Riyadh set to host African leaders with a view to strengthening trade and diplomatic ties

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Leaders of Arab and African nations have gathered in Riyadh for the inaugural Saudi-African Summit. (SPA)
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Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine of Niger and his accompanying delegation arrive in Riyadh on Thursday. (SPA)
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Updated 10 November 2023
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Riyadh set to host African leaders with a view to strengthening trade and diplomatic ties

DUBAI: Leaders from 50 nations throughout the Middle East and Africa will gather in Riyadh for the inaugural Saudi-African Summit on Nov. 10.

Saudi and African officials hope the meeting will lead to a long-term partnership between the Kingdom and the African Union, capitalizing on pre-existing economic, cultural, and diplomatic relations while setting out to forge new ones.

Separated by the narrow expanses of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba, the geographical proximity of Saudi Arabia and the African continent means they have a long history of shared cultural and linguistic ties that pre-date the birth of Islam.

“Africa and Saudi Arabia share a common geography, common culture, and common traditions,” Yahaya Lawal, the Nigerian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, told Arab News.

“We are bound together by history. Islam spread to Africa. Saudi Arabia and Africa are bound together through Islamic culture and tradition.”

Formal ties were first established between the Kingdom and several African nations in the 1960s, when they secured independence from European colonialism.

Lawal said: “Our relations have been growing ever since. Saudi Arabia is a very important partner for us.”

INNUMBERS

  • 50 world leaders from the Middle East and Africa will meet in Riyadh.
  • $13.5bn — the sum provided to 54 African nations by the Saudi Fund for Development.

During a ceremony to celebrate Africa Day in May this year, Waleed bin Abdulkarim El-Khereiji, the Saudi vice minister of foreign affairs, said the Kingdom recognized the need to support the development of African nations.

Since its establishment in 1974, the Saudi Fund for Development has provided 580 loans and grants with a total value of approximately $13.5 billion to more than 54 African countries.

The Kingdom currently enjoys diplomatic relations with 54 African countries, operates 31 resident missions, and is working on opening 13 further missions in the near future, El-Khereiji added. A further range of projects, loans, and grants worth more than $800 million are also in the pipeline.

The Arab world consists of 22 countries, of which 10 are in Africa — Comoros, Somalia, Djibouti, Sudan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania. These nations form an important cultural bridge between the continents.

“As a member of the Arab League and an African nation, both summits are important to us,” Dya-Eddine Said Bamakhrama, ambassador of the Republic of Djibouti to Saudi Arabia, told Arab News.

“The relationship between Africa and Saudi Arabia is not new,” he added, noting it had been “very strong” since the independence of Djibouti 40 years ago.

The first Saudi-African Summit aims to enhance political coordination between the Kingdom and the continent, fostering joint action, economic development, and investment cooperation.

Bamakhrama said: “This summit has long been awaited by African nations.”

The fifth Arab-Africa Summit, which was planned to take place on Nov. 11 after a seven-year hiatus, has been postponed. A statement said this was due to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and a commitment to prevent regional political events from impacting the Arab African partnership focused on developmental and economic dimensions. The summit was originally scheduled for 2020 but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Its new date has yet to be announced.

The fourth Arab-Africa Summit took place in November 2016 in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. It concluded with the endorsement of the Malabo Declaration, with Arab and African countries pledging to enhance cooperation in areas of sustainable development, security, and peace.

“Riyadh is now one of the most important capitals in the Middle East region and in the world. To have these two summits side by side in Riyadh is very important for all African countries,” Bamakhrama added.

The Islamic Development Bank, or IsDB, established in Jeddah in 1975, has long financed projects in Africa. It provides loans and credit to member countries to support the development of both social and physical infrastructure. Among its 57 member countries are 27 African nations.

From 1975 to June 2022, the IsDB has advanced financing worth approximately $65 billion to African countries, including $20 billion for trade financing activities as well as energy, education, health, and road transport projects.

On May 25, the African Union celebrated its 60th anniversary. Upon its creation it set out to liberate the continent from colonialism, strengthen African solidarity, eliminate economic underdevelopment, and elevate the continent in international decision-making.

