Saudi ambassador to Thailand sees ‘a prosperous and promising future’ for bilateral relations

Relations between Saudi Arabia and Thailand were officially restored in January this year. (Supplied)
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Updated 27 November 2022
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Saudi ambassador to Thailand sees ‘a prosperous and promising future’ for bilateral relations

  • Investment opportunities are many thanks to similar development priorities, Abdurrahman bin Abdulaziz Al-Suhaibani tells Arab News
  • He says the crown prince’s recent visit will contribute to accelerated steps for enhancement of bilateral and trade relations

BANGKOK: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Bangkok last week has opened not only a new chapter in Saudi-Thai ties but also new horizons in which officials and the people see a promising future for both kingdoms.

Relations between Saudi Arabia and Thailand were officially restored in January this year, during Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha’s trip to Riyadh, when the two countries agreed to appoint ambassadors for the first time in over three decades.

The crown prince arrived in Bangkok as a guest of honor at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit hosted by Thailand on Nov. 18-19 and became the first Saudi official to make such a trip.

“It was the first visit at the level of the Kingdom’s leadership since the establishment of relations between the two countries in 1957,” Abdurrahman bin Abdulaziz Al-Suhaibani, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Thailand, told Arab News.




In welcome messages, many Thais wrote it was an “honor” for them to see the Saudi crown prince in their country. (SPA)

“It will move the relations of the two countries to broader horizons and a prosperous and promising future.

“It will also contribute to accelerating steps that will enhance bilateral, economic and trade relations between the two countries by exploring potential investment opportunities in light of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and the development priorities of Thailand.”

The crown prince’s meetings with the Thai leadership have yielded numerous memorandums on energy, investment, tourism, anticorruption efforts and the normalization of diplomatic relations.

When the crown prince arrived in Bangkok, he was officially received by the country’s top leadership and royal family and unofficially by many others, especially from the younger generation, who took to social media to welcome him and set up online fan clubs.

In welcome messages, many Thais wrote it was an “honor” for them to see the Saudi crown prince in their country.




“I think Thai people are looking and are expecting more cooperation with Saudi Arabia,” Abdurrahman bin Abdulaziz Al-Suhaibani, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Thailand, told Arab News. (Supplied)

Photos and videos from the visit went viral and made the rounds with captions such as “Warm welcome, Prince,” “This is what people in the country (Thailand) want,” “Happy: Thai-Saudi relations are very close after 32 years,” “Long live MBS.”

“The relations now seem to be on the right track and will grow stronger and more comprehensive in the coming period,” Al-Suhaibani told Arab News.

“The Saudi embassy will focus on implementing and following up on the agreements and memoranda of understanding that were signed during this historic visit.”

Tanee Sangrat, director-general of information at the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs and soon-to-be Thailand’s ambassador to the US, told Arab News that the visit was “closely watched and followed by the Thai people in Thailand and around the world.”




Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha’s trip to Riyadh in January. (Shutterstock)

He said: “We look to Saudi Arabia as a country that has great potential. The crown prince and prime minister is very widely well respected by our people.

“I think Thai people are looking and are expecting more cooperation with Saudi Arabia.”

With the restoration of ties with Saudi Arabia, Thailand has found not only a new powerful partner in navigating volatile energy markets and energy transition, but also, as many have said, a “gateway” to the Middle East, where Thailand’s presence is not very strong.

 

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The restored relationship would give not only Thai exporters but also investors more access to opportunities in the Gulf and beyond.

“This is a big, big issue for Thailand. Saudi Arabia is a critical partner in the Middle East,” Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of the Bangkok-based Institute of Security and International Studies, told Arab News.

“That is a gateway for Thailand to re-engage and re-enter Middle East markets. Without the Saudi Arabia relationship, a lot of doors were closed. Now, more doors will be opened.”

Suppalerk Aramkitphotha, a business development professional, saw the crown prince’s visit as a “great opportunity.”

“We are very glad that we have this opportunity,” he said, citing the business prospects between Thailand and the Middle East that would now be facilitated.

Jirayut Srupsrisopa, the founder of the first Thai fintech startup to notch up a valuation of more than $1 billion, said he was glad that the Saudi crown prince visited Thailand and new bridges were built.

