Saudi Arabia Reiterates Commitment to Gaza Stability
Saudi Arabia reaffirmed its unwavering support for facilitating the safe return of displaced Palestinians to their original Gaza homes promptly during Tuesday's session in Riyadh chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Following the session, Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary addressed the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
He highlighted the Cabinet's endorsement of the six-party Arab ministerial meeting on Palestine held in Cairo. This meeting categorically rejected any attempts at forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. It also emphasized the necessity of implementing the ceasefire agreement fully.
Emphasizing Humanitarian Efforts
The Cabinet stressed achieving a sustainable ceasefire and delivering humanitarian aid within the Gaza Strip. Such efforts aim to ensure safe and unimpeded relief. At the session's beginning, the Crown Prince updated the Cabinet on his meetings with Syrian and German presidents. He also briefed them about his conversation with the President of the European Council.
Al-Dossary mentioned the Cabinet discussed recent developments related to Saudi Arabia's collaboration with international organizations. Furthermore, the Cabinet reviewed progress on efforts to strengthen global security and coordination. This approach contributes to regional development and prosperity for all nations.
Strengthening Global Relations
The Cabinet commended the outcomes of the recent Saudi-Japanese strategic dialogue. This engagement reinforced bilateral relations and demonstrated the commitment to advancing cooperation across various sectors. Furthermore, the Cabinet recognized the importance of hosting the INTERPOL Regional Bureau in the Kingdom.
This decision enhances operational effectiveness against extremism, terrorism, and crime in the MENA region. Al-Dossary noted the review of recent economic gatherings held in Riyadh, including the Global Labor Market Conference. During this conference, 70 agreements were signed, benefiting over 300,000 individuals.
Advancements in the Real Estate Sector
The Cabinet acknowledged significant international participation at the fourth Real Estate Future Forum. This event resulted in numerous agreements expected to enhance the sector and position the Kingdom as a global real estate investment destination.
Additionally, the Cabinet approved transferring licensing authority for accounting and auditing professions to the Saudi Organization for Chartered and Professional Accountants (SOCPA). Moreover, it included the Insurance Authority in the membership of the Anti-Money Laundering Permanent Committee.
Global Partnerships Expand Across Sectors
Other Cabinet decisions encompassed endorsing a cooperation agreement regarding personal data exchange between Saudi and Qatari governments. The Cabinet also approved memoranda of understanding (MoUs) on political consultations with Bolivia and mutual visa exemptions with Tajikistan and Azerbaijan.
Moreover, the Cabinet authorized the Minister of Islamic Affairs to negotiate with Tanzania on an MoU concerning Islamic affairs. They also approved several MoUs focused on social development with Qatar and Kuwait.
Lastly, the Cabinet approved cooperation agreements in health between the Saudi Ministry of Health and Cuba. Significant partnerships also emerged in fields related to civil aviation and financial investigations to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.
