More German pilgrims visiting Saudi Arabia, ambassador says

Michael Kindsgrab told Arab News that Hajj and Umrah were two of the many areas in which Germany and Saudi Arabia were cooperating. (AN Photo/Huda Bashatah)
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Updated 04 October 2024
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More German pilgrims visiting Saudi Arabia, ambassador says

  • Envoy spoke at event to mark Unity Day, which celebrates reunification of East and West Germany on Oct. 3, 1990

RIYADH: A growing number of German Muslims are undertaking pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia, Germany’s ambassador to the Kingdom said.

Speaking at an event to mark Unity Day, which celebrates the reunification of East and West Germany on Oct. 3, 1990, envoy Michael Kindsgrab told Arab News that Hajj and Umrah were two of the many areas in which Germany and Saudi Arabia were cooperating.

“That is just one example of how we can establish more people-to-people contact,” he said.

As well as marking the 34th anniversary of Unity Day, this year is the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Germany.

Speaking about his work and experiences in the Kingdom, Kindsgrab said: “It’s of course a big honor to be working as German ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and Germany as a country is becoming more and more diverse. It is just the right moment to be here to explore new areas of cooperation.




ide the ambassador of Germany to Saudi Arabia Michael Kindsgrab. (AN Photo/Huda BashAttah)

“It has been the most interesting and exciting posting that I have had in my career and I really look forward to the next year. I also have to say I really enjoy life here, people are enormously nice and enormously interesting.”

The event at the German Embassy in Riyadh featured a variety of activities and booths showcasing German businesses in Saudi Arabia, including the Goethe-Institut and the German International School.

A military band provided entertainment with renditions of popular jazz, rock and pop songs.

On the importance of Unity Day, Kindsgrab said: “For me, the significance is that it was embedded in European unity, because together with German unity we achieved European unity which makes Germany a country at the heart of Europe surrounded by friends.”

Undersecretary of Riyadh Region Faisal Al-Sudairi was among the invited officials, diplomats and representatives of German-Saudi businesses at the embassy event.


Camel committee formed in Kingdom to boost heritage and economic value

Updated 13 November 2024
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Camel committee formed in Kingdom to boost heritage and economic value

RIYADH: In the "Year of the Camel," the Federation of Saudi Chambers announced the formation of a national committee for camels, the first of its kind, appointing Saad Al-Jalban as president and Abdullah Al-Subaie as vice president.

The move is part of the federation’s efforts to increase the economic value of camels and support relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Culture, in promoting the camel as a cultural symbol and an integral part of Saudi heritage.

The committee will work to significantly increase the market and investment value of camels, estimated to number about two million in the Kingdom and owned by more than 100,000 individuals.

Sales of camels at specific festivals have reached an impressive SR350 million, highlighting their popularity and economic significance.

The committee will serve as a central resource for investors, providing assistance with investment opportunities, health and medical services, pasture management and fodder supply through collaboration with relevant public and private entities.

The Saudi Ministry of Culture designated 2024 as the “Year of the Camel” to highlight and reinforce the status of the animal as a national symbol and cornerstone of Arabian cultural identity.

Camels are regularly celebrated across the country through dedicated festivals, race events, clubs and research centers.

Recently, the Saudi pavilion at UNESCO’s Arab Week event in Paris featured a showcase of the Kingdom’s deep-rooted connection to camel culture.

It also explored the role of the animals as a vital part of the nation’s heritage, identity and civilization, offering a glimpse into their enduring place in society.

The exhibits showed how the role of the camel has evolved from an essential means of transport and provider of resources to a cultural icon that embodies the Kingdom’s values, and how camels are embedded in Saudi customs, traditions and literature, including poetry and proverbs.


Latest Saudi aid plane arrives in Lebanon

Updated 13 November 2024
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Latest Saudi aid plane arrives in Lebanon

RIYADH: Another plane carrying aid for people in Lebanon landed at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport on Wednesday.

The plane, the 23rd from Saudi aid agency KSrelief, was carrying food, shelter and medical supplies, reported the Saudi Press Agency.

Saudi Arabia has been sending planes carrying aid packages to Lebanon since Israel stepped up its bombing campaign in Lebanon, mainly targeting Hezbollah strongholds in south Beirut and in the east and south of the country.


Saudi Joint Forces Commander meets with UN envoy for Yemen

Updated 13 November 2024
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Saudi Joint Forces Commander meets with UN envoy for Yemen

  • During their meeting, both parties underscored the Kingdom’s significant role in facilitating and supporting humanitarian efforts in Yemen

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Commander of the Joint Forces, Lt. Gen. Fahd bin Hamad Al-Salman, met on Tuesday with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg.

During their meeting, both parties underscored the Kingdom’s significant role in facilitating and supporting humanitarian efforts, along with its dedication to the development and reconstruction of Yemen, Saudi Press Agency reported.

They discussed Saudi Arabia’s ongoing efforts to enhance humanitarian operations and promote peace and stability in Yemen.

Al-Salman reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to political initiatives aimed at achieving a comprehensive and just resolution to the Yemeni crisis.


Officials discuss Saudi-South Korean cooperation in nuclear power and defense

Updated 12 November 2024
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Officials discuss Saudi-South Korean cooperation in nuclear power and defense

  • First Korea-Gulf Cooperation Council cooperation seminar hosted around 80 participants to discuss trade relations, cooperation in the energy sector, and regional conflicts
  • Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Choi Byung-hyuk said that the seminar was an opportune space to discuss economic cooperation and to come to a shared understanding of regional conflicts

RIYADH: Officials and nuclear experts discussed cooperation in nuclear energy and defense between South Korea and Saudi Arabia during an event in Riyadh on Tuesday.

