Saudi defense minister meets with Secretary Blinken in Washington

Saudi Arabia’s minister of defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman, met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday in Washington D.C. (Al-Ekhbariya)
1 / 5
Saudi Arabia’s minister of defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman, met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday in Washington D.C. (Al-Ekhbariya)
The US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin received the Saudi minister of defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman, on Wednesday. (SPA)
2 / 5
The US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin received the Saudi minister of defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman, on Wednesday. (SPA)
The US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin received the Saudi minister of defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman, on Wednesday. (SPA)
3 / 5
The US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin received the Saudi minister of defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman, on Wednesday. (SPA)
The US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin received the Saudi minister of defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman, on Wednesday. (SPA)
4 / 5
The US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin received the Saudi minister of defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman, on Wednesday. (SPA)
The US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin received the Saudi minister of defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman, on Wednesday. (SPA)
5 / 5
The US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin received the Saudi minister of defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman, on Wednesday. (SPA)
Short Url
Updated 02 November 2023
Follow

Saudi defense minister meets with Secretary Blinken in Washington

Saudi defense minister meets with Secretary Blinken in Washington
  • Prince Khalid and Blinken discussed efforts of calming tensions in the Middle East amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza

WASHINGTON D.C.: Saudi Arabia’s minister of defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman, met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday in Washington D.C.

As well as relations between the two countries, Prince Khalid and Blinken discussed efforts of calming tensions in the Middle East amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.

Earlier on Wednesday, Prince Khalid was received by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the headquarters of the US Department of Defense in Washington, Saudi Press Agency reported.

The meeting came as part of Prince Khalid’s official visit to the United States.

Upon his arrival, the minister of defense was greeted with an official reception that included a guard of honor and the playing of the national anthems of both countries.

Afterwards, the two ministers held a session of official talks, where they reviewed the historical friendship between Saudi Arabia and the US.

They reaffirmed the two countries’ strategic partnership in the military and defense sectors, discussed ways to strengthen and enhance the relations, and highlighted the leading regional and international roles of both countries in achieving global peace and security.

Both ministers also tackled the latest regional and international developments and the efforts being exerted in accordance with the shared vision of both countries, SPA said.

Attending the meeting were the Saudi Ambassador to the US, Princess Reema bint Bandar and Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant-General Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili, as well as several senior Saudi and US officials.


Saudi pharma firms fined $180,000 over product shortages

Saudi pharma firms fined $180,000 over product shortages
Updated 26 September 2024
Follow

Saudi pharma firms fined $180,000 over product shortages

Saudi pharma firms fined $180,000 over product shortages
  • Violations cited by the SFDA included failure to report to the authority’s drug track and trace system
  • SFDA said that it imposed penalties on the 24 firms as outlined in its product guidelines

RIYADH: The Saudi Food and Drug Authority has imposed fines totaling SR678,400 ($180,000) on 24 pharmaceutical firms over failures to provide registered products in the local market.

Violations cited by the SFDA included failure to report to the authority’s drug track and trace system, failure to notify the authority of likely shortages or supply interruptions, and failure to maintain adequate stocks of products, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The SFDA said that it imposed penalties on the 24 firms as outlined in its product guidelines to pharmaceutical, and herbal and health product manufacturers.

According to the guidelines, pharmaceutical and herbal manufacturers, as well as warehouses, are required to maintain sufficient stocks of all registered products for six months, based on annual data reviewed by the SFDA.

Any stock shortages must be addressed within three months, unless the authority issues a decision to cancel the product registrations.

Pharmaceutical and herbal manufacturers, along with their representatives, must notify the SFDA of any anticipated shortages or interruptions in the supply of registered products at least six months from the expected time of the disruption.

Firms are also required to provide solutions to help address the shortage.

This aligns with the SFDA’s commitment to ensuring that pharmaceutical establishments adhere to its regulations guaranteeing the availability of medicine across the Kingdom.

Penalties can reach up to SR5 million, in addition to the potential closure of the facility or cancelation of its license.

The SFDA said violations can be reported by contacting the unified number 19999.


KSrelief Project clears 1,338 Explosives in Yemen

KSrelief Project clears 1,338 Explosives in Yemen
Updated 26 September 2024
Follow

KSrelief Project clears 1,338 Explosives in Yemen

KSrelief Project clears 1,338 Explosives in Yemen

RIYADH: Saudi's aid agency KSrelief's Masam Project dismantled 1,338 explosives in various governorates of Yemen reported state news agency SPA on Wednesday.

This included three anti-personnel explosives, 35 anti-tank explosives, and 1,300 unexploded ordnances.

Since the project's inception, a total of 462,289 explosives have been cleared.

