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.
Saudi Arabia welcomes ceasefire agreement between Syrian Democratic Forces and Syrian state
https://arab.news/rvuc3
Saudi Arabia welcomes ceasefire agreement between Syrian Democratic Forces and Syrian state
Saudi Arabia to hold Human Capability Initiative conference in Riyadh in May
- HCI 2026 set to attract over 15,000 leaders, 250 speakers, including policymakers, industry leaders, experts from various sectors
- Program to focus on optimizing learning, working environments to maximize human capability in age of AI
LONDON: Saudi Arabia’s Human Capability Development Program has announced the third edition of the Human Capability Initiative conference, featuring the UK as the country of honor.
The HCI will be held under the patronage of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, from May 3-4.
HCI 2026 is set to attract over 15,000 leaders and feature 250 speakers, including policymakers, industry leaders, and experts from various sectors.
Under the theme “The Human Code,” the program will focus on optimizing learning and working environments to maximize human capability in the age of artificial intelligence.
Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan, Saudi Arabia's minister of education and chairman of the Executive Committee of the HCDP, said the conference would showcase the Kingdom’s commitment to investing in people for sustainable economic growth and to enriching a global dialogue.
He added: “Human potential remains the most critical driver of progress in a rapidly changing global landscape, and investing in humans is the most critical pillar in building a competitive economy and a knowledge-based society.”
Majid Al-Kassabi, the Saudi minister of commerce and chairman of the Economic and Social Committee of the Saudi-British Strategic Partnership Council, welcomed the UK as the conference’s country of honor.
He said: “(This) represents a continuation of the strategic cooperation between (Saudi Arabia and the UK), including the launch of the Skills of the Future initiative at the 2025 HCI conference, focused on advancing economic cooperation, educational exchange, and workforce development.”
The last two HCI conferences attracted over 23,000 participants, featured 550 speakers, and announced 156 partnerships, organizers said.
The HCDP aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, focusing on enhancing citizens’ potential and competitiveness, they added.
