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Royal Order: Saudi Arabia to Commemorate February 22 as Founding Day

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman - SPA
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman - SPA
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Royal Order: Saudi Arabia to Commemorate February 22 as Founding Day

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman - SPA
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman - SPA

Saudi Arabia will commemorate February 22 every year as the nation’s Founding Day, according to a Royal Order issued on Thursday.

Issuing the Royal Order, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman also said February 22 shall be an official holiday in the country.

“Taking into account that the middle of the year 1139H, corresponding to the month of February of the year 1727, signals the commencement of the reign of Imam Muhammad bin Saud, marking his founding of the first Saudi state, we, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, have decreed the following:

“First: The 22nd day of the month of February of every year shall be designated to mark the commemoration of the founding of the Saudi state under the name ‘Founding Day’, and shall be an official holiday.

“Second: This Decree shall be communicated to the relevant entities for adoption and implementation,” the order read.

"Taking great pride in the deep roots of this blessed state and its citizens' firm bonds with its leaders which began three centuries ago with the reign of Imam Muhammad bin Saud when he founded the First Saudi State in the middle of 1139H (early 1727), lasting until 1233H (1818), with Diriyah as its capital and the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as its constitution, and which provided unity and security in the Arabian Peninsula following centuries of fragmentation, dissension and instability, and survived attempts of elimination,” said King Salman.

"Seven years following the end of the First Saudi State, Imam Turki bin Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Saud succeeded in 1240H (1824) in restoring it, establishing the Second Saudi State, which lasted until 1309H (1891)."

"Ten years later, King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Faisal Al Saud succeeded in 1319H (1902) in establishing the Third Saudi State and uniting it under the name of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; and his sons, the kings, followed in his footsteps in reinforcing the building and unity of this country,” the King added in his order.

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Gulf

Saudi Arabia and 17 Arab, Islamic Countries Condemn Israeli Strike on Nasser Medical Complex in Gaza

People inspect damage to Nasser Hospital after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike overnight in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026. (AP)
People inspect damage to Nasser Hospital after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike overnight in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026. (AP)
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Saudi Arabia and 17 Arab, Islamic Countries Condemn Israeli Strike on Nasser Medical Complex in Gaza

People inspect damage to Nasser Hospital after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike overnight in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026. (AP)
People inspect damage to Nasser Hospital after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike overnight in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026. (AP)

Saudi Arabia and 17 Arab and Islamic countries strongly condemned on Saturday the Israeli on the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis earlier this week.

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Palestine, Djibouti, Somalia, Oman, Mauritania, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Türkiye, Pakistan, Indonesia, Lebanon, and Algeria slammed the attack “as a violation of international humanitarian law, which affords special protection to medical facilities and healthcare workers.”

In a statement, they also condemned “continued Israeli attacks on Palestinian civilians, including strikes on tents and other sites sheltering displaced persons.”

“These attacks undermine the ceasefire and efforts to restore security and stability in Gaza and are inconsistent with President Trump’s Comprehensive Plan,” they added.

An Israeli airstrike hit one of the main hospitals still operating in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing six people and wounding 28 others.

The Israeli military said the strike on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza targeted an unidentified Hamas commander and other fighters, without providing evidence.

The FMs expressed on Saturday “grave concern that continued Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid, shelter materials, including tents, caravans and mobile homes, as well as medical supplies are deepening Gaza's humanitarian catastrophe as winter approaches.”

“Inadequate shelter and deteriorating water, sanitation and healthcare services put civilian lives at grave risk, particularly those of children and infants, who could once again die from exposure to freezing temperatures,” they warned.

The FMs called on Israel “to heed appeals from the international community and the Board of Peace, for increased aid and to fulfil immediately and in full its obligations under the Sharm El-Sheikh Agreement, President Trump's Comprehensive Plan and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803.”

