Saudi housing minister concludes official visit to Turkiye

Saudi housing minister concludes official visit to Turkiye
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing Majid Al-Hogail accepting an award during the meeting of the Saudi Contractors Authority and the Turkish Contractors Association in Ankara. (SPA)
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Updated 07 July 2024
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Saudi housing minister concludes official visit to Turkiye

Saudi housing minister concludes official visit to Turkiye
  • Saudi and Turkish companies in the real estate development sector and exploring current and future investment opportunities

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing Majid Al-Hogail ended an official visit to Turkiye to enhance cooperation in real estate development, road infrastructure, waste management and recycling, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

The visit was also an initiative to create new alliances between Saudi and Turkish contractors, according to the SPA.

During the visit, Al Hogail met with the head of Turkiye’s Investment Office, Burak Daglıoglu, where they discussed cooperation opportunities and exchanged successful experiences on the two countries’ strategies for improving the real estate investment environment, developing economic zones, activating partnerships between the public and private sectors, linking Saudi and Turkish companies in the real estate development sector and exploring current and future investment opportunities.




Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing Majid Al-Hogail and his delegation attend a meeting of representatives of Saudi Contractors Authority and the Turkish Contractors Association Erdal Eren, and representatives of Saudi and Turkish companies participated in the event. (SPA)

In Istanbul, Al-Hogail attended the launch of the Saudi-Turkish Construction Forum and the accompanying workshop, which was organized by the Saudi Contractor Authority to link contracting companies in the two countries by creating alliances in major development projects.

Turkish Deputy Minister of Trade Mustafa Tuzcu, the chairman of the board of directors of the Saudi Contractors Authority Zakria Al-Abdulqadir, the president of the Turkish Contractors Association Erdal Eren, and representatives of Saudi and Turkish companies participated in the event.

During the session, Al-Hogail stressed the importance of coordination and joint work between Saudi and Turkish companies in the fields of environment, roads, cleanliness, waste management and recycling “to develop and improve city services in a way that reflects positively on their residents,” the SPA statement said.

He expressed his optimism about the results and outcomes of the workshop in developing joint development work and increasing the volume of trade between the two countries, “harnessing all capabilities for the renaissance and prosperity of cities,” SPA added.

Al-Hogail also attended round table meetings between the Saudi and Turkish sides to review the most prominent opportunities and pioneer investment projects in the real estate sector, and highlight the Kingdom’s efforts in the fields of building technologies and development in the construction sector, infrastructure projects, waste management and recycling.

During the meetings, he expressed his desire to deepen partnerships with the Turkish side through joint cooperation with contractors, developers and investors in Turkiye’s construction sector, and to contribute to implementing and developing suburbs and major residential projects in the Kingdom.

He said that the ministry was working through the housing program to develop real estate projects in the Kingdom with approximately 200 real estate developers from private sector companies, and qualifying many developers to enter into residential projects.

The minister last visited Turkiye in July last year, where he sponsored the Saudi-Turkish Business Forum, where several cooperation agreements were signed between Saudi and Turkish companies in the fields of real estate development, construction, engineering consulting and other investment sectors.

 

 

 


Saudi project clears 536 Houthi mines in Yemen

Saudi project clears 536 Houthi mines in Yemen
Updated 39 sec ago
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Saudi project clears 536 Houthi mines in Yemen

Saudi project clears 536 Houthi mines in Yemen

RIYADH: Members of Saudi Arabia’s Project Masam removed 536 explosive devices from various regions of Yemen last week.

The total included nine anti-personnel mines, 48 anti-tank mines, 478 unexploded ordnances and one explosive device, according to a recent report.

Ousama Al-Gosaibi, the initiative’s managing director, said a total of 481,776 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.


Russia’s Siluanov visits Saudi Arabia ahead of Russia-US talks

Russia’s Siluanov visits Saudi Arabia ahead of Russia-US talks
Updated 16 February 2025
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Russia’s Siluanov visits Saudi Arabia ahead of Russia-US talks

Russia’s Siluanov visits Saudi Arabia ahead of Russia-US talks
  • Siluanov was speaking at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies
  • US and Russian officials will meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to start talks aimed at ending the nearly three-year war in Ukraine, a US lawmaker said

MOSCOW: Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov visited Saudi Arabia on Sunday ahead talks between Russia and the United States in the Kingdom scheduled for next week.
Siluanov was speaking at an event called AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies, organized by the Saudi Ministry of Finance and the International Monetary Fund.
US and Russian officials will meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to start talks aimed at ending the nearly three-year war in Ukraine, a US lawmaker and a source familiar with the planning said on Saturday.
Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov along with Siluanov and the central bank’s governor Elvira Nabiullina held talks with President of United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on February 15.
Speaking at an event, Siluanov highlighted Russia’s willingness to restructure the debt of foreign countries.
“During the last 25 years we restructured debt of 22 countries for the amount of almost $30 billion. A similar amount we had restructured through bilateral agreements,” Siluanov said. 


