Kuwaiti, Iraqi Ports Halt Operations Due to Bad Weather

 Vehicles transit at a road shrouded in heavy dust in Kuwait City, Kuwait, on 16 May 2022. (EPA)
Vehicles transit at a road shrouded in heavy dust in Kuwait City, Kuwait, on 16 May 2022. (EPA)
TT

Kuwaiti, Iraqi Ports Halt Operations Due to Bad Weather

 Vehicles transit at a road shrouded in heavy dust in Kuwait City, Kuwait, on 16 May 2022. (EPA)
Vehicles transit at a road shrouded in heavy dust in Kuwait City, Kuwait, on 16 May 2022. (EPA)

Kuwait Ports Authority suspended all maritime operations at its three ports on Monday due to bad weather, the state news agency KUNA reported.

The three ports were Shuwaikh port, Shuaiba port and Doha port, the agency added.

The General Company for Ports of Iraq on Monday halted all marine operations at its ports due to bad weather, the state news agency INA reported.

Basra ports were among those that halted operations on Monday, the agency said, adding that it was not immediately clear if oil exports were affected at the Basra oil terminal.

A heavy sandstorm in Iraq, the latest of what Iraqis say is an unprecedented number to hit the country in recent weeks, closed some state schools and offices and halted flights at Baghdad International Airport on Monday.

Authorities in Baghdad, including the Education Ministry, declared a day off for local government institutions, with the exception of health services. Hundreds of people across the capital and southern cities went to hospitals with breathing difficulties, medical officials said.

Iraq is the fifth most vulnerable country in the world to the climate crisis, according to the United Nations.

Drought and extreme temperatures are drying up farmland and making large parts of Iraq barely habitable during the summer months. The country posted record temperatures of at least 52 degrees Celsius in recent years.



Saudi Arabia Welcomes Agreement between Yemen Govt, Houthis

Saudi Arabia reiterates its continued support for the Yemeni government and people. (Asharq al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia reiterates its continued support for the Yemeni government and people. (Asharq al-Awsat)
TT

Saudi Arabia Welcomes Agreement between Yemen Govt, Houthis

Saudi Arabia reiterates its continued support for the Yemeni government and people. (Asharq al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia reiterates its continued support for the Yemeni government and people. (Asharq al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia welcomed on Wednesday the agreement announced by the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, between the Yemeni government and the Houthi group.
The agreement was reached on Tuesday between the legitimate Yemeni government and Iran-backed Houthi militias to de-escalate the situation with regard to the Yemeni banking sector and the national airlines, Yemenia.
The Saudi foreign Ministry stressed Riyadh’s unwavering support for Yemen, its government and people, expressing keenness on de-escalation.
In a statement on its X account on Wednesday, the Ministry said it looks forward to the Yemeni parties sitting for dialogue under the patronage of the UN envoy's office to discuss all economic and humanitarian issues in the hopes of paving the way for a comprehensive political solution for the Yemeni crisis.