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Saudi Arabia, Syria Discuss Resuming Consular Services

The Saudi Foreign Ministry building. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Foreign Ministry building. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia, Syria Discuss Resuming Consular Services

The Saudi Foreign Ministry building. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Foreign Ministry building. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi Foreign Ministry revealed on Thursday that talks are ongoing with Syria over resuming consular services.

A source at the ministry told Al-Ekhbariyah television that the talks stem from Riyadh’s keenness on facilitating the services for the Saudi and Syrian people.

Officials from both countries are discussing the matter.

The sources added that the resumption of consular services will pave the way for the re-establishment of relations between Saudi Arabia and Syria.

Other sources said a vote on reinstating Syria’s membership at the Arab League would be possible after Damascus mends its relations with Arab countries.

Saudi Arabia will host the next Arab League summit.

Syria’s membership has been a point of contention at ahead of past summit in recent years.

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Malaysia, MWL to Organize International Conference of Asian Religious Leaders

Titled "Promoting Harmony Among Followers of Religions," the conference will take place in Kuala Lumpur. (MWL)
Titled "Promoting Harmony Among Followers of Religions," the conference will take place in Kuala Lumpur. (MWL)
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Malaysia, MWL to Organize International Conference of Asian Religious Leaders

Titled "Promoting Harmony Among Followers of Religions," the conference will take place in Kuala Lumpur. (MWL)
Titled "Promoting Harmony Among Followers of Religions," the conference will take place in Kuala Lumpur. (MWL)

The Malaysian premiership, in partnership with the Mekkah-based Muslim World League (MWL), is set to host on Tuesday the largest international conference for religious leaders in Asia.

Titled "Promoting Harmony Among Followers of Religions," the event, which will take place in Kuala Lumpur, is expected to welcome about 2,000 religious and intellectual figures from 57 countries.

Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Bin Ibrahim and MWL Secretary-General and Chairman of the Association of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa will sponsor and participate in the event.

The conference will focus on several themes such as pluralism, tolerance, moderation, education, building bridges, and inclusive commonalities.

It aims to highlight the role of religion in promoting worldwide peace, enhancing solidarity among peoples, and exploring ways of civilizational cooperation. It will also launch initiatives based on the "Makkah Declaration" and promote religious values.

Gulf

Saudi FM Discusses Latest Developments with Swiss Counterpart

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah. (AFP)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah. (AFP)
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Saudi FM Discusses Latest Developments with Swiss Counterpart

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah. (AFP)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah. (AFP)

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah held a telephone call with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
The two ministers discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and exchanged views on the latest developments of mutual interest.

Gulf

Saudi Air Force Takes Part in 'Desert Flag' Drill in UAE

The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) is participating in the drill with all of its air, technical and support teams. (Saudi Defense Ministry)
The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) is participating in the drill with all of its air, technical and support teams. (Saudi Defense Ministry)
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Saudi Air Force Takes Part in 'Desert Flag' Drill in UAE

The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) is participating in the drill with all of its air, technical and support teams. (Saudi Defense Ministry)
The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) is participating in the drill with all of its air, technical and support teams. (Saudi Defense Ministry)

Saudi jets took part in the "Desert Flag" air drill in the United Arab Emirates.

The pilots took part in over 70 hours of flight training at the al-Dhafra air base.

Several friendly countries were also involved in the three-week exercise, including Oman, Türkiye, the United States, France and South Korea.

The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) is participating in the drill with all of its air, technical and support teams.

The exercise aims to exchange military expertise in planning and execution and raising the combat readiness of forces. It also seeks to bolster relations between the participating forces.

The drill kicked off at the al-Dhafra base on April 22.

Gulf

Saudi Arabia Launches Nusuk Card to Facilitate Movement of Pilgrims

Worshippers are seen at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Worshippers are seen at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Launches Nusuk Card to Facilitate Movement of Pilgrims

Worshippers are seen at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Worshippers are seen at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah launched on Tuesday the Nusuk card that will facilitate the movement of all pilgrims at the holy sites.

