OIC Says May Send Senior Delegation to Sudan

Officials at the emergency OIC meeting in Jeddah. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Officials at the emergency OIC meeting in Jeddah. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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OIC Says May Send Senior Delegation to Sudan

Officials at the emergency OIC meeting in Jeddah. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Officials at the emergency OIC meeting in Jeddah. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation held an emergency meeting in Jeddah on Wednesday to discuss the developments in Sudan.

The meeting was held at the invitation of Saudi Arabia, the current president of the OIC executive committee.

OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha said the organization will work with the recommendations of the member states, including the possibility of sending a senior delegation to Sudan.

He expressed his disappointment with the continued fighting, especially in the capital Khartoum, and with the warring parties’ failure to fully commit to humanitarian truces to evacuate the wounded, civilians and foreign nationals.

He said the situation demands immediate action, praising Saudi Arabia for calling for the OIC meeting.

He also lauded the Kingdom for its continued contacts with the parties in Sudan and influential regional and international players.

The contacts are aimed at reaching a peaceful solution to the dangerous crisis, he remarked, while highlighting Riyadh’s dedicated efforts in the evacuation process.

The evacuations were held at the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

Taha also hailed the valued initiatives that were proposed by the OIC members and their role in evacuating those stuck in Sudan.

He called for more efforts to reach an immediate and permanent ceasefire, urging the warring parties to hold dialogue to avoid greater chaos in Sudan.

Saudi Arabia’s permanent representative to the OIC Saleh al-Suhaibani stressed that the Kingdom’s leadership is seeking to resolve the crisis.

It welcomed the latest truce and extension of the ceasefire, he added.

The Kingdom hopes that the truce would lead to a permanent ceasefire and launch of dialogue so that peace and security could prevail in Sudan, he continued.

At the directives of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed, Saudi Arabia is exerting strenuous efforts to resolve the crisis and end the conflict, he stated.

Furthermore, he underscored Saudi Arabia’s efforts to evacuate civilians from several friendly and fraternal countries, as well as staff at diplomatic missions and international agencies.

Over 5,000 people from over 100 countries have so far been evacuated by the Kingdom.

Moreover, al-Suhaibani said the Kingdom hails the efforts of the Sudanese government and other countries in facilitating the evacuations. It urges the international community and humanitarian organizations to aid the Sudanese people.



UAE 'Probably' Won't Join Gaza Stabilization Force, Says Senior Official

Emirati presidential advisor Anwar Gargash (Reuters)
Emirati presidential advisor Anwar Gargash (Reuters)
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UAE 'Probably' Won't Join Gaza Stabilization Force, Says Senior Official

Emirati presidential advisor Anwar Gargash (Reuters)
Emirati presidential advisor Anwar Gargash (Reuters)

The United Arab Emirates is not planning to join the international stabilization force for Gaza because it lacks a clear framework, a senior official said on Monday.

"The UAE does not yet see a clear framework for the stability force, and under such circumstances will probably not participate in such a force," Emirati presidential advisor Anwar Gargash told the Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate forum.

The US-coordinated international force has been seen as likely to include troops from Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye, as well as the UAE, reported AFP.

Last week, US President Donald Trump said he expected the force to be in Gaza "very soon", as a fragile ceasefire holds following two years of war.


Source to Asharq Al-Awsat: Jeddah Platform Still Open to Sudan’s Warring Parties

Sudanese refugees participate in an awareness-raising session at the Tine transit camp in Chad on November 8, 2025. (AFP)
Sudanese refugees participate in an awareness-raising session at the Tine transit camp in Chad on November 8, 2025. (AFP)
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Source to Asharq Al-Awsat: Jeddah Platform Still Open to Sudan’s Warring Parties

Sudanese refugees participate in an awareness-raising session at the Tine transit camp in Chad on November 8, 2025. (AFP)
Sudanese refugees participate in an awareness-raising session at the Tine transit camp in Chad on November 8, 2025. (AFP)

A source close to the negotiations carried out by members of the international quartet on Sudan said that efforts are ongoing to reach a ceasefire in the war-torn country. The quartet includes Saudi Arabia, the United States, Egypt and United Arab Emirates.

