Page 23 - Saudi Arabia

S Arabia welcomes Venezuelan leader, reaching out to yet another US foe

Saudi Arabia has welcomed Venzuelan President Nicolas Maduro on an official visit, reaching out to yet another U.S. foe as the oil-rich kingdom engages in a flurry of diplomacy. Maduro arrived late Sunday in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, where he was greeted by Saudi officials, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency. It did not give a reason for the visit or elaborate on his schedule, but Saudi Arabia is hosting an international conference on combating extremism later this week in the capital, Riyadh. The gathering will be co-chaired by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Saudi Arabia has been a close U.S. ally for decades, but relations have been strained in recent years. Over the last few months, the kingdom has restored relations with Iran's theocracy and Syria's President Bashar Assad both seen as pariahs in the West. Last month, the Saudis welcomed Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a close Western ally, to an Arab League summit. But days later, they hosted a .

Saudi Arabia cuts oil output by 1 mn barrel per day to boost sagging prices

Saudi Arabia said Sunday that it will reduce how much oil it sends to the global economy, taking a unilateral step to support the sagging cost of crude after two earlier production cuts by members of the OPEC+ alliance of major oil-producing countries failed to push prices higher. The announcement of the Saudi cuts of 1 million barrels per day, which will start in July, followed a meeting of the alliance at OPEC headquarters in Vienna. The rest of the OPEC+ producers agreed to extend earlier cuts in supply through the end of 2024. This is a grand day for us, because the quality of the agreement is unprecedented, Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman said in a news conference, adding that the new set of production targets are much more transparent and much more fair. The slump in oil prices has helped U.S. drivers fill their tanks more cheaply and given consumers worldwide some relief from inflation. That the Saudis felt another cut was necessary underlines the uncertain outlook

Synergy between start-up ecosystems of India, Saudi Arabia: Prince Al-Saud

Prince Fahad Bin Mansour Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia on Sunday said there are lots of synergies between the start up ecosystems of India and his nation, which can open up several opportunities. Talking to PTI on the sidelines of G20-StartUp20 Engagement Group meeting, which culminated here during the day, Al-Saud said all the participating countries should work towards implementing the recommendations made during the meeting. Delegates from more than 15 countries participated in the the meeting that started on Saturday. "Saudi Arabia and India are the fastest growing economies in the G20 and in the world. There are lots of synergies between the start up ecosystems of the two countries and we can find several opportunities, Al-Saud said. Saudi Arabia had just received a delegation of 20 entrepreneurs from India and it was assured of all possible help for tie-ups, he said, adding that this was his first visit to the country to explore such opportunities. Al-Saud said he would be back in

US, Saudi Arabia urge Sudan's warring parties to agree to a new cease-fire

Saudi Arabia and the United States urged Sudan's warring parties in a statement on Sunday to agree to and effectively implement a new cease-fire amid renewed fighting in the northeastern African nation. Sudan descended into chaos after fighting broke out in mid-April between the military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. For weeks, Saudi Arabia and the United States have been mediating between the warring parties. On May 21, both countries successfully brokered a temporary cease-fire agreement to help with the delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid to the war-torn country. Their efforts, however, were dealt a blow when the military announced on Wednesday it would no longer participate in the cease-fire talks held in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah. Following the military's decision, the US and Saudi Arabia said they were suspending the talks as a result of repeated serious violations of the ...

Jaishankar holds meetings with his counterparts from Africa, Saudi Arabia

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from South Africa and Saudi Arabia during which they exchanged views on the global situation and reviewed the progress in ties. Jaishankar, who is here to participate in a conclave of the five-nation grouping BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa), held talks with both the leaders on the sidelines of the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting. "A warm meeting with FM Naledi Pandor of South Africa. Thank her for hosting us in the Indo-Atlantic city of Cape Town. Reviewed the progress of our strategic partnership and agreed to commemorate the 30th anniversary of our diplomatic ties in a fitting manner," he said in a tweet. The two leaders exchanged views on BRICS, IBSA (India, Brazil and South Africa), G20 and UN where the two sides have a strong tradition of cooperating closely. The BRICS brings together five of the largest developing countries of the world, representing 41 per cent of

