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Saudi crown prince’s South Korea visit heralds ‘a new, future-oriented strategic partnership’

South Korea's Prime Minister Han Duck-soo welcomes Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Seoul on Nov. 17, 2022. (SPA)
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Updated 21 November 2022
Arab News
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Saudi crown prince’s South Korea visit heralds ‘a new, future-oriented strategic partnership’

  • President Yoon Suk-yeol said the Kingdom is one of the key companions of Seoul’s economic and energy security 
  • The delegation signed 26 memoranda of understanding worth $30 billion, covering everything from railways to energy
Updated 21 November 2022
Arab News

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman concluded his official visit to South Korea on Thursday, having secured multiple trade deals and reaffirmed the long-standing relationship between both countries.

A number of officials, including Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman and Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif, accompanied the crown prince on his two-day visit, which followed his attendance at the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia.

The crown prince held a number of meetings with South Korean government officials and business leaders, resulting in 26 memoranda of understanding worth $30 billion, covering railways, construction, petrochemicals, agriculture and energy.

 

During a meeting on Thursday with Yoon Suk-yeol, the president of South Korea, the crown prince thanked his hosts for their “warm reception and hospitality,” and lauded the success of the 60-year diplomatic relationship.

The crown prince said: “This visit to your friendly country coincides with the passage of 60 years since the establishment of relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Korea, which confirms the desire of our two countries to continue to consolidate the foundations of this historical relationship and work to complete efforts aimed at strengthening cooperation in all fields.

“The relationship between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Korea has witnessed great development over the past six decades, resulting in a fruitful strategic partnership for the two countries. 

“In order to preserve the gains of this relationship, we have always been keen to intensify consultation and coordination with your friendly country in order to achieve ambitious economic aspirations and build a better future for the region and the world in particular.”

SAUDI-SOUTH KOREATIES: KEY DATES

1962: Establishment of diplomatic relations.

1973: South Korea opens its embassy in Saudi Arabia. 

1974: Saudi Arabia opens its embassy in South Korea. 

1975: Saudi-South Korean Joint Committee established.

1998: Crown Prince Abdullah’s three-day visit to South Korea aimed at strengthening ties.

1999: Prince Salman’s four-day visit to South Korea to boost bilateral relations.

2016: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and then-President Park Geun-hye hold talks on the sidelines of G20 Leaders’ Summit in Hangzhou, China. 

2017: Saudi-Korean Vision 2030 launched. 

2019: Crown prince visits South Korea at the invitation of then-President Moon Jae-in.

Jan. 2022: Moon Jae-in visits Saudi Arabia.  

Jan. 2022: PIF, POSCO and Samsung C&T sign MoU on the sidelines of Saudi-South Korean Investment Forum in Riyadh to develop a green hydrogen project. 

Nov. 2022: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visits Seoul. 

As a part of the official visit, a Saudi Korean Investment Forum was hosted in Seoul by the Saudi Ministry of Investment on Thursday. The meeting was supported and attended by leading members of the Saudi Federation of Chambers and the Korean Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

Among those in attendance were Khalid Al-Falih, the Saudi minister of investment; Faisal Al-Ibrahim, Saudi minister of economy and planning; Lee Chang-yang, South Korea’s minister of trade, industry and energy; and officials of related government entities and leading private sector companies from both countries.

The main presentation and discussion topics was energy and sustainability, with a panel session on “Future Clean Energy.” The forum also discussed Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification, localization and privatization efforts as well as manufacturing.




Saudi Crown Prince meets with a group of heads of Korean companies, reviews promising investment opportunities in various fields. (SPA)

In 2017, the two countries launched the Saudi-Korean Vision 2030, forming a joint committee of representatives from relevant government agencies to review the partnership, approve projects, and implement plans.

Vision 2030 is Saudi Arabia’s social reform and economic diversification agenda, launched in 2016 to help wean the Kingdom’s economy off hydrocarbons and to promote youth and women’s participation in new sectors, from leisure and tourism to renewable energy.

South Korea is among eight countries cooperating with the Kingdom to help achieve the aims of Vision 2030, working on 40 shared projects and initiatives.

The crown prince added: “In light of the great challenges our world is witnessing today, and in this regard we refer to the close cooperation within the framework of the Saudi-Korean Vision 2030, and we praise what has been achieved during it.

“We also follow with great interest the achievements of the joint committees between our two countries, and we look forward to raising the pace of investment coordination and strengthening partnership between the public and private sectors.”




Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and S. Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol and their delegations meeting in Seoul on Nov. 17, 2022. (Bandar Algaloud/via SPA)

During the session, the crown prince said he is eager to deepen cooperation on hydrogen energy, carbon capture technology, and nuclear power.

He said: “I reiterate our thanks and appreciation to Your Excellency for your keenness to advance the relationship between the two friendly countries.”

In his own speech during the session, Yoon shared his enthusiasm to raise bilateral relations to a new level, commended the implementation of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 reform plan, and said he is looking forward to expanding and developing cooperation and investment. 

These areas of cooperation include defense industries, future energy, such as hydrogen, culture, tourism, and megaprojects like NEOM.

NEOM is a $500 billion venture initiated in 2017, which aims to develop sustainable smart cities covering 26,500 sq. km in Saudi Arabia’s northwestern Tabuk Province near the Red Sea. 




Among the areas of cooperation in NEOM include production of clean energy, such as solar, wind and hydrogen. (Supplied/file photo)

Yoon said Saudi Arabia is South Korea’s largest trading partner in the Middle East and is one of the key companions of Seoul’s economic and energy security.

In a tweet following their meeting, Yoon said: “Pleased to have had a milestone discussion today. Let’s keep working together to build a new future-oriented strategic partnership.”

The last time the crown prince visited Seoul was in 2019. The crown prince also met Yoon’s predecessor, former President Moon Jae-in, when he visited Saudi Arabia in January this year.

Touching down at Seoul Air Base on Wednesday, the crown prince was received by Han Duck-soo, the prime minister of South Korea. An official reception ceremony was held, during which the Saudi and South Korean anthems were played, and a guard of honor was inspected. 




Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman walks with South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol during a welcome ceremony in Seoul on Nov. 17, 2022. (Bandar Algaloud/Saudi Royal Court photo via SPA)

During talks, the crown prince and Han reviewed relations, prospects for bilateral cooperation, and ways to develop and enhance it in various fields. 

On Thursday, the crown prince also met a group of Korean business leaders to discuss promising investment opportunities in the Kingdom in various sectors, especially energy, technology, industry, construction, and smart cities. 

The markets reacted well to the crown prince’s visit, with the stock prices of Korean businesses in various sectors enjoying an upward trend during Thursday’s trading, reflecting buoyed expectations for bilateral business and construction partnerships with Saudi Arabia.  

As Saudi Arabia is actively forming business partnerships with Korean companies as part of its NEOM megaproject, multiple Korean companies saw their stock prices rise.  




Members of the crown prince’s accompanying delegation in Seoul. Twenty-six MoUs were signed between the two sides during the visit. (AFP)

Hyundai Rotem, a heavy industry company that manufactures rolling stock, military equipment and plant engineering, saw its stock price rise by 5.45 percent at Thursday’s closing, after announcing the same day that it signed a memorandum with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment on railway cooperation.

The stock price of Bifido, Korea’s pharmabiotics microbiome company, also rose by 8.03 percent after signing a memorandum with a Saudi Arabian biopharma company to cooperate on producing probiotics. 

EuBiologics, another biopharmaceutical company, also saw its stock price rise by 0.85 with the firm agreeing to share vaccine technologies with a Saudi pharmaceutical firm. BMT, a piping and valve company, likewise saw its stock price rise by 1.91 percent as it announced a cooperative deal with Saudi Arabia to produce fitting valves.

Also on Thursday, a delegation from the Center for Government Communication of the Saudi Ministry of Media paid a visit to the headquarters of The Korea Times newspaper, where it discussed opportunities for cooperation and partnership, in addition to reviewing the most prominent experiences and expertise in the field of media and publishing. 

As he departed Seoul on Thursday evening, the crown prince sent a cable of thanks to President Yoon.

He said: “As I leave your friendly country, it gives me great pleasure to express to Your Excellency my deep gratitude and appreciation for the good reception and generous hospitality accorded to me and the accompanying delegation.

“The discussions we held confirmed the strength of the relations between the two countries, and the common desire to enhance cooperation in all fields within the framework of the Saudi-Korean Vision 2030, and in a way that serves the interest of the two friendly peoples, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and Your Excellency.

“I wish Your Excellency good health and happiness, and to your country and the friendly Korean people continued progress and prosperity.”

