Latest news with #Saudi-French
Yomiuri Shimbun
3 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.
AsiaOne
3 days ago
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Saudi Arabia says Israel shows 'extremism' by blocking West Bank visit, Asia News
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 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 (May 31), 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 UN 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. [[nid:717970]]
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Saudi Arabia says Israel shows ‘extremism' by blocking West Bank visit
Prince Faisal's visit to the West Bank would have marked the first such visit by a top Saudi official in recent memory. PHOTO: AFP 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 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 May 31, Israel said it would not allow a planned meeting on June 1 that would have included ministers from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Palestinian Authority officials said. Prince Faisal'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 to June 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 UN initiative to set up a roadmap for a Palestinian state Mr 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 Mr 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. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Saudi Gazette
25-05-2025
- Science
- Saudi Gazette
Long-serving Saudi-French archaeological mission ends tenure after 20 years in Farasan Islands
Saudi Gazette report JAZAN — The Saudi Heritage Commission has concluded a joint archaeological excavation with France in the Farasan Islands, unveiling new discoveries that shed light on the region's ancient human settlements and strategic role in Red Sea maritime trade. Conducted in collaboration with Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), the fieldwork targeted key archaeological sites at Al-Qassar, Al-Ghureen, and Wadi Shami. The mission aimed to study burial sites, trace settlement phases, and understand the historical context of human activity in the southern Red Sea archipelago. The expedition included archaeology and anthropology experts, along with students from Saudi universities and Paris 1, as part of a supervised field training program. The Saudi-French partnership began in 2005 with a comprehensive survey and documentation of architectural structures across Farasan. Since then, successive excavation campaigns from 2011 to 2024 have led to significant discoveries, including remains from the Bronze Age, evidence of South Arabian kingdoms, watchtowers, and industrial installations believed to be remnants of a 2nd-century BCE military camp used to monitor and protect maritime trade routes. These discoveries underscore Farasan's pivotal role in connecting ancient civilizations of South Arabia and the Mediterranean, as reflected in the spread of human settlements and prehistoric shell mounds across the islands. The Heritage Commission continues to advance archaeological research and preservation through broad international collaborations, reinforcing Saudi Arabia's presence on the global archaeological map and contributing to the goals of sustainable cultural development.
Leaders
07-05-2025
- Business
- Leaders
Saudi Industry Minister Explores Aerospace Partnership with Airbus in France
Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef met with Christian Scherer, CEO of Airbus Commercial Aircraft, and other Airbus executives in Toulouse, France, to explore deeper cooperation in the aviation and space sectors. The meeting was also attended by Laurent Saint-Martin, France's Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and French Nationals Abroad; Abdulrahman Al Samari, CEO of the Local Content and Government Procurement Authority; and Eng. Saleh Al-Solami, CEO of the National Industrial Development Center. Discussions focused on expanding collaboration in aerospace, particularly in localizing aircraft manufacturing and maintenance technologies within Saudi Arabia. Minister Alkhorayef emphasized the long-standing strategic partnership between the Kingdom and Airbus, which spans nearly 40 years and plays a key role in Saudi Arabia's efforts to develop its aviation and satellite industries. Aerospace He highlighted the alignment between Airbus's capabilities and Saudi Vision 2030, stressing the importance of building local industrial capacity, increasing global competitiveness, and advancing economic diversification and sustainable growth. Alkhorayef outlined the Kingdom's commitment to creating a favorable industrial and investment environment for aviation, with a focus on innovation, supply chain integration, and attracting high-quality investments. To support this, the Kingdom offers several enablers, including streamlined foreign investment procedures, simplified licensing, and access to key raw materials like aluminum and titanium. Additionally, its strategic geographic position linking Europe, Asia, and Africa, along with robust infrastructure and government-backed financial incentives, further enhance its appeal to global aviation firms like Airbus. Alkhorayef also expressed Saudi Arabia's readiness to work with Airbus in addressing global supply chain challenges by leveraging its mineral wealth, logistics capabilities, and skilled workforce to support local production and increase joint investments. Scherer reaffirmed Airbus's commitment to Saudi Arabia, calling the Kingdom a key partner in the Middle East. He praised Vision 2030 for its role in driving economic transformation and confirmed Airbus's interest in expanding cooperation through technology transfer and innovation in aviation and satellite sectors. Saint-Martin echoed the value of the Saudi-French economic relationship, emphasizing the need to strengthen industrial ties—especially in aerospace and satellite technologies—to support shared development goals. Commercial Aviation During the visit, Alkhorayef toured Airbus's main manufacturing site and its commercial aviation and satellite facilities. He was briefed on the company's global operations, expansion strategies, and cutting-edge innovations. He also observed Airbus's advanced production lines and satellite manufacturing technologies, highlighting the potential for future collaboration in space communication and global security. Finally, the visit was part of Alkhorayef's official mission to France aimed at reinforcing industrial and mining partnerships, with a focus on strategic sectors Saudi Arabia is working to localize and grow—chief among them aviation and the food industries. Related Topics: MODON Unveils Jeddah Aviation Hub to Boost Aerospace Leadership Deadly Attack Targets Turkish Aerospace Industries in Ankara Relations between France and Saudi Arabia are deeply strategic: Senator Olivier Cadic Saudi Flynas Acquires lts 53rd of 120 Airplanes in Airbus Order Short link : Post Views: 17
