Bahraini Foreign Minister Warns Against Nuclear Proliferation Threat

Bahraini Foreign Minister, Abdul Latif al-Zayani participated in the Think Research and Advisory forum.
Bahraini Foreign Minister, Abdul Latif al-Zayani participated in the Think Research and Advisory forum.
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Bahraini Foreign Minister Warns Against Nuclear Proliferation Threat

Bahraini Foreign Minister, Abdul Latif al-Zayani participated in the Think Research and Advisory forum.
Bahraini Foreign Minister, Abdul Latif al-Zayani participated in the Think Research and Advisory forum.

Bahraini Foreign Minister, Abdul Latif al-Zayani, stressed on Saturday the importance of ensuring stability, security, and prosperity in the Middle East, also warning of the danger of nuclear proliferation.

The FM then called on the US to promote peace and stability in the region, describing Washington as “one of Bahrain’s closest allies.”

On Friday, al-Zayani attended a forum organized by the Middle East Institute and Think Research and Advisory on the sidelines of the 77th UN General Assembly in New York.

He warned of the danger of terrorism, saying that “terrorism has no borders, and therefore no country should think itself immune to its threats.”

The Minister then called for united efforts to confront terrorism and its various faces, including the proliferation of nuclear weapons and the threats from missiles and drone technologies.

“Many young people in the Middle East are deprived of shelter, education, health care, and food,” he said, asking, “what can we do to change this reality?”

The senior Bahraini diplomat pointed to the need to work to strengthen development programs and institutions that are concerned with improving these needs, adding that US cooperation with countries in the region will lead to addressing those different challenges.

During the session, the FM also noted that climate change is one of the threats facing the world.

Bahrain’s Foreign Minister then welcomed the statement of Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on the two-state solution.

“PM Lapid’s announcement of his support for the two-state solution is a positive opportunity that we can build on,” the Bahraini minister said.

He added: “We must consider investing this opportunity to encourage the US and push it together with other countries to support this initiative, and adopt the two-state solution based on the peace initiative.”

He stressed that words must be turned into deeds.



Saudi Crown Prince Launches National Red Sea Sustainability Strategy

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. SPA
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. SPA
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Saudi Crown Prince Launches National Red Sea Sustainability Strategy

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. SPA
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. SPA

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who is also Prime Minister and Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, launched on Wednesday the National Red Sea Sustainability Strategy.

The strategy protects the Red Sea, empowers communities, and paves the way for the transition to a blue economy, to achieve economic diversification in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, and the recently announced national priorities for RDI, specifically Sustainable Environment and Supply of Essential Needs.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continues to unleash its enormous economic, geographical and cultural potential, and its pioneering efforts in sustainability and environmental conservation,” said the Crown Prince.

“Through this strategy, the Kingdom positions the blue economy as a fundamental pillar of its diversified economy and aspires for the Red Sea region to become a global reference for leading blue economy activities, and for the Kingdom to become a global leader in the field of research, development and innovation in blue economy,” he stated.

“The Kingdom also reaffirms its commitment to a sustainable future for the Red Sea, and we look forward to everyone’s cooperation in protecting our Red Sea Coast, and the nature and communities that depend on it,” the Crown Prince added.

The Red Sea is one of Saudi Arabia’s unique and biodiverse regions – an area of 186,000 square kilometers, with 1,800 km of coastline, the Red Sea itself is home to the world's fourth-largest barrier reef system, 6.2% of the globe’s coral reefs and hundreds of islands.
The strategy sets out a comprehensive national framework that explains how to preserve and regenerate the natural treasures in the Red Sea, ensuring that citizens, residents and visitors enjoy them and sustain them for generations to come.

The strategy demonstrates the contribution of protecting the natural environment in unlocking the economic potential of the region and initiating the transition to the blue economy, creating investment opportunities for innovative companies in various marine sectors, including ecotourism, fisheries, renewable energy, water desalination, shipping and industry.

To support the national economy, the strategy aims, by 2030, to: increase the coverage of marine and coastal protected areas from 3% to 30%, support the contribution of renewable energy to 50% of the targeted energy mix, create thousands of new job opportunities related to blue economy activities, and protect the Kingdom’s investments.

The strategy protects the Kingdom’s investments in coastal tourism projects which will potentially contribute to the GDP yearly.
The strategy is structured around 5 strategic objectives: Environmental Sustainability, Economic Development, Social Development, Safety and Security, and Governance and Collaboration. It includes 48 initiatives that were developed to achieve the Kingdom’s ambitions for the blue economy.

The announcement of the strategy clarifies the central role played by the Kingdom in protecting natural resources in light of the environmental and climate challenges that the world is experiencing today and charts a new path that combines economic growth and environmental sustainability.