Saudi Crown Prince’s US Visit Draws Four Billion Media Impressions in Two Days

Saudi Minister of Justice Dr. Walid Al-Samaani addresses the press conference on Sunday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Minister of Justice Dr. Walid Al-Samaani addresses the press conference on Sunday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Crown Prince’s US Visit Draws Four Billion Media Impressions in Two Days

Saudi Minister of Justice Dr. Walid Al-Samaani addresses the press conference on Sunday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Minister of Justice Dr. Walid Al-Samaani addresses the press conference on Sunday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary stressed on Sunday that last week’s visit by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to the United States was “the most prominent global event,” reflecting the Kingdom’s growing international influence.

Speaking at the government press briefing alongside the Minister of Justice, he said the visit showcased Saudi Arabia’s expanding global footprint and its ambition to “redefine the limits of what is possible.”

Al-Dossary revealed that within less than 48 hours, media coverage of the Crown Prince’s visit generated nearly four billion total reaches. More than 120,000 media pieces were published in over 45 languages, across 130 countries, through approximately 5,000 international media outlets.

The unprecedented coverage, he noted, demonstrated that the world followed the visit with exceptional interest.

The minister highlighted Saudi Arabia’s accelerating economic momentum, including the growth of the Saudi Export-Import Bank, which has issued more than SAR 100 billion in credit facilities since its establishment, as of the end of September.

He also announced that the Kingdom has increased localization of military spending to 25 percent in 2024, with a target of over 50 percent by 2030.

The Kingdom now ranks first globally in water supply, delivering more than 16 million cubic meters per day, while water network coverage has reached 83 percent of the population, Al-Dossary went on to say.

He described recent weeks in Saudi Arabia as a “global movement,” citing major international conferences and exhibitions that brought together policymakers, investors, and experts from around the world.

These events confirm that Saudi Arabia has become “a meeting point for the world” and that Riyadh is now the capital of major global initiatives whose impact reaches beyond national borders, he declared.

Among the high-profile events hosted by the Kingdom was the second edition of the Global Health Forum, attended by leading international health experts. The country held the 2025 Cultural Investment Forum, which resulted in SAR 5 billion in agreements to support sustainability in the cultural sector.

Al-Dossary added that Saudi Arabia’s cultural infrastructure investments since the launch of Vision 2030 have exceeded SAR 81 billion, strengthening national identity.

He highlighted the success of the “Global Harmony 2” initiative, held in collaboration with the General Entertainment Authority at Riyadh’s Al-Suwaidi Park. The event attracted more than one million visitors, featuring 14 different cultural experiences aimed at promoting cultural exchange and social cohesion.

For his part, Minister of Justice Dr. Walid Al-Samaani stated that the Kingdom is undergoing a “major legislative transformation,” supported directly by the leadership.

He said specialized legislation, such as the Civil Transactions Law, Personal Status Law, and Evidence Law, has enabled courts to focus on factual assessment while reducing judicial discretion and improving consistency.

Al-Samaani revealed that predictive accuracy in judicial rulings now exceeds 70 percent, while user satisfaction has risen to 92 percent, up from 78 percent in 2022.

He also noted the training of more than 2,000 judges and over 11,000 lawyers, along with the digitization of over 200 million real estate documents.

The Virtual Enforcement Court has reduced execution request times to five days, completing more than 425,000 cases this year, cutting processing time by 85 percent, he added.

Moreover, the justice-media partnership continues to strengthen legal awareness and Saudi Arabia’s institutional image domestically and internationally, he remarked.



Fallen Debris in Dubai after Drone Interception

Workers inspect the damage at the Address Creek Harbour hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, March 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
Workers inspect the damage at the Address Creek Harbour hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, March 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
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Fallen Debris in Dubai after Drone Interception

Workers inspect the damage at the Address Creek Harbour hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, March 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
Workers inspect the damage at the Address Creek Harbour hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, March 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

Dubai reported an attempted drone attack and fallen debris in two locations on Thursday.

The Dubai government's media office reported "a minor incident caused by debris from a successful interception that fell onto the facade of a building on Sheikh Zayed Road.”

Earlier, the media office reported "a minor drone incident in the Al Bada'a area.”

Both incidents caused no casualties, it said in the statements on X.


Kuwait Reports Material Damage after Drone Attack on Airport

A man fishes in the Gulf waters off Kuwait City on March 10, 2026. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP)
A man fishes in the Gulf waters off Kuwait City on March 10, 2026. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP)
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Kuwait Reports Material Damage after Drone Attack on Airport

A man fishes in the Gulf waters off Kuwait City on March 10, 2026. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP)
A man fishes in the Gulf waters off Kuwait City on March 10, 2026. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP)

Drone strikes caused damage at Kuwait's international airport, authorities said Thursday, after the facility came under fire again during Iran's attacks against the Gulf.

"The civil aviation announces that Kuwait International Airport was targeted by several drones, resulting only in material damage," authorities said in a statement, adding that there were no casualties.

Also Thursday, Kuwait's electricity ministry said that six power transmission lines ⁠went out of service ⁠after debris from ⁠intercepted drones fell on them.

The ministry added that the electricity and ⁠water situation is ⁠under control.


Saudi Arabia Intercepts Drones Headed to Shaybah Oil Field

Saudi Ministry of Defense logo
Saudi Ministry of Defense logo
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Saudi Arabia Intercepts Drones Headed to Shaybah Oil Field

Saudi Ministry of Defense logo
Saudi Ministry of Defense logo

Saudi Arabia intercepted drones headed towards the Shaybah oil field on Thursday, marking ⁠the third such incident reported on the same day.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense Major General Turki Al-Maliki also stated Wednesday that a hostile drone was shot down while attempting to approach the Diplomatic Quarter.

Al-Maliki further stated that drones were intercepted and destroyed in the Eastern Region.