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Saudi-French Meeting in Paris Focuses on Lebanon’s Presidential Vacuum

The seat of the President of the Republic in Lebanon, which has become vacant since the end of President Michel Aoun's term at the end of last October (Reuters)
The seat of the President of the Republic in Lebanon, which has become vacant since the end of President Michel Aoun's term at the end of last October (Reuters)
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Saudi-French Meeting in Paris Focuses on Lebanon’s Presidential Vacuum

The seat of the President of the Republic in Lebanon, which has become vacant since the end of President Michel Aoun's term at the end of last October (Reuters)
The seat of the President of the Republic in Lebanon, which has become vacant since the end of President Michel Aoun's term at the end of last October (Reuters)

Discussions during Saudi royal envoy Nizar Al-Aloula’s recent meeting with French President Advisor Patrick Durrell in Paris centered on Lebanon. The counterparts’ meeting, hosted at the Élysée Palace, follows an official visit by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan to Paris earlier this week.

Prince Faisal met with his French counterpart Catherine Colonna to chiefly talk over the Saudi-Iranian agreement sponsored by China.

While the two top diplomats examined the deal, which stipulates restoring diplomatic relations between the Kingdom and Iran within two months, they also touched on the presidential vacuum in Lebanon.

Al-Aloula represented Saudi Arabia last month at a five-way meeting about Lebanon hosted by Paris. The panel included representatives from the US, Egypt, and Qatar, in addition to Al-Aloula and Durrell.

At the meeting, they agreed on each communicating with Lebanese bodies they enjoy the best ties with to try to end the presidential vacuum in the Mediterranean nation.

Sources observing developments in the region and their impact on Lebanon believe that the recent Saudi-Iran deal could bring about change needed to break the political stalemate preventing the election of a president.

Lebanon has been ailing from a presidential and institutional vacuum since last October. Moreover, the country is suffering from an economic and financial meltdown that keeps getting worse.

Asharq Al-Awsat learned that the French mobilization to end Lebanon’s crisis, what some call the “French initiative,” is based on proposing an “integrated basket” that includes a president, a prime minister, and a commitment to a reform program capable of putting an end to economic collapse.

Paris believes that the way out of the impasse is to accept the candidacy of former minister and lawmaker Suleiman Frangieh for president in exchange for naming Nawaf Salam as prime minister.

Salam is a championed reformist and enjoys good Arab and international relations.

Saudi Arabia’s official stance is that Riyadh would not intervene by backing any candidate for any position. For the Kingdom, the matter concerns the Lebanese alone.

Nevertheless, Saudi Arabia has expressed concern regarding the “characteristics” of any elected candidate, what policies they intend to pursue, and whether they incorporate the reforms needed for Lebanon to bounce back. The reforms mentioned by the Kingdom include the recommendations of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

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Gulf

King of Bahrain Assigns Crown Prince to Hold to Account Those who ‘Betrayed the Nation’

Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. (BNA)
Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. (BNA)
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King of Bahrain Assigns Crown Prince to Hold to Account Those who ‘Betrayed the Nation’

Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. (BNA)
Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. (BNA)

Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa declared on Sunday that the state “will proceed firmly” in addressing the consequences of the US-Israeli war on Iran, including Tehran’s attacks on the Gulf.

As he received senior officials, King Hamad revealed that Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, has been assigned with implementing “comprehensive and decisive measures, including the introduction of programs to resolve any gaps that have been identified in the defense or economic sectors,” reported Bahrain’s state news agency BNA.

King Hamad directed the immediate launch “of the legal measures against those who have betrayed the nation or undermined its security and stability, alongside a review of cases relating to entitlement to Bahraini citizenship, with the appropriate legal procedures to be applied accordingly.”

“The situation remains sensitive and calls for steadfast adherence to national responsibility and the safeguarding of the homeland with no tolerance for negligence or dereliction of duty,” he warned.

“The nation deserves the utmost sacrifice,” he added, stressing that Bahrain “will remain committed to its positions advocating the resolution of crises through peaceful means and diplomatic efforts, in a manner that serves the interests of the peoples of the region and the world.”

King Hamad also expressed pride in the achievements of Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad in advancing government work and driving further development across various sectors.

Gulf

WFP Hails Saudi Support in Easing Suffering in Yemen

KSrelief has contributed more than US$300 million to improve food security in Yemen since 2020. (Local media)
KSrelief has contributed more than US$300 million to improve food security in Yemen since 2020. (Local media)
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WFP Hails Saudi Support in Easing Suffering in Yemen

KSrelief has contributed more than US$300 million to improve food security in Yemen since 2020. (Local media)
KSrelief has contributed more than US$300 million to improve food security in Yemen since 2020. (Local media)

As more than 17 million people across Yemen faced hunger in 2025, a US$25 million contribution from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) enabled the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) to deliver lifesaving food assistance and strengthen livelihoods for vulnerable families, said the WFP last week.

“The KSrelief funded project allowed WFP to provide emergency food assistance to over 43,000 families in some of the most food insecure areas of Dhale governorate and the West Coast,” it noted in a statement.

“In parallel, the contribution supported longer term recovery efforts in Hadramawt, al-Mahra and Socotra, helping 6,500 families strengthen their livelihoods through vocational training programs and asset creation.”

“Through the same project, 1,208 acres of agricultural land were rehabilitated, 38,360 meters of irrigation channels repaired, and 26 greenhouses constructed, boosting local food production and building resilience to increasingly severe weather conditions,” added the statement.

“KSrelief stepped up at a critical moment,” said Elkhidir Daloum, WFP Country Director in Yemen.

“Reaching nearly 50,000 families with either emergency food assistance or livelihood support is no small achievement. This partnership made a tangible difference in the lives of people facing severe needs.”

In 2025, Yemen recorded its highest levels of food insecurity, with 70 percent of families reporting they were unable to access adequate food in July.

KSrelief has been a valued partner in WFP’s efforts to improve food security in Yemen, contributing more than US$300 million since 2020.

Gulf

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.