Page 23 - Saudi Arabia

India, Saudi Arabia discuss aspects of enhancing bilateral coordination

"During the call, they reviewed the historical and strong relations between the two countries and the two friendly peoples and ways to enhance and develop them in various fields"

Delhi-bound C-130J aircraft with 40 passengers takes off from Jeddah

An Indian Air Force C-130J aircraft with 40 passengers onboard took off from Jeddah on Sunday for New Delhi as 'Operation Kaveri' progresses further to evacuate stranded Indians from battle-torn Sudan

First flight carrying 360 Indians from Sudan reaches Delhi, says EAM

Operation Kaveri is a rescue mission, launched by the Government of India to evacuate its stranded citizens from crisis-hit Sudan

China oils a West Asian deal

The US, currently obsessed with its campaigns against Russia and oil, may respond over time. But Iran and Israel are both capable of surprise manoeuvres

India coordinating with US, UK, Saudi and UAE on safety of Indians in Sudan

India is coordinating closely with various countries to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals in violence-hit Sudan, government sources said on Wednesday. They said the ground situation in that country is very tense and movement of people is very risky at this stage. Sudan has been witnessing deadly fighting between the country's army and a paramilitary group for the last six days that has reportedly left around 100 people dead. The sources said India's priority is safety of movement and well being of individuals wherever they are located. They said that the Quartet countries of the US, the UK, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have a key role in Sudan and India is engaging them accordingly. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has already spoken to his counterparts in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The sources said both the foreign ministers assured Jaishankar of their practical support on the ground. India is also working with the UN, which has a substa

Saudi Arabia's prince transfers 4% Aramco stake to public investment firm

Saudi Arabia's crown prince announced on Sunday the transfer of a 4 per cent stake of the oil giant Saudi Aramco to a subsidiary of the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund, further boosting its coffers as the kingdom tries to expand its economy beyond oil. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's decision, announced by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, sends the stake to the Saudi Arabian Investment Co., known as Sanabil Investments. Sanabil is under the sovereign wealth fund known as the Public Investment Fund. The transfer will also solidify PIF's strong financial position and credit rating, the statement about the deal said. It gave no possible investment targets for either Sanabil or the PIF. Saudi Aramco, formally known as the Saudi Arabian Oil Co., acknowledged the shares going to Sanabil. It said the Saudi government remains the oil firm's biggest shareholder, with over 90 per cent of its stock. This is a private transfer between the state and Sanabil, and the company is not a party t

Pak Army chief played role in securing funds from Saudi, UAE: PM Sharif

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday disclosed that Army Chief General Asim Munir played a role in securing funds from Saudi Arabia and the UAE -- a pre-condition by the IMF to seal a bailout deal with the cash-strapped nation. Addressing a ceremony here, Sharif also expressed hope that now the IMF will not delay in reaching an agreement for USD 1.1 billion sought by Pakistan. "Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir has contributed to the government's efforts to secure funds from Saudi Arabia and the UAE," Sharif said. Debt-ridden Pakistan and the IMF have failed to reach a staff-level agreement on the much-needed USD 1.1 billion bailout package aimed at preventing the country from going bankrupt. The funds are part of a USD 6.5 billion bailout package the IMF approved in 2019, which analysts say is critical if Pakistan is to avoid defaulting on external debt obligations. Earlier, the Pakistani Army had announced that Gen.

Syria, Saudi Arabia agree to resume consular services, air flights

Syria and Saudi Arabia have agreed in a joint statement to resume consular services and flights, after the bilateral ties have been stranded for years

Sitharaman discusses global debt crisis, G20 agenda with Saudi counterpart

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday had a meeting with her counterpart from Saudi Arabia Mohammed Aljadaan during which they discussed the global debt crisis and strengthening of the multilateral development banks, an Indian initiative under its G-20 presidency. "H.E. Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and I discussed the #G20 agenda, and the progress made," Aljadaan said in a tweet after the meeting held on the sidelines of the annual Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank here. "Among other things, the two leaders discussed about the World Bank Evolution Roadmap and the Expert Group on Strengthening the Multilateral Development Banks constituted by the G20 India Presidency," the finance ministry said in a tweet. They discussed global inflation issues, including spillover effects of measures taken, on the growth prospects of developing and low-income countries, besides the urgent need to tackle increasing global debt distress and improving t

Will Saudi-Iran accord have a domino effect and stabilize the Middle East?

