Biden thanks Saudi Arabia as Kingdom evacuates over 150 Saudis, foreign nationals from Sudan

Biden thanks Saudi Arabia as Kingdom evacuates over 150 Saudis, foreign nationals from Sudan
More than 300 people have been killed since the fighting erupted on April 15 between forces loyal to Sudan's army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). (File/AFP)
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Updated 24 April 2023
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Biden thanks Saudi Arabia as Kingdom evacuates over 150 Saudis, foreign nationals from Sudan

Biden thanks Saudi Arabia as Kingdom evacuates over 150 Saudis, foreign nationals from Sudan
  • 5 ships carrying 158 people from 11 different countries arrived from Sudan
  • Evacuated people were transported to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia

JEDDAH: More than 150 people from various nations reached the safety of Saudi Arabia on Saturday in the first announced evacuation of civilians from Sudan, where fighting between the army and paramilitaries entered a second week following a brief lull.

Foreign nations have said they are preparing for the potential evacuation of thousands more of their nationals, even though Sudan’s main airport remains closed.

As the Kingdom’s naval forces transported the civilians, including diplomats and international officials, across the Red Sea from Port Sudan to Jeddah, fighting resumed in Sudan’s capital Khartoum after a temporary truce saw gunfire momentarily die down on Friday, the first day of Eid Al-Fitr.

Fighting has left hundreds dead and thousands wounded while survivors cope with shortages of electricity and food.

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry announced the “safe arrival” of 91 of its citizens along with nationals from Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Canada and Burkina Faso.

It added that diplomats and international officials were among those who arrived in the evacuation operation carried out by the Royal Saudi Navy with the support of various branches of the armed forces.

US President Joe Biden thanked the Kingdom, Djibouti and Ethiopia for facilitating the plan to get US personnel out of Khartoum. 

“I thank Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Saudi Arabia, which were critical to the success of our operation,” he said in a statement on Saturday, calling for a ceasefire to allow “unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan”. 

The Saudi ministry said in a statement: “The Kingdom worked to provide all the basic needs of foreign nationals in preparation for their departure to their countries.

“The first evacuation vessel from Sudan has arrived, carrying 50 (Saudi) citizens and a number of nationals from friendly countries,” the official Al-Ekhbariyah television said.

The first boat docked at the Red Sea port of Jeddah where the four other ships carrying 108 people from 11 different countries was expected to arrive later from Sudan, the broadcaster said.

Al-Ekhbariyah carried footage of large vessels arriving in Jeddah’s port. It also released a video showing women and children carrying Saudi flags on board one of the ships.

Those who have arrived in Jeddah include the crew of a Saudi passenger plane that was hit by gunfire while preparing to take off from Khartoum at the start of the fighting on April 15, according to Saudi state TV.

A convoy of vehicles carried the evacuees to Port Sudan from where they boarded ships to Jeddah, according to the Saudi broadcaster.

Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji received the first batch of citizens and foreign nationals, upon their arrival today at King Faisal Naval Base in the Western Fleet in Jeddah on board the His Majesty King Jubail ship.




Saudi security forces welcome Saudi citizens and other nationals with chocolates and flowers as they disembark in Jeddah from a ship that rescued them from Sudan. (SPA)

He said the journey was long, starting from Khartoum, passing through a number of regions in Sudan until reaching Port Sudan, and was done in cooperation with government agencies in the Kingdom, praising the role of the Ministry of Defense that implemented the plan.
“We all celebrate the return of our sons and the sons of brotherly and friendly countries to the Kingdom Saudi Arabia, which coincided with the celebration of Eid Al-Fitr,” he said.
Those evacuated expressed their thanks and appreciation to the Saudi government and the concerned authorities in the Kingdom for their efforts to secure their transportation and facilitate their arrival procedures to the Kingdom.

Earlier on Saturday, the Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry announced that Saudi Arabia will start arranging the evacuation of its citizens and several nationals from other “brotherly and friendly” countries from Sudan as clashes intensify despite an Eid truce.

In a statement, the Saudi foreign ministry said the evacuated people will be flown to Saudi Arabia.

The decision comes “in the implementation of the directives” of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “to oversee the care and wellbeing of citizens of the Kingdom in the Republic of Sudan,” the foreign ministry said.

Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah said his country carried out an emergency operation to evacuate Kuwaiti citizens stranded in Sudan.

Sheikh Salem confirmed that all citizens wishing to return to the country had arrived safely in Jeddah, and that work was currently underway to secure their transfer to Kuwait.

