GCC foreign ministers hold 155th ministerial meeting with a focus on regional security, stability

Special GCC foreign ministers hold 155th ministerial meeting with a focus on regional security, stability
1 / 2
Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers held the 155th ministerial meeting at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the GCC in Riyadh. (Supplied)
Special GCC foreign ministers hold 155th ministerial meeting with a focus on regional security, stability
2 / 2
Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers held the 155th ministerial meeting at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the GCC in Riyadh. (Supplied)
Short Url
Updated 23 March 2023

GCC foreign ministers hold 155th ministerial meeting with a focus on regional security, stability

GCC foreign ministers hold 155th ministerial meeting with a focus on regional security, stability
  • Ministerial council welcomes agreement reached by Saudi Arabia and Iran to establish diplomatic relations
  • The council extended its sympathy to the victims of the Turkiye and Syria earthquake, and affirmed its support and solidarity with the people of both countries

RIYADH: Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers held the 155th ministerial meeting on Wednesday at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the GCC in Riyadh, discussing ways to strengthen regional security and stability.

The meeting comes as a follow-up to the implementation of the decisions of the 43rd session of the Supreme Council of the GCC presided over by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in December.

The session was chaired by Sayyed Badr Al-Busaidi, Oman’s minister of foreign affairs, in the presence of GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi.

The session was attended by UAE Minister of State Khalifa Shaheen Al-Marar, Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al-Zayani, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Qatar Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, and Kuwait Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

The meeting began with a review of recent topics, including the council’s affirmation of the decisions Supreme Council at its 43rd session in December 2022 on relations with Iran.

The ministerial council welcomed the agreement reached by Saudi Arabia and Iran to establish diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies in Beijing at the initiative of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The council also stressed the importance of Iran’s commitment not to exceed the rate of uranium enrichment required for peaceful uses.

As a part of the meeting, the ministerial council extended its sympathy to the victims of the Turkiye and Syria earthquake, and affirmed its support and solidarity with the people of both countries.

The council condemned the terrorist operations against Iraq, targeting civilians and Iraqi security forces. The council also affirmed the GCC’s support of Iraq in the fight against terrorism.

The council stressed its solidarity with the countries fighting all terrorist organizations to strengthen security and stability in their lands, including Somalia and Afghanistan. The council condemned terrorist acts that target civilians and civilian facilities, including schools, places of worship, and hospitals in Afghanistan.

The council also condemned the continued foreign support for terrorist groups Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and others, threatening Arab national security in the region.

The ministerial council expressed the GCC’s firm support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, security, and stability. Stressing the importance of implementing comprehensive structural reforms ensures Lebanon overcomes its political and economic crisis.

One of the topics discussed during the meeting included the council’s firm positions on the sovereignty of the Palestinian people and Palestinian territories occupied since June 1967.

The ministerial council condemned the escalation of repeated Israeli violations against the Palestinian people, and called on the international community to intervene in the targeting of the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem.

The council commended the Saudi Program for the Development and Reconstruction of Yemen, as an affirmation of GCC countries’ keenness to achieve security, stability, and development for the Yemeni people.

The council also commended Saudi Arabia on the previous grants to Yemen totaling $4.2 billion and the recent deposit of $1 billion to the Central Bank of Yemen to provide food aid.

The council also called on the Houthis to respond to the invitation made by the Presidential Leadership Council, to negotiate under the supervision of the UN to reach a political solution.

The council also commended the UAE’s announcement of recovery and rehabilitation projects aiding in healthcare, renewable energy and agriculture sectors for 2023, totalling $325 million.

Qatar was also commended on its pledge to establish 10 mobile schools in Yemen.

Kuwait also announced the expansion of its youth entrepreneurship and financial inclusion project to provide three additional grants worth $5 million through the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development.

The ministerial council also stressed the importance of continuing all efforts to support the Syrian people, welcoming Security Council Resolution No. 2642 of Jan. 9, 2023, extending the delivery of UN humanitarian aid across the border from Turkiye to Syria until the end of June 2023.