The quartet is also working on delivering humanitarian aid ahead of launching civilian dialogue aimed at reaching a permanent solution to the conflict.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, the source said the quartet is currently proposing a three- to nine-month humanitarian truce during which humanitarian corridors can be opened to deliver aid to those in need. Agricultural production will also resume, allowing civilians to return to normal life.

Throughout this period, the quartet will contact the warring parties to reach an agreement on a permanent ceasefire, revealed the source.

Once reached, intra-civilian Sudanese dialogue will be held to agree on a constitution for the country and mechanisms to establish a parliament and government, as well as the executive agencies that organize the daily lives of the people across Sudan.

The Jeddah Platform still stands and is ready for dialogue with the warring parties, added the source, recalling a Sudanese government statement from a year ago that stressed commitment to it.

The platform was initially agreed to by the warring parties, it stressed.

The quartet is hoping that the parties will positively respond to its efforts, the source told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Moreover, it noted the massive efforts carried out by Saudi Arabia, individually and within the quartet, to reach a ceasefire, stemming from its keenness on Sudan’s unity and territorial integrity.

Before and during the war, the Kingdom has worked with all Sudanese parties to persuade them to work on developing their country and steer clear of disputes, culminating in the Jeddah Agreement that was signed in May 2023, it remarked.

Saudi Arabia has maintained three humanitarian programs in Sudan covering food security and medical assistance, as well as helping in protecting infrastructure.

On the crisis in el-Fasher and Darfur, the source said the Kingdom is offering aid through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) and international organizations. It is also aiding Sudanese refugees in Chad and South Sudan.


Saudi Navy Leads ‘Red Wave 8’ Drill with Wide Regional Participation

The Red Wave 8 drill kicked off at the King Faisal Naval Base on Sunday. (Saudi Defense Ministry)
The Red Wave 8 drill kicked off at the King Faisal Naval Base on Sunday. (Saudi Defense Ministry)
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Saudi Navy Leads ‘Red Wave 8’ Drill with Wide Regional Participation

The Red Wave 8 drill kicked off at the King Faisal Naval Base on Sunday. (Saudi Defense Ministry)
The Red Wave 8 drill kicked off at the King Faisal Naval Base on Sunday. (Saudi Defense Ministry)

The Royal Saudi Naval Forces, Royal Saudi Air Force and Border Guards launched on Sunday the “Red Wave 8” joint naval exercise at the King Faisal Naval Base in the Western Fleet.

Several armed forces from countries overlooking the Red Sea are taking part in the drill, including Sudan, Djibouti and Mauritania, as well as Pakistan.

The exercise is part of the joint military cooperation between them and efforts to protect vital waterways.

Military leaders from the participating countries attended the launch on Sunday. The drill will conclude on Thursday with field demonstrations that reflect the level of coordination and preparedness of the forces.

Commander of Saudi Arabia's Western Fleet Rear Admiral Mansour bin Saud Al-Juaid told Asharq Al-Awsat that the drill is part of a series of others carried out by the naval forces with the aim of raising combat readiness and developing capabilities.

He said the Red Sea was chosen for the exercise given its strategic depth and economic importance to regional countries.

The Red Sea is among the world’s most vital waterways and securing it is an Arab and international responsibility, he stressed.

The Red Wave 8 drill includes training in implementing tactical concepts, as well as cyberwarfare and combating attacks by speedboats. Forces will be trained in counter-terrorism; fighting piracy, smuggling and illegal migration; and protecting marine shipping lanes.

Al-Juaid said the Red Wave 8 drill reflects Saudi Arabia’s commitment to bolstering collective naval security through building joint capacities and unifying efforts in confronting any threats to waterways or vital infrastructure in the Red Sea, all in line with Saudi Vision 2030 that places regional security and marine stability as strategic priorities.