 

Topics: CP in South Korea Editor’s Choice President Yoon Suk-yeol Vision 2030

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London’s Gatwick Airport reopens terminal following security alert

Updated 22 November 2024
Reuters
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London’s Gatwick Airport reopens terminal following security alert

  • Police sent a bomb disposal team to deal with a suspected prohibited item that they said had been found in luggage at the airport’s south terminal, 30 miles south of London
  • “The earlier security alert has now been resolved and cleared by police,” Gatwick said
Updated 22 November 2024
Reuters

LONDON: London’s Gatwick Airport, the second busiest airport in Britain, reopened a terminal on Friday after a security alert earlier in the day forced its evacuation and caused travel disruption for thousands of people.
Police sent a bomb disposal team to deal with a suspected prohibited item that they said had been found in luggage at the airport’s south terminal, 30 miles south of London.
“The earlier security alert has now been resolved and cleared by police,” Gatwick said in a statement. “The South Terminal is reopening to staff and will be open to passengers shortly.”
The incident disrupted weekend travel plans for thousands of passengers, with more than 600 flights due to land or take off on Friday from Gatwick, amounting to more than 121,000 passenger seats, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Thousands of passengers were seen outside the terminal and the surrounding area in videos posted online after the terminal shut for several hours. Emergency foil blankets were distributed to some of the passengers who were waiting in the cold, social media pictures showed.
In a separate incident earlier on Friday, London police carried out a controlled explosion near the US embassy in south London after discovering a suspect package. Police later said they believed it was a hoax.

Topics: Gatwick Airport security alert London

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New Bangladeshi tourism initiative empowers marginalized Indigenous groups

A tourist interacts with members of the Santal community in Rajshahi district, Bangladesh, Nov. 3, 2024. (BRAC)
Updated 22 November 2024
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New Bangladeshi tourism initiative empowers marginalized Indigenous groups

  • BRAC’s Othiti program helps uplift rural communities and their traditional skills
  • Pilot program is underway in Rajshahi district near the Bangladesh–India border
Updated 22 November 2024
SHEHAB SUMON

DHAKA: A new initiative by Bangladesh’s largest development organization is fostering community-based tourism in remote rural areas to empower Indigenous groups and help preserve their cultures.

There are more than 50 Indigenous groups in Bangladesh, most of whom, or about 1 million people, live in the flatland districts of the country’s north and southeast, and in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, bordering India and Myanmar.

Launched in early November, the new tourism initiative spearheaded by BRAC is named Othiti, which means “guest” in Bengali.

The pilot program is underway in Rajshahi district on the northern bank of the Padma River, near the Bangladesh–India border.

“We started the journey of Othiti from Rajshahi. Tourists rarely visit this part of the country, but it is very rich, both culturally and historically. Starting from the mighty river Padma, there’s a lot of natural beauty over there,” Asif Saleh, BRAC executive director, told Arab News.

“We will not be confined within Rajshahi. There are plans to expand this tourism project in other parts of the country … in places like Sundarbans, Chottogram Hill Tracts, Cox’s Bazar. We will try to connect tourists particularly with the Indigenous communities of these areas to experience their traditions, culture, and customs. If tourists can experience the diversity of these areas, they can connect with them in a different way. It will make people prouder of the rich history and culture of our country.”

The project involves rural youth, students of the Rajshahi University, whom BRAC has employed as part-time guides to introduce visitors to their customs and traditional livelihoods.

“We have built a relationship of trust and reliability with these communities. We hope that tourists will become interested in the culture and customs of the Indigenous people, and have a better understanding and empathy towards them,” Saleh said.

“Our Othiti aims for the sector’s development as well as employment for the (local) people, which will benefit these communities … We began this project as a social enterprise. We may incur loss initially for many years, but ultimately, if the sector develops, it will attract many people.”

Indigenous communities in Bangladesh have been struggling with access to education, healthcare, and jobs. Many live in forest areas with inadequate infrastructure. Poverty and unemployment levels among these groups are much higher than among the non-Indigenous.

Moutushi Biswas, a BRAC consultant, said a number of initiatives under the Othiti program are meant to uplift the communities and their traditional skills.

For example, introducing tourists to the Premtoli village of potters helped increase demand for their earthenware and work.

“While visiting the pottery community, tourists are experiencing the craftsmanship of potters who have been engaged in this for many generations. They can experience it by themselves, making clay pots under the guidance of a traditional potter. It’s a very unique experience,” she said.

“This initiative is also strengthening the abilities of local communities … The locals who work with us are very enthusiastic about this. We are receiving huge cooperation from them.”

