Saudi Arabia's KSrelief, UNHCR Sign Agreement to Boost Protection, Healthcare Services in Yemen

Officials at the virtual meeting between KSrelief and UNHCR. (UNHCR Office in Riyadh)
Officials at the virtual meeting between KSrelief and UNHCR. (UNHCR Office in Riyadh)
TT

Saudi Arabia's KSrelief, UNHCR Sign Agreement to Boost Protection, Healthcare Services in Yemen

Officials at the virtual meeting between KSrelief and UNHCR. (UNHCR Office in Riyadh)
Officials at the virtual meeting between KSrelief and UNHCR. (UNHCR Office in Riyadh)

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) signed a $3.1 million agreement to strengthen protection and healthcare services for forcibly displaced people in Yemen.

The agreement will provide nearly 45,000 people with access to essential services, including civil documentation, legal aid, voluntary refugee return support, and primary healthcare, helping vulnerable families maintain stability and dignity amid Yemen’s deepening humanitarian crisis.

Under the agreement, UNHCR and its partners will support thousands of internally displaced people and refugees in obtaining identity and civil registration documents, enabling them to regain access to basic rights, protection mechanisms, and public services. The initiative will also offer legal assistance to address displacement-related challenges, including eviction threats, housing and property disputes, and personal status issues.

The effort is particularly critical as many displaced families lost identification documents while fleeing conflict, preventing them from enrolling children in school, accessing public services, or securing livelihoods.

The agreement will also support Somali refugees seeking voluntary return to Somalia through counseling services, documentation assistance, and safe sea and air transportation, helping reduce reliance on dangerous irregular migration routes.

Funding will further support services at three healthcare centers in Sana’a, Aden, and Kharaz Refugee Camp in the Lahij governorate, providing medical consultations and essential medicines to refugees and vulnerable host communities.

The agreement was signed during a virtual meeting between Eng. Ahmed bin Ali Al-Baiz, Assistant Supervisor General for Operations and Programs at KSrelief, and Dr. Khaled Khalifa, Senior Advisor to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and UNHCR Representative to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

Al-Baiz reaffirmed KSrelief’s commitment to continuing its strategic partnership with UNHCR to strengthen protection services and expand access to essential assistance for displaced families, refugees, and host communities in Yemen.

He said the project reflects Saudi Arabia’s broader humanitarian efforts to alleviate suffering and build sustainable resilience among vulnerable populations.

Khalifa described the agreement as evidence of the deep strategic humanitarian partnership between UNHCR and Saudi Arabia, represented by KSrelief.

The contribution would help thousands of vulnerable people gain access to protection services, healthcare, and legal assistance, enabling them to live with greater dignity and security, he added.

Armen Yedigarian, Acting UNHCR Representative in Yemen, stressed that the support from KSrelief demonstrates a strong commitment to protecting Yemen’s most vulnerable communities and helping displaced families rebuild their lives with dignity.



Saudi FM Attends Saudi-Qatari-E4 Meeting on Sidelines of G7 Ministerial Meeting in Paris

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom at the Paris meeting on Tuesday. (SPA)
The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom at the Paris meeting on Tuesday. (SPA)
TT

Saudi FM Attends Saudi-Qatari-E4 Meeting on Sidelines of G7 Ministerial Meeting in Paris

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom at the Paris meeting on Tuesday. (SPA)
The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom at the Paris meeting on Tuesday. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah took part on Tuesday in a ministerial meeting between Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the E4 countries, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) ministerial meeting in Paris.

The meeting addressed recent developments in the Middle East, including the terrorist Houthi militia’s continued attacks on civilians and civilian objects in Yemen and Saudi Arabia and their implications for regional security.

Participants also discussed diplomatic efforts to support mediation between the United States and Iran to de-escalate tensions and contain ongoing regional crises.

The ministers underscored the importance of strengthening international coordination to secure regional waterways, keep trade flowing, and maintain global supply chains.

Also in Paris, Prince Faisal met with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha for talks on bilateral relations and ways to strengthen and develop them across various fields.

They discussed joint efforts to achieve peace and exchanged views on key regional and international issues of mutual interest.

The ministers signed a memorandum of understanding between the Kingdom and Ukraine on the mutual exemption from short-stay visa requirements for holders of diplomatic, special, and service passports.


Saudi Crown Prince, Greek PM Discuss Bilateral Cooperation

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, meets Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Riyadh in October. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, meets Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Riyadh in October. (SPA)
TT

Saudi Crown Prince, Greek PM Discuss Bilateral Cooperation

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, meets Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Riyadh in October. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, meets Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Riyadh in October. (SPA)

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, held on Tuesday a telephone call with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

They discussed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries across various fields.


Gulf Countries Approve Military Command Headquarters in Kuwait

Gulf officials are seen at the meeting Bahrain on Tuesday. (Saudi Defense Ministry)
Gulf officials are seen at the meeting Bahrain on Tuesday. (Saudi Defense Ministry)
TT

Gulf Countries Approve Military Command Headquarters in Kuwait

Gulf officials are seen at the meeting Bahrain on Tuesday. (Saudi Defense Ministry)
Gulf officials are seen at the meeting Bahrain on Tuesday. (Saudi Defense Ministry)

The Gulf Cooperation Council member states approved on Tuesday the establishment of an advanced headquarters for their Unified Military Command in Kuwait and the deployment of appropriate forces to it, the bloc's secretary-general said.

The announcement followed the 23rd meeting of the GCC's Joint Defense Council, attended by defense ministers from the bloc's member ⁠states, in Bahrain.

The meeting discussed ways to boost joint Gulf defense efforts in a manner that supports the security and stability of the member states and the region.

Representing the Saudi delegation, Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman praised the constructive outcomes of the meeting, which deepen Gulf defense integration and help in elevating coordination and readiness to confront various risks and challenges to ensure the security and stability of Gulf countries.

GCC Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi said the decision to launch the advanced command falls within the framework of boosting joint Gulf military action.

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman at the meeting Bahrain on Tuesday. (Saudi Defense Ministry)

It implements the directives issued by the leaders of the GCC states during their extraordinary meeting in Jeddah in April, aimed at unifying efforts, raising readiness to confront joint threats and challenges, and safeguarding the security, sovereignty, and stability of the Council's member states, he added.

He also praised the competence and sacrifices of the Gulf armed forces in countering Iranian attacks.

He strongly condemned the treacherous attacks by Iran and the Houthi militia targeting civilian installations and holy sites in Saudi Arabia, stressing that the GCC countries stand united in full solidarity with the Kingdom to protect its security and stability, based on the principle of a shared Gulf destiny.

The GCC established ‌its ‌Unified Military Command at a summit in Kuwait ‌in December 2013 to ‌plan and manage joint military operations and strengthen member states' defense capabilities against potential threats to their territory, airspace, ‌waters and interests.