Saudi Arabia and Estonia working to develop political, economic coordination, says foreign minister

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Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan meets with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan meets with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan meets with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan holds a joint press conference with his Estonian counterpart Margus Tsahkna. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan holds a joint press conference with his Estonian counterpart Margus Tsahkna. (SPA)
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Updated 03 July 2024
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Saudi Arabia and Estonia working to develop political, economic coordination, says foreign minister

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Wednesday that a deal signed with Estonia on political consultations with the Kingdom would boost coordination and cooperation between the two countries.

He said that the countries were working to develop cooperation in many fields, explore opportunities for economic, cultural and technical cooperation, increase trade and investment opportunities and promote innovation, the Kingdom’s foreign ministry reported in a statement.

During a joint press conference with his Estonian counterpart, Margus Tsahkna, in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, Prince Faisal said that the value of bilateral trade between the two countries last year amounted to $72 million, and exports from the Kingdom amounted to $21 million, while imports from Estonia amounted to $51 million.

He added that his country was looking forward to more economic growth between both countries.

The discussion session with his Estonian counterpart covered many issues, including common challenges, the war in the Gaza Strip, and ways to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine by finding a sustainable, peaceful solution.

Prince Faisal praised Estonia’s vote in favor of the UN General Assembly’s resolution on Palestine’s membership of the world body, noting that “this step is important in keeping hope alive for a two-state solution,” the ministry said.

Meanwhile, the Saudi minister held talks with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, where he conveyed greetings from King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the government and people of Estonia, and their wishes for further progress and prosperity.

The two sides reviewed existing cooperation between the two countries and ways to enhance and develop it, as well as regional and international developments.

During his earlier meeting with Tsahkna, Prince Faisal discussed ways to boost bilateral relations and the two sides “signed a memorandum of understanding on political consultations to take joint relations toward broader horizons,” the ministry said.

The meetings were attended by the Kingdom’s non-resident ambassador to Estonia, Nesreen Alshebel, and Director General of the Foreign Minister’s Office Abdulrahman Al-Dawood.


Saudi ambassador underscores potential benefits of Arab economic ties with Japan

Updated 23 sec ago
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Saudi ambassador underscores potential benefits of Arab economic ties with Japan

  • Ghazi Faisal Binzagr says cleaner, safer energy solutions to play a big role in future partnership with Kingdom
  • Ghazi Faisal Binzagr: For Saudi Arabia, there is particular interest in partnerships that can co-create

TOKYO: Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Japan, Ghazi Faisal Binzagr, underscored the significance of the Japan-Arab Economic Forum in strengthening and expanding relations between the two countries beyond the traditional fields.

“We’re attending a very important conference that emphasizes the very important relationship between Japan and the Arab countries in general,” Binzagr told Arab News Japan. “And for me, as ambassador of Saudi Arabia, it also emphasizes the important relationship between Japan and the Kingdom.”

The 5th Japan-Arab Forum, a key platform for fostering economic ties, ended in Tokyo on Wednesday. The two-day forum aimed to facilitate Japanese companies’ expansion into Arab countries and strengthen Japan’s ties with them.

Binzagr described Japan’s energy relationship with Saudi Arabia as an important anchor, but noted that many countries are committed to transforming their energy sources from traditional to renewable.

“For that, a particular kind of partnership will be required,” he added. “The emphasis on partnership was essential to the meeting today. For Saudi Arabia, there is particular interest in partnerships that can co-create. What that means is a partnership that creates energy solutions that are cleaner, better, and safer for tomorrow and solutions that will care for the environment and increase prosperity.”

Binzagr said another angle is the important link between economics and development and the idea of creating strategic solutions, which are long-term, comprehensive plans, that translate to prosperity not only in the Middle East but also for Japan and its neighbors.

In addition, “it should include solutions that translate into a quality of life that impacts citizens everywhere,” he said.


