Chair of Sudan’s transitional council hold talks with Saudi Crown Prince in Makkah

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Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meet with Chairman of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council Al-Burhan in Makkah. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meet with Chairman of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council Al-Burhan in Makkah. (SPA)
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Updated 02 May 2025
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Chair of Sudan’s transitional council hold talks with Saudi Crown Prince in Makkah

  • Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, who is also head of the Sudanese army, visits Saudi Arabia a day after his forces say they have driven rival militia fighters out of Khartoum
  • Crown Prince and the general review efforts to achieve “security and stability” in Sudan, which has been locked in civil war for 2 years

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held talks with the chair of Sudan’s ruling transitional council on Friday, a day after the Sudanese Armed Forces declared they had regained full control of the war-torn country’s capital, Khartoum.

Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, who is also the head of the SAF, met the crown prince at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah. They “reviewed the latest developments in the situation in Sudan” and the efforts made “toward achieving security and stability,” the Saudi Press Agency reported. They also discussed opportunities for cooperation between their countries and agreed to establish a coordination council to strengthen ties.

Al-Burhan visited the recaptured presidential palace in Khartoum on Wednesday after his forces recaptured it from rival paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces, and said the capital was now free of the militia’s fighters. His army confirmed on Thursday that it had cleared Khartoum of the last remaining RSF pockets.

Sudan descended into a civil war between the army and the RSF in April 2023. The RSF initially seized control of the capital and other parts of the country but the SAF regrouped and launched an offensive last year to regain Khartoum.

Saudi Arabia previously brokered several rounds of peace talks in an attempt to end the fighting in Sudan, during which tens of thousands of people have been killed and more than 12 million displaced.


Saudi tourism minister visits heritage sites along Northern Trail

Updated 22 December 2025
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Saudi tourism minister visits heritage sites along Northern Trail

  • Ahmed Al-Khatib highlights natural, historical landmarks
  • Northern Trail sites are a part of the Saudi Winter program

RIYADH: The Kingdom’s Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khatib recently traveled on the Northern Trail from Riyadh to Hail, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

Part of the Saudi Winter program, the Northern Trail has natural and historical landmarks running across various regions of the country.

Al-Khatib began the trip in Thadiq governorate where he was briefed on sites including the tourist village of Ghamra.

He perused the village’s Najd-style mud buildings, ancient alleyways and mosques which are typical of the region’s historical sites.

The minister visited the geopark north of Riyadh to see the natural rock formations and valleys.

The park is a UNESCO-recognized Global Geopark and is run under the supervision of the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development.

From there, he continued north to the Qassim region, passing through rural farms and agricultural tourism destinations.

Al-Khatib visited the Al-Bustan shrine in the city of Buraidah, and the Cultural Heritage Center that is a major attraction for local and foreign visitors.

The minister ended his trip in Hail’s historical mountainous region.

One of his stops was Jabel Umm Sinman in Jubbah, a UNESCO World Heritage site featuring rock inscriptions dating back more than 10,000 years.

The itinerary included hiking trails in the Aja Mountains, desert adventure experiences, the Al-Didhan Reserve, and a stop at the home of pre-Islamic tribal leader and poet Hatim Al-Tai.

Other points of interest along the Northern Trail include the Sheikh Omar bin Muqrin Archaeological Palace in Shaqra, the heritage village in Ushaiqer, and the Al-Askar Palace in Al-Majmaah.

More details about the various sites along the Northern Trail can be found at visitsaudi.com.