Latest World News: Interviews

Spanish Ambassador to Asharq Al-Awsat: Saudi Arabia and Spain Enter New Era of Strategic Partnership

Interviews Spain's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Javier M. Carbajosa (Embassy of Spain in Riyadh)

Spanish Ambassador to Asharq Al-Awsat: Saudi Arabia and Spain Enter New Era of Strategic Partnership

Saudi-Spanish relations have entered a new phase of institutional cooperation following the signing of the Strategic Partnership Agreement in Madrid last May…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Interviews Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi during his interview with Asharq Al-Awsat Editor-in-Chief in Baghdad on Sunday

Iraq PM to Asharq Al-Awsat: Corruption Crackdown Is Irreversible, Arms Must Be Under State Control

Journalists live for the unexpected, especially in Iraq, where events can overtake a carefully planned interview before it even begins. I had requested a…

Ghassan Charbel (Baghdad)
Interviews Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu. (Ministry)

Turkish Transport Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Costs and Financing of Türkiye- Saudi Arabia Rail Corridor to Be Finalized by Year-end

Türkiye aims to finalize costs, investment needs and financing arrangements for a strategic rail corridor linking Saudi Arabia and Türkiye by the end of 2026,…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Interviews Safer’s CEO said the company is ready to resume liquefied natural gas exports (Asharq Al-Awsat). 

Safer CEO: Company Ready to Resume LNG Exports

As Yemen’s energy sector continues to grapple with the effects of war and a steep decline in foreign investment, Safer Exploration & Production Operations…

Abdulhadi Habtor (Marib)
Interviews Haidan stated that security coordination between Yemen and Saudi Arabia is at its highest levels (Photography: Turki Al-Oqaily)

Yemeni Interior Minister: Assassination Cells in Aden Backed by Foreign Funding, Seeking to Undermine State

Yemen’s Interior Minister Major General Ibrahim Haidan revealed what he described as the foiling of the "largest political assassination plot" in the temporary…

Abdulhadi Habtor (Riyadh)

Interviews Barzani to Asharq Al-Awsat: At Secret Meeting, Americans Informed us of Decision to Oust Saddam

Barzani to Asharq Al-Awsat: At Secret Meeting, Americans Informed us of Decision to Oust Saddam

Saddam Hussein’s shadow often looms large over my meetings with Masoud Barzani. My career has allowed me to follow the thrilling and painful tales of both…

Ghassan Charbel (Erbil)
Interviews Amr Moussa to Asharq Al-Awsat: The Wound has not Healed, Political Miscalculation Led to Iraq's Fall

Amr Moussa to Asharq Al-Awsat: The Wound has not Healed, Political Miscalculation Led to Iraq's Fall

Meeting the veteran diplomat, Amr Moussa, always clarifies historical events, especially that for decades, he was a maker and a witness to the course of Arab…

Interviews Al-Kadhimi to Asharq Al-Awsat: Saudi-Iranian Talks Were Frank, Comprehensive, Fruitful

Al-Kadhimi to Asharq Al-Awsat: Saudi-Iranian Talks Were Frank, Comprehensive, Fruitful

Saudi-Iranian talks conducted in Baghdad were frank, comprehensive, and fruitful, former Iraqi prime minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi told Asharq Al-Awsat days…

Interviews Lebanon: Mikati Says Parties Rejecting Cabinet Meetings Better Elect a President

Lebanon: Mikati Says Parties Rejecting Cabinet Meetings Better Elect a President

Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati hailed the latest development in the Saudi-Iranian relations, stressing that Lebanon supports any "consensual"…

Thaer Abbas (Beirut)
Interviews Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim: Politicians’ Performance Destroys Lebanon

Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim: Politicians’ Performance Destroys Lebanon

A week after leaving his post as the head of Lebanon’s General Security, Major General Abbas Ibrahim spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat about his departure, refusing to…

Thaer Abbas (Beirut)
Interviews Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs: US Regional Presence Will Not Diminish, We Have Strong Security Partnerships

Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs: US Regional Presence Will Not Diminish, We Have Strong Security Partnerships

US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf defended Washington’s policy in the Middle East and stressed that her country realizes…

Abdulhadi Habtor (Riyadh)
Interviews The spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry in the Middle East and North Africa, Dennis Kumetat. (German Information Center)

German Foreign Ministry Spokesperson: We Care About the Path of Reform in Saudi Arabia, Ready to Support it

The spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry in the Middle East and North Africa, Dennis Kumetat, stressed that Germany and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia share…

Fathiya al-Dakhakhni (Cairo)
Interviews A general view shows a damaged mosque in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, in opposition-held al-Maland village, in Idlib province, Syria February 24, 2023. (Reuters)

Ilham Ahmed to Asharq Al-Awsat: Giving Legitimacy to Syrian Regime Will Not Yield Political Solution

Head of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) Ilham Ahmed said cooperating with the Damascus regime “unconditionally” will only grant it some form of legitimacy…

Kamal Sheikho (Qamishli)
Interviews Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani sits down for an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat in Baghdad.

