JEDDAH: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday joined world leaders in condemning this week’s missile attack on Riyadh by Yemen’s Houthi militias.
He also called for a thorough investigation of the incident during Thursday’s phone call with King Salman, the Kremlin said.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said it intercepted a missile fired at Riyadh on Tuesday.
In Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the missile attack “constitutes an unacceptable violation of international law and a further dangerous escalation of the conflict, which reduces the prospects of a negotiated solution to the war in Yemen.”
Mohammed Al-Jaber, Saudi ambassador to Yemen, said Houthi attacks against the Yemeni people and Saudi Arabia are supported by Iran.
Tehran is to blame for the deaths of Yemeni civilians as it supplies the Houthis with “qualitative weapons, ammunition and ballistic missiles,” said Al-Jaber, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. This is a violation of UN Security Council resolutions 2216 and 2231, he added.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah, which is listed as a terrorist organization, are training the Houthis in how to handle weapons, and assemble and launch ballistic missiles at Saudi cities, “in order to prolong the war, disrupt the political process (and) kill the Yemeni people,” Al-Jaber said.
“Everyone knows that the Yemeni people are going through difficult economic and humanitarian conditions. International reports indicate that more than a third of the Yemeni people need urgent humanitarian assistance,” he added, blaming the Houthis.
Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has provided more than $80 billion of humanitarian and development assistance to Yemen, he said. The Kingdom is coordinating with the coalition “to provide secure corridors for the delivery of humanitarian aid and commercial shipments to all areas of Yemen,” he added.
“These steps are aimed at ensuring the flexibility of the overall humanitarian operations to achieve the objective of delivering aid to the Yemeni people.”
The Kingdom is also coordinating with Yemen’s internationally recognized government “to meet urgently with the UN and humanitarian organizations to discuss all the details of humanitarian assistance,” Al-Jaber said, adding that Saudi Arabia and the UN are addressing their differences.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May reiterated their support for Saudi Arabia in the wake of the Houthi attack.
In a phone call to King Salman, Trump condemned the attack, which targeted a populated area.
They also discussed measures to implement UN Security Council resolutions that hold Iran accountable for its aggressive actions in the region, and for its continuous supply of missiles to the Houthis, threatening Saudi and regional security and stability.
During Wednesday’s phone call to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, May stressed the need to continue inspection procedures to prevent the smuggling of weapons and missiles to Yemen.
She welcomed the coalition’s reopening of ports to enable humanitarian assistance to reach the Yemeni people.
Thirteen Houthi fighters were killed and seven wounded in clashes with Yemeni security forces in Al-Jouf province in the northeast, the SPA reported.
A military source quoted by the agency said Houthi field commander Ahmed Mahdi Ahmed was captured during operations in the area.
Putin condemns Houthi missile attack
Putin condemns Houthi missile attack
KSrelief chief and WHO’s Tedros meet in Geneva, sign agreements worth $20m
- Al-Rabeeah also signed five executive programs with WHO for Yemen, Sudan, and Syria, with a total value of $19,496,000.
GENEVA: The chief of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah met with Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Saturday in Geneva.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 77th World Health Assembly currently being held in the Swiss city.
Saudi Arabia’s permanent representative to the UN in Geneva Abdulmohsen bin Khothaila also attended the meeting.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed issues of common interest related to joint relief and humanitarian projects in the health sector, as well as the mechanisms for delivering medical assistance to patients and the injured worldwide.
Tedros praised the medical projects and programs carried out by the Kingdom, through KSrelief, to improve the health situation of those in need in various countries.
Also on Saturday, Al-Rabeeah signed five executive programs with WHO for Yemen, Sudan, and Syria, with a total value of $19,496,000.
The first agreement aims to address the severe shortage of kidney dialysis supplies in Sudan to reduce mortality among kidney failure patients across various Sudanese states by providing dialysis supplies sufficient for some 235,000 dialysis sessions, securing 100 dialysis machines, and paying the salaries of medical staff in 77 dialysis centers, with a value of $5 million.
The second agreement entails providing medical assistance to earthquake victims in Syria, with a total cost of $4,746,000.
The third agreement focuses on combating the spread of measles among children under five in Yemen, with a total cost of $3 million.
