Riyadh hosts first high-level global alliance meeting on two-state solution

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Updated 30 October 2024
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Riyadh hosts first high-level global alliance meeting on two-state solution

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan chairs the High-Level Meeting of the Global Alliance for the Two-State Solution
  • Prince Faisal called on the international community to provide safe humanitarian corridors to provide relief to Gaza

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Wednesday hosted the first meeting of a new global alliance aimed at establishing a Palestinian state.

In his opening remarks in Riyadh, Foreign Affairs Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan reaffirmed the Kingdom’s position in support of Palestinian independence and “the right of the Palestinian people to determine their own fate and end the occupation.”

“The region is witnessing an escalation and continuation of Israeli aggression on Palestine and Lebanon,” he said. “The escalation of this conflict regionally and maybe internationally urges us all to take a firm and immediate stance to put an end to the crimes and violations committed by Israel. Convictions and partial solutions are no longer enough.”

He urged the international community to come together to increase joint efforts in finding a two-state solution for the return of security and stability and anchoring peace in the region and “translate this determination into a tangible reality through working steps and a definitive timeline.”

Prince Faisal also reaffirmed the Kingdom’s request for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages and detainees, activating accountability mechanisms and ending policies of impunity and double standards for Israel, and ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid without any obstacles.

Also at the meeting, which focused on access to humanitarian aid considering Israel’s recent ban on UNRWA operations, was Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

“The vote by the Knesset against UNRWA this week is outrageous and sets a dangerous precedent,” Lazzarini said.

The Israeli government’s call for the dismantling of UNRWA had been made “an objective of the war in Gaza, in defiance of the General Assembly and Secretary Council resolution and of the International Court of Justice, including with a plan to replace UNRWA in East Jerusalem with settlements,” he said.

Describing Israel’s actions as a calculated attempt to unilaterally shift longstanding parameters for peaceful resolution in the Israel-Palestine conflict, Lazzarini warned of the implications of the bill on regional stability and international peace and security.

“For decades, Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory have endured the systematic denial of basic rights, segregation, a crippling blockade on Gaza, aggressive settlement expansion in the West Bank and repeated cycles of conflict,” he said.

Over the past year, “Gaza has been decimated.”

A total of 43,000 people are reported to have been killed in that time, most of them women and children. The majority of the population has been repeatedly displaced.

“Two million people have been trapped in a living hell for more than 12 months,” Lazzarini said.

Most of the population are now squeezed into 10 percent of the Gaza Strip where they must endure abysmal living conditions. In Northern Gaza, 100,000 people are under siege, “waiting for death by either an airstrike or starvation,” he said.

“Meanwhile, the occupied West Bank is on the brink of escalating conflict. Settler violence and military incursion by the Israeli security forces are a daily reality. Public infrastructure is destroyed systematically during military operations, inflicting collective punishment on Palestinians. The economy is on the verge of collapse and despair is growing,” Lazzarini said.

Emphasizing the importance of UNRWA operations, he said that for 75 years the agency had been a beacon of hope for Palestinian refugees, giving them access to fundamental rights such as education and healthcare.

“We have educated generations of students, many of whom have achieved remarkable success in the region and around the world.”

Lazzarini said that more than 600,000 children in Gaza are out of school and that failing to return to safe learning environments meant sacrificing an entire generation and paving the way for more hatred and extermination in the future.

“In times of war, UNRWA has been able to rapidly transform into a humanitarian machine.” In the blink of an eye, teachers turned into shelter managers and clinics shifted into emergency rooms during a near total collapse of the healthcare system, he said.

“Despite this, and perhaps because of it, we have faced a heavy price,” Lazzarini said. Adding that at least 247 of their colleagues have been killed, many along with their families, and almost 200 UNRWA buildings have been subject to damage or destruction, killing hundreds seeking UN protection. And, clearly labeled aid convoys have been targeted and looted by armed actors.

He continued: “Restrictions on the entry of lifesaving supplies into Gaza mean that aid trucks languish at the border while people starve a few kilometers away. Let us be clear, the attacks on UNRWA are attacks against the broader rule-based system inherited from World War II and will weaken a global, multilateral system.”

Lazzarini closed his remarks with a three-part plea to the members of the Global Alliance.

