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Saudi Crown Prince Visits Eastern Province, Renewing Tradition of Royal Engagement

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman presiding over the Cabinet session in Dammam on Tuesday (SPA)
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman presiding over the Cabinet session in Dammam on Tuesday (SPA)
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Saudi Crown Prince Visits Eastern Province, Renewing Tradition of Royal Engagement

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman presiding over the Cabinet session in Dammam on Tuesday (SPA)
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman presiding over the Cabinet session in Dammam on Tuesday (SPA)

Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman has arrived in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, a region that anchors the Kingdom’s oil, gas, and petrochemical sectors.

The province’s strategic importance has grown in recent years with major natural-gas discoveries at the Jafurah field, which added an estimated 229 trillion cubic feet to Saudi Arabia’s reserves.

The visit underscores the enduring Saudi tradition of direct leadership outreach. It is part of a continuing series of royal tours across the Kingdom, in which the Eastern Province has frequently played a central role.

The Crown Prince last visited the region on May 17, 2024, and previously in December 2018, engaging with local officials and residents to hear their needs firsthand and outline his vision for national transformation.

During the current tour, the Crown Prince chaired a Cabinet session in Dammam on Tuesday. The region has hosted two previous Cabinet meetings under King Salman since he assumed the throne in 2015. The monarch convened Cabinet sessions there during his visits in 2016 and 2017, the latter coinciding with the 29th Arab Summit in Dhahran. King Salman returned again in 2018.

In his 2016 visit, King Salman inaugurated five major Aramco projects spanning oil, gas, and the knowledge economy. Among them was the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), now one of Saudi Arabia’s most prominent cultural and innovation hubs.

A Legacy of Royal Visits to the Eastern Province

Royal visits to the Eastern Province have historically blended public engagement with key milestones in the Kingdom’s energy development. King Abdulaziz’s first tour in 1936 came just three years after the Kingdom signed its oil concession agreement with Standard Oil of California. During that visit, the King met with senior executives of the Arabian American Oil Company to review exploration progress.

A turning point came on March 4, 1938, when oil began flowing from Dammam Well No. 7 - an event that reshaped Saudi Arabia’s future and the global energy landscape. The following year, King Abdulaziz traveled to Dhahran to mark the completion of the pipeline linking Dammam to Ras Tanura. He personally opened the valve to load the first shipment of Saudi crude, which sailed on May 1, 1939. His tour also included stops in Qatif, Dammam, Khobar, Abu Hadriya, and Jabal Qurain. He returned to Dhahran again in 1947.

Successive kings followed this path. King Saud visited the province four times in the 1950s, including high-profile meetings in Dammam with Syrian President Shukri al-Quwatli and Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. King Faisal visited twice, inaugurating the College of Petroleum and Minerals in 1955 and a major irrigation project in 1971.

King Khalid toured the region in 1982, while King Fahd made five visits throughout the 1980s, launching major industrial, desalination, and infrastructure projects, among them the King Fahd Causeway linking Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

King Abdullah also made several visits between 2006 and 2009, including presiding over Aramco’s 75th-anniversary celebrations and hosting key regional summits.

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Gulf

UN Security Council Condemns Attack on UAE Nuclear Plant

The Barakah nuclear power plant in Abu Dhabi. (WAM)
The Barakah nuclear power plant in Abu Dhabi. (WAM)
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UN Security Council Condemns Attack on UAE Nuclear Plant

The Barakah nuclear power plant in Abu Dhabi. (WAM)
The Barakah nuclear power plant in Abu Dhabi. (WAM)

Russia joined other UN Security Council members on Tuesday to condemn the drone strike on the UAE's Barakah nuclear power plant, which Abu Dhabi said originated from Iraq where pro-Iranian proxies are active.

The unclaimed drone struck an electrical generator on Sunday near the Arab world's first nuclear power plant in Barakah in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, triggering a fire but causing no injuries nor radiation leak.

"Attacks targeting peaceful nuclear facilities in any country of the world...are categorically unacceptable," said Russia's ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzya.

"Against this backdrop, our country categorically condemns the actions of those who carried out the strike targeting the plant on the territory of the UAE, thereby generating risks of escalation," he continued without naming any party.

"We trust that all stakeholders will do everything necessary to avoid a recurrence of such a dangerous incident," he added, noting that the strike likely would not have happened without the US-Israeli operation against Iran, Moscow's long-standing ally.