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Saudi Gazette
33 minutes ago
- Saudi Gazette
Palestinians say local gunmen and Israeli forces opened fire near Gaza aid site
GAZA — Palestinians in Gaza say they were fired on once again as they headed to one of the aid distribution centres run by the Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation on Monday. Witnesses said that for the first time they were fired on by Palestinian gunmen near the GHF site in the Tal al-Sultan area of Rafah, in the south. They also said Israeli troops fired on them. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said six people were killed and 99 injured from areas designated for aid collection. The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports. The GHF said the Tal al-Sultan site did not open on Monday and that there were no incidents at two other sites which did hand out aid. It comes days after Israel's prime minister acknowledged that it was arming Palestinian clans in Gaza who were opposed to Hamas. Almost every day since the GHF began distributing aid on 26 May, there have been deadly incidents near one or other of the four centres it has so far opened. Dozens of Palestinians have been killed while approaching one site in the Tal al-Sultan area of Rafah on a route that runs through an Israeli military zone. In the previous incidents, witnesses have said that Israeli forces opened fire at crowds. The Israeli military has denied that troops fired at civilians within the site, but it has said that troops fired at "suspects" who ignored warning shots and approached them. In Monday's incident, people at the scene said that Palestinian gunmen shot at them, as well as Israeli forces. They said the gunmen appeared to be allied with the Israeli forces, as they were operating near them and moved back into an Israeli military zone. One witness told BBC Arabic's Middle East daily programme that he saw a group of young men dressed in civilian clothes and with their faces completely covered when he arrived in the area to get a box of food aid from the GHF site. "At first, we thought they might be Palestinian youths helping with the process, but suddenly, they began shooting at us," Hisham Saeed Salem said. "Even those who managed to get a box of aid were targeted and shot. We still don't know who these attackers are. They took everything from us - some even stole from us during the chaos," he added. Another man, Mohammed Sakout, said: "Several young men were shot and killed right behind me. I narrowly escaped death - some bullets passed just inches from my head." "At first, it was the Israeli army that was shooting at civilians. But today, we were shocked to discover the presence of gangs and militias," he added. At Nasser hospital in the nearby city of Khan Younis, a seriously injured man being treated for a gunshot wound to his neck, Mohammed Kabaga, told the Associated Press: "A group of masked armed men who were organising us starting firing towards us directly." "We went to get aid. They said to stand in line. We stood in line and suddenly they started shooting at us. While I was standing, I was surprised when a bullet hit me, I got dizzy and fell down," he said. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told the BBC that it was looking into the reports. The GHF said in a statement that it opened two sites on Monday in the Saudi neighbourhood of Rafah and Wadi Gaza, in the centre of the Strip, and that "aid distribution at both sites proceeded without incident". When asked by the BBC about the reports from Tal al-Sultan, a GHF spokesperson said there was "nothing around our sites". However, a post on the group's Facebook account did say on Monday afternoon that the Tal al-Sultan centre was closed due to the "chaos of the crowds". The GHF's interim executive director, John Acree, said it had delivered more than 11 million meals over the past two weeks "without an injury or major incident at our distribution sites". Gaza's health ministry said hospitals had received a total of 127 dead and 1,287 injured people from "areas designated for aid distribution" during the same period. The GHF, which uses US private security contractors, aims to bypass the UN as the main supplier of aid to Palestinians. The UN and other aid groups refuse to co-operate with the new system, saying it contravenes the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality, and independence. They also warn that Gaza's 2.1 million population faces catastrophic levels of hunger after an almost three-month total Israeli blockade that was partially eased three weeks ago. The US and Israel say the GHF's system will prevent aid being stolen by Hamas, which the group denies doing. The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. At least 54,927 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's health ministry. — BBC
Arab News
9 hours ago
- Arab News
How the easing of sanctions is aiding Syria's path back into the Arab fold
