RIYADH: World leaders, including heads of member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), on Sunday began arriving in New York to attend the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
The sessions are scheduled to begin on Tuesday morning amid political crises all over the world with a focus on the Middle East, North Korea and the massacre of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.
“Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will deliver a speech at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday,” said a UNGA report, which gives details of the participation of the heads of states in the UN assembly. It said Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has already arrived in New York, where he will also hold talks with US President Donald Trump besides attending the UNGA.
“The details of the participation of the Gulf states in the UNGA will be announced soon,” said an official of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) General Secretariat, on Sunday. He said that individual GCC countries would announce the names of the leaders who will be leading delegations of the respective Gulf states. Also, foreign ministers of the OIC member states are scheduled to hold a coordination meeting in New York before the UNGA starts on Tuesday.
Referring to the high-profile attendance of world leaders at the UNGA, another report said: “Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will attend the UNGA and will also meet with President Trump to discuss key regional and international issues on the sidelines of the General Assembly.” Jordan’s King Abdullah, accompanied by Queen Rania, has already arrived in New York, where he will be leading the Jordanian delegation.
The report said that “the North Korean provocations and the future of Iran’s nuclear agreement are also expected to be discussed on the international platform, in addition to the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.” However, a few leaders will be missing from the General Assembly meeting, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping – both of whom have urged for a de-escalation of tensions between the US and North Korea.
The report said that the spotlight will be on US President Trump and France’s new leader, Emmanuel Macron, who will both be making their first appearance at the General Assembly. They will be joined by more than 100 heads of state, including Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.
Referring to the consultation meeting to be convened by the OIC, a Saudi Press Agency (SPA) report said that the foreign ministers will hold a meeting to discuss issues of interest to the OIC that are on the agenda of the current session of the UNGA. The special ministerial committee on Palestine will also hold a meeting to discuss developments.
The report said that Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi has also arrived in New York, where he will address the UNGA and hold talks with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. A ministerial meeting of the Contact Group on the Rohingya Muslims will also be held in New York within the framework of the OIC. The OIC secretary-general will also hold several bilateral meetings with heads of states to discuss regional and international issues.
Heads of OIC states among world leaders flocking to New York for UNGA
Heads of OIC states among world leaders flocking to New York for UNGA
Nazaha makes sweeping arrests for fraud cases worth more than $2.6m
- Resident project manager working for a PIF company was arrested for receiving a payment of SR2.2 million in exchange for awarding contracts for renovation work
- Employee working in the health sector was arrested after receiving SR500,000 in exchange for awarding two projects with a total value of SR384.3 million
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority, known as Nazaha, made sweeping arrests of a number of public sector employees involved in fraud cases totaling more than SR10 million ($2.6 million), which were announced on Sunday evening.
A resident project manager working for a Public Investment Fund company was arrested for receiving a payment of SR2.2 million in exchange for awarding contracts for renovation work.
The payment was made by two citizens and a resident CEO of another company, who were also arrested.
An employee working in the health sector was arrested after receiving SR500,000 in exchange for awarding two projects with a total value of SR384.3 million.
Investigations revealed that the total agreed amount was SR10 million of which SR4.5 million had already been received from the CEO of the commercial entity, who was also arrested.
The employee distributed the money to the director of engineering affairs, the assistant director general of engineering affairs and the head of the bid evaluation committee at the same health affairs office.
All those involved were arrested, according to Nazaha.
Three employees working at the Civil Affairs Department were arrested for receiving SR850,000, paid in installments by a citizen who was also arrested. They had paid for illegally registering births and issuing national identity cards.
With the cooperation of the Ministry of Interior, a retired non-commissioned officer was arrested for embezzling SR2.2 million during his service at a police station.
The funds were taken from amounts seized in criminal cases.
A municipal employee was arrested after being caught receiving SR300,000 out of a promised SR800,000 in exchange for facilitating and completing procedures related to issuing permits and approving a planning sketch for a plot of land.
With the cooperation of the Ministry of Interior, a Civil Defense non-commissioned officer in one of the governorates was arrested for requesting money from commercial entities in exchange for refraining from issuing safety-violation fines.
With the cooperation of the Ministry of Interior, a police officer at a regional police station and two citizens were arrested for jointly stealing SR1.4 million from a resident.
A municipal employee was arrested for receiving SR20,000 from a citizen, who was also arrested, in exchange for facilitating the award of a municipal construction and development project, as he was a member of the bid evaluation committee.
An employee of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and a resident were arrested for receiving money from citizens in exchange for illegally opening files and updating livestock support eligibility through false livestock registrations.
A municipal employee in one of the regions was arrested for receiving money to illegally issue building permits and completion certificates, in coordination with a resident contractor who was also arrested.
An employee of a regional development authority was arrested for arranging the employment of his wife at a company contracted with the authority where he worked, allowing her to receive monthly salaries without performing any duties.
The spokesman of Nazaha in a post on X highlighted continuous efforts to pursue anyone who exploits public office to achieve personal gain or harm the public in any way.
They warned that accountability extends far beyond retirement— as the targeted crimes have no statute of limitations — and that the authority will continue to apply the law with no tolerance of corruption.