L&T to build energy infra for world's largest green hydrogen plant at NEOM

The value of the packages awarded to L&T aggregate to $2.779 billion

2 Saudi astronauts return from International Space Station after 9-day trip

A private flight carrying two Saudi astronauts and other passengers returned to Earth late Tuesday night after a nine-day trip to the International Space Station. The SpaceX capsule carrying the four parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico, just off the Florida Panhandle, 12 hours after undocking from the orbiting lab. The Saudi government picked up the multimillion-dollar tab for its two astronauts: Rayyanah Barnawi, a stem cell researcher who became the first Saudi woman in space; and fighter pilot Ali al-Qarni. Barnawi wiped away tears as she wrapped up her experiments and prepared to leave the space station. Every story comes to an end and this is only the beginning of a new era for our country and our region, she said Monday. A Knoxville, Tennessee, businessman who started a race car team, John Shoffner, paid his own way to the space station. The ticket-holders were accompanied by retired NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who now works for the Houston company that chartered the fligh

US, Saudi call for warring sides in Sudan to extend imperfect cease-fire

The United States and Saudi Arabia called on warring sides in Sudan to extend a fragile cease-fire due to expire Monday, as weeks of fighting reached a stalemate in the capital and elsewhere in the African country. The Sudanese army and a rival paramilitary force, battling for control of Sudan since mid-April, had agreed last week to the weeklong truce, brokered by the US and the Saudis. However, the cease-fire, like others before it, did not stop the fighting in the capital of Khartoum and elsewhere in the country. In a joint statement early Sunday, the US and Saudi Arabia called for an extension of the current truce which expires at 9.45 pm local time Monday. While imperfect, an extension nonetheless will facilitate the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian assistance to the Sudanese people, the statement said. The statement also urged Sudan's military government and the rival Rapid Support Forces to continue negotiations to reach an agreement on extending the cease-fire. Th

India-Saudi Arabia bilateral maritime exercise conducted successfully

The sea phase of the second edition of bilateral exercise 'Al Mohed Al Hindi 23', between the Indian Navy and the Royal Saudi Naval Force (RSNF) has been conducted successfully, officials said on Saturday. The exercise was held from May 23-25 in Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia. "INS Tarkash, Subhadra and Dornier maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) participated in the exercise from the Indian side. The RSNF was represented by HMS Badr and Abdul Aziz, MH 60R helo and UAV, " the Indian Navy said. The three-day exercise at sea witnessed a wide spectrum of maritime operations. It culminated with debrief at sea followed by traditional steam past, officials said. The successful conduct of 'Al Mohed Al Hindi 23' showcased a high degree of professionalism, interoperability and exchanges of best practices between the two navies, they said. The bilateral exercise met all its objectives and both sides intend to graduate to a more advanced level of exercises in the next edition, they said.

Saudi foreign ministry announces restoration of diplomatic ties with Canada

Saudi Arabia and Canada have agreed to restore diplomatic relations and appoint ambassadors, the Saudi foreign ministry announced

SpaceX launches Saudi astronauts, nation's 1st woman in space, to ISS

Saudi Arabia's first astronauts in decades rocketed toward the International Space Station on a chartered multimillion-dollar flight on Sunday. SpaceX launched the ticket-holding crew, led by a retired NASA astronaut now working for the company that arranged the trip from Kennedy Space Center. Also on board: a US businessman who now owns a sports car racing team. The four should reach the space station in their capsule on Monday morning; they'll spend just over a week there before returning home with a splashdown off the Florida coast. Sponsored by the Saudi Arabian government, Rayyanah Barnawi, a stem cell researcher, became the first woman from the kingdom to go to space. She was joined by Ali al-Qarni, a fighter pilot with the Royal Saudi Air Force. They're the first from their country to ride a rocket since a Saudi prince launched aboard shuttle Discovery in 1985. In a quirk of timing, they'll be greeted at the station by an astronaut from the United Arab Emirates. Hello from

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SpaceX launching Saudi astronauts on private flight to space station

SpaceX's next private flight to the International Space Station awaited takeoff Sunday, weather and rocket permitting. The passengers include Saudi Arabia's first astronauts in decades, as well as a Tennessee businessman who started his own sports car racing team. They'll be led by a retired NASA astronaut who now works for the company that arranged the 10-day trip. It's the second charter flight organised by Houston-based Axiom Space. The company would not say how much the latest tickets cost; it previously cited per-seat prices of $55 million. With its Falcon rocket already on the pad, SpaceX targeted a liftoff late Sunday afternoon from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. It's the same spot where Saudi Arabia's first astronaut, a prince, soared in 1985. Representing the Saudi Arabian government this time are Rayyanah Barnawi, a stem cell researcher set to become the kingdom's first woman in space, and Royal Saudi Air Force fighter pilot Ali al-Qarni. Rounding out the crew: John Shoff

