Latest news with #MohammedBinSalman
Al Arabiya
14 hours ago
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Saudi Arabia's top diplomat, US special envoy to Damascus discuss Syria developments
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed the situation in Syria with US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack, the Kingdom's foreign ministry said on Wednesday. Prince Faisal met Barrack in Riyadh where 'they discussed steps to support the Syrian people on both the humanitarian and economic levels, along with ways to provide aid and assistance during this critical phase,' the ministry said. Barrack was appointed as Syria envoy after US President Donald Trump announced from Saudi Arabia earlier this month that he was going to lift sanctions that were imposed on Syria. The day after his announcement, Trump met with Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh in the presence of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The US officially issued a sanctions waiver for Syria last week. After the waiver announcement was made, in Turkey's Istanbul.
Asharq Al-Awsat
21 hours ago
- General
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi Arabia Underscores its Continued Efforts to Support Palestinian Cause
The Saudi government underlined on Tuesday its ongoing efforts with members of the international community to support the Palestinian cause, end the war on Gaza, allow the flow of humanitarian aid and cease the Israeli violations against international laws and norms. Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chaired the cabinet meeting that was held in Jeddah. The ministers reviewed the latest regional and international developments and Saudi Arabia's contacts and meetings with world countries over the past week that are aimed at bolstering cooperation and coordination on global affairs. The cabinet was briefed on the Kingdom's preparations to organize the Hajj pilgrimage, which begins next week. The pilgrimage will be held according to the highest standards and greatest levels of coordination and integration between the relevant entities to allow the pilgrims to perform the holy rituals with ease. Saudi Arabia has dedicated mega development projects and infrastructure to serve pilgrims from across the globe. The cabinet expressed the Saudi leadership and people's honor in serving the visitors of the two holy mosques in Makkah and Madinah, in continuation of its pioneering role in the Islamic world. It asked God Almighty that the pilgrims perform their rituals safely and at ease. The cabinet reviewed Saudi Arabia's participation at the ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council and Gulf-ASEAN-China meetings in Malaysia. The Kingdom stressed its support to international initiatives aimed at achieving sustainable development and regional stability and that will help build a prosperous future for the world. The cabinet also highlighted Saudi Arabia and Kuwait's new oil discovery in the Neutral Zone, saying it was a positive step that will bolster bilateral cooperation in the energy sector.
Associated Press
a day ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Assad's fall in Syria turned Turkey and Saudi Arabia from rivals to partners. Will it last?
BEIRUT (AP) — Sunni regional powerhouses Turkey and Saudi Arabia have had a complicated and often contentious relationship over the years. But their ties warmed significantly after Bashar Assad was toppled in neighboring Syria in a lightning rebel offensive in December . Since then, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have worked to stabilize the new government in Damascus and usher Syria back into the international fold. It was no surprise then that the first trips abroad that Syria's insurgent-leader-turned-President Ahmad al-Sharaa made were to the kingdom's capital of Riyadh and Ankara, Turkey's capital. That new Turkey-Saudi amiability was on display during U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East earlier this month, when he held a surprise meeting with al-Sharaa in Riyadh. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was in the room, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined the meeting by phone. When Trump announced he was lifting sanctions imposed on Syria , he credited both the crown prince and Erdogan with persuading him to make the move. Roots of a rocky relationship There have been 'both regional and ideological reasons' for the Turkey-Saudi rivalry in the past, according to Sinem Cengiz, a Turkish researcher at Qatar University's Gulf Studies Center. Both countries enjoy the status of so-called 'middle powers' — states that are influential globally but lack the clout of great powers — which has 'fueled competition for regional dominance,' she said. The two also have different approaches to political Islam. Turkey has backed the Muslim Brotherhood, a pan-Arab Islamist movement that Saudi Arabia considers a terror organization, as do several other Middle East countries. After the 2011 Arab Spring swept across the region, Turkey openly supported the popular uprisings while the kingdom remained circumspect. However, both Ankara and Riyadh backed anti-Assad factions in Syria's 13-year civil war . When Saudi Arabia and Qatar, another wealthy Gulf Arab state, had a diplomatic blowup in 2017, Turkey sided with Qatar . The lowest point in relations came in 2018 when a Saudi hit squad killed Jamal Khashoggi — a Saudi citizen and U.S. resident who wrote critically about the Saudi government for The Washington Post — at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Turkish officials — who had access to audio recordings from inside the consulate — alleged that Khashoggi was killed in a premeditated operation by Saudi agents and dismembered with a bone saw. Prince Mohammed