BANGKOK: Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s trip to Saudi Arabia — Thailand’s first top leadership visit to the Kingdom in three decades — is expected to promote bilateral relations, the Thai government said on Monday.
The Thai prime minister is scheduled to arrive in Riyadh for a two-day visit on Tuesday, at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“The prime minister is scheduled to have an audience and discuss with the crown prince (ways) to strengthen and promote bilateral relations,” Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, spokesperson for the Thai government, said during a media briefing.
“This visit is the (first) government leader-level visit of the two countries … in more than 30 years.”
He added that on his Saudi Arabia trip, the prime minister will be accompanied by the deputy prime minister, foreign minister, energy minister and labor minister.
The Saudi foreign ministry said on Sunday the visit follows “consultations that resulted in convergence of views on various issues of common concern.”
Dr. Sarawut Aree, director of the Muslim Studies Center at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, told Arab News that normalization of bilateral ties would allow Thailand to again send workers to the Gulf state.
“Thailand definitely wants to normalize the diplomatic relation,” he said. “Thailand sent more than 200,000 laborers to Saudi Arabia each year when they had good relations, and now Saudi Arabia is driving Vision 2030 that focuses on economic (development) and infrastructure with less reliance on oil. So, Thailand can see the opportunity for laborers in Saudi Arabia.”
Aree added that the prime minister’s trip was “like a signal or a formal protocol that will make the improvement of the relationship more concrete.”
Thailand seeks to foster ties with Saudi Arabia during PM’s Riyadh visit
https://arab.news/2v2ww
Thailand seeks to foster ties with Saudi Arabia during PM’s Riyadh visit
- Thai prime minister is scheduled to arrive in Riyadh for a two-day visit on Tuesday
- He will be accompanied by the deputy prime minister, foreign minister, energy minister and labor minister
Experts discuss the challenges of tracking the illicit flow of funds
- Abou Sharif made her statement on Thursday in Riyadh during a panel session titled “Follow-the-Money Techniques to Detect Financial Crime: Potential and Challenges”
- If a society is cash based, she said, it puts a strain on the tracing of funds
RIYADH: Financial inclusion is crucial to reducing challenges in tracing the illicit flow of funds, said Samya Abou Sharif, the director of Jordan’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing unit.
Abou Sharif made her statement on Thursday in Riyadh during a panel session titled “Follow-the-Money Techniques to Detect Financial Crime: Potential and Challenges” at the Arab Forum of Anti-Corruption Agencies and Financial Intelligence Units.
She emphasized the role of law enforcement and the financial intelligence units in tracing funds, the sources, transfer, and use of these funds to follow the flow of financial proceeds from criminal activities.
If a society is cash based, she said, it puts a strain on the tracing of funds “because the transactions happen outside the formal banking system.”
Therefore, Abou Sharif said, financial inclusion is crucial to encourage the opening of bank accounts, offering smooth financial services, protecting customers, and encouraging them to participate in the financial system.
“With the ongoing innovations in finance, such as the use of artificial intelligence, we need to build capacity in law enforcement in this direction, to be faster than criminals.”
Jerome Beaumont, executive secretary of the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units, pointed to the creation and development of new decentralized financial spaces over the past 10 years.
“I am referring to the crypto industry and the broader concept of Web3, which encompasses cryptocurrencies. It is important to note that more than 100 new cryptocurrencies were generated and created daily at one point.”
Beaumont said we have created financial intelligence units for this new space as a reaction to these emerging platforms.
“We are now adopting and using new tools and crypto-based technologies to track transactions.”
Beaumont said that financial intelligence units face an ongoing trend: the increase in suspicious transaction reports sent by reporting entities.
“The only way to kind of bridge the gap was technology. Interestingly, a lot of those used … have been using AI, machine learning, and big data analytics.”
Maj. Gen. Abdullah Al-Zahrani, director of the General Department of Finance Investigations, Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority, mentioned key factors for the success of the financial investigation.
“In 2023, we provided over 400 people across the Kingdom with training on financial investigations.”
Al-Zahrani said the authority has a cadre of highly trained employees working closely with the Saudi Central Bank and other authorities to combat financial crimes.
“We cooperate with our colleagues in the criminal investigation and prosecution units concerning … labor investigations, then weigh the results of these investigations to tighten the noose on criminals,” he added.
Al-Zahrani said that the authority strives greatly to determine the real beneficiary of the proceeds of the crime.
“We bear great responsibility for dealing with financial corruption as it is a very complex crime.”
Saudi experts on urban heritage give lectures in Paris
- The program of four lectures explores some of the initiatives developed by the organization
- The first lecture delved into material and intangible methods for preserving urban heritage
RIYADH: Experts on urban heritage from Saudi Arabia are giving a series of lectures on the topic at the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization offices in Paris.
Organized by the Saudi Heritage Commission, the program of four lectures explores some of the initiatives developed by the organization and the wider strategies on urban heritage in the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The first lecture delved into material and intangible methods for preserving urban heritage, while the second looked at the development of traditional architecture in Al-Ahsa.
The third talk considered the role international architects have played in shaping modern architecture in Saudi Arabia, while the upcoming fourth and final lecture will tell the stories of sites in the Kingdom that have been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
The commission said the lectures in Paris reflect the organization’s efforts to preserve and develop national heritage as part of the Saudi strategy for culture set out in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan for the development and diversification of the national economy, and its work to promote Saudi heritage in international forums.