On the sidelines of the 155th ministerial council meeting, Prince Faisal met with the Kuwaiti minister of foreign affairs to review and develop relations.

The ministerial meeting is held every three months, focusing on the output of ministerial committees that are established after an annual summit.


Saudi king, crown prince send condolences to Kuwait emir over death of family member

Saudi king, crown prince send condolences to Kuwait emir over death of family member
Updated 20 sec ago

Saudi king, crown prince send condolences to Kuwait emir over death of family member

Saudi king, crown prince send condolences to Kuwait emir over death of family member

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman sent a cable of condolences to Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on the death of Sheikh Mohammed Sabah Mohammed Sabah Al-Salman Al-Sabah, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

The king said: “We learned of the news of the death of Sheikh Mohammed Sabah Mohammed Sabah Al-Salman Al-Sabah and we send to Your Highness and the family of the deceased our deepest and sincere condolences.”

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also sent a similar cable to the Kuwaiti emir and another cable to his counterpart Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

The Amiri Diwan in Kuwait announced the death of the late Sheikh Mohammed on Friday morning.


Saudi king, crown prince offer condolences to president of India after deadly train crash

King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman offered their condolences to the President of India Droupadi Murmu
King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman offered their condolences to the President of India Droupadi Murmu
Updated 15 min 28 sec ago

Saudi king, crown prince offer condolences to president of India after deadly train crash

King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman offered their condolences to the President of India Droupadi Murmu
  • Nearly 300 people have died and hundreds of others were injured in the disaster

RIYADH: King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman offered their condolences to the President of India Droupadi Murmu following a deadly train crash in the state of Odisha.

Nearly 300 people have died and hundreds of others were injured in eastern India when three trains collided in one of the worst rail disasters in the country’s history, authorities said on Saturday.

“We learned of the news of a collision of several trains in the state of Odisha, India, and the resulting deaths and injuries,” Saudi Press Agency reported the king as saying. 

“We share with Your Excellency the pain of this affliction, we send to you and the families of the deceased and your friendly people our condolences and sincere sympathy, wishing the injured a speedy recovery,” he added.

The crown prince also shared his “deepest condolences and sincere sympathy” to the president, SPA reported.

 


Drug dealers, smugglers arrested in raids across Kingdom

Drug dealers, smugglers arrested in raids across Kingdom
Updated 03 June 2023

Drug dealers, smugglers arrested in raids across Kingdom

Drug dealers, smugglers arrested in raids across Kingdom
  • Security patrols in Jazan also intercepted the smuggling of 160 kg of qat in the Al-Dayer governorate
  • Preliminary legal procedures were completed, and the seized items were handed to the competent authorities

RIYADH: Saudi authorities tackling drug traders and smugglers reported a number of arrests across the Kingdom in recent days.
On Saturday, Border Guard land patrols in the Al-Ardah sector of the Jazan region foiled the smuggling of 300 kg of the narcotic plant qat.
Security patrols in Jazan also intercepted the smuggling of 160 kg of qat in the Al-Dayer governorate.
Preliminary legal procedures were completed, and the seized items were handed to the competent authorities.
Meanwhile, police in the Najran region arrested a citizen for trafficking marijuana, amphetamine and regulated medical tablets. Firearms, weapons, live ammunition and mobile phones were found in his possession. He was apprehended and faced legal measures.
The General Directorate of Narcotics Control apprehended a citizen in the Turaif governorate of the Northern Borders region for trafficking amphetamine.
The directorate also apprehended two Pakistani residents in Riyadh for trafficking methamphetamine and heroin.
They were arrested, and legal measures were taken against them before their referral to the Public Prosecution.
Security patrols in the Hafar Al-Batin governorate, in the Eastern Province, arrested a Bangladeshi resident for trafficking methamphetamine. He was apprehended and faced legal measures.
The General Directorate of Narcotics Control reaffirmed its commitment to prevent drug smuggling and tighten customs procedures on imports and exports.
The Saudi government has urged anyone with information related to suspected smuggling operations or customs violations to call the confidential hotline 1910, the international number 00 966 114208417, or email [email protected]
Tips received by the authority related to smuggling crimes and breaches of common customs law are treated with strict confidentiality. Financial rewards are offered for valid tips.