For Happy Soren, a 25-year-old student and Othiti guide, having tourists visit was not only strengthening the village’s economy but also helping raise awareness about her community.

“The tourists want to know our customs and religious beliefs. They want to know the reasons behind the special patterns and paintings on our houses … Our village becomes very festive when they visit us,” she said.

“We believe the tourists who experience our culture and heritage will play a role in developing our village after they go back to their own places and work. They will stand by our people.”

Topics: Bangladesh tourism BRAC

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Top court intervenes in New Delhi pollution crisis as respiratory cases spike

People walk through a thick layer of smog as air pollution shoots up in New Delhi on Nov. 18, 2024. (AP)
Updated 22 November 2024
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Top court intervenes in New Delhi pollution crisis as respiratory cases spike

  • Number of patients with respiratory diseases has increased two to threefold
  • Court orders Delhi authorities to set up checkpoints, prevent entry of commercial vehicles
Updated 22 November 2024

India’s top court intervened on Friday to request policing measures in New Delhi to contain severe air pollution that over the past week has led to a surge in hospital admissions for respiratory diseases.

Residents of the Indian capital again woke to a thick layer of toxic smog, with an overall Air Quality Index reading of 373, or “very poor,” according to the Central Pollution Control Board.

While conditions have slightly improved since Monday, when a medical emergency was declared with pollution reaching the “severe plus” AQI score of 484, the prolonged crisis prompted the Supreme Court to order the central and local governments to introduce new measures to contain it.

The court said during Friday’s hearing that it was “not satisfied” with the Delhi administration and police efforts to address the pollution and ordered the authorities to “ensure that check posts are immediately set up at all 113 entry points (to the capital)” to stop trucks and commercial vehicles from entering the city.

The move follows the court’s order earlier this week to suspend all construction work in the whole of New Delhi and the National Capital Region.

“It is a constitutional obligation of the central government and the states to ensure that citizens live in a pollution-free atmosphere,” the court said.

As toxic smog has persisted for over a week, Delhi authorities have shut all schools and moved classes online, while half of the government employees have been allowed to work from home.

The continuing crisis is already reflected in a surge of hospitalizations for respiratory disease.

“The cases related to lungs and respiratory problems have significantly risen,” Dr. Nikhil Modi, pulmonologist at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in New Delhi, told Arab News, adding that the patients coming to the hospital with respiratory issues are “two to three times the normal” amount.

“Especially for those who already have underlying lung disease, the problem can be significant, and if they develop a secondary pneumonia or an infection, then they require emergency admission,” Modi said.

Toxic smog arrives in New Delhi every winter as temperatures drop, trapping toxic pollutants from tens of millions of cars, as well as construction sites, factory emissions, and waste burning. It is aggravated by farmland fires in the country’s northwest and southeast, where farmers clear stubble to prepare fields to plant wheat.

Topics: Delhi Pollution India

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The US Embassy in London returns to normal after police carry out controlled explosion of package

Updated 22 November 2024
AP
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The US Embassy in London returns to normal after police carry out controlled explosion of package

  • London’s Metropolitan Police Service closed a road on the west side of the embassy
  • “Local authorities investigated and cleared a suspicious package outside the Embassy,” the embassy said
Updated 22 November 2024
AP

LONDON: The US Embassy in London returned to normal operations Friday afternoon after police carried out the controlled explosion of a suspicious package that was found in the area earlier in the day.
London’s Metropolitan Police Service closed a road on the west side of the embassy out of an “abundance of caution” as they investigated the incident, the embassy said in a statement. The embassy said it had returned to “normal business operations” by early afternoon, although all public appointments were canceled for the day.


“Local authorities investigated and cleared a suspicious package outside the Embassy,” the embassy said. ”Thanks to @metpoliceuk for your swift action, and thanks to all visitors for your cooperation and patience at this time.”
Also Friday, authorities evacuated the south terminal of London’s Gatwick Airport while they investigated a suspicious item found in luggage. Sussex Police said they had sent an ordnance disposal team to the airport as a precaution.

