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UAE Prepares to Host COP28 with Effective Solutions to Climate Change

FM Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed during a virtual conference for the Higher Committee overseeing preparations to host COP28 on September 13, 2022. (WAM)
FM Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed during a virtual conference for the Higher Committee overseeing preparations to host COP28 on September 13, 2022. (WAM)
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UAE Prepares to Host COP28 with Effective Solutions to Climate Change

FM Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed during a virtual conference for the Higher Committee overseeing preparations to host COP28 on September 13, 2022. (WAM)
FM Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed during a virtual conference for the Higher Committee overseeing preparations to host COP28 on September 13, 2022. (WAM)

United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan stressed on Tuesday that his country would lead an ambitious, inclusive and solutions-oriented approach in the 2023 global climate summit.

Sheikh Abdullah, who is also the Chairman of the Higher Committee overseeing preparations to host the 28th session of the conference of the parties (COP28), said the UAE will cooperate closely with Egypt to support momentum for greater climate progress.

Egypt will host the COP27 United Nations Climate Change Conference in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh in November.

Sheikh Abdullah made the remarks during the Committee’s fourth meeting, which tackled all strategic, technical and administrative elements related to the summit.

COP 28 UAE will be particularly significant, as it will include the first Global Stocktake since the 2015 Paris Agreement, a comprehensive report card assessing progress against key global climate goals.

“The United Arab Emirates will apply its experience as a trusted global convener to ensure COP 28 UAE reflects the voices of all relevant stakeholders to achieve global consensus for practical climate progress,” said the FM.

The UAE will also leverage its track record as a clean tech innovator to deliver solutions for truly sustainable development that maximizes social and economic benefits for all, Sheikh Abdullah added.

Topics to dominate the agenda in Egypt include efforts to mitigate climate change, adapt to climate impacts, and the need for increased climate finance and clarity on loss and damage, the UAE official news agency WAM reported.

Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed al-Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change, and Vice Chairman of the COP28 UAE Higher Committee, said the UAE’s leadership has directed the country’s delegation to COP27 to support the Egyptian presidency and build on their efforts for accelerated implementation.

The UAE has always maintained that progressive climate action has the potential to create new industries, new skills and long lasting, sustainable economic growth, he remarked.

He stressed that serving as the bridge between the global north and south, the UAE will also continue to support and emphasize the need to protect vulnerable countries and fragile communities.

In line with the UAE’s commitment to inclusive representation and engagement, the Committee also emphasized that the UAE delegation at COP27 and its entire approach to COP28 would include participants from the public and private sectors, as well as women, youth, and underrepresented communities.

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Gulf

Repeated Houthi Attacks on Makkah, Madinah Deterred by Saudi Air Defense Vigilance

Vehicles drive along a road in Makkah on October 25, 2026. (AFP)
Vehicles drive along a road in Makkah on October 25, 2026. (AFP)
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Repeated Houthi Attacks on Makkah, Madinah Deterred by Saudi Air Defense Vigilance

Vehicles drive along a road in Makkah on October 25, 2026. (AFP)
Vehicles drive along a road in Makkah on October 25, 2026. (AFP)

The terrorist Houthi militia's attempts to target the Makkah and Madinah regions with ballistic missiles and drones continue in a blatant assault on Islamic holy sites and a persistent defiance of all red lines and humanitarian and religious norms.

In the latest chapter of this escalation, Saudi air defenses announced on Saturday the interception of two ballistic missiles fired toward Makkah and Madinah. The successful military interception caused shrapnel to scatter across several locations, most notably with fragments falling in Wadi al-Mughammas, roughly 23 kilometers from the Grand Mosque and near the holy site of Arafat.

International and Islamic bodies and institutions strongly condemned the attack. The Muslim World League stressed that targeting the Makkah and Madinah regions is “a flagrant violation of religious sanctity and an assault on the feelings of more than one and a half billion Muslims worldwide.”

For his part, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned the Houthi attacks on Makkah, Madinah, Taif, and Jeddah governorates, warning of the dangerous consequences should they continue.

He called on the countries of the Islamic world for collective action and a firm stance to deter the militias and put an end to their practices.

Scholars, clerics, and activists on social media platforms around the world denounced the attempts to target holy sites and civilians, deeming it a crime strictly prohibited by Islamic law and criminalized under the rules of international humanitarian law.

