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King Salman Honors Secretary General of UNWTO

King Salman bin Abdulaziz during his meeting with Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization Dr. Talib Rifai at al-Yamamah Palace on December 12, 2017. SPA
King Salman bin Abdulaziz during his meeting with Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization Dr. Talib Rifai at al-Yamamah Palace on December 12, 2017. SPA
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King Salman Honors Secretary General of UNWTO

King Salman bin Abdulaziz during his meeting with Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization Dr. Talib Rifai at al-Yamamah Palace on December 12, 2017. SPA
King Salman bin Abdulaziz during his meeting with Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization Dr. Talib Rifai at al-Yamamah Palace on December 12, 2017. SPA

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud stressed that his country is looking forward to occupying an important position on the map of tourism and cultural heritage.

He pointed out to the comprehensiveness of tourism and its importance in education and a number of fields.

This came during his meeting with Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization Dr. Talib Rifai at al-Yamamah Palace on Tuesday, where the latter bade farewell to the King on the occasion of the end of his term.

Rifai thanked the King for his great efforts in supporting the World Tourism Organization, stressing the Kingdom's great status in the World.

The meeting was attended by President of Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz and Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz.

King Salman has requested granting the First Class King Abdulaziz Medal to Rifai in recognition of his great efforts during his supervision of the WTO and for his important role in directing part of the human resources potentials to support the efforts of the General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage in promoting tourism and national heritage conservation in the Kingdom.

President of Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage decorated the UNWTO Secretary-General with King Abdulaziz Medal during a meeting held on Tuesday between Prince Sultan and Dr. Rifai.

During the meeting, Prince Sultan lauded great efforts exerted by the UNWTO Secretary-General in consolidating relations between the WTO and the General Commission for Tourism and National Heritage.

On the other hand, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques received also Turkish Ambassador to the Kingdom Yunus Demirer, who bade farewell to the King on the occasion of the end of his term as his country’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

The audience was attended by Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz.

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Egypt and Oman Discuss Red Sea Security, Bilateral Cooperation

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meets with Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said. (Egypt’s Foreign Affairs Ministry)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meets with Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said. (Egypt’s Foreign Affairs Ministry)
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Egypt and Oman Discuss Red Sea Security, Bilateral Cooperation

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meets with Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said. (Egypt’s Foreign Affairs Ministry)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meets with Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said. (Egypt’s Foreign Affairs Ministry)

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed escalating security tensions in the Red Sea during a visit to Oman on Monday, stressing the importance of maritime safety, freedom of international trade, and the direct link to the security of Red Sea littoral states.

Abdelatty highlighted the economic impact of the tensions on Egypt, particularly the decline in Suez Canal revenues, which fell from $9.4 billion in 2022–2023 to $7.2 billion in 2023–2024 due to the Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait.

The attacks, carried out in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, have forced global shipping companies to reroute vessels through the Cape of Good Hope.

During his meeting with Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said, Abdelatty expressed Egypt’s appreciation for the sultanate’s leadership and its stabilizing regional role.

According to a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, he emphasized the need for Arab cooperation to address the region’s unprecedented instability, underscoring Egypt’s commitment to working closely with Oman to promote security and stability.

Abdelatty also met with his Omani counterpart Badr Al-Busaidi to discuss bilateral ties and regional issues. They reviewed existing cooperation frameworks and explored ways to boost relations, especially in trade, investments, and logistics.

The Egyptian official highlighted his country’s economic reform program and its efforts to attract foreign investment by improving the business climate and offering incentives.

The ministers discussed bolstering cooperation between the Suez Canal Economic Zone and Oman’s Special Economic Zone at Duqm, as well as strengthening maritime links between key ports, such as Duqm, Salalah, Alexandria, and Ain Sokhna. Such initiatives aim to boost trade and deepen collaboration in logistics and maritime transport, leveraging both nations’ strategic geographic locations.

Regional topics, including developments in Syria, Gaza, Yemen, Libya, Lebanon, and the Horn of Africa, were also addressed. The ministers expressed concern over the impact of Red Sea tensions on littoral states and shared a commitment to finding comprehensive political solutions for these crises.