The first Korea-Gulf Cooperation Council cooperation seminar hosted around 80 participants to discuss trade relations, cooperation in the energy sector, and regional conflicts in the Middle East.

South Korea’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Choi Byung-hyuk, said the seminar was an opportune space to discuss economic cooperation and to come to a shared understanding of regional conflicts in the GCC, specifically Gaza and the Red Sea, as well as a space to diversify energy cooperation in the nuclear and renewables sectors.

Kang Han-ok, vice president for SMART development at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, presented a joint research project currently underway between South Korea and Saudi Arabia on small modular reactors.

“SMRs are being highlighted as carbon-zero energy sources that complement the intermittent nature of renewable energy in the global power supply sector,” Kang said.

He noted how the SMART100 SMR, jointly designed by Saudi and South Korean entities, was approved by Seoul’s nuclear regulator in September.

The reactor was jointly developed by KAERI, the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy, and the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Corp.

Kang explained the reactor is now ready to be exported globally. “With its SDA acquaintance, SMART is now ready for global deployment in the demand of the power and thermal energy sectors,” he said.

Kang also spoke about ways to increase nuclear power plant cooperation between South Korea and GCC member states, citing the plan to establish a joint nuclear research and development center between the Saudi National Atomic Energy Project and KAERI.

The chairman of the Gulf Research Center, Abdulaziz Sager, emphasized that Saudi Arabia’s ability to rely on South Korea as a strong ally and defense supplier encouraged a relationship of trust and long-term partnership in the Kingdom’s security planning.

The seminar comes almost one year after the signing of a free trade agreement between South Korea and the GCC, signed on Dec. 28, 2023.

At the time, South Korea committed to eliminate 89.9 percent of tariffs on all products while the GCC committed to eliminate 76.4 percent, facilitating increased trade between the two parties.

The Korea-GCC FTA was 20 years in the making. Discussions for the agreement began in 2008, but it is yet to be verified or ratified. Lee Kwon-hyung, senior research fellow from the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, put forward recommendations on how to pave the way for the agreement and how to best utilize it once finalized, including establishing an artificial intelligence data center to transition towards a green energy economy relying on solar, wind, and nuclear power for electricity generation.

“The AI data center needs a lot of electricity, so an energy transition and a digital transition are very imperative, and with the AI Data Center we can make industrial restructuring in both countries,” Lee said.

Prof. In Nam-sik, director general for strategic region studies at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, evaluated the impact of geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East and East Asia on Korean-GCC relations, as well as the transformation of the US-led liberal international order.

On the war on Gaza, In said: “The situation threatens to shift the two-state solution toward an apartheid scenario, further destabilizing the region.”

On Iran, In continued: “Iran’s expanding influence through its regional proxy contributes to ongoing instability, with concerns that the current dynamics may accelerate Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“The transition in Iran’s leadership raises uncertainties, with hopes for a gradual regime change that might reduce Iran’s revolutionary stance.”

Commenting on US influence, In said: “As the US pivots its strategic focus to Asia, Gulf nations are adopting flexible diplomacy, leveraging both US and Chinese influence.”

In stated that the Middle Eastern and European fronts are already linked, and North Korean military support to Russia signals an increasing risk of interconnected conflicts across regions.

To combat these regional and international threats, In urged South Korea and the GCC to work together on security cooperation across information sharing and technology, joint maritime security exercises, and shared support for multilateral forums, in addition to continued political dialogue in the above mentioned areas.


Saudi cabinet reviews Arab-Muslim summit, reaffirms support for Palestine and Lebanon

Updated 12 November 2024
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Saudi cabinet reviews Arab-Muslim summit, reaffirms support for Palestine and Lebanon

  • Central to the session was a review of the extraordinary Arab and Islamic summit held in Riyadh on Monday

RIYADH: The Saudi cabinet, led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, convened in Riyadh on Tuesday to discuss outcomes from recent high-level summits and meetings.

Central to the session was a review of the extraordinary Arab and Islamic summit held in Riyadh on Monday and the crown prince’s engagements with leaders from various countries.

The cabinet praised the summit’s outcomes and welcomed its signing of the Tripartite Mechanism Document to Support Palestine, a joint initiative by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the League of Arab States, and the African Union Commission.

The cabinet reiterated the Kingdom’s support for the Palestinian and Lebanese people as they face the severe humanitarian effects of the ongoing Israeli military action. It called on countries around the world to join an international coalition advocating for the two-state solution — a plan initiated this year by the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee, led by Saudi Arabia, in partnership with the European Union and Norway.

During the session, the crown prince briefed the cabinet on his recent discussions with President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and a phone conversation with US President-elect Donald Trump.

The minister of media announced that the cabinet expressed its appreciation for the Kingdom’s Arab Week at UNESCO initiative, hosted at UN headquarters in Paris, for enhancing cultural dialogue and promoting understanding among diverse communities.

On domestic matters, council members commended the reception of the Saudi medical team that accomplished the world’s first complete robotic heart transplant. 

It also celebrated the success of the Beban 24 Forum’s 10th edition in Riyadh, which produced agreements and initiatives exceeding SR35.4 billion ($9.42 billion) aimed at bolstering entrepreneurship and enhancing the contribution of small and medium enterprises to the national gross domestic product.