Saudi Crown Prince’s Gulf Tour: A New Start for Cooperation

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi - Reuters
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi - Reuters
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Saudi Crown Prince’s Gulf Tour: A New Start for Cooperation

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi - Reuters
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi - Reuters

Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, is gearing up to host the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) summit next Tuesday. The summit’s final communique will likely fall in line with the positions that were launched in the Gulf tour of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The Saudi Crown Prince's tour, which kickstarted in Muscat and ended in Kuwait, has worked to consolidate Gulf views regarding regional and international matters. It also reaffirmed Saudi keenness to preserve unity within the GCC and expand strategic partnerships.

The final statements on the five stops of the tour confirmed the common points agreed upon by the leaders of the six countries to enhance the security and stability of the Gulf region, develop their economies, and achieve Gulf visions.

For years, Saudi Arabia has been keen to establish and strengthen bilateral, regional councils in the Gulf region. This chiefly aimed to develop bilateral relations and raise the level of cooperation in all fields, according to regular and sustainable institutional work in the political, economic, security, military, investment, developmental and cultural fields.

The five concluding statements on the Crown Prince’s tour emphasized the importance of the joint coordination councils with Saudi Arabia.

Muscat had praised the Saudi-Omani Coordination Council for expanding the scope of bilateral relations and achieving integration in all fields to serve the interests of the two countries. It is noteworthy that the Saudi-Omani Coordination Council was established during Sultan Haitham bin Tariq’s visit to Saudi Arabia in July 2021.

The sixth meeting of the Saudi-Qatari Coordination Council was co-chaired by Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have signed several key agreements following talks held between King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the Saudi Crown Prince.

The agreements were based on the outcomes of the second Saudi-Bahraini Coordination Council meeting.



Saudi Foreign Minister Receives UNRWA Commissioner-General

Saudi FM receives UNRWA Commissioner-General. (SPA)
Saudi FM receives UNRWA Commissioner-General. (SPA)
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Saudi Foreign Minister Receives UNRWA Commissioner-General

Saudi FM receives UNRWA Commissioner-General. (SPA)
Saudi FM receives UNRWA Commissioner-General. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah received on Wednesday the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini.
During the meeting, both sides discussed the strong partnership between the Kingdom and UNRWA. They also reviewed recent regional developments and the ongoing efforts to address key challenges related to these issues.
In a related context, Arab reactions continue after Israel’s publications of maps annexing parts of Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs slammed Israel’s “extremist” acts that reflect Israel’s “intentions to consolidate its occupation and continue its flagrant violation of the sovereignty of those nations.”
Saudi Arabia reiterated its call for the international community to fulfill its role in halting Israel’s violations against the countries and peoples of the region.
The Kingdom emphasized the importance of respecting the sovereignty and borders of nations to prevent further escalation of regional crises and to support efforts aimed at achieving a just and comprehensive peace.

The Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, also issued a strong condemnation of Israel’s maps publications, saying it “reflects a state of right-wing extremism and religious obsession prevailing within the Israeli government”.