Father of slain Saudi student details depths of family’s tragedy

Father of slain Saudi student details depths of family’s tragedy
Updated 03 June 2023

Father of slain Saudi student details depths of family’s tragedy

Father of slain Saudi student details depths of family’s tragedy
  • Three Saudi college students have died in the US this year, two in accidents at popular scenic locations and one who was murdered in Philadelphia
  • Saudi officials say that the deaths are very tragic but emphasize there is no evidence that the Kingdom’s citizens are being targeted

CHICAGO: Abdullah Al-Ghareibi was in his home in Riyadh about to go to sleep on Jan. 23 when he received an email from the Philadelphia Police Department.

Al-Ghareibi said that he had spent an enjoyable weekend in Washington D.C. with his two sons and returned to Riyadh days earlier, sharing happy memories of the trip with his wife and daughter.

However, Al-Ghareibi told The Ray Hanania Radio show, sponsored by Arab News, that he was “shocked” by an email from police asking him to “immediately” contact their offices regarding a “homicide” and his eldest son, Al-Waleed Al-Ghareibi, 25. Waleed was a university student in his final year studying network engineering.

The father was told his son had been murdered in his Philadelphia apartment building by a 19-year-old suspect, Nicole Marie Rodgers, who was from Atlanta, Georgia. Rodgers was moving out of the building and may have targeted the son for robbery, police told the father. Believing no one was in the building, Rodgers allegedly stabbed Waleed multiple times after she asked for his help.

 

 

“Nobody knows exactly what happened. It is just like a logic explanation from police, and the landlady. She (the suspect) didn’t speak and obviously my son cannot talk on his behalf. She tried to befriend just him in the recent days, try to get close. We understand from my son, he was like kind of annoyed. She knocked at his door. His room is on the first floor. She knocked on his window and she said I had forgot the keys and can you open the door for me. She tried to engage in conversation with him. She wanted to find a way just how to rob him,” Al-Ghareibi told The Ray Hanania Radio show on Wednesday, May 31, struggling with his grief.

Al-Ghareibi said that the police believe the murder was driven by the suspect wanting to rob Waleed before she moved out of the building. Police said that Waleed was allegedly stabbed multiple times by Rodgers, who was accompanied by her parents in court. She had expressed no remorse, police said.

Al-Ghareibi said that his family had received extensive support from the Saudi embassy in Washington D.C. as they worked through their pain. Waleed was scheduled to graduate from the university in May, and his father was invited to accept the degree.

 

“I really thank them, thank the (Saudi) government. They are taking all the financial burden on it,” Al-Ghareibi said.

“But still, just emotionally, it is very hard on us as a family. We need to see the end of it. We need her to get what she really deserves. You think something might happen along the way with the court and lawyers and stuff, jury. You know it is not going to be easy. It’s not going to be easy, but we hope she gets what she really, really deserves. What she deserves is a life without the possibility of parole. That’s what she really deserves. But what will happen, I don’t know. It has caused a lot of hurdles we have to jump.”

Al-Ghareibi said that the university his son attended had contacted him and invited him to a memorial service, and presented him with his son’s diploma during graduation ceremonies.

“It was very touching,” he said. “I wished he received the degree by himself. That’s what happened. You have to live with it. It’s very needless,” Al-Ghareibi said, noting that his wife and daughter had not seen Waleed for nearly three years because of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

Waleed Al-Ghareibi was one of three Saudi university students who died in the US in 2023, including Abdulrahman Al-Anzi, 29, who was with friends at a tourist location along the shores of Lake Erie in Cleveland, Ohio on Jan. 30 when he fell into the freezing lake waters. He was recovered from the lake but pronounced dead at the scene.

