GCC Head, Iranian Foreign Minister Meet in New York
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi met with Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi. (SPA)
The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Albudaiwi, met with Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abbas Araghchi, on Saturday on the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The two officials explored the GCC-Iran relations and deliberated on pathways to enhance collaboration for the mutual benefit of their nations.
They also underscored the importance of recent regional and international developments, reiterating their shared commitment to fostering stability and security in the region and beyond.
US President Donald Trump has nominated Republican congressman Wesley Hunt, a US Army veteran, as his new ambassador to Saudi Arabia -- a post that had been left vacant amid the war with Iran.
Hunt's nomination was sent Monday to the US Senate, which must vote on his confirmation.
"Having served in the region both in combat as an Army officer and for two years as a diplomatic liaison in the Kingdom, I understand the strategic importance of the partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia and the profound responsibility of this position," Hunt said in a post on X.
The nomination comes at a time of fresh attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis on Saudi soil.
The group last week seized control of Yemen's Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which has become vital as the wider US-Iran war chokes the Strait of Hormuz.
Arab Coalition: 13 Injured, 7 Houses Damaged in Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabiahttps://english.aawsat.com/gulf/5318365-arab-coalition-13-injured-7-houses-damaged-houthi-attacks-saudi-arabia
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Arab Coalition: 13 Injured, 7 Houses Damaged in Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi-led Arab Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen announced on Tuesday that 13 civilians were injured and seven houses and two vehicles were damaged in terrorist Houthi attacks on three Saudi cities.
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Malki said the Houthic carried out on Monday “sinful ballistic missile and drone attacks on civilian areas in Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif.”
“The deliberate continued attacks demonstrates the Houthis’ terrorist approach and extremist ideology,” he added.
The Coalition will address these attacks “responsibly and firmly to protect the sovereignty of the Kingdom, civilians and civilian areas from these attacks in line with Article 51 of the UN Charter, the right to self-defense and international humanitarian law,” he stressed.
The Coalition will take all necessary operational measures to deter the terrorist militia, he vowed.
French Ambassador to Asharq Al-Awsat: Aviation Leading Our Exports to Saudi Arabiahttps://english.aawsat.com/gulf/5318125-french-ambassador-asharq-al-awsat-aviation-leading-our-exports-saudi-arabia
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and French President Emmanuel Macron chair the French-Saudi investment roundtable in Paris in August. (SPA)
French Ambassador to Asharq Al-Awsat: Aviation Leading Our Exports to Saudi Arabia
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and French President Emmanuel Macron chair the French-Saudi investment roundtable in Paris in August. (SPA)
The visit by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to Paris has propelled economic and investment relations between Saudi Arabia and France into a new phase, accelerating the implementation of joint projects and expanding cooperation in the transport, logistics, energy, and advanced technology sectors, French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Patrick Maisonnave told Asharq Al-Awsat.
The Crown Prince had visited Paris on August 24, where he co-chaired, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, the inaugural meeting of the Saudi-French Strategic Partnership Council.
The meeting marked a new milestone in bilateral relations between the two countries and witnessed the announcement of some 20 agreements and memorandums of understanding across several fields.
Maisonnave said the meeting “consolidated our long-term cooperation and accelerated the implementation of joint projects.”
“France has become one of the Kingdom’s foremost partners and a key player in the economic and cultural transformation the country is undergoing,” he added, noting trade volume grew by 11% in 2025, and Saudi Arabia now ranks as France’s leading trading partner in the Near and Middle East.
“While the aviation sector drives our exports, the range of goods is remarkably diverse; pharmaceuticals, food products, cosmetics, and electrical equipment, for instance, feature prominently,” said the ambassador.
“Economic relations between our two countries are now characterized by mutual investments, sustainable projects, and the transfer of expertise in areas of shared interest. The Strategic Partnership Council now serves as the framework that will forge closer economic ties between France and the Kingdom as we navigate the transformations of the future,” Maisonnave stressed.
Moreover, he noted that France currently ranks as the third-largest foreign investor in the Kingdom. “Our ambition is to strengthen this presence and encourage more French companies to seize the opportunities created by the Kingdom’s transformation.”
“The establishment of large-scale credit insurance mechanisms will further support the participation of French companies in the Kingdom’s major strategic projects. It is a Kingdom where France seeks to increase investment, forge partnerships, develop talent, and create value and jobs,” Maisonnave added.
French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Patrick Maisonnave. (French Embassy in Saudi Arabia)
He highlighted the agreement between CMA CGM and the Red Sea Gateway Terminal to develop and operate Terminal 4 at Jeddah Port as a perfect example of this commitment.
It combines the expertise of a major French group with a global footprint and Saudi Arabia’s ambition to strengthen its position as a key logistics hub - a strategic role connecting Europe, Asia, and Africa, the importance of which was clearly demonstrated during the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, said the ambassador.
“In the realm of urban transport, the contract awarded to Alstom to supply additional metro trains for Riyadh follows the same logic: leveraging French expertise to support the Kingdom’s major infrastructure projects,” he continued.
“I am also very pleased with the growing momentum of this dynamic. The entertainment project planned by Qiddiya in the Paris region is a powerful signal in this regard; for us, it serves as further proof of confidence in France’s ability to attract such projects,” stressed Maisonnave.
Future technologies
The ambassador also said it was “crucial” to strengthen the partnership in future technologies. “The strategic collaboration announced between HUMAIN and Mistral AI is a prime example of this,” he noted.
“This partnership encompasses AI infrastructure, the development of advanced models, and the deployment of solutions tailored to the Kingdom’s needs, with the aim of developing high-performance, sovereign capabilities in the Arabic language.”
In the energy sector, the ambassador said: “We are committed to enhancing the stability of global energy markets and ensuring security of supply. We will strengthen our strategic cooperation in the oil and petrochemical sectors, sustainable power generation, energy efficiency, renewable energy, energy storage, clean hydrogen, and peaceful nuclear energy.”
The outcomes of the French-Saudi investment roundtable, held during the Crown Prince’s visit to Paris, underscore the growing economic ties between the two countries. The event brought together private sector representatives to exchange views on opportunities across various key sectors.
“The approximately 20 agreements and memoranda of understanding announced on this occasion attest to the deepening ties between our companies,” said Maisonnave.
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