RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) has sent $500,000 of medical aid and equipment to Vietnam to help the country in its efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
On behalf of the center, Wibar Al-Baseer, the chargé d’affairs at the Saudi embassy in Vietnam, presented the donation to Truong Quoc Cuong, the Vietnamese deputy minister of health, in the capital Hanoi.
Cuong said his government thanks the Saudi government for its support, the Vietnam News Agency reported.
“It’s such a meaningful gesture and a source of motivation to Vietnam during this difficult time, physically and mentally,” he added. “The Ministry of Health is committed to using this precious gift wisely to fight the pandemic.
“Vietnam is impressed with the tough and effective measures implemented by the government of Saudi Arabia in preventing and fighting COVID-19. In particular, a vaccination campaign has been carried out quickly and makes Saudi Arabia one of the countries with the highest percentages of vaccination coverage in the world.”
The aid to Vietnam is part of the assistance the Kingdom is providing, through the center, to help countries tackle the pandemic.
Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief delivers $500k of pandemic aid to Vietnam
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Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief delivers $500k of pandemic aid to Vietnam
- The Vietnamese government thanked Saudi Arabia for its support
- The aid to Vietnam is part of the assistance the Kingdom is providing to help countries tackle the pandemic
Saudi Cabinet condemns ‘blatant’ Iranian aggression; affirms Kingdom’s right to respond to threats
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has warned it reserves the “full right” to respond to Iranian aggression following a series of “blatant and cowardly” strikes targeting the capital and the Eastern Province.
The warning came during a late-night Cabinet session on Tuesday, chaired by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman via videoconference, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
During the session, the Cabinet “reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s full solidarity with the brotherly countries whose territories were subjected to blatant Iranian aggression”, signaling a united front against regional threats.
The session followed a dramatic escalation of hostilities, including a direct drone attack on the US Embassy in Riyadh.
Major General Turki al-Malki, spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense, confirmed that while air defenses intercepted multiple threats, the embassy compound sustained a “limited fire and minor material damage.”
General Al-Malki further announced that Saudi forces successfully intercepted and destroyed eight additional drones targeting the cities of Riyadh and Al-Kharj early Tuesday morning.
In a sharp rebuke of the embassy strike, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) cited a flagrant violation of the 1949 Geneva Convention and the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
“The repetition of this flagrant Iranian behavior... will push the region toward further escalation,” the Ministry stated, underscoring that these provocations occurred despite Riyadh’s explicit policy of not allowing its airspace or territory to be used as a launchpad for strikes against Iran.
Global condemnation and solidarity
The Cabinet expressed deep appreciation for the wave of international support as world leaders condemned Tehran’s “indiscriminate” behavior.
In a joint show of force, the US and GCC member states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE) along with Jordan stood united, labeling the strikes a “dangerous escalation” and reaffirming a collective right to self-defense.
Leaders from the United Kingdom, France, and India. — including Prime Minister Narendra Modi — voiced strong solidarity with the Kingdom. The UK government confirmed its forces are engaged in “defensive actions” to maintain regional stability.
Amid the heightened military tension, the Cabinet reviewed the Kingdom’s hospitality efforts for GCC citizens currently stranded at Saudi airports due to regional airspace closures. The crown prince reaffirmed that the state would mobilize all capabilities to support brotherly nations in any measures they take to restore regional peace and stability.