The minister praised the efforts of Kuwait’s Ambassador to Sudan Dr. Fahd Mashari Al-Dhafiri, all members of the embassy in Khartoum and also extended his sincere thanks and gratitude to the Saudi authorities for coordinating and providing all the facilities for the transfer and evacuation of citizens to Jeddah.

He also thanked the Sudanese authorities and everyone who contributed to securing the safety of Kuwaiti citizens and enabling them to communicate with their families to ensure their safe return to their country.

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Saturday’s evacuations mark the first major civilian rescue since violence in Sudan broke out on April 15.

Eid this year in Sudan is being marked by fear, grief and hunger.Eid is meant to be spent “with sweets and pastries, with happy children, and people greeting relatives,” Khartoum resident Sami Al-Nour said. Instead, there has been “gunfire and the stench of blood all around us.”

The Sudanese army said it was coordinating efforts to evacuate diplomats from the United States, Britain, China and France out of the country on military airplanes, as fighting persisted in the capital, including at its main airport.

The military said that army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan had spoken to leaders of various countries requesting safe evacuations of their citizens and diplomats from Sudan.

Foreign countries have struggled in vain to repatriate their citizens, a task deemed far too risky as clashes between the Sudanese army and a rival powerful paramilitary group have raged in and around Khartoum, including in residential areas.

The main international airport near the center of the capital has been the target of heavy shelling as the paramilitary group, known as the Rapid Support Forces, has tried to take control of the complex, complicating evacuation plans. With Sudan’s airspace closed, foreign countries have ordered their citizens to simply shelter in place until they can figure out evacuation plans.

The country has been roiled by bloody fighting for the past week that has killed over 400 people so far, according to the World Health Organization.

(With AFP and AP)


Saudi Arabia’s climate envoy meets ministers, officials at UN General Assembly

Saudi Arabia’s climate envoy meets ministers, officials at UN General Assembly
Updated 22 September 2023
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Saudi Arabia’s climate envoy meets ministers, officials at UN General Assembly

Saudi Arabia’s climate envoy meets ministers, officials at UN General Assembly
  • Discussions were held on how to deal with the effects of climate change

RIYADH: Adel Al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabia’s minister of state for foreign affairs and climate affairs envoy, met this week with ministers and senior officials on the sidelines of the 78th UN General Assembly in New York.

In a meeting with Bahrain’s minister of oil and environment, Mohammed bin Mubarak bin Daina, discussions were held on how to deal with the effects of climate change.

Talks were also held on the subject, and other issues, with the UN’s Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, and President of the 78th Session of the UN Dennis Francis.

 

 

Al-Jubeir held further meetings with Prince Jamie de Bourbon, climate envoy for the Netherlands, and Jennifer Lee Morgan, state secretary and special envoy for international climate action at the Federal Foreign Ministry of Germany.

He also reviewed ties, as well as international and regional developments, with Alvaro Leyva Duran, Albert Ramdin, and Ana Cecilia Gervasi Diaz, the foreign ministers of Colombia, Suriname and Peru respectively.

 


Drugs seized, arrests in Jeddah and Asir

Drugs seized, arrests in Jeddah and Asir
Updated 22 September 2023
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Drugs seized, arrests in Jeddah and Asir

Drugs seized, arrests in Jeddah and Asir
  • The Saudi government has urged anyone with information related to suspected smuggling operations or customs violations to call the confidential hotline

JEDDAH: Saudi authorities seized a large cache of drugs in Jeddah and Asir on Friday. 

The Jeddah Traffic Department arrested two Yemeni nationals for selling 300 kg of qat, and border guards in Asir thwarted an attempt to smuggle 57,600 prescription pills into the Kingdom.

Qat leaves are chewed for their stimulatory effects.

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]. Reports notifying the authorities of suspected cases of drug smuggling are treated with strict confidentiality. Financial rewards are offered for tips leading to arrests.


Saudi FM takes part in OIC, Arab League meetings during UN General Assembly

Saudi FM takes part in OIC, Arab League meetings during UN General Assembly
Updated 22 September 2023
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Saudi FM takes part in OIC, Arab League meetings during UN General Assembly

Saudi FM takes part in OIC, Arab League meetings during UN General Assembly
  • Prince Faisal bin Farhan calls for collective response to common challenges facing global community

NEW YORK: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Thursday took part in a coordination meeting of the foreign ministers of member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on the sidelines of the 78th UN General Assembly session in New York, the Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The minister expressed the Kingdom’s condolences, sympathy and solidarity with Morocco and its people in the aftermath of the earthquake that rocked the North African country, and to Libya and its people following the deadly flooding in Derna.

