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Saudi Crown Prince Receives Japanese PM in Jeddah

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, receives Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Japan on Sunday. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, receives Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Japan on Sunday. (SPA)
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Saudi Crown Prince Receives Japanese PM in Jeddah

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, receives Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Japan on Sunday. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, receives Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Japan on Sunday. (SPA)

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, held talks in Jeddah on Sunday with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, hours after Riyadh and Tokyo signed 26 agreements covering several sectors, most notably energy and investment.

The leaders held talks on bilateral relations, especially in the fields of economics, trade, investment, and culture. They also tackled means to boost cooperation in line with the Saudi-Japan Vision 2030.

They exchanged views on several regional and international issues and efforts made towards them.

After the talks, Crown Prince Mohammed met with business leaders and entrepreneurs from Japan in the presence of Kishida.

The talks were attended by Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Energy; Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Sports; Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Interior; and Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Also present were Minister of Commerce Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi; Minister of Tourism Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb; Minister of Investment Eng. Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih, the guide minister of the visiting delegation; Minister of Communications and Information Technology Eng. Abdullah bin Amer Al-Swaha; Governor of the Public Investment Fund Yasir bin Othman Al-Rumayyan; and Saudi Ambassador to Japan Naif bin Marzouq Al-Fahadi.

From Japan, the meeting was attended by Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihiko Isozaki along with various deputy ministers and senior officials.

Kishida was on his first tour of the Middle East since he assumed his post in 2021. Saudi Arabia is the first stop on his tour. He is scheduled to travel to the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

Crown Prince Mohammed visited Japan back in 2016. He met then PM Shinzo Abe and they launched Saudi-Japan Vision 2030 that would elevate relations between their countries beyond oil to cover strategic issues.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz visited Japan in March 2017, lending strong support to the strategic economic cooperation between Riyadh and Tokyo.

Several agreements and partnerships were inked during his visit. They included a draft memorandum of cooperation on implementing Saudi-Japan Vision 2030.

Crown Prince Mohammed visited Japan again in 2019 when he attended the G20 summit in Osaka.

The visit resulted in a qualitative leap in relations between Riyadh and Tokyo. Officials signed several agreements covering culture, combating the counterfeiting of products, and boosting SMEs and enhancing their competitiveness in global markets. Agreements also covered energy, industry, international development and investment.

In terms of trade, Saudi Arabia and Japan boast close relations. The trade exchange volume in 2022 reached $47.489 billion, marking a surplus of $34.052 billion for the Kingdom. Japan received Saudi exports worth $40.771 billion, of which $39.779 billion were oil exports, while the Kingdom imported goods worth $6.719 billion.

Japan boasts 101 companies registered in Saudi Arabia. The companies are active in the manufacturing, construction, administrative, professional, scientific and technical services, wholesale and retail trade, information and communications. They employ 13,878 people with Saudi accounting for 57 percent of that figure.

Sixty-six Saudi companies are investing in Japan, including Aramco, SABIC, ACWA Power, and Saudi International Petrochemical Company (Sipchem). Saudi Arabia's investment capital in Japan in 2020 was estimated at $102.6 million.

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Gulf

World Defense Show Opens in Riyadh with Expanded Int’l Participation

The exhibition includes a fully integrated airport with a 2,700-meter runway, four aircraft taxiways, and extensive display areas (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The exhibition includes a fully integrated airport with a 2,700-meter runway, four aircraft taxiways, and extensive display areas (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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World Defense Show Opens in Riyadh with Expanded Int’l Participation

The exhibition includes a fully integrated airport with a 2,700-meter runway, four aircraft taxiways, and extensive display areas (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The exhibition includes a fully integrated airport with a 2,700-meter runway, four aircraft taxiways, and extensive display areas (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The World Defense Show opened in Riyadh on Sunday, bringing together defense and military companies from around the globe to showcase advanced technologies, as Saudi Arabia accelerates efforts to localize its military industries and strengthen domestic supply chains.

The third edition of the exhibition is being held under the patronage of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and organized by the General Authority for Military Industries from Feb. 8 to Feb. 12.

It features official delegations, government entities, and international firms operating in the defense and security sectors.

The event comes as part of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to build a comprehensive national defense industry and localize more than 50 percent of military spending, while boosting operational readiness and strategic autonomy.

Ahmad Al-Ohali, governor of the General Authority for Military Industries and chairman of the exhibition’s supervisory committee, said the show reflects the Kingdom’s commitment to innovation, localization, and the development of an integrated defense ecosystem.

He said the exhibition includes live air and ground demonstrations, static displays, and newly introduced zones designed to enhance cooperation between government bodies and major national and international defense companies.

Andrew Pearcey, chief executive of the World Defense Show, said the event would feature a comprehensive program starting with an official delegations initiative linking senior officials with investors and industry leaders to support international industrial and technological cooperation.