acknowledged the killing came under his watch but denied he ordered it, though U.S. intelligence agencies believe that he did. How did Assad's fall improve relations? Analysts say Assad's fall and the new reality in Syria intensified a thaw that was already underway between the two major U.S. allies. Hesham Alghannam, a Saudi political scientist and nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Middle East Center think tank, says it was an impetus that 'significantly transformed Turkey-Saudi relations.' Their interests aligned in a post-Assad Syria, so the two shifted 'from rivalry to pragmatic cooperation,' Alghannam said. Ankara and Riyadh shared concerns about Iran's outsized influence in Syria under Assad — which disappeared with Assad's ouster — and the two now want to insure Tehran' doesn't stage a comeback, he added. They also had their own security concerns in Syria — Turkey because of its long unstable border with Syria and Turkish insurgent Kurdish groups that have sought safe havens with Syrian Kurds. For its part, the kingdom has worried about the smuggling of the highly addictive Captagon in the region, an amphetamine-like stimulant that had been a main source of revenue for Assad. 'Their mutual need to counter Iran, manage Syria's instability, and shape a Sunni-led government (post-Assad) has fostered a partnership,' Alghannam said. Riyadh and Ankara have also recently established a united front to counterbalance Israel, which has been suspicious of al-Sharaa, once a leader of a formerly al-Qaida-linked militant group. Since Assad's fall, Israel has launched airstrikes, seized a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone inside Syria and threatened to invade to protect the Druze religious minority after Druze factions clashed with the new Syrian security forces under al-Sharaa. Joint Saudi-Turkey lobbying helped persuade Trump despite opposition in Israel — Washington's strongest ally in the region — to lift the U.S. sanctions on Syria, 'in the interest of avoiding any new destabilization,' Cengiz said. Today, Saudi Arabia and Turkey believe that like Iran did in the past, 'Israel is playing a similarly disruptive role in Syria,' she added. Will the cooperation last? With the lifting of Western sanctions paving the way for lucrative reconstruction deals and other investments in the new Syria, analysts say the Riyadh-Ankara alignment is likely to continue. Cengiz said that neither Riyadh nor Ankara can dominate in Syria, so 'to maximize their respective interests, both Turkey and Saudi Arabia will need to continue finding ways to work together for a 'win-win' outcome.' Alghannam noted other signs of warming relations, including the revival earlier this month of the long-dormant Saudi-Turkish Coordination Council, a body charged with promoting cooperation across political, military, intelligence and economic sectors. There will be arms sales, he said, pointing to Saudi interests in Turkish drones, as well as 'joint reconstruction efforts in Syria.' While their rivalry could still resurface, 'the trend toward Turkey-Saudi cooperation is likely to persist,' he concluded. Salem El Yami, a former Saudi foreign ministry official and political analyst, said Syria's new leaders will have 'a significant role to play' in balancing ties with allies rather than playing them off against each other. 'If Saudi-Turkish coordination succeeds in Syria ... it can be expected to contribute to Syria's stability and, consequently, to the state of calm and stability in the region,' he said.
Argaam
a day ago
- Business
- Argaam
Cabinet approves amending housing subsidy regulation
The Saudi Cabinet, in a meeting chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, approved a number of decisions, including the amendment of the housing subsidy regulation. Moreover, the Cabinet gave a nod to the General Food Security Authority (GFSA) regulation, SPA reported. The Cabinet lauded the transformative initiatives under the Health Transformation Program, which have enhanced the quality and comprehensiveness of healthcare, improved preventive and traffic safety measures, and advanced digital health services in line with the objectives of Vision 2030. The Cabinet also acknowledged the Kingdom's recent achievements and high rankings on global indices, including its second-place position among G20 countries in the UN International Telecommunication Union's 2024 ICT Regulatory Tracker. Additionally, the Cabinet affirmed that the Kingdom remains committed to comprehensive and sustainable development through economic diversification, optimization of its competitive advantages, stimulation of local and foreign investment, empowerment of Saudi citizens, and the creation of job opportunities across various sectors.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Is Saudi the new Dubai? Here's everything you need to know about holidaying in Saudi Arabia
It's being dubbed the 'new Dubai' - with tourist numbers soaring as glitzy international hotel chains doors and airlines clamber to launch new routes. Curious holidaymakers are flocking to Saudi Arabia 's magnificent ancient sites including the desert ruins of a Nabatean kingdom in AlUla and centuries-old tombs of Madai Saleh. Other big draws are upmarket hotels at Red Sea resorts - said to rival those in the Maldives - as well as the bustling souks and cultural attractions of Jeddah and Riyadh, the capital. New Virgin Atlantic flights from Heathrow to Riyadh began just over a month ago - joining BA and Saudia on the route. Meanwhile, you can book a room at the likes of Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons, Intercontinental. St Regis and Shangri-La, which have opened swanky new places to stay. All in all, it's remarkable progress for a country that was closed to holidaymakers until as