Iraqi PM to Asharq Al-Awsat: Our Country Won’t Be Arena for Settling Scores

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced that Iraq and Saudi Arabia are capable of forming a regional axis that can act as a foundation for…

Interviews French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna (EPA)

French FM to Asharq Al-Awsat: We Are Working with Saudi Arabia to Support Regional Stability

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said in remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat on Thursday that strengthening France’s relations with both Saudi Arabia and the…

Michel Abou Najm (Paris)
Interviews Lebanese MPs speak prior to the start of the ninth parliamentary session to elect a new president of Lebanon, at the Parliament building in Beirut, Lebanon, 08 December 2022. (EPA)

Hamadeh to Asharq Al-Awsat: Presidential Vacuum in Lebanon Will Last Months

It appears that the vacuum in the presidency in Lebanon will last several months given the lack of prospects for a local solution or a breakthrough in…

Youssef Diab (Beirut)
Interviews French ambassador to Yemen Jean-Marie Safa (Photo: Omar Hogail)

French Ambassador to Yemen Sounds Alarm Over Houthi Recruitment of Children

French ambassador to Yemen Jean-Marie Safa said that his embassy was in contact with the Houthis, but accused the group of communicating with the world through…

Badr Al-Qahtani (London)
Interviews Head of the Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea. (Lebanese Forces)

Geagea: Dialogue with Hezbollah, its Allies Is a Waste of Time

Head of the Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea usually prefers to remain optimistic, in contrast to the dreariness in Lebanon that is grappling with an unprecedented…

Thaer Abbas (Beirut)
Interviews UK Ambassador to Yemen Richard Oppenheim

Oppenheim to Asharq Al-Awsat: Our Problem Isn’t Houthis, It’s Their Destructive Behavior

The UK ambassador to Yemen, Richard Oppenheim, acknowledged that he has direct communication channels with the Houthis and confirmed that he had dined with the…

Badr Al-Qahtani (London)
Interviews AstraZeneca’s Chief Executive Officer, Sir Pascal Soriot

AstraZeneca’s CEO on Covid: ‘We Just Have to Adjust to it’

AstraZeneca’s Chief Executive Officer, Sir Pascal Soriot, told Asharq Al-Awsat in an interview that Covid-19 is not over “and we just have to adjust to it like…

Ibrahim Hamidi (London)
Interviews  Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmad Awad bin Mubarak (PHOTO CREDIT: Nawaf al-Mutairi)

Yemeni FM: Houthi Officials Involved in Crimes Blacklisted...Peace Is Their Enemy

The Yemeni government is preparing to blacklist several Houthi leaders and entities in implementation of its decision to classify the Iran-backed militia as a…

Badr Al-Qahtani (London)
Interviews UNHCR Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Mohammed Abdi Affey speaks with Asharq Al-Awsat in the interview (Saad al-Anzi)

UN Envoy Warns Against Return of War in Ethiopia

UNHCR Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Mohammed Abdi Affey has warned the Ethiopian parties against a return to fighting between the government and the…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Interviews ENGIE CEO Catherine MacGregor (Asharq Al-Awsat)

ENGIE: We Are Working with Saudi Arabia to Transition to Carbon-Neutral Economy

ENGIE CEO Catherine MacGregor affirmed that her company’s work in Saudi Arabia aligns with the Kingdom’s national transformation plan, Vision 2030, and its…

Mosaed al-Zayani (Riyadh)
Interviews Simon Penney, the British Trade Commissioner (HTMC) for the Middle East and Pakistan.

British Trade Commissioner: Saudi Arabia is the Largest Destination of UK Exports in the Region

Simon Penney, the British Trade Commissioner (HTMC) for the Middle East and Pakistan, said Saudi-British efforts were underway to increase and maximize…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Interviews  Spanish Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Jorge Hevia Sierra (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Riyadh, Madrid to Develop Economic Cooperation, Military Industries

Spanish Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Jorge Hevia Sierra said that his country was seeking to strengthen its strategic partnership with Riyadh, noting that a…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Interviews The president of the Lebanese American University in Beirut (LAU), Dr. Michel Mawad.

Michel Mawad: Lebanon’s Education Sector to Witness Five Lean Years

The president of the Lebanese American University in Beirut (LAU), Dr. Michel Mawad, said that the education sector in the country would witness five lean…

Thaer Abbas (Beirut)
Interviews South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Salva Kiir to Asharq Al-Awsat: Juba Agreement Did Not Fail, But It Lacks Funding

The Juba Agreement for Peace in Sudan, also known as the Juba Agreement, has succeeded in stopping the war, stressed South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Interviews Democratic Union Party Co-Chairman Salih Muslim (REUTERS)

Salih Muslim: Divorce Is Inevitable Between the Syrian Regime, Türkiye

Salih Muslim, the co-chairman of the Democratic Union Party, the main party of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, has rejected the PYD…

Kamal Sheikho (Qamishli)
Interviews US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea (L) presents a letter to Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri (R) during their meeting at Berri's house in Beirut, Lebanon, 01 October 2022. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH

Berri to Asharq Al-Awsat: US Draft Proposal on Maritime Deal is ‘Positive’

US mediator Amos Hochstein has presented a written proposal for maritime boundary demarcation between Lebanon and Israel that establishes a qualitative…

Thaer Abbas (Beirut)