Haifa Al-Muqrin Becomes KSA’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO

Princess Haifa Bint Abdulaziz Al-Muqrin (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Princess Haifa Bint Abdulaziz Al-Muqrin (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Haifa Al-Muqrin Becomes KSA’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO

Princess Haifa Bint Abdulaziz Al-Muqrin (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Princess Haifa Bint Abdulaziz Al-Muqrin (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Princess Haifa Bint Abdulaziz Al-Muqrin was appointed permanent representative of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, has approved the move.

Until her appointment on Tuesday, Princess Haifa served as the assistant undersecretary for sustainable development affairs in the Ministry of Economy and Planning, in addition to being the assistant undersecretary for the G20 affairs within the same ministry.

Muqrin also served as a lecturer at the prestigious King Saud University in Riyadh and for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), where she worked for several years on programs focused on social development and human rights.

Princess Haifa obtained her Master’s degree in Economics in 2007 from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in the United Kingdom, and a BA in Economics from King Saud University in 2000.

Saudi Arabia has won the membership of the UNESCO Executive Council for the period of 2019-2023.



Shrapnel from Downed Ballistic Missile Causes Limited Damage in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Region

Shrapnel from Downed Ballistic Missile Causes Limited Damage in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Region
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Shrapnel from Downed Ballistic Missile Causes Limited Damage in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Region

Shrapnel from Downed Ballistic Missile Causes Limited Damage in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Region

Spokesman for Saudi Arabia’s civil defense said on Wednesday that shrapnel from a downed ballistic missile has caused damage in the Eastern Region.

The shrapnel damaged two houses, one of which was still under-construction and uninhabited.

No one was injured in the incident.

Earlier, Saudi defenses downed a ballistic missile and 28 drones in the Eastern Region, said Defense Ministry spokesman Turki al-Malki.


Arab League Meeting to Discuss Iran Attacks, Regional Escalation on Sunday

Arab foreign ministers are seen at a previous Arab League meeting. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Arab foreign ministers are seen at a previous Arab League meeting. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Arab League Meeting to Discuss Iran Attacks, Regional Escalation on Sunday

Arab foreign ministers are seen at a previous Arab League meeting. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Arab foreign ministers are seen at a previous Arab League meeting. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Bahrain will chair on Sunday the 165th regular session of the Arab League on the level of foreign ministers amid the US-Israeli war on Iran.

An Arab diplomatic source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the meeting, held video-conference, will only focus on the Iranian attacks on Arab countries.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said the officials will discuss taking a unified Arab stance against the attacks.

Foreign ministers of Gulf, Arab and regional countries met in Riyadh last week to condemn Iran’s flagrant violation of principles of good neighborliness and of the sovereignty of nations, saying it will have grave repercussions against it and the security of the Middle East.

“Iran's attacks will cost it highly and impact relations with the countries and peoples of the region that will not stand idly by as they are threatened,” they warned.

“The attacks cannot be justified under any excuse,” they stressed, saying they were a violation of sovereignty of nations and international law.

They held Iran “fully responsible for the losses”, saying the countries reserve the right to defend themselves.

The Arab diplomat said Sunday’s meeting was already scheduled before the eruption of the conflict and was supposed to include on its agenda articles related to joint Arab work, but discussions over them will be postponed to solely focus on the Iranian attacks.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held a series of telephone calls from his counterparts from Bahrain, Jordan and Iraq to prepare for the summit.

A Foreign Ministry statement underlined “the importance of issuing a unified Arab stance against the common security and political challenges and the dangerous escalation in the region.”

Political analyst Dr. Abdel Moneim Saeed told Asharq Al-Awsat the ministerial meeting aims to reach a unified Arab stance on how to handle the current situation.

The situation is rapidly changing amid the erratic American stances, he remarked. “It is important to hold Arab consultations to come up with a united stand towards the situation.”


UK, Pakistan Condemn Iranian Attacks on Saudi Arabia

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer meet in Riyadh in December 2024. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer meet in Riyadh in December 2024. (SPA)
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UK, Pakistan Condemn Iranian Attacks on Saudi Arabia

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer meet in Riyadh in December 2024. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer meet in Riyadh in December 2024. (SPA)

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, received on Tuesday separate telephone calls from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Pakistani PM Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, who underlined their condemnation of Iran’s continued attacks against the Kingdom.

They warned that the attacks are a threat to security and stability.

The leaders reviewed regional security developments amid the current military escalation, discussing its impact on regional and global peace and its risks to international maritime security and the global economy.