Topics: London US Embassy Metropolitan Police Service

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A proposed deal on climate cash at UN summit highlights split between rich and poor nations

Updated 22 November 2024
AP
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A proposed deal on climate cash at UN summit highlights split between rich and poor nations

  • “Our expectations were low, but this is a slap in the face,” said Mohamed Adow, from Power Shift Africa
  • “No developing country will fall for this. They have angered and offended the developing world”
Updated 22 November 2024
AP

BAKU: A new draft of a deal on cash to curb and adapt to climate change released Friday afternoon at the United Nations climate summit pledged $250 billion by 2035 from wealthy countries to poorer ones. The amount pleases the countries who will be paying, but not those on the receiving end.
The amount is more than double the previous goal of $100 billion a year set 15 years ago, but it’s less than a quarter of the number requested by developing nations struck hardest by extreme weather. But rich nations say the number is about the limit of what they can do, say it’s realistic and a stretch for democracies back home to stomach.
It struck a sour note for developing countries, which see conferences like this one as their biggest hope to pressure rich nations because they can’t attend meetings of the world’s biggest economies.
“Our expectations were low, but this is a slap in the face,” said Mohamed Adow, from Power Shift Africa. “No developing country will fall for this. They have angered and offended the developing world.”
Nations are still far apart on reaching a deal
The proposal came down from the top, the presidency of UN climate talks — called COP29 — in Baku, Azerbaijan. Delegations from numerous countries, analysts and advocates were kept in the dark about the draft until it dropped more than a half a day later than promised, prompting grumblings about how this conference was being run.
“These texts form a balanced and streamlined package,” the Presidency said in a statement. “The COP29 Presidency urges parties to study this text intently, to pave the way toward consensus, on the few options remaining.”
This proposal, which is friendly to the viewpoint of Saudi Arabia, is not a take-it-or-leave-it option, but likely only the first of two or even three proposals, said Climate Analytics CEO Bill Hare, a veteran negotiator.
“We’re in for a long night and maybe two nights before we actually reach agreement on this,” Hare said.
Just like last year’s initial proposal, which was soundly rejected, this plan is “empty” on what climate analysts call “mitigation” or efforts to reduce emissions from or completely get off coal, oil and natural gas, Hare said.
Anger at ‘meagre’ figure for climate cash
The frustration and disappointment at the proposed $250 billion figure was palpable on Friday afternoon.
“It is a disgrace that despite full awareness of the devastating climate crises afflicting developing nations and the staggering costs of climate action — amounting to trillions — developed nations have only proposed a meagre $250 billion per year,” said Harjeet Singh of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.
That amount, which goes through the year 2035, is basically the old $100 billion year goal with 6 percent annual inflation, said Vaibhav Chaturvedi a climate policy analyst with New Delhi-based Council on Energy, Environment and Water.
Experts put the need at $1.3 trillion for developing countries to cover damages resulting from extreme weather, help those nations adapt to a warming planet and wean themselves from fossil fuels, with more generated by each country internally.
The amount in any deal reached at COP negotiations — often considered a “core” — will then be mobilized or leveraged for greater climate spending. But much of that means loans for countries drowning in debt.
Singh said the proposed sum — which includes loans and lacks a commitment to grant-based finance — adds “insult to injury.”
Iskander Erzini Vernoit, director of Moroccan climate think-tank Imal Initiative for Climate and Development, said “the EU and the US and other developed countries cannot claim to be committed to the Paris Agreement while putting forward such amounts” of money.
Countries reached the Paris Agreement in 2015, pledging to keep warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times. The world is now at 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.3 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the UN
Rich countries call for realism
Switzerland environment minister Albert Rösti said it was important that the climate finance number is realistic.
“I think a deal with a high number that will never be realistic, that will never be paid… will be much worse than no deal,” he said.
The United States’ delegation offered a similar warning.
“It has been a significant lift over the past decade to meet the prior, smaller goal” of $100 billion, said a senior US official. “$250 billion will require even more ambition and extraordinary reach” and will need to be supported by private finance, multilateral development banks — which are large international banks funded by taxpayer dollars — and other sources of finance, the official said.
A lack of a bigger number from European nations and the US means that the “deal is clearly moving toward the direction of China playing a more prominent role in helping other global south countries,” said Li Shou of the Asia Society Policy Institute.
German delegation sources said it will be important to be in touch with China and other industrialized nations as negotiations press on into the evening.
Analysts said the proposed deal is the start of what could likely be more money.
“This can be a good down payment that will allow for good climate action in developing countries,” said Melanie Robinson, global climate program director at the World Resources Institute. “There is scope for this to go above $250 billion if contributors decides to come on board.”
Rob Moore, associate director at E3G, said that whatever figure is agreed “will need to be the start and not the end” of climate cash promises.
“If developed countries can go further they need to say so fast to make sure we get a deal at COP29,” he said.

Topics: COP29 Baku United Nations climate

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