Page 5 - Saudi Arabia

No military response discussed under Mecca pact over attacks on Saudi: Pak

The joint defence agreement signed last month stipulates that an armed attack on any one of ​the three countries will be regarded as an attack ​on all of them.

Explosions reported across Iran's coast; blasts heard at Saudi air base

Multiple explosions were reported across Iran's coastal regions, including Qeshm Island, Sirik and Minab, while reports also emerged of blasts at a Saudi air base and in the city of Taif

Pakistan pledges to honour security pact if Saudi Arabia attacked

"We're bound by the terms and conditions of this pact and, God willing, we'll honor this pact if there's aggression. There should be no ambiguity about this," Pakistan's Defense Minister said

'Unacceptable': India condemns Houthi attacks on Saudi oil installations

India on Wednesday condemned the latest wave of attacks carried out by Houthi militants on oil installations in Saudi Arabia, and said the strikes undermined regional security. The Iran-backed Houthi militant group targeted Saudi oil facilities and some other civilian infrastructure on Tuesday, triggering widespread apprehensions about further escalation in the West Asia conflict. India condemned the attacks on Saudi sovereign territory, especially the targeting of civilian and economic facilities, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. He added that such attacks that undermined regional security and stability and threatened freedom of navigation in the Bab-el-Mandeb were "unacceptable". Jaiswal was responding to a media query. The attacks on Saudi oil facilities came amid the US ramping up its economic sanctions against Iran. The Houthis have been majorly operating from Yemen.

Pakistan warns Houthi attack on Saudi could activate joint defence pact

Pakistan said there should be "no ambiguity" that an attack on any one of the three members of the newly formed Makkah Defence Alliance would be treated as an attack on all, as he warned that the pact could become operative following Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif's remarks on Tuesday come hours after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi forces launched a wave of missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting cities and economic and energy infrastructure and injuring at least 73 civilians. The minister said any unprovoked aggression against a member state, or a spillover of the Yemen conflict into Saudi Arabia, would activate the collective-defence provisions of the agreement signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye in Makkah last month. "There should be no ambiguity; there is no need for any clarity that this is a joint defence agreement," Asif said in an interview with Geo TV channel. Pakistan would honour its commitments to Saudi Arabia under the .

Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia trigger fire at oil facilities, 73 injured

Houthi attacks ignited fires at several oil facilities and utilities in Saudi Arabia's southern region Tuesday and wounded more than 70 people, Saudi authorities said. Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, a spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, said the attacks hit "civilian and economic facilities" in the Saudi cities. The wave of Houthi attacks were a major escalation in the renewed conflict between an important US ally and the Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen. The kingdom's Energy Ministry said operations at the oil facilities and utilities were temporarily suspended.

Delay in depositing foreign travel tax cannot draw non-payment penalty: SC

Supreme Court sets aside ₹71.29 lakh penalty on Saudi Arabian Airlines, ruling that 'failure to pay' under Finance Act does not cover delayed tax deposits

Saudis explore about $8 billion in loans as war strains finances

State-backed oil major Saudi Aramco is holding similar discussions with banks, some of the people said. Both potential transactions are at an early stage and may ultimately not materialize

Trump submits civil nuclear agreement with Saudi to Congress for review

President Trump has submitted to Congress for review an agreement with Saudi Arabia aimed at bolstering the kingdom's civilian nuclear program, but continues to insist that it won't move forward if Saudi Arabia doesn't normalise relations with Israel, according to a Trump administration official. The classified document was submitted to Capitol Hill on Monday as required by the Atomic Energy Act, according to the administration official, a congressional aide, and two others familiar with the matter. All four spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly on the classified matter. The agreement was signed last month in Washington by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart. But the next day, Trump announced he was requiring the Saudis to normalise relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords as part of the pact, raising doubts that the agreement would come to fruition. Neither the administration official nor the others ...