The first is to use all available political, diplomatic and legal tools to reject Israel’s attempt to dismantle UNRWA and undermine multilateralism and the work of the UN.

The second is to provide political and financial support to safeguard UNRWA’s goal during the ongoing plight to a ceasefire and the days after.

And the third is to find a viable path toward a two-state solution through the Global Alliance to resolve the Palestinian refugee crisis.

“If a United Nations agency with a general assembly mandate can collapse because one united nation member state is defying the international rule-based order, then what? What remains standing?”


Trump thanks Saudi crown prince for Ukraine peace talks in Riyadh

Trump thanks Saudi crown prince for Ukraine peace talks in Riyadh
Updated 15 min 53 sec ago
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Trump thanks Saudi crown prince for Ukraine peace talks in Riyadh

Trump thanks Saudi crown prince for Ukraine peace talks in Riyadh

RIYADH: US President Donald Trump said Saudi Arabia did a “great job” in hosting talks aimed at moving toward a resolution of the Russian-Ukraine war, and thanked Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for facilitating the discussions in Riyadh.
Trump said on Wednesday that the conflict, which began three years ago this month, would have never started had he been president.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “talked the US into spending $350 billion to go into a war that that could not be won, that never had to start and never would have started if I was president,” said Trump, adding that Ukraine would never settle the war without US involvement.
Senior US and Russian officials attended a meeting in Riyadh on Tuesday to start working toward ending the war in Ukraine. The meeting was also attended by senior Saudis, but no Ukrainians.
Trump said that Zelenskyy could have attended the discussions in the Saudi capital had he wanted to.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the two sides agreed broadly to pursue three goals: to restore staffing at their respective embassies in Washington and Moscow, to create a high-level team to support Ukraine peace talks, and to explore closer relations and economic cooperation.
Trump, talking at the FII PRIORITY Miami event, which runs between Feb. 19-21, said he hopes that a ceasefire arrives soon.
The president’s speech was wide-ranging, touching on efforts to cut government waste, boosting energy production, and his foreign policy objectives.
Dignitaries included Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the Saudi Public Investment Fund; Elon Musk, the head of a new US federal entity — called DOGE — meant to cut government waste; and Princess Reema bint Bandar, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the US.


Digital Cooperation Organization signs multiple memorandums of understanding as fourth general assembly ends

Digital Cooperation Organization signs multiple memorandums of understanding as fourth general assembly ends
Updated 20 February 2025
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Digital Cooperation Organization signs multiple memorandums of understanding as fourth general assembly ends

Digital Cooperation Organization signs multiple memorandums of understanding as fourth general assembly ends
  • Secretary-general says event marked 4 years of progress

AMMAN: The Digital Cooperation Organization signed numerous memorandums of understanding during its fourth general assembly in Amman, which concluded on Wednesday.

The memorandums were signed between the DCO and the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Foundation, Hewlett-Packard, the Agency for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Sultanate of Oman and 500 Global.

A statement of intent was also signed between the DCO and the UN Office for South-South Cooperation.

The signings came after a delegation from the DCO visited Jordan’s Prime Minister Jaafar Abdel Fattah Hassan.

Sami Smeirat, the Jordanian minister of digital economy and entrepreneurship, and the chairman of the DCO Council, said that Jordan’s presidency of the organization in 2024 had demonstrated the country’s ability to lead global efforts toward building an inclusive digital economy.

He said: “Throughout this year we have launched ambitious initiatives, strengthened public-private partnerships, and laid solid foundations to empower youth and women in the technology sector.”

Smeirat spoke of the 2025 presidency, which was handed to Kuwait.

He said: “We hand over the presidency to our brothers in the State of Kuwait. We reaffirm Jordan’s commitment to remaining an active partner in achieving the organization’s goals. We look forward to continuing our joint efforts to realize our shared vision: a digital world marked by prosperity and fairness for all.”

Deemah Al-Yahya, the secretary-general of the DCO, said that the general assembly marked four years of progress for the organization.

The secretary-general highlighted DCO’s upcoming ambitions, adding: “While we have achieved much over the past four years, there is still important work ahead to drive digital economic growth for all.”

Wednesday’s event featured panels and discussions with leading experts from across the world.

The DCO was founded in November 2020 and currently has 16 nations as members, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Pakistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh and Oman. It also has 39 observer and partner organizations.


