KSA: Al Musawara From Terror Hideout to Cultural Hub

Saudi cultural center in Al Musawara neighborhood in Al-Awamiyah town,Eastern Province , Saudi Arabia, Asharq Al Awsat
Saudi cultural center in Al Musawara neighborhood in Al-Awamiyah town,Eastern Province , Saudi Arabia, Asharq Al Awsat
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KSA: Al Musawara From Terror Hideout to Cultural Hub

Saudi cultural center in Al Musawara neighborhood in Al-Awamiyah town,Eastern Province , Saudi Arabia, Asharq Al Awsat
Saudi cultural center in Al Musawara neighborhood in Al-Awamiyah town,Eastern Province , Saudi Arabia, Asharq Al Awsat

Within a year of the Saudi government’s decision to reform and develop Al Musawara neighborhood in Al-Awamiyah town nestled in the Eastern Province, the locality has been transformed from a springboard for terror assaults against security servicemen to a cultural center meant to advance provincial stability.

Saudi security forces have successfully routed terrorist groups that were holed up in the neighborhood that has become home to one of the country’s greatest cultural and development projects achieved in under 12 months.

Mayor of the Eastern Province Fahd Bin Mohammed Al-Jubeir confirmed that the project’s construction works were accomplished.

Speaking to Asharq Al Awsat, Jubeir said that the total cost of the project stood at $64 million dollars (SAR 239 million riyals) and was finished in the remarkable period of eight months.

The educational center is one of the development projects that are designed to preserve the urban and cultural identity in the eastern region, combining heritage and tradition with modern day architecture and development.

Considered a regional milestone in development for the Eastern Province, the center spans over an area of 180,000 square meters and provides a number of multi-cultural, tourist and commercial services to both locals and visitors.

More so, Jubeir reaffirmed that the Eastern Region Secretariat is working rapidly to wrap up the finishing touches on the project for a timely delivery without undercutting construction quality and safety standards.

Last October, the project’s completion rate was 70 percent. The project will include commercial stores, a cultural center, a public library, a sports complex, cafes, restaurants, men’s and women’s halls, a shopping mall, a women’s club, a kindergarten, and a car park.

The center will also host landmark heritage towers built on an area of 866 square meters.



MWL Condemns Attack Targeting Pakistani Police

The Muslim World League (MWL) logo
The Muslim World League (MWL) logo
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MWL Condemns Attack Targeting Pakistani Police

The Muslim World League (MWL) logo
The Muslim World League (MWL) logo

The Muslim World League (MWL) strongly condemned the attack targeting police personnel in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.

In a statement issued by its General Secretariat, MWL Secretary-General and Chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars, Sheikh Mohammed Al-Issa, affirmed the League’s solidarity with the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in the face of all threats to its security and stability. He reiterated the MWL’s firm rejection and condemnation of violence and terrorism in all their forms and under any pretext.

He also extended his sincere condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims and to the Pakistani people.


Sultan of Oman Awards Military Order to Royal Saudi Air Force Commander

Commander of the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) Lieutenant General Prince Turki bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz receives the Military Order of Oman (Second Class). (SPA)
Commander of the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) Lieutenant General Prince Turki bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz receives the Military Order of Oman (Second Class). (SPA)
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Sultan of Oman Awards Military Order to Royal Saudi Air Force Commander

Commander of the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) Lieutenant General Prince Turki bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz receives the Military Order of Oman (Second Class). (SPA)
Commander of the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) Lieutenant General Prince Turki bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz receives the Military Order of Oman (Second Class). (SPA)

Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tarik awarded on Wednesday the Military Order of Oman (Second Class) to Commander of the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) Lieutenant General Prince Turki bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz in recognition of his efforts and contributions to strengthening military cooperation between the two countries.

The order was presented to the RSAF commander by Omani Deputy Prime Minister for Defense Affairs Shihab bin Tarik Al Said, in the presence of Commander of the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) Air Vice Marshal Khamis Al Ghafri, Saudi Ambassador to Oman Ibrahim bin Saad bin Bishan, and the accompanying delegation.

During the visit, the RSAF commander also met with Minister of the Royal Office of Oman General Sultan bin Mohammed Al Nomani for talks on issues of mutual interest.

Prince Turki bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz arrived in Oman on Tuesday on an official visit during which he met with the commander of RAFO. The discussions addressed issues of common interest, particularly in the field of joint training and exercises.

The visit included a tour of the Air Center for Specialized Training, where the delegation reviewed the advanced capabilities on display, reflecting the level of development achieved by the Royal Air Force of Oman.


Saudi Ambassador to UAE Decorates Sheikh Nahyan bin Saif Al Nahyan with King Abdulaziz Shah of 2nd Class

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA)
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Saudi Ambassador to UAE Decorates Sheikh Nahyan bin Saif Al Nahyan with King Abdulaziz Shah of 2nd Class

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA)

Upon the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Sultan Al-Anqari decorated Sheikh Nahyan bin Saif Al Nahyan, former Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with the King Abdulaziz Sash of the Second Class.

According to SPA, this came in recognition of his outstanding efforts in strengthening and advancing the deep-rooted and historical relations between the two countries during his tenure in the Kingdom.

During the reception for Sheikh Nahyan at the embassy, the Saudi ambassador conveyed his best wishes for Sheikh Nahyan's continued success in his new role as Deputy Minister of State at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.