Bahrain’s Ambassador Presents Credentials to Syria’s FM

Mekdad receives a copy of the credentials of Bahrain’s ambassador to Damascus on Thursday, June 9, 2022.  (Bahrain News Agency)
Mekdad receives a copy of the credentials of Bahrain’s ambassador to Damascus on Thursday, June 9, 2022. (Bahrain News Agency)
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Bahrain’s Ambassador Presents Credentials to Syria’s FM

Mekdad receives a copy of the credentials of Bahrain’s ambassador to Damascus on Thursday, June 9, 2022.  (Bahrain News Agency)
Mekdad receives a copy of the credentials of Bahrain’s ambassador to Damascus on Thursday, June 9, 2022. (Bahrain News Agency)

Bahrain’s ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Damascus Waheed Mubarak Sayyar handed over his credentials to Syria’s Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad on Thursday.

Mekdad welcomed Sayyar’s appointment and expressed his country’s interest in maintaining the best relations with Bahrain and all brotherly Arab countries, Syria’s official news agency SANA reported.

He underscored the importance of resolving all the intra-Arab disputes to address common challenges.

Sayyar reiterated the kingdom’s support to Syria’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, noting that it rejects any intervention in its internal affairs.



Saudi Arabia's KSrelief, UNHCR Sign Agreement to Boost Protection, Healthcare Services in Yemen

Officials at the virtual meeting between KSrelief and UNHCR. (UNHCR Office in Riyadh)
Officials at the virtual meeting between KSrelief and UNHCR. (UNHCR Office in Riyadh)
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Saudi Arabia's KSrelief, UNHCR Sign Agreement to Boost Protection, Healthcare Services in Yemen

Officials at the virtual meeting between KSrelief and UNHCR. (UNHCR Office in Riyadh)
Officials at the virtual meeting between KSrelief and UNHCR. (UNHCR Office in Riyadh)

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) signed a $3.1 million agreement to strengthen protection and healthcare services for forcibly displaced people in Yemen.

The agreement will provide nearly 45,000 people with access to essential services, including civil documentation, legal aid, voluntary refugee return support, and primary healthcare, helping vulnerable families maintain stability and dignity amid Yemen’s deepening humanitarian crisis.

Under the agreement, UNHCR and its partners will support thousands of internally displaced people and refugees in obtaining identity and civil registration documents, enabling them to regain access to basic rights, protection mechanisms, and public services. The initiative will also offer legal assistance to address displacement-related challenges, including eviction threats, housing and property disputes, and personal status issues.

The effort is particularly critical as many displaced families lost identification documents while fleeing conflict, preventing them from enrolling children in school, accessing public services, or securing livelihoods.

The agreement will also support Somali refugees seeking voluntary return to Somalia through counseling services, documentation assistance, and safe sea and air transportation, helping reduce reliance on dangerous irregular migration routes.

Funding will further support services at three healthcare centers in Sana’a, Aden, and Kharaz Refugee Camp in the Lahij governorate, providing medical consultations and essential medicines to refugees and vulnerable host communities.

The agreement was signed during a virtual meeting between Eng. Ahmed bin Ali Al-Baiz, Assistant Supervisor General for Operations and Programs at KSrelief, and Dr. Khaled Khalifa, Senior Advisor to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and UNHCR Representative to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

Al-Baiz reaffirmed KSrelief’s commitment to continuing its strategic partnership with UNHCR to strengthen protection services and expand access to essential assistance for displaced families, refugees, and host communities in Yemen.

He said the project reflects Saudi Arabia’s broader humanitarian efforts to alleviate suffering and build sustainable resilience among vulnerable populations.

Khalifa described the agreement as evidence of the deep strategic humanitarian partnership between UNHCR and Saudi Arabia, represented by KSrelief.

The contribution would help thousands of vulnerable people gain access to protection services, healthcare, and legal assistance, enabling them to live with greater dignity and security, he added.