Saudi Arabia supports Lebanon measures to restore security

Saudi Arabia supports Lebanon measures to restore security
Updated 16 February 2025
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Saudi Arabia supports Lebanon measures to restore security

Saudi Arabia supports Lebanon measures to restore security

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia expressed its full support for measures taken by the Lebanese government to confront attempts to tamper with the security of Lebanese citizens, and to deal firmly with the perpetrators of an attack on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). 

“The Kingdom renewed its support and confidence in the measures taken by His Excellency President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in this regard, and the national tasks carried out by the Lebanese Army that contribute to achieving security and stability,” read a statement by the foreign ministry on Sunday.  

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has pledged to bring the assailants  behind the criminal attack on a UN peacekeeping force to justice.

A UNIFIL deputy commander was wounded on Friday when the convoy he travelled in was attacked by protesters who set his UN vehicle on fire.  

Salam had directed the Lebanese interior minister to take immediate action to identify the assailants, arrest them, and refer them to the judicial body. 

Supporters of the Lebanese Shiite Islamist movement Hezbollah have clashed with the Lebanese Army amidst a Hezbollah-organised rally to block the road to Beirut International Airport over a decision to bar two Iranian flights from landing there. 

Several videos shared online show a group of young men, carrying yellow flags affiliated with Hezbollah, chase and beat what appear to be peacekeepers in a white UN vehicle as they attempt to flee.


Sandgrouse: An inspirational symbol of beauty and resilience in Jazan

Sandgrouse: An inspirational symbol of beauty and resilience in Jazan
Updated 16 February 2025
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Sandgrouse: An inspirational symbol of beauty and resilience in Jazan

Sandgrouse: An inspirational symbol of beauty and resilience in Jazan
  • Poets draw parallels between the sandgrouse’s desert journeys and human experience
  • Birds carry water in their feathers for their young

JAZAN: The Jazan region of Saudi Arabia is a haven for a wide variety of birdlife, including the sandgrouse, a species admired for its striking crowned and striped beauty, remarkable desert adaptation, and its deep roots in Arab folklore and literature, inspiring poets and writers for generations.

From pre-Islamic poetry to modern works, the squawking sandgrouse has symbolized patience, endurance, loyalty, departure, and longing. Poets have drawn parallels between the bird’s arduous desert journeys and human experiences. One poet expresses a sense of shared hardship, comparing their own sorrow with the sandgrouse’s search for water.

The remarkable ability of sandgrouses to carry water in their feathers for their young exemplifies their dedication to nurturing their offspring. (SPA)

In Saudi literature, the sandgrouse has also become a symbol of the free spirit, constantly on the move yet ultimately drawn back to its homeland, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Jazan poet Mohammed bin Ali Al-Sanousi, a prominent figure in the region’s poetic tradition, often incorporated imagery from the local environment, including the sandgrouse, into his work. He reflects on a sense of displacement and yearning for home, echoing the sandgrouse’s migratory nature.

Beyond literature, the sandgrouse appears in popular proverbs and oral traditions, frequently noted for its speed and ability to locate water in arid landscapes. The saying, “If you see a sandgrouse, know that water is near,” illustrates its practical significance as a guide for those crossing the desert.

Jazan welcomes the sandgrouse, especially during migration seasons. These birds, capable of reaching flight speeds of 60 to 70 kilometers per hour, travel up to 50 kilometers each day in search of sustenance. Their remarkable ability to carry water in their feathers, transporting it long distances to their young, exemplifies their dedication to nurturing their offspring.

The sandgrouse is an integral part of Jazan’s cultural heritage, inspiring artists and writers, and serving as a powerful reminder of the beauty and biodiversity of Saudi Arabia’s natural environment.


Saudi, US defense ministers discuss ties during call

Prince Khalid bin Salman (L) and Pete Hegseth. (AFP file photo)
Prince Khalid bin Salman (L) and Pete Hegseth. (AFP file photo)
Updated 16 February 2025
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Saudi, US defense ministers discuss ties during call

Prince Khalid bin Salman (L) and Pete Hegseth. (AFP file photo)
  • Their conversation focused on Saudi-American relations and strategic cooperation in the defense field

RIYADH: Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman held a telephone call with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

Prince Khalid congratulated Pete on the occasion of his appointment as Secretary of Defense of the United States.

Their conversation focused on Saudi-American relations and strategic cooperation in the defense field, as well as ways to develop the cooperation for mutual benefit, as well as the efforts to establish the foundations of international peace and security.