He praised the OIC and member states’ response to a call by the Kingdom for an extraordinary session of the Council of Foreign Ministers to address the desecration and burning of copies of the Qur’an in Sweden and Denmark.

Prince Faisal highlighted the Palestinian issue and the pursuit of a comprehensive solution, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

He also chaired the Arab side of a high-level foreign ministerial informal interactive dialogue session between the Arab Summit Troika and the UN Security Council.

During the session, the Saudi foreign minister said the international community faces many common challenges that require collective action, but no progress will be achieved without a safe and stable regional and international environment that enables countries to work together.

The Arab Summit Troika is a group of three rotating countries that monitors the implementation of resolutions and commitments adopted by the Arab League, which consists of the outgoing, current, and incoming Arab Summit chairs — Algeria, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Other countries belonging to the Arab Group at the UN have been invited to participate in the meeting, along with Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

Prince Faisal said that since Arab issues make up a prominent share of the topics raised in the Security Council, strengthening cooperation and joint work between the Arab League and the Security Council to establish peace and security in the Arab world is of great importance.

The Kingdom is interested in improving this cooperation to achieve a common perspective for dealing with crises and developing peaceful solutions, he said.

Prince Faisal warned of the growing role of armed groups outside the framework of the state in creating these crises, which threaten international peace and security.

He said the ease with which these groups gain access to advanced technology and weapons enables them to undermine state institutions.

He called on the Security Council to take serious and strict measures against the groups.

Prince Faisal welcomed the results of discussions on a road map to support the peace process in Yemen, which brought together the Saudi communication and coordination team with the Sanaa delegation in Riyadh, with the participation of Oman.

He expressed the Kingdom’s hopes for dialogue between the Yemeni parties to pave the way for security and stability in the war-torn country, and ensure a future in which Yemen enjoys a comprehensive renaissance and sustainable development.


Saudi Arabia calls for reform of global cooperation frameworks ahead of Summit of the Future

Saudi Arabia calls for reform of global cooperation frameworks ahead of Summit of the Future
Updated 21 September 2023
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Saudi Arabia calls for reform of global cooperation frameworks ahead of Summit of the Future

Saudi Arabia calls for reform of global cooperation frameworks ahead of Summit of the Future
  • Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the UN needs to be part of the process, in particular the Security Council which ‘must be expanded and more representative in nature’
  • The UN describes the September 2024 Summit of the Future as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance global cooperation to tackle critical challenges

NEW YORK: Saudi Arabia on Thursday called on the international community to reform multilateral cooperation frameworks to better take into account the concerns and needs of all states, including developing countries.

“We need more-influential and more-effective multilateral mechanisms … and international development that will be supported as we work toward a world that is more just and more peaceful,” said Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

He was speaking on the sidelines of the 78th UN General Assembly session in New York, at a ministerial meeting to prepare for the Summit of the Future in September 2024. The UN describes the upcoming summit as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance global cooperation to tackle critical challenges, address gaps in global governance, reaffirm existing commitments, including to the UN’s charter and Sustainable Development Goals, and establish a multilateral system better positioned to positively affect people’s lives.

Prince Faisal said the summit aims to help overcome the challenges that undermine global hopes for a better future, and stressed the need to reaffirm shared principles and intensify consultations to agree a mutual vision that can “improve the world for our populations.”

UN bodies need to be included in the reforms process, he added, in particular the Security Council, which “must be expanded and more representative in nature,” and that implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals through international partnerships must be high on the list of topics for discussion at the event next year.

“The Global Sustainable Development Report for 2022 noted the significant progress made by the Kingdom because we have prioritized sustainable development as a priority for the Saudi Vision 2030,” the prince told the meeting.

“The Kingdom is working tirelessly, through its membership in international organizations and blocs, to revitalize the path of development in relations between countries, to support better understanding and better cooperation.”

He said constructive relationships that rely on dialogue to resolve differences, and cooperation in establishing security and stability, offer a path toward achieving comprehensive development.

“International cooperation frameworks must be facilitating and supportive of partnership and cooperation, resistant to the pressures of competition and polarization, and discouraging any calls that spread hatred between peoples, disrespect for religions, and fuel extremism and terrorism,” said Prince Faisal.