Abu Dhabi said Tuesday that the drones came from Iraq, where Iran-backed groups have been carrying out attacks against Gulf nations since the Middle East war erupted.

From China to the United States, the other members of the Security Council also condemned the strikes, which have not been claimed by any group.

"What sane nation, either directly or indirectly through proxies, sends drone attacks into an active and ongoing nuclear power plant?" asked US ambassador Mike Waltz, denouncing "outrageous and unacceptable attacks."

"What is the world left to believe? That if Iran...can't achieve a nuclear weapon -- and it can't use it as it has threatened over and over again on its neighbors -- that it's now going to find a clever and dangerous way to weaponize a nuclear power plant?

"I struggle to come to any other conclusion," he said.

Gulf

Saudi Arabia Expands Use of AI to Serve Hajj Pilgrims

The Smart Makkah Operations Center is one of the operational and technical pillars supporting SDAIA’s work during Hajj (SPA)
The Smart Makkah Operations Center is one of the operational and technical pillars supporting SDAIA’s work during Hajj (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Expands Use of AI to Serve Hajj Pilgrims

The Smart Makkah Operations Center is one of the operational and technical pillars supporting SDAIA’s work during Hajj (SPA)
The Smart Makkah Operations Center is one of the operational and technical pillars supporting SDAIA’s work during Hajj (SPA)

The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, known as SDAIA, has expanded the technological transformation Saudi Arabia is driving during the Hajj season, rolling out programs designed to boost operational efficiency and strengthen coordination among government agencies in one of the world’s largest annual logistical operations.

The aim is to deliver faster and better services to pilgrims.

SDAIA’s work included operating and supporting 75 sites in the holy sites and 14 sorting sites and security control centers by providing technical systems and services. It also supported Hajj operations at air, land and sea ports across the Kingdom in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, while running technical systems and platforms in the holy sites.

Makkah Route

Dr. Majid AlShehry, official spokesman for SDAIA, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the authority had continued to support the Ministry of Interior’s Makkah Route initiative, now in its eighth year and implemented with several government agencies.

He said SDAIA provided advanced technical services in 10 countries through 17 international ports, equipping the initiative’s halls with the latest digital solutions powered by data and artificial intelligence. The services helped pilgrims complete procedures at airports in their home countries before arriving in Saudi Arabia.

Mobile device

AlShehry said SDAIA, in partnership with the Ministry of Interior, had developed a mobile device this year supported by data and AI technologies to help authorities complete pilgrims’ procedures automatically and flexibly, particularly for the elderly and people with disabilities.

The device verifies travel documents and visas with high accuracy, ensuring a smoother and safer experience from departure. It can capture biometrics, take a facial image and read a pilgrim’s passport data in no more than 40 seconds, helping improve performance and ease the Hajj journey this year, 1447 AH.

SDAIA also supported Hajj operations at air, land and sea ports across the Kingdom in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, while running technical systems and platforms in the holy sites and supporting sorting sites and security control centers, AlShehry said.

He said the work strengthens technical integration with relevant government agencies, speeds up procedures, supports business continuity and improves operational efficiency during the season.

SDAIA has reinforced its technical capabilities at the Kingdom’s air, land and sea ports with specialized teams working around the clock to ensure the continuity of technical services and primary and backup communication networks, maintaining uninterrupted operational readiness.

It provided technical services at several key ports, including King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah, Taif Airport, Jeddah Islamic Port, the Empty Quarter crossing, Al Batha, Salwa, Al Ruqi, King Fahd Causeway, Halat Ammar, Neom Port, Jadidat Arar, Al Haditha and Al Wadiah.

Operating 75 sites in the holy sites

AlShehry said SDAIA’s work extended to operating and supporting 75 sites in the holy sites and about 14 sorting sites and security control centers. This included providing technical systems and services, supervising infrastructure and communication rooms, preparing workstations and connecting them to SDAIA’s network under approved cybersecurity standards.

The work also covered preventive maintenance, receiving and immediately handling technical reports, and training participating staff to use modern systems and platforms.

AlShehry described the Smart Makkah Operations Center, SMART MOC, in Makkah as one of the main operational and technical pillars supporting SDAIA’s Hajj work this year. The center monitors the performance of systems and digital platforms supervised by the authority and tracks response indicators and business continuity around the clock.

