Khalid Al-Yousef: From the Halls of the Judiciary to the Helm of the Public Prosecution

Dr. Khalid Al-Yousef draws on an extensive background and deep familiarity with the matters of the judiciary. (The Board of Grievances) 
Dr. Khalid Al-Yousef draws on an extensive background and deep familiarity with the matters of the judiciary. (The Board of Grievances) 
TT

Khalid Al-Yousef: From the Halls of the Judiciary to the Helm of the Public Prosecution

Dr. Khalid Al-Yousef draws on an extensive background and deep familiarity with the matters of the judiciary. (The Board of Grievances) 
Dr. Khalid Al-Yousef draws on an extensive background and deep familiarity with the matters of the judiciary. (The Board of Grievances) 

Dr. Khalid Al-Yousef has been appointed Saudi Arabia’s Attorney General, a choice that reflects the Kingdom’s continued drive to strengthen its legal and rights framework by entrusting leadership to figures who combine deep grounding in Islamic jurisprudence with modern legal thinking.

Al-Yousef has emerged as one of the legal and judicial figures closely associated with Saudi Arabia’s judicial transformation under Vision 2030.

This period has witnessed a sweeping shift toward the digitization of judicial and notarization services, a reduction in litigation timelines by more than 70 percent in some circuits, and the introduction of more than 160 services through electronic platforms and alternative dispute mechanisms.

He holds a doctorate in comparative jurisprudence (Fiqh) from the Higher Institute of Judiciary at Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University. His academic research has focused on bridging Sharia rulings with contemporary judicial systems, judicial oversight of administrative regulatory decisions, and administrative law and justice.

Before his appointment as Attorney General, Al-Yousef held a series of pivotal leadership positions at the Board of Grievances. He served as a judge in administrative, commercial, disciplinary, and criminal courts, issuing a wide range of rulings over the course of his career.

He also was a member of the Technical Affairs Office, which is responsible for legal opinions, research and studies, the classification of judicial rulings and principles, and jurisprudential and legal consultation.

His responsibilities at the Board of Grievances extended to overseeing the Decision Support Center, which includes the Development and Performance Oversight Office, as well as the Information and Reports Office and the Strategic Planning Office.

He also took part in teams tasked with drafting the strategic plan and performance management system, contributing to the Tenth Development Plan, supervising the electronic archiving of judicial rulings, and classifying and publishing court judgments.

In 2015, Al-Yousef was appointed President of the Board of Grievances. His tenure was marked by significant qualitative advances that coincided with Saudi Arabia’s broader judicial transformation, including the digitization of administrative courts and enhanced levels of transparency and legal clarity.

 

 



Saudi Leadership Congratulates President of Pakistan on Independence Day

(R) Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, (L) Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
(R) Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, (L) Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
TT

Saudi Leadership Congratulates President of Pakistan on Independence Day

(R) Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, (L) Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
(R) Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, (L) Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

The Saudi leadership congratulated Pakistan on its Independence Day, reaffirming the strong and longstanding ties between the two countries and their peoples, the Saudi Press Agency said Friday.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud sent a cable of congratulations to President Asif Ali Zardari, wishing him continued good health and happiness and the government and people of Pakistan steady progress and prosperity.

King Salman also praised the strong relations binding the two countries and peoples, highlighting the shared commitment to advancing cooperation across all fields.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, also sent a cable of congratulations to President Zardari on Pakistan’s Independence Day. The Crown Prince similarly wished the Pakistani president good health and happiness and the government and people continued progress and prosperity.

 

 

 


UAE Condemns ‘Hostile Iranian Attack’ on 2 ADNOC Vessels in Hormuz Strait

Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 10, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 10, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
TT

UAE Condemns ‘Hostile Iranian Attack’ on 2 ADNOC Vessels in Hormuz Strait

Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 10, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 10, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer

The United Arab Emirates on Friday blamed Iran for attacks on two vessels linked to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) as they passed through the Strait of Hormuz a day earlier.

The UAE foreign ministry denounced what it called "the hostile Iranian attack" targeting two vessels affiliated with ADNOC "with no injuries reported.”

ADNOC confirmed "two of its vessels were attacked while transiting" the waterway on Thursday evening, adding the situation was "brought under control,” Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.