Piece of Kaaba’s Kiswah gifted to Uzbekistan’s Center of Islamic Civilization

Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent. (SPA)
Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent. (SPA)
Updated 19 February 2025
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Piece of Kaaba’s Kiswah gifted to Uzbekistan’s Center of Islamic Civilization

Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent. (SPA)
  • Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah is currently on a visit to the Central Asian country
  • He handed over the piece of cloth to Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev

RIYADH: A piece of the holy Kaaba’s Kiswa was gifted by the Kingdom to the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan, Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, currently on a visit to the Central Asian country, handed over the piece of cloth to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the directive of King Salman.

Mirziyoyev commended the Kingdom’s efforts to develop Hajj and Umrah experiences and facilitate the journeys of Uzbek pilgrims to the Kingdom, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said.


Saudi visitors forecast to spend £940m in UK during 2025

Saudi visitors forecast to spend £940m in UK during 2025
Updated 19 February 2025
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Saudi visitors forecast to spend £940m in UK during 2025

Saudi visitors forecast to spend £940m in UK during 2025
  • Visa-free travel scheme, improved flight links boost numbers of Saudis traveling to Britain
  • VisitBritain figures show rise in GCC tourists to UK likely to continue

LONDON: Increasing numbers of Saudi visitors are expected to spend an extra £200 million in the UK this year, thanks to improved visa-free travel and more flight routes.

Tourism authority VisitBritain has forecast 320,000 visits from Saudi Arabia in 2025 — a 12 percent increase on the 286,000 visits in 2023.

Saudi Arabia became one of seven Middle Eastern countries to be included in the UK’s electronic travel authorization scheme when the Kingdom was added in February 2024. 

Under the scheme, visitors to the UK can purchase a two-year permit allowing multiple journeys to the country. This replaces a more expensive, six-month electronic visa waiver.

The scheme is one of the reasons visitor numbers to the UK from Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries are set to increase again above pre-pandemic levels.

Meanwhile, spending by tourists is growing at an even faster rate, according to the VisitBritain figures compiled with Oxford Economics and published on Tuesday.

Saudi tourists are expected to spend £942 million in 2025 — 34 percent more than in 2023.

“Saudi Arabia is a very important inbound visitor market for the UK, and it is fantastic to see the continued growth forecast,” a VisitBritain spokesperson told Arab News.

“With the growing airline connectivity to the UK through regional gateways alongside the electronic travel authorization scheme, travel to the UK is now easier and more accessible for Saudi nationals.”

For the GCC countries overall, there are expected to be 1.4 million visits to the UK this year, up 8 percent on the 2024 estimate.

GCC visitors are set to spend £3.5 billion on their trips, another substantial increase on previous years.

The expected growth in travel numbers comes as two airlines prepare to launch new routes between the UK and Saudi Arabia next month.

UK airline Virgin Atlantic will run daily flights between Riyadh and Heathrow, while budget carrier Wizz Air will connect Jeddah and Gatwick.

As the UK seeks to boost tourism from the Gulf to help its economy, Saudi Arabia has in recent years opened up to global tourism, welcoming visitors to important historical areas such as AlUla.

VisitBritain and the Saudi Tourism Authority signed an agreement in May setting out areas to develop and expand tourism.

VisitBritain recently rolled out a new campaign in Saudi Arabia called “Starring GREAT Britain” that uses famous locations from films and TV to attract visitors.

Overall, tourism to the UK is forecast to increase this year on 2024 levels with a record 43.4 million visits from all countries, spending £33.7 billion.


Saudi Arabia to launch iftar program in 61 countries

Saudi Arabia to launch iftar program in 61 countries
Updated 19 February 2025
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Saudi Arabia to launch iftar program in 61 countries

Saudi Arabia to launch iftar program in 61 countries

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will launch an iftar program in 61 countries during the holy month of Ramadan, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, through religious attaches at the Kingdom’s embassies abroad, is implementing the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Program for Iftar (breaking of the fast) this year.

The program aims to provide iftar to more than 1 million people, the SPA reported.

Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Abdullatif Al-Asheikh expressed gratitude to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their continued support of global aid and their efforts to serve Islam and Muslims, especially during Ramadan.

He added that the ministry, in coordination with religious attaches and cultural centers, has disbursed the necessary funds for the Ramadan iftar program.