LONDON: Syria's slow return to the Arab fold is set to pick up pace. After Arab states cautiously reengaged following Bashar Assad's fall in December, plans by the US and EU to lift sanctions have turned hesitation into opportunity. As these barriers begin to ease, old allies are moving to renew ties — not only reviving diplomatic channels but also launching a high-stakes race to shape Syria's postwar recovery and revival. Leading the charge is Saudi Arabia, which has positioned itself as the key broker of Syria's regional reintegration. Riyadh has hosted members of Syria's new leadership and convened high-level meetings to coordinate Arab and international support for reconstruction. A turning point came on May 14, when Saudi Arabia hosted a landmark meeting between US President Donald Trump and Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa — the first such encounter between American and Syrian leaders in more than 25 years. The meeting, facilitated by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, took place just one day after Trump's surprise announcement that Washington would lift all sanctions on Syria. 'This shift in US policy came after President Trump and Secretary Marco Rubio became convinced that Syria could spiral back into chaos and civil war — something regional allies did not want — if economic conditions remained frozen and sanctions continued to block governance,' Sameer Sabounji, policy officer and director of legal affairs at the Syrian American Council, told Arab News. That decision has triggered a wave of normalization efforts across the region. With Saudi Arabia taking the lead, Arab states are ramping up economic, diplomatic and security cooperation, signaling a new phase in efforts to stabilize and rebuild the war-torn country. 'Arab states are invested in Syria's recovery,' said Sabounji. 'Which is why I think they helped 'warm' the Trump administration to Al-Sharaa and gave the US the confidence to be bold in Syria.' Signs of this momentum also emerged on May 20, when Jordan and Syria signed an agreement to form a Higher Coordination Council, highlighting deepening bilateral ties. Talks focused on expanding energy cooperation and linking electric grids to support Syria's reconstruction and transition. The effort is multilayered. In April, Saudi Arabia announced plans to pay off Syria's $15 million World Bank debt — a move intended to unlock international reconstruction grants and further integrate Syria into the region's economic framework. According to Sabounji, regional powers have strong incentives to push for sanctions relief. 'Arab countries and Turkiye stand to gain immensely from Syria's reconstruction, but sanctions were deterring serious investment,' he said. He added that stronger regional trade routes and cross-border pipeline projects — connecting Gulf Cooperation Council countries to Iraq, Turkiye, the Mediterranean and even Azerbaijan — could boost regional economies, promote self-sufficiency and incentivize greater cooperation from Israel. Echoing that view, Ghassan Ibrahim, founder of the Global Arab Network, likened sanctions relief to 'the fall of the Berlin Wall' for Syrians. 'These restrictions were the wall separating Syria from the rest of the world,' he told Arab News. 'Now, Syrians feel more open and optimistic — there's a growing sense that Syria is a land of opportunity.' This optimism is not only economic but also geopolitical. Ibrahim Al-Assil, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, highlighted Syria's pivotal geography in broader regional ambitions. 'It's because of the location of Syria and the potential of Syria in the region, and in the regional aspiration of the Saudis and the economic prosperity that Syria could contribute to this — Syria is at a very sensitive spot on the map,' he told CNN last month. 'Stabilizing Syria could help stabilize the Middle East.' Al-Assil argued that a revitalized Syrian economy would directly benefit neighboring countries like Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkiye by enabling refugee returns and unlocking cross-border development. 'Any improvement in the Syrian economy would be felt directly in Lebanon, would be felt directly in Jordan, and that would also open the doors for the Syrian refugees to go back to their countries, similar for Turkiye, also,' he said. 'Syria connects Turkiye and Europe to Arabia, and the rest of the Middle East.' Beyond economic considerations, security remains a critical concern. Syria's location at the crossroads of Asia, Europe and Africa has long made it a key player in regional dynamics. But that same geography has also facilitated the spread of captagon, a powerful amphetamine that has flooded Gulf markets. Syria's southern border with Jordan — particularly the Nassib crossing — has become a key route for drug smuggling. Gulf states, especially Saudi Arabia, consider the captagon trade a serious threat to social stability and security. Allegations that the Assad regime used the drug trade as leverage to regain regional acceptance have only added urgency to normalization efforts. 'The Assad regime flooded the region with drugs like captagon, sparking addiction crises in the region, and causing chaos and instability, driving displacement, which added strain to the region,' said Sabounji. A more stable Syria would help curb drug smuggling and reduce the flow of illegal weapons. 'It would also help curb or even prevent a resurgence of Daesh,' said Sabounji. 'The interim Syrian government's efforts to disrupt and apprehend smuggling networks also helps promote border security and reduces the illegal flow of weapons.' Though territorially defeated in 2019, Daesh remains active in Syria, with about 2,500 fighters operating primarily in the east and northeast. Persistent instability and a diminished foreign military presence have allowed the organization to regroup, especially in areas near the Euphrates River and major cities like Damascus. • Syria was suspended from the Arab League in 2011 over Assad's violent crackdown on anti-government protests. • It was readmitted in May 2023, signaling a regional push for normalization despite persistent challenges. • The isolated Assad regime relied on support from Russia and Iran to defy sanctions throughout the civil war. Addressing this threat requires coordinated counterterrorism and stronger governance — something regional actors now see as achievable through reintegration rather than isolation. Sabounji also highlighted another strategic dimension: countering Iranian influence. 