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UAE to Host Second Human Trial Abroad of Russia's COVID-19 Vaccine

A handout photo shows an employee demonstrating vials with ‘Gam-COVID-Vac’ vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Institute, Moscow, Russia August 7, 2020. (Handout via Reuters)
A handout photo shows an employee demonstrating vials with ‘Gam-COVID-Vac’ vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Institute, Moscow, Russia August 7, 2020. (Handout via Reuters)
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UAE to Host Second Human Trial Abroad of Russia's COVID-19 Vaccine

A handout photo shows an employee demonstrating vials with ‘Gam-COVID-Vac’ vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Institute, Moscow, Russia August 7, 2020. (Handout via Reuters)
A handout photo shows an employee demonstrating vials with ‘Gam-COVID-Vac’ vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Institute, Moscow, Russia August 7, 2020. (Handout via Reuters)

Human trials of Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine, named Sputnik V, will be held in the United Arab Emirates, the second country after Belarus to take part in the program of which results are expected before the end of November, Moscow said on Monday.

The vaccine, first licensed by Russian authorities for domestic use in August, is currently being tested on 40,000 volunteers in Moscow as part of a late-stage trial known as Phase III.

The trial in the UAE has received regulatory approval from the Gulf state’s health ministry, and the process will be supported by local laboratory provider PureHealth, Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, responsible for marketing the vaccine abroad, said in a statement.

“The results of the UAE trial will be combined with the results of the of the trial in Russia and other countries,” Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said in the statement, adding that interim results will be published before the end of November.

The first participant in the trial is due to be injected soon. RDIF declined to comment on how many people will receive the jab in the UAE as part of the trial or when it is due to begin.

The UAE’s health minister said that the Gulf state’s high degree of demographic diversity made it an advantageous location to hold a vaccine trial.

“People from more than 200 nations live and work in the UAE,” AbdulRahman bin Mohammed al-Owais said in the same statement.

President Vladimir Putin and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan discussed the start of the UAE trials in a phone call on Monday, the Kremlin said in a statement.

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Gulf

Saudi Foreign Minister, Slovak Deputy Prime Minister Sign General Cooperation Agreement

The two sides signed a general cooperation agreement aimed at enhancing cooperation and mutual understanding across various fields - SPA
The two sides signed a general cooperation agreement aimed at enhancing cooperation and mutual understanding across various fields - SPA
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Saudi Foreign Minister, Slovak Deputy Prime Minister Sign General Cooperation Agreement

The two sides signed a general cooperation agreement aimed at enhancing cooperation and mutual understanding across various fields - SPA
The two sides signed a general cooperation agreement aimed at enhancing cooperation and mutual understanding across various fields - SPA

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah met in Riyadh Monday Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of the Slovak Republic Robert Kaliňák.

They reviewed ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in a manner that serves their mutual interests and discussed regional and international developments, SPA reported.

The two sides signed a general cooperation agreement between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of the Slovak Republic, aimed at enhancing cooperation and mutual understanding across various fields.

Gulf

Khalid bin Salman Visits Saudi Interior Ministry Pavilion at World Defense Show

Prince Khalid was briefed on the ministry’s operational capabilities to enhance decision-making. SPA
Prince Khalid was briefed on the ministry’s operational capabilities to enhance decision-making. SPA
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Khalid bin Salman Visits Saudi Interior Ministry Pavilion at World Defense Show

Prince Khalid was briefed on the ministry’s operational capabilities to enhance decision-making. SPA
Prince Khalid was briefed on the ministry’s operational capabilities to enhance decision-making. SPA

Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz visited the Ministry of Interior's pavilion at the World Defense Show, held in Riyadh.

Prince Khalid was briefed on the ministry’s operational capabilities to enhance decision-making, command and control, and predictive intelligence, all aimed at protecting residents across the Kingdom.

During his tour, he explored how the ministry is advancing proactive security and efficient emergency management through innovative technical solutions.

The tour also underscored the role of the unified security operations centers (911) in the national response system and the ministry's commitment to international partnerships in security and smart systems.

Gulf

OIC Condemns Israeli Cabinet's Legalization of Settlements

Israeli soldier points his weapon towards the camera, during a weekly settlers' tour in Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 7, 2026. (Reuters)
Israeli soldier points his weapon towards the camera, during a weekly settlers' tour in Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 7, 2026. (Reuters)
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OIC Condemns Israeli Cabinet's Legalization of Settlements

Israeli soldier points his weapon towards the camera, during a weekly settlers' tour in Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 7, 2026. (Reuters)
Israeli soldier points his weapon towards the camera, during a weekly settlers' tour in Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 7, 2026. (Reuters)

The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned on Monday the Israeli cabinet’s approval of measures that aim to deepen Israeli control over the occupied West Bank and weaken the already limited powers of the Palestinian Authority.

The OIC said Israel’s “colonial settlement policy constitutes a war crime and a flagrant violation of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions, foremost among which is Security Council Resolution 2334 and the legal opinion issued by the International Court of Justice.”

It renewed its call on the international community, particularly the Security Council, “to shoulder its responsibilities and take immediate action to put an end to all crimes and violations committed by Israel against the Palestinian people, their land, and their holy sites.”

The office of Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in a statement announced the decisions that would make it easier for Jewish settlers to force Palestinians to give up land, adding that “we will continue to bury the idea of a Palestinian state.”

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a statement called the decision “dangerous” and an “open Israeli attempt to legalize settlement expansion” and land confiscation. He called for the United States and UN Security Council to intervene immediately.

The decision was announced a few days before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington about Iran and other matters.

The measures announced Sunday include canceling a prohibition on sales of West Bank land to Israeli Jews, declassifying West Bank land registry records to ease land acquisition, transferring construction planning at religious and other sensitive sites in the volatile city of Hebron to Israeli authorities, and allowing Israeli enforcement of environmental and archaeological matters in Palestinian-administered areas.

The measures also would revive a committee that would allow the state of Israel to make “proactive” land purchases in the territory — “a step intended to guarantee land reserves for settlement for generations to come.”