Pearcey said the “Defense Industry Lab” would highlight emerging technologies and applied research, while dedicated zones would focus on naval systems and Saudi supply chains, connecting local manufacturers and small and medium-sized enterprises with global firms.

The program also includes meetings between Saudi government entities and industry representatives to discuss operational requirements and investment opportunities.

He added that the venue includes a fully integrated airport with a 2,700-meter runway, four aircraft taxiways, and large display areas, allowing the exhibition to host integrated air, land, and maritime demonstrations.

Participation in the 2026 edition is expected to exceed previous shows, reflecting growing international interest in Saudi Arabia’s defense market.

South Korea’s air force aerobatic team, the Black Eagles, will take part in the exhibition for the first time in the Middle East. The South Korean Air Force said it would deploy 9 T-50 fighter jets, including 1 reserve aircraft, 4 C-130 transport planes, and about 120 personnel.

Gulf

Saudi Arabia Condemns RSF Attacks on Civilians and Aid Convoys in Sudan

An elderly man picks up his food aid ration at the Umdulu Camp, in Engpung County, Sudan, January 30, 2026. (Karl Schembri/Norweigan Refugee Council/Handout via Reuters)
An elderly man picks up his food aid ration at the Umdulu Camp, in Engpung County, Sudan, January 30, 2026. (Karl Schembri/Norweigan Refugee Council/Handout via Reuters)
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Saudi Arabia Condemns RSF Attacks on Civilians and Aid Convoys in Sudan

An elderly man picks up his food aid ration at the Umdulu Camp, in Engpung County, Sudan, January 30, 2026. (Karl Schembri/Norweigan Refugee Council/Handout via Reuters)
An elderly man picks up his food aid ration at the Umdulu Camp, in Engpung County, Sudan, January 30, 2026. (Karl Schembri/Norweigan Refugee Council/Handout via Reuters)

Saudi Arabia strongly condemned on Saturday the Rapid Support Forces’ attack against a humanitarian aid convoy in Sudan’s Kordofan.

A Foreign Ministry statement said the Kingdom expressed its strong condemnation of the attack against Al-Kuweik Military Hospital, a humanitarian aid convoy affiliated with the World Food Program, and a vehicle transporting displaced civilians.

“These acts are unjustifiable under any circumstances and are flagrant violations of all humanitarian norms and relevant international agreements,” it stressed.

“The Kingdom called on the RSF to immediately cease these violations and to fulfill their moral and humanitarian obligations by ensuring the safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to those in need, in accordance with international humanitarian law and the Jeddah Declaration signed on May 11, 2023,” it added.

The Kingdom reiterated its firm position in support of Sudan’s unity, security, and stability, the need to preserve its legitimate institutions.

It voiced its rejection of “foreign interference and the continued actions of certain parties in supplying illicit weapons, mercenaries, and foreign fighters, despite their stated support for a political solution,” saying such “conduct is a primary factor in prolonging the conflict and exacerbating the suffering of the Sudanese people.”

A drone attack by the RSF hit a vehicle carrying displaced families in central Sudan Saturday, killing at least 24 people, including eight children, a doctors’ group said, a day after a World Food Program aid convoy was targeted.

The attack occurred close to the city of Rahad in North Kordofan province, said the Sudan Doctors Network, which tracks the country’s ongoing war. The vehicle was transporting displaced people who fled fighting in the Dubeiker area, the group said in a statement. Among the dead children were two infants.

Gulf

OIC Condemns Terrorist Bombing of Mosque in Islamabad

A Pakistani man reacts as people attend a protest against the suicide bomb blast that killed dozens of people, in Peshawar, Pakistan, 07 February 2026. (EPA)
A Pakistani man reacts as people attend a protest against the suicide bomb blast that killed dozens of people, in Peshawar, Pakistan, 07 February 2026. (EPA)
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OIC Condemns Terrorist Bombing of Mosque in Islamabad

A Pakistani man reacts as people attend a protest against the suicide bomb blast that killed dozens of people, in Peshawar, Pakistan, 07 February 2026. (EPA)
A Pakistani man reacts as people attend a protest against the suicide bomb blast that killed dozens of people, in Peshawar, Pakistan, 07 February 2026. (EPA)

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) General Secretariat strongly condemned on Saturday the terrorist bombing that targeted a mosque in Islamabad.

The secretariat stressed its categorical rejection of terrorism in all its forms, especially those targeting places of worship.

It underlined its firm stance in condemning these criminal acts, which are contrary to human values and religious principles.

The OIC offered its sincere condolences to the government and people of Pakistan and to the families of the victims.

It also reiterated its full solidarity with Pakistan in its efforts to combat terrorism and boost its security and stability.

At least 30 people killed in a suicide bombing at a Muslim mosque during Friday prayers.