Riyadh Hosts International Workshop to Improve Yemeni Institutions

The workshop aims to build and develop the capabilities of Yemeni institutions. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The workshop aims to build and develop the capabilities of Yemeni institutions. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Riyadh Hosts International Workshop to Improve Yemeni Institutions

The workshop aims to build and develop the capabilities of Yemeni institutions. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The workshop aims to build and develop the capabilities of Yemeni institutions. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Coordination Group for Building and Developing the Capacity of Yemeni Institutions held on Tuesday its first workshop in Riyadh, with the participation of a number of Yemeni and Saudi institutions and international organizations.

The two-day workshop aims to discuss means to strengthen the work of the Yemeni government and institutions.

Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammad Al Jaber said that the workshop was organized by the Saudi Program for the Development and Reconstruction of Yemen and aimed at building and developing the capabilities of Yemeni institutions, with the participation of five Yemeni parties and eight international organizations, including the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Union, various UN entities, and a number of Saudi ministries.

Al Jaber noted that the workshop focused on working with international organizations to support and build the capacities of Yemeni institutions, and raise the contribution of the international community, along with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states, to the development and reconstruction of Yemen.

The international gathering also sheds light on the efforts of the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen, and the successes it has achieved in building the capacities of Yemeni ministries, including electricity and finance, and various other bodies within local authorities.

“We expect the workshop to produce a roadmap for each of the capacity-building tracks of Yemeni institutions, under the supervision of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, with continuous support from the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen,” the ambassador said.

For his part, Waed Badeeb, Yemeni Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, said that the workshop would target, in its first round, the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, the Ministry of Electricity, the Ministry of Finance, and the Central Bank of Yemen.

Badeeb valued Saudi Arabia and all donors for standing by Yemeni institutions, meeting their urgent need to recover from the repercussions of the war, strengthening their capabilities, and providing technical support.



Turkish Parliament Ratifies Makkah Defense Pact

General view of the Turkish Parliament. (Reuters – File Photo)
General view of the Turkish Parliament. (Reuters – File Photo)
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Turkish Parliament Ratifies Makkah Defense Pact

General view of the Turkish Parliament. (Reuters – File Photo)
General view of the Turkish Parliament. (Reuters – File Photo)

Türkiye's parliament ratified a regional defense pact involving Saudi Arabia and Pakistan overnight, state media reported.

The three countries signed the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement in August, committing them to come to one another's aid if any member is attacked.

Lawmakers approved the measure by 279 votes to 119, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency.

During parliamentary debates, ruling AKP lawmaker Ziya Altunyaldiz said the agreement was not directed against any third country and was intended to prevent conflicts rather than escalate them, Anadolu reported.


Coalition Destroys Drone in Makkah, 2 Ballistic Missiles Fired at Najran

Official Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Official Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Coalition Destroys Drone in Makkah, 2 Ballistic Missiles Fired at Najran

Official Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Official Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Official Spokesperson for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki announced on Friday the interception and downing of a drone over the Makkah Region. 

Saudi defenses had earlier destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by the terrorist Houthi militia at Saudi Arabia's Najran, he added. 

Debris fell as a result of the interception, and an assessment of the damage is currently underway. 


Saudi Arabia and Türkiye Seek to Strengthen Security Cooperation

(L) Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif and (R) his Turkish counterpart, Mustafa Ciftci. (SPA)
(L) Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif and (R) his Turkish counterpart, Mustafa Ciftci. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia and Türkiye Seek to Strengthen Security Cooperation

(L) Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif and (R) his Turkish counterpart, Mustafa Ciftci. (SPA)
(L) Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif and (R) his Turkish counterpart, Mustafa Ciftci. (SPA)

Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif met his Turkish counterpart, Mustafa Ciftci, in Ankara on Thursday for talks focused on strengthening security cooperation between the two countries.

Prince Abdulaziz said the directives of King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman emphasized the importance of further developing bilateral security cooperation, building on the close ties between the two countries.

Prince Abdulaziz said the two countries' longstanding historical and fraternal ties had set an example of cooperation and coordination across various fields.

He said the Makkah Defense Agreement, signed by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan, reflects the strength of Riyadh-Ankara relations and their converging strategic interests and priorities amid the current geopolitical landscape. The agreement marks an important step that demonstrates the two countries' leaderships' commitment to addressing regional and international crises, he added.

The talks focused on strengthening security cooperation and coordination, including efforts to combat extremist groups and cross-border crimes such as drug smuggling and trafficking, amid regional and global challenges.

Both sides stressed the importance of further strengthening security cooperation in areas of mutual interest, developing partnership frameworks and coordinating efforts on security issues in line with the aspirations of their countries' leaderships.