It also offers a number of services and privileges that can be accessed through the Nusuk and Tawakkalna apps.

Nusuk acts as an identification card for pilgrims. It is a comprehensive platform that allows the user to register their personal and health data and other important information. The user can also benefit from a broad array of services.

The user can receive the card through Hajj offices after they obtain their Hajj permit.

Nusuk also works to deepen the Hajj experience by allowing the user to access different services, such as places of accommodation and transport. It provides information about historic, cultural and Islamic locations.

It also allows workers involved in the Hajj pilgrimage to meet the needs of and service the pilgrims.

Nusuk is part of a greater plan the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah is aiming to launch with the goal of utilizing technology to ensure pilgrims have a smooth journey that begins from the moment they arrive in the Kingdom to the moment they leave.

Saudi Arabia is keen on developing procedures and regulations and dedicating technology to facilitate the holy journey and ensure the largest number possible of Muslims can travel to the Kingdom to perform the Hajj and Umrah.

Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah was in Indonesia where he handed the first Nusuk card to Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Qoumas.

He also met with senior officials, heads of companies and investors to discuss the available opportunities to elevate the services offered during the Hajj.

Along with Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi, he oversaw the signing of an air transport agreement aimed at increasing the number of flights transporting Indonesian pilgrims headed to Saudi Arabia.

Gulf

Saudi Defense Minister Chairs Meeting of General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information

Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA).
Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA).
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Saudi Defense Minister Chairs Meeting of General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information

Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA).
Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA).

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz chaired on Wednesday a meeting of the General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information (GEOSA) in his capacity as its chairman.

Officials reviewed GEOSA’s efforts in building and developing the national geospatial infrastructure.

The meeting highlighted GEOSA's participation at international events and the strategic partnerships it has forged with various entities from the government and private sectors.

The officials were briefed on sectoral and institutional strategies; current and future plans in the fields of geospatial information, aerial imagery, and remote sensing; and the data, services, and products provided by the authority to entities from both the government and private sectors in line with global best practices.

The officials followed up on the progress made on decisions related policies, standards, evidence, regulations, and regulatory conditions for the sector. They reviewed efforts aimed at boosting and developing national capabilities in the geospatial information sector.

The GEOSA board made decisions related to administrative and financial committees.

Prince Khalid underscored the unlimited support accorded by the Saudi leadership to GEOSA in organizing, elevating and supervising the geospatial and remote sensing sector in the Kingdom, ensuring quality and performance improvement.

This approach has allowed GEOSA to assume a leading role in the field of geospatial information at regional and international levels, he remarked.

Gulf

Kuwait Thwarts Terrorist Plot to Attack American Forces

This picture taken on April 23, 2024 from Salmiya shows a view of an aquatics sports center with the skyline of Kuwait City behind. (AFP)
This picture taken on April 23, 2024 from Salmiya shows a view of an aquatics sports center with the skyline of Kuwait City behind. (AFP)
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Kuwait Thwarts Terrorist Plot to Attack American Forces

This picture taken on April 23, 2024 from Salmiya shows a view of an aquatics sports center with the skyline of Kuwait City behind. (AFP)
This picture taken on April 23, 2024 from Salmiya shows a view of an aquatics sports center with the skyline of Kuwait City behind. (AFP)

Kuwaiti authorities arrested a citizen for plotting to carry out a terrorist attack against American forces deployed in the country.

The General Prosecution said on Wednesday that it ordered the arrest of the suspect on charges of “joining a banned organization and plotting terrorist attacks in the country.”

In a post on the X platform, it said the suspect had posted on social media recordings belonging to the banned group.

Other suspects were also involved in the plot.

The main suspect had learned how to manufacture explosives and had incited others to learn how to do so with the purpose of bombing US army barracks, continued the prosecution.