“Israel must uphold the ceasefire, protect civilians and medical facilities, and ensure the safe, sustained and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid in sufficient quantities, including shelter and early recovery supplies and equipment to restore essential infrastructure,” they demanded.

“It must also allow UN agencies and humanitarian organizations to carry out their mandates without obstruction,” they said.

“These first-phase commitments were due to take effect upon signature. Israel must implement them without further delay or additional conditions, including political and security conditions, that impede humanitarian access,” they continued.

“Urgent humanitarian assistance must proceed independently of progress on subsequent phases. The ministers called on the United States and the Board of Peace, within their respective roles, to intensify their efforts to ensure Israel's full implementation of these commitments and the lifting of all restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid, thereby preserving the credibility of the agreements and consolidating the ceasefire,” they stressed.

The ministers reaffirmed their determination “to work with regional and international partners to consolidate the ceasefire, implement all phases of the Plan and scale up humanitarian assistance to alleviate the suffering of the brotherly Palestinian people.”

Gulf

Coalition Destroys 2 Houthi Drones Fired at Riyadh, Southern Regions

Saudi air defenses. (Saudi Ministry of Defense)
Saudi air defenses. (Saudi Ministry of Defense)
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Coalition Destroys 2 Houthi Drones Fired at Riyadh, Southern Regions

Saudi air defenses. (Saudi Ministry of Defense)
Saudi air defenses. (Saudi Ministry of Defense)

The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen announced on Saturday the interception and destruction of two drones in the Riyadh and Southern Regions launched by the terrorist Houthi militia toward Saudi Arabia.

In Yemen, the army announced that it had carried out 723 strikes and targeting operations "hitting Houthi militia sites, gatherings, fortifications, firing positions, vehicles, and combat equipment."

According to an army statement, the operations included "37 airstrikes by warplanes, 56 targeting operations by drones, 89 by rocket launchers, and 541 by field artillery."

Internationally, the United Nations Security Council condemned earlier this week the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and their threats to commercial vessels in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea, affirming the Kingdom's right to self-defense.

The Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2837, which calls for an immediate halt to the attacks, intensified efforts to combat weapons smuggling to the group, and stricter oversight on its access to drone and ballistic missile components, alongside tasking the Panel of Experts with tracking the group's funding sources and revenues.

The Gulf Cooperation Council welcomed the resolution, calling for it to be translated into a concrete commitment that protects civilians, facilities, and the safety of international navigation.

Gulf

Türkiye, Qatar Sign Mutual Defense Agreement

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Istanbul, Türkiye, November 13, 2026. (Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Istanbul, Türkiye, November 13, 2026. (Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters)
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Türkiye, Qatar Sign Mutual Defense Agreement

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Istanbul, Türkiye, November 13, 2026. (Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Istanbul, Türkiye, November 13, 2026. (Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters)

Türkiye and Qatar announced on Friday that they signed a mutual defense agreement, which they said was aimed at adopting a "unified position" in the face of an external attack.

The announcement came after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Istanbul.

Erdogan had said the agreement would further strengthen ties between them, according to his office.

Qatar's ruler travelled to Istanbul after attending the United Nations COP31 climate summit in southern Türkiye.

"The two parties hailed the signing of the mutual defense agreement between Qatar and Türkiye," according to a joint statement carried by Qatar's state news agency.

The agreement was "aimed at bolstering collective defense and achieving regional security and stability, as well as adopting a unified position in the face of any external armed attack targeting either or both parties", the statement said.

"The two parties agreed to hold consultations on threats to their security... and to strengthen cooperation through joint military exercises, collaboration in the field of defense industries, and the exchange of personnel training."

Erdogan's office had earlier announced the agreement, without going into the details of its contents.

"A mutual defense agreement signed by Türkiye and Qatar today will add a new dimension to the brotherly ties between the two countries," Erdogan said during the meeting, according to the statement from his office.

Erdogan also said Türkiye and Qatar would expand cooperation in the defense industry.