Saudi defense minister meets with Secretary Blinken in Washington

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Saudi Arabia’s minister of defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman, met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday in Washington D.C. (Al-Ekhbariya)
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The US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin received the Saudi minister of defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman, on Wednesday. (SPA)
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The US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin received the Saudi minister of defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman, on Wednesday. (SPA)
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The US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin received the Saudi minister of defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman, on Wednesday. (SPA)
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The US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin received the Saudi minister of defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman, on Wednesday. (SPA)
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Updated 02 November 2023
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Saudi defense minister meets with Secretary Blinken in Washington

  • Prince Khalid and Blinken discussed efforts of calming tensions in the Middle East amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza

WASHINGTON D.C.: Saudi Arabia’s minister of defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman, met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday in Washington D.C.

As well as relations between the two countries, Prince Khalid and Blinken discussed efforts of calming tensions in the Middle East amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.

Earlier on Wednesday, Prince Khalid was received by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the headquarters of the US Department of Defense in Washington, Saudi Press Agency reported.

The meeting came as part of Prince Khalid’s official visit to the United States.

Upon his arrival, the minister of defense was greeted with an official reception that included a guard of honor and the playing of the national anthems of both countries.

Afterwards, the two ministers held a session of official talks, where they reviewed the historical friendship between Saudi Arabia and the US.

They reaffirmed the two countries’ strategic partnership in the military and defense sectors, discussed ways to strengthen and enhance the relations, and highlighted the leading regional and international roles of both countries in achieving global peace and security.

Both ministers also tackled the latest regional and international developments and the efforts being exerted in accordance with the shared vision of both countries, SPA said.

Attending the meeting were the Saudi Ambassador to the US, Princess Reema bint Bandar and Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant-General Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili, as well as several senior Saudi and US officials.


Saudi Arabia welcomes ceasefire agreement between Syrian Democratic Forces and Syria state

Updated 19 January 2026
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Saudi Arabia welcomes ceasefire agreement between Syrian Democratic Forces and Syria state

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has welcomed an agreement between the Syrian state and Syrian Democratic Forces.
In a foreign ministry statement early on Monday, the Kingdom said it had welcomed an deal between Damascus and Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces that was announced by the Syrian government on Sunday.
The agreement entails merging all SDF forces into the defense and interior ministries and means that Kurdish forces will redeploy to east of the Euphrates river.
The 14-point deal would also see the immediate administrative and military handover of Deir Ezzor and Raqqa governorates.
The Syrian state would regain control of all border crossings, oil fields, and gas fields in the region, with protection secured by regular forces to ensure the return of resources to the Syrian government, while considering the special case of Kurdish areas, the state news agency SANA reported.
The ceasefire comes after intense fighting between the SDF and government troops in Aleppo. But SDF troops have now pulled back from there and the Syrian army now controls most areas east of Aleppo.
The Saudi foreign ministry statement also thanked the US for the agreement. Washington is believed to have supported brokering the ceasefire between allies SDF and the Syrian government, who they have also backed diplomatically since the fall of long-time dictator Bashar Assad.
The Syrian state announced on Friday a raft of new directives to recognize Syrian Kurds, including making their language official and bolstering other rights for the minority group.