“Now we can do so much more between Thailand and Saudi Arabia. We can work with Saudis for the future of energy, the future of green hydrogen or future growth in other aspects like the digital economy,” he told Arab News, adding that there would also be opportunities such as medical tourism.

Thailand, where healthcare services are well developed, already has agreements with countries such as Kuwait and Qatar for receiving patients. A deal with Saudi Arabia is likely to be a part of the two countries’ relations going forward.

“We are famous for medical tourism,” Jirayut said. “Everyone can come here, have a nice holiday, nice beach, nice mountains, nice hotels, nice services. And they can get their teeth done. They can recover. They can have a health checkup here at a fraction of the cost elsewhere.”

But there is much more to the renewed ties than business opportunities.

Referring to the potential role that culture can play in cementing the re-established Saudi-Thai relationship, Ambassador Al-Suhaibani said: “There are many similarities between the two countries, particularly in hospitality, generosity, friendliness and, most importantly the richness of culture.




Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the Thai Prime Minister witness the exchange of several MoU between Saudi Arabia and Thailand. (Supplied)

“This will encourage us to strengthen relationships and communication between our people, as well as to promote constructive dialogue in many aspects of social, cultural and religious (life).”

This kind of exchange is what Thais have waited for a long time.

Voralak Tulaphorn, a marketing professional, said a Saudi presence is something that was missing from the multicultural landscape of Thailand for a long time.

“Saudi Arabia and (Thailand) actually have rich cultures, and with rich cultures it would be nice to have exchanges in everything from food and nature to fashion and handicrafts.”

For her, what holds the greatest promise as a means of bringing Thais and Saudis together is an appreciation of each other’s cuisines. Food is a good way to win hearts and spread cultural influence.

“I think people love Thai street food,” Voralak told Arab News, adding that she hoped that soon Saudi restaurants would start emerging in Bangkok. “We would love to taste Saudi Arabian food too.”

 


KSrelief distributes thousands of food baskets worldwide

KSrelief has delivered thousands of food parcels to some of the world’s most vulnerable people. (SPA)
Updated 16 March 2025
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KSrelief distributes thousands of food baskets worldwide

  • Etaam project aims to distribute 390,109 food parcels across 27 countries during Ramadan

RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has delivered thousands of food parcels to some of the world’s most vulnerable people, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

In Nigeria, KSrelief distributed 334 food baskets to families in need in the Adamawa state as part of the Etaam Ramadan food basket distribution project.

In Mauritania, 220 food parcels benefited 1,320 people in the Tiaret district. Somalia received 1,390 baskets for families in the Sool and Sanaag regions, benefiting 8,340 people.

Bangladesh saw 300 parcels distributed in the Barguna district, benefiting 1,500 individuals.

In Romania, 150 baskets were provided to families in Bucharest and Constanţa, while in Montenegro, 250 parcels were given to families in Rozaje and Bijelo Polje.

In Niger, 700 baskets were distributed in the Tillaberi Region, benefiting 4,900 people. South Africa received 450 parcels for families in Johannesburg.

Now in its fourth phase, the Etaam project aims to distribute 390,109 food parcels across 27 countries during Ramadan, benefiting 2.3 million people at a cost of over SR67 million ($17.8 million).


Paramedics resuscitate pilgrim in Grand Mosque within two minutes

Updated 16 March 2025
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Paramedics resuscitate pilgrim in Grand Mosque within two minutes

  • The patient was then transferred to a nearby medical facility to follow up on his condition and receive further care

RIYADH: Paramedics resuscitated a pilgrim within two minutes of a reported cardiac arrest at Makkah’s Grand Mosque on Saturday.

Authorities received a report at 4:06 p.m. of an Algerian pilgrim in his 60s who had fallen unconscious in the outer courtyards of the mosque.

Ambulance teams immediately attended the patient and used an electrical defibrillator and chest compression device to resuscitate him, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The patient was then transferred to a nearby medical facility to follow up on his condition and receive further care.

The quick response time was thanks to a plan that the Saudi Red Crescent Authority in Makkah had put in place in preparation for Ramadan, according to the SPA.

The holy month tends to be an especially busy period with visitors performing the Umrah pilgrimage.

There have been 242 instances in which emergency cases were transported from the courtyards of the Prophet’s Mosque to medical centers during Ramadan.

