Latest news with #FaisalbinFarhanAlSaud
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Saudi Arabia Says Israel Shows ‘Extremism' by Blocking West Bank Visit
Reuters Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, attends the Ministerial Committee Assigned by the Joint Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit on Gaza as they meet in Amman, Jordan, June 1, 2025. AMMAN, June 1 (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said the Israeli government's refusal to allow a delegation of Arab ministers into the occupied West Bank showed its 'extremism and rejection of peace'. His statement came during a joint press conference in Amman with counterparts from Jordan, Egypt and Bahrain, after they met as part of an Arab contact group that was going to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. 'Israel's refusal of the committee's visit to the West Bank embodies and confirms its extremism and refusal of any serious attempts for (a) peaceful pathway .. It strengthens our will to double our diplomatic efforts within the international community to face this arrogance,' the Saudi minister said. On Saturday, Israel said it would not allow a planned meeting on Sunday that would have included ministers from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Palestinian Authority officials said. Bin Farhan's visit to the West Bank would have marked the first such visit by a top Saudi official in recent memory. An Israeli official said the ministers intended to take part in a 'provocative meeting' to discuss promoting the establishment of a Palestinian state. Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said blocking the trip was another example of how Israel was 'killing any chance of a just and comprehensive' Arab-Israeli settlement. An international conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, is due to be held in New York on June 17-20 to discuss the issue of Palestinian statehood. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said the conference would cover security arrangements after a ceasefire in Gaza and reconstruction plans to ensure Palestinians would remain on their land and foil any Israeli plans to evict them. Commenting on blocking the visit, Israeli Arab lawmaker Ayman Odeh said the Arab foreign ministers' delegation aimed to end the Gaza war, enhance the Palestinian Authority's role, and support a Saudi-French U.N. initiative to set up a roadmap for a Palestinian state Odeh told Saudi state-owned Al Arabiya Television that the Saudi-French initiative could lead to broader international recognition of a Palestinian state, a move he said contradicts Israeli government policy. According to Odeh, the Israeli government seeks to undermine the Palestinian Authority because it views it as the 'nucleus of the Palestinian state.' He said Israel blocked the Arab foreign ministers' visit because it could have helped strengthen the Palestinian Authority. Israel has come under increasing pressure from the United Nations and European countries that favour a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, under which an independent Palestinian state would exist alongside Israel.
Jordan News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Jordan News
The Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee Holds Virtual Meeting with President Abbas from Amman - Jordan News
The ministerial delegation appointed by the Joint Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit on Gaza is holding a meeting today in Amman with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas via video conference. اضافة اعلان The delegation includes the Chairman of the Committee, Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Jordan Ayman Safadi; Bahraini Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani; and Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration, and Expatriate Affairs Dr. Badr Abdelatty. Also joining the meeting via video conference are the Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Deputy President of the State of Palestine, Hussein Al-Sheikh; the Palestinian Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Mohammad Mustafa; and the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Amman.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Saudi Arabia's foreign minister says Israel blocking Ramallah meeting proof of ‘extremism'
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, attends the Ministerial Committee Assigned by the Joint Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit on Gaza as they meet in Amman, Jordan, June 1, 2025. REUTERS/Alaa Al Sukhni AMMAN - Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said the Israeli government's refusal to allow a delegation of Arab ministers to the occupied West Bank showed its "extremism and rejection of peace". His statement came during a joint press conference in Amman with counterparts from Jordan, Egypt and Bahrain, after they met as part of an Arab contact group that was going to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. "Israel's refusal of the committee's visit to the West Bank embodies and confirms its extremism and refusal of any serious attempts for (a) peaceful pathway .. It strengthens our will to double our diplomatic efforts within the international community to face this arrogance," the Saudi minister said. On Saturday, Israel said it would not allow a planned meeting on Sunday that would have included ministers from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Palestinian Authority officials said. Bin Farhan's visit to the West Bank would have marked the first such visit by a top Saudi official in recent memory. An Israeli official said the ministers intended to take part in a "provocative meeting" to discuss promoting the establishment of a Palestinian state. Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said blocking the trip was another example of how Israel was "killing any chance of a just and comprehensive" Arab-Israeli settlement. An international conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, is due to be held in New York on June 17-20 to discuss the issue of Palestinian statehood. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said the conference would cover security arrangements after a ceasefire in Gaza and reconstruction plans to ensure Palestinians would remain on their land and foil any Israeli plans to evict them. Israel has come under increasing pressure from the United Nations and European countries which favour a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, under which an independent Palestinian state would exist alongside Israel. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Ammon
2 days ago
- Politics
- Ammon
Ministerial Arab-Islamic committee meets with President Abbas remotely
Ammon News - The delegation of the ministerial committee assigned by the extraordinary joint Arab-Islamic summit on Gaza is holding a meeting in Amman today with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas via video conference. The delegation includes Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, head of the committee, Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani, Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Ati, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs Ayman Safadi.
Roya News
3 days ago
- Business
- Roya News
Riyadh pledges more financial support to Syria, says Saudi FM
Saudi Arabia and Qatar have pledged joint financial support to help pay the salaries of Syria's public sector employees, in a move that further underscores their warming relations with the newly established government in Damascus. The announcement was made on Saturday by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud during a press conference with his Syrian counterpart, Asaad al-Shibani. The two met in Damascus as part of a broader regional push to stabilize and rebuild Syria after nearly 14 years of civil war. Although exact figures were not disclosed, Syrian Finance Minister Mohammed Yosr Bernieh had earlier revealed that Qatar was prepared to contribute USD 29 million per month over an initial three-month period to help cover salaries for civil servants. The financial support is seen as a critical step in rebuilding trust in Syria's public institutions and providing relief to a population that continues to struggle with poverty and unemployment. This aid package follows a notable development in mid-May, when Saudi Arabia and Qatar jointly cleared Syria's USD 15 million debt to the World Bank. That repayment paved the way for the institution to restart operations in the country for the first time since 2011. Its first project will focus on improving electricity access, essential for revitalizing key public services including healthcare and education. The foreign funding coincides with Syria's broader diplomatic re-entry onto the global stage, marked by shifting policies in the West. On May 13, US President Donald Trump announced the lifting of longstanding sanctions on Syria, a move reportedly endorsed by Washington in support of the Qatari initiative. The European Union soon followed, lifting most of its economic restrictions and unfreezing assets for multiple Syrian entities, including the Central Bank. Syria's president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has sought to distance his administration from past alliances with extremist groups and has emphasized minority rights in an effort to win international legitimacy. However, sporadic violence and instability remain, complicating efforts to attract widespread investment and normalize ties. Despite these challenges, international engagement is slowly expanding. Sharaa has already met with leaders in Riyadh and Paris, and the US has removed a previous USD 10 million bounty on his head, signaling a dramatic policy reversal. Still, recovery will not be swift. A recent UN Development Programme report estimated that, without significant investment, Syria could take over 50 years to regain its pre-war economic levels. The report highlighted that 90 percent of Syrians live in poverty and one in four are unemployed, underscoring the urgency of Gulf and international aid to accelerate economic stabilization.
