Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (Xinhua/SANA) (syq)
Oman has sent an ambassador to Syria, becoming the first Gulf Arab state to do so after they downgraded or shut missions in Damascus in 2012 over attacks by the government there on protests at the start of the war, reports Arab News.
Oman is one of the rare Arab countries that kept diplomatic relations with the Syrian government of President Bashar Assad after the 2011 uprising, despite pressure from the United States and other Gulf allies.
Syria’s foreign minister on Sunday accepted the credentials of Oman’s Ambassador Turki bin Mahmood Al-Busaidy, appointed to the post in a royal decree in March, state news agency ONA said.
Some Arab states are seeking reconciliation with Damascus after decisive gains by pro-government forces in the conflict, aiming to expand their clout in Syria at the expense of non-Arab Turkey and Iran, who have backed Assad.
Israel, which generally avoids public criticism of Turkey, lashed out at Istanbul for disrupting peace efforts and asked NATO members to rein it in…Reports Asian Lite News
Saudi Arabia has blamed Turkey for hostility towards its leadership and asked citizens to boycott everything Turkish after Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Arab countries of destabilising the region.
Israel, which generally avoids public criticism of Turkey, lashed out at Istanbul for disrupting peace efforts and asked NATO members to rein it in.
Saudi Arabia’s Chamber of Commerce head Ajlan Al Ajlan on Saturday tweeted,”The boycott of everything Turkish, whether on the level of import, investment or tourism, is the responsibility of every Saudi – trader and consumer – in response to the continued hostility of the Turkish government against our leadership, our country and our citizens.”
Erdogan had recently blamed the Arab countries for instability in the Middle East. Though Turkey has had diplomatic relations with Israel for decades, Erdogan condemned the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain’s decision to normalise ties with Israel.
File photo of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud who attended the first League of Arab States (LAS)-EU Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Feb. 24, 2019. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa/IANS)
During his recent address to the Turkish General Assembly, Erdogan also took a dig at the Arab countries saying, “It should not be forgotten that the countries in question did not exist yesterday, and probably will not exist tomorrow; however, we will continue to keep our flag flying in this region forever, with the permission of Allah.”
In the meantime, Israel’s defence minister blasted Turkey on Sunday for working against its peacemaking efforts.
Media reports said that Defence Minister Benny Gantz, while talking to Gulf Arab media, described Turkey and Iran as “denying promotion of peace and supporting regional aggression”.
Gantz pointed out Turkey’s disruptive actions in northern Syria and the Eastern Mediterranean, intervention in Libya and links to Hamas terror group.
“All of this pushes away from stability,” he said adding, “Definitely the question of Turkey is a very complicated one, because Turkey is part of NATO,” Gantz told a virtual conference organised by The Arab Council for Regional Integration, a group that encourages Israeli-Arab outreach.
“So we must take all the options that we have in our hands and try to influence it through international pressure to make sure that they are pulling their hands from direct terrorism.”
The peace deals between Gulf states and Israel have disappointed the Palestinians, who have been demanding statehood in the West Bank and Gaza. The US and Israel believe the peace deals with the UAE and Bahrain could lead to the fulfilment of a peace deal for with Palestine as well.
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit. (File Photo: IANS)
“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is interfering in Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Libya militarily,” Ahmed Aboul Gheit said…Reports Asian Lite News
The Arab League has warned Turkey over its role in increased regional tension in the Mediterranean regions, saying that “it will not end well” for the regional power.Arab News Reports
Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit said in a televised statement: “Turkey is facing a group of differences with regional and superpower parties to a degree that will not end well for it or its leadership.
“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is interfering in Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Libya militarily,” he added.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
“Erdogan also interfered in the Caucasus between Azerbaijan and Armenia, collided with Greece and Cyprus, and attacked the eastern Mediterranean in the gas areas, which made a large and influential country like France send fighters and an aircraft carrier to Cyprus.
“Even Italy, which was understanding of many of the Turkish positions, went to France. Everyone is telling Erdogan now that he will face consequences for his actions.
“It annoys me that the Syrians use mercenaries to fight with Azerbaijan against Armenia … It is very sad that Syrian mercenaries are being used by Erdogan in cases that are unrelated to Turkey,” Aboul Gheit said.
He claimed that former US president Barack Obama caused destruction in Arab countries by supporting the Arab Spring in 2011.
This is the sixth time the President has issued such a decree since March 5, when the first coronavirus cases were confirmed in Bethlehem…Reports Asian Lite News
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has extended a state of emergency for 30 days in an effort to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, state-media report.
The report by the state-run WAFA news agency, Abbas on Friday evening issued a presidential decree extending the state of emergency for another month throughout the occupied Palestinian territories starting from Saturday.
This is the sixth time the President has issued such a decree since March 5, when the first coronavirus cases were confirmed in Bethlehem.
On Friday, Health Minister Mai al-Kaileh confirmed 545 new cases, three deaths and 435 recoveries.
According to the latest coronavirus data, the confirmed cases in the territories of West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza, has reached 51,607.
Out of the 51,607 cases, 37,582 are recorded in the West Bank, 3,184 in the Gaza Strip and 10,841 in East Jerusalem.
Recoveries have totalled 42,544, including 9,600 in Jerusalem, and the death toll reached 379, leaving a total of 8,684 active cases
As part of its measures to combat the pandemic, Saudi Arabia had suspended the Umrah pilgrimage and prayers in mosques in mid-March…Reports Asian Lite News
Mecca’s Grand Mosque on Sunday opened its doors to the first group of pilgrims performing Umrah after six months of Covid-19 restrictions.
The pilgrims entered the mosque at 6 a.m. after applying through Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah’s Eatmarna app, reports Arab News.
