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King Abdulaziz in the Narratives of Orientalists, Visitors

King Abdulaziz and King Farouk (Asharq Al-Awsat)
King Abdulaziz and King Farouk (Asharq Al-Awsat)
    Rabat - Badr Alkhorayef
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King Abdulaziz in the Narratives of Orientalists, Visitors

King Abdulaziz and King Farouk (Asharq Al-Awsat)
King Abdulaziz and King Farouk (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Ismail bin Muhammad al-Salamat, a history, sociology, and anthropology researcher, has monitored the sayings and writings of several European orientalists, historians and visitors - Arabs and Muslims - who met the founder of Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman, or worked with him.

According to Salamat, who also researches affairs of the desert, tribes, and Arab genealogy, all those who met or worked with King Abdulaziz agree that the monarch had a unique personality and an ability to modernize.

King Abdulaziz has succeeded in spreading security and fighting ignorance, making him a national hero.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the 92nd Saudi National Day, Salamat stressed that King Abdulaziz, who founded Saudi Arabia in 1932, had a strong personality that is characterized by piety and a love for promoting justice, fairness and equality among people.

“He was generous, brave and forgiving,” said Salamat, adding that all those who knew or met with King Abdulaziz were fascinated by his noble character.

The first Secretary-General of the Arab League, Abdul Rahman Azzam, as specified by Salamat, has said: “I saw in him (King Abdulaziz) an example of Arabism.”

Arab writer, intellectual and political activist Ameen Rihani described King Abdulaziz as a man greater than a Sultan. He said that the Saudi monarch enjoyed a big heart, soul, and conscience.

“He is a man of clear mind and conscience, free from arrogance and false pretense,” said Rihani.

Regarding what some European orientalists said about King Abdulaziz, Salamat pointed out that “the good qualities of the king had caught the attention of European orientalists, who met him, knew him closely, and were pleased with his company.”

“This was enough for them to know the truth behind the morals of Arabs, and the principles of Islam and Muslims,” said Salamat.

For example, British explorer St John Philby, who was close to King Abdulaziz since his youth, had described the Saudi founder as a “successful soldier and an authentic reformer.”

Philby also pointed to King Abdulaziz being pious, outspoken, firm, intelligent and humble.

Hungarian orientalist Gyula Germanus has called King Abdulaziz a hero in every sense of the word.

“The king was very influential on those who knew him or met him,” acknowledged Germanus.

In praise of King Abdulaziz’s legacy, Germanus said that King Abdulaziz did not fight or attack people, but instead had fought ignorance and stagnation.

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Gulf

MWL Inaugurates Welfare, Development Projects in Mauritania

Secretary-General of the Muslim World League Dr. Mohammed al-Issa inaugurates the medical center in Mauritania. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Secretary-General of the Muslim World League Dr. Mohammed al-Issa inaugurates the medical center in Mauritania. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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MWL Inaugurates Welfare, Development Projects in Mauritania

Secretary-General of the Muslim World League Dr. Mohammed al-Issa inaugurates the medical center in Mauritania. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Secretary-General of the Muslim World League Dr. Mohammed al-Issa inaugurates the medical center in Mauritania. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Muslim World League (MWL) Secretary-General and head of the Saudi Muslim Scholars Association Dr. Mohammd al-Issa inaugurated several relief, welfare, and development projects in Nouakchott, Mauritania.

Al-Issa visited the final phase of the Muslim World League's project to build the Grand Mosque in Nouakchott.

He inspected the mosque's facilities, evaluated the quality of the work, and ensured it adhered to the highest architectural and quality standards.

The official was in Nouakchott for an official multi-day visit, where he was received by the Mauritanian Minister of Islamic Affairs, government officials and senior scholars.

Al-Issa inaugurated the advanced medical center affiliated with the MWL during an official ceremony attended by high-ranking government officials and community members.

He toured the center's facilities, reviewed its organizational structure, and observed the ongoing works of the MWL’s health initiatives and medical programs.

He also toured the newly established ophthalmology department and specialty clinics.

