DUBAI: Pakistan’s relationship with Saudi Arabia and the UAE is “extremely important” for the region, Pakistan’s top military spokesman said on Thursday.
Pakistan has a history of “wonderful relationships” with the two Gulf states, Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor, director general of Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), said on a visit to the Arab News Dubai bureau.
“This cooperation is increasing with every passing day, and we believe this cooperation is in the interest of not only Pakistan, but also the region,” he said.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE played an essential part in assisting Pakistan in the fight against terrorism, Gen. Ghafoor said.
In conflict areas where Pakistani forces had cleared out terrorists, development work had been “assisted phenomenally” by the UAE and Saudi Arabia, specifically in the field of social welfare, including hospitals and water supply schemes, he said.
On Pakistan’s continuing disputes with Afghanistan, Gen. Ghafoor said the Pakistani army had cleared areas that had been under terrorist influence on the Pakistan side of the border, but militants still controlled areas on the Afghan side “due to the lack of capacity of the Afghan forces, and now with the reduced footprint of the international forces.”
“So the issue now resides inside Afghanistan, where the threat is still unchecked,” he said.
Gen. Ghafoor also welcomed the new Arab News online Pakistan edition, launched this month, which he hoped would contribute to positive journalism.
“It’s a great pleasure to visit the Arab News setup here in Dubai and we are even more pleased to have the Arab News bureau in Islamabad,” he said.
Pakistan military spokesman hails Saudi, UAE role in fighting terror
Pakistan military spokesman hails Saudi, UAE role in fighting terror
Shock in Jakarta, MPs demand action after Israel assassinates Indonesian hospital director
- Dr. Marwan Al-Sultan, renowned cardiac surgeon, was killed in targeted Israeli airstrike
- Israel has killed at least 492 doctors and health workers in Gaza since October 2023
JAKARTA/DUBAI: Israel’s assassination of Dr. Marwan Al-Sultan, director of the Indonesian hospital in northern Gaza, has sparked shock in Jakarta, with parliamentarians calling for new international accountability mechanisms to hold Israel legally responsible for its crimes in Gaza.
A renowned cardiac surgeon and one of Palestine’s most senior doctors, Dr. Al-Sultan graduated from Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences in Hyderabad, Pakistan, in 2001.
He was killed along with his wife and children in an Israeli airstrike on their temporary residence in northern Gaza on Wednesday.
His surviving daughter, Lubna, told the media that the missile “targeted his room exactly, right where he was.” Her testimony confirmed statements from the Gaza Ministry of Health and the Jakarta-based Medical Emergency Rescue Committee — which funded the Indonesia Hospital in Beit Lahia — that the attack was a targeted assassination.
“The attack on Dr. Marwan was utterly savage and barbaric,” Dr. Sarbini Abdul Murad, chairman of MER-C’s board of trustees, told Arab News.
“It was a shock to hear the news. I couldn’t believe it. He was the only heart specialist left in the north. This is a huge loss.”
The Indonesia Hospital in Beit Lahia, one of the biggest health facilities in Gaza, was one of the first targeted by Israel when it started its deadly war on the Palestinian enclave in October 2023.
Dr. Al-Sultan had never left his post, remaining with patients through multiple Israeli offensives on the hospital and personally overseeing repairs to restore essential services, MER-C said in a statement recalling how in December 2024, he evacuated the facility while under Israeli siege.
The moment was recorded on a mobile phone, showing Dr. Al-Sultan leaving only after he had ensured the safety of every patient.
The Indonesia Hospital opened in late 2015. Coordinated by MER-C, its construction and equipment were financed from donations of the Indonesian people, with dozens of engineers and builders volunteering to design and build the facility and to prepare its operations.
The killing of Dr. Al-Sultan has spurred outcry in Indonesia, with the government issuing an official condemnation and lawmakers from the Committee for Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation calling on parliamentarians around the world to “push for international accountability mechanisms” to ensure that “crimes against humanity be immediately brought to international forums, including global parliamentary bodies, so that Israel can be held legally and morally accountable for its actions in Gaza.”
Israel has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 133,000 others, since October 2023. The true death toll is feared to be much higher, with research published in The Lancet medical journal in January estimating an underreporting of deaths by 41 percent.
The study says the death toll may be even higher, as it does not include deaths caused by starvation, injury and lack of access to health care, caused by the Israeli military’s destruction of most of Gaza’s infrastructure and the blocking of medical and food aid.
Data from the UN and international health organizations shows that Israel has killed at least 492 doctors and medics in Gaza since October 2023.
Dr. Al-Sultan is the 70th health care worker to be killed in the last 50 days, according to Healthcare Workers Watch.
“He was a prominent medical figure, both as a heart specialist and director of the Indonesia Hospital,” Dr. Hadiki Habib, chairman of MER-C’s executive committee, told Arab News.
“We had feared that this could happen, but he had said that he would remain in Gaza and, if he were to be martyred, it would be in his homeland.”
