RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Friday imposed sanctions on three individuals and four companies linked to terror outfit Hezbollah.
The Kingdom froze their assets and prohibited dealings with the three Lebanese nationals and the four firms.
In a statement, the Ministry of Interior named the individuals as Fadi Hussein Sarhan, Adel Moham-med Sheri and Ali Hussein Ze’ater.
The ministry identified the four companies as Vatech Sarl, Le-Hua Electronics Field Co. Ltd, Aero Skyone Co. Ltd. and Labico Sal Offshore,
“The Kingdom will continue its fight against the terrorist activities of the so-called Hezbollah through all available means,” the ministry said adding Saudi Arabia will continue to work with its allies around the world to make it clear that Hezbollah’s militant and extremist activities will not be tolerated by any nation or international organization.
The ministry statement carried by the SPA said as long as Hezbollah continued its activities to spread chaos, instability, terror acts and carried out criminal activities, the Kingdom will continue to designate Hezbollah operatives, leaders and individuals linked to the group as terror entities and impose sanctions on them.
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Kingdom extends
Hezbollah sanctions
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The ministry advised citizens and residents not to deal with Hezbollah and the above-mentioned individuals and companies.
“Competent authorities shall apply the related Terrorism Crimes and Financing Laws and Regulations against anyone found dealing with the above-mentioned individuals and entities,” the ministry warned.
The ministry also said that those sanctioned are designated under the Saudi Law of Terrorism Crimes and Financing as well as the Royal Decree No. A/44, which target terrorists and their supporters and whoever works with them or on behalf of them.
Any assets of these designated entities are frozen, and Saudi citizens or expatriates in the Kingdom are prohibited from engaging in any transaction with them, the ministry statement added.
The US Treasury Department last year sanctioned Beirut-based Sarhan and his firm Vatech Sarl, along with Sheri, of Shenzhen, China, and his firm Le-Hua Electronic Field Co.
It said they were responsible “for providing material support to enhance the group’s military and terrorist capabilities.”
Sarhan purchased unmanned aerial vehicles, while Sheri facilitated Hezbollah’s efforts to obtain electronics “for transport to Yemen for use in improvised explosive devices by the Houthis,” the US Treasury Department said.
On Tuesday, Riyadh urged Saudi nationals not to travel to Lebanon “for their safety,” after the Kingdom halted a $3 billion program funding French military supplies to Beirut and $1bn for Lebanon’s internal security.
Riyadh cut the aid in response to hostile positions taken by Lebanon at the behest of Hezbollah.
Kingdom extends Hezbollah sanctions
Kingdom extends Hezbollah sanctions
Saudi Arabia champions AI and sustainable growth at UN tourism meeting in Kuwait
- Saudi Tourism Minister says tourism today accounts for approximately 10 percent of the world economy, contributing about $10 trillion to global GDP
KUWAIT CITY: Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb has called for stronger international cooperation to build a tourism ecosystem that is integrated, resilient, and future-ready, the Saudi Press Agency reported Thursday.
In a opening address at the 52nd UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Middle East in Kuwait City, he noted that tourism is “no longer a peripheral activity but a massive engine of economic development.”
“With an estimated contribution exceeding $10 trillion to global GDP, tourism today accounts for approximately 10 percent of the world economy,” said Al-Khateeb, speaking as president of the 26th UN Tourism General Assembly. The three-day conference opened on Feb. 10 a.
He pointed to the Middle East’s exceptional recovery, which recorded a 39 percent increase in international arrivals in 2025 compared to 2019, welcoming nearly 100 million visitors last year.
The minister highlighted Saudi Arabia’s driving force behind these regional statistics, noting that the Kingdom now represents approximately 30% of the Middle East tourism market in both visitor numbers and spending.
“We are proud that Saudi tourism’s uninterrupted growth has become a driving force for regional tourism, and we look forward to continuing our close cooperation with UN Tourism to share our expertise with the world,” he said.
Focus on AI
Addressing the meeting’s central theme of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Al-Khateeb emphasized the need for responsible innovation. He described AI as a key enabler for growth but stressed that the “human touch” defining the hospitality sector must be maintained and the workforce protected.
On the sidelines of the regional commission, the minister met with counterparts from across the region to explore ways to promote regional cooperation and alignment to enhance resilience and build tourism industries that can drive inclusive economic and social development.
Al-Khateeb also met with leading investors from Kuwait to discuss investments in the Kingdom’s tourism sector and explore new opportunities to leverage Saudi Arabia’s integrated investment ecosystem, designed to enable regional and international investors to achieve sustainable, long-term value.
The 52nd UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Middle East is the first held in the region since the 26th UN Tourism General Assembly, hosted in Riyadh last November.
That assembly resulted in the historic “Riyadh Declaration on the Future of Tourism,” which established a global consensus on sustainability, inclusive growth, and the responsible adoption of human-centric AI for the next fifty years.