He said specialized Saudi staff monitor data flow, detect technical challenges and address them proactively, helping maintain stable and reliable digital services in line with operational requirements and cybersecurity standards.

Surveillance cameras

SDAIA, in partnership with the Ministry of Interior, developed a smart digital system for security surveillance cameras through the Sawaher platform, AlShehry said.

The platform included infrastructure for smart surveillance cameras, security monitoring rooms and operational platforms to support field monitoring and crowd management in the holy sites and on roads leading to them during Hajj.

The system analyzes data, grouping indicators and crowd behavior using advanced algorithms to measure density and crowd numbers.

AlShehry also cited the Baseer platform, which SDAIA developed with the Ministry of Interior through advanced technical work based on AI technologies and algorithms, including computer vision and large language models.

He said Baseer monitors crowds, supports their safety and helps smooth their movement as they enter the Two Holy Mosques during the Hajj 1447 season. The platform is integrated with security and service agencies, providing field commanders with accurate, immediate analysis, supporting decision-making and improving pilgrim safety.

19 languages

AlShehry said the comprehensive national application Tawakkalna accompanied pilgrims during this year’s Hajj through an integrated package of services available in 19 languages.

Pilgrims can log in easily to view services relevant to their journey, including Hajj permits available through Tawakkalna in integration with the unified digital Hajj permit platform, Tasreeh. The application also allows users to view all types of Hajj permits issued by government agencies.

On charitable work, AlShehry said the national platform Ehsan continued to support projects serving pilgrims by offering trusted opportunities to support Hajj-related initiatives.

He said Ehsan also enabled the electronic performance of the udhiyah sacrifice ritual in line with Islamic guidelines and organized digital mechanisms that ensure efficiency and reliability, while strengthening the sustainability of charitable impact through the Ehsan Endowment Fund.

Gulf

Iraq Vows No Leniency with Parties Harming Ties with Saudi Arabia

Iraqi government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi. (INA)
Iraqi government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi. (INA)
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Iraq Vows No Leniency with Parties Harming Ties with Saudi Arabia

Iraqi government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi. (INA)
Iraqi government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi. (INA)

Iraq said it was ready to cooperate fully in verifying any information about an attack on Saudi Arabia that was launched from its territory, renewing its condemnation of the incident and vowing measures to prevent any breach of Iraqi sovereignty.

The Iraqi government’s latest condemnation came a day after the Foreign Ministry denounced the attacks on the Kingdom, in what observers said signaled Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s new government was keen to protect ties with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.

Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said on Sunday it had intercepted and destroyed three drones after they entered the Kingdom’s airspace from Iraq.

Iraqi government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi renewed Baghdad’s condemnation on Tuesday, saying Iraq “reaffirms its firm and historic position in support of distinguished and lasting relations with brotherly and friendly countries of the region, its commitment to the security of Arab states, the importance of supporting stability, all efforts to ease tensions, and preventing attacks, whatever their source.”

“The Iraqi government condemns the recent drone attacks that targeted Saudi Arabia and affirms its continued joint efforts to strengthen regional security and safeguard the security and sovereignty of countries in the region,” he said.

Awadi repeated that the military authorities did not detect or record any activity from the country’s airspace, stressing, however, that Iraqi institutions were fully ready “to cooperate in verifying any information related to the circumstances of the attack that targeted the Kingdom.”

He stressed Iraq’s “categorical rejection of the use of its territory, airspace or territorial waters to launch any attack on neighboring countries.”

Awadi said Iraqi security forces had taken “all necessary steps and measures to thwart and uncover any attempt in this context,” adding that there would be “no leniency toward anyone who tries to violate the sovereignty of the Iraqi state or damage relations with the Kingdom, neighboring countries or brotherly states.”

Observers are now raising questions over how Zaidi will deal with pro-Iran armed factions and confront their activities at home and abroad, particularly under continued US pressure.

In recent months, after the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran, factions launched hundreds of attacks on targets inside Iraq, most of them in the northern Kurdistan region.

They also carried out attacks on more than one country in Iraq’s regional neighborhood. Those attacks stopped during the ceasefire, before resuming with three drones over Saudi territory.

Many believe the factions’ latest attacks pose a serious challenge to Zaidi’s authority. The prime minister, whose government was approved by parliament last week, has received clear US, domestic and Arab backing, a development that was not welcomed by the factions, which are seeking to embarrass him at the start of his tenure in Iraq’s top executive post.