300 family businesses showcase traditional skills and wares at Al-Baha Summer Festival

More than 300 family businesses and artisans are showcasing their skills and selling their wares during Al-Baha Summer Festival.
Updated 45 min 16 sec ago
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300 family businesses showcase traditional skills and wares at Al-Baha Summer Festival

  • They include vendors offering traditional food, handicrafts, weaving, embroidery, clothes, decorations and crops from the region

RIYADH: More than 300 family businesses and artisans are showcasing their skills and selling their wares during Al-Baha Summer Festival.

They include craftspeople who are preserving local culture and heritage by preparing traditional food, practicing handicrafts, weaving and embroidery, or making clothes, decorations and items for the home. Others are farmers who grow and sell seasonal fruits from the region.

Ali Al-Sawat, the mayor of Al-Baha Region and chairperson of the festival’s executive committee, told the Saudi Press Agency that regional authorities have established more than 40 incubators as part of their efforts to empower small and family businesses by organizing activities at permanent and mobile marketplaces covering a wide range of products including food, textiles and handicrafts. The outlets are strategically placed in parks and other high-traffic public spaces, he added, and the fees for sellers are affordable to ensure they are accessible to everyone.

Municipal authorities, in particular the Public Health Department of the Services Agency, conduct regular monitoring to ensure sellers meet all health requirements, Al-Sawat said.

This year’s festival, the theme for which is “A Summer in Al-Baha: Embrace Serenity,” is attracting a large turnout of local residents of all ages, organizers told SPA. It began two weeks ago and continues throughout the summer.


Saudi crown prince approves designs for ‘Sport Tower’, a key project in Riyadh Sports Boulevard

Updated 10 July 2024
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Saudi crown prince approves designs for ‘Sport Tower’, a key project in Riyadh Sports Boulevard

RIYADH: The Sports Boulevard Project in Riyadh has approved the designs for “Sport Tower” - a high rise building that has courts for different indoor sports.

Headed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the project's directors have announced that they approved the designs for Sports Tower, the Saudi Press Agency said.

The Sports Boulevard is one of Riyadh’s four ambitious projects, launched by Saudi King Salman in March 2019. The project is a key component of the Saudi Vision 2030. 

Sports Boulevard extends for 135 kms across the city. It has safe, green pathways for pedestrians and includes special routes for professional and amateur cyclists, horse riding paths, and designated sites for sporting activities, SPA added. 

The project aims to encourage citizens of Riyadh to follow a healthy lifestyle through exercise and participation in various sporting activities.

 

 


Royal reserve authority plants 1.2m trees and shrubs

Updated 10 July 2024
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Royal reserve authority plants 1.2m trees and shrubs

  • Authority enhanced vegetation cover and resettled indigenous wild plants in the reserves since 2021

RIYADH: The Kingdom’s Imam Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Royal Reserve Development Authority planted more than 1.2 million trees and shrubs during the first half of 2024, the Saudi Press Agency reported late Tuesday.

It forms part of the authority’s plan to resettle indigenous wild plants in the Imam Abdulaziz bin Mohammed and King Khalid royal reserves.

The plants include the Sidr, Talh, Arfaj and Arta species, which were selected to suit the environment of the two reserves.

The authority has enhanced vegetation cover and resettled indigenous wild plants in the reserves since 2021.

The projects are in line with the objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative and Vision 2030 plan, the SPA reported.


Saudi Border Guard seize 320kg of qat in Jazan

Updated 10 July 2024
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Saudi Border Guard seize 320kg of qat in Jazan

RIYADH: In two separate operations, officers from the Kingdom’s Border Guard in Jazan have thwarted attempts to smuggle a total of 320 kg of qat into the country, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

One of the operations included the arrest of three Ethiopian nationals for allegedly attempting to smuggle 80 kg of qat.

The three suspects also face charges of violating border security regulations.

In Al-Ardah, a sector in Jazan, land patrols thwarted the smuggling of 240 kilograms of qat.