Al-Shehana Bint Saleh Appointed Deputy Secretary General of Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Asharq Al-Awsat
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Al-Shehana Bint Saleh Appointed Deputy Secretary General of Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Asharq Al-Awsat
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Asharq Al-Awsat

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud issued on Sunday a number of royal orders that included the appointment of Al-Shehana bint Saleh bin Abdullah Al-Azzaz as Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Ministers, at the excellent rank.

King Salman ordered relieving the Secretary General of the Council of Ministers, Prince Abdulrahman bin Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf Al Muqrin, of his post, and appointed him as advisor at the Royal Court, at the rank of Minister.

The royal orders also included appointing Dr. Bandar bin Obaid bin Hamoud Al-Rasheed as Secretary to the Crown Prince, at the rank of Minister, in addition to his other duties.

The King appointed Ayman bin Mohammed bin Saud Al-Siyari as Deputy Governor of the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) for Investment and Research, at the rank of Minister.

He also appointed Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Amil as Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Ministers for Council Affairs, at the excellent rank, in addition to appointing Mansour bin Abdullah bin Ali bin Salamah as Deputy Secretary to the Crown Prince, at the excellent rank.

Abdulaziz bin Ismail bin Rashad Trabzoni was appointed as an advisor at the Royal Court, at the excellent rank, while Princess Haifa bint Mohammed bin Saud bin Khalid Al Abdulrahman Al Saud became deputy Minister of Tourism, at the excellent rank.

Dr. Rumaih bin Mohammed Al-Rumaih was appointed Deputy Minister of Transport and Logistic Services, at the excellent rank, and Acting President of the Transport General Authority.

Ehab bin Ghazi bin Fahmy Al-Hashani became Deputy Minister of Municipal Rural Affairs and Housing, at the excellent rank.

The King also appointed Eng. Abdulaziz bin Hamad bin Saleh Al-Rumaih as Deputy Minister of Health for Planning and Development, at the excellent rank, and Ahmed bin Sufyan bin Abdulrazzaq Al-Hassan, as Assistant Minister of Transport and Logistics Services, at the excellent rank.

Furthermore, Dr. Khalid bin Waleed bin Fadl Al-Thaher was appointed Deputy Governor of the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) for Control and Technology, at the excellent rank.



Libya’s Unity Gov. Urges Stronger Partnership with Saudi Arabia on Development Projects

Abdul Hamid Dbeibah during his meeting with members of the Saudi delegation (Dbeibah's Office)
Abdul Hamid Dbeibah during his meeting with members of the Saudi delegation (Dbeibah's Office)
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Libya’s Unity Gov. Urges Stronger Partnership with Saudi Arabia on Development Projects

Abdul Hamid Dbeibah during his meeting with members of the Saudi delegation (Dbeibah's Office)
Abdul Hamid Dbeibah during his meeting with members of the Saudi delegation (Dbeibah's Office)

Libya’s Government of National Unity has called for strengthening partnerships with Saudi Arabia in development projects.

The appeal came during a meeting on Thursday between Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and a high-level delegation from Saudi Arabia’s Amiantit Group.

The group is one of the world's leading companies in the manufacturing of pipes and tanks, offering innovative solutions for water management and infrastructure.

The meeting was also attended by a representative of Technical Link Services for Communications (TLS), a subsidiary of Etihad Salam Telecommunications, which specializes in communications and information technology solutions.

Discussions centered on strengthening Libyan-Saudi cooperation to advance infrastructure projects, stimulate investment in the industrial and agricultural sectors, and expand prospects for collaboration.

The meeting followed agreements with Libya’s Ministry of Housing and Construction on water infrastructure, specialized factories, and advanced water treatment solutions.

The agreements also included deals that aim to upgrade Libya’s communications infrastructure and modernize its IT and telecom services.

In January, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Dbeibah had outlined Libya’s vision to strengthen cooperation with Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia to attract international investment across various economic and development sectors.

He discussed with several Saudi officials ways to reinforce bilateral partnerships in oil, gas, and renewable energy, highlighting Saudi Arabia as a key partner in developing Libya’s oil infrastructure.


Saudi-Emirati Team in Aden to Restore Calm in Eastern Yemen

A view of Yemen's interim capital Aden. (Reuters file)
A view of Yemen's interim capital Aden. (Reuters file)
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Saudi-Emirati Team in Aden to Restore Calm in Eastern Yemen

A view of Yemen's interim capital Aden. (Reuters file)
A view of Yemen's interim capital Aden. (Reuters file)

A Saudi-Emirati team arrived in Yemen’s interim capital Aden on an urgent mission to put in place executive mechanisms for the withdrawal of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces from the Hadhramaut and al-Mahra provinces and returning them under the control of previous forces under the direct supervision of the Saudi-led Arab coalition.

The team will discuss arrangements related to the handover of positions to the National Shield Forces to ensure that the situation returns to the way it was before the escalation.

The step is in line with Saudi Arabia’s intense efforts to end the escalation in eastern Yemen, in rejection of any unilateral measures taken by the STC in Hadhramaut, which the coalition viewed as an attempt to impose a new status quo or drag the province into internal strife that threatens peace and stability.

Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the arrival of the team consolidates Riyadh’s rejection of activities that may create mistrust or deepen the divisions inside Yemen’s legitimate institutions.


UN Secretary General Visits Saudi Digital Government Authority's Innovation Hub in Riyadh

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres meets with officials at the Innovation Hub of the Digital Government Authority (DGA) in Riyadh on Friday. (SPA)
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres meets with officials at the Innovation Hub of the Digital Government Authority (DGA) in Riyadh on Friday. (SPA)
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UN Secretary General Visits Saudi Digital Government Authority's Innovation Hub in Riyadh

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres meets with officials at the Innovation Hub of the Digital Government Authority (DGA) in Riyadh on Friday. (SPA)
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres meets with officials at the Innovation Hub of the Digital Government Authority (DGA) in Riyadh on Friday. (SPA)

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and his accompanying delegation visited on Friday Saudi Arabia’s Innovation Hub of the Digital Government Authority (DGA) in Riyadh.

He met with DGA Governor Eng. Ahmed Alsuwaiyan. Saudi Arabia's Permanent Representative to the UN in New York Ambassador Dr. Abdulaziz Alwasil was also present during the visit.

The officials discussed issues of mutual interest, including digital government development, support for innovation, and the enhancement of sustainable digital transformation ecosystems. They reviewed the Kingdom's efforts in digital enablement to support the Sustainable Development Goals and improve government sector efficiency.

The meeting addressed avenues for cooperation between the DGA and UN organizations, particularly in knowledge exchange, the development of digital standards, the enablement of emerging technologies and artificial intelligence, the enhancement of digital capabilities, and the building of partnerships to improve the quality of digital services internationally.

Guterres was briefed on the DGA Innovation Hub, which houses a range of specialized laboratories and facilities, such as the Digital Inclusion Lab, Service Design Lab, Learning Experience Lab, and AI and Emerging Technologies Lab, along with other resources supporting innovation and the development of government digital solutions.

The DGA team presented an overview of the Kingdom's digital government strategy and progress in UN e-government development indicators, reflecting the maturity of the national digital experience and the advancement of the Kingdom's digital infrastructure.

Guterres commended the Kingdom's qualitative progress in digital government, stressing that the level achieved represents a leading international model and reflects a clear commitment to developing innovative and effective government services.

He emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation to support initiatives that foster an advanced digital future in service of global development.