Latest World News: Interviews

Nigeria Nears Military Agreements with Saudi Arabia to Boost Security, Combat Terrorism

Interviews Nigerian Minister of State and Saudi Deputy Defense Minister in Riyadh (SPA)

Nigeria Nears Military Agreements with Saudi Arabia to Boost Security, Combat Terrorism

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defense, Dr. Bello Mohammed Matawalle, told Asharq Al-Awsat that his country is close to signing military agreements with Saudi…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Interviews Yemeni Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Mohsen al-Daeri (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Yemen Defense Minister: Houthi Attacks May Persist Even After Gaza War Ends

Yemen’s Defense Minister, Lt. Gen. Mohsen al-Daeri, does not expect Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea to stop even if the Gaza war ends…

Abdulhadi Habtor (Riyadh)
Interviews Imran Riza, the UN’s Deputy Special Coordinator, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon (Asharq Al-Awsat)

UN Deputy Special Coordinator to Asharq Al-Awsat: Humanitarian Situation in Lebanon is ‘Catastrophic’

One of the UN’s top humanitarian officials in Lebanon, Imran Riza, has warned that the situation will worsen if the conflict continues, calling for an…

Nazeer Rida (Beirut)
Interviews Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Brazil’s Foreign Minister: Relations with Saudi Arabia Have Grown Stronger

Saudi-Brazilian relations have strengthened, particularly in political and economic cooperation, since Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office as Brazil’s…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Interviews US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Ethan Goldrich during the interview with Asharq Al-Awsat

Goldrich to Asharq Al-Awsat: No US Withdrawal from Syria

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Ethan Goldrich has told Asharq Al-Awsat that the US does not plan to withdraw its forces from…

Rana Abtar (Washington )

Interviews Former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi during his interview with Editor-in-Chief Ghassan Charbel (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Allawi: I Refused to See Saddam Detained by the Occupation

How difficult it is to talk about Saddam Hussein, despite the distance that separates us from the date of his execution, on Dec. 30, 2006. The truth is that…

Ghassan Charbel (London)
Interviews Mikati attends the UN General Assembly sessions in New York. (The Lebanese government’s X page)

Lebanon Caretaker PM to Asharq Al-Awsat: Berri’s Dialogue Call is in Everyone’s Interest

Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, has blamed the Christian political parties for the delay in implementing the reforms required by the…

Ali Barada (New York)
Interviews Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi (Reuters)

Tokyo to Enhance Security Coordination, Strengthen Strategic Saudi-Japanese Dialogue

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, who is currently visiting the region, emphasized the strategic nature of the relationship between Riyadh and Tokyo…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Interviews Tom Laliberty, President of Land Warfare and Air Defense at Raytheon (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Raytheon: Saudi Prowess in Supplying Defense Industries Globally

Tom Laliberty, President of Land Warfare and Air Defense at Raytheon, unveiled that the company was collaborating with the Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces to…

Mosaed al-Zayani (Riyadh)
Interviews Maj. Gen. Imad Othman honors officers retiring (ISF Website)

Lebanese Internal Security Chief Warns of Political Impact on Stability

In less than nine months, if the current political deadlock in Lebanon persists, the management of the Internal Security Forces (ISF), a pivotal sector in the…

Thaer Abbas (Beirut)
Interviews Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Al-Sheikh to Asharq Al-Awsat: We are Working Gradually to Eliminate Destructive Ideas

Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance Dr. Abdullatif Al-Sheikh said that the ministry was gradually applying a strategy to save the country…

Saeed Al Abyad (Makkah)
Interviews File photo from the Al-Omar oil field in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor. The image was captured after the conclusion of military operations and the expulsion of ISIS elements (Asharq Al-Awsat)

AANES Utilizes Half of Syrian Oil Wells, Traders Sell to Damascus at Symbolic Rates

Over the course of twelve years of ongoing conflict in Syria, the dossier of oil and energy has remained an enigmatic puzzle. Ever since oil and gas fields…

Asharq Al Awsat (Raqqa)
Interviews Hikmet Hajiyev, the Foreign Policy Advisor to the President of Azerbaijan. Photo: Yazeed Al-Samrani

Azerbaijan Presidential Advisor: We Are Establishing a Strong Strategic Relationship with Saudi Arabia

Hikmet Hajiyev, the Foreign Policy Advisor to the President of Azerbaijan, has affirmed that his country is in the process of establishing a robust strategic…

Fatehelrahman Yousif
Interviews Former Afghan Ambassador and Deputy Shukria Barakzai (Exclusive – Asharq Al-Awsat)

Shukria Barakzai to Asharq Al-Awsat: I was on Taliban’s Hated List

Shukria Barakzai, the former Afghan ambassador to Norway and a human rights activist, said she was on the Taliban's wanted list after the fall of Kabul in 2021…