recently as 2019, when a shift in approach began under Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman. His aim was to diversify the economy to bring in tourism and not just rely on oil revenue. Events have moved fast ever since, with Formula One beginning in Jeddah in 2021 and sports tourism taking off on the back of major boxing fights including high profile showdowns between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. Latest figures show that 30 million inbound visitors came in 2024, up from 16.4 million in 2022 - with a target of 70 million by 2030. But what's it really like as a tourist in Saudi Arabia, the Middle East's largest country? Can you get a drink? What should women wear? And how can you arrange a trip? Here's our ultimate holiday guide to Saudi Arabia... What's it like for women to visit? First of all, the country is safe as there's little crime due to strict laws - so getting about by taxi is fine. However, women need to cover bodies - in big cities there is a more relaxed attitude regarding this, but in rural areas an abaya (loose garment covering the body) and scarf is advisable. The general advice from expats living in Saudi Arabia is for foreign women in rural regions to try and 'fit in'. Head coverings are no longer compulsory, women are expected to cover their shoulders, arms and legs and not wear tight clothing. What about women sunbathing by the pool? This is possible at some hotels - though you may be asked to cover up after a swim. What about male dress? Overall 'modesty' in dress is recommended for both men and women. Men, however, sometimes wear knee-length shorts (above the knee is not considered acceptable, except poolside). The rules for male clothing are much more relaxed. Is the country safe for LGBT travellers? Homosexuality is illegal, although unmarried (straight or gay) couples can stay in the same hotel room together (since 2019). Saudi Tourism says: 'Like other governments, we do not ask visitors personal questions and we respect the right to privacy.' And the national travel authority says: 'Everyone is welcome to visit Saudi, and we ask that they follow and respect our culture and traditions and laws, as you would when visiting any other country in the world.' All of this said, gay sex is prohibited by law, with the possibility of fines, prison and even death. Are public displays of affection (PDA) allowed? Holding hands is ok but kissing among all couples is culturally frowned upon and PDA in general should be avoided. Can you get a drink? Alcohol is illegal and there are no exceptions - unlike in nearby Muslim countries such as the UAE (in Dubai and Abu Dhabi) and Qatar. City bars may stock non-alcoholic wines, spirits and beers. You cannot even get a drink if flying in on Saudia, the country's national airline. This week, reports suggested the kingdom would allow the controlled sale of alcohol in the run-up to hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup - lifting its 73-year-old ban on alcohol. However, a Saudi official has since denied any changes to its alcohol laws will be made. Can you drink on the way in and out on other airlines? Yes. The in-flight booze ban is just on Saudia. However, do not arrive drunk as this could lead to arrest if you behave in a disorderly or offensive manner. What's the temperature like? It can top 50C in the summer, when some businesses will close at midday and reopen again later - commonplace in Jeddah's historic al-Balad neighborhood. Malls, however, are air-conditioned, though you may ironically need to take a jumper. January is the coolest month, with temperatures around 18-20C. What's the food like? Delicious. Try smoky baba ghanoush (finely chopped eggplant), hummous, falafel, 'kabsa' (a spicy rice dish with chicken, lamb or goat), sliced pieces of chicken or beef in 'sharwarmas' served with pitta bread, and sweet pistachio-flavoured bread pudding. Tasty soft drink included pomegranate juice, cardamom coffee and camel milkshakes. How about shopping? Souks are a big part of the culture - you can pick up rose-oil perfumes, gold jewellery and beautiful women's clothing. Can you visit mosques? It is ok for non-Muslims to visit mosques but you should cover up and women should cover their hair to be respectful. Pack some socks as you need to remove shoes on entry. Try to avoid Fridays, the holiest day of the week. Some mosques in Mecca and Medina are restricted to Muslims. Can you meet locals? Yes - the people are friendly, hospitable and keen to share their culture. How do you get there? Virgin Atlantic's new direct flights from Heathrow to Riyadh are from £508 in June ( Return flights on BA are from £519 in June ( Or you could fly indirect on Pegasus from Stansted via Istanbul from as little as £257 return ( How long is the journey? Direct flights to Riyadh from the UK are usually around 6h 30m and seven hours. Will I need a visa? Yes. Apply for a tourist e-visa in advance at - the fee is £105. Processing e-visas takes 24 hours; the fee covers mandatory health insurance. What tour operators offer trips? Trailfinders offers 14-night trips in conjunction with adventure specialists Explore from £4,699 per person. Trips include visits to Riyadh, a desert camp near the dramatic canyons at AlUla, the ancient Nabatean city of Hegra, a visit to the Holy city of Medina, the Red Sea port of Yambu and Jeddah; hotels, many meals and guides included, with flights extra ( Meanwhile, upmarket specialist Abercrombie & Kent has luxury trips with stays at the four seasons in Riyadh, the Banyan Tree at Alula and the Shangri-La in Jeddah from £14,975pp for eight days, flights included ( Or you can book tailor-made trips with BA Holidays ( Wild Frontiers ( and Wendy Wu Tours ( What currency should I use? The Saudi riyal (SAR), although cards are widely accepted.
