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Saudi Arabia: $2.1 Bn Municipal Projects in Makkah

An aerial view shows the city of Makkah. (FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP/Getty Images)
An aerial view shows the city of Makkah. (FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP/Getty Images)
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Saudi Arabia: $2.1 Bn Municipal Projects in Makkah

An aerial view shows the city of Makkah. (FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP/Getty Images)
An aerial view shows the city of Makkah. (FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP/Getty Images)

The Saudi Minister of Commerce and Investment, Majid al-Qasabi, announced that the total number of projects approved in Makkah municipality during the current year reached $2.1 billion.

The Minister was speaking during the Second Session of Makkah Economic Forum in which he explained Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs is responsible for the infrastructure projects in the cities, starting with design and planning to implementation, supervision and maintenance through supervision and follow-up.

He pointed out that the municipal sector in Saudi Arabia consists of 268 municipalities and 17 secretariats, making the functions of the municipal sector huge and complex.

The sector is now aiming at improving the quality of services, engaging the private sector, encouraging cooperation and partnership with government agencies and raising the efficiency of infrastructure projects, the Minister noted.

The municipal sector is considered one of the most interdependent and interrelated with the private sector in development and investment, but cooperation between the public and private sectors had not yet reached the desired level.

Qasabi announced that the ministry is working to develop the investment and opportunities system through an investment opportunities platform and has established an electronic platform to transform the municipal service into digital.

Projects approved in the municipality during the current year amounted to SR8 billion distributed between Makkah, SR3.5 billions, Jeddah SR2.5 billion, and Taif SR2.2 billion.

The Minister stressed the need to stay up to date with all digital transformation with the adoption of the infrastructure of smart cities, pointing out that the municipal sector is working on developing a full program of partnership in order to improve services provided.

Asked about trade and investment, Qasabi explained that an integrated system and an e-commerce council have been established, adding that there are several initiatives to improve the business environment, including Tayseer and Meras.

Within two or three weeks, the Saudi Council of Economic Affairs will collect all related licenses from all parties under one digital platform, and procedures for licensing have been scaled down.

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Gulf

King Salman Center Sets Up Camps for Displaced Gaza Residents

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has established the largest displacement camp in Deir al-Balah, as displaced people struggle with the impact of war and cold weather (KSrelief)
The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has established the largest displacement camp in Deir al-Balah, as displaced people struggle with the impact of war and cold weather (KSrelief)
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King Salman Center Sets Up Camps for Displaced Gaza Residents

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has established the largest displacement camp in Deir al-Balah, as displaced people struggle with the impact of war and cold weather (KSrelief)
The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has established the largest displacement camp in Deir al-Balah, as displaced people struggle with the impact of war and cold weather (KSrelief)

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) said it has set up the largest displacement camp in Deir al-Balah in Gaza, as thousands of Palestinians displaced by the war grapple with harsh winter conditions brought by a cold and rainy weather system this week.

Fahad Al-Osaimi, the center’s director of emergency relief, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the camp is sheltering more than 200 displaced families, with the number of beneficiaries exceeding 2,000 women, children and elderly people whose homes and tents were damaged or destroyed by the war and recent weather conditions.

He said the center is currently operating under a rapid response mechanism to appeals received by its operations and emergency room in the Gaza Strip.

Al-Osaimi said two fully equipped camps were completed this week, and that preparations are underway to establish several additional camps in coordination with relevant United Nations agencies, based on assessed needs on the ground.

He said the camp is playing a critical role in providing refuge to hundreds of families whose tents were flooded or collapsed due to heavy rainfall, offering safer shelter that helps mitigate humanitarian risks, particularly for children, women and the elderly.

Al-Osaimi said the center’s efforts extend beyond emergency shelter, noting that work is ongoing to establish organized camps that meet international humanitarian response standards and to ensure they are supplied with essential services.

These services include blankets, shelter materials, clothing for women and children, sanitation facilities such as toilets, hygiene kits and cleaning supplies, in addition to other forms of relief assistance as needs arise.

He said the interventions form part of KSrelief’s sustained efforts to alleviate the suffering of displaced people in the Gaza Strip and bolster their resilience amid severe humanitarian and weather conditions.

The deteriorating weather has coincided with growing uncertainty over the future of the ceasefire agreement and the possibility of moving to its second phase. According to local and international organizations, living conditions for displaced people continue to worsen.

Against this backdrop, the establishment of the largest displacement camp in Deir al-Balah marks a fresh chapter in Saudi Arabia’s emergency response to Palestinians, particularly Gaza residents, since the outbreak of the war following Oct. 7, 2023, providing lifelines to more than 2,000 people facing mounting challenges.

Gulf

Saudi Interior Minister Meets with Kazakh Counterpart

The Saudi Minister of Interior met on Thursday with his Kazakh counterpart in Riyadh. SPA
The Saudi Minister of Interior met on Thursday with his Kazakh counterpart in Riyadh. SPA
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Saudi Interior Minister Meets with Kazakh Counterpart

The Saudi Minister of Interior met on Thursday with his Kazakh counterpart in Riyadh. SPA
The Saudi Minister of Interior met on Thursday with his Kazakh counterpart in Riyadh. SPA

Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz received in Riyadh on Thursday Kazakhstan’s Minister of Internal Affairs Yerzhan Sadenov.

During the meeting, they discussed ways to enhance security cooperation between the two ministries, in addition to reviewing a number of topics of mutual interest.

Gulf

Saudi Foreign Minister Holds Phone Call with South Korean Counterpart

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan - File Photo
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan - File Photo
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Saudi Foreign Minister Holds Phone Call with South Korean Counterpart

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan - File Photo
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan - File Photo

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah held a phone call on Thursday with South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun, SPA reported.

The two sides reviewed bilateral relations and discussed the latest developments and issues of mutual interest.