Interviews A file photo of the resigned member of the Sudanese Sovereign Council, Dr. Aisha Musa (Reuters)

Aisha Musa Criticizes ‘Opportunists’ of Sudan’s Crisis

As all eyes turn to Jeddah, where a new round of negotiations is expected to start between representatives of the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces …

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Interviews The minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan, Sirojiddin Muhriddin (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Tajik Foreign Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Gulf-Central Asian Road Map for the Next 5 Years

As Dushanbe and Riyadh are seeking to enhance bilateral and multilateral relations, a high-level Tajik diplomat unveiled a joint action plan that would…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Interviews Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Eng. Waleed Elkhereiji (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Deputy FM: Erdogan’s Visit Deepens Historical Relations

Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Eng. Waleed Elkhereiji said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Saudi Arabia extends the countries’ efforts to…

Zaid Bin Kami (Riyadh)
Interviews King Abdullah Economic City (SPA)

ECZA Sec-Gen to Asharq Al-Awsat: SEZ is Ready to Attract Investors

The Economic Cities and Special Zones Authority (ECZA) is currently considering incentive packages and necessary exemptions tailored to the requirements of…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Interviews A Boeing 787 of the Riyadh Airlines is displayed at the Paris Air Show (AP)

President of Boeing International to Asharq Al-Awsat: We are Keen to Support Saudi Arabia’s Efforts to Explore Space

Dr. Brendan Nelson, President of Boeing International (BI), stressed that the American company was keen to support Saudi Arabia in developing its plans for…

Mosaed al-Zayani (Riyadh)
Interviews Norwegian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Thomas Lid Ball (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Oslo, Riyadh Look to Boost Trade, Cooperation in Green Energy, Aquaculture Fields

A Norwegian diplomat revealed that his country is actively seeking to enhance economic cooperation with Saudi Arabia, particularly in the fields of green…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Interviews Carlos Ghosn speaks to Asharq Al-Awsat

Carlos Ghosn to Asharq Al-Awsat: I Will Seize Nissan’s Properties in Lebanon, the World

Former Chairman of the Board of Nissan Carlos Ghosn said he was serious in suing the company “to compensate for the moral and physical abuse he suffered as a…

Thaer Abbas (Beirut)
Interviews  Hemedti’s political advisor, Youssef Ezzat

Hemedti’s Advisor to Asharq Al-Awsat: Al-Burhan is not the Target

The advisor to the commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for political affairs, Youssef Ezzat, said that his forces partially control the general…

Aidroos Abdulaziz (London)
Interviews Shao Zheng, Chargé d'Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Yemen (Photo: Saad al-Anzi)

China Calls on Houthis to Abandon Military Option, Return to Dialogue

Shao Zheng, Chargé d'Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Yemen, said that the Yemeni crisis was going through a sensitive and important stage that is fraught…

Abdulhadi Habtor (Riyadh)
Interviews  British Minister for the Middle East, Lord Tariq Ahmad (Asharq Al-Awsat)

British Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Cooperation with Saudi Arabia a Fundamental Pillar in Confronting International Terror Threats

Lord Tariq Ahmad, the British Minister for the Middle East, emphasized the persistent global challenge posed by ISIS, stating that it cannot be effectively…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Interviews Prayers being performed around the Holy Kaaba in the Grand Mosque of Mecca, Saudi Arabia (AFP)

OIC Chief to Asharq Al-Awsat: Two Mln Pilgrims from 57 Islamic Countries

Hissein Brahim Taha, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), stated that officials in Islamic countries have confirmed the…

Saeed al-Abiad (Jeddah)
Interviews The seal of the United States Department of State is seen in Washington, US, January 26, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

Washington Reaffirms Commitment to Relations with Saudi Arabia, Region at Large

A distinguished US official expressed her country's strong and enduring bond with Saudi Arabia, thanking the Kingdom for its crucial role in important matters…

Abdulhadi Habtor (Riyadh)
Interviews Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Abdulfattah Mashat (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Deputy Minister of Hajj: Full Return of Pilgrim Numbers to Pre-Pandemic Levels

Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Abdulfattah Mashat affirmed that the ministry has used the same process as before the coronavirus pandemic to…

Saeed al-Abiad (Makkah)
Interviews The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen. AFP

UN Envoy Says Syria at ‘Critical Time,’ Needs to Act

The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen has lauded the Arab initiative on Damascus, stressing the importance of taking it into consideration…

Ibrahim Hamidi (London )
Interviews Ismail Omar Guelleh, President of Djibouti

President of Djibouti: Challenges are Great, Jeddah Summit Strengthens Arab Action

While all eyes will turn to Jeddah on Friday, when the Arab Summit will convene amid complex geopolitical conditions and multiple Arab crises, topped by the…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)