The aim of the commission is to enhance the heritage sector in the Kingdom, officials said, by raising awareness of Saudi heritage and how it relates to the cultural identity of the nation, fostering a sense of pride in this rich cultural heritage, and strengthening its partnerships with UNESCO, other international organizations and local experts.
Norway embassy hosts National Day celebration in Riyadh
- Thomas Lid Ball: At the end of August, I will take up the position as Norway’s representative to the Palestinian Authorities
- Norway’s national day is celebrated annually on May 17, paying tribute to the constitution of 1814 and honoring the royal family
RIYADH: Thomas Lid Ball, Norway’s ambassador to the Kingdom, hosted his last national day reception as his country’s representative in Saudi Arabia before taking up his new role later this year.
“This will be the last national day celebration here at the compound for my wife Camilla and me. At the end of August, I will take up the position as Norway’s representative to the Palestinian Authorities,” Ball said in his opening remarks.
“We will remain forever grateful for the invaluable support from the fantastic team here at the embassy over the past years,” he said.
Norway’s national day is celebrated annually on May 17 and pays tribute to the constitution of 1814 and honors the royal family.
Attending the national day reception as the guest of honor was Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz, the deputy governor of the Riyadh region.
In his opening address at the reception, Ball discussed a range of topics, including his time in the Kingdom as ambassador, Saudi-Norwegian private sector cooperation, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“The Saudi-Norwegian private sector partnerships contribute to the implementation of Vision 2030 in the Kingdom – to value creation, sustainability and corporate social responsibility,” Ball said. “They are an essential part of the solid bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Norway, officially established more than 60 years ago.
“Our relations have further developed over the past year, through bilateral dialogues on a range of issues and various visits and events, including two Saudi ministerial visits to Oslo, and vice versa, two Norwegian ministerial visits to Riyadh,” he said.
During his speech, the ambassador stressed the need for an “immediate ceasefire, for hostages to be released, for safe and unhindered humanitarian access to alleviate the unprecedented suffering of civilians in Gaza and for an end to the escalating violence elsewhere in the occupied Palestinian territories.”
Still addressing that conflict, he said: “According to local health authorities, at least 35,173 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 7. Many of those who have lost their lives are women and children. On the West Bank, 479 Palestinians have been killed, including 116 children.
“The conflict must be moved into a political track aiming for a political solution – a two-state solution that fulfills the right of the Palestinian people, ensures security for Israel, and paves the way for enhanced security in the wider region,” Ball said.
The theme of the national day reception hosted in the ambassador’s residence was water.
“As you may have noticed, we’ve chosen water as the theme for this year’s event. Because ‘water is life’; necessary for the survival of all living organisms on the planet, and because the management of our water resources is of such importance, both for the Kingdom of Norway and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the ambassador said.
Concluding his speech the ambassador said: “I would like to take the opportunity to also thank our Saudi friends and host country, our honorary consul in Jeddah, Abdullah bin Mahfouz, our friends in Bahrain, Oman and Yemen, our fellow citizens in the four countries, and not least our dear colleagues here in the diplomatic community.”
The celebration featured an open dinner buffet highlighting traditional dishes from Norway. The reception also featured a photograph area where visitors could pose against a boat backdrop while wearing Viking headgear.
Al-Qunfudah celebrates mango festival as production grows
- Several types of mangoes, including Tommy Atkins, Sensation and Langra, are grown locally in Al-Qunfudah
- Saudi mango production grew to 88,600 tons annually in 2023, with Al-Qunfudah producing a little over 50 percent of national output
RIYADH: The Saudi coastal city of Al-Qunfudah on the Red Sea is celebrating the 13th season of its mango festival this week.
Organized by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture’s branch in the Makkah region, the event began on Tuesday and will run for five days.
Through the festival, organizers hope to promote mangoes and other agricultural products, as well as help farmers with marketing and develop the Kingdom’s agricultural industry.
Several types of mangoes, including Tommy Atkins, Sensation and Langra, are grown locally in Al-Qunfudah.
Around the city, there are more than 3,000 farmers who own almost half a million mango trees, producing more than 45,000 tons of mango annually, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Guests at the mango festival include Makkah Region Gov. Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, as well as Majid Al-Khalif, director general of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture’s branch in Makkah region.
“The mango festival is considered a marketing window, waited (for) by people every year because it attracts shoppers and those looking for high-quality agricultural products,” said Al-Khalif.
The festival includes activities for guests such as a heritage corner, games and prizes, and educational programs for farmers.
Farmers in Saudi Arabia have cultivated mangoes for more than 50 years. The production season begins in March, with harvest usually starting in May and lasting for three months.
Last year, statistics showed that Saudi mango production grew to 88,600 tons annually, with Al-Qunfudah producing a little over 50 percent of national output.
The seasonal fruit is grown in areas including Jazan’s Sabya, Abu Arish, Al-Darb, Samtah and Baish governorates.
Saudi crown prince meets with Arab leaders on sidelines of Manama summit
- Saudi Arabia’s crown prince urged international community to fulfil its responsibility by demanding an immediate end to Israeli aggression
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with Arab leaders on the sidelines of an Arab League summit taking place in Manama on Thursday.
The crown prince met with Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Jordan’s King Abdullah, Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The summit has been dominated by the Israel-Hamas war and the crown prince said in a speech that the Kingdom “emphasizes the need for continued collaboration to confront the brutal aggression against Palestine.”
He urged the international community to fulfil its responsibility by demanding an immediate end to Israeli aggression and ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The crown prince also stressed “the importance of pursuing a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue based on UN legitimate resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, guaranteeing the Palestinian people’s right to establish an independent state within 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