Bangladesh open to join Saudi Arabia-Pakistan-Turkiye defence alliance

Bangladesh is open to joining the recently formed defence alliance between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye, two junior ministers have said, while stressing that any decision would be guided by the country's national interests. Signed in Makkah on August 7, the pact establishes a framework for collective deterrence and stipulates that an armed attack on any one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all three. "Bangladesh maintains a positive approach towards the possibility of joining an economic or defence framework involving Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye, taking into account its own interests and the changing dynamics of the global economy and trade," newly appointed state minister for foreign affairs Humayun Kobir said. In an interview with the Bangla service of state-run BSS on Friday, Kobir said the government was pursuing a "Bangladesh First" policy and a balanced foreign policy with national interests at its core, which might lead Dhaka to join the ..

Bangladesh may join Saudi-Pakistan-Turkiye pact if national interests align

Bangladesh is open to joining the recently formed defence alliance between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye, two junior ministers have said, while stressing that any decision would be guided by the country's national interests. Signed in Makkah on August 7, the pact establishes a framework for collective deterrence and stipulates that an armed attack on any one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all three. "Bangladesh maintains a positive approach towards the possibility of joining an economic or defence framework involving Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye, taking into account its own interests and the changing dynamics of the global economy and trade," newly appointed state minister for foreign affairs Humayun Kobir said. In an interview with the Bangla service of state-run BSS on Friday, Kobir said the government was pursuing a "Bangladesh First" policy and a balanced foreign policy with national interests at its core, which might lead Dhaka to join the ..

Best of BS Opinion: Asim Munir, power, and paranoia

Today's opinions examine the Saudi-Turkiye-Pakistan defence pact, leadership challenges at the Tata group, Asim Munir's growing powers and the political potency of negative branding

Makkah Pact and the shifting equations in West Asia

The Gulf is also India's western security flank, and changing regional alignments make any response to cross-border terror attacks more challenging

Urban Company taps Unicommerce to expand operations in UAE, Saudi Arabia

Unicommerce said that Urban Company's arm in West Asia will leverage its flagship platform, Uniware, to manage inventory and fulfilment operations supporting its at-home service ecosystem

Saudi Arabia resumes oil loadings, sales from inside Strait of Hormuz

The resumption of Saudi exports could help ease the tight supply of heavier grades that produce more residue fuel which can be used to refuel ships or can be processed further at refineries

Saudi Arabia tightens anti-crime oversight on UAE-bound bank transfers

Six businesspeople told Reuters their companies have had transfers in various currencies delayed or returned by Saudi banks with no official explanation.

Big, bold step: Trump welcomes Saudi-Turkey-Pak defence pact amid Iran war

US President Donald Trump has termed the Saudi Arabia-Turkey-Pakistan defence agreement a "big, bold and important first step" towards defending themselves in a "more meaningful way". Trump's remarks on Sunday came days after the three nations signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement -- holding any armed offensive against any of the three countries an attack against all of them. "Very happy to see that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have recently, and finally, signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. It shows how the Middle East is coming together, and how countries will finally be able to defend themselves in a more meaningful way," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "Congratulations to the Great Leadership of the three Nations mentioned. THIS IS A BIG, BOLD, AND IMPORTANT FIRST STEP - WOW," Trump wrote. The agreement was signed August 7 by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. India said

Turkey lays out plans for defence pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia

The three Sunni Muslim US allies, ​alarmed by a regional conflagration that ​has brought Iranian missile fire onto Gulf oil exporters, signed the "Mecca Joint Defence ​Agreement" on August 7.

West Asia's 'Nato': Why New Delhi faces a new diplomatic challenge

Turkiye has a geographical and institutional foothold in Europe and West Asia. It is a founding member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, but it is also the largest Nato member after the US

Explained: The Mecca Joint Deterrence Agreement and its key provisions

Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have signed a defence pact that treats an attack on one as an attack on all, with Egypt and other countries seen as possible future members