RAMALLAH: Jordan’s King Abdullah II landed in Ramallah on Monday to meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, in his first trip to the Israeli-occupied West Bank since 2017, Abbas’s office said.
Abdullah’s visit comes as foreign ministers from four Arab states joined an unprecedented meeting hosted in Israel, a gathering Israel hailed as “historic,” following a series of normalization agreements last year, which angered the Palestinians.
The visit also comes less than a week before Ramadan, the Muslim holy month which last year saw waves of violence across the West Bank and Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.
The Jordanian king met Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid earlier this month to discuss strategies for containing unrest during Ramadan.
Palestinian officials have repeatedly warned that the West Bank, which Israel captured from Jordan in 1967, was on the verge of “exploding.”
Tensions in the occupied territory remain high between Palestinian residents and Jewish settlers, who live in communities widely regarded as illegal under international law.
Palestinians also regularly clash with Israeli security forces in the West Bank, often resulting in Palestinian deaths.
Jordan’s king lands in Ramallah on rare trip to meet Abbas
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Jordan’s king lands in Ramallah on rare trip to meet Abbas
After Ocalan visit, Turkiye opposition MPs brief speaker, far-right leader
ISTANBUL: A delegation from Turkiye’s pro-Kurdish opposition DEM party met Thursday with the parliamentary speaker and far-right MHP leader amid tentative efforts to resume dialogue between Ankara and the banned PKK militant group. DEM’s three-person delegation met with Speaker Numan Kurtulmus and then with MHP leader Devlet Bahceli.
The aim was to brief them on a rare weekend meeting with Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed founder of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party who is serving life without parole on Imrali prison island near Istanbul.
It was the Ocalan’s first political visit in almost a decade and follows an easing of tension between Ankara and the PKK, which has waged a decades-long insurgency on Turkish soil and is proscribed by Washington and Brussels as a terror group.
The visit took place two months after Bahceli extended a surprise olive branch to Ocalan, inviting him to parliament to disband the PKK and saying he should be given the “right to hope” in remarks understood to moot a possible early release.
Backed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the tentative opening came a month before Syrian rebels began a lightning 12-day offensive that ousted Bashar Assad in a move which has forced Turkiye’s concerns about the Kurdish issue into the headlines.
During Saturday’s meeting with DEM lawmakers Sirri Sureyya Onder and Pervin Buldan, Ocalan said he had “the competence and determination to make a positive contribution to the new paradigm started by Mr.Bahceli and Mr.Erdogan.”
Onder and Buldan then “began a round of meetings with the parliamentary parties” and were joined on Thursday by Ahmet Turk, 82, a veteran Kurdish politician with a long history of involvement in efforts to resolve the Kurdish issue.
Iraq’s Sulaimaniyah city bans groups accused of PKK links
SULAIMANIYAH: Authorities in the Iraqi Kurdish city of Sulaimaniyah have banned four organizations accused of affiliation with the Turkish-blacklisted Kurdistan Workers Party, activists said Thursday, denouncing the move as “political.”
The four organizations include two feminist groups and a media production house, according to the METRO center for press freedoms which organized a news conference in Sulaimaniyah to criticize the decision.
PKK fighters have several positions in Iraq’s northern autonomous Kurdistan region, which also hosts Turkish military bases used to strike Kurdish insurgents.
Ankara and Washington both deem the PKK, which has waged a decades-long insurgency in Turkiye, a terrorist organization.
Authorities in Sulaimaniyah, the Iraqi Kurdistan region’s second city, have been accused of leniency toward PKK activities.
But the Iraqi federal authorities in Baghdad have recently sharpened their tone against the Turkish Kurdish insurgents.
Col. Salam Abdel Khaleq, the spokesman for the Kurdish Asayesh security forces in Sulaimaniyah, told AFP that the bans came “after a decision from the Iraqi judiciary and as a result of the expiration of the licenses” of these groups.
Israeli military says commandos raided missile plant in Syria in September
JERUSALEM: Israel’s military said on Thursday its special forces raided an underground missile production site in Syria in September that it said was primed to produce hundreds of precision missiles for use against Israel by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.
The complex near Masyaf, in Hama province close to the Mediterranean coast, was “the flagship of Iranian manufacturing efforts in our region,” Israeli military spokesperson, Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani told a briefing with reporters.
“This facility was designed to manufacture hundreds of strategic missiles per year from start to finish, for Hezbollah to use in their aerial attacks on Israel,” he said.
He said the plant, dug into the side of a mountain, had been under observation by Israeli intelligence since construction work began in 2017 and was on the point of being able to manufacture precision-guided long-range missiles, some of them with a range of up to 300 km (190 miles).
“This ability was becoming active, so we’re talking about an immediate threat,” he said.
Details of the Sept. 8 raid have been reported in the Israeli media in recent days but Shoshani said this was the first confirmation by the military, which usually does not comment on special forces operations of this type.
At the time, Syrian state media said at least 16 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes in the west of the country.