Arab leaders, joined by Bashar Assad, at key summit in Saudi Arabia

Washington has objected to any steps towards normalisation with Assad, saying there must first be progress towards a political solution to the conflict

Acts of transnational repression: Lawsuit filed against Twitter, Saudi

A humanitarian aid worker who used an anonymous Twitter account to mock Saudi Arabia about its economy has filed a federal racketeering lawsuit against the social media platform, the kingdom and a number of individuals alleging an attempt to silence critics overseas. Abdulrahman al-Sadhan, was working for the Red Crescent in Riyadh in 2018 when plain-clothed security forces entered the office of the Red Crescent offices in Riyadh. He was taken away without any explanation. How the Saudi government linked al-Sadhan to the Twitter account remains a mystery. In April 2021, the anti-terrorism court where he was tried handed down a prison sentence of 20 years for al-Sadhan, followed by a 20-year travel ban. Al-Sadhan has appealed the ruling. In 2019, Ahmad Abouammo, a U.S. citizen and former media partnership manager for Twitter's Middle East region, was charged with acting as an agent of Saudi Arabia without registering with the U.S. government. The complaint also alleged that Saudi ...

Twitter Inc, Saudi Arabia sued for allegedly helping to silence critics

The suit claims the Saudis have targeted numerous dissidents since the murder of Jamal Khashoggi

Saudi Arabia to reopen embassy in Syria as diplomatic relations improve

The diplomatic mission of Saudi Arabia in Syria will resume its work 11 years after it was closed as the two countries' relations have improved recently, the kingdom's news agency reported late Tuesday. The announcement came nearly a month after Syria and Saudi Arabia said they were moving toward reopening embassies and resuming airline flights. Last month's development followed a visit by Syria's top diplomat to the kingdom, the first since Saudi Arabia cut off diplomatic relations with Syria in 2012 and a visit by Syria's foreign minister to Riyadh. On Sunday, the 22-member Arab League agreed to reinstate Syria, ending a 12-year suspension and taking another step toward bringing Syrian President Bashar Assad, a long-time regional pariah, back into the fold. Syria was widely shunned by Arab governments over the Assad government's brutal crackdown on protesters in a 2011 uprising that descended into civil war. The breakdown in relations culminated with Syria being ousted from the Ar

Lionel Messi to play for Saudi Arabia in £522-million 'done deal'

According to AFP, a Saudi source close to the negotiations confirmed on Tuesday morning that Messi will be playing in Saudi next season, labelling the transfer 'huge'

US NSA meets Doval in Saudi Arabia, next meeting in Australia this month

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had a meeting with his Indian counterpart Ajit K Doval in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, the White House said, adding that the two leaders are scheduled to meet again in Australia later this month on the sidelines of the Quad Summit. This is the first meeting between Doval and Sullivan after they launched the ambitious India US ICET (Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology) dialogue here in January. Sullivan is currently travelling to Saudi Arabia. "National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Saudi Prime Minister and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, UAE National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and National Security Advisor of India Ajit Doval on May 7 in Saudi Arabia to advance their shared vision of a more secure and prosperous Middle East region interconnected with India and the world," the White House said Sunday in a readout of the meeting. "Sullivan also held bilateral meetings with the Crown Prince, Sheikh .

White House national security adviser meets Saudi prince amid tensions

US President Joe Biden's top national security aide met Sunday night with Saudi Arabia's crown prince amid long-standing tensions between the White House and the kingdom. The state-run Saudi Press Agency acknowledged the meeting between Jake Sullivan and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, the Red Sea port city now at the heart of seaborne evacuations from the fighting in Sudan. The state news report said only that the men reviewed strategic relations in a meeting that included other American officials. Later, Sullivan took part in a meeting with the crown prince and Indian national security adviser Ajit Doval and Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the national security adviser of the neighbouring United Arab Emirates. The White House did not immediately acknowledge the meeting or provide a readout about them. Saudi state media did not immediately publish either video or photographs of the meeting as well. Biden campaigned on a promise to make Saudi Arabia a pariah after