Saudi Shura Council Approves Draft Law to Combat Terrorism, Terror Funding

The Shura Council meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
The Shura Council meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
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Saudi Shura Council Approves Draft Law to Combat Terrorism, Terror Funding

The Shura Council meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
The Shura Council meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)

The Saudi Shura Council approved on Monday a draft law to combat terrorism and terror funding. During its 59th session chaired by Deputy President Mohammad al-Jafri, the council took the decision after listening to a briefing from its Security Affairs Committee.

Chairman of the Committee Major General Abdullah al-Sadoun stated that the draft is one of the best in the world and takes into consideration all legal, rights and humanitarian angles.

Sadoun told Asharq Al-Awsat that Saudi Arabia still continues to counter terrorism whether through security measures or legislating laws.

Assistant president of the Council, Yahya al-Samaan said in a statement after the session that the council discussed a Security Affairs Committee report on the draft regulation of combating terrorism crimes and financing it

The Council also approved the amendments and additions to the law for combating money laundering.

In another decision, the Council urged the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture to address the issue of unbalanced distribution of water and sewage services between various Saudi regions.

The Council on Sunday approved the draft law for the rights of the elderly.



Saudi Arabia Hopes Ceasefire Will Achieve ‘Comprehensive and Sustainable De-Escalation’

A general view of Riyadh city during the early hour of evening at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 28, 2025. (Reuters)
A general view of Riyadh city during the early hour of evening at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 28, 2025. (Reuters)
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Saudi Arabia Hopes Ceasefire Will Achieve ‘Comprehensive and Sustainable De-Escalation’

A general view of Riyadh city during the early hour of evening at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 28, 2025. (Reuters)
A general view of Riyadh city during the early hour of evening at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 28, 2025. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia on Wednesday threw its support behind the two-week ceasefire reached between the US and Iran, calling for a comprehensive deal to bring stability back to the region.

"The Kingdom hopes that the ceasefire will represent an opportunity to achieve a comprehensive and sustainable de-escalation, enhancing the security of the region, and that any attacks or policies that undermine the sovereignty, security and stability of the countries in the region will cease," the Foreign Ministry said.


Falling Debris after Interception Injures 3 at Abu Dhabi Gas Complex

FILE PHOTO: General view of the Abu Dhabi city is seen from observation deck of Emirates Towers in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, December 23, 2018. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: General view of the Abu Dhabi city is seen from observation deck of Emirates Towers in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, December 23, 2018. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo
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Falling Debris after Interception Injures 3 at Abu Dhabi Gas Complex

FILE PHOTO: General view of the Abu Dhabi city is seen from observation deck of Emirates Towers in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, December 23, 2018. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: General view of the Abu Dhabi city is seen from observation deck of Emirates Towers in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, December 23, 2018. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo

Authorities in Abu Dhabi said on Wednesday that falling debris following an interception had injured three people and forced a halt in production following fires at a gas complex in the emirate.

The government's media office said in a statement the incident at Habshan gas-processing facility "was caused by falling debris, following a successful interception by air defense systems, resulting in multiple fires and minor injuries to two Emiratis and one Indian national.”

"Operations have been suspended and further updates will be provided in due course," it added.


Iranian Drone Attack in Bahrain Injures Two, Says Interior Ministry

A general view of Manama, Bahrain. (AFP)
A general view of Manama, Bahrain. (AFP)
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Iranian Drone Attack in Bahrain Injures Two, Says Interior Ministry

A general view of Manama, Bahrain. (AFP)
A general view of Manama, Bahrain. (AFP)

Two people sustained light injuries following an Iranian drone attack in Bahrain on Wednesday, the interior ministry said, hours after a US-Iran truce took effect.

"As a result of the Iranian aggression, two citizens sustained minor injuries and a number of houses were damaged in the Sitra area as a result of shrapnel falling from the interception of an Iranian drone," the Bahraini interior ministry said in a post on X.

The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, reaching a deal less than two hours before President Donald Trump's deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face the wiping out of "a whole civilization".

The announcement by Trump late on Tuesday represented an abrupt turnaround from his extraordinary warning earlier, and came after mediation efforts by Pakistan's military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and its Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The eleventh-hour deal was subject to Iran's agreement to pause its blockade of oil and gas supplies through the strait, Trump said. The waterway typically handles about one-fifth of global oil shipments.

Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, said in a statement Tehran would cease counter-attacks and provide safe passage through the waterway, if attacks against it stop.

It was not immediately ‌clear how soon the ceasefire elsewhere would take full effect. Israeli media said it would begin once Iran reopened the strait and that Israel expected Iranian attacks to continue in the interim.