King Salman Invites Sultan of Oman to GCC Summit

Deputy Prime Minister of Oman during his meeting with the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Muscat on Tuesday. (Photo: Oman News Agency)
Deputy Prime Minister of Oman during his meeting with the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Muscat on Tuesday. (Photo: Oman News Agency)
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King Salman Invites Sultan of Oman to GCC Summit

Deputy Prime Minister of Oman during his meeting with the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Muscat on Tuesday. (Photo: Oman News Agency)
Deputy Prime Minister of Oman during his meeting with the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Muscat on Tuesday. (Photo: Oman News Agency)

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz invited Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq to participate in the 41st session of the GCC summit, which will be held on Jan. 5 in the Kingdom's Al-Ula.

GCC Secretary-General Nayef Al-Hajraf delivered the invitation to Omani Deputy Prime Minister Fahd bin Mahmoud Al-Said.

The two officials held a meeting in Oman during which they reviewed the Gulf Cooperation Council’s march and achievements, especially in the social, economic and commercial fields.

Al-Hajraf highly valued the Sultan of Oman’s keenness to maintain efforts to “strengthen the Gulf House and push the march of the GCC to broader horizons.”

The meeting touched on the upcoming Gulf summit and the current developments on the regional and international arenas.

Al-Hajraf also delivered two invitations on Tuesday from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the Emir of the State of Kuwait, Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah, and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to attend Al-Ula Gulf Summit.

For his part, the President of the Arab Parliament, Adel Al-Asoumi, said that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia represented “the strategic depth of joint Gulf action and the first defense line in confronting external challenges and threats facing the Arab Gulf region.”

In a statement, Al-Asoumi praised “the great role assumed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, in preserving the entity of the GCC and strengthening its harmonious path in all fields.”

“The efforts of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques represent an extension of the Kingdom’s historic and established role in supporting the march of the Gulf Cooperation Council over the past four decades as an active entity in the joint Gulf action system,” he stated.



New KSrelief Aid Convoy Crosses Rafah to Deliver Food Baskets to Gaza

The latest KSrelief convoy was carrying food baskets for the people of Gaza. (SPA)
The latest KSrelief convoy was carrying food baskets for the people of Gaza. (SPA)
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New KSrelief Aid Convoy Crosses Rafah to Deliver Food Baskets to Gaza

The latest KSrelief convoy was carrying food baskets for the people of Gaza. (SPA)
The latest KSrelief convoy was carrying food baskets for the people of Gaza. (SPA)

A new humanitarian aid convoy from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) crossed the Rafah border into Gaza on Friday with essential food baskets for Palestinians affected by the ongoing crisis, as part of the Saudi fundraising campaign to aid the Palestinian people.

The Saudi Center for Culture and Heritage, KSrelief’s implementing partner, has established several new camps in Al-Qarara area of southern Gaza and Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis in preparation for winter.

Through these efforts, KSrelief aims to alleviate the severe suffering caused by the dire living conditions in Gaza, ensuring that vital food and shelter reach those in the most vulnerable areas.


Joint Military 'Gulf Shield Exercise 2026' Concludes in Saudi Arabia

Flags of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries at an event (AFP)
Flags of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries at an event (AFP)
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Joint Military 'Gulf Shield Exercise 2026' Concludes in Saudi Arabia

Flags of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries at an event (AFP)
Flags of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries at an event (AFP)

The joint military "Gulf Shield Exercise 2026" concluded in Saudi Arabia on Friday, with the participation of the air forces and air-defense forces of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, alongside the GCC Unified Military Command, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The exercise was conducted as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen regional defense cooperation and enhance combat readiness.

Its maneuvers included advanced operational scenarios featuring simulations of multidimensional air and missile threats, joint air maneuvers, and integrated field exercises, with a focus on improving operational integration, strengthening command-and-control systems, and enhancing operational efficiency within a joint operational environment.
The exercise seeks to develop qualitative military capabilities, bolster combat readiness to confront current, emerging, and future threats, and entrench the concepts of collective defense and flexible deterrence, thereby contributing to the region's security and stability.

Gulf Shield Exercise 2026 is regarded as one of the key pillars of military cooperation among GCC countries, reflecting ongoing efforts to enhance defense integration and strengthen the capacity to respond to regional and international challenges.

At the conclusion of the exercise, the participating forces carried out a joint aerial display that demonstrated a high level of harmony and operational integration, as well as their ability to plan and execute in accordance with unified operational concepts and advanced professional standards.


Saudi Arabia Expresses Deep Regret over Damage to Qatari Embassy in Kyiv

 Smoke rises in the city after Russian drone and missile strikes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 9, 2026. (Reuters)
Smoke rises in the city after Russian drone and missile strikes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 9, 2026. (Reuters)
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Saudi Arabia Expresses Deep Regret over Damage to Qatari Embassy in Kyiv

 Smoke rises in the city after Russian drone and missile strikes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 9, 2026. (Reuters)
Smoke rises in the city after Russian drone and missile strikes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 9, 2026. (Reuters)

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed on Saturday the Kingdom’s deep regret over the damage sustained by the Qatari Embassy in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, as a result of recent shelling.

The ministry stressed the need to protect diplomatic missions and their personnel in line with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

The ministry reiterated the Kingdom's support for all diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the Russian-Ukrainian crisis through peaceful means.