logo
Royal Saudi Naval Forces Join Hajj Security Efforts

Royal Saudi Naval Forces Join Hajj Security Efforts

Asharq Al-Awsat04-06-2025
The Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) are participating in the Hajj season 1446 AH as part of the Ministry of Defense's comprehensive security plan.
Their role includes providing support to government agencies operating at seaports, enhancing efforts to secure the entry of pilgrims and ensure safety, SPA reported.
The forces are tasked with inspecting suspicious packages at seaports, detecting and identifying explosives utilizing advanced technologies and specialized expertise in maritime security.
Additionally, a team of specialized divers from the RSNF will assist Civil Defense teams in search and rescue operations during flash floods or heavy rainfall at the holy sites.
Represented by the Western Fleet, the RSNF will support internal security forces at the holy sites with infantry units, special forces, drone aviation, naval military police units, and other specialized personnel for various auxiliary tasks.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Smotrich hails approval of West Bank settlement as blow to Palestinian statehood push
Smotrich hails approval of West Bank settlement as blow to Palestinian statehood push

Al Arabiya

time2 hours ago

  • Al Arabiya

Smotrich hails approval of West Bank settlement as blow to Palestinian statehood push

Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich hailed the government's approval of a contentious West Bank settlement project as a direct challenge to Western nations that recently announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state. Declaring that 'the Palestinian state is being erased from the table not with slogans but with actions,' Smotrich said on Wednesday that every new settlement was 'another nail in the coffin of this dangerous idea.' Israel gave final approval Wednesday for a controversial settlement project in the occupied West Bank that would effectively cut the territory in two, and that Palestinians and rights groups say could destroy hopes for a future Palestinian state. Settlement development in E1, an open tract of land east of Jerusalem, has been under consideration for more than two decades, but was frozen due to US pressure during previous administrations. The international community overwhelmingly considers Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank to be illegal and an obstacle to peace. Israel's expansion of settlements is part of increasingly dire reality for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank as the world's attention focuses on the war in Gaza. There have been marked increases in attacks by settlers on Palestinians, evictions from Palestinian towns, Israeli military operations, and checkpoints that choke freedom of movement, as well as several Palestinian attacks on Israelis. More than 700,000 Israelis settlers now live in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. The location of E1 is significant because it is one of the last geographical links between the major West Bank cities of Ramallah, in the north, and Bethlehem, in the south.

Israel approves settlement plan to erase idea of Palestinian state
Israel approves settlement plan to erase idea of Palestinian state

Al Arabiya

time2 hours ago

  • Al Arabiya

Israel approves settlement plan to erase idea of Palestinian state

A widely condemned Israeli settlement plan that would cut across land that the Palestinians seek for a state received final approval on Wednesday, according to a statement from Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. The approval of the E1 project, which would bisect the occupied West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem, was announced last week by Smotrich and received the final go-ahead from a defense ministry planning commission on Wednesday, he said. 'With E1, we are delivering finally on what has been promised for years,' Smotrich, an ultra-nationalist in the ruling right-wing coalition, said in a statement. 'The Palestinian state is being erased from the table, not with slogans but with actions.' Restarting the project could further isolate Israel, which has watched some Western allies frustrated by its continuation and planned escalation of the Gaza war announce they may recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September. 'We condemn the decision taken today on expanding this particular settlement, which ... will drive a stake through the heart of the two-state solution,' said UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. 'We call on the government of Israel to halt all settlement activity.' The Palestinian foreign ministry also condemned the announcement, saying the E1 settlement would isolate Palestinian communities living in the area and undermine the possibility of a two-state solution. British Foreign Minister David Lammy said on X: 'If implemented, it would divide a Palestinian state in two, mark a flagrant breach of international law and critically undermine the two-state solution.' A German government spokesperson commenting on the announcement told reporters that settlement construction violates international law and 'hinders a negotiated two-state solution and an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank.' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not commented on the E1 announcement. However on Sunday, during a visit to Ofra, another West Bank settlement established a quarter of a century ago, he made broader comments, saying: 'I said 25 years ago that we will do everything to secure our grip on the Land of Israel, to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, to prevent the attempts to uproot us from here. Thank God, what I promised, we have delivered.' The two-state solution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict envisages a Palestinian state in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza, existing side by side with Israel. Western capitals and campaign groups have opposed the settlement project due to concerns that it could undermine a future peace deal with the Palestinians. The plan for E1, located adjacent to Maale Adumim and frozen in 2012 and 2020 amid objections from the US and European governments, involves the construction of about 3,400 new housing units. Infrastructure work could begin within a few months, and house building in about a year, according to Israeli advocacy group Peace Now, which tracks settlement activity in the West Bank. Most of the international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law. Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the area and saying the settlements provide strategic depth and security.

Egypt-Israel Gas Deal Raises Questions over Mutual Dependence
Egypt-Israel Gas Deal Raises Questions over Mutual Dependence

Asharq Al-Awsat

time2 hours ago

  • Asharq Al-Awsat

Egypt-Israel Gas Deal Raises Questions over Mutual Dependence

Egypt's decision to extend and expand a multi-billion-dollar natural gas import deal with Israel has stirred debate at home, with critics questioning who benefits most from what has been described as one of the world's largest energy agreements. Israeli firm NewMed Energy, a partner in the Leviathan gas field, said earlier this month that it had revised its supply agreement with Egypt, extending it until 2040 in a deal worth up to $35 billion. Since 2020, Leviathan has supplied Egypt with 23.5 billion cubic meters of gas, according to the company. The announcement came as Israel's war in Gaza continues, deepening scrutiny over the agreement. Egyptian officials, however, say the deal is driven by economics, not politics. 'Egypt's economic agreements, whether with Israel or others, are based on national interests and returns,' a senior Egyptian official told Asharq al-Awsat. He said the deal secures cheaper gas supplies compared with imports from elsewhere, and supports Egypt's ambition to become a regional energy hub by re-exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG). Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly defended the arrangement last week, describing it as an extension of a 2019 deal, while the oil ministry issued a statement stressing it was 'a modification of an existing agreement.' 'The deal ensures medium-term supplies through the Sinai pipeline without the costs of liquefaction and regasification,' said energy exert Maher Aziz. 'It is not about who depends on whom, but about two neighbors securing each other's needs despite political rifts.' Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen hailed the deal during a visit to Leviathan alongside the US ambassador, saying it proved Israel's role as a 'strategic energy supplier' and underlined gas's role in regional stability. Egypt once exported gas to Israel via the Arish-Ashkelon pipeline until attacks in Sinai halted flows in 2012. Now the direction is reversed, with Israel piping gas to Egypt for liquefaction and re-export to Europe. Analysts remain divided over who benefits most. Some, like US-based economist Mostafa Youssef, argue Israel gains global market access through Egypt's LNG plants at a time when it faces political isolation over Gaza. Others say both sides have little choice but to keep energy cooperation insulated from regional turmoil. 'Energy ties reflect mutual dependence,' said Washington-based scholar Ahmed Hassanein Abdel-Maqsoud. 'Egypt gets competitively priced gas, while Israel relies almost entirely on Egypt's liquefaction facilities to reach European markets. That makes the deal indispensable for both,' he explained.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store