Continued attacks in the strait led to the collapse of an April ceasefire between the United States and Iran.


A British Firm Starts Containment of Oil Spill from Stricken Tanker off Oman

A satellite image shows the damaged vessel Caroline Bezengi and an oil slick off the Hallaniyat Islands, off the coast of Dhofar Governorate, Oman, August 5, 2026. Pléiades. CNES 2026, Distribution Airbus DS/Handout via REUTERS
A satellite image shows the damaged vessel Caroline Bezengi and an oil slick off the Hallaniyat Islands, off the coast of Dhofar Governorate, Oman, August 5, 2026. Pléiades. CNES 2026, Distribution Airbus DS/Handout via REUTERS
TT

A British Firm Starts Containment of Oil Spill from Stricken Tanker off Oman

A satellite image shows the damaged vessel Caroline Bezengi and an oil slick off the Hallaniyat Islands, off the coast of Dhofar Governorate, Oman, August 5, 2026. Pléiades. CNES 2026, Distribution Airbus DS/Handout via REUTERS
A satellite image shows the damaged vessel Caroline Bezengi and an oil slick off the Hallaniyat Islands, off the coast of Dhofar Governorate, Oman, August 5, 2026. Pléiades. CNES 2026, Distribution Airbus DS/Handout via REUTERS

A British company said Thursday it has been hired to salvage a grounded Russian shadow fleet tanker off Oman's coast and stop an oil spill that is threatening wildlife as it reaches the country's shoreline following its dramatic spread in recent weeks.

Satellite images have shown that oil from the tanker Caroline Bezengi has exponentially spread over hundreds of square kilometers during stormy weather, endangering a marine protected area. The region's “Khareef” monsoon season peaks in July and August.

Ambrey, a UK-based maritime risk and response company, said its personnel boarded the vessel with help from the Omani air force to assess its condition before stabilizing it.

The vessel has been grounded off Qabiliyah Island in southwestern Oman following an explosion of unclear cause in early June. Its cargo previously has been estimated at more than 800,000 barrels.

Satellite images also have shown that the tanker is increasingly submerged, and experts have warned of an unprecedented environmental disaster if the vessel sinks or breaks open and leaks its entire cargo.

“This is an extremely challenging situation, compounded by adverse weather conditions associated with the Khareef monsoon,” Ambrey's global response director Ed Wollaston said in a statement. The company did not immediately have any estimates of how long the salvage operation would take or cost.

Oman’s Environment Authority said Wednesday the oil spill has reached the shores of Ras Madrakah, more than 200 kilometers (more than 120 miles) north of Qabiliyah Island. Authorities said they estimated the spill could reach more than 100 kilometers further north, to Masirah Island.

Hanen Keskes, a campaigner for the environmental group Greenpeace, said it is “extremely concerning” that the oil has spread from an offshore spill to the shoreline where it can contaminate coastal sediments.

"It can make the cleanup significantly more complex than containment at sea,” she said. “Even after the slick has been contained and removed, the environmental impact can last for years."

The marine protected area of Qabiliyah Island includes coral reefs, seagrass meadows and endangered turtles, and offers breeding sites for migratory birds. The area is also home to the rare Arabian Sea humpback whale.

The remote area lacks infrastructure, making the salvage and containment more challenging and requiring more safety measures, Keskes said.

The 247-meter (899-foot) Caroline Bezengi is believed to be part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” and has been sanctioned by the British government and the European Union for carrying cargoes of Russian oil.

It had left the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, in Russia, in May, according to geospatial data tracking company SynMax Maritime. The vessel’s owners are believed to be Shanghai-based. The vessel is unflagged, and it is not clear if it is insured.

It is only one of the environmental crises affecting the region. Off the coast of Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian authorities are cleaning up an oil spill off of Qeshm Island that has been attributed to the conflict between Iran and the United States.

Images distributed by Iran’s semi-official news agency ISNA show oil damage to the sandy beaches of Qeshm. It is not immediately clear what caused the spill.

Iran has said it should receive compensation for its efforts to contain the damage. But maritime tracking firm TankerTrackers.com posted satellite images on X saying it appears the spill was caused by an Iranian attack on a bulk container ship off of Oman. The spill drifted across the strait to Iran.