King Salman Sends Message to Oman’s Sultan amid Mediation to End Yemen Conflict

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA)
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King Salman Sends Message to Oman’s Sultan amid Mediation to End Yemen Conflict

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA)

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived in the Omani capital Muscat on Monday to deliver an oral message from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz to Sultan Haitham bin Tariq.

The Saudi official had arrived in Muscat amid anticipation of the Iran-backed Houthi militias’ response to an Omani mediation to end the war in Yemen.

Oman’s state news agency (ONA) reported that the King Salman’s message tackled bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and sultanate.

Prince Faisal met with his Omani counterpart Badr Albusaidi during his brief visit.

An Omani delegation had concluded last week a weeklong visit to the Houthi-held Yemeni capital Sanaa to discuss a United Nations peace proposal with the militia leaders.

ONA did not report on the outcomes of the trip, but diplomatic sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Omani officials likely informed the Saudi delegation of their results.

The sources revealed that an Omani delegation is expected in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Tuesday to brief them on the Sanaa trip.

Yemeni Foreign Minister Dr. Ahmed bin Mubarak had declared on Sunday that the legitimate government has yet to receive any response from Oman about its mediation.

A government official told Asharq Al-Awsat that mystery still surrounds the Omani efforts, “but the signals we have received so far are not encouraging, and unfortunately, negative.”



Saudi FM Says Hopeful Gaza Ceasefire Will Hold 

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah attends the 55th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, January 21, 2025. (Reuters)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah attends the 55th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, January 21, 2025. (Reuters)
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Saudi FM Says Hopeful Gaza Ceasefire Will Hold 

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah attends the 55th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, January 21, 2025. (Reuters)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah attends the 55th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, January 21, 2025. (Reuters)

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah said on Wednesday that it was a “responsibility of all of us in the region” to keep the ceasefire in Gaza on track.

“I am hopeful Gaza ceasefire will hold,” he said from the World Economic Forum in Davos, according to Reuters.

On Tuesday, the Saudi government hoped on that the ceasefire would end the “barbaric Israeli war” and help address the root cause of the conflict by allowing the Palestinian people to achieve their rights, starting with the establishment of an independent state based on the 1967 border and with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel took effect on Sunday following 15 months of a brutal war that left the Gaza Strip in ruins.

The first phase of the truce, lasting 42 days, will include Hamas’ release of 33 Israeli hostages, while Israel will release 1,904 Palestinian detainees.

Negotiations over the second phase of the deal will take place on February 3.