Bloody Fighting between Opposition Factions in N.Syria in Struggle for Power, Influence

Disputes have erupted between rival factions over a struggle for power and influence. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Disputes have erupted between rival factions over a struggle for power and influence. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Bloody Fighting between Opposition Factions in N.Syria in Struggle for Power, Influence

Disputes have erupted between rival factions over a struggle for power and influence. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Disputes have erupted between rival factions over a struggle for power and influence. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Internal fighting continued between different factions of the Syrian National Army, supported by Ankara, in the areas of Turkish military operations in northern Syria.

Disputes have erupted over a struggle for power and influence, and for material gains that are reaped from ports and smuggling crossings.

Activists in the countryside of Aleppo said a member was killed on Thursday in an armed clash between two groups of the Sultan Suleiman Shah Division, affiliated with the Syrian National Army, in the city center of Jindires in the countryside of Afrin, northern Aleppo. The dispute resulted in the serious injury of other militants.

On April 18, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said violent clashes, using with medium and light machine guns, erupted between two groups of the Syrian Front faction, which is affiliated with the Syrian National Army, near Al-Qabban roundabout in the center of Afrin city.

The dispute developed into violent clashes between the two parties, without reports on human casualties.

Husam al-Shihabi, a resident of the city of al-Bab in the countryside of Aleppo, said violent clashes erupted on April 2, between the Ahrar al-Sham and Al-Jabha al-Shamiya factions, near the city, located within the Euphrates Shield area.

The dispute erupted when a leader in Ahrar al-Sham refused to give up his position in the Third Legion, which is affiliated with the National Army.

The clashes led to the killing and wounding of four members of the factions, and the blocking of the roads leading to al-Bab, prompting the residents to stage a mass demonstration in the city, calling on the factions to stop the fighting and observe the sanctity of the month of Ramadan.

“About 17 members have been killed and more than 30 others wounded, since the beginning of 2022, in bloody clashes between the factions affiliated with the Syrian National Army, in the areas of the northern countryside of Aleppo (al-Bab, Afrin Jandiris, Azaz and Al-Ra’i), which caused the closure of roads and markets,” Shihabi said.



Saudi Arabia, Pakistan Seek to Bolster Security, Defense Ties

Saudi Assistant Defense Minister Talal Al-Otaibi arrived in Pakistan on Wednesday on a two-day visit. (Pakistan's Ministry of Defense)
Saudi Assistant Defense Minister Talal Al-Otaibi arrived in Pakistan on Wednesday on a two-day visit. (Pakistan's Ministry of Defense)
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Saudi Arabia, Pakistan Seek to Bolster Security, Defense Ties

Saudi Assistant Defense Minister Talal Al-Otaibi arrived in Pakistan on Wednesday on a two-day visit. (Pakistan's Ministry of Defense)
Saudi Assistant Defense Minister Talal Al-Otaibi arrived in Pakistan on Wednesday on a two-day visit. (Pakistan's Ministry of Defense)

Saudi Assistant Defense Minister Talal Al-Otaibi arrived in Pakistan on Wednesday on a two-day visit to put the finishing touches on bilateral defense projects, said the Pakistani Defense Ministry in a statement.

His trip is fresh off the heels of a two-day visit paid by a senior Saudi delegation, headed by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, to Islamabad on Monday.

Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf al-Malki told Asharq Al-Awsat that Prince Faisal’s visit was an extension of the “lasting relations with Pakistan.”

It underscored the depth of these ties and their constant development, he added.

The visit aimed to increase the trade exchange and support investors and expand their work in all sectors, he went on to say.

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have increased their defense consultations and Al-Otaibi's visit will follow up on these talks.

The two countries have held four rounds of defense consultations in less than a month.

On March 20, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, received Pakistan’s army commander Asim Munir.

Days later, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman paid an official visit to Pakistan.

Prince Khalid held talks with Pakistani officials, including the army commander. They tackled the strong relations between their countries and their strategic defense partnership and opportunities to develop it.

The third round of the defense talks took place this week when Prince Faisal met with Munir in Islamabad. They discussed the security and strategic cooperation between their countries and means to boost it in several fields.

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan enjoy close military ties. They regularly carry out joint defense projects and have held defense maneuvers and drills.