Shoshani said the hours-long nighttime raid was “one of the more complex operations the IDF has done in recent years.” Accompanied by airstrikes, it involved dozens of aircraft and around 100 helicopter-borne troops, who located weapons and seized documents, he said.
“At the end of the raid, the troops dismantled the facility, including the machines and the manufacturing equipment themselves,” he said, adding that dismantling the plant was “key to ensure the safety of Israel.”
Israeli officials have accused the former Syrian government of President Bahar Assad of helping the Lebanese-based Hezbollah movement receive arms from Iran and say they are determined to stop the flow of weapons into Lebanon.
As Bashar Assad’s government crumbled toward the end of last year, Israel launched a series of strikes against Syrian military infrastructure and weapons manufacturing sites to ensure they did not fall into the hands of its enemies.
Traditional Al-Sadu pattern forms integral part of the Saudi Arabia’s cultural fabric
- Council of Ministers designate 2025 as Year of Handicrafts
RIYADH: The craft of Al-Sadu is alive across the Kingdom — not only in the depths of the Badia, where the art originated, but also in cities, houses, festivals, exhibitions, events, and art and creative galleries.
Al-Sadu is a popular cultural and civilizational symbol that embodies the distinction of the people of the Kingdom and the Arabian Peninsula.
The “traditional weaving of Al-Sadu” was included in 2020 on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. A new logo inspired by Al-Sadu has been launched for the Riyadh Expo 2030.
The Saudi Council of Ministers designated 2025 as the Year of Handicrafts, in order to highlight traditional Saudi crafts and craftsmen.
The raw materials used in Al-Sadu are abundantly found in the Kingdom’s desert. They include goat hair, wool from sheep, and camel fuzz.
Bedouin women mastered the craft, and it was utilized in building Bedouin tents and meeting the needs of families with furnishings such as bedspreads and covers.
The Al-Sadu process goes through several phases. It starts with cutting the wool, sorting it, and then washing it using certain substances, such as soap or ash, to rid it of any plant matter or thorns.
The material is then dried, spun into yarn, and then dyed in natural colors extracted from plants and trees’ peels and roots, such as saffron and henna. Traditional Al-Sadu colors are black, white, red, and brown.
The pieces are then decorated with embroidery, ornaments, and creative art paintings of geometric patterns such as rectangles, circles, triangles and other distinctive forms, many of which symbolize details and connotations associated with the Bedouin.
To knit the threads and weave these unique pieces, craftswomen use the spindle, the loom, and wooden equipment such as the menfash, which is a nail-padded wooden weaving tool used to tease the wool after collecting, washing and drying it. This step is followed by the spinning process, which turns the wool into the spun yarn used in the remaining weaving stages.
The Al-Sadu weaving craft enjoys great significance in various regions of the Kingdom, including Jouf, where many artisans and productive families make unique Al-Sadu products.
Al-Sadu artisans are supported by the Jouf Municipality and governmental and non-governmental sectors, including the Maghazil Al-Sadu Association, which organizes many training programs for craftswomen, as well as exhibitions and programs aimed at marketing and familiarizing people with the art.
Dr. Hiam bint Mubarak Al-Buhairan, the association’s chairperson on the board of directors, said: “Al-Sadu is a symbol of Jouf and the Kingdom, and a national and international resource.
“The association works on protecting, developing, documenting and achieving the sustainability of Al-Sadu, for present and future generations.”
Al-Buhairan said that the association’s goals included providing professional opportunities for talent; raising awareness in the fashion industry; advising those interested in fashion; providing educational and training opportunities; supporting researchers; and contributing to the development of the sector.
The King Abdulaziz Women’s Society for Social Development in Jouf provides Al-Sadu craftswomen with support and training as part of the Made in Saudi project.
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan to enhance maritime partnership at AMAN-25
- Pakistan Navy chief Adm. Naveed Ashraf highlights the strong bond between Royal Saudi Naval Forces and the Pakistan Navy
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are united in their commitment to safeguard regional and global waters, using decades of naval collaboration to confront threats and foster stability.
This enduring partnership will take center stage at AMAN-2025, a multinational exercise in Karachi aimed at promoting peace and enhancing cooperation among regional and global navies.
With the participation of Saudi Arabia, the event is scheduled to take place from Feb. 7 to 11 in the capital of Sindh province on the Arabian Sea coast with the aim to also present a united front against terrorism and maritime crimes.
Speaking to Arab News, Pakistan’s Chief of the Naval Staff Adm. Naveed Ashraf highlighted the strong bond between the Royal Saudi Naval Forces and the Pakistan Navy, describing it as an “enduring maritime brotherhood.”
“The two navies have several forums for mutual interaction on issues ranging from training to information sharing and logistics. We regularly conduct exercises at sea — foremost being the Naseem Al-Bahr — seminars and training of personnel to enhance the RSNF’s potential to remain a formidable force in the Arabian Gulf and beyond,” Ashraf said.
The admiral underscored the evolution of the AMAN series since its inception in 2007, noting the exponential growth in the level and number of participants, which makes the upcoming edition distinct.
