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Manama Dialogue Discusses US Defense Strategy, Means to End Region’s Conflicts

Then-US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivers a virtual speech to the Manama Dialogue conference on regional security held in the Bahraini capital, on December 4, 2020. (AFP)
Then-US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivers a virtual speech to the Manama Dialogue conference on regional security held in the Bahraini capital, on December 4, 2020. (AFP)
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Manama Dialogue Discusses US Defense Strategy, Means to End Region’s Conflicts

Then-US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivers a virtual speech to the Manama Dialogue conference on regional security held in the Bahraini capital, on December 4, 2020. (AFP)
Then-US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivers a virtual speech to the Manama Dialogue conference on regional security held in the Bahraini capital, on December 4, 2020. (AFP)

The 17th edition of the IISS Manama Dialogue kicked off Saturday in Bahrain with the participation of key ministers and experts to discuss the Middle East’s most pressing security challenges, peace and conflict resolution, and the US defense strategy.

The conference is held amid very important regional and international circumstances and focuses on “pluralism and the Middle East.”

It will feature seven plenary sessions that will discuss the US defense policy in the Middle East, Gulf and Asia, diplomacy and deterrence, multilateralism and regional security, conflict resolution in the region, security dynamics in the Red Sea, militias, missiles and nuclear proliferation.

The forum will last for three days, from Nov. 19 to 21, with the participation of 300 prominent figures, including senior officials in politics, defense and national security affairs, along with specialized experts representing more than fifty countries, and many regional and international companies and organizations.

Delivering the opening address, Indonesian Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto talked about his country’s defense agenda for its upcoming G20 presidency.

The Manama Dialogue is organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies and represents one of the most important annual global diplomatic and security summits.

The forum seeks to contribute to strengthening dialogue and common understanding between nations, cultures and civilizations, settling conflicts and tensions through diplomatic means, thus contributing to the consolidation of regional and global peace and security and to the achievement of the UN sustainable development goals.

Key participants include US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Dato Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, Malaysia’s Senior Minister and Minister of Defense, Dr. Nayef Al Hajraf, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Sir Stephen Lovegrove, UK National Security advisor, Najla Mohammed El Mangoush, Libyan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Brett McGurk, US Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, as well as other prominent figures.

The US Defense Secretary will address in his speech on Saturday the US defense policies in the region, and will hold a series of bilateral meetings with partners and allied leaders from around the world.

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Gulf

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.

Gulf

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.

Gulf

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.