RIYADH: World leaders, including heads of member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), on Sunday began arriving in New York to attend the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
The sessions are scheduled to begin on Tuesday morning amid political crises all over the world with a focus on the Middle East, North Korea and the massacre of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.
“Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will deliver a speech at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday,” said a UNGA report, which gives details of the participation of the heads of states in the UN assembly. It said Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has already arrived in New York, where he will also hold talks with US President Donald Trump besides attending the UNGA.
“The details of the participation of the Gulf states in the UNGA will be announced soon,” said an official of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) General Secretariat, on Sunday. He said that individual GCC countries would announce the names of the leaders who will be leading delegations of the respective Gulf states. Also, foreign ministers of the OIC member states are scheduled to hold a coordination meeting in New York before the UNGA starts on Tuesday.
Referring to the high-profile attendance of world leaders at the UNGA, another report said: “Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will attend the UNGA and will also meet with President Trump to discuss key regional and international issues on the sidelines of the General Assembly.” Jordan’s King Abdullah, accompanied by Queen Rania, has already arrived in New York, where he will be leading the Jordanian delegation.
The report said that “the North Korean provocations and the future of Iran’s nuclear agreement are also expected to be discussed on the international platform, in addition to the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.” However, a few leaders will be missing from the General Assembly meeting, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping – both of whom have urged for a de-escalation of tensions between the US and North Korea.
The report said that the spotlight will be on US President Trump and France’s new leader, Emmanuel Macron, who will both be making their first appearance at the General Assembly. They will be joined by more than 100 heads of state, including Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.
Referring to the consultation meeting to be convened by the OIC, a Saudi Press Agency (SPA) report said that the foreign ministers will hold a meeting to discuss issues of interest to the OIC that are on the agenda of the current session of the UNGA. The special ministerial committee on Palestine will also hold a meeting to discuss developments.
The report said that Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi has also arrived in New York, where he will address the UNGA and hold talks with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. A ministerial meeting of the Contact Group on the Rohingya Muslims will also be held in New York within the framework of the OIC. The OIC secretary-general will also hold several bilateral meetings with heads of states to discuss regional and international issues.
Heads of OIC states among world leaders flocking to New York for UNGA
Heads of OIC states among world leaders flocking to New York for UNGA
Beekeepers’ association launches green campaign
RIYADH: The Beekeepers Cooperative Association in Rijal Almaa in the Asir Region on Thursday launched an initiative to plant 1,000 sidr trees in Wadi Hiswah as part of an environmental sustainability plan aligning with the Saudi Green Initiative.
Inaugurated in 2021, the Saudi Green Initiative unites environmental protection, energy transition and sustainability programs with the overarching aims of offsetting and reducing emissions, increasing afforestation and land restoration, and supports Saudi Arabia’s ambition to reach net zero emissions by 2060.
The Beekeepers Association launched the green campaign in collaboration with the National Center for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The chairman of the association’s board of directors, Ali bin Yahya Al-Hayani, said that this initiative aims to enhance air quality and combat climate change.
He identified the environmental benefits of the sidr tree, highlighting its resilience, its role in combating desertification, and its contribution to soil health and biodiversity.
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.
