Saudi-Egyptian Summit in Riyadh Tackles Bilateral Ties, Int'l Developments

King Salman holds talks with Sisi in Riyadh. (SPA)
King Salman holds talks with Sisi in Riyadh. (SPA)
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Saudi-Egyptian Summit in Riyadh Tackles Bilateral Ties, Int'l Developments

King Salman holds talks with Sisi in Riyadh. (SPA)
King Salman holds talks with Sisi in Riyadh. (SPA)

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz welcomed in Riyadh on Tuesday Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, attended the official talks.

Sisi was accorded a formal reception and King Salman threw a luncheon banquet in his honor.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Sisi later held official talks that tackled bilateral relations and opportunities to bolster them in various fields. They also reviewed regional and international developments and issues of common interest.

A joint Saudi-Egyptian statement said the two sides rejected any attempts by regional parties to meddle in the internal affairs of Arab countries. They rejected their attempts to undermine their stability and interests of their people whether through ethnic or sectarian incitement, through terrorist groups or through the violation of their sovereignty and good neighborliness.

They agreed to continue to fight terrorist groups in the region.

A statement after the Crown Prince and Sisi's talks condemned the attempts to harm the security and safety of marine navigation in the Arab Gulf, Bab al-Mandeb Strait and Red Sea.

They stressed the importance of securing freedom of navigation in those straits and the need to confront any threats, which are a danger to regional and international security and stability.

They expressed their determination to bolster joint cooperation over all central issues and their efforts to issue joint stances that preserve the security and stability of their countries.

They underlined the importance of joint Arab work, the role of the Arab League and the need to reach a comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Saudi Arabia stressed that Egypt's water security and that of the Arab world were indivisible. Riyadh and Cairo urged Ethiopia to abandon its unilateral policy over international rivers, calling on it to commit to its pledges to international law.

They condemned the Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen for their continued threat to marine navigation in the Red Sea and their acquiring of sophisticated military capabilities that threaten Sudi Arabia and the region. They said they will continue their efforts to reach a comprehensive political solution to the crisis in Yemen.

Sisi had arrived in the Kingdom earlier on Tuesday. Crown Prince Mohammed welcomed him upon his arrival at King Khalid International Airport.

The Saudi Royal Air Force performed an air show, displaying the colors of the Egyptian flag in honor of Sisi.

Before departing the Kingdom, Sisi, accompanied by Crown Prince Mohammed, toured the World Defense Show that is being hosted by Riyadh.

Crown Prince Mohammed also escorted Sisi on a tour of the historic Turaif district in Diriyah, Riyadh. The district is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A presentation detailing the founding of the First Saudi State was shown during the tour.



Kuwait Jails 13 Citizens, Fines them $87 Mn for Hezbollah Funding

A general view of the Kuwait Palace of Justice in Kuwait City, June 16, 2013. (Reuters)
A general view of the Kuwait Palace of Justice in Kuwait City, June 16, 2013. (Reuters)
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Kuwait Jails 13 Citizens, Fines them $87 Mn for Hezbollah Funding

A general view of the Kuwait Palace of Justice in Kuwait City, June 16, 2013. (Reuters)
A general view of the Kuwait Palace of Justice in Kuwait City, June 16, 2013. (Reuters)

Kuwait’s Court of Cassation on Monday sentenced 13 citizens to three years in prison for raising funds through a charity to support Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

The court also fined them 27 million Kuwaiti dinars ($87 million), overturning a previous acquittal by a lower court.

The court that issued the sentencing was presided over by Judge Abdullah Jassim Al-Abdullah.

Initially, the Criminal Court had acquitted the defendants, citing the absence of legislation explicitly criminalizing unlicensed fundraising for public purposes since the establishment of Kuwait's Social Affairs Department on December 14, 1954.

The court said this legal gap limited its authority under Article 132 of the Code of Criminal Procedures and Trials. However, the decision was reversed by the higher court.

The defendants had been interrogated in November 2021 over alleged financial support to organizations linked to Hezbollah.

At the time, the Public Prosecution ordered their detention, and security authorities conducted extensive investigations into financial transfers suspected of funding such groups in Lebanon.

The case dates back to November 2021. The charges included significant financial transfers made over several years to foreign entities, including in Lebanon, prompting authorities to scrutinize transaction records.

The defendants denied the charges, claiming they had worked with a charity committee for 30 years, primarily sponsoring orphans in Lebanon and other countries.

In March 2024, the Court of Cassation classified Hezbollah as a banned terrorist group, describing it as an armed organization working to undermine Kuwait’s system and spread Iran’s revolutionary ideology.

The ruling officially confirmed Hezbollah’s designation as a terrorist entity under Kuwaiti law.