It looks like the bloody war in Yemen, where the Iranians backed the rebel Houthis and Saudi Arabia the internationally recognized government, will come to an end

Saudi, Omani delegation hold peace talks in Yemen with Houthi leaders

Since its outbreak in 2014, the conflict in Yemen has been fought on a battlefield where Riyadh and Tehran have supported opposing parties

Saudi delegation arrives in Yemen to hold ceasefire talk with Houthi rebels

Oman, which borders both Yemen and Saudi Arabia, has actively engaged in brokering a truce in Yemen in coordination with the UN peace efforts

Saudi Arabia and Iran agree to reopen embassies, ease air travel norms

Iran's semiofficial ISNA news agency says Saudi Arabia and Iran have agreed to reopen diplomatic missions in their respective capitals and in additional cities. The report says the agreement was reached Thursday during a meeting of the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia in Beijing. The agreement also calls for studying the possibility of resuming flights between the two nations and facilitating the visa process for the citizens of both countries. Saudi Arabia and Iran are long-time regional rivals, but have moved toward reconciliation as part of a deal brokered by China last month.

Saudi, Iranian FMs meet in China, signaling warming of ties after 7 years

The foreign ministers of long-time Middle Eastern rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran met in Beijing on Thursday, taking another step toward reconciliation after seven years of tension. The meeting came a month after the two countries agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies by May. The deal was brokered by Beijing. It represents a major diplomatic victory for the Chinese as Gulf Arab states perceive the United States slowly withdrawing from the wider Middle East. It also comes as diplomats have been trying to end a long war in Yemen, a conflict in which both Iran and Saudi Arabia are deeply entrenched. The rapprochement lowers the chance of armed conflict between the Mideast rivals both directly and in proxy conflicts around the region On Thursday morning, Saudi Arabia's state-run Al-Ekhbariya TV showed Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian shaking hands and sitting side by side. Iran's state TV said the two ministe

Saudi Arabian govt to invest $38 billion to become video-game hub

The fund in February increased its stake in Nintendo to 8.3 per cent, becoming the largest outside shareholder

Saudi Arabia, other OPEC+ producers announce voluntary oil output cuts

The Saudi energy ministry said in a statement that the kingdom's voluntary cut was a precautionary measure aimed at supporting the stability of the oil market

Chemical firm Aether Industries inks pact with Saudi Aramco Technologies

Specialty chemical manufacturer Aether Industries on Thursday said it has entered into a pact with Saudi Aramco Technologies Company to manufacture and commercialise the converge polyols technology and product line. Aether Industries has inked a letter of intent (LoI) with Saudi Aramco Technologies to this effect, according to a statement. Saudi Aramco Technologies and Aether had previously developed and validated this manufacturing process on a pre-commercial scale, Aether Industries aims to generate revenue of Rs 150-200 crore from this agreement. During the last few years, Aether has been working with Aramco on the CRAMS (Contract Research and Manufacturing Services) business model. Aether will take the same products from the CRAMS business model and commercialise and manufacture them under the Exclusive or Contract Manufacturing business model, the company added.

Saudi Arabia signals readiness to provide more credit to Pakistan

Pakistan claimed that it received an indication from Saudi Arabia for additional loans that may help to break gridlock with the International Monetary Fund (IMF)

At least 20 Umrah pilgrims killed, 29 injured in Saudi Arabia bus crash

The accident, which occurred due to a brake failure, took place on the road joining Asir province and the city of Abha

We advocate dialogue to resolve differences: India on Iran-Saudi pact

Days after rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran signed a China-brokered agreement to revive diplomatic ties, India on Thursday welcomed the pact saying it has always advocated dialogue and diplomacy to resolve differences. The two countries announced the full-fledged restoration of their diplomatic relations, seven years after severing them following a bitter row. "We have seen the reports in this regard. India has good relations with various countries in West Asia. We have deep abiding interests in that region," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said. He was asked to comment on the pact. "India has always advocated dialogue and diplomacy as a way to resolve differences," Bagchi said without mentioning China's role. India has been having good relations with both Saudi Arabia and Iran. Asked about the next round of China-India military talks, he said there was a commitment by both sides at the last diplomatic dialogue to hold the Corps Commander level talks at an early