Saudi Oil Grant Lights up Hadramout, Aden

The oil tanker that carried the third batch of the Saudi oil derivatives grant to Yemen in the port of Aden at the end of last July (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The oil tanker that carried the third batch of the Saudi oil derivatives grant to Yemen in the port of Aden at the end of last July (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Oil Grant Lights up Hadramout, Aden

The oil tanker that carried the third batch of the Saudi oil derivatives grant to Yemen in the port of Aden at the end of last July (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The oil tanker that carried the third batch of the Saudi oil derivatives grant to Yemen in the port of Aden at the end of last July (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi oil grant to power stations in Yemen has raised production capacities by 40%, with the generated electricity feeding the governorates of Aden, Lahij, and Abyan.

Also, locals in Hadramout governorate, the largest in Yemen, reported an improvement in their power supply.

The Kingdom’s oil donation has helped decrease daily blackouts from six-hour breaks to three-hour pauses, providing electricity in five-hour intervals.

Moreover, the grant has helped the Yemeni government save significantly on its budget and has alleviated the suffering Yemenis used to experience as a result of power stations going out of service each month due to fuel shortages or delays in fuel delivery.

In the interim capital, Aden, government employee Abdulaziz al-Sqaf confirmed that the Kingdom’s successive grants to Yemeni power stations had a positive effect that citizens can feel.

According to al-Sqaf electricity blackouts have been halved, and power stations are no longer shutting down because of fuel deficiencies.

Amin Abdullah, a retail shop owner in Aden, confirmed that the difference the grant achieved was substantial and that all Yemenis were talking about how great of an improvement the donation has brought about to their lives.

Power cut-offs had severely affected the population, including seniors, children, and the ill. More so, electricity blackouts had taken their toll on the supply of essential commodities to Yemeni families, businesses, and the economy.

“People had suffered greatly from poor electricity supplies amid rising temperatures, and some families were forced to live in hotels,” Abdullah told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Nevertheless, Abdullah said that the situation is much better with the Saudi donation helping power stations produce more electricity for the people.

In Hadramout's capital city, Mukalla, local radio station director Majdi Baziad confirmed that the oil grant had achieved remarkable stability in electricity services in districts lying on the governorate’s coast.



Saudi Arabia Urges Global Support for Two-State Solution Alliance

A group photo from the third Asia Cooperation Dialogue summit in Doha, Qatar (SPA)
A group photo from the third Asia Cooperation Dialogue summit in Doha, Qatar (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Urges Global Support for Two-State Solution Alliance

A group photo from the third Asia Cooperation Dialogue summit in Doha, Qatar (SPA)
A group photo from the third Asia Cooperation Dialogue summit in Doha, Qatar (SPA)

The ongoing Israeli war on Gaza and Lebanon, along with rising regional tensions, took center stage at the third Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) summit in Doha, which began on Thursday.
Saudi Arabia urged countries to back the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a key step toward resolving the Middle East crisis.
Speaking on behalf of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan attended the ACD summit and highlighted how continued violence in the region is disrupting international trade and fueling political tensions, which threaten investments and economic cooperation.
“The continuation of aggression and violations in the region hinder the movement of international trade and increase political tensions that threaten the flow of investments and economic cooperation between the countries of the region and the world,” he said.
He called for peaceful and diplomatic solutions to regional conflicts to ensure the region’s prosperity.
“We thank Asia Cooperation Dialogue countries for their support for the two-state solution and their recognition of the State of Palestine, and we urge the rest of the world to follow suit,” Prince Faisal said, reminding that the situation has prompted the Kingdom to work with “brothers and allies in establishing a Global Alliance to Implement the Two-State Solution.”
He stressed that the current unrest in Palestine and Lebanon is a major barrier to economic and commercial development in the region.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reaffirmed Iran’s continued support for resistance groups.
“The Zionist enemy will be punished, and we will keep supporting the resistance until Palestine is liberated,” said Pezeshkian.
Also speaking at the ACD summit, he emphasized: “Those who violate human rights must know that resistance is strong and cannot be eliminated.”
Pezeshkian reiterated Iran’s backing for Palestinian resistance.
After meeting with a Hamas delegation in Doha, Pezeshkian warned that Israel’s ongoing actions had led Iran’s military to deliver a decisive response.
“Israel couldn’t commit these crimes without backing from the US and Europe. If Israel makes any mistake against Iran, it will face a much stronger retaliation than Tuesday’s attack,” he said.
Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, denounced Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” and warned of the consequences of not holding Israel accountable for its crimes against humanity.
Speaking at the summit, Sheikh Tamim said: “Qatar has long warned about the dangers of not addressing Israel’s crimes.”
He pointed to the escalating violence in Gaza, noting that true security can only be achieved through a just peace, which includes creating an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders.
He stressed that Qatar will continue to support the Palestinian people in their fight for their legitimate rights.
“Israel’s relentless attacks on civilians in Gaza and other occupied areas have killed over 41,000 innocent people. What’s happening is genocide, and Gaza is being made uninhabitable to force its residents out,” said Sheikh Tamim.
He also condemned Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon, accusing Israel of using international inaction to expand settlements in the West Bank and prepare for annexation.
“We believe in de-escalating tensions and respecting nations’ sovereignty,” he added, stressing that Israel is taking advantage of global silence to push its agenda in the West Bank and Lebanon.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also called for urgent international intervention to stop Israeli aggression in Gaza and Lebanon.
He warned that Israel’s attacks have destroyed over 90% of Gaza’s infrastructure.
“Peace cannot coexist with occupation, genocide, and the denial of the Palestinian people’s rights,” Abbas reaffirmed at the ACD summit.