Saudi hotel occupancy rises to 63% in Q1 2025
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s hotel occupancy rate rose to 63 percent in the first quarter of 2025, up from 60.9 percent a year earlier, driven by seasonal events, pilgrimage traffic, and growing leisure tourism.
In contrast, the occupancy rate for serviced apartments and other hospitality facilities fell to 50.7 percent during the same period, marking a decline of 3.8 percentage points compared to the first quarter of 2024, according to recent data from the General Authority for Statistics.
GASTAT’s tourism establishments statistics also showed that the average daily room rate in hotels stood at SR477 ($127.2), reflecting a year-on-year decrease of 3.4 percent. Meanwhile, the average daily rate in serviced apartments and other hospitality facilities increased by 7.2 percent to SR209 during the same period.
The Kingdom has set ambitious tourism targets under its Vision 2030 agenda, aiming to attract 150 million visitors annually by the end of the decade. Tourism is central to the nation’s broader strategy to diversify its economy beyond oil and is positioned as a vital contributor to the gross domestic product. To drive this transformation, Saudi Arabia plans to invest over $1 trillion in new attractions and infrastructure projects, including the Red Sea initiative and NEOM, a $500 billion megacity.
According to the GASTAT report, the average length of stay for hotel guests was approximately 4.1 nights during the first quarter of 2025, consistent with the same period in 2024.
“On the other hand, the average length of stay for guests in serviced apartments and other hospitality facilities was approximately 2.1 nights during Q1 of 2025, reflecting a decrease of 4.5 percent compared to the corresponding quarter of 2024, which was 2.2 nights,” the analysis added.
Regarding employment in the tourism sector, GASTAT reported notable growth, with the total number of workers in tourism-related activities reaching 983,253 during the first quarter of 2025, up 4.1 percent from the same period last year.
“The number of Saudi employees reached 243,369, with a participation rate of 24.8 percent. Meanwhile, the number of non-Saudi employees reached 739,884, representing a participation rate of 75.2 percent of the total employees in tourism activities,” the report stated.
The study further indicated that, in terms of gender distribution, male employees in tourism activities totaled 853,852, accounting for 86.8 percent of the workforce, while female employees numbered 129,401, representing 13.2 percent during the first quarter of 2025.
The bulletin also revealed that workers in the tourism sector constituted 5.4 percent of total national employment, marking a decline of 0.3 percentage points compared to the first quarter of 2024. Within the private sector, tourism accounted for 8.1 percent of jobs, a decrease of 0.6 percentage points from 8.7 percent in the same quarter of the previous year.
Highlighting its calculation methodology, GASTAT said the tourism establishments statistics for Q1 2025 are compiled from multiple sources to provide comprehensive insights into tourism activities in Saudi Arabia. These sources include administrative records, statistical surveys, and secondary data.
The Kingdom’s tourism sector continued to demonstrate strong performance in the first quarter of 2025, reflecting the country’s accelerating efforts under its Vision 2030 agenda to diversify the economy and reduce reliance on oil revenues.
As the nation expands its hospitality infrastructure and boosts its global appeal, recent data reveals promising trends in visitor spending, hotel occupancy, and employment within the tourism industry.
In the first three months of 2025, international tourists spent SR49.37 billion in the Kingdom, a 10 percent increase compared to the same period last year, according to figures released by the Saudi Central Bank, also known as SAMA.
This rise contributed to boosting the travel account surplus to SR26.78 billion, marking an 11.7 percent year-on-year increase and underscoring tourism’s growing contribution to the non-oil economy.
Saudi Arabia’s hotel sector recorded a solid performance in the first quarter of 2025, supported by a steady rise in both domestic and international tourism, according to the latest report by global real estate consultancy JLL.
The report showed that the Kingdom welcomed approximately 21.6 million international tourists in the first nine months of 2024, while domestic travel surged to 63.9 million, with leisure being the primary motivator for trips.
It added that religious pilgrimage continued to drive international arrivals, reinforcing the country’s unique position as a spiritual destination.
The JLL study noted that while the nationwide hotel market saw growth in key performance metrics, such as a 10.8 percent increase in average daily rates and a 1.3 percentage point rise in occupancy, performance diverged across cities.
JLL noted that Makkah and Madinah posted robust gains, while Riyadh experienced declines in both occupancy and room rates. Jeddah, meanwhile, showed mixed results.
Klopp ‘heartbroken’ by Diogo Jota’s death
- “This is a moment where I struggle!” Klopp posted on Instagram
- “I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of Diogo and his brother Andre”
MUNICH: Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said he was “heartbroken” to learn Diogo Jota, who he signed in 2020, had died with his younger brother Andre in a car crash on Thursday.
Diogo Jota, 28, died alongside Andre after their vehicle veered off a motorway in northern Spain before bursting into flames.
Klopp, who is Red Bull’s “head of global soccer,” persuaded the Liverpool board to pay £45 million ($62 million) for Diogo Jota after he impressed at Wolves.
