Saudi Crown Prince, Uzbek President Discuss Bilateral Ties in Jeddah

Saudi Crown Prince and Uzbek President discussed bilateral relations and cooperation  (SPA)
Saudi Crown Prince and Uzbek President discussed bilateral relations and cooperation (SPA)
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Saudi Crown Prince, Uzbek President Discuss Bilateral Ties in Jeddah

Saudi Crown Prince and Uzbek President discussed bilateral relations and cooperation  (SPA)
Saudi Crown Prince and Uzbek President discussed bilateral relations and cooperation (SPA)

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Jeddah on Wednesday at Al-Salam palace.

The two leaders discussed bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields, in addition to reviewing a number of issues of common interest.

Following the talks, they witnessed the exchange of a number of bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding between the two countries.

The agreements, worth over SR45 billion ($12 billion), include deals in Islamic affairs, energy, tourism, air transport services, livestock, agriculture, sports, education, science, and media.

The two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding in the field of human rights.

The deals aim to explore investment opportunities, advance the partnership between the Saudi and Uzbek private sectors, encourage and enhance mutual investments in a number of target sectors.

A number of senior officials from both sides attended the discussions.

This came as Uzbekistan's ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ulugbek Maksudov praised the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan, saying the Kingdom was one of the first countries to recognize the independence of Uzbekistan and sign a memorandum of understanding for the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992.

He hailed the Saudi Fund for Development role in supporting a large number of projects in Uzbekistan, stressing that one of the most important project has been the construction of the Samarkand-Gozar road, for which the fund has contributed $30 million of the total $100 million cost.

He said the Saudi Fund for Development has also helped funding the construction of schools and medical centers, and drilling wells in the country, in addition to projects in healthcare, education, energy, transport and public utilities development in Uzbekistan.



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.