Saudi Donations to Gaza Exceed $100 Million

Trucks with Saudi aid to the Palestinian people (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Trucks with Saudi aid to the Palestinian people (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Donations to Gaza Exceed $100 Million

Trucks with Saudi aid to the Palestinian people (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Trucks with Saudi aid to the Palestinian people (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi donations to the National Campaign to support the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip via the "Sahem" portal exceeded $102 million on its fifth day since its launch.

On Thursday, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman issued directives to launch a fundraising campaign on Sahem affiliated with the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) to aid the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

Conditions are worsening in the Gaza Strip under Israeli strikes. The Palestinians need support amid lack of adequate food, shelter, clean water or medicine.

More than half a million donors provided direct financial support to alleviate the suffering in Gaza and contribute to providing the people with the necessities of life.

On Oct. 15, the Saudi Ambassador to Jordan, Nayef bin Bandar al-Sudairi, presented a check for the annual contribution of $2 million from Saudi Arabia to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

The contribution will allow the UNRWA to continue providing vital relief services such as food, medicine, and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini lauded the Kingdom for its ongoing support. He said the Kingdom consistently stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people and supports the agency in achieving its humanitarian goals.

Lazzarini stressed the importance of solidarity and support from the international community.

He urged UN member states and the international community to lend their support to the agency's efforts in assisting the Palestinian people, who are currently facing challenging conditions.

KSrelief embodied the Saudi role in supporting reconstruction and development and providing relief worldwide, making it the most significant supporter and prominent source of relief in the Middle East and various regions.

The center provides assistance to 94 countries worldwide, implementing 2,587 humanitarian and relief projects worth more than $6 billion within just eight years of its launch. It targets vital sectors such as food, education, health, nutrition, water, environmental restoration, and shelter.

Saudi diplomacy is exerting extraordinary momentum to mobilize an Arab, regional, and international position toward stopping Israeli military operations in the Palestinian territories and ensuring the arrival of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

Riyadh will host four summits within 48 hours early next week, starting with an emergency Arab League summit to discuss the situation in Gaza, two Saudi and Arab summits with Africa, and a summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation countries on Sunday.

The Kingdom repeatedly called on the international community, represented by the Security Council, to assume its responsibilities and stop the escalation, prevent the forced displacement of Gazans, and find a just and comprehensive political solution to the Palestinian cause.

Meanwhile, senior Humanitarian Affairs at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Abdul Haq al-Amiri, asserted that Saudi Arabia is in constant contact with international relief and humanitarian organizations, maintaining that the Kingdom has no political or ethnic purposes.

Saudi support and relief programs are established through many official platforms that the government founded years ago, including the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center.

The Kingdom focused on rationing support and aid, targeting vital and strategic aspects that benefit individuals and governments of affected countries.



Oil Spill Affects 12 km of Oman Coast, Masirah Unaffected

Aerial view of oil spilling from the oil tanker Caroline Bezengi into the water, off Al-Qibliyyah island, Hallaniyat Group Of Islands, Oman, August 13, 2026, in this still image taken from a handout video. (Reuters)
Aerial view of oil spilling from the oil tanker Caroline Bezengi into the water, off Al-Qibliyyah island, Hallaniyat Group Of Islands, Oman, August 13, 2026, in this still image taken from a handout video. (Reuters)
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Oil Spill Affects 12 km of Oman Coast, Masirah Unaffected

Aerial view of oil spilling from the oil tanker Caroline Bezengi into the water, off Al-Qibliyyah island, Hallaniyat Group Of Islands, Oman, August 13, 2026, in this still image taken from a handout video. (Reuters)
Aerial view of oil spilling from the oil tanker Caroline Bezengi into the water, off Al-Qibliyyah island, Hallaniyat Group Of Islands, Oman, August 13, 2026, in this still image taken from a handout video. (Reuters)

Oil pollution is affecting about 12 kilometres (7.46 miles) of coastline near Oman's Ras Madraka, while Masirah Island remains unaffected, state news agency ONA said on Saturday after efforts to tackle a spill from a leaking tanker have made progress.

Oil began reaching Oman's coast on Wednesday after spreading at sea for weeks, Reuters reported.

The Environment Authority said response operations were under way and the offshore slick was moving towards open waters.


ADNOC Vessel Attacked Again in Strait of Hormuz

FILE PHOTO: Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 10, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 10, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
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ADNOC Vessel Attacked Again in Strait of Hormuz

FILE PHOTO: Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 10, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 10, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

A tanker owned by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) was attacked while transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, Emirati state-run WAM news agency said Saturday.

The attack happened Friday evening, and there were no injuries, the agency reported.

This is the third such attack on vessels operated by ADNOC in the critical waterway in the last week.

The UAE has previously accused Iran of the attacks.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said that a bulk carrier was struck by an unknown projectile that hit the hull on Friday. It was not immediately clear if it was the ADNOC vessel.

Shipping has been disrupted and the strait has been virtually closed since the Iran war started on Feb, 28.


Saudi Arabia Condemns Repeated Iranian Attacks on UAE Tankers in Strait of Hormuz

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs logo
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs logo
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Saudi Arabia Condemns Repeated Iranian Attacks on UAE Tankers in Strait of Hormuz

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs logo
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs logo

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the Kingdom's strongest condemnation of the targeting of two ADNOC tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz, describing repeated Iranian attacks against commercial vessels as reprehensible.

In a statement, the ministry stressed that these repeated attacks constitute a dangerous escalation, a direct threat to maritime navigation safety and global energy security, and a grave violation of international law, SPA reported.

It noted that the aggression blatantly defies UN Security Council Resolution 2817, which affirms the freedom of commercial navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and condemns any actions obstructing it.

Holding Iran fully responsible for the consequences of its ongoing violations, the Kingdom demanded an immediate halt to these attacks and adherence to international laws. It emphasized that regional security and maritime safety are shared responsibilities, warning that continuing such actions is intolerable.

Saudi Arabia reaffirmed its full solidarity with the United Arab Emirates, affirming its steadfast support for all measures it takes to protect its sovereignty, security, and resources.