The Masam project is dedicated to clearing explosives in Yemen.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through KSrelief, remains committed to ridding Yemeni lands of all explosives.

This ongoing threat has tragically resulted in the loss of lives and caused injuries to innocent children, women, and the elderly.


KSrelief delivers Gaza humanitarian Aid to Jordan

KSrelief delivers Gaza humanitarian Aid to Jordan
Updated 26 September 2024
Follow

KSrelief delivers Gaza humanitarian Aid to Jordan

KSrelief delivers Gaza humanitarian Aid to Jordan

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s aid agency KSrelief delivered a new shipment of aid for the Gaza Strip to the Jordanian Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO) in Amman reported state news agency SPA on Wednsday.

The Jordanian Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO) in Amman is preparing aid packages to send to Gaza via Jordanian land crossings.

The aid included 10 trucks loaded with 1,280 shelter bags and 3,537 baskets of essential food items, aimed at securing the daily needs of those affected by the crises.

 


At UN open debate, Saudi FM says violators of international law must be held accountable without favor

At UN open debate, Saudi FM says violators of international law must be held accountable without favor
Updated 26 September 2024
Follow

At UN open debate, Saudi FM says violators of international law must be held accountable without favor

At UN open debate, Saudi FM says violators of international law must be held accountable without favor

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister said restoring respect for international conventions and norms comes through the application of international law and international humanitarian law, and holding violators accountable without being selective.

Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the absence of serious international action to stop the ongoing Israeli military escalation is conclusive evidence of the shortcomings of the multilateral international system and the weakness of international political will.

“The Kingdom believes that peace is the foundation that paves the way for cooperation and development, and is the protector of their sustainability,” Prince Faisal said during the “Leadership for Peace” open debate on the sidelines of the 79th UN General Assembly in New York.

Prince Faisal said the meeting comes at a time when the pace of conflicts and crises is escalating, common challenges and threats are multiplying, and the crisis of confidence in the multilateral international system and its ability to achieve the hopes of peoples for a future of peace and development is growing.

“These circumstances require us to evaluate the state of international multilateral action and the reasons for its decline in resolving crises and addressing common challenges,” he added.

Prince Faisal said Saudi Arabia “will continue to support the multilateral international system, seek to develop it, enable its purposes, and restore confidence in its institutions. It is also committed to strengthening collective action to achieve common security and development.”


AlUla dates auction bears fruitful results

AlUla dates auction bears fruitful results
Updated 25 September 2024
Follow

AlUla dates auction bears fruitful results

AlUla dates auction bears fruitful results

RIYADH: Farmers at AlUla Dates Auction in northwestern Saudi Arabia are moving date boxes from the bottom to the top to encourage buyers to trust the quality of the goods exhibited and the cleanliness of their harvest.

One farmer said that a batch of dates he sold earlier retailed for roughly SR3 (80 cents) less than the projected price for a kilogram, but he was pleased to later sell another type of dates for SR7 ($1.87) more a kilogram.

Many farmers transport ripe dates at the end of summer to the market square while specialized transport companies manage exports to major cities and outside of the Kingdom.

Saud Al-Anzi, another farmer, pointed to two piles of date boxes on either side of the market, one of which had been sold at auction while the other awaited its turn.

He anticipated a fair price of about SR10 a kilogram for his premium variety, known as “berni,” but the auction surprised him shortly afterwards with a price about SR4 higher.

Omar Al-Balawi, the general supervisor of AlUla Dates Auction, told Arab News that the auction was established to root the market value of AlUla dates and enhance their competitiveness after farmers previously traveled long distances to other markets, especially in Madinah, which is about 350 km from their farms in the northern province of the Madinah region.

He said that several gains have been achieved for both farmers and buyers, raising the quality of the varieties and ensuring fair prices.

AlUla Date Auction is continuing its events as part of the “Date Season” during the Fridays and Saturdays of September and October, having been extended for an additional two weeks to allow distant farms in the province to participate in the auction and provide an opportunity for their dates to ripen.

The Royal Commission for AlUla, in collaboration with several government and private entities, organized the auction at Al-Iskan playground south of AlUla until Nov. 9.

The auction allows AlUla farmers to showcase their date products to buyers and investors from within and outside the Kingdom.

The auction establishes competitiveness for AlUla dates in local, regional and global markets, in line with AlUla Vision, which aligns with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 aimed at enhancing the Kingdom’s role to become the largest exporter of dates worldwide.

As part of the festival, AlUla Date Auction 2024 Award will be held for participating farmers in the festival auction, where the first-place winner will be awarded SR75,000 ($20,000), the second 50,000 ($13,300), and the third 30,000 ($8,000).

Winners will be selected on specific criteria related to the quantity and total value of sales.