Saudi Crown Prince Launches National Intellectual Property Strategy

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, during the forty-third session of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), in the Saudi capital Riyadh, on the sidelines of the Gulf Arab Chinese Summits, on December 9, 2022. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, during the forty-third session of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), in the Saudi capital Riyadh, on the sidelines of the Gulf Arab Chinese Summits, on December 9, 2022. (SPA)
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Saudi Crown Prince Launches National Intellectual Property Strategy

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, during the forty-third session of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), in the Saudi capital Riyadh, on the sidelines of the Gulf Arab Chinese Summits, on December 9, 2022. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, during the forty-third session of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), in the Saudi capital Riyadh, on the sidelines of the Gulf Arab Chinese Summits, on December 9, 2022. (SPA)

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, launched on Thursday the National Intellectual Property Strategy (NIPST).

One of the enablers for achieving the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, NIPST aims to build an intellectual property ecosystem that supports innovation and creativity based economy, by developing an intellectual property (IP) value chain that stimulates innovation and creativity competitiveness and supports economic growth to ensure that Saudi Arabia becomes a leader in intellectual property.

Crown Prince Mohammed underlined his aspirations to stimulate creativity and innovation in the Kingdom for the next five years through the National Intellectual Property Strategy.

“We have minds and energies passionate about innovation and creativity, and by enabling them, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will become a vibrant environment for a knowledge economy based on an integrated Intellectual Property ecosystem that develops innovative technologies and industries, and contributes to growth of enterprises,” he stressed.

“The National Intellectual Property Strategy will further enable stimulating investment, create high quality jobs, and raise awareness of creators and innovators rights.”

In order to ensure the growth of innovation and stimulate creativity, the NIPST is based on four fundamental pillars: IP Creation, IP Administration, IP Commercialization, and IP Protection.

In order to achieve these pillars, cooperation and integration with national stakeholders will be strengthened as key partners to support innovation, creativity, and investment growth worldwide through NIPST objectives. This in turn boosts Saudi Arabia’s capabilities to create IP assets of economic and social value.

IP Creation builds on the importance of IP creation and Saudi creative minds and young talents that innovate in various fields.

IP Protection seeks to respect intellectual property rights and boost the value of protection of creative rights. It also aims to stimulate the market economy through intellectual property protection.

IP Commercialization seeks to boost the competitiveness of IP-based products through the utilization of intellectual property and maximizing its impact. It will contribute to the growth and attraction of investments in Saudi Arabia and taking into consideration the Kingdom's investments in cities and projects of the future, innovation and creativity, such as The Line and Neom and its distinctive geographical location and strong digital infrastructure

To ensure effective management of human creations, IP Administration aims to improve the IP value by establishing a fast and high-quality registration system.

Each pillar will also have a number of initiatives assigned to government agencies and is measured periodically according to a governance framework that defines roles and responsibilities, including decision-making on important issues related to the implementation of NIPST projects and supporting thereof.

The adoption of NIPST supports the empowerment of innovators in various fields to build an ambitious country and a diversified and prosperous economy for Saudi Arabia and that attracts interested researchers, entrepreneurs and innovators from the Kingdom and around the world.



Saudi Defense Minister: Time for STC to Withdraw from Yemen's Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Defense Minister: Time for STC to Withdraw from Yemen's Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said on Saturday it “was time for the Southern Transitional Council in Yemen to listen to reason and prioritize public interest and unity of ranks and respond to the Saudi-Emirati mediation to end the escalation.”

In a post on the X platform, he called on the STC to withdraw its forces from the eastern Hadhramaut and al-Mahra provinces and restore control to the National Shield and local authorities.

Prince Khalid said Saudi Arabia formed the Arab coalition to restore legitimacy in Yemen to help the country reclaim control over all of its territories.

The liberation of southern provinces was a pivotal development towards that goal, he stressed.

Saudi Arabia “views the southern issue as fundamental” to Yemen and it will not “exploit it in conflicts that do not serve” the nation, he added.

The Kingdom had brought together all Yemeni components to the Riyadh conference to come up with a clear path for a comprehensive political solution, including the southern issue, he went on to say.

The conference paved the way for a “just solution to their cause through dialogue and without the use of forces.”

“Saudi Arabia approved the decision to move the base of power so that the southerners could have a greater role in state institutions. It consolidated partnership instead of elimination or imposing a status quo through forces. Saudi Arabia also presented Yemen with economic support, as well as development and humanitarian initiatives that helped ease the suffering of the people,” Prince Khalid added.