'Re-welcoming Syria into the Arab fold would counterbalance Iran's position and influence in the region,' he said. Ibrahim of the Global Arab Network agreed, suggesting that many regional powers view sanctions relief as a way to shift Syria away from reliance on Iran and, to a lesser extent, Russia — toward more moderate Arab and global partnerships. 'One of the key impacts of lifting sanctions is improved security — both inside Syria and across the region,' he said. 'It's also likely to influence the government's behavior, encouraging it to choose more constructive partners. 'When Syria was under heavy sanctions, it had limited options and would engage with anyone willing to offer support. But now, with sanctions being lifted quickly, the government is being pushed to align itself with more moderate actors.' Iran's regional role has long been a point of contention. Its support for proxy groups like Hezbollah and the Houthis, pursuit of nuclear capabilities, and efforts to undermine state institutions through militias have alarmed both Arab and Western policymakers. 'Arab countries welcome the chance to build a more stable and prosperous Syria,' said Sabounji. 'They think Al-Sharaa can accomplish that. He needs help, though, and sanctions relief is a prerequisite.' He added that regional actors are exhausted by conflict and are eager for a future focused on growth and stability. 'This is a bold and refreshing Middle East foreign policy,' said Sabounji. 'The Trump administration is signaling that regional problems need regional solutions.' That shift reflects a departure from traditional US interventionism. 'Instead of dictating policy, the US listened to what Arab countries and Turkiye were saying to it. They want to stabilize Syria and want the US to lift sanctions to enable them to do that.' And then there is the possibility of doing business. 'I'm sure President Trump also did not want US companies to be held back by sanctions and not be able to compete for lucrative deals in Syria's reconstruction,' said Sabounji. The new policy recalibrates US-Arab relations and sends a message. 'Israel is no longer the only voice Washington listens to in the region,' he said. 'The administration is clearly pushing for harmony in the region, but it is also not waiting on Israel anymore. It has decided to strike ahead with improving or cultivating closer relations with each country, such as Saudi Arabia, Syria and Iran, even if dialogue or normalization with Israel stalls.' Syria's path back to the fold began with a long exile. In November 2011, the Arab League suspended Syria in response to the Assad regime's violent crackdown on anti-government protests. Still, Syria remained central to Arab diplomacy. Over time, countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia shifted their approach, seeking to curb Iranian and Turkish sway. These evolving dynamics paved the way for Syria's return to the Arab League in 2023, after 12 years of isolation, despite lingering concerns about the Assad regime's conduct. Following Assad's ouster in December 2024, Saudi Arabia quickly emerged as the lead Arab player in Syria's reentry. In January 2025, Riyadh hosted Syria's new foreign minister, Asaad Al-Shaibani, marking the first high-level meeting since the leadership change. That same month, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan visited Damascus, highlighting support for Syria's recovery. Then, in February, Al-Sharaa made his first official foreign trip to the Kingdom, where he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss deepening diplomatic and economic ties. Other Gulf states have since followed suit, pledging support for Syria's reconstruction. The international community is watching closely to see how the new government treats minorities and maintains stability. After more than a decade of turmoil, Syria's return to the Arab world may finally be within reach. But its success hinges on the careful balancing of regional interests, global engagement and a genuine commitment to rebuilding a fractured nation.
Arab News
11 hours ago
- Arab News
MWL, GCC chiefs praise Saudi Arabia's Hajj success
RIYADH: The secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jassem Al-Budaiwi, has congratulated King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on a successful Hajj season. 'This success reflects the Saudi government's great efforts and capabilities in serving pilgrims and ensuring they perform rituals with ease, safety and security,' he said. Al-Budaiwi praised the Kingdom's advanced infrastructure, precise organization, use of modern technologies — including artificial intelligence — and skilled workforce. 'These efforts delivered an exceptional Hajj experience and reaffirmed Saudi Arabia's leadership in serving Islam and Muslims,' he added. The secretary-general also lauded the Kingdom's continuous development of the Hajj system. Muslim World League Secretary-General Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa also extended his congratulations on behalf of all MWL agencies. He praised the generous care provided to pilgrims, highlighting the smooth movement between holy sites and the commitment to ensuring their comfort and spiritual focus.
