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Saudi Crown Prince Most Popular Foreign Leader Among Indonesians

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, (PHOTO CREDIT: Bandar Al-Jaloud)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, (PHOTO CREDIT: Bandar Al-Jaloud)
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Saudi Crown Prince Most Popular Foreign Leader Among Indonesians

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, (PHOTO CREDIT: Bandar Al-Jaloud)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, (PHOTO CREDIT: Bandar Al-Jaloud)

A public opinion poll conducted by the Australian think tank Lowy Institute showed that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is the most popular figure among world leaders in Indonesia.

According to the results of the poll announced by the Australian Research Center on its website on April 4 and published by CNN Indonesia on Tuesday, the popularity of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Indonesia surpassed the popularity of US President Joe Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Indonesia, which has a population of 257 million, is the most populous Muslim country and the 4th most populous country in the world.

Lowy Institute is a prestigious international think tank that provides high-quality research and distinctive perspectives on the international trends shaping Australia and the world.

The institute takes care of opinion polls about the most influential leaders and politicians in the world since its inception in 2003.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has won the trust of 57 percent of the Indonesian respondents, followed by the Crown Prince of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan with 52 percent, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and US President Joe Biden with 44 percent, followed by Russian President Vladimir Putin with 40 percent.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Supreme Leader of North Korea Kim Jong Un have won the trust of 34 percent of the respondents, while the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had the confidence of only 38 percent of the respondents.

The Lowy Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 3,000 Indonesians aged between 17 and 65, from 33 provinces between Nov. 29 and Dec. 24, 2021. The survey also found that the majority of respondents, at a staggering 74 percent, said they had confidence in the leadership of Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo.

It is noteworthy that this was not the first time Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had topped the global scene among the most popular and most influential leaders. He was included in the “50 List” of the 50 most influential figures in the field of economy, politics, culture and technology, who have left an impact on the course of trade in the world during the year 2017.

In 2018, the Arab Youth chose Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as the most influential figure in a survey that included the opinions of young men and women from 16 countries in the Middle East and North Africa, against a large number of international figures, including former US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin and others.

The annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey 2018 showed that the Saudi Crown Prince’s reforms, his fight against corruption, allowing women to drive, and his taking many steps to reform the economy, society and security in the region, were behind his selection as an “inspiring figure for Arab youth.”

In 2021, the Arab League awarded the Crown Prince with the “Development Action Shield” certificate for the year 2021, and this was in recognition of his efforts in supporting and promoting joint Arab action and his role in promoting the comprehensive development approach in the Kingdom and the Arab world.

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Gulf

Saudi Foreign Minister, Egyptian Counterpart Discuss Regional Developments

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah
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Saudi Foreign Minister, Egyptian Counterpart Discuss Regional Developments

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah received a phone call on Saturday from Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Dr. Badr Abdelatty.

They discussed the latest regional developments and agreed to maintain bilateral coordination and consultation on these issues.

Gulf

Albudaiwi: GCC States Consistently Seek to Enhance Global Security and Stability

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. SPA
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. SPA
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Albudaiwi: GCC States Consistently Seek to Enhance Global Security and Stability

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. SPA
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. SPA

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi said that the GCC member states consistently seek to enhance security, stability, development, and prosperity to serve the mutual interests of the region's peoples and the entire world.

This comes in light of the rapid geopolitical shifts as well as growing security and economic challenges facing the globe, according to SPA.

During his participation in a panel session on GCC-European strategic links, held today in the Czech capital, Prague, on the sidelines of the GLOBSEC Global Security Forum 2026, the GCC secretary-general said: "The GCC General Secretariat’s participation in the GLOBSEC Global Security Forum 2026 embodies its keenness to maintain an active presence in regional and international forums. This engagement aims to bolster communication and exchange perspectives with international partners, decision-makers, and experts, thereby supporting efforts to maintain regional and international security while keeping pace with rapid global changes."

He also pointed out that the region has recently witnessed several events that have heavily impacted security and stability, adding that the GCC states have sustained their continuous diplomatic efforts to de-escalate and defuse tensions in the region, promoting paths of dialogue and diplomacy to protect regional security, stability, and the safety of its peoples.

The GCC secretary-general underscored the paramount importance of protecting the security of air and maritime corridors, ensuring freedom of navigation, the safety of supply chains, and the stability of global energy market.

"The stability of the Gulf region remains a fundamental pillar for the stability of the global economy and international maritime security," he reiterated.

Albudaiwi explained that recent developments have proven that the security of Europe and the Middle East has become unprecedentedly interconnected, asserting that any disruption in the Gulf region and its surrounding maritime passages directly affects the European economy, global energy security, supply chains, and international stability as a whole. He stressed that Gulf stability is no longer merely a regional matter, but has become a shared international interest.

Discussing the future of Gulf-European relations, Albudaiwi mentioned that both sides aspire to elevate their ties to broader horizons.

He added that the upcoming GCC-EU Summit will contribute to cementing cooperation across numerous fields and achieving the mutual interests of both parties, emphasizing the significance of reaching tangible results that serve both sides and elevate their ongoing cooperation.

Gulf

Saudi Arabia Says Will Not Allow Practices That Deviate Hajj from its Objectives

Security commanders are seen at the press conference in Makkah on Friday (Bashir Saleh)
Security commanders are seen at the press conference in Makkah on Friday (Bashir Saleh)
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Saudi Arabia Says Will Not Allow Practices That Deviate Hajj from its Objectives

Security commanders are seen at the press conference in Makkah on Friday (Bashir Saleh)
Security commanders are seen at the press conference in Makkah on Friday (Bashir Saleh)

Saudi Arabia said it would not allow the Hajj to be used for any activity that strays from its religious purpose, as more than 1.5 million pilgrims arrived from abroad by Friday afternoon.

He made his statement during a press conference by Hajj security commanders at the Unified Security Operations Center (911) in the Makkah region.

Officials outlined security, traffic, and organizational plans for this year’s holy pilgrimage, along with related instructions and guidelines.

Lt. Gen. Mohammed Al-Bassami, director of Public Security, said the Hajj security system was fully ready to carry out its duties.

“Our goal is for pilgrims to reach their destination, perform their rituals, and return home safely,” he stressed.

Al-Bassami said crowd management plans focused on regulating pilgrim flows and minimizing overlap between routes. Technology, he said, was playing a key role alongside security personnel on the ground.

He said authorities were prepared for various scenarios based on risk assessments, following extensive drills and field exercises to test the readiness of all security agencies.

Lt. Gen. Mohammed Al-Omari, commander of the Special Emergency Forces at the Presidency of State Security, described the security plans as “integrated, proactive and flexible.” He said security forces were deployed in the central area and the holy sites to protect pilgrims.

Maj. Gen. Dr. Hammoud Al-Faraj, director general of Civil Defense, said preparations for the Hajj season were complete.

“We trained all bodies involved in serving pilgrims on self-protection,” he said, adding that male and female volunteers were working alongside Civil Defense personnel across all tasks and operations.

Maj. Gen. Dr. Saleh Al-Murabba, commander of the Passports Forces for Hajj, said the “Makkah Route” initiative accounted for 30% of arriving pilgrims. He said 1,518,153 pilgrims had arrived from outside Saudi Arabia by Friday afternoon.