Six decades later, while much work still needs to be done, the continent is on the rise and has immense economic potential. Covering an area larger than China, Europe, the US, and India combined, Africa also has the world’s youngest and fastest-growing population.

According to the UN, by 2050 one in four people will be African. While birth rates are declining in richer nations, Africa’s population is expected to double to 2.5 billion over the next 25 years.

Africa’s youth is bursting with new ideas, eager to jumpstart initiatives and work across a variety of sectors. The continent’s cities are also rapidly expanding, creating space for new markets and industries.

Saudi Arabia has been quick to recognize Africa’s potential for increased economic, social, and political partnerships, and African officials are eager to encourage investment.

“These two summits are quite significant because they’ll bring and solidify the existing bridges that have always existed between the Arab Peninsula and the African continent,” Lawal said.

It is not just trade and investment that will feature on the agenda at the forthcoming summit. Security issues, including regional conflicts and extremist insurgencies, are also a source of shared concern.

“We have common challenges to discuss. I believe we will discuss many of our issues during the summits. Saudi Arabia has always been a great partner and is already pursuing mediation initiatives in several African conflicts,” Lawal added.

Saudi Arabia has been involved in brokering talks between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which plunged Sudan into violence and humanitarian catastrophe in April.

Since the war broke out more than six months ago, several rounds of talks have been held in Jeddah to establish a ceasefire and to allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid. The US and Saudi-sponsored talks, together with the African Union, restarted on Oct. 30.

“The Kingdom is not only contributing to peace initiatives and to resolving conflicts but also to the development of Africa,” Lawal said.

Stability and development will be key to unlocking Africa’s full potential. But to equip young Africans with the tools they need to transform their societies, investment is needed in educational programs — which is why the issue will feature on the summit agenda.

Bamakhrama said: “Without education you can’t understand the world we live in. Education is vital for the development of Africa.”

Staging the twin conferences sends a strong signal to the African continent that Saudi Arabia is committed to building upon its existing relationships and identifying new ways to forge a common vision for development.

“There is already important Gulf Cooperation Council investment in Africa. Through these summits we will be able to deepen our cooperation and make our investments stronger and more practical,” Bamakhrama added.


Saudi Arabia’s King Salman inaugurates Riyadh Metro project

Updated 20 sec ago
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Saudi Arabia’s King Salman inaugurates Riyadh Metro project

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman inaugurated the Riyadh Metro project on Wednesday.

 


Saudi teams shine at Formula 1 in Schools World Finals

Updated 30 min 31 sec ago
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Saudi teams shine at Formula 1 in Schools World Finals

  • Over 450 young innovators from around the globe join together for the event in Dhahran
  • Competitors worked in 55 teams to design, build and race miniature F1 cars on a 20-meter track

RIYADH: Three Saudi teams have scooped awards at the 2024 Aramco Formula 1 in Schools World Finals.

Over 450 students from gathered at Dhahran Expo from Nov. 23-26 for the competition, the first time it has been hosted in the Kingdom. The finalists emerged from an initial 29,000 schools worldwide.

The Clad team won the Enterprise Portfolio Award, while Oryx claimed Best Engineered Car and Shaheen took Best Application of Project Management.

Competitors worked in 55 teams to design, build and race miniature F1 cars on a 20-meter track. Those taking part were aged from nine to 19, one third of whom were female.

The competition reflects Aramco’s commitment to developing future leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, otherwise known as Ithra, oversaw the Saudi teams’ preparation during a nine-month training period. Led by 37 experts from six specialized centers, the program focused on engineering, design and teamwork.

It has become a key platform for developing Saudi Arabia’s next generation of scientific talent and putting innovation firmly on the global stage.

At the 2023 World Finals in Singapore, Saudi teams won the Innovative Thinking, Women in Motorsport and Identity awards.

The Aramco Formula 1 in Schools World Finals offer young innovators an opportunity to shape Saudi Arabia's future creative industries.

