Fakhreddin Stirs Turkey-UAE Feud

UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. File: Ueslei Marcelino/Reuters
UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. File: Ueslei Marcelino/Reuters
TT
20

Fakhreddin Stirs Turkey-UAE Feud

UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. File: Ueslei Marcelino/Reuters
UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. File: Ueslei Marcelino/Reuters

Crisis escalated between Turkey and UAE after UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan retweeted a tweet on his official Twitter account that accused Ottoman governor Fakhreddin Pasha of committing crimes against the local Arab population during his rule over Medina, Saudi Arabia.

The tweet indicated that Fakhreddin "committed a crime against the people of Medina by stealing their money, kidnapping them and putting them on trains that took them to Syria and Istanbul. Those are the ancestors of Erdogan and this is the history that they have with Arab Muslims."

Upon the retweet, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at the Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah saying: “Hey, the pathetic person who is slandering us: Where were your forefathers when Fakhreddin Pasha was defending Medina?"

Erdogan reiterated that Arab people are "our brothers" however, he added, "the enmity of some leaders in Arab countries is meant to hide their own incompetence and even treason.”

After that, Turkey summoned a senior UAE diplomat to complain about the tweet by an Emirati minister.

The Turkish foreign ministry summoned the Emirati charge d'affaires in Ankara on Thursday and complained about the post.



US Secretary of Energy Visits Saudi Arabia’s KAUST 

US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Minister of Energy and Chairman of KAUST’s Board of Trustees Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz during the visit to KAUST. (SPA)
US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Minister of Energy and Chairman of KAUST’s Board of Trustees Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz during the visit to KAUST. (SPA)
TT
20

US Secretary of Energy Visits Saudi Arabia’s KAUST 

US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Minister of Energy and Chairman of KAUST’s Board of Trustees Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz during the visit to KAUST. (SPA)
US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Minister of Energy and Chairman of KAUST’s Board of Trustees Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz during the visit to KAUST. (SPA)

US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright visited Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), where he was received by Minister of Energy and Chairman of KAUST’s Board of Trustees Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, University President Edward Byrne, and senior officials, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Wednesday.

The delegation was briefed on KAUST’s research and innovation programs, its role in advancing a knowledge-based economy and addressing global challenges through science and technology, and key research projects and emerging technologies across multiple sectors, with particular focus on its contributions to Saudi Arabia’s energy sector and support for relevant national and global goals.

Under its “Accelerating Impact” strategy, KAUST aims to boost its position as a global innovation hub by advancing scientific research, fostering entrepreneurship, and building partnerships — including ongoing collaboration with international bodies such as the US Department of Energy — aimed at achieving sustainable progress in the fields of energy and science at both the national and global levels.

Wright’s visit to KAUST came during a four-day trip to Saudi Arabia aimed at exploring opportunities to deepen bilateral cooperation across various areas of the energy sector.