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Saudi Crown Prince Begins Asia Tour in South Korea

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz received by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo in Seoul (SPA)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz received by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo in Seoul (SPA)
    Bali - Seoul - Asharq Al-Awsat
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Saudi Crown Prince Begins Asia Tour in South Korea

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz received by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo in Seoul (SPA)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz received by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo in Seoul (SPA)

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz has held talks with South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo in Seoul. Discussions focused on bilateral relations, prospects for cooperation, and ways to develop and enhance them.

The Crown Prince began on Wednesday an official visit to South Korea, arriving from Indonesia, as part of his Asian tour that includes several countries.

An official reception ceremony was held for the Crown Prince, and the South Korean Prime Minister received him.

The talks were attended by Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Minister of State Prince Turki bin Mohammed, Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud, Minister of National Guard Prince Abdullah bin Bandar, Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

The talks were also attended by State Minister and Adviser of National Security Musaed al-Aiban, Minister of Commerce and Acting Minister of Media Majid al-Qasabi, Minister of Investment Khalid al-Falih, Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal al-Ibrahim, the Governor of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Yasir al-Rumayyan, the Secretary of the Crown Prince, Bandar al-Rasheed, Saudi Ambassador to Korea, Sami al-Sadhan, and the official Korean delegation.

The Crown Prince concluded his visit to Indonesia after chairing the Saudi delegation at the G20 Leaders Summit held in Bali. He was seen off at the Bali Ngurah Rai International Airport by Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Pandjaitan, Saudi Ambassador to Indonesia Essam bin Abed al-Thaqafi, and several officials.

After his departure, Prince Mohammed cabled Indonesian President Joko Widodo, appreciating the warm reception and generous hospitality he and the accompanying delegation received.

He congratulated the President for the success of hosting the summit and the positive outcomes reached during Indonesia's presidency, stressing the importance of the reached decisions that "we hope to greatly contribute to supporting cooperation among G20 countries and boosting the rates of global economic growth."

The Crown Prince announced that Saudi Arabia would sponsor the restoration of the Islamic Center in Jakarta after large parts of it were damaged by a fire last month.

His announcement affirms his keenness and interest in Islamic centers in all brotherly and friendly countries because of their significant role in raising young generations and spreading Islam's tolerance and message based on peace, moderation, and dialogue.

The Center covers an area of 109,435 square meters and consists of many facilities, including a mosque with an area of 2,200 square meters, which accommodates more than 20,000 worshipers, a research studies center, and a conference hall.

The Muslim World League (MWL) appreciated the Crown Prince's announcement on restoring the Islamic Center.

MWL Sec-Gen Mohammad al-Issa, on behalf of the League and its international academies, bodies, and councils, thanked the Saudi leadership.

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Gulf

Gulf, UN Condemnation of Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and GCC Secretary-General Jasem AlBudaiwi meet in New York. (GCC)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and GCC Secretary-General Jasem AlBudaiwi meet in New York. (GCC)
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Gulf, UN Condemnation of Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and GCC Secretary-General Jasem AlBudaiwi meet in New York. (GCC)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and GCC Secretary-General Jasem AlBudaiwi meet in New York. (GCC)

The United Nations and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) condemned on Saturday the terrorist Houthi militia's attacks on Saudi Arabia, its targeting of civilian objects, and their dangerous impact on regional security and stability.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and GCC Secretary-General Jasem AlBudaiwi exchanged views on the latest regional developments during their meeting on Saturday on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The two sides discussed several regional issues and the efforts exerted toward them. Guterres praised the development, progress, and prosperity achieved by the Gulf states, as well as their regional and international efforts to promote security and stability.

Guterres and AlBudaiwi reviewed issues of mutual interest, as well as cooperation relations between the GCC and the UN, and ways to boost and consolidate them to serve shared interests.

The UN Security Council had warned of the consequences of the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and the threats posed to international navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, considering that the militia's military actions in Yemen, alongside its targeting of Saudi territory and commercial shipping, threaten to expand the regional conflict, undermine maritime security and international trade, and hinder regional and international efforts aimed at achieving peace in Yemen.

In a statement on Friday night, the Council members strongly condemned in the strongest terms the ongoing attacks launched by the Houthis on Saudi Arabia, including those that caused damage to civilians and energy infrastructure, and resulted in civilian casualties, including women and children.

The Council stressed the importance of maintaining the safety of commercial vessels and their crews, the necessity of adhering to international law, particularly the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and respecting navigational rights and freedoms, at a time when military developments in Yemen raise concerns regarding the security of sea lanes and the movement of international trade.

The Council expressed its solidarity with Saudi Arabia in confronting attacks that affect civilians and civilian objects on its territory, affirming its inherent right to self-defense in accordance with international law.

The Council members demanded that the Houthis immediately cease their attacks affecting civilians and civilian objects, expressing their grave concern over reports regarding the killing and injuring of civilians, as well as the destruction of civilian objects and infrastructure resulting from these attacks

Gulf

Coalition Destroys Ballistic Missile Fired by Houthis at Riyadh

Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Coalition Destroys Ballistic Missile Fired by Houthis at Riyadh

Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Arab Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen announced that Saudi air defenses successfully intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired by the terrorist Houthi militia towards Riyadh on Saturday morning.

Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Malki said the Houthi escalation and their continued attempts to target civilians and civilian areas in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, home to over 8 million citizens and residents, underscore the militia’s intransigence and its persistence in deliberately and systematically targeting civilians and civilian objects in a hostile and terrorist manner.

Al-Malki added that the Houthis attempted to target civilians in the cities of Taif, Baysh, Yanbu and Farasan, saying the air defenses thwarted all the hostile attempts.

In a statement on Saturday, Al-Malki underlined the Coalition command’s inherent right to take whatever measures it deems appropriate, and in accordance with international humanitarian law and its customary rules, to deter the behavior of the terrorist Houthi militia.

The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia as a flagrant violation of its sovereignty, a threat to its security, stability, and territorial integrity, and a blatant breach of international law and the United Nations Charter.

It stressed Amman's absolute solidarity with Riyadh and its support for all measures it takes to protect its security, stability, assets, and the safety of its citizens and residents.

The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also strongly condemned the missile attack that targeted Riyadh, considering the assault on Saudi Arabia's security a grave violation of international law and a threat to regional security and stability.

In a statement, the ministry expressed Lebanon's full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its support for the Kingdom in confronting any attack targeting its security and territorial integrity, reiterating its categorical rejection of any targeting of cities and civilian facilities or placing the lives of civilians in danger.

Gulf

Saudi Arabia Lifts Early Warning Alerts Issued in Ten Cities

Saudi Civil Defense (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Civil Defense (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Lifts Early Warning Alerts Issued in Ten Cities

Saudi Civil Defense (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Civil Defense (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi Civil Defense sent an all clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for potential ⁠danger in several cities of the kingdom as part of emergency procedures to alert residents.

The alerts included Riyadh, al-Kharj, Khamis Mushait, Jeddah, Taif, Yanbu, AlUla, Jazan, Farasan and Abha.

The sirens had been activated in those cities and governorates as part of the emergency early warning system before the Civil Defense later declared that the danger had passed.

The Civil Defense stressed the importance of refraining from circulating rumors and videos from unknown sources, emphasizing that information related to emergency situations should be obtained from official sources. Residents should comply with instructions and guidance issued by the relevant authorities, it added.