Oil Surges, Equities Sink as Iran Blasts Fan MidEast Escalation Fears

FILE PHOTO: A general view shows the central station gas processing plant at Rumaila oilfield in Basra, Iraq, November 5, 2020. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows the central station gas processing plant at Rumaila oilfield in Basra, Iraq, November 5, 2020. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani/File Photo
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Oil Surges, Equities Sink as Iran Blasts Fan MidEast Escalation Fears

FILE PHOTO: A general view shows the central station gas processing plant at Rumaila oilfield in Basra, Iraq, November 5, 2020. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows the central station gas processing plant at Rumaila oilfield in Basra, Iraq, November 5, 2020. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani/File Photo

Oil prices rallied and equities sank Friday as reports said explosions had been heard in Iran and Syria, fueling fears of an escalation of the Middle East crisis after last weekend's missile attack on Israel by Tehran.
The reports followed another batch of data indicating the US economy remained in rude health and compounded concerns that the Federal Reserve will hold off cutting interest rates this year or even hike them again, The Associated Press said.
Traders have been on edge since Saturday's barrage by Iran, which Israel's army chief General Herzi Halevi warned would be met with a response.
Leaders in Tehran said the strike was a legitimate response to a deadly attack on an Iranian embassy building in Damascus that it blames on Israel.
Iran state TV said three blasts had been heard near central Isfahan, the site of a key nuclear facility. Tehran had earlier said it could revise its nuclear policies if Israel threatened to attack its sites.
The Mehr news agency also said that "flights to Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz, and airports in the west, northwest and southwest have been suspended".
Israel's military said sirens sounded in the country's north.
The news sent shivers through markets, with both main oil contracts surging more than three percent on worries about supplies from the crude-rich region, while fears of a regional conflict saw equities tumble.
Tokyo, Seoul and Taipei each plunged more than three percent, while Hong Kong and Sydney were off more than one percent.
There were also losses in Shanghai, Singapore, Wellington, Manila and Jakarta.
The rush for safety also saw the yen rally against the dollar and gold jump more than one percent past $2,400, while US Treasuries climbed.
"It is now clear that the escalating shadow warfare between Israel and Iran... has finally ignited the powder keg in the Middle East, and we have moved decisively out of the shadows and into the glaring light of open conflict," said Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management.
"It should be noted that this is not a staged response to an Iranian drone attack but rather an indication that we have entered a new phase of this conflict, one that is likely to have significant and far-reaching consequences for Middle East peace and least of all risk markets."
The mood among traders was already downbeat as they contemplated the prospect of the Fed staying pat on interest rates this year following data showing jobless claims came in below expectations while a gauge of business activity hit a two-year high.
Meanwhile, Atlanta Fed boss Raphael Bostic said inflation is "too high" and he felt there was no need to cut borrowing costs until later in the year.
"I'm comfortable being patient," he added.
New York Fed chief John Williams and governor Michelle Bowman also said they saw fewer reductions than expected, if at all, this year.
Michael Landsberg, of Landsberg Bennett Private Wealth Management, said: "We are firmly in the camp of no rate cuts in 2024.
"We believe investors should prepare for a higher-for-longer regime when it comes to both inflation and interest rates."


Iraq: Sudani Heads to Michigan to Meet Arab Americans at a Tense Time for the Middle East

5 April 2024, US, Arlington: Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani meets with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon. Photo: Mc1 Alexander Kubitza/Planet Pix via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
5 April 2024, US, Arlington: Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani meets with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon. Photo: Mc1 Alexander Kubitza/Planet Pix via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
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Iraq: Sudani Heads to Michigan to Meet Arab Americans at a Tense Time for the Middle East

5 April 2024, US, Arlington: Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani meets with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon. Photo: Mc1 Alexander Kubitza/Planet Pix via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
5 April 2024, US, Arlington: Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani meets with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon. Photo: Mc1 Alexander Kubitza/Planet Pix via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