As part of its measures to combat the pandemic, Saudi Arabia had suspended the Umrah pilgrimage and prayers in mosques in mid-March.
The Kingdom also halted international flights and implemented a lockdown.
To accommodate a quota of 6,000 pilgrims per day, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has prepared five meeting points, including the Al-Gaza, Ajyad and Al-Shasha sites, where pilgrims will meet and join health professionals on buses to the Grand Mosque.
Thermal cameras will be placed at the entrances and inside halls of the Grand Mosque to monitor body temperature spikes and issue alerts if necessary.
Meanwhile, about 1,000 employees have been trained to monitor the rituals of Umrah in the Grand Mosque.
The mosque will be cleaned 10 times a day between each group’s presence, the Arab News report said.
Escalators leading to the top floors have also been equipped with cleaning devices, while hand-washing devices have been placed at the mosque’s entrances.
As of Sunday, Saudi Arabia has reported a total of 335,997 coronavirus cases and 4,850 deaths.
The UAE ranked 14th globally, ahead of countries such as Australia, China, Germany, France, Japan and Belgium, maintained its leadership in the Arab region in all categories of the rankings…Reports Asian Lite News
The UAE ranked first in the Arab region and one of the best in the world in the “World Digital Competitiveness Ranking 2020” issued by the IMD World Competitiveness Centre in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The UAE, which ranked 14th globally, ahead of countries such as Australia, China, Germany, France, Japan and Belgium, maintained its leadership in the Arab region in all categories of the rankings, most notably in the “Technology” factor where it ranks fourth globally, as well as in ” Future readiness” where its ranks 11th globally, and “Knowledge” where it advanced four places.
Now in its fourth year, the IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking measures the capacity and readiness of 63 economies through three key factors (Knowledge, Technology and Future readiness), nine sub-factors and 52 criteria to adopt and explore digital technologies as a key driver for economic transformation in business, government and wider society. It uses an array of data to understand how 63 economies employ digital technologies.
Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy, said that “The fact that the UAE ranked first globally in the ‘Public-Private Partnerships’ confirms the strong belief of its government in the importance of the partnership between the public and private sectors, upon the directives of the country’s leadership to promote the role of the private sector, as one of the key cornerstones of the national economy.”
The UAE ranked first in the factors of “Wireless broadband,” “Public-private partnerships” and “Immigration laws,” and jumped to second place in the factors of “Foreign highly-skilled personnel” and “Use of big data and analytics by businesses.” It also ranked third globally in the factors of “Management of cities,” “Net flow of international students” and “Foreign highly-skilled personnel,” as well as in the “Legal Framework” sub-factor.
The country ranked fourth in the “Technology” key factor, as well as in factors of “Opportunities and threats” factor and “Cyber Security.” It also ranked fifth in the world in the “Attitudes toward Globalisation” and the “Talent” sub-factor.
The United States came first, Singapore second, and Denmark third in the 2020 IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking, a giant compilation of data that economists said could help predict how well economies would weather the pandemic.
“In the midst of uncertainty and a fluid global situation, it seems that business and societies that are agile correlate strongly with the IMD World Digital Competitiveness ranking. Knowledge also remains of paramount importance for the digital performance of different economies,” stated Professor Arturo Bris, Director of the IMD World Competitiveness Center.
Lebanon and Israel will hold UN-mediated talks on their disputed maritime and land borders, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri announced Thursday, reports Arab News.
The United States will act as a facilitator during the talks, which are due to be held in the southern Lebanon border town of Naqoura, Berri told a news conference without providing a date for the negotiations.
Berri said a framework agreement had been reached to start the negotiations, and read out a September 22 copy of it.
“The United States were asked by both sides, Israel and Lebanon, to act as a mediator and facilitator to draw up the maritime borders, and it is ready to do this,” he quoted it as saying.
Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, UAE.
The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday chaired a joint ministerial meeting between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States and the Russian Federation, on the sidelines of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Addressing the meeting which was held via video technology, Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, affirmed the depth of the GCC-Russia relations and the importance of further consolidating them across all fronts, notably at the economic, investment, tourist and cultural levels.
During the meeting, issues of common interest between the GCC and the Russian Federation were reviewed, with specially emphasis on the global fight against COVID-19 and the prospects of setting the stage for enabling the region to move from tension and crises to opportunities, stability and development while building trust.
The emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, has died aged 91. Sheikh Sabah was the ruler of Kuwait since 2006 .Reports Arab News
He was admitted to hospital in July and underwent surgery, before travelling to the US for further treatment.
His death brought an outpouring of grief and condolences from both the Gulf, the region and beyond.
He served as Kuwait’s foreign minister from 1963 for four decades after holding a number of other governmental posts.He then became prime minister in 2003.
The leader was widely respected for his leadership, diplomacy and as a mediator in the region.
He helped steer the country through the devastating invasion by Iraq in 1990 and a number of other crises in the region.
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmanwere among the region’s leaders to offer their condolences to Kuwait and Sheikh Sabah’s family.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Sheikh Sabah “was an extraordinary symbol of wisdom and generosity, a messenger of peace, a bridge-builder.”
Donald Trump awarded the US Legion of Merit, Degree Chief Commander, to Sheikh Sabah – the first time the honor has been given since 1991.
Kuwait announced 40 days of mourning to remember Sheikh Sabah
Saudi Arabia busted a terrorist cell whose members got military and field training inside sites belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday citing the spokesman for the Presidency of State Security. The cell was discovered last week during security monitoring according to SPA, report.
The spokesperson also said that a total of 10 members of the cell were arrested, three of them received training in Iran. The cell was formed between October and December 2017, the spokesperson added.
According to the spokesperson, their training took place in two locations and included field exercises and making explosives. The security operation seized a large number of weapons, explosives, chemicals, and electronic devices and equipment from a house and a farm.