On May 22, Atheer Al-Khalban, 28, was touring Glacier National Park in Montana with friends when she strayed off the trail and fell over a rocky cliff down a gorge into Avalanche Creek. She was spotted by other tourists who tried to resuscitate her but Al-Khalban, who was attending college in Kansas, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Glacier National Park Public Affairs Officer Gina Kerzman expressed condolences to the Al-Khalban family.

 

 

“Atheer was hiking a very popular trail in Glacier National Park that is known as the Avalanche Lake Trail. Sometime during her hike, early on in her hike, she went near the water. Nobody saw what happened exactly, but she ended up going in the water. She was swept down through the Avalanche Creek gorge and was pulled from the water by visitors who saw her in the water down below,” Kerzman said, noting that there was a steep drop-off along the rocky edge several feet from the visitor’s path.

“Every year we have fatalities in the park. Last year, I think, we had seven fatalities. The number one cause of death is drowning. Number two is falling, people being up on high levels either mountain climbing or just being at high elevations and falling.”

Al-Khalban was walking several feet behind her friends when she disappeared into the gorge and waters. Kerzman said that more than 3 million people visit Glacier National Park every year. May is the beginning of the most popular season for tourists.

Saudi Arabia embassy spokesman, Fahad Nazer, said that the embassy does everything possible to help Saudi families who are in need and suffer tragedies such as these.

“Ensuring the safety and well-being of Saudi citizens living or visiting a foreign country is among the highest priorities for any diplomatic mission around the world. It certainly is the case for us here in the embassy in Washington D.C. Over the decades, hundreds of thousands of Saudis have visited or studied in the United States. The overwhelming majority have a pleasant and productive stay,” Nazer told Arab News during the radio show interview, saying that it is one of the Kingdom’s “highest priorities” to keep Saudi citizens safe.

“However, occasionally accidents and tragedies do occur. As you said, over the past couple years we have had some tragic incidents that led to the deaths of a few young Saudis. As soon as we became aware of such tragedies, we immediately contacted the families of the deceased to provide any assistance that they may need. We also stay in touch with local authorities to make sure that we have all the details and we share these details with the families as soon as we obtain them.”

Nazer added: “Of course, our hearts go out to the families of these young Saudis. There is nothing more tragic than the death of a young person. However, I do have to stress that these are isolated incidents. We have no reason to believe that Saudi students or Saudis in general are being targeted in the United States.”

Al-Ghareibi, Kerzman and Nazer made their comments during an appearance on “The Ray Hanania Radio Show,” broadcast on Wednesday, May 31 live in Detroit and Washington D.C. on the US Arab Radio Network and sponsored by Arab News.

You can listen to the radio show’s podcast by visiting ArabNews.com/rayradioshow.


KSrelief distributes aid packages in Afghanistan, Syria and Sudan

KSrelief distributes aid packages in Afghanistan, Syria and Sudan
Updated 03 June 2023

KSrelief distributes aid packages in Afghanistan, Syria and Sudan

KSrelief distributes aid packages in Afghanistan, Syria and Sudan

RIYADH: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) has distributed food packages in Afghanistan, Syria and Sudan.
In Afghanistan, around 350 food packages were distributed to orphans and widows as well as needy residents in Kandahar Province, and benefited 350 families affected by the floods this year.
In Jindires of Syria’s Aleppo governorate, 1,580 food packages and 1,580 hygiene kits were given out to families affected by the earthquake in February.
The center has also sent its first aid shipment to Sudan via the Saudi relief sea bridge, comprising 50 tons of food products.
The KSrelief aid aims to alleviate the suffering of people affected by natural disasters of floods and earthquakes across the world in different cities, benefiting thousands of families in need.