The Madinah Cardiac Center has performed open-heart surgery and seven cardiac catheterizations on Umrah pilgrims from five countries during the first half of Ramadan.

The Madinah Health Cluster, which includes hospitals and clinics in the region, also provided medical and emergency services to 23,014 people from more than 70 countries during Ramadan.


Saudi-led project clears 484,949 mines, explosive devices in Yemen 

Updated 16 March 2025
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Saudi-led project clears 484,949 mines, explosive devices in Yemen 

RIYADH: A Saudi-led humanitarian initiative in Yemen has seen a milestone 484,949 land mines and unexploded ordnance cleared since the start of the project in 2018, according to a recent report.

These include 323,793 items of unexploded ordnance, 146,207 anti-tank mines, 8,200 improvised explosive devices, and 6,749 anti-personnel mines, according to Ousama Al-Gosaibi, the project’s managing director.

Project Masam, overseen by the Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief, continues to remove deadly devices laid in the war-torn country by the Houthis.

Last week, the project’s special teams destroyed 515 items of unexploded ordnance, 25 anti-tank mines, five anti-personnel mines, and three improvised explosive devices.

Explosives planted indiscriminately by the Houthis across Yemen pose a threat to civilians, including children, women, and the elderly.

Project Masam is one of several initiatives undertaken by Saudi Arabia on the orders of King Salman to help the Yemeni people, clearing routes for humanitarian aid to reach the country’s citizens.

Demining operations took place in Marib, Aden, Jouf, Shabwa, Taiz, Hodeidah, Lahij, Sanaa, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhale, and Saada.

The initiative trains local demining engineers and provides them with modern equipment. It also offers support to Yemenis injured by the devices.

About 5 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the start of the conflict in Yemen, many of them displaced by the presence of land mines.

Masam teams are tasked with clearing villages, roads, and schools to facilitate the safe movement of civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid.


New bus routes launched to serve Diplomatic Quarter

Updated 16 March 2025
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New bus routes launched to serve Diplomatic Quarter

  • New bus routes will run from the King Saud University Station to the Diplomatic Quarter daily

RIYADH: The public bus network in Riyadh has been extended to serve the city’s Diplomatic Quarter, which houses many of the foreign embassies in the capital.

New bus routes will run from the King Saud University Station to the Diplomatic Quarter daily starting from 6:30 a.m. and ending at midnight.

The full schedule can be found on the Darb application for public transport.

The new routes come as the Royal Commission for Riyadh City continues its efforts to expand the public transport network in the city.

As well as the high-profile launch of the Riyadh Metro in December 2024, which now has six lines covering an area of more than 176 km, the commission is also working to expand the bus network.

There are now more than 2,860 bus stops and stations in the city, covering a total length of 1,905 km with a daily capacity of 500,000.


Saudi Arabia now 66 percent self-sufficient in grape production: MEWA 

Updated 16 March 2025
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Saudi Arabia now 66 percent self-sufficient in grape production: MEWA 

  • National production in 2023 exceeded 122,000 tonnes
  • 7.13 million grapes planted in over 4,720 hectares of land 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's grape production surpassed 122,000 tonnes in 2023, reflecting the growth of the local agricultural sector and its ability to meet a big portion of market demands, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported Saturday.

The figure accounts for 66 percent of current market demand in the Kingdom, said the report, citing a statement by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, or MEWA.

MEWA said more than 7.13 million grape plants, with more than 6.1 million bearing fruit. 

Grape farming is considered profitable because of the ease of cultivation in various soils with minimal water requirements and the plant’s adaptabilty to various climates in the Kingdom. (SPA)

In a separate report last year, the ministry reported a grape production area of 4,720 hectares across the Kingdom.

The same report highlighted Tabuk as the top grape-producing region, yielding 46,939 tonnes annually, adding that Qassim, Hail, and Asir also contributed significantly to the national production.

Grape farming is considered profitable because of the ease of cultivation in various soils with minimal water requirements. The plant could easily adapt to various climates in Saudi Arabia. 

To encourage farmers to plant grapes, the ministry has assured its continuing efforts to support and empower them by providing modern technologies, such as smart irrigation systems and organic farming.

The ministry also aims to encourage increased local fruit consumption, saying that grapes are packed with nutrients, and have health benefits.

The harvest season for grapes is from June to September, the ministry said.