The fourth agreement aims to improve water and sanitation services in healthcare facilities, ensuring sustainable water supplies to serve the neediest populations in Yemen, valued at $3,750,000. The agreement includes drilling solar-powered wells in 10 healthcare facilities.
The fifth agreement aims to reduce the spread of cholera across Yemen, with a value of $3 million.
First group of Moroccan pilgrims arrive in Saudi Arabia through Makkah Route Initiative
- The Saudi leadership has prioritized caring for the pilgrims and creating an atmosphere of faith during their Hajj journey
RIYADH: The first group of Hajj pilgrims from Morocco arrived at the Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah on Saturday, having departed from Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca.
The pilgrims have traveled to the Kingdom through the Makkah Route Initiative.
The initiative aims to make the journey for pilgrims to complete Hajj as easy as possible, through electronic registration in their country of origin, including those related to immigration, health, luggage, travel, and housing in Makkah and Madinah.
They are transported by buses on designated routes, with service agencies delivering their luggage to their places of stay, Saudi Press Agency reported.
The MRI is part of the Ministry of Interior’s Pilgrim Experience Program (PEP), a pillar of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
Now in its sixth year, the initiative is carried out in cooperation with a host public and semi-government authorities, including the ministries of foreign affairs, health, Hajj and Umrah, media, civil aviation, the Zakat, Tax and Customs authority, SDAIA and PEP.
The Saudi leadership has prioritized caring for the pilgrims and creating an atmosphere of faith during their Hajj journey.
Pilgrims who have been arriving in recent days have expressed their “gratitude to the Kingdom’s government for the services and facilities that have been provided, making their pilgrimage safe and reassuring,” Saudi Press Agency said.
King Salman, Crown Prince congratulate King Abdullah II on Jordan’s national day
RIYADH: King Salman sent a cable of congratulations to King Abdullah II of Jordan on the occasion of his country's independence day on Saturday, Saudi Press Agency reported.
King Salman wished King Abdullah continued good health and happiness, and the government and people of Jordan further progress and prosperity.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also sent a similar cable to the Jordanian king.
The messages from the Saudi leadership were among dozens sent by global leaders and heads of international organizations, including the speaker of the Arab Parliament.
Adel bin Abdulrahman Al-Asoumi wished Jordan and its people “more security, stability, and prosperity.”
He also praised the “civilizational achievements made by the kingdom under the leadership of King Abdullah II in all areas that have made the kingdom a leading regional and international model.”
Saudi, Kosovo officials discuss parliamentary ties
RIYADH: The Saudi-Kosovo Parliamentary Friendship Committee, led by Khalid Al-Bawardi, the committee’s chairman and Saudi Shoura Council member, met with Kosovo’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Kreshnik Ahmeti and other officials in Pristina.
Discussions aimed to boost bilateral relations and parliamentary cooperation between the Shoura Council and Kosovo Parliament, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
Faisal Hifzi, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Albania and non-resident ambassador to Kosovo, Montenegro, and North Macedonia, attended the meeting.
Additionally, the committee met with Podujeva’s Mayor Shpejtim Bulliqi and discussed cooperation in municipal affairs. The mayor praised Saudi Arabia’s environmental conservation efforts.
The Shoura Council delegation also engaged with local companies, reviewing Kosovo’s future projects and discussing opportunities for economic cooperation.
Saudi authorities arrest 17,030 illegals in one week
RIYADH: Saudi authorities arrested 17,030 people in one week for breaching residency, work and border security regulations, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
According to an official report, a total of 10,662 people were arrested for violations of residency laws, while 4,147 were held over illegal border crossing attempts, and a further 2,221 for labor-related issues.
The report showed that among the 1,119 people arrested for trying to enter the Kingdom illegally, 71 percent were Ethiopian, 27 percent Yemeni, and 2 percent were of other nationalities.
A further 65 people were caught trying to cross into neighboring countries, and 17 were held for involvement in transporting and harboring violators.
The Saudi Ministry of Interior said that anyone found to be facilitating illegal entry to the Kingdom, including providing transportation and shelter, could face imprisonment for a maximum of 15 years, a fine of up to SR1 million ($260,000), as well as confiscation of vehicles and property.
Suspected violations can be reported on the toll-free number 911 in the Makkah and Riyadh regions, and 999 or 996 in other regions of the Kingdom.
