Tag: Saudi

Saudi Arabia’s team arrives in Iran to discuss embassy reopening

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Tehran: A technical delegation from Saudi Arabia has arrived in Iran to assess the situation and discuss the procedures for the reopening of the Saudi embassy and consulate general in the country.
Citing the Saudi Press Agency, Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) said that the trip comes following the agreements reached between the two countries in Beijing on the normalization of bilateral ties, Xinhua news agency reported.
It added during the trip, the Saudi delegation will visit Tehran to discuss the mechanism for reopening the country’s embassy here, and evaluate the situation for the reopening of the Saudi consulate general in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad.

Following their arrival, it said, the team members met with Mehdi Honardoost, director general of ceremonies at the Iranian Foreign Ministry, in Tehran and thanked the ministry’s officials for their warm welcome and for facilitating the delegation’s visit.
China, Saudi Arabia, and Iran announced on March 10 that the latter two had reached a deal that includes the agreement to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies and missions within two months.
In a meeting in Beijing on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud signed a joint statement, announcing the resumption of diplomatic relations with immediate effect.
Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran in 2016 in response to the attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran after the kingdom executed a Shiite cleric.

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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 9, 2023
Saudi Arabia reveals average time to perform Umrah

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Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has revealed that the total average time for performing Umrah rituals from the beginning of Tawaf to the end of Sai is 104 minutes.
This was shared during the first ten days of the holy month of Ramzan through an infographic posted on the General Presidency of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques’ official Twitter account.
It takes an average of 49 minutes for Tawaf, 11 minutes for pilgrims to move from Tawaf to Sai, and 44 minutes for Sai.

These statistics come at a time when the Saudi authorities conducted field surveys to determine the average time in February 2022.
The General Presidency also stated that the Agency for Security, Safety, Emergency Response and Risk provided more than 500 security personnel to serve visitors to the Grand Mosque during the month of Ramzan.
Moreover, more than 15 multilingual security monitors are assigned to assist visitors to the Grand Mosque.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 8, 2023
Video: Robot serves Iftar meals in Saudi Arabia’s capital

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Riyadh: A robot in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh is serving Iftar meals to fasting people during the holy month of Ramzan.
A video clip circulating on social media platforms shows a robot moving on the sidewalk carrying sunset meals and delivering to volunteers who served people inside the cars.
The robot is shown wearing a jacket with a sign on the back that reads in Arabic— “Ramzan without [food] waste.”

Watch the video below
The General Authority for Food Security in Saudi Arabia (GFSA), a government body, recently launched a campaign to urge the public to reduce food waste during Ramzan when food consumption usually increases.
Traditionally, free iftar initiatives are launched during Ramzan in the kingdom.
More than 11,000 meals were served last week at an iftar party hosted by the municipal authorities in Al-Kharj Governorate, southeast of Riyadh.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 8, 2023
Saudi provides $240M for Pakistan’s hydropower dam

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Riyadh: Saudi Arabia signed a USD 240 million loan agreement with Pakistan on Friday to support the Mohmand Multipurpose Dam Project, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Economic Affairs of Pakistan, Dawn reported.
The agreement was signed by Sultan Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, CEO, Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) and Kazim Niaz, Federal Secretary for the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki was also present on the occasion.
The statement said this loan represents a strong partnership between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in promoting sustainable development and achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs), Dawn reported.

SFD granted USD 240 million loan to Pakistan for Mohmand Dam Project today in Islamabad.(Photo/Twitter: Economic Affairs Division, Government of Pakistan)
Mohmand Multipurpose Dam Project is a major hydropower complex that will contribute to Pakistan’s energy security, increase sustainable water supply for agriculture and human consumption, and improve resilience to floods. Mohmand Dam is an under-construction multi-purpose concrete-faced rock-filled dam located on the Swat River near Pakistan’s Peshawar.
The statement noted that the project is expected to enhance water and food security and improve the standard of living for people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where almost 80 per cent of the population resides in rural areas, boosting the region’s socioeconomic development by creating employment opportunities and reducing poverty levels, Dawn reported.
It added that by using renewable energy sources, the project will generate 800 MW of electricity production capacity, contributing to Pakistan’s energy security. In addition, the storage of 1.6 million cubic meters of water will support sustainable agricultural practices, enable irrigation of 6,773 hectares of new land, and increase the total cropping area from 1,517 hectares to 9,227 hectares in the province, facilitating agricultural activities.
Co-financed by the SFD, OPEC, Islamic Development Bank, and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, the project aligns with SDG-2 (Food Security), SDG-6 (Clean Water), and SDG-7 (Clean Energy) and embodies SDG-17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

