Iran to reopen diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia this week

A picture shows the closed Iranian embassy in the diplomatic quarter of the Saudi capital Riyadh, on April 11, 2023. (AFP)
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Updated 05 June 2023
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Iran to reopen diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia this week

  • Mission will return under leadership of Alireza Enayati, previously Iran's ambassador to Kuwait
  • Step comes several months after Tehran and Riyadh agreed to end tensions under Chinese-brokered deal

RIYADH: Iran will reopen its diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia this week, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday.  

Tehran's foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani announced the reopening in a statement Monday, confirming earlier comments by a diplomatic source in Riyadh.

“To implement the agreement ..., Iran’s embassy in Riyadh, our Consulate General in Jeddah and our office to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation will be officially reopened on Tuesday and Wednesday,” spokesman Nasser Kanaani said.

The diplomatic mission will return under the leadership of Alireza Enayati, who previously served as Iran's ambassador to Kuwait.

The step comes several months after Tehran and Riyadh agreed to end years of antagonism under a Chinese-brokered deal.

In March, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to re-establish relations between the regional rivals whose hostility had threatened stability and security in the Middle East and helped fuel regional conflicts from Yemen to Syria.


Saudi Arabia readies 2.2m Zamzam bottles for Ramadan pilgrims

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Saudi Arabia readies 2.2m Zamzam bottles for Ramadan pilgrims

  • Project’s daily production capacity reaches 200,000 five-liter bottles to keep pace with the annually increasing demand for the blessed water during Ramadan
  • Production operations at the Zamzam Water Project are carried out according to the latest technologies and in fully automated stages from the well up to bottling

RIYADH: The National Water Co., the official operator of the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Zamzam Water Project, announced the completion of preparations for the month of Ramadan, including a strategic stockpile exceeding 2.2 million bottles of Zamzam water to meet the needs of pilgrims during the holy month, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

It explained that the project’s daily production capacity reaches 200,000 five-liter bottles to keep pace with the annually increasing demand for the blessed water during Ramadan, with distribution continuing from its main headquarters and through over 750 sales outlets distributed across various regions of the Kingdom. Those wishing may purchase small bottles of 330 ml through the Nusuk application.

Within the framework of serving the Two Holy Mosques, the company confirmed the continued pumping of Zamzam water to the Grand Mosque around the clock, and ongoing coordination with the relevant authorities to supply the Prophet’s Mosque with the blessed water in safe and healthy ways in quantities exceeding 50 million liters daily.

It indicated that production operations at the Zamzam Water Project are carried out according to the latest technologies and in fully automated stages from the well up to bottling, without any human intervention. Advanced laboratories conduct more than 400 tests daily to ensure the highest standards of quality and safety for the blessed water provided to visitors of the Two Holy Mosques.