MWL Chief: The Makkah Document Filled an Important Void Regarding Pressing Issues

Part of the international symposium held in the Moroccan capital, Rabat (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Part of the international symposium held in the Moroccan capital, Rabat (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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MWL Chief: The Makkah Document Filled an Important Void Regarding Pressing Issues

Part of the international symposium held in the Moroccan capital, Rabat (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Part of the international symposium held in the Moroccan capital, Rabat (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held on Saturday a symposium in the Moroccan capital, Rabat, in collaboration with the Muslim World League (MWL).

During the symposium, dubbed “The Makkah al-Mukarramah Document: Achievements and Prospects,” Islamic and international scholars and religious and intellectual leaders unanimously agreed on the document’s contribution to bringing together the nation’s scholars and getting them to agree on pressing modern issues.

MWL Secretary-General Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim al-Issa, who is also the chairman of the Association of Muslim Scholars, highlighted the most prominent features of the document, stressing that it demonstrated where Islam stands as opposed to civilizational and human coexistence.

He stressed that the Makkah Document filled an important void in the consensus of the scholars of the Islamic nation regarding pressing modern issues and that it demonstrated the distinction of those scholars by their ability to unify their word despite their great sectarian diversity.

Al-Issa also pointed to the document's keenness to develop Islamic societies, confront corruption, rationalize consumption and preserve the environment, and rationalize religious sentiment, especially among Muslim youth.

More than 1,200 prominent Muslim scholars and 4,500 Islamic intellectuals from 139 countries signed the document.

Issa said families and relevant official governmental and civil institutions responsible for raising awareness among the Muslim youth.

Director-General of ICESCO Dr. Salem al-Malik also delivered a speech, in which he praised MWL’s efforts in addressing concerns of the Islamic nation, highlighting the close bilateral partnership.

Assistant Secretary-General of the Muhammadan Association of Scholars in Morocco Dr. Ahmed al-Senouni, for his part, said the document’s guidelines and principles represent a source of inspiration at the individual and collective levels.

Dr. Khaled al-Samadi, the head of the Moroccan Center for Educational Studies and Research, noted that the document corrected many misconceptions, established many values and developed the skills of tackling the differences.

Meanwhile, the rapporteur of the Kingdom of Morocco Academy, Dr. Mustafa Zabakh, described the document as a junction that the Islamic world and all humankind need in light of the turmoil and intellectual conflicts the world is currently facing.



Libya’s Unity Gov. Urges Stronger Partnership with Saudi Arabia on Development Projects

Abdul Hamid Dbeibah during his meeting with members of the Saudi delegation (Dbeibah's Office)
Abdul Hamid Dbeibah during his meeting with members of the Saudi delegation (Dbeibah's Office)
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Libya’s Unity Gov. Urges Stronger Partnership with Saudi Arabia on Development Projects

Abdul Hamid Dbeibah during his meeting with members of the Saudi delegation (Dbeibah's Office)
Abdul Hamid Dbeibah during his meeting with members of the Saudi delegation (Dbeibah's Office)

Libya’s Government of National Unity has called for strengthening partnerships with Saudi Arabia in development projects.

The appeal came during a meeting on Thursday between Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and a high-level delegation from Saudi Arabia’s Amiantit Group.

The group is one of the world's leading companies in the manufacturing of pipes and tanks, offering innovative solutions for water management and infrastructure.

The meeting was also attended by a representative of Technical Link Services for Communications (TLS), a subsidiary of Etihad Salam Telecommunications, which specializes in communications and information technology solutions.

Discussions centered on strengthening Libyan-Saudi cooperation to advance infrastructure projects, stimulate investment in the industrial and agricultural sectors, and expand prospects for collaboration.

The meeting followed agreements with Libya’s Ministry of Housing and Construction on water infrastructure, specialized factories, and advanced water treatment solutions.

The agreements also included deals that aim to upgrade Libya’s communications infrastructure and modernize its IT and telecom services.

In January, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Dbeibah had outlined Libya’s vision to strengthen cooperation with Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia to attract international investment across various economic and development sectors.

He discussed with several Saudi officials ways to reinforce bilateral partnerships in oil, gas, and renewable energy, highlighting Saudi Arabia as a key partner in developing Libya’s oil infrastructure.


Saudi-Emirati Team in Aden to Restore Calm in Eastern Yemen

A view of Yemen's interim capital Aden. (Reuters file)
A view of Yemen's interim capital Aden. (Reuters file)
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Saudi-Emirati Team in Aden to Restore Calm in Eastern Yemen

A view of Yemen's interim capital Aden. (Reuters file)
A view of Yemen's interim capital Aden. (Reuters file)

A Saudi-Emirati team arrived in Yemen’s interim capital Aden on an urgent mission to put in place executive mechanisms for the withdrawal of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces from the Hadhramaut and al-Mahra provinces and returning them under the control of previous forces under the direct supervision of the Saudi-led Arab coalition.

The team will discuss arrangements related to the handover of positions to the National Shield Forces to ensure that the situation returns to the way it was before the escalation.

The step is in line with Saudi Arabia’s intense efforts to end the escalation in eastern Yemen, in rejection of any unilateral measures taken by the STC in Hadhramaut, which the coalition viewed as an attempt to impose a new status quo or drag the province into internal strife that threatens peace and stability.

Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the arrival of the team consolidates Riyadh’s rejection of activities that may create mistrust or deepen the divisions inside Yemen’s legitimate institutions.


UN Secretary General Visits Saudi Digital Government Authority's Innovation Hub in Riyadh

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres meets with officials at the Innovation Hub of the Digital Government Authority (DGA) in Riyadh on Friday. (SPA)
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres meets with officials at the Innovation Hub of the Digital Government Authority (DGA) in Riyadh on Friday. (SPA)
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UN Secretary General Visits Saudi Digital Government Authority's Innovation Hub in Riyadh

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres meets with officials at the Innovation Hub of the Digital Government Authority (DGA) in Riyadh on Friday. (SPA)
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres meets with officials at the Innovation Hub of the Digital Government Authority (DGA) in Riyadh on Friday. (SPA)

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and his accompanying delegation visited on Friday Saudi Arabia’s Innovation Hub of the Digital Government Authority (DGA) in Riyadh.

He met with DGA Governor Eng. Ahmed Alsuwaiyan. Saudi Arabia's Permanent Representative to the UN in New York Ambassador Dr. Abdulaziz Alwasil was also present during the visit.

The officials discussed issues of mutual interest, including digital government development, support for innovation, and the enhancement of sustainable digital transformation ecosystems. They reviewed the Kingdom's efforts in digital enablement to support the Sustainable Development Goals and improve government sector efficiency.

The meeting addressed avenues for cooperation between the DGA and UN organizations, particularly in knowledge exchange, the development of digital standards, the enablement of emerging technologies and artificial intelligence, the enhancement of digital capabilities, and the building of partnerships to improve the quality of digital services internationally.

Guterres was briefed on the DGA Innovation Hub, which houses a range of specialized laboratories and facilities, such as the Digital Inclusion Lab, Service Design Lab, Learning Experience Lab, and AI and Emerging Technologies Lab, along with other resources supporting innovation and the development of government digital solutions.

The DGA team presented an overview of the Kingdom's digital government strategy and progress in UN e-government development indicators, reflecting the maturity of the national digital experience and the advancement of the Kingdom's digital infrastructure.

Guterres commended the Kingdom's qualitative progress in digital government, stressing that the level achieved represents a leading international model and reflects a clear commitment to developing innovative and effective government services.

He emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation to support initiatives that foster an advanced digital future in service of global development.