“This is a moment where I struggle!” Klopp posted on Instagram.
“There must be a bigger purpose! But I can’t see it! I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of Diogo and his brother Andre.
“Diogo was a not only a fantastic player, but also a great friend, a loving and caring husband and father!
“We will miss you so much! All my prayers, thoughts and power to Rute, the kids, the family, the friends and everyone who loved them! Rest in peace — Love.”
Diogo Jota was labelled an “exceptional player, exceptional boy,” by Klopp early on in the player’s spell at Liverpool.
Jota took little time to deliver some return on Liverpool’s investment, becoming the first player in the club’s history to score in his first four home games.
He was a key part of Klopp’s side that won the League Cup and FA Cup in 2021/22, narrowly missing out on the Premier League and Champions League for what would have been an unprecedented quadruple.
Closing Bell: TASI closes the week in green at 11,244, climbing 1.03%
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index concluded Thursday’s trading session at 11,244.45 points, marking an increase of 114.81 points or 1.03 percent.
The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR5.625 billion ($1.5 billion), as 139 of the listed stocks advanced, while 110 retreated.
The MSCI Tadawul Index also increased by 19.52 points, or 1.37 percent, to close at 1,443.46.
The Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu reported a decrease, losing 88.34 points, or 0.32 percent, to close at 27,287.50 points. This comes as 37 of the listed stocks advanced while 38 retreated.
The index’s top performer, Fawaz Abdulaziz Alhokair Co., saw a 9.85 percent increase in its share price to close at SR29.
Other top performers included Saudi Ceramic Co., which saw a 6.26 percent increase to reach SR31.90, while Halwani Bros. Co.’s share price rose by 5.55 percent to SR44.86.
Middle East Healthcare Co. also recorded a positive trajectory, with share prices rising 5.09 percent to reach SR57.80.
Al-Rajhi Co. for Cooperative Insurance was TASI’s worst performer, with the company’s share price falling by 2.91 percent to SR123.30.
Saudi Industrial Export Co. followed with a 2.51 percent drop to SR2.33. Ades Holding Co. also saw a notable decline of 2.32 percent to settle at SR13.06.
Americana Restaurants International PLC and Naseej International Trading Co. were among the top five poorest performers, with shares dropping by 2.08 percent to settle at SR2.35 and 1.96 percent to sit at SR100, respectively.
On the announcement front, Riyad Bank announced its intention to issue tier 2 trust certificates denominated in US dollars under its updated international trust certificate issuance program, the bank said on Thursday.
According to the bank’s statement on Tadawul, the issuance — approved by its board on August 9 — is expected to be carried out through a special purpose vehicle and offered to eligible investors both in Saudi Arabia and internationally.
The offering is part of the bank’s broader capital-raising initiative aimed at general banking purposes, and its size and terms will be determined based on prevailing market conditions at the time of issuance.
The Saudi lender has appointed Standard Chartered Bank, HSBC Bank, Merrill Lynch International, and J.P. Morgan Securities, as well as SMBC Group, Mizuho International, DBS Bank Ltd, and Riyad Capital as joint lead managers for the proposed offer.
The proposed issuance of trust certificates will proceed following approvals from relevant regulatory bodies and will comply with all applicable laws and regulations.
Riyad Bank’s share price traded 2.54 percent higher on Thursday to close at SR28.36.
Russian strikes kill eight in Ukraine
- Among the sites hit were a military enlistment office in the eastern city of Poltava and port infrastructure in the southern city of Odesa
- The Ukrainian army reported there were “dead and wounded” at a recruitment office in Poltava
KYIV: Russia launched a wave of attacks on Ukraine on Thursday, killing at least eight people and wounding dozens of others, Ukrainian officials said.
Among the sites hit were a military enlistment office in the eastern city of Poltava and port infrastructure in the southern city of Odesa.
Moscow has stepped up its drone and missile bombardment of Ukraine in recent weeks, with peace talks stalling and Kyiv’s key ally Washington signalling it could cut military support.
The warring sides last met for direct talks more than a month ago and no further meeting has been organized.
The Ukrainian army reported there were “dead and wounded” at a recruitment office in Poltava.
Emergency services posted images of buildings on fire and rescue workers at the scene of the strike.
“Two people were killed,” the emergency services said. The region’s police added 47 people were wounded.
In Odesa, two people were killed when “an Iskander missile” struck the seaport, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said on Telegram.
He added that six people had been wounded in the strike.
In Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, strikes killed four people, the regional prosecutor’s office said.
“At least nine apartment buildings, three garages, a shop facade and a power line were damaged in the settlements,” it added.
In Russia’s Lipetsk region, debris from a Ukrainian drone killed a woman and wounded two other people, its governor said Thursday.
The debris fell on a building in Lipetsk, which lies about 400 kilometers (250 miles) southeast of Moscow, killing a woman in her seventies, Igor Artamonov wrote on Telegram.