He met several orphans, covered by the "Orphan Sponsorship" program in Africa, as they received their annual financial allowances, which provide them with security, comprehensive care and health and education programs. The program serves tens of thousands of orphans across the continent.

Additionally, he handed over house keys to widows, a venture coordinated officially with relevant government entities and in collaboration with several UN-affiliated international organizations.

Al-Issa emphasized that these charitable efforts, coordinated with national government bodies and UN-affiliated international organizations, align with the MWL’s mission.

He noted that the MWL is one of the many benevolent gestures Saudi Arabia offers to the Islamic world within the broader context of humanitarian work.

Gulf

Saudi Arabia Condemns Houthi Attack on Bahrain Troops 

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (dpa)
A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (dpa)
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Saudi Arabia Condemns Houthi Attack on Bahrain Troops 

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (dpa)
A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (dpa)

Saudi Arabia condemned on Tuesday the attack by the Iran-backed Houthi militias against a deployment of Bahraini forces in Saudi Arabia near the border with Yemen.

The attack left two members of the Bahraini army dead and other injured.

In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry offered its “sincere condolences to Bahrain and the relatives of the martyrs.”

It stressed its complete solidarity with Bahrain, reiterating its demand for a halt in weapons supplies to the terrorist Houthi militias.

Gulf

Bahrain Says Two Soldiers Killed in Houthi Drone Attack

Two members of Bahrain's army were killed and others were injured in a drone attack by the Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen on Monday. (Reuters file photo)
Two members of Bahrain's army were killed and others were injured in a drone attack by the Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen on Monday. (Reuters file photo)
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Bahrain Says Two Soldiers Killed in Houthi Drone Attack

Two members of Bahrain's army were killed and others were injured in a drone attack by the Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen on Monday. (Reuters file photo)
Two members of Bahrain's army were killed and others were injured in a drone attack by the Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen on Monday. (Reuters file photo)

Two members of Bahrain's army were killed and others were injured in a drone attack by the Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen on Monday during a deployment in Saudi Arabia near the border with the war-torn country, Bahrain's state news agency quoted the country's army as saying.

"This terrorist attack was carried out by Houthi drones on the positions of the Bahraini duty force stationed at the southern border on the territory of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, despite the cessation of military operations between the parties to the war in Yemen," the Bahraini army statement added.

The statement said an officer and a soldier were killed and "a number" from the force were injured.

Brigadier General Turki Al Malki, the Official Spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy, condemned the attack and said they "reserve the right for an appropriate response," according to a statement carried by the Saudi state news agency.

He added that the coalition condemned this act of terror carried out by the Houthis in a treacherous hostile act that followed other hostilities during the past month, which included targeting an electric power distribution station and a police station in the border region.

Such acts come in defiance of the positive efforts led to end the crisis and reach a comprehensive political solution, he said.

The US Embassy in Bahrain sent a message of condolence to the families of those killed and said it stood by its long-term ally.

Condolences poured in from across the region.

In a statement, the Yemeni Foreign Ministry stressed its solidarity with Manama following the attack, extending its condolences to Bahrain, its people and the families of the fallen servicemen.

The United Arab Emirates’ Foreign Ministry expressed its condolences and its solidarity with Manama, adding that the attack was a flagrant violation of international laws and norms which requires a deterrent response.

The Ministry also called on the international community to unite efforts and take a decisive stance to stop these operations and return to a political process that leads to peace, security, and stability in Yemen and the region.

The Ministry expressed its deepest condolences and sympathy to government and people of Bahrain, and to the families of the martyrs of this tragedy as well as its wishes for a speedy recovery for all the injured.

Kuwait, Jordan, Morocco and Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jassem Albudaiwi also offered similar messages of condolences.

Gulf

KSrelief Signs Agreement with UNICEF to Ensure Children's Welfare Worldwide

KSrelief and UNICEF sign an agreement to ensure children welfare around the world. (SPA)
KSrelief and UNICEF sign an agreement to ensure children welfare around the world. (SPA)
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KSrelief Signs Agreement with UNICEF to Ensure Children's Welfare Worldwide

KSrelief and UNICEF sign an agreement to ensure children welfare around the world. (SPA)
KSrelief and UNICEF sign an agreement to ensure children welfare around the world. (SPA)

Advisor at the Saudi Royal Court and Supervisor General of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah signed on Sunday an agreement with UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell to ensure children welfare around the world.

