عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Gulf

Saudi Crown Prince Most Popular Foreign Leader Among Indonesians

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, (PHOTO CREDIT: Bandar Al-Jaloud)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, (PHOTO CREDIT: Bandar Al-Jaloud)
TT
TT

Saudi Crown Prince Most Popular Foreign Leader Among Indonesians

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, (PHOTO CREDIT: Bandar Al-Jaloud)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, (PHOTO CREDIT: Bandar Al-Jaloud)

A public opinion poll conducted by the Australian think tank Lowy Institute showed that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is the most popular figure among world leaders in Indonesia.

According to the results of the poll announced by the Australian Research Center on its website on April 4 and published by CNN Indonesia on Tuesday, the popularity of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Indonesia surpassed the popularity of US President Joe Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Indonesia, which has a population of 257 million, is the most populous Muslim country and the 4th most populous country in the world.

Lowy Institute is a prestigious international think tank that provides high-quality research and distinctive perspectives on the international trends shaping Australia and the world.

The institute takes care of opinion polls about the most influential leaders and politicians in the world since its inception in 2003.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has won the trust of 57 percent of the Indonesian respondents, followed by the Crown Prince of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan with 52 percent, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and US President Joe Biden with 44 percent, followed by Russian President Vladimir Putin with 40 percent.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Supreme Leader of North Korea Kim Jong Un have won the trust of 34 percent of the respondents, while the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had the confidence of only 38 percent of the respondents.

The Lowy Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 3,000 Indonesians aged between 17 and 65, from 33 provinces between Nov. 29 and Dec. 24, 2021. The survey also found that the majority of respondents, at a staggering 74 percent, said they had confidence in the leadership of Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo.

It is noteworthy that this was not the first time Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had topped the global scene among the most popular and most influential leaders. He was included in the “50 List” of the 50 most influential figures in the field of economy, politics, culture and technology, who have left an impact on the course of trade in the world during the year 2017.

In 2018, the Arab Youth chose Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as the most influential figure in a survey that included the opinions of young men and women from 16 countries in the Middle East and North Africa, against a large number of international figures, including former US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin and others.

The annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey 2018 showed that the Saudi Crown Prince’s reforms, his fight against corruption, allowing women to drive, and his taking many steps to reform the economy, society and security in the region, were behind his selection as an “inspiring figure for Arab youth.”

In 2021, the Arab League awarded the Crown Prince with the “Development Action Shield” certificate for the year 2021, and this was in recognition of his efforts in supporting and promoting joint Arab action and his role in promoting the comprehensive development approach in the Kingdom and the Arab world.

Most Viewed

 
 
Gulf

GCC Strongly Condemns Iran Attack on Qatari Tanker in Hormuz

A general view of the Doha skyline, Qatar, June 29, 2026. (Reuters)
A general view of the Doha skyline, Qatar, June 29, 2026. (Reuters)
TT
TT

GCC Strongly Condemns Iran Attack on Qatari Tanker in Hormuz

A general view of the Doha skyline, Qatar, June 29, 2026. (Reuters)
A general view of the Doha skyline, Qatar, June 29, 2026. (Reuters)

Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi strongly condemned on Tuesday the “brutal Iranian” on Qatar’s “Al Rekayyat” tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement, he said the continued attacks are a “dangerous escalation that threatens the security and stability of the region.”

He called on the international community to “assume its responsibilities and take a firm and deterrent stance against these repeated Iranian attacks, in a manner that protects regional and international peace and security, as well as prevents the recurrence of such hostile acts.”

“The GCC stands as one with Qatar, expressing its full solidarity with the country in all measures it takes to confront this treacherous Iranian behavior,” he added.

Albudaiwi also slammed the terrorist attack that targeted the Syrian capital, Damascus, earlier on Tuesday.

He reiterated the GCC’s firm position in “rejecting all forms of terrorism and extremism,” stressing the need for “concerted regional and international efforts to eliminate terrorism and dry up its sources.”

He expressed the GCC’s solidarity with Syria in all measures it takes to protect its security and stability.

Gulf

Three Ships Struck in Hormuz Flare-Up, Qatar Slams Iran

Vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 3, 2026. (Reuters)
Vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 3, 2026. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Three Ships Struck in Hormuz Flare-Up, Qatar Slams Iran

Vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 3, 2026. (Reuters)
Vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 3, 2026. (Reuters)

Three tankers including a Qatari LNG vessel were struck within hours in the Strait of Hormuz, maritime monitors and Qatar said on Tuesday, with peace mediator Doha denouncing an "unacceptable" Iranian attack.

An "unknown projectile" hit a tanker overnight, causing a fire, before two more were hit, at least one by a drone, British maritime security agency UKMTO said.

The string of attacks after more than a week of respite revived concerns about freedom of navigation after Iran lifted its blockade of the vital waterway following a fragile ceasefire with the United States.

All three vessels were struck close to Oman. Oman had proposed a temporary transit corridor hugging its coastline in an initiative opposed by Iran, which wants to charge ships using the narrow waterway.

Qatar, which helped broker the truce, blamed Iran for the attack on its tanker and urged Tehran to "cease all practices that undermine regional security or threaten the safety of international maritime navigation".

"The targeting of the Qatari vessel 'Al-Rekayyat' while transiting near the Strait of Hormuz constitutes an unacceptable attack on the security and safety of international maritime navigation," Doha's foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari wrote on X.

"We hold Iran fully legally responsible for this attack and for any resulting damages or repercussions," he added.

The attacks came despite the ceasefire between the United States and Iran in the Middle East war, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Tehran in late February.

The future of Hormuz, the main route for Gulf energy exports, has been a sticking point during talks between Tehran and Washington to permanently end the conflict.

- 'Clear signal' -

"We are now in a sensitive period where potential alternatives to an Iranian toll or fee system are being explored," Andreas Krieg, a security expert at King's College London, told AFP.

"Iran is sending a clear signal that no alternative will be accepted.

"Tankers trying to diverge through the Omani maritime corridor without registering with the Iranian authority will be punished," Krieg added, calling it a "clear violation" of the ceasefire agreement and international law.

US news outlet Axios reported late Monday that Iran had "fired at least two missiles at commercial ships", citing two unnamed US officials.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.

Maritime traffic had tentatively resumed after Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding last month aimed at ending the conflict and reopening the strategic route.

However, Iran has insisted there will be no return to pre-war arrangements, under which vessels could pass freely through the strait.

Under the 14-point US-Iran memorandum of understanding, Iran and Oman, which border Hormuz, must hold talks "to define the future administration and maritime services" in the key waterway with other Gulf states.

Gulf

GCC Secretary-General Condemns Terrorist Attack Targeting Damascus

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. SPA
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. SPA
TT
TT

GCC Secretary-General Condemns Terrorist Attack Targeting Damascus

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. SPA
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. SPA

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi expressed his strongest condemnation and denunciation of the terrorist attack that targeted the Syrian capital, Damascus, and resulted in the injury of a number of security personnel and civilians while security authorities were attempting to dismantle two explosive devices planted by a terrorist cell, SPA reported.

Albudaiwi underscored that the GCC renews its firm position rejecting all forms of terrorism and extremism, stressing the need for concerted regional and international efforts to eliminate terrorism and dry up its sources, in a manner that leads to enhancing security and stability and safeguarding the security and safety of states.

Furthermore, Albudaiwi expressed the GCC’s solidarity with the Syrian Arab Republic in all measures it takes to protect its security and stability, while wishing the injured a speedy recovery and praying that Syria and its people be protected from all harm.