JEDDAH: Recent military developments have highlighted missions carried out by the Saudi Royal Navy in the sea off Yemen, particularly the operation carried out last week in which naval mines were identified and deactivated.
Retired Marine Rear Adm. Dr. Shami Mohammed Al-Dhahri, commander of the College of Command and Staff at the Saudi Armed Forces, told Arab News that the Saudi Royal Navy special units have been paying close attention to the quality of their training in various climates, both in mountainous terrain and deep in the valleys.
Training has been taking place in the cold winter months as well as the hot summer, to fully prepare soldiers and officers who have pledged their lives to protect their religion and their homeland, Al-Dhahri said.
He said members of special navy security units have spent extensive hours of training in areas like mountain warfare skills, tactical exercises, shooting, and “frogmen” combat diving. This equips them with extensive skills to carry out their military tasks with high precision.
Al-Dhahri said units are currently operating within the coalition forces to support legitimacy in Yemen, and are among the most trained combat units. They work under the most difficult of circumstances, due to the need for high sensitivity and accuracy in these special military operations.
Special navy security units are believed to have advanced boats and special equipment, from binoculars to snipers, in addition to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other equipment required to carry out missions day and night with great efficiency.
These units have a long history of nearly 40 years, informed sources reveal, dating back to when the Marine and Special Naval Security Units school was founded. The institution has the latest equipment and weapons, including amphibious armor and vehicles, mortars, heavy machine guns, and mines.
Officers and members of these units undergo intense training programs inside and outside the Kingdom, and are involved in joint annual exercises with forces from allied countries. The private marine security units are divided into three sections, namely frogmen or combat diving, stunts, and removal or deactivation, each with specific tasks.
Saudi marine security units boast highly trained frogmen
Saudi marine security units boast highly trained frogmen
Reconstituted Saudi IP authority’s board of directors approved
- Shihana Alazzaz, who is an adviser at the Royal Court, will continue to serve as chair
RIYADH: The Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property’s newly-reconstituted Board of Directors was approved for a three-year term, the Saudi Press Agency reported Wednesday.
In the reconstituted board, Shihana Alazzaz, who is an adviser at the Royal Court, will continue to serve as chair. She previously served as the deputy secretary-general of the Council of Ministers and was the first Saudi woman to hold the position.
The approval includes extending the membership of Eng. Haitham Al-Ohali, Eng. Osama Al-Zamil, and Dima Al-Yahya.
Badr Al-Qadi and Dr. Mohammed Al-Otaibi join the board as new members.
Alazzaz expressed her thanks and gratitude to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their generous and continuous support for the authority.
She also thanked the previous board members for their efforts and wished the new members success.
The authority’s CEO Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Suwailem, said that the new formation of the board reflects the continued generous support of the leadership for the authority, wishing the Board success.
Grand Mosque authority announces free storage for Umrah performers
- Storage facilities are located near the Makkah Library and Gate 64
MAKKAH: Authorities in the holy city of Makkah announced on Wednesday free luggage storage for Umrah performers.
The General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque announced that free storage facilities are available to the east of the Grand Mosque, near the Makkah Library, and to the west, near Gate 64.
Umrah performers must present their permits through the Nusuk app to access the facilities, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Umrah performers can store bags, not loose items, weighing up to 7 kilograms for a maximum of four hours. Valuables, prohibited items, food, and medicine are not permitted. A claim ticket must be presented for retrieval.
The authority plans to extend the service to encompass all areas around the Grand Mosque to better assist visitors, the SPA added.
King Salman, Crown Prince send condolences to Azerbaijan president
- The King and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also extend sympathies to families of plane crash victims
RIYADH: King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman each sent messages of condolence and sympathy to Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday, after the tragic crash of a passenger plane.
The King and the crown prince also extended their heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives onboard the Azerbaijan Airlines plane, wishing a speedy recovery to the injured, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
On Wednesday morning, the passenger plane, traveling from Azerbaijan to Russia, crashed near Aktau, western Kazakhstan, with 62 passengers and five crew members on board.
Kazakh authorities announced that 28 people had survived.
KSrelief chief meets Palestinian ambassador to Saudi Arabia
- Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah and Mazen Ghoneim discussed Saudi humanitarian efforts to support Palestinians in Gaza
RIYADH: The supervisor-general of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, met the Palestinian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Mazen Ghoneim on Wednesday in Riyadh.
Al-Rabeeah and Ghoneim discussed Saudi humanitarian efforts to support Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Ghoneim expressed his gratitude to KSrelief and praised its strong relationship with the Palestinian people, the SPA added.
KSrelief initiated various projects to support Palestinian hospitals and humanitarian efforts in the Gaza Strip during the ongoing Israeli war.
Earlier in December, KSrelief sent 20 fully equipped ambulances to boost the health sector in Gaza.
It also distributed aid and food parcels that benefited nearly 3,500 Palestinians, some of whom were displaced in the Gaza Strip.
Saudi-Qatari security, military committee meeting held in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia’s Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif and Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani chaired the second meeting of the Saudi-Qatari Coordination Council’s Security and Military Committee in Riyadh on Wednesday.
During the meeting, they discussed ways to enhance cooperation in areas of common interest, to achieve the aspirations of the two nations’ leaders and people, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Prince Saud praised the efforts made by both sides to achieve joint initiatives.
