RIYADH: Top regional organizations including several Arab nations on Sunday strongly condemned and denounced the Iranian attack on an oil pipeline in Bahrain, while Manama called it a cowardly “terrorist act” by Tehran to destabilize the region.
The attack at the oil pipeline in Bahrain, a key Western ally, has prompted Saudi Arabia to tighten security around its oil facilities and installations.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), besides Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Yemen, and Egypt denounced the pipeline explosion in Bahrain and expressed grave concerns over the role of Iran in escalating tension in the region.
“The pipeline attack was the result of an Iran-backed terrorist act,” said Bahraini Interior Minister Lt. Gen. Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa, in a statement.
“Evidence gathered by the inspection team confirms that this was an intentional act carried out by terrorists to undermine the security of Bahrain,” Al-Khalifa added.
Referring to the attack on the oil pipeline, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the explosion, while referring to the statement by the Bahraini government on the incident, which confirmed that “terrorist incidents, in Bahrain, in the recent period are done through direct contacts and instructions from Iran.”
The Saudi Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources also expressed its full support to Bahrain in the face of this aggressive action targeting the pipeline. The ministry said that it is stepping up security precautions at its own facilities after the incident, according to SPA.
On the other hand, Saudi Aramco issued a clarification regarding the fire, saying that the attack resulted in “the immediate suspension of crude oil from the pumping station in Dhahran, which feeds the refinery of state-owned Bahrain Petroleum Co. (Bapco) through this pipeline.”
“The oil flows have gradually resumed … and operations are under way to increase refining output in cooperation with Aramco on completion of repairs soon,” said a Bapco statement.
In another statement, Yousef Al-Othaimeen, OIC secretary-general, strongly condemned the terrorist attack and expressed full solidarity with Bahrain in combating all forms of terrorism.
“The attack was a serious terror crime, which endangers Bahrain’s supreme interests and terrifies both citizens and residents,” said Abdullatif Al-Zayani, GCC secretary-general, in a separate statement.
OIC, GCC strongly condemn Iranian attacks on Bahrain oil pipeline
OIC, GCC strongly condemn Iranian attacks on Bahrain oil pipeline
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Saudi tech diplomat meets Iraqi PM to discuss digital cooperation
- Deemah Al-Yahya, head of the multilateral Digital Cooperation Organization, commended Iraq’s investment in human capital as driver for growth and expansion of digital economy
- Iraq has been working in recent years to develop a strategy for digital transformation to help support the private and public sectors and grow the economy
RIYADH: Saudi senior tech diplomat Deemah AlYahya, the secretary-general of the multilateral Digital Cooperation Organization, held talks on Monday with Iraq’s prime minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, about support for Baghdad’s plans to develop its digital business and artificial intelligence sectors.
They discussed Iraq’s strategy for digital transformation, and the need to create and develop a workforce with the tech skills required to help grow the Iraqi economy effectively, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Though Iraq is not a member of the DCO, an international body that focuses on the digital economy, Al-Sudani said his country is keen to work with the organization to meet the nation’s needs for a skilled workforce in the business sector.
AlYahya commended Iraq for the progress it has already made in terms of investment in the human capital needed to develop the digital skills that are essential to drive growth in a digitized economy.
Iraq has been working in recent years to develop a strategy for digital transformation to help support the private and public sectors and grow the economy. Authorities this month organized the first Digital Space Iraq Forum, which focused on the use of advanced technologies, including AI, to help build a comprehensive digital economy.
The DCO says that since it was founded in November 2020, it has been at the forefront of efforts to curate policies and initiatives to support the digital economy in several countries. Currently, 16 nations are members, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Pakistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh and Oman. It also has 39 observer partner organizations.
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Saudi FM pushes for regional stability at G7-Arab foreign ministers meeting
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RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan took part in an expanded session of the second meeting between G7 foreign ministers and their counterparts from Arab nations on Monday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The meeting was hosted in Italy under the theme “Together for the Stability of the Middle East.”
The session, which addressed pressing regional and international challenges, was held with the participation of Saudi, Jordanian, Emirati, Qatari and Egyptian officials, as well as the secretary-general of the Arab League.
In his address, Prince Faisal emphasized the importance of strengthening partnerships to address these challenges effectively.
He highlighted the ongoing crises in Gaza and Lebanon, urging the international community to act immediately to secure a ceasefire, facilitate unrestricted humanitarian aid, and progress toward establishing an independent Palestinian state.
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Scientists awarded for sustainable water innovation at Saudi conference
- Research aims to improve desalination efficiency
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JEDDAH: Scientists were awarded prizes for their work in researching desalination and wastewater treatment technologies during an event in Jeddah on Monday.
The third edition of the Innovation-Driven Water Sustainability Conference was attended by 480 experts, scientists, researchers, specialists and 40 leading organizations in the water sector, from 20 countries.
The grand prize — the Global Prize for Innovation in Desalination 2024 — went to Lee Nuang Sim from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University for his project “uncovering the power of centrifugal reverse osmosis,” and Sue Mecham, CEO of NALA Membranes, for her project “chlorine stable new membranes for sustainable desalination and wastewater treatment/reuse.”
Mecham, from North Carolina, US, spoke to Arab News after receiving her award, saying: “We are honored to be selected for the Global Prize for Innovation in Desalination 2024. Our mission is to bring new membranes to market and reduce the cost and complexity of water purification.”
Meanwhile, Saudi Ghadeer Al-Balawi from the University of Tabuk was another one of this year’s prizewinners with her project “novel heterogeneous catalysts for improving wastewater treatment plants in Saudi Arabia.”
Al-Balawi told Arab News: “I am incredibly honored to be one of the recipients of the Global Prize for Innovation in Desalination 2024. This recognition means so much to me. This project has been conducted at the University of Sheffield with hard work and dedication with the assistance of my supervisor, Dr. Marco Conte.”
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The two-day conference will continue to feature discussions on more than 180 research papers, as well as a water hackathon organized by the Saudi Water Innovation Center.
PSC members visit Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh
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RIYADH: Members of the EU’s Political and Security Committee, including its chair, Ambassador Delphine Pronk, and ambassadors of EU member states, paid an official visit to the Gulf Cooperation Council headquarters in Riyadh on Monday.
The delegation was accompanied by the European External Action Service Managing Director for the Middle East and North Africa Helene Le Gal, and EU Special Representative for the Gulf Luigi Di Maio.
The EU and the GCC held a political dialogue session, co-chaired by Pronk and Jasem Albudaiwi, secretary-general of the GCC.
The two parties discussed matters of mutual interest and the need to increase joint efforts to tackle global challenges.
This included the situations in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon, Gulf security and Iran, maritime security in the Red Sea region, Iraq, Sudan and the Horn of Africa, as well as Russian aggression against Ukraine.
The committee delegates and the GCC also agreed on strengthening the EU-GCC regional security cooperation.
The political dialogue constitutes an important step forward following the successful first EU-GCC Summit in Brussels on Oct. 16.