Signed on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the agreement stipulates that KSrelief and UNICEF will work together to strengthen their strategic partnership.

Al Rabeeah emphasized that the Kingdom is keen to form strategic partnerships, particularly with UNICEF. This agreement, he said, aims to continue the efforts to reach vulnerable and disadvantaged children and their families through UNICEF programs.

Russell said: "UNICEF is grateful for our partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and KSrelief, which has helped us to reach millions of children in need. Through this cooperation framework, our organizations will continue to collaborate in humanitarian action, knowledge sharing, capacity building, innovation and support for the volunteering program.”

The agreement is part of KSrelief's efforts to increase cooperation with regional and international humanitarian organizations in order to improve humanitarian work.

Gulf

OIC Condemns Suicide Attack in Central Somalia

An explosives-laden vehicle detonated Saturday at a security checkpoint in the central Somalia city of Beledweyne, killing dozens - Reuters
An explosives-laden vehicle detonated Saturday at a security checkpoint in the central Somalia city of Beledweyne, killing dozens - Reuters
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OIC Condemns Suicide Attack in Central Somalia

An explosives-laden vehicle detonated Saturday at a security checkpoint in the central Somalia city of Beledweyne, killing dozens - Reuters
An explosives-laden vehicle detonated Saturday at a security checkpoint in the central Somalia city of Beledweyne, killing dozens - Reuters

The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has strongly condemned the suicide attack, which took place in the city of Beledweyne in central Somalia.

The attack resulted in the deaths and injuries of many innocent people.

OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha has expressed his "strong condemnation of this heinous terrorist attack," SPA reported.

He extended his condolences to the families of the victims and the government and people of Somalia while also wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.

Gulf

Saudi Arabia Condemns Extremist Group for Tearing up Quran in The Hague

A man holds a copy of the Holy Quran. (AP)
A man holds a copy of the Holy Quran. (AP)
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Saudi Arabia Condemns Extremist Group for Tearing up Quran in The Hague

A man holds a copy of the Holy Quran. (AP)
A man holds a copy of the Holy Quran. (AP)

Saudi Arabia has strongly denounced the attempt of an extremist group to tear up copies of the Holy Quran in front of a number of embassies in The Hague, in the Netherlands.

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated the Kingdom’s total rejection of such hateful and repeated acts, saying that these cannot be accepted under any justifications.

“Such acts clearly incite hatred and racism, and directly contradict international efforts seeking to spread the values of tolerance, and moderation, apart from rejecting extremism, and undermining the necessary mutual respect for relations between peoples and countries,” the ministry said in a statement reported by SPA.

Gulf

Albudaiwi, Guterres Discuss GCC-UN Cooperation

Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi has met with UN chief Antonio Guterres. SPA
Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi has met with UN chief Antonio Guterres. SPA
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Albudaiwi, Guterres Discuss GCC-UN Cooperation

Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi has met with UN chief Antonio Guterres. SPA
Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi has met with UN chief Antonio Guterres. SPA

Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi has met with UN chief Antonio Guterres to discuss cooperation and the latest international developments to enhance international peace and security.

The meeting on Saturday was held at the UN headquarters on the sidelines of the 78th session of the General Assembly in New York.

Guterres expressed appreciation and gratitude for the efforts made by the Gulf countries, regionally and internationally, to achieve peace in many conflicts, and praised the humanitarian and development endeavors of GCC member states worldwide.

Albudaiwi expressed appreciation for the efforts exerted by UN to prepare for the General Assembly session.

Gulf

Saudi FM Asserts Necessity of Adhering to UN Charter, Principles of Int’l Legitimacy

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan delivering his speech (Reuters)
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan delivering his speech (Reuters)
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Saudi FM Asserts Necessity of Adhering to UN Charter, Principles of Int’l Legitimacy

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan delivering his speech (Reuters)
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan delivering his speech (Reuters)

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal Bin Farhan asserted the necessity of states adhering to the UN Charter and the principles of international legitimacy, stressing that Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 aims to enhance construction and development efforts to meet future generations' aspirations.