During the agreement signing ceremony, the CEO of SFD said this initiative is an extension of the fund’s continued support for development projects and programmes in Pakistan since its inception. He also highlighted the significance of joint cooperation between development funds, as evidenced by this project, Dawn reported.
For his part, Niaz expressed his sincere appreciation and gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its unwavering support towards the development sector in Pakistan through the SFD.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 8, 2023
Yemen govt officials in Saudi Arabia to discuss 3-yr plan to end civil war

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Aden: Yemen government officials have gathered in Saudi Arabia to discuss a comprehensive three-year peace plan to end the country’s prolomged civil war, a diplomat said here.
“Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman held a meeting on Thursday with Rashad Al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), and other high-ranking Yemeni government officials in Riyadh, during which he presented the kingdom’s plan for peace in Yemen,” the diplomat told Xinhua news agency late Friday.
The proposed plan, which is based on a series of back-channel negotiations between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi militia in Muscat for the past few months, has three main stages that will be implemented over a period of three years, he said, adding the Yemeni officials have already shown their initial support for the plan.

The first phase of the plan, according to the source, is “a six-month truce between warring factions in Yemen, during which hostilities will cease and efforts will be made to rebuild trust and lay the groundwork for peace”.
The second phase would entail a dialogue to address key issues and grievances among the various Yemeni factions and reopen the closed roads, airspace and seaports.
The third stage would be a two-year transitional period during which a new and inclusive government would be established, paving the way for long-term stability and peace in the country, according to the official.
A truce agreement between the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebel group is likely to be announced in the coming days, the official added.
Meanwhile, another Yemeni government official confirmed to Xinhua that Muhammad Al Jaber, the Saudi Ambassador to Yemen, along with an Omani delegation, is planning to meet Houthi leaders in Sanaa to discuss the “the final arrangements” of the truce.

Oman and the UN have mediated previous rounds of negotiations between the Yemeni government, Saudi Arabia, and the Houthi rebels.
Muscat’s role has been crucial in facilitating talks and maintaining good relations with both parties.
Yemeni observers hope that the proposed peace plan will be a viable solution to the ongoing conflict and alleviate the country’s humanitarian crisis.
The UN has been working to broker a political solution to the conflict, but previous attempts have failed due to a lack of trust between the warring parties and continued violence on the ground.
Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthis fighting against the internationally-recognised government.
The Saudi Arabia-led coalition intervened in the conflict in support of the Yemeni government in 2015.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 8, 2023
Saudi, Iran foreign ministers meeting in Beijing

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Jeddah: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian met in Beijing to discuss the next steps of their diplomatic rapprochement, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Thursday.
This was the first formal meeting of the countries’ most senior diplomats in more than seven years.
In a joint statement issued after the meeting, the foreign ministers “emphasized the importance of following up on the implementation of the Beijing Agreement and its activation in a way that enhances mutual trust, expands the fields of cooperation and helps create security, stability and prosperity in the region,” SPA reported.

The Kingdom and Iran have also agreed to reopen their diplomatic missions within 60 days of resuming ties, and will proceed with the necessary measures to ensure that happens in Riyadh and Tehran, as well as in Jeddah and Mashaad, where their general consulates were previously stationed, according to SPA.
The ministers also affirmed that the technical teams on both sides will discuss ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries, including the resumption of flights, opening of embassies and consulates and mutual visits by official delegations and private sector members.
They will also work on facilitating visas for the citizens of both countries, including for Umrah.
“The two sides expressed their aspiration to intensify consultative meetings and discuss ways of cooperation to achieve more positive prospects for relations, given the natural resources and economic potential that the two countries possess, and great opportunities to achieve mutual benefits,” the joint statement added.
“The two sides also agreed to enhance their cooperation in every field that would help achieve security and stability in the region and serve the interests of its countries and people.”

The ministers also “expressed their thanks and appreciation to the Chinese side for hosting this meeting.”
Saudi Arabia severed ties with Iran in 2016 after its diplomatic missions in Iran were stormed by protestors.
At the time, the Kingdom asked Iranian diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours while it evacuated its embassy staff from Tehran.
In a related development, Iran also appointed an ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, another key gulf nation.
The UAE, which has business and trade ties with Iran stretching back more than a century, downgraded relations with Iran following Saudi Arabia severing its ties with Iran following the storming of the Saudi embassy in Iran.
In a step change to years of hostility between Iran and Saudi Arabia that had threatened stability and security in the Gulf and helped fuel conflicts in the Middle East.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 6, 2023
Iranian President to visit Saudi Arabia

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Tehran: Less than a month since Tehran and Riyadh agreed to restore diplomatic relations, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has accepted an invitation from Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to visit the kingdom, a top official confirmed here.
Iran’s first vice president Mohammad Mokhber made the remarks on Monday while he was asked by the media respond to the Saudi King’s invitation to Raisi of visiting Riyadh, Xinhua news agency reported.
China, Saudi Arabia and Iran announced on March 10 that the latter two had reached a deal which includes the agreement to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies and missions within two months.

