JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia on Tuesday renewed its support for the Syrian crisis, saying the only solution is through a political route, during a meeting of the Council of Ministers chaired by King Salman.
The Cabinet stressed its support for alleviating the suffering of the Syrian people who are subjected to horrific war crimes.The Kingdom has sought international efforts to find peaceful solutions since the beginning of the conflict to spare the Syrian people the human tragedy they are experiencing today.
At the beginning of the Cabinet meeting, King Salman briefed the Council on the outcomes of a telephone conversation held with the President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, and the results of his meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Director General of the World Health Organization Dr. Tidros Adhanom.
The Council was then briefed on a number of reports on regional and international developments and on the statement made by the Kingdom’s delegation at the High-Level Meeting on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace in the United Nations General Assembly. The delegation stressed that the basic pillars are building and maintaining peace and achieving justice. The statement also shed light on the Kingdom’s initiatives as part of its continuous efforts to resolve disputes peacefully, and to emphasized the necessity for the UN to play a more effective role in building and maintaining peace.
The Minister of Culture and Information, Dr. Awad Al-Awad, said that the Council of Ministers also discussed the outcomes of the Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region Conference in Brussels and announced the Kingdom’s donation of $100 million through the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Action.
The Cabinet expressed the Kingdom’s strong condemnation of the twin suicide bombings in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Monday, reiterating the Kingdom’s solidarity with Afghanistan in its fight against terrorism and extremism. The ministers also extended condolences to the families of the victims, the government and the people, wishing them a speedy recovery.
Dr. Al-Awad said that the Council of Ministers has agreed to establish diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and the Principality of Monaco at the level of a non-resident ambassador and to authorize the Minister of Foreign Affairs or his deputy to sign a protocol.
The government also approved the flour mill production system, the food security strategy and the implementation plan.
Finally, the Cabinet decided to approve the Independent Schools initiative by transferring 25 public schools to the private sector. The supervisory committee for the education sector will implement this initiative in accordance with the provisions of the supervisory committees’ work rules for the target sectors.
Saudi Arabia affirms the only solution for Syria is a political one
Saudi Arabia affirms the only solution for Syria is a political one
- Saudi Arabia renews its support for the Syrian crisis, saying the only solution is through a political route
- Saudi government decides to hand over 25 schools to private sector
Saudi fund supports Tunisia with hospital projects
RIYADH: The Saudi Fund for Development recently signed agreements to strengthen Tunisia’s healthcare sector by completing hospitals in Sbiba, Kasserine governorate, and El Jem, Mahdia governorate.
Funded through a soft loan, this initiative highlights Saudi Arabia’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and supporting development in Tunisia, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The signing ceremony, held at the Tunisian Ministry of Health in Tunis, was attended by Tunisian Minister of Health Mustapha Ferjani, Saudi Ambassador to Tunisia Abdulaziz Al-Saqr, and the fund’s director general for Arab countries operations, Bandar Al-Obaid.
Ferjani expressed gratitude to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their continued support of Tunisia, emphasizing that this project reflects the Kingdom’s commitment to the Tunisian healthcare sector.
Al-Saqr reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s dedication to advancing joint development projects in Tunisia, financed through various Saudi entities, and stressed the fund’s commitment to completing all its initiatives in the country.
The Saudi Fund for Development so far has financed 32 development projects and programs in Tunisia through soft loans exceeding $1.23 billion, along with four grants worth over $105 million to support key sectors, SPA reported.
Kingdom arrests 19,418 illegals in one week
RIYADH: Saudi authorities arrested 19,418 people in one week for breaching residency, work and border security regulations, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
According to an official report, a total of 11,787 people were arrested for violations of residency laws, while 4,380 were held over illegal border crossing attempts, and a further 3,251 for labor-related issues.
The report showed that among the 1,221 people arrested for trying to enter the Kingdom illegally, 56 percent were Ethiopian, 42 percent Yemeni, and 2 percent were of other nationalities.
A further 136 people were caught trying to cross into neighboring countries, and 19 were held for involvement in transporting and harboring violators, SPA reported.
The Ministry of Interior said that anyone found to be facilitating illegal entry to the Kingdom, including providing transportation and shelter, could face imprisonment for a maximum of 15 years, a fine of up to SR1 million ($260,000), as well as confiscation of vehicles and property.
Suspected violations can be reported on the toll-free number 911 in the Makkah and Riyadh regions, and 999 or 996 in other regions of the Kingdom.
Ninth Saudi relief plane for Syria lands in Damascus
RIYADH: The ninth relief plane from Saudi Arabi landed on Saturday at Damascus International Airport, state news agency SPA has reported.
The aircraft, operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), was loaded with essentials supplies including food, shelter and medical supplies for the Syrian people to help them cope with the difficult conditions they are into.
This assistance is an extension of Saudi Arabia’s continuous humanitarian and relief efforts through its humanitarian arm, KSrelief, to support those in need worldwide during crises, SPA reported.
KSrelief provides food and shelter assistance in three Syrian cities
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia provided food, shelter and winter kits to the Syrian people through its aid agency, KSrelief, as part of several humanitarian missions across Syria.
The agency on Wednesday distributed bags of flour, winter kits and personal care kits to 132 families in the city of Al-Rastan in Homs, benefitting 626 individuals.
KSrelief also distributed food parcels and health kits to 1,455 families in the Afrin and Azaz regions in Aleppo, benefiting 8,730 individuals.
KSrelief on Thursday distributed 1,224 bags of flour, food baskets, personal care bags and shelter kits to 306 families in the city of Douma.
The efforts are part of Saudi Arabia’s ongoing commitment to deliver humanitarian assistance aimed at alleviating the suffering of the Syrian people.
KSrelief’s global humanitarian efforts continue
RIYADH: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center’s (KSrelief) humanitarian efforts continue for distressed families and individuals in need of support from basic food supplies to medical intervention.
In Sudan’s Gedaref State, Saudi Arabia’s aid agency handed out 1,117 boxes of dates to benefit 10,114 individuals displaced by the continuing conflict in the country.
In Mali’s city of Segou, KSrelief distributed 1,000 food parcels benefiting 5,600 individuals from the most vulnerable groups including internally displaced persons, widows, and people with special needs. The initiative is part of agency’s food-security support project in the country and the wider global community.
In Afghanistan’s Nangarhar Province, KSrelief turned over 276 shelter bags and 276 tents as part of the shelter project for returnees from Pakistan and those affected by the 2024 floods.
The ongoing initiative aims to distribute 4,882 various shelter materials such as tents, blankets, plastic mattresses and other basic shelter supplies in several cities in Afghanistan.
In Somalia, the national blood bank in Mogadishu – operated by KSrelief – managed to help 222 individuals in December.
In Jordan, another batch of Syrian refugees graduated from a KSrelief-run training and educational course being run at the Zaatari Refugee Camp. A total of 343 students received training on sewing, embroidery, handicrafts, culinary arts and painting. Remedial lessons were also given to elementary school students in subjects such as mathematics, Arabic and English, as well as a literacy course and Qur’anic studies.