“Saudi Arabia and its partners in the coalition offered sacrifices with their Yemeni brothers in liberating Aden and other provinces,” he noted. “The Kingdom has always sought that these sacrifices be made in the name of reclaiming territories and restoring the state, not as a path towards new conflicts.”

It had hoped that these sacrifices would have been “invested in the security of all Yemeni people, not exploited for petty gains, whereby the unfortunate developments in Hadhramaut and al-Mahra since the beginning of December 2025 have led to the division in ranks that should be united against the enemy.”

“The developments have laid waste to the sacrifices of our sons and Yemeni people and have harmed the just southern issue,” stressed Prince Khalid.

He noted that several southern leaderships and figures have exhibited “awareness and wisdom in supporting efforts to end the escalation in Hadhramaut and al-Mahra and prevent the secure southern provinces from being dragged into futile conflicts.”

“They are aware of the major challenges facing Yemen and will not allow saboteurs to achieve their goals in the country and the region,” he remarked.

He declared that the “southern issue will remain part of any comprehensive political solution. The cause will not be neglected or marginalized. It should be resolved through consensus, adhering to commitments and building trust between all Yemeni segments, not through adventures that only serve everyone's enemy.”


Arab Coalition: We Will Deal with Military Moves that Violate De-escalation Efforts

Coalition spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Malki. (SPA)
Coalition spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Malki. (SPA)
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Arab Coalition: We Will Deal with Military Moves that Violate De-escalation Efforts

Coalition spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Malki. (SPA)
Coalition spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Malki. (SPA)

Spokesman of the Arab coalition to support legitimacy in Yemen Brigadier General Turki al-Malki said on Saturday that “any military moves that violate de-escalation efforts will be dealt with directly to protect lives and ensure the success of Saudi and Emirati efforts.”

The statement is in response to a request by Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Dr. Rashad al-Alimi, who called for immediate steps to protect civilians in the eastern Hadhramaut and al-Mahra provinces in wake of the “grave and horrific” violations by members of the Southern Transitional Council (STC).

It is also in continuation of the strenuous joint efforts by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to de-escalate the situation and ensure the withdrawal of STC forces, who have been demanded to cede control to the National Shield forces and allow the local authorities to carry out their duties.

Malki underlined the Arab coalition’s continued firm support for the legitimate Yemeni government.

He also urged all sides to assume their national responsibility, exercise restraint and comply with efforts to reach peaceful solutions that preserve security and stability.


Saudi Arabia Carries out Warning Strike on Yemen’s Hadhramaut, STC Says ‘Open to Coordination’

Southern forces patrol during a rally calling for South Yemen's independence, in the southern port city of Aden, Yemen, 25 December 2025. (EPA)
Southern forces patrol during a rally calling for South Yemen's independence, in the southern port city of Aden, Yemen, 25 December 2025. (EPA)
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Saudi Arabia Carries out Warning Strike on Yemen’s Hadhramaut, STC Says ‘Open to Coordination’

Southern forces patrol during a rally calling for South Yemen's independence, in the southern port city of Aden, Yemen, 25 December 2025. (EPA)
Southern forces patrol during a rally calling for South Yemen's independence, in the southern port city of Aden, Yemen, 25 December 2025. (EPA)

Saudi Arabia called for calm in eastern Yemen, urging an end to unilateral military moves and for the Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces to return to their former positions outside of the Hadhramaut and al-Mahra provinces.

Riyadh, meanwhile, demonstrated its stance on the ground by carrying out a warning air strike, informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The strike sought to deliver a message that it will not allow a new status quo to be imposed on the ground by force and that it will not allow the violation of institutional frameworks that handle security in the eastern provinces.

It warned that any further escalation will be met with firmer measures.

Meanwhile, the STC, in an attempt to justify its military moves, said they were in “response to calls from residents of the south” and an attempt to confront terrorist threats and block Houthi smuggling routes.

The STC added that it was “open to any coordination or arrangements with Saudi Arabia”, questioning the airstrike, which it said “does not serve understandings.”

Observers told Asharq Al-Awsat that Saudi Arabia will welcome the coordination and arrangements if they helped end the escalation, led to the withdrawal of the STC and allowed the National Shield forces and the local authority to take over Hadhramaut and al-Mahra without needing to resort to force.

They stressed that the strike will lead to delivering the clear message that Riyadh may impose red lines by force to prevent any escalation.

Sourced told Asharq Al-Awsat that any future settlement over restoring the unity of Yemeni ranks will condition a return to the former status quo.