It has interrogated the accused and he confessed to the charges against him. It has also ordered the arrest of other suspects related to the case.

On January 25, Kuwaiti authorities announced that they had thwarted a terrorist plot to attack Shiite places of worship.

Three people were arrested in connection to the case. They were all members of the terrorist ISIS group and were Arab nationals working in Kuwait.

Gulf

Saudi Leadership Condoles UAE President over Death of Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan

Joint photo of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud - File Photo
Joint photo of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud - File Photo
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Saudi Leadership Condoles UAE President over Death of Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan

Joint photo of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud - File Photo
Joint photo of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud - File Photo

The Saudi leadership sent a cable to the president of the UAE offering condolences over the death of Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Ain Region, who died on Wednesday.
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 of Saudi Arabia, extended their sincere condolences and sympathy to UAE President, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Saudi Press Agency said on Thursday.
They extended their condolences to the family of the deceased, appealing to Allah the Almighty to bestow his mercy upon his soul.

Gulf

Saudi FM Discusses Sudan Developments with Burhan, Hemedti 

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah held telephone talks on Wednesday with Sudanese army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and head of the Rapid Support Forces Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. (Saudi Foreign Ministry)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah held telephone talks on Wednesday with Sudanese army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and head of the Rapid Support Forces Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. (Saudi Foreign Ministry)
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Saudi FM Discusses Sudan Developments with Burhan, Hemedti 

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah held telephone talks on Wednesday with Sudanese army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and head of the Rapid Support Forces Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. (Saudi Foreign Ministry)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah held telephone talks on Wednesday with Sudanese army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and head of the Rapid Support Forces Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. (Saudi Foreign Ministry)

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah held telephone talks on Wednesday with Sudanese army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and head of the Rapid Support Forces Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti.

The talks focused on the developments in Sudan and their impact on the people.

Prince Faisal stressed the importance of protecting Sudan and its people from more destruction and deteriorating humanitarian conditions.

He called for prioritizing the interests of the people, ending the fighting, protecting the country and leading it towards safety.

Gulf

Saudi Crown Prince, BIE Secretary General Discuss Riyadh Expo 2030 Preparations

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, meets with Secretary General of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Dimitri Kerkentzes in Riyadh on Wednesday. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, meets with Secretary General of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Dimitri Kerkentzes in Riyadh on Wednesday. (SPA)
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Saudi Crown Prince, BIE Secretary General Discuss Riyadh Expo 2030 Preparations

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, meets with Secretary General of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Dimitri Kerkentzes in Riyadh on Wednesday. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, meets with Secretary General of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Dimitri Kerkentzes in Riyadh on Wednesday. (SPA)

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, held talks in Riyadh on Wednesday with Secretary General of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Dimitri Kerkentzes to discuss Riyadh’s preparations to host Expo 2030.

Present at the meeting were Minister of State, Member of the Cabinet and Acting CEO of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City Ibrahim Al-Sultan and Governor of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) Yasser Al-Rumayyan.

Riyadh won the bid to host the Expo 2030 in 2023.

Crown Prince Mohammed has pledged to over an exceptional version of the global event.

Gulf

OIC General Secretariat Condemns Deadly Assault on Mosque in Afghanistan

OIC
OIC
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OIC General Secretariat Condemns Deadly Assault on Mosque in Afghanistan

OIC
OIC

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) strongly condemned on Wednesday the heinous attack perpetrated by armed assailants in a mosque in Herat, western Afghanistan.
On Monday night, gunmen attacked a mosque in western Afghanistan during prayer time, killing at least five people, a spokesperson for the provincial governor said.
The OIC called on the authorities in Kabul to do more to put an end to the bloodshed of Afghan civilians across the country, identify the perpetrators of this attack and bring them to justice, the Saudi Press Agency said.
It also condoled the families of the victims, wishing the wounded complete and speedy recovery.