Arab, Islamic Officials Condemn Negative Campaign against Saudi Arabia

A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
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Arab, Islamic Officials Condemn Negative Campaign against Saudi Arabia

A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s rejection of the negative statements against it in wake of the OPEC+ decision was welcomed by Arab and Islamic leaders.

The officials expressed their solidarity with Saudi Arabia and strong condemnation of the statements and campaigns against Riyadh.

On Thursday, an official source at the Saudi Foreign Ministry underlined the Kingdom’s rejection of statements that were made against it over the OPEC+ decision.

The statements accused the Kingdom of taking sides in international conflicts and alleged that OPEC+’s move was politically motivated against the United States.

The source stressed Saudi Arabia’s categorical rejection of the baseless statements that are aimed at steering the decision away from its purely economic goals.

It added that the Saudi government values the importance of dialogue and the exchange of views with all partners and allies outside OPEC. It noted that recent consultations with the US stressed that all economic analyses explained that delaying the OPEC+ decision for months, at Washington’s request, would have negative repercussions.

“The Kingdom is seeking to preserve the strength of its relations with all friendly countries, but it also stresses its rejection of dictates and any actions or efforts that seek to tarnish the noble goals that it is pursuing in order to protect the global economy from oil market fluctuations,” it added.

Arab Parliament Speaker Adel Al Asoomi voiced his strong condemnation of the statements that have been made against Saudi Arabia. He said the Arab Parliament stands by the Kingdom and its clear position, which clarified that OPEC decisions are taken in consensus with other members in the group.

These decisions take into consideration the process of supply and demand in the global oil market, he added.

Moreover, he underlined the significant and pivotal role Saudi Arabia is playing, under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, on the all Arab, regional and international levels.

He praised the measures taken by Saudi Arabia in order to protect the global economy from market fluctuations and its balanced approach in achieving stability in the oil markets.

He hailed its wise and balanced policies that always prioritize the interests of all nations, consumers and producers alike.

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit expressed on Friday his rejection of the “negative media campaign against Saudi Arabia.

A spokesman for Aboul Gheit said the “baseless” statements are “far removed from the truth.”

“Rather, they are aimed at politicizing purely economic decisions that everyone realizes are necessary for the stability of the global economy given the dangerous challenges it is facing,” he added.

He hailed “Saudi Arabia’s balanced approach in stabilizing the oil markets and its firm stances towards regional and international political affairs.”

Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Hissein Brahim Taha welcomed on Thursday Riyadh’s complete rejection of the statements against it.

He praised the measures it has taken to protect the global economy from the fluctuations in energy prices and in securing supplies according to a balanced policy that takes into account the interests of consumer and producer countries.



MWL Condemns Attack on UNIFIL in Southern Lebanon

A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) ambulance crosses the Qasmiyeh bridge heading toward Sidon and Beirut. (AFP)
A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) ambulance crosses the Qasmiyeh bridge heading toward Sidon and Beirut. (AFP)
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MWL Condemns Attack on UNIFIL in Southern Lebanon

A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) ambulance crosses the Qasmiyeh bridge heading toward Sidon and Beirut. (AFP)
A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) ambulance crosses the Qasmiyeh bridge heading toward Sidon and Beirut. (AFP)

The Muslim World League (MWL) condemned the attack targeting the French battalion of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Sunday.

In a statement, MWL Secretary-General and Chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa reiterated the organization’s condemnation of attacks on UN agencies and their missions, as part of its broader rejection of all acts of violence and terrorism.

Al-Issa noted that the attack breaches international obligations concerning the safety and security of UN personnel.

He offered condolences to the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

A UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon came under attack with small arms fire Saturday morning, leaving one French peacekeeper dead and three others wounded, two of them seriously, France's president and the force known as UNIFIL said.

Both President Emmanuel Macron and the UNIFIL force blamed Hezbollah, but the group denied involvement.

The attack near the southern Lebanese village of Ghandouriyeh came after a 10-day ceasefire went into effect at midnight Thursday between Israel and Hezbollah.


First Flights of Makkah Route Initiative Beneficiaries Arrive in Madinah

Pilgrims from Türkiye are welcomed upon their arrival in Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
Pilgrims from Türkiye are welcomed upon their arrival in Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
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First Flights of Makkah Route Initiative Beneficiaries Arrive in Madinah

Pilgrims from Türkiye are welcomed upon their arrival in Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
Pilgrims from Türkiye are welcomed upon their arrival in Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

The first flights carrying beneficiaries of the Makkah Route Initiative arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

The pilgrims arrived from Türkiye, Pakistan and Bangladesh and entered through the initiative's terminal at Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah.

The Makkah Route Initiative aims to deliver high-quality services to pilgrims from beneficiary countries by receiving them and completing their procedures with ease in their homelands. This begins with biometric data collection and the electronic issuance of Hajj visas, followed by passport procedures at the departure airport after verifying health requirements, and the coding and sorting of luggage in line with transport and accommodation arrangements in the Kingdom.

Pilgrims then proceed directly to buses designated to take them to their residences in Makkah and Madinah via dedicated routes, while partner entities ensure their luggage is delivered to them.

The Ministry of Interior is implementing the initiative in its eighth year in cooperation with the ministries of foreign affairs, health, Hajj and Umrah, and media, along with the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA), the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), the General Authority for Awqaf, the Pilgrim Experience Program, and the General Directorate of Passports, in integration with the digital partner stc Group.

The initiative has served 1,254,994 pilgrims since its launch in 2017.


Arab, Islamic Countries Condemn Israel for Appointing Diplomatic Representative to ‘Somaliland’

 This picture taken on November 7, 2024 shows a general view of the city of Hargeisa, capital and largest city of the self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland. (AFP)
This picture taken on November 7, 2024 shows a general view of the city of Hargeisa, capital and largest city of the self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland. (AFP)
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Arab, Islamic Countries Condemn Israel for Appointing Diplomatic Representative to ‘Somaliland’

 This picture taken on November 7, 2024 shows a general view of the city of Hargeisa, capital and largest city of the self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland. (AFP)
This picture taken on November 7, 2024 shows a general view of the city of Hargeisa, capital and largest city of the self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland. (AFP)

The foreign ministers of several Arab and Islamic countries slammed Israel on Saturday for announcing the appointment of a diplomatic representative to the so-called “Somaliland” in “flagrant violation of the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Somalia.”

The ministers reiterated their “unequivocal rejection of all unilateral measures that undermine the unity of states or infringe upon their sovereignty.”

They underscored “their firm and unwavering support for the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Somalia, as well as for its legitimate state institutions, being the sole representative of the will of the Somali people.”

The ministers stressed that such actions are “a blatant violation of the principles of international law, the United Nations Charter, and the Constitutive Act of the African Union, and set a dangerous precedent that risks undermining stability in the Horn of Africa,” which will have a negative impact on regional peace and security.

The statement was issued by the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Egypt, Kuwait, Palestine, Libya, Sudan, Algeria, Pakistan, Türkiye, Indonesia and Bangladesh.