Saudi Arabia Announces 1,534 New COVID Cases

A vaccination center in Saudi Arabia. SPA
A vaccination center in Saudi Arabia. SPA
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Saudi Arabia Announces 1,534 New COVID Cases

A vaccination center in Saudi Arabia. SPA
A vaccination center in Saudi Arabia. SPA

Saudi Arabia announced on Thursday 1,534 new coronavirus infections and 13 deaths from complications caused by COVID-19.

The total number of recoveries in the Kingdom increased to 469,120 after 1,487 more patients recovered from the disease, the Saudi Health Ministry said.

The new deaths brought the number of fatalities in the Kingdom to 7,832, it said.

Over 17.8 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine have been administered in the Kingdom to date.

The Supervisor General of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, said Wednesday that the Kingdom was uniquely equipped and ready to be a regional hub for the production of COVID-19 vaccines and other medicines and supplies.

He noted that many countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa are still suffering from high rates of infections, and that inequities in vaccine supply meant that jabs have reached very few states worldwide.

Al Rabeeah made his remarks at a G20 Ministerial Event cohosted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the World Food Program (WFP) at the UN Headquarters in Brindisi, Italy.

He stated that “in order to ensure that global COVID-19 response is streamlined to protect as many lives as possible, we must work together”, stressing that the need for closer coordination among members of the international community was essential in all aspects of health care, humanitarian and development programs and logistics.



GCC Welcomes Agreement between Yemen Govt, Houthis

Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)
Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)
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GCC Welcomes Agreement between Yemen Govt, Houthis

Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)
Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi welcomed on Wednesday the agreement between the legitimate Yemeni government and Iran-backed Houthi militias to de-escalate the situation with regard to the Yemeni banking sector and airlines.

The agreement was announced by the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, on Tuesday.

Albudaiwi expressed the GCC's support for all regional and international efforts and the efforts led by the UN special envoy aimed at achieving peace and security in Yemen.

The announcement underscores the importance the international community attaches to the Yemeni crisis, he added, hoping the agreement will pave the way for Yemeni parties to start the political process, under UN auspices, to reach a comprehensive political solution that achieves security and stability in the country.

He reiterated the GCC's continued support and full solidarity with Yemen, its government and people, and its keenness to encourage all efforts to de-escalate and maintain stability in order to reach peace.