They reaffirmed the Islamic world's full solidarity with Saudi Arabia in all measures it takes to protect its territories and Islamic holy sites.

Wadi al-Mughammas is one of the main valleys in the Tihama plain east of Makkah. It borders the holy site of Arafat from its northeastern and geographically links Arafat with Wadi Hunain.

The valley holds prominent historical significance due to the occurrence of the famous "Year of the Elephant" incident there (around 570–571 AD), the same year that coincided with the birth of Prophet Muhammad.

Historical records note that the campaign commander, Abraha, used Wadi al-Mughammas as a camp for his elephant-equipped army in preparation to advance and demolish the Holy Kaaba, before the campaign ground to a halt in the valley because the elephant refused to advance toward Makkah, and the army subsequently suffered widespread destruction, forcing its remaining remnants to retreat and withdraw toward Yemen.

Ali bin Hamid al-Nafie, undersecretary at the Presidency of Religious Affairs for the Grand Mosque, stated that the repeated cross-border attacks and operations by the Houthi militia are no longer mere fleeting military skirmishes.

Instead, he noted, they reflect a systematic strategy targeting the security and spiritual symbolism of the Makkah and Madinah regions, which serve as the spiritual heartland and year-round destination for millions of visitors and Umrah pilgrims.

The continuous targeting of these areas with ballistic missiles and drones proves the expanding scope of Houthi objectives, which transcend direct battlefield conflict to impact regional security, the stability of the holy sites, and the safety and security of their visitors and pilgrims, Al-Nafie said.

He added that the efficiency of the interceptions demonstrated by Saudi defense systems against all militia attempts reflects the high level of vigilance and advanced readiness of the military and security apparatuses.

Protecting the holy sites and ensuring the safety of their visitors represent a top security and political priority for the Saudi leadership, and these attacks only increase the stringency of preventive and defensive measures to counter any future threats, he remarked.

Dr. Fawaz bin Adel Ghunaim, a researcher and academic at Taibah University in Madinah, stated that the legal and religious status of the Two Holy Mosques represents a foundational pillar in the region's history and legislative framework.

He explained that the protection of these holy sites has been respected and revered throughout the ages, even prior to Islam, when caravans of pilgrims heading to the Kaaba were safeguarded by established customs that criminalized any transgressions against them.

He noted that threats directed at Makkah or Madinah are an explicit violation of the sanctity of these regions, and a crime affecting the spiritual and ideological security of more than one and a half billion Muslims.

Gulf

Saudi Arabia, Lebanon Discuss Bolstering Security Cooperation

Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz and his Lebanese counterpart Ahmad Al-Hajjar. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz and his Lebanese counterpart Ahmad Al-Hajjar. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia, Lebanon Discuss Bolstering Security Cooperation

Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz and his Lebanese counterpart Ahmad Al-Hajjar. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz and his Lebanese counterpart Ahmad Al-Hajjar. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz received on Sunday a telephone call from his Lebanese counterpart Ahmad Al-Hajjar.

Al-Hajjar condemned the blatant attacks targeting Saudi Arabia by the terrorist Houthi militia, stressing his country’s solidarity with the Kingdom.

The two sides discussed the latest developments in the region and stressed the importance of strengthening security cooperation within the framework of their partnership.

Gulf

King Salman Directs Citizen Support Measures Ahead of 2027 Electricity, Water Tariffs

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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King Salman Directs Citizen Support Measures Ahead of 2027 Electricity, Water Tariffs

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, based on a proposal by Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, directed on Sunday a series of support measures for citizens coinciding with Saudi Energy and the National Water Company's announcement of consumption tariff adjustments effective January 1, 2027.

The support measures provide a SAR500 monthly allowance increase for civilian and military personnel across civil service salary scales and operational program contracts, as well as retirees and eligible beneficiaries of deceased subscribers or retirees under the Social Insurance system.

Families receiving Social Security benefits will receive a monthly stipend of SAR500 under established regulatory mechanisms to offset the impact of electricity and water tariff adjustments.

For Saudis working in the private sector, the minimum wage a worker must earn to count fully toward quotas under the Nitaqat Saudization program will rise to SAR5,000 six months after the measures take effect, and to SAR6,000 twelve months after the first increase, boosting wage levels and reinforcing sustainable private-sector employment for citizens.