Foreign ministers chair Saudi-Omani coordination council meeting in Muscat

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Oamni Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al-Busaidi. (SPASayyid Badr bin Hamad Al-Busaidi)
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Updated 23 December 2025
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Foreign ministers chair Saudi-Omani coordination council meeting in Muscat

MUSCAT: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met with Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al-Busaidi on Monday.

They reviewed bilateral relations between their nations and ways to enhance and develop them across various fields. Additionally, they discussed regional and international developments.

The ministers co-chaired the third meeting of the Saudi-Omani Coordination Council in the Omani capital, Muscat, with the participation of the heads of the Council’s subsidiary committees and the two heads of the Council’s General Secretariat teams.

The meeting comes as an affirmation of the keenness of Saudi and Omani leaders to strengthen ties and advance them toward greater prosperity for both nations.

In his remarks during the meeting, Prince Faisal affirmed that gathering builds on the previous council meeting, held last year in AlUla, and on its positive and fruitful outcomes within the framework of the approved recommendations and initiatives. 

He stressed the importance of continuing the work of the council’s subsidiary committees to complete the necessary procedures to implement the remaining initiatives, and of the General Secretariat’s role in follow-up and in addressing any challenges that may hinder implementation.

He also underscored the importance of developing and enhancing trade relations, stimulating investment, and strengthening cooperation between the public and private sectors.

He also praised the ongoing work to establish and launch the Coordination Council’s electronic platform, which aims to connect all committee work and initiatives to facilitate follow-up on the Council’s progress. 

Al-Busaidi affirmed in his remarks the qualitative progress in relations between the two countries and the notable development witnessed across numerous sectors toward achieving economic integration and enhancing intra-trade and joint investments. 

The Omani foreign minister also highlighted deeper cooperation in the security and judicial fields, as well as the cultural and tourism sectors, noting the advanced and continuous political cooperation, consultation, and coordination on regional and international issues.


Smart mangrove restoration initiative launched along the beaches of Rabigh

Initiative to plant 400,000 mangrove trees along the beaches of Rabigh that will be digitally monitored was launched.
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Smart mangrove restoration initiative launched along the beaches of Rabigh

JEDDAH: An initiative to plant 400,000 mangrove trees along the beaches of Rabigh that will be digitally monitored was launched by Governor Khalid Al-Mubairik.

The scheme involves the Makkah branches of the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and the environmental consultancy Netzero, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

According to the SPA, the initiative seeks to expand vegetation cover, mitigate the effects of climate change, and enhance carbon absorption, thereby directly supporting the objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative, which aims to increase green cover, protect the natural environment, and advance the Kingdom’s transition toward net-zero carbon emissions, while serving as a model for smart afforestation solutions grounded in impact measurement and enhanced transparency.

The initiative builds on a previous effort launched last November, which aimed to plant 175,000 digitally monitored mangrove trees with an estimated carbon absorption capacity of up to 21,000 tonnes over six years, raising the combined goal of both initiatives to 400,000 digitally monitored mangrove trees.

The two initiatives will be implemented in partnership with the private sector through an integrated model that reflects public-private collaboration and strengthens the role of high-quality initiatives in advancing environmental sustainability, in line with the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.