One Year Since the Detection of 1st Covid-19 Case In Saudi Arabia

 A security woman checks the temperature of a woman at Riyadh International Airport, after Saudi Arabia reopened domestic flights, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 31, 2020. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri
A security woman checks the temperature of a woman at Riyadh International Airport, after Saudi Arabia reopened domestic flights, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 31, 2020. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri
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One Year Since the Detection of 1st Covid-19 Case In Saudi Arabia

 A security woman checks the temperature of a woman at Riyadh International Airport, after Saudi Arabia reopened domestic flights, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 31, 2020. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri
A security woman checks the temperature of a woman at Riyadh International Airport, after Saudi Arabia reopened domestic flights, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 31, 2020. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri

Saudi Arabia recorded its first Covid-19 infection of a citizen returning from Iran on March 2, 2020, after which cases began to increase reaching around 5,000 infections per day.

Today, a year after the first case, the epidemic curve is flat between 300 and 400 daily infections. These figures come following a period during which Saudi Arabia recorded the lowest level of cases, around 100 per day, to later witness a rise at the beginning of 2021, forcing the authorities to re-impose precautionary measures and suspend some activities.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia announced that four new vaccines were under study and could be approved, in addition to the two vaccines that are now administered in the large vaccination campaigns within the Kingdom.

A year after the first infection, statistics show that the number of people who got the Covid-19 virus represents more than one percent of the population, with a total number of deaths exceeding 6,000.

The cumulative number of cases reached around 377,000 including 368,000 recoveries.

Saudi Arabia has accelerated the pace of the vaccination campaign by opening dozens of dedicated centers across the country and launching an in-car vaccination service in a number of cities.

The number of doses administered so far has reached nearly 700,000, which represents the vaccination of about one out of every 100 individuals in the country, at the very least.

The Ministry of Interior will begin easing the precautionary measures by the end of this week, in light of the flattening of the epidemic curve over the past two weeks.



Arab League Condemns Israeli Decision to Establish New Settlements in West Bank

A general view shows the opening session of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League Headquarters (Reuters)
A general view shows the opening session of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League Headquarters (Reuters)
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Arab League Condemns Israeli Decision to Establish New Settlements in West Bank

A general view shows the opening session of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League Headquarters (Reuters)
A general view shows the opening session of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League Headquarters (Reuters)

Secretary-General of the League of Arab States Ahmed Aboul Gheit condemned the decision by the Israeli occupation’s ministerial committee to approve the establishment of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, considering it a blatant challenge to the international will rejecting settlement activity and a violation of international law, which affirms the illegitimacy of settlements.

In a statement issued Monday, the secretary-general said the continued expansion of illegal settlement activity aims to prevent the establishment of a geographically contiguous Palestinian state and reflects the nature of the Israeli government, which he said is controlled by extremists and settlers, SPA reported.

Aboul Gheit stressed that settlement expansion will not make it legitimate under any circumstances.

 

He highlighted that the violence practiced by extremist settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank constitutes a form of terrorism carried out under the watch and with the protection of the official institutions of the occupying power.


Saudi FM Arrives in Muscat for Meeting of Saudi-Omani Coordination Council 

Omani FM Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi welcomes his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah upon his arrival in Muscat. (SPA)
Omani FM Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi welcomes his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah upon his arrival in Muscat. (SPA)
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Saudi FM Arrives in Muscat for Meeting of Saudi-Omani Coordination Council 

Omani FM Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi welcomes his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah upon his arrival in Muscat. (SPA)
Omani FM Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi welcomes his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah upon his arrival in Muscat. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah arrived in Muscat on Monday.

He was received by his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi upon his arrival at Muscat International Airport.

The two sides are scheduled to hold the third meeting of the Saudi-Omani Coordination Council.


Saudi Defense Minister Decorates Pakistan's Army Chief with King Abdulaziz Medal of Excellent Class

The ceremony took place in Riyadh on Sunday upon the directive of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. SPA
The ceremony took place in Riyadh on Sunday upon the directive of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. SPA
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Saudi Defense Minister Decorates Pakistan's Army Chief with King Abdulaziz Medal of Excellent Class

The ceremony took place in Riyadh on Sunday upon the directive of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. SPA
The ceremony took place in Riyadh on Sunday upon the directive of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. SPA

Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz has decorated Chief of the Pakistani Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir with King Abdulaziz Medal of Excellent Class, honoring his distinguished efforts to strengthen the strategic relationship and cooperation between the two nations.

The ceremony took place in Riyadh on Sunday upon the directive of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Prince Khalid congratulated Field Marshal Munir on his appointment as Pakistan’s Chief of Defense Forces, wishing him continued success in his new role.

During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the historical Saudi-Pakistani relations and the strategic cooperation in defense, discussing efforts to establish the foundations of international peace and security, as well as issues of common interest.