“In the last edition of 2023, Pakistan hosted 50 nations, and this time we expect even more participation from navies across the globe,” he said, adding that the former International Maritime Conference, previously an adjunct to AMAN, has now evolved into the AMAN Dialogue to allow more pragmatic, practitioner-focused discussions between naval leaders from regional and extra-regional navies on maritime security issues.
Ashraf explained how the Pakistan Navy aligns naval strategies and operational practices during such exercises, especially with increasing international participation.
“One of AMAN’s key objectives is to improve interoperability with regional and global navies. For that, we use an operational language that all participants can understand,” he said. “Collective understanding of naval strategies and operational practices is developed during planning phases and conferences held prior to the exercise.”
Emphasizing the role of AMAN-25 in fostering maritime security and stability in the Indian Ocean, he said: “Key objectives of AMAN are to foster regional and extra-regional cooperation to maintain good order at sea, enhance interoperability, act as a bridge between regions, share experiences, understand each other, and exhibit united resolve against terrorism and maritime crimes.”
Ashraf said that the understanding developed during these exercises helps organize collaborative efforts to ensure maritime security.
“In my plain view, AMAN offers a platform to showcase one’s concerns, capabilities, and willingness to cooperate,” he said.
Commenting on the effectiveness of AMAN in addressing piracy, terrorism, and other maritime crimes, Ashraf said that the AMAN Dialogue provides a forum for sharing awareness, experiences, and strategies to counter such threats.
“A significant number of harbor and sea exercises provide opportunities to improve the capacity of participating nations’ teams to combat maritime crimes effectively,” he said.
Discussing the inaugural AMAN Dialogue and its anticipated outcomes, Ashraf noted that the event has evolved from the International Maritime Conference into a practitioner-focused exchange of views.
“The dialogue seeks to promote shared understanding of maritime security issues, challenges confronting the region, and their linkages to the blue economy. It also deliberates on the efficacy of existing mechanisms for maritime cooperation and the need for innovative solutions to address evolving challenges at sea,” he said.
With maritime threats continuing to evolve, the Pakistan Navy employs technological advances to enhance interoperability with regional and extra-regional navies. Ashraf highlighted the transformative effect of technological innovation on naval warfare.
“We are paying focused attention to leveraging technology to achieve better combat readiness. That is the only way to remain effective against evolving threats. Regarding interoperability, we maintain operational linkages and information-sharing mechanisms with many countries through bilateral and multilateral arrangements, such as the Joint Maritime Information Coordination Center,” he said.
Addressing concerns about maritime pollution and climate change, the admiral said that AMAN-25 would prioritize sustainable practices at sea.
“Climate change and maritime pollution are areas of critical concern. These two issues will receive focused attention during AMAN Dialogue discussions,” he said.
On Pakistan Navy’s bilateral and multilateral agreements beyond the exercise, Ashraf said the force has a long history of cooperation with countries worldwide, even before AMAN’s inception in 2007.
“We have bilateral engagements with many navies through expert-level staff talks, training from basic to advanced levels, and exchange visits of key leadership. We became part of the Combined Maritime Forces in 2004 and have significantly contributed to collaborative security at sea,” he said.
Speaking of his vision for future maritime security amid emerging challenges such as cyber threats and artificial intelligence in warfare, Ashraf warned of the risks posed by disruptive technologies falling into the hands of non-state actors.
“I assess that threats at sea will range from ‘low-cost, high-impact’ technology to conventional weapons coupled with significant cyberattacks. That is why I say that future maritime security will greatly depend on collaborative efforts, where early warning will become a decisive factor,” he said.
Ashraf reiterated the Pakistan Navy’s commitment to maintaining deterrent capabilities against traditional and non-traditional threats. “Pakistan Navy, envisioned as a technologically adaptive military, will maintain its deterrent capability while also participating in regional and international efforts to maintain stability at sea.”
Highlighting AMAN-25’s focus on securing sea lines of communication, Ashraf emphasized the critical role of the Pakistan Navy in safeguarding these economic lifelines. Recognizing the Indian Ocean as a vital artery for global trade, including energy shipments, he said AMAN provides a platform for practical exercises, professional exchanges, and intellectual discourse on maritime security challenges in the region.
“The significance of sea lines of communication is part of the discussions during AMAN, as we alone depend 95 percent on the sea for our commerce. Regional maritime security patrols and participation in CMF’s task forces signify our role in safeguarding these economic lifelines,” he concluded.
Under the theme “Secure Seas — Prosperous Future,” this year’s AMAN Dialogue will address security challenges in the Indian Ocean, including strategic competition, regional conflicts, and piracy, as well as narco-trafficking, and the use of force by non-state actors.
The exploitation of ocean resources, climate change, and emerging technologies such as AI and unmanned systems are transforming the security landscape, posing risks to global trade and economic development.
The dialogue will focus on key themes such as maritime security in the Indian Ocean, perspectives on maritime security and cooperation, the blue economy, as well as the challenges and opportunities presented by emerging technologies.
These discussions will emphasize the need for collaboration to ensure a stable and prosperous maritime future.
