Families of Victims of Northern Afghanistan Earthquake 

Damaged shops stand in ruin in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Samangan province, Afghanistan, November 4, 2025. (Reuters) 
Damaged shops stand in ruin in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Samangan province, Afghanistan, November 4, 2025. (Reuters) 
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MWL Extends Condolences to Families of Victims of Northern Afghanistan Earthquake 

Damaged shops stand in ruin in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Samangan province, Afghanistan, November 4, 2025. (Reuters) 
Damaged shops stand in ruin in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Samangan province, Afghanistan, November 4, 2025. (Reuters) 

The Muslim World League (MWL) expressed on Monday its condolences to the families of the victims and the injured, as well as to the Afghan people, following the earthquake that struck northern Afghanistan.

In a statement by its General Secretariat, MWL Secretary-General and Chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa expressed the MWL’s solidarity and sympathy with the families of the victims and the Afghan people in this tragic event.

He underlined the MWL’s readiness to mobilize its resources to help alleviate the impact on those affected and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

A powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake shook northern Afghanistan before dawn Monday, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 640 others.

The numbers of people killed or injured could rise, officials said.