The summit will also take into account the comprehensive nature and specificity of human rights concepts, he added, while also addressing inherent rights such as the rights to development and food, preservation of the pivotal role of the family, and reject of contempt for or belittlement of religions.

Thursday’s meeting provided an opportunity for ministers to set out their visions and priorities for the Summit of the Future, and to outline their expectations for the action-oriented outcomes that can be achieved when the heads of state and government meet next year.

The summit aims to build on a two-day Sustainable Development Goals summit that took place on Monday, and breathe new life into the multilateral system so that it can deliver on the promises of the UN Charter and the organization’s 2030 agenda for a sustainable future.

“The Summit of the Future is a unique opportunity to help rebuild trust and bring outdated multilateral institutions and frameworks into line with today’s world, based on equity and solidarity,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

“But it is more than an opportunity; it is an essential means of reducing risks and creating a safer and more peaceful world.”

During the summit, UN member states are expected to adopt a Pact for the Future that covers five main issues: sustainable development and related financing; international peace and security; science, technology, innovation and digital cooperation; youth and future generations; and transforming global governance.


Saudi Snapchat designer creates special National Day filter lenses

Saudi Snapchat designer creates special National Day filter lenses
Updated 21 September 2023
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Saudi Snapchat designer creates special National Day filter lenses

Saudi Snapchat designer creates special National Day filter lenses
  • Maha Al-Dosary draws inspiration from objects, world news, daughters’ imagination to create immersive augmented reality experiences

RIYADH: To mark Saudi Arabia’s 93rd National Day, Maha Al-Dosary, a certified Snapchat Lens Developer and Ambassador, created special filter lenses meant to capture the essence of the occasion.

Al-Dosary, who is also a wife and mother, has been able to seamlessly balance her roles while nurturing her interests in Augmented Reality lens development on Snapchat.

“I designed a simple lens that embodies the national identity for the 93rd National Day where I animated several pictures using scripts provided by Lens Studio. The lens works when you click on the missile as it launches upward and then the picture becomes clear,” she explained.

Lens Studio, an AR development tool by Snap, is designed to empower artists and developers to craft immersive AR experiences for Snapchatters worldwide.

Al-Dosary’s work exemplifies the growing influence of AR technology, and she believes that it can enhance various aspects of daily life, including e-commerce.

As of 2022, the Ipsos Augmentality Shift Study commissioned by Snap Inc. found that the number one reason people use AR is not for fun but for shopping.

Snapchat filter lens created by Al-Dosary, a Saudi- certified Snapchat lens designer. (Supplied)

The fast-growing field of AR technology offers the opportunity to merge the physical and digital worlds while fostering connections with friends and colleagues.

Al-Dosary draws inspiration from various sources, including pictures, objects, world news, and even the imagination of her daughters, underscoring the versatile nature of AR design.

“My girls are always telling me how proud they are of me and the job I do. They truly enjoy using the filters I design and are my biggest supporters,” Al-Dosary said with pride.

In 2022, Al-Dosary clinched the top spot in the Tunisia AI Hackathon in the Snap Augmented Reality Challenge. This competition, which focused on using SnapML to address UNICEF’s Sustainable Development Goals, attracted participants from 27 Middle East and African nations.

Al-Dosary’s journey into the world of Snapchat lenses had a humble beginning, with self-learning and limited English proficiency.

However, her curiosity and determination led her to become a certified Snapchat ambassador, trainer, content creator, and a leader of the Snapchat Lenses community in Saudi Arabia.

Sharing her message of encouragement for aspiring Snap lens creators, she said: “Success is one of the most beautiful things a person can achieve, but it requires effort and perseverance. Set your goals and strive to achieve them. Take advantage of quiet times and make use of the free educational materials available on the Internet.”

Maha Al-Dosary, a Saudi certified Snapchat lens developer. (Supplied)

Snapchat is playing a pivotal role in transforming Saudi Arabia in alignment with Vision 2030. It not only showcases art, culture and entertainment but also fosters technological advancements in AR.

“We’ve been working on AR for nearly a decade. Snap has long had the ability to be ahead of the curve,” said Rayan Al-Zahab, AR developer relations lead at Snap MENA.

“We believe AR is the future of immersive customer experiences and are developing the technology to facilitate virtual try-ons, catalog browsing, showrooming, and much more.”

“Snapchat is committed to empowering Saudi youth by providing hands-on training in augmented reality and innovation through local events and Saudi AR experts,” Al-Zahab added.

As Snap continues to lead the way in AR innovation, it is evident that the future holds exciting possibilities for both creators and users of this immersive technology.