Diplomatic Quarter: Arab ambassadors meet ARCO secretary-general in Riyadh

Another 13 Arab ambassadors and a number of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) representatives also attended the meeting. (Supplied)
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Updated 07 January 2021
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Diplomatic Quarter: Arab ambassadors meet ARCO secretary-general in Riyadh

RIYADH: Djibouti’s envoy and dean of the diplomatic corps to Saudi Arabia, Dyaeddine Said Bamakhrama, on Wednesday met with the secretary-general of the Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross Organization (ARCO), Dr. Saleh bin Hamad Al-Tuwaijri, in Riyadh.

Another 13 Arab ambassadors and a number of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) representatives also attended the meeting, a Djibouti Embassy spokesman told Arab News.

During the visit, Bamakhrama praised the positive outcomes of Tuesday’s GCC summit in AlUla which he said would help toward securing the stability and prosperity of the council’s member countries in the region.

He congratulated the leaders of the Gulf states on the signing of a “solidarity and stability” agreement to end a three-year rift with Qatar.

The envoy also reiterated the importance of improving cooperation and coordination between the ARCO and humanitarian organizations in Arab nations.

Delegates agreed that every Arab embassy should nominate a coordinator to improve collaboration and coordination between countries.

The ARCO aims to strengthen links between national societies on regional and international levels.

The meeting in Riyadh included a presentation on the work of the organization and its aims and objectives and concluded with a tour by the ambassadors of the Arab center for disaster preparedness in the Saudi capital’s Diplomatic Quarter.


Rainfed agriculture booms 1,100% under Saudi rural development initiative

Updated 28 December 2025
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Rainfed agriculture booms 1,100% under Saudi rural development initiative

  • It is one of eight agricultural segments receiving program support

RIYADH: The Sustainable Agricultural Rural Development Program, known as Saudi Reef, has announced exceptional growth in its rainfed crops sector, one of eight agricultural segments receiving program support, the Saudi Press Agency reported. 

The sector has registered extraordinary expansion, surpassing 1,100 percent, with participant numbers climbing to over 13,300 beneficiaries nationwide.

Program spokesman Majed Al-Buraikan identified rainfed agriculture as a cornerstone of Saudi Reef’s achievements, highlighting its role in boosting production efficiency, bolstering food security and self-reliance, enabling sustainable farming in water-scarce regions, and raising income levels and quality of life for smallholder farmers — all consistent with Vision 2030 priorities.

Al-Buraikan outlined the program’s principal aims, including broadening the agricultural production foundation, securing food independence across multiple crop categories, enhancing smallholder farmer prosperity and employment prospects to foster social cohesion, and safeguarding environmental and natural resources throughout rural Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Reef extends support and technical assistance across eight distinct sectors: honey production, fruit cultivation, coffee production, rose farming, rainfed crops, livestock raising, artisanal fishing, and value-added agricultural products.