The leader of Iraq traveled to Michigan on Thursday following a sit-down with President Joe Biden to meet with the state's large Iraqi community and update them on escalating tensions in the Middle East following Iran’s weekend aerial assault on Israel.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's trip to both Washington and Michigan to discuss US-Iraq relations had been planned well before Saturday's drone and missile launches from Iran-backed groups. The visit has been thrust into the spotlight as tensions in the region escalate following the strike, which included drone and missile launches that overflew Iraqi airspace and others that were launched from Iraq by Iran-backed groups.
Michigan holds one of the largest populations of Iraqis in the nation and many local Democrats have pushed back against US support for Israel's war in Gaza following the Hamas attack on Oct. 7. The state holds the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the country, The Associated Press said.
The Iraqi prime minister was met by Wayne County Executive Warren Evans upon arrival Thursday in addition to multiple leaders within the area's Arab American community, including Deputy Wayne County Executive Assad I. Turfe and Dearborn’s state Rep. Alabas Farhat.
A motorcade of over 40 cars then traveled to a mosque in Dearborn Heights where the prime minister met with Iraqi community members and officials to give an update on his meeting with Biden talking about the economic relations between Iraq and the US.
Local Wayne County leaders emphasized that the meeting had been planned before this weekend's developments, saying that a goal of the trip was to build relationships in a community that holds the largest Iraqi population outside of the Middle East.
There are just over 90,000 residents in Michigan of Iraqi descent, the largest of any state, according to the most recent US Census. In Wayne County, home to the cities of Detroit and Dearborn, 7.8% of residents identified of Middle Eastern and North African ancestry, alone or in any combination, the highest percentage of any US county.
The concentration of those residents in the outskirts of Detroit has led to multiple visits to the area from officials engaged in Middle Eastern relations.
Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser to Biden, traveled to metro Detroit in March to meet with Lebanese Americans and discuss efforts to prevent the conflict from expanding along Israel’s northern border, where Hezbollah operates. Multiple White House officials also traveled to Dearborn in February to meet with Arab American leaders to discuss the conflict.
Fears over the war expanding grew over the weekend following the strikes and the developments have raised further questions about the viability of the two-decade American military presence in Iraq. However, a US Patriot battery in Irbil, Iraq, which is designed to protect against missiles, did shoot down at least one Iranian ballistic missile, according to American officials — one of dozens of missiles and drones destroyed by US forces alongside Israeli efforts to defeat the attack.


Saudi, Spanish FMs Discuss Gaza Conflict 

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah talks to journalists during a joint press conference with his Pakistani counterpart at the foreign ministry in Islamabad, Pakistan, 16 April 2024. (EPA)
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah talks to journalists during a joint press conference with his Pakistani counterpart at the foreign ministry in Islamabad, Pakistan, 16 April 2024. (EPA)
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Saudi, Spanish FMs Discuss Gaza Conflict 

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah talks to journalists during a joint press conference with his Pakistani counterpart at the foreign ministry in Islamabad, Pakistan, 16 April 2024. (EPA)
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah talks to journalists during a joint press conference with his Pakistani counterpart at the foreign ministry in Islamabad, Pakistan, 16 April 2024. (EPA)

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah held a telephone call on Thursday with his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares.

They discussed the latest developments in the region, primarily focusing on the situation in and around the Gaza Strip and the efforts to address it.


Saudi Heritage Commission Celebrates World Heritage Day at Thee Ain Historic Village 

The festivities included captivating sound and light shows projected onto the facades of 58 heritage houses in the village, a folk performance, a heritage council, and the traditional preparation of Saudi coffee. (SPA)
The festivities included captivating sound and light shows projected onto the facades of 58 heritage houses in the village, a folk performance, a heritage council, and the traditional preparation of Saudi coffee. (SPA)
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Saudi Heritage Commission Celebrates World Heritage Day at Thee Ain Historic Village 

The festivities included captivating sound and light shows projected onto the facades of 58 heritage houses in the village, a folk performance, a heritage council, and the traditional preparation of Saudi coffee. (SPA)
The festivities included captivating sound and light shows projected onto the facades of 58 heritage houses in the village, a folk performance, a heritage council, and the traditional preparation of Saudi coffee. (SPA)

The Saudi Heritage Commission and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Al-Makhwah Governorate of the Al-Baha region celebrated on Thursday World Heritage Day at the Thee Ain Historic Village.

The event was attended by Al-Makhwah Governor Ghalab bin Ghaleb Abu Khashaym.

The festivities included captivating sound and light shows projected onto the facades of 58 heritage houses in the village, a folk performance, a heritage council, and the traditional preparation of Saudi coffee.

Thee Ain Historic Village is renowned for its authentic heritage, rich history, and breathtaking beauty. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the village dates back to the end of the 10th century.

It stands as one of the most significant heritage villages in the Kingdom, featuring 58 stone-built palaces situated atop a mountain of white marble. The village is home to a mosque where obligatory and Friday prayers are held.


King Salman Receives Written Message from King of Bahrain 

Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Multilateral International Affairs and Supervisor General of the Public Diplomacy Agency, Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Rassi meets with Bahrain’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Sheikh Ali bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa in Riyadh. (SPA)
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Multilateral International Affairs and Supervisor General of the Public Diplomacy Agency, Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Rassi meets with Bahrain’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Sheikh Ali bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa in Riyadh. (SPA)
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King Salman Receives Written Message from King of Bahrain 

Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Multilateral International Affairs and Supervisor General of the Public Diplomacy Agency, Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Rassi meets with Bahrain’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Sheikh Ali bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa in Riyadh. (SPA)
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Multilateral International Affairs and Supervisor General of the Public Diplomacy Agency, Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Rassi meets with Bahrain’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Sheikh Ali bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa in Riyadh. (SPA)

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud received on Thursday a written message from Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa concerning relations between the two countries.

