Malaysia seeks closer ties with Saudi Arabia as PM arrives on first visit 

Malaysia seeks closer ties with Saudi Arabia as PM arrives on first visit 
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim arrives in Jeddah on March 22, 2023. He was received by Jeddah's governor, Prince Saud bin Abdullah. (Prime Minister’s Office of Malaysia)
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Updated 22 March 2023

Malaysia seeks closer ties with Saudi Arabia as PM arrives on first visit 

Malaysia seeks closer ties with Saudi Arabia as PM arrives on first visit 
  • Visit is the Malaysian PM’s first outside Southeast Asia since taking office 
  • Anwar is seen as a Malaysian leader having close ties with Saudi Arabia 

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim arrived on Wednesday on his first visit to Saudi Arabia, as Kuala Lumpur seeks closer ties with Riyadh. 

Anwar began his trip with a stop in Jeddah, where he and members of his delegation, including first lady Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Foreign Minister Zambry Abd Kadir and Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil performed Umrah. 

In Riyadh, the Malaysian premier is scheduled to meet King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during the three-day visit, which is also his first outside Southeast Asia since taking office in November. 

Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the trip “reflects the special bond and long-standing relationship with the Kingdom and will provide an excellent opportunity for both sides to elevate bilateral relations and cooperation.” 

As he reached the Kingdom, Anwar took to Twitter to say that the visit will hopefully “strengthen the relationship between the two countries” and “give an opportunity for both countries to discuss existing issues and cooperation as well as explore various new forms of cooperation.” 

Saudi Arabia is Malaysia’s largest trading partner in the Middle East, with total trade valued at more than $10 billion in 2022, and Malaysian officials have been expressing intentions to strengthen ties and explore new areas of cooperation with Saudi Arabia. 

The two countries last month agreed to finalize discussions on forming the Saudi Arabia-Malaysia Coordination Council. 

With Anwar’s visit, Kuala Lumpur is likely seeking to become involved in the developments taking place in Saudi Arabia, said Shahriman Lockman, a director at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Kuala Lumpur. 

“Anwar also probably believes that Malaysia should be plugged into the economic and social transformations that are taking place in Saudi Arabia,” Lockman told Arab News. 

“Saudi Arabia obviously plays an indispensable role in the Muslim world, especially in relation to the annual Hajj. Unsurprisingly, the Malay-Muslim majority in Malaysia expects their prime ministers to maintain a stable relationship with Saudi Arabia.” 

James Dorsey, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore, highlighted how Anwar has fostered good ties with Saudi Arabia throughout his three-decade-long political career. 

“Saudi Arabia and Malaysia have an interesting and smooth relationship,” he told Arab News. “Anwar has always had close relations with Saudi Arabia.” 


Blinken to visit Saudi Arabia: State Department

Blinken to visit Saudi Arabia: State Department
Updated 20 sec ago

Blinken to visit Saudi Arabia: State Department

Blinken to visit Saudi Arabia: State Department

WASHINGTON D.C.: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Saudi Arabia next week, the State Department announced Friday.

Blinken's trip comes as both the Kingdom and US are seeking to broker a durable cease-fire between Sudan's warring generals in ongoing talks in Jeddah.

More to follow...


KAUST signs MoU with nonprofit global health group to develop healthcare services 

KAUST signs MoU with nonprofit global health group to develop healthcare services 
Updated 01 June 2023

KAUST signs MoU with nonprofit global health group to develop healthcare services 

KAUST signs MoU with nonprofit global health group to develop healthcare services 
  • The two will boost cooperation in the public health sector

RIYADH: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) signed a memorandum of understanding with PATH, a nonprofit global health organization, to develop healthcare services in Saudi Arabia.

The MoU aims to boost cooperation between the two institutions in the public health sector by utilizing digital services and sharing expertise

Under the agreement,  PATH will provide expertise to assist KAUST in manufacturing vaccines, developing digital health systems and running a research center at the university. 

 

 
 


Saudi Islamic affairs minister and Azerbaijan’s SCWRA sign agreement

Saudi Islamic affairs minister and Azerbaijan’s SCWRA sign agreement
Updated 01 June 2023

Saudi Islamic affairs minister and Azerbaijan’s SCWRA sign agreement

Saudi Islamic affairs minister and Azerbaijan’s SCWRA sign agreement
  • The agreement aims to enhance cooperation between the two countries in boosting Islamic moderation

JEDDAH: Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance Abdullatif Al-Asheikh signed an agreement on Thursday in the field of Islamic affairs with Mubariz Gurbanli, Azerbaijan’s head of the State Committee for Work with Religious Associations.

The agreement aims to enhance cooperation between the two brotherly countries in boosting Islamic moderation, and tolerance and confronting extremist ideology and terrorism.

According to the agreement, the two countries will exchange information and expertise in Islamic affairs within the regulations and systems in force.
 


Saudi, Malaysian Red Crescent launches training courses for visually impaired

Saudi, Malaysian Red Crescent launches training courses for visually impaired
Updated 01 June 2023

Saudi, Malaysian Red Crescent launches training courses for visually impaired

Saudi, Malaysian Red Crescent launches training courses for visually impaired
  • Over 500 trainees took part in a week-long series of courses

RIYADH: The Saudi Red Crescent, in cooperation with the Malaysian Red Crescent, organized an “Ambassador of Life” course for visually impaired beneficiaries and a training course for teachers at the Saudi Schools in Kuala Lumpur. 

Over 500 trainees took part in a week-long series of courses. 

The Saudi Red Crescent has recently implemented a number of local and international programs aimed at strengthening the Kingdom’s worldwide humanitarian standing and promoting human dignity.
 


Eleventh Saudi relief plane lands in Sudan

Eleventh Saudi relief plane lands in Sudan
Updated 02 June 2023

Eleventh Saudi relief plane lands in Sudan

Eleventh Saudi relief plane lands in Sudan

PORT SUDAN: An 11th Saudi relief plane on Thursday landed at Port Sudan New International Airport carrying 30 tons of food baskets and medical supplies.

The latest aid flight is part of the Kingdom’s air bridge initiative, operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, to help the people of Sudan.

Khartoum and other parts of Sudan have been gripped by warfare between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Meanwhile, the UN said on Thursday more than 100,000 Sudanese refugees had fled to neighboring Chad since the conflict in Sudan broke out over six weeks ago, bringing the tally to more than half a million.

“The number of new refugees has passed the 100,000 mark” since fighting broke out on April 15, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said, as it appealed for emergency support.

Up to 200,000 others could be forced to flee to Chad in the next three months, the agency’s representative in Chad, Laura Lo Castro, said in a statement.

With the rainy season approaching, UNHCR said it needed “massive logistical support” to move refugees from border areas for their safety.