The program follows a unified curriculum covering physics, aerodynamics, design, manufacturing, branding, graphic design, sponsorship, marketing, leadership, teamwork, media skills and financial strategies.


Grand mufti of Saudi Arabia meets Pakistan’s Senate chair

Updated 17 min 45 sec ago
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Grand mufti of Saudi Arabia meets Pakistan’s Senate chair

  • Al-Sheikh highlights role of Council of Senior Scholars on Islamic issues
  • Council ‘keen to promote moderation and combat extremism in the region’

RIYADH: The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia on Wednesday received the chairperson of Pakistan’s senate at the presidential headquarters in Riyadh.

Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh met Yusuf Raza Gilani, who was accompanied by a delegation of members of the upper house in the Pakistani parliament.

Al-Sheikh, who is also chairperson of the Council of Senior Scholars, and president general of scientific research and ifta, highlighted the depth and distinguished brotherly Islamic relations between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

He highlighted the significant role the Council of Senior Scholars performs in the Kingdom to explain Shariah rulings about issues that concern Muslims. It has issued more than 30,000 fatwas and 200 rulings.

The council is keen to promote moderation and combat extremism in the region, he added.

He said that King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman continue to serve the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah, ensuring that visitors and pilgrims receive appropriate services.

Gilani expressed his happiness to visit Saudi Arabia, noting the great role the Kingdom is playing through its leadership as well as the ties it has developed with Pakistan on various issues.

The meeting was attended by the secretary-general of the Council of Senior Scholars, Sheikh Fahd Al-Majed, and Shoura Council member Abdulrahman Al-Harbi.


New initiative to plant 60m seeds for sustainability

Updated 27 November 2024
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New initiative to plant 60m seeds for sustainability

  • NCVC CEO, Khaled Al-Abdulkader, outlined the initiative’s goal of dispersing 60 million seeds and cleaning floodplains throughout the governorate
  • Efforts are part of the broader National Greening Season, which aims to increase green spaces and address environmental challenges

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification has launched the Grow Impact initiative in Hafar Al-Batin governorate to encourage community participation in preserving and expanding vegetation cover, while promoting sustainability and environmental awareness.

The center’s CEO, Khaled Al-Abdulkader, outlined the initiative’s goal of dispersing 60 million seeds and cleaning floodplains throughout the governorate.

These efforts are part of the broader National Greening Season, which aims to increase green spaces and address environmental challenges, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

Al-Abdulkader described Grow Impact as a key step toward achieving sustainable development goals, restoring ecological balance, and enhancing biodiversity.

He said that the initiative also encourages environmental responsibility among individuals and communities.

The initiative aims to reduce waste in natural areas, protect plant and animal species from human activity, and combat desertification by inspiring communities to protect natural resources.

These goals align with Saudi Arabia’s vision for preserving the planet and its natural heritage, SPA reported.

The center continues its mission to develop and protect vegetation cover throughout the Kingdom, rehabilitating degraded areas, addressing violations, combating illegal logging, and overseeing rangelands, forests and national parks.


Thunderstorms forecast across Saudi Arabia until Sunday 

Updated 27 November 2024
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Thunderstorms forecast across Saudi Arabia until Sunday 

  • Makkah region is forecast light to moderate rain showers that could lead to flash floods
  • Asir and Jazan regions will also be affected by moderate to heavy showers

RIYADH: The General Directorate of Civil Defense has forecast thunderstorms in several regions across the Kingdom until Sunday.

Makkah region is forecast light to moderate rain showers that could lead to flash floods, hail and dust-stirring winds, reported the Saudi Press Agency, while moderate to heavy rain is expected in Riyadh region.

Asir and Jazan regions will also be affected by moderate to heavy showers, while the Qassim, Eastern and Baha regions will experience moderate rain. The regions of Madinah and Najran can expect light rain.

The directorate has urged people to exercise caution, avoid areas prone to flash flooding, and refrain from swimming in flooded areas.

Members of the public should follow media channels to keep themselves updated on the latest conditions.

Autumn in Saudi Arabia is typically rainy, with rapid weather changes providing relief from the heat, according to the National Center for Meteorology.