Armen Yedigarian, Acting UNHCR Representative in Yemen, stressed that the support from KSrelief demonstrates a strong commitment to protecting Yemen’s most vulnerable communities and helping displaced families rebuild their lives with dignity.


OIC, MWL Condemn Israeli Attacks on Lebanon

First responders gather at the site of an Israeli strike that hit near a hospital in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre on June 1, 2026. (Photo by KAWNAT HAJU / AFP)
First responders gather at the site of an Israeli strike that hit near a hospital in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre on June 1, 2026. (Photo by KAWNAT HAJU / AFP)
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OIC, MWL Condemn Israeli Attacks on Lebanon

First responders gather at the site of an Israeli strike that hit near a hospital in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre on June 1, 2026. (Photo by KAWNAT HAJU / AFP)
First responders gather at the site of an Israeli strike that hit near a hospital in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre on June 1, 2026. (Photo by KAWNAT HAJU / AFP)

The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Muslim World League condemned on Monday the Israeli attacks on Lebanon, including the destruction of villages and archaeological sites in the country's south, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

In a statement, the OIC strongly condemned Israel's aggression as a flagrant violation of Lebanese sovereignty, international law, and international humanitarian law.

The secretariat expressed its strong condemnation of the continued Israeli attacks against Lebanon, warning that they pose a serious threat to security and stability in the region.

It reaffirmed the OIC's solidarity with Lebanon and its sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, calling on the international community to take immediate action to halt the aggression.

In its statement, the Muslim World League (MWL) denounced Israel’s attacks as a grave violation of all international and humanitarian norms and laws, as well as Lebanon's national sovereignty.

It affirmed support for all efforts aimed at promoting security and stability for the Lebanese people and strengthening the sovereignty of the state and the authority of its legitimate institutions throughout Lebanon, in accordance with government decisions, the Taif Agreement, and relevant international agreements.


Enayati to Asharq Al-Awsat: 30,000 Hajj Pilgrims Begin to Return Home from Saudi Arabia

Iranian pilgrims during this year’s Hajj. (Iranian Embassy in Saudi Arabia)
Iranian pilgrims during this year’s Hajj. (Iranian Embassy in Saudi Arabia)
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Enayati to Asharq Al-Awsat: 30,000 Hajj Pilgrims Begin to Return Home from Saudi Arabia

Iranian pilgrims during this year’s Hajj. (Iranian Embassy in Saudi Arabia)
Iranian pilgrims during this year’s Hajj. (Iranian Embassy in Saudi Arabia)

Iranian Hajj pilgrims began returning home from Saudi Arabia after completing their holy journey.

Iranian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Alireza Enayati told Asharq Al-Awsat that some 30,000 Iranians performed the Hajj this year.

They were accorded a warm welcome and enjoyed generous hospitality like all over pilgrims, he added.

Saudi authorities announced that 1,707,301 pilgrims performed Hajj this year, including 1,546,655 from 165 countries, while the rest were comprised of Saudi citizens and residents of the Kingdom.

Enayati said the Iranian pilgrims began returning home of Monday and the departures are expected to continue until the end of the month.

He stressed that they enjoyed a smooth Hajj, like all other pilgrims.

Ambassador Enayati welcomes the head of the Iranian Hajj mission in Madinah. (Iranian Embassy in Saudi Arabia)

“They are now returning home safely,” he remarked, saying they had arrived by air to the Kingdom and they will head back to Iran the same way.

There is no need to transport them by land, as flights are operational and their departures will take place according to plans, he explained.

Enayati hailed the major means and developed services provided by Saudi Arabia at the holy sites, Makkah and Madinah, saying they allow the pilgrims to perform the rituals with ease and calm.

He underlined the level of coordination and cooperation between Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization and the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah that ensured that the Iranian pilgrims had a smooth journey.

The ambassador expressed his gratitude to all Iranian and Saudi officials who exerted great efforts in service of the Hajj pilgrims and who made their journey smooth and secure and their welcome warm and hospitable.