AlUla Declaration Ends Qatar Rift, Looks to Preserve Gulf Security, Stability

The leaders of the GCC pose for a photo ahead of the AlUla summit. (SPA)
The leaders of the GCC pose for a photo ahead of the AlUla summit. (SPA)
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AlUla Declaration Ends Qatar Rift, Looks to Preserve Gulf Security, Stability

The leaders of the GCC pose for a photo ahead of the AlUla summit. (SPA)
The leaders of the GCC pose for a photo ahead of the AlUla summit. (SPA)

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan announced on Tuesday that the AlUla declaration turns the page on the past and opens a new chapter for the Gulf in order to achieve the stability and security of the region and its people.

The AlUla declaration was signed at the 41st Gulf Cooperation Council summit that was hosted by Saudi Arabia earlier on Tuesday. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, chaired the summit on behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz.

“Today’s Summit ends the diplomatic and economic boycott of Qatar,” Prince Faisal said at a press conference with GCC Secretary General Dr. Nayef al-Hajraf at the end of the summit.

“Today’s summit ends the points of contention with Qatar,” stressed the minister.

“We will work together to confront the challenges facing the region,” he vowed. “The AlUla summit will impact the stability of the region”

“On Iran, it is important for the countries of the region to have a united stance on its nuclear program and malign meddling and behavior,” he stressed.

“The statements we have heard from the Biden administration assure us that it is aware of Iran’s threat,” said Prince Faisal. “It is essential for the Arab voice to be heard.”

“The political determination of the Gulf leaders is a major guarantee for implementing the AlUla agreement,” he added. “We are very optimistic that today’s agreement will positively impact the Gulf region and Arab world.”

The summit, continued the FM, was significant because it prioritized the higher national interests of the GCC and Arab national security.

“It is therefore, sending a message to the entire world that no matter the disputes within the same house, the wisdom of its leaders is capable of overcoming everything and guiding the region, its countries and people to safety,” he stressed.

The members of the council underscored their solidarity and need to refrain from infringing on the security and sovereignty of any of their countries and the social fabric and security of their people, he continued.

For his part, al-Hajraf stressed that the Gulf countries often overcome all challenges with determination and strength.

The 41st GCC summit has paved the way for a new era of joint Gulf work, represented in the reconciliation, he told the press.

“As people of the Gulf, we look to the future with all the hopes, aspirations and opportunities it holds to establishing a cohesive Gulf entity that can serve its nations and peoples and push forward development, security and stability,” he remarked.



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.


Saudi FM Discusses Regional Developments with Zayani, Ishaq Dar

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah meets with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the day Pakistan hosts talks with the Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Türkiye to discuss regional de-escalation, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Islamabad, Pakistan, March 29, 2026. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah meets with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the day Pakistan hosts talks with the Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Türkiye to discuss regional de-escalation, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Islamabad, Pakistan, March 29, 2026. (SPA)
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Saudi FM Discusses Regional Developments with Zayani, Ishaq Dar

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah meets with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the day Pakistan hosts talks with the Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Türkiye to discuss regional de-escalation, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Islamabad, Pakistan, March 29, 2026. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah meets with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the day Pakistan hosts talks with the Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Türkiye to discuss regional de-escalation, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Islamabad, Pakistan, March 29, 2026. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah held separate telephone talks with his Bahraini counterpart Abdullatif al-Zayani and Pakistani counterpart Mohammad Ishaq Dar on regional developments and their impact on security and stability.

They tackled efforts to achieve stability and security in the Middle East, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Wednesday.

The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday.

US President Donald Trump said the agreement was reached after he spoke to leaders in Pakistan, which has played a key role in mediating the war launched by the US and Israel on February 28.