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RIYADH: The 47th Saudi relief plane carrying medical and shelter supplies for the people of Gaza arrived in Egypt on Wednesday evening.
The aid will be transported from Egypt’s Al-Arish International Airport into Gaza.
The plane was operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center in coordination with the Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense, Saudi Press Agency reported.
The aid is part of the Kingdom’s historic role in supporting Palestinian people in times of crisis, SPA added.
RIYADH: Saudi authorities recently reported multiple drug-related arrests and seizures across the Kingdom, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The General Directorate of Narcotics Control arrested three citizens in Jouf for selling amphetamine and a Yemeni resident in Najran for the same offense.
Border Guard patrols in Asir’s Al-Raboah sector detained five Yemenis and Ethiopians for smuggling 110 kg of qat.
In Jazan, authorities foiled the smuggling of 140 kg of qat in Al-Aridah and arrested a citizen in Al-Dayer for smuggling 59 kg of hashish.
Preliminary legal procedures were completed and all seized items were handed to the relevant authorities.
Security authorities urged the public to report drug smuggling or selling by calling 911 in Makkah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province, or 999 in other regions.
Reports can also be made to the General Directorate of Narcotics Control at 995 or via email at [email protected]. All information will remain strictly confidential.
RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief is helping thousands of people through its humanitarian efforts in Syria, Jordan, Gaza, Pakistan, Lebanon, Mali and Afghanistan.
On Monday, a relief plane — the 10th so far — arrived in Damascus from Riyadh, carrying food, shelter, and medical supplies for Syrians in need.
The Kingdom’s aid to Syria from 2011 has exceeded $856 million in value, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
In Jordan, KSrelief’s community service center marked Arabic Day at the Zaatari camp for Syrian refugees with activities emphasizing its importance as the language of the Qur’an and their mother tongue, including poetry recitations and songs.
In Gaza, KSrelief inspected aid delivered to the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization for transport into the enclave. Measures were reviewed to ensure proper delivery to beneficiaries, SPA reported.
In Pakistan, 450 food baskets were distributed in Punjab’s flood-hit Layyah and Kot Addu districts, benefiting 3,150 people.
In Lebanon, KSrelief provided 175,000 bread bags in Akkar governorate and Miniyeh district, aiding 12,500 families of Syrians, Palestinians, and the host community in one week.
In Mali, 350 food baskets were distributed to 1,400 displaced people in Koulikoro region.
In Afghanistan, 660 shelter kits and tents were provided in Nangarhar province, helping 1,980 returnees from Pakistan and flood-affected families.
Since its inception in 2015, KSrelief has executed 3,208 projects worth $7.2 billion in 105 countries, collaborating with 458 organizations.
KABUL: Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister has said ties with Saudi Arabia were “invaluable” to the country, following his first meeting with Riyadh’s new envoy in Kabul.
Amir Khan Muttaqi held talks with the Saudi Ambassador to Afghanistan Faisal Torki Al-Buqam on Sunday, less than a month since the Kingdom reopened its embassy in the Afghan capital.
“The meeting underlined matters related to expanding bilateral relations between Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia,” Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Hafiz Zia Ahmad said in a statement.
“Welcoming the ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and calling Afghanistan-Saudi relations invaluable and historic, FM Muttaqi underscored the need to increase the exchange of delegations between the two countries.”
Saudi Arabia was among a host of nations that withdrew its diplomats from Kabul in August 2021, following the Taliban’s return to power and the withdrawal of US-led forces from Afghanistan.
Though the Taliban are not officially recognized by any country in the world, Saudi Arabia has joined a number of foreign governments in resuming the work of its diplomatic mission in Kabul.
The Kingdom has been providing consular services for Afghans since November 2021 and resumed sending aid through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center later that same year.
“Our goal is to take advantage of the opportunities available to us,” Zakir Jalaly, director of the second political division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Arab News on Monday.
“We also welcomed the (reopening) of the Saudi embassy and expressed our desire to see increased cooperation between the two countries. Saudi Arabia’s religious, political, and regional position make relations with the country vital for Afghanistan.”
During the first Taliban stint in power in 1996-2001, their administration was recognized by three countries: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
Since they retook control of Afghanistan, the Taliban administration has been working to gain international recognition and dealing on a bilateral level with regional countries, including India, China, Central Asian republics, as well as Gulf nations.
“Resuming diplomatic relations with another country like Saudi Arabia means further steps towards legitimacy and recognition of the Islamic Emirate,” Abdul Saboor Mubariz, board member of the Center for Strategic and Regional Studies in Kabul, told Arab News.
“Cooperation between Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia can also be enhanced in other areas. For instance, Saudi Arabia needs a human workforce, and Afghanistan can cooperate in this regard in case of an agreement and facilitation of work visas for Afghans … Afghanistan can also encourage Saudi Arabia to invest in the country.”
Azizullah Hafiz, a political science lecturer at the Ghalib University in the western city of Herat, said the Kingdom was a “very important country” at the global and regional level.
“Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan have had very long relations. Like other nations in the Muslim world, Afghans look at Saudi Arabia as a leader of the Islamic world and, therefore, expect an active role from the country in Afghanistan,” Hafiz told Arab News.
Afghans also stand to benefit from critical humanitarian aid and development assistance, particularly through investment in infrastructure projects, he added.
“(The) presence of the Saudi ambassador in Kabul will facilitate direct engagement with the Afghan government and overcome concerns as it will also pave the way for enhanced cooperation in areas such as diplomacy, trade and investment.”
RIYADH: Members of Saudi Arabia’s Project Masam removed 639 explosive devices from various regions of Yemen last week.
The total included eight anti-personnel mines, 45 anti-tank mines, 585 unexploded ordnances and one explosive device, according to a recent report.
Ousama Al-Gosaibi, the initiative’s managing director, said a total of 478,222 mines had been cleared since its inception in 2018.
The explosives were planted indiscriminately and posed a threat to civilians, including children, women and the elderly.
The demining operations took place in Marib, Aden, Jouf, Shabwa, Taiz, Hodeidah, Lahij, Sanaa, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhale and Saada.
The initiative trains local demining engineers and provides them with modern equipment. It also offers support to Yemenis injured by the devices.
Teams are tasked with clearing villages, roads and schools to facilitate safe movement for civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
About 5 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the start of the conflict in Yemen, many of them displaced by the presence of land mines.
TOKYO: A Japan government delegation including Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yoji Muto and Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Hisashi Matsumoto held talks with Saudi Arabia government officials on Vision 2030 in Riyadh on Jan. 12, the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo said.
Saudi Arabia officials who attended the Japan-Saudi Vision 2030 Ministerial Roundtable included Investment Minister Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih and Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al-Saud, chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation.
According to a ministry statement, the officials discussed cooperation and progress between the two nations since the 7th Ministerial Meeting of the Japan-Saudi Vision 2030 in December 2023.
Matsumoto stated that he was satisfied with the progress made and that further cooperation was being planned in culture, sports, education and research.
He said Japan remained committed to strengthening relations with Saudi Arabia to mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations this year.
The Japanese officials hoped that EXPO 2025 in Osaka, Kansai, would be a success, and that there would be a smooth handover to Riyadh for EXPO 2030.