Speaking at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, bin Farhan delivered a speech on behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz.

He expressed the Kingdom's aspirations for a better future for humanity, founded on mutual respect for the sovereignty and independence of states, their values, non-interference in their internal affairs, peaceful dispute resolution, and refraining from the use or threat of force.

Bin Farhan also highlighted how through its developmental approach, the Kingdom aims to create a comprehensive and sustainable renaissance, with its central focus and goal being the human being who will drive present development and shape the future through knowledge.

"The Kingdom places great importance on human rights, as its laws include explicit provisions aimed at promoting and protecting rights," Saudi Press Agency quoted the top diplomat as saying.

Moreover, he expressed the Kingdom's reaffirmation that the security of the Middle East region necessitates the expedited pursuit of a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue.

The Minister explained that the solution should be built upon the foundation of international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, guaranteeing the Palestinian people's right to establish their independent state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

"The Kingdom reiterated its rejection and condemnation of all unilateral actions, considered violations and blatant breaches of all international laws."

"These actions contribute to undermining regional and international peace efforts and hinder the paths of political solutions," he added.

Bin Farhan confirmed the Kingdom's keenness to support efforts of establishing security and stability, focusing on comprehensive development, making room for dialogue, calming and easing tensions, and urging countries in the region to avoid escalation.

He indicated that exchanging interests and benefits helps achieve the hopes and aspirations of the region's people.

The Kingdom worked to consolidate the principle of collective action to build a better future for the region and the World by hosting several joint regional summits within the framework of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the League of Arab States with the participation of all countries, including Syria, he said.

He renewed the Kingdom's call for removing weapons of mass destruction, noting that the international community must realize the importance of adhering to existing conventions and legal frameworks to arrive at a World free of nuclear weapons, especially in the Middle East.

The Foreign Minister also addressed climate change in his speech, noting that Saudi Arabia contributes to reducing emissions and supports the gradual and responsible transition towards clean, low-emission energy systems that use all sources to be more sustainable.

He indicated that the Kingdom announced the "Saudi Green" and "Middle East Green" initiatives to lead global efforts to protect the environment, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance public health and quality of life, improve renewable energy, and achieve sustainable development.

Gulf

Saudi Foreign Minister Meets with Iranian Counterpart

The Saudi and Iranian Foreign Ministers met in New York. SPA
The Saudi and Iranian Foreign Ministers met in New York. SPA
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Saudi Foreign Minister Meets with Iranian Counterpart

The Saudi and Iranian Foreign Ministers met in New York. SPA
The Saudi and Iranian Foreign Ministers met in New York. SPA

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah has met with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

The meeting was held on Saturday on the sidelines of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The talks focused on discussing Saudi-Iranian relations and finding ways to enhance cooperation in all areas.

The two ministers also reviewed strategies to intensify consultative meetings at multilateral levels, aimed at creating more positive prospects and serving the interests of both countries.

The meeting was attended by Saudi Arabia's Permanent Representative to the UN Abdulaziz Al-Wasil and Director General of the Foreign Minister's Office Abdulrahman Al-Dawood.

Gulf

GCC Stresses Importance of Strengthening Relations with UK

Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi
Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi
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GCC Stresses Importance of Strengthening Relations with UK

Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi
Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi

Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi has stressed the importance of strengthening ties between the Council and the United Kingdom, including the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which is an essential element of the strategic partnership and will contribute to achieving common interests.

This came during Albudaiwi’s meeting with Minister of State for the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and United Nations at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Lord Tariq Ahmad on Saturday, on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Albudaiwi stated that several topics were discussed during the meeting, most notably following up on the developments in the negotiations of the FTA between the Council and the UK and Northern Ireland, in addition to following up on the outcomes of the recently held GCC-British ministerial meeting.

The two sides also reviewed the latest developments in the region and the world, especially enhancing regional and global security and stability.