On March 19, Mohammad Jamshidi, the Iranian President’s deputy chief of staff for political affairs, had confirmed that the Saudi king sent the invitation letter to Raisi to visit Riyadh.
In a social media post, Jamshidi had said the monarch said in the letter that he welcomed the deal between the two “brotherly countries” on the normalisation of bilateral ties and called for strong economic and regional cooperation between Riyadh and Tehran.
The two nations have also announced they will reopen embassies within two months and re-establish trade and security relations.
Saudi Arabia cut ties in January 2016 after demonstrators stormed its embassy in Tehran after Riyadh had executed the prominent Shia Muslim cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, who was convicted of terror-related offences.
Since then, tensions between the Sunni- and Shia-led neighbours have often been high, with each regarding the other as a threatening power seeking regional dominance.

They have been on opposing sides of several regional conflicts, including the civil wars in Syria and Yemen.
Also on Monday, it was announced that Iran and Saudi Arabia will open a joint chamber of commerce soon.
Keyvan Kashefi, a member of the presiding board of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA), said that Tehran plans to begin the exchange of business delegations with Saudi Arabia immediately after the reopening of the embassies in the two countries and the reinstatement of their ambassadors.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 4, 2023
Saudi Arabia announces voluntary oil production cut

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Riyadh: Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry has announced a voluntary oil cut of 500,000 barrels per day from May till the end of 2023.
The production cut is in coordination with some other countries of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC Participating Countries in the Declaration of Cooperation, said the Ministry in a statement on Sunday.
It noted that the voluntary cut is in addition to the reduction in production agreed upon at the 33rd OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting on October 5, 2022, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Ministry clarified that the decision is a precautionary measure aimed at supporting the stability of the global oil market.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 3, 2023
Saudi Arabia to become SCO dialogue partner

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Riyadh: The cabinet of Saudi Arabia’s government has approved a memorandum granting the country the status of a dialogue partner in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, according to Saudi Gazette, citing Saudi Press Agency.
The Cabinet, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman at Al-Salam Palace on Tuesday, approved the cooperation agreement between the Presidency of State Security in the Kingdom and the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in India for combating terrorist crimes and its financing.
According to the Saudi Gazette, the cabinet has amended article 4 of the provisions regulating the National Tobacco Control Committee to, “The committee shall have a secretariat based in the Public Health Authority in Riyadh.”
At the beginning of the session, the Cabinet reviewed the details of telephone conversations between the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman and the president of the Republic of France, the prime minister of the Republic of Iraq and the president of the People’s Republic of China.
The discussions centred around relations, areas of partnership, and opportunities to strengthen cooperation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, reported Saudi Gazette.
In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, Minister of Media Salman Bin Yousef Al-Dosari said that the Cabinet also reviewed the outcomes of the 155th Session of the Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and discussed the developments in joint Gulf action and political issues in the regional and international arenas.
The Cabinet reviewed the latest international developments. It condemned attempts to burn copies of the Holy Qur’an. It stressed the need to consolidate the values of dialogue, tolerance, and respect and reject everything that spreads hatred and extremism.
The Cabinet has also authorised the minister of energy, and chairman of the board of directors of King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy to discuss and sign with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) a draft agreement between King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy and the International Atomic Energy Agency regarding the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Program.

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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 31, 2023
Saudi Arabia to renovate 1300-year-old Al-Safa mosque in Al-Baha

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Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s 13th century mosque built nearly 1,350 years ago, will be renovated as part of a project to safeguard the Kingdom’s heritage, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
This step comes within the framework of the second phase of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s project to develop historic mosques, which was launched in 2018.
The project aims to renovate 130 mosques of historical and religious importance across the Kingdom.
Al-Safa Mosque in Baljurashi Governorate, Al-Baha Region, is one of the oldest mosques in the Kingdom.
The renovation aims to preserve Sarat’s unique style and historical value while restoring its aesthetic elements and renovating its construction.
Al-Safa was built with stones from the Sarawat Mountains, and local wood was used in the ceilings, columns, windows, and doors.
The historic mosque is surrounded by buildings separated by narrow lines in the mountainous area. It is supported by two separate columns of juniper trees.
Al-Safa occupies an area of 78 square meters and can accommodate 31 worshipers.

The mosque was built for the first time by Sufyan bin Auf Al-Ghamdi.
The mosque was a prominent social center where villagers would gather between sunset and evening prayers, discuss local affairs and resolve disputes.
During the first phase of the project, 30 mosques were renovated at a cost of about 50 million Saudi Riyals (Rs 1,09,42,66,094).
The second phase covered 30 historical mosques in the Kingdom’s 13 regions, including six mosques in Riyadh, five mosques in Makkah Al-Mukarramah, four in Madinah, three in Asir, two each in the eastern regions of Al-Jawf and Jizan, and one mosque each in Tabuk, Al-Baha, Najran, Hail and Al-Qassim.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 30, 2023