The message was received by Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Multilateral International Affairs and Supervisor General of the Public Diplomacy Agency, Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Rassi during a meeting with Bahrain’s Ambassador to Riyadh Sheikh Ali bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa.

The officials reviewed relations between their countries and ways to boost them in various fields.

They also discussed issues of common interest.


Iran Fires Air Defense Batteries in Provinces as Explosions Heard Near Isfahan 

A handout image grab made available by the Iranian state TV, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), shows what the TV said was a live picture of the city of Isfahan early on April 19, 2024, following reports of explosions heard in the province in central Iran. (IRIB/AFP)
A handout image grab made available by the Iranian state TV, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), shows what the TV said was a live picture of the city of Isfahan early on April 19, 2024, following reports of explosions heard in the province in central Iran. (IRIB/AFP)
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Iran Fires Air Defense Batteries in Provinces as Explosions Heard Near Isfahan 

A handout image grab made available by the Iranian state TV, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), shows what the TV said was a live picture of the city of Isfahan early on April 19, 2024, following reports of explosions heard in the province in central Iran. (IRIB/AFP)
A handout image grab made available by the Iranian state TV, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), shows what the TV said was a live picture of the city of Isfahan early on April 19, 2024, following reports of explosions heard in the province in central Iran. (IRIB/AFP)

Iran fired air defense batteries early Friday morning as explosions could be heard near a major air base near Isfahan, raising fears of a possible Israeli strike following Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.

It remained unclear if the country was under attack, as no Iranian official directly acknowledged the possibility and Israel's military did not respond to a request for comment. However, tensions have remained high in the days since the Saturday assault on Israel amid its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip and its own strikes targeting Iran in Syria.

One Iranian government official and later Iran's state-run television broadcaster suggested sites may have been targeted by drones.

IRNA said the defenses fired across several provinces. It did not elaborate on what caused the batteries to fire, though people across the area reported hearing the sounds.

In particular, IRNA said air defenses fired at a major air base in Isfahan, which long has been home to Iran's fleet of American-made F-14 Tomcats — purchased before the 1979 revolution.

The semiofficial Fars and Tasnim news agencies also reported the sound of blasts, without giving a cause. State television acknowledged “loud noise" in the area.

Isfahan also is home to sites associated with Iran's nuclear program, including its underground Natanz enrichment site, which has been repeatedly targeted by suspected Israeli sabotage attacks. However, state television described all sites in the area as “fully safe."

Dubai-based carriers Emirates and FlyDubai began diverting around western Iran about 4:30 a.m. local time. They offered no explanation, though local warnings to aviators suggested the airspace may have been closed.

Iran later announced it grounded commercial flights in Tehran and across areas of its western and central regions. Loudspeakers informed customers of the incident at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran, online videos purported to show.

Iranian state television began a scrolling, on-screen alert acknowledging a “loud noise” near Isfahan, without immediately elaborating.

Hossein Dalirian, a spokesman for Iran's civilian space program, said on the X social media platform that several small “quadcopter” drones had been shot down. A state television reporter in Isfahan said the same in a live report, saying “several small drones were flying in the sky over Isfahan, which were fired at.”

Meanwhile in Iraq, where a number of Iranian-backed militias are based, residents of Baghdad reported hearing sounds of explosions, but the source of the noise was not immediately clear.


Magnitude 5.6 Quake Hits Central Türkiye, Damaging Some Homes

A man looks at the damage caused by a moderately-strong earthquake that struck Tokat province, some 450 kilometers east of the capital, Ankara, Türkiye, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (Dia Images via AP)
A man looks at the damage caused by a moderately-strong earthquake that struck Tokat province, some 450 kilometers east of the capital, Ankara, Türkiye, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (Dia Images via AP)
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Magnitude 5.6 Quake Hits Central Türkiye, Damaging Some Homes

A man looks at the damage caused by a moderately-strong earthquake that struck Tokat province, some 450 kilometers east of the capital, Ankara, Türkiye, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (Dia Images via AP)
A man looks at the damage caused by a moderately-strong earthquake that struck Tokat province, some 450 kilometers east of the capital, Ankara, Türkiye, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (Dia Images via AP)

A moderately strong earthquake struck central Türkiye on Thursday, the country’s disaster management agency said, causing damage to some buildings. There were no immediate reports of any deaths or serious injuries.
The 5.6 magnitude quake hit in the town of Sulusaray, in Tokat province, some 450 kilometers east of the capital, Ankara, according to the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency.
It was felt in neighboring provinces, including in Yozgat, where a two-story building collapsed, the disaster agency said.
Several mudbrick and wooden homes and barns were damaged in the village of Bugdayli, near Sulusaray, according to Tokat's governor Numan Hatipoglu. Earlier in the day, Sulusaray was hit by two other earthquakes, measuring magnitude 4.7 and magnitude 4.1.
“The buildings, the lampposts, everything swayed like a cradle,” said Gazi Ay, a resident of the town of Turhal, some 80 kilometers north of Sulusaray.
“Everyone ran out of buildings,” he told The Associated Press by telephone, adding that many of his neighbors were too afraid to return to their homes.


IMF Revises Down Middle East Growth Outlook

An International Monetary Fund police officer walks by an IMF banner, during the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings in Washington, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
An International Monetary Fund police officer walks by an IMF banner, during the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings in Washington, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
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IMF Revises Down Middle East Growth Outlook

An International Monetary Fund police officer walks by an IMF banner, during the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings in Washington, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
An International Monetary Fund police officer walks by an IMF banner, during the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings in Washington, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

The International Monetary Fund said on Thursday Middle East economies would grow at a slower pace this year than it previously projected as the war in Gaza, attacks on Red Sea shipping and lower oil output add to existing challenges of high debt and borrowing costs.

The IMF revised down its 2024 growth forecast for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to 2.7% from 3.4% in its October regional outlook. That would be an improvement from 1.9% growth in 2023.

The downward revision was driven by conflicts in Sudan, the West Bank and Gaza, as well as oil production cuts.

"Assuming these factors ease in 2025, growth is forecast to strengthen to 4.2%," the IMF said.

"Uncertainty is high and medium-term growth is forecast to remain below pre-pandemic historical averages."

Within MENA, oil exporters are seen faring better, with the IMF projecting 2.9% growth this year, up 1 percentage point from last year.

Gulf economies are seen growing 2.4% this year, a downward revision of 1.3 percentage points from October, the IMF said. Non-hydrocarbon growth in the oil-rich region will be the main driver of growth going forward and ambitious plans to diversify their economies are expected to reduce dependence on hydrocarbons, the IMF said.

Non-Gulf oil exporters are seen growing 3.3% in 2024, up from 3% seen in October.

Prolonged disruptions to trade in the Red Sea would further impact trade volumes and shipping costs.

"The conflict in Gaza and Israel is a key downside risk for the MENA region, particularly the risk of further escalation or a protracted conflict and disruptions to trade and shipping," the IMF said.


Saudi Arabia: Centuries-old Defensive Moat, Fortification Wall Discovered in Historic Jeddah

Remains of a centuries-old defensive moat and fortification wall, which once encircled the city, were found in the northern part of Historic Jeddah. SPA
Remains of a centuries-old defensive moat and fortification wall, which once encircled the city, were found in the northern part of Historic Jeddah. SPA
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Saudi Arabia: Centuries-old Defensive Moat, Fortification Wall Discovered in Historic Jeddah

Remains of a centuries-old defensive moat and fortification wall, which once encircled the city, were found in the northern part of Historic Jeddah. SPA
Remains of a centuries-old defensive moat and fortification wall, which once encircled the city, were found in the northern part of Historic Jeddah. SPA

Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Historic District Program released the results of the archaeological excavations in Historic Jeddah as part of the first phase of the Archaeology Project.

In a recent archaeological discovery, remains of a centuries-old defensive moat and fortification wall, which once encircled the city, were found in the northern part of Historic Jeddah near Allegiance Square and east of Al-Kidwah Square.

According to historical sources, Jeddah was a fortified city as early as the late 10th - early 11th century AD. However, laboratory analysis indicates that the mentioned discoveries belong to a later phase of the fortification system, as they were likely constructed around the 18th-19th century AD.

By the middle of the 19th century AD, the moat had fallen out of use and was soon filled with sand. However, the fortification wall survived until 1947. Some parts of the moat's retaining wall have remained intact up to three meters in height.

Archaeological excavations also unearthed 19th-century AD European imported ceramics, demonstrating Jeddah's far-reaching trade connections. Moreover, a fragment of 9th-century AD pottery was discovered at Al-Qidwah Square.