RIYADH: The Arab coalition intercepted and destroyed an IED drone launched by the Houthi militia from Yemen towards the Saudi city of Najran, Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
It described the attack as “a systematic and deliberate targeting of civilian objects and civilians in Najran,” in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
The coalition said the Iranian-backed Houthis “continue their attempts to target civilians, adding that it will take and implement operational measures to protect civilians in accordance with international law.”
The coalition has reported repeated Houthi drone attacks on Najran and on Sept. 10 it said it intercepted and destroyed two drones launched by the Houthis in separate attacks.
The Houthi militia have also targeted other Saudi cities, airports and oil facilities.
Arab coalition intercepts Houthi missile toward Saudi city of Najran
https://arab.news/2ntsx
Arab coalition intercepts Houthi missile toward Saudi city of Najran
- The coalition has reported repeated Houthi drone attacks on Najran
KSrelief continues food security projects across several countries
RIYADH: KSrelief has distributed 201 food parcels and 201 medical kits the city of Maarat Misrin in the Idlib countryside of northwestern Syria as the Saudi aid group’s humanitarian activities continue.
The initiative benefited 1,227 individuals and 201 families, Saudi Press Agency reported.
Similarly, KSrelief distributed 200 food baskets to most needy families in Sharkaya village of Hajar Lamis province in Chad. Around 1,200 benefited from the initiative. Also in the same country, 700 food parcels were handed out in the city of N’Djamena.
Moreover, 442 food parcels were distributed in Al-Dabba locality in the northern state of Sudan.
Also in Sudan, 500 bags of personal care supplies were distributed to the most needy and displaced families in Kabushi of Shendi locality, Nile River State, which benefited 2,875 individuals.
Pilgrims prepare to depart Madinah for Makkah
MADINAH: As the Hajj season approaches, pilgrims from around the world gathered in Madinah, preparing to make their journey to the Holy House of God in Makkah.
The Prophet’s Mosque was a hub of activity, where pilgrims read the Qur’an, and performed prayers.
The spiritual journey from Madinah to Makkah marks a significant milestone in the Hajj rituals, with pilgrims eagerly looking forward to fulfilling their religious duties.
Smart robot service launched in Madinah to assist pilgrims
MADINAH: A smart robot service has been launched in Madinah to assist pilgrims visiting the Prophet's Mosque.
A project of the Ministry of Health branch in Madinah province, the robot is positioned at the courtyard next to the Prophet’s Mosque.
A report by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said the service "aims to display and broadcast awareness and educational messages and health advice for the safety and awareness of pilgrims in more than 96 languages of the world."
Aside from the robot service, volunteer and awareness teams of the City Health Branch continue their field work with 220 male and female volunteers, and more than 12 teams working in the field around the clock to serve pilgrims performing Hajj.
Volunteers are on standby to provide health and emergency services during the Hajj season at the Prophet’s Mosque and the roads leading to it, and Prince Muhammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport, Al-Haramain Train Station, Quba Mosque, Al-Khandaf, Sayyid Al-Shuhada, and Miqat Dhu Al-Hulaifah.
Saudi Arabia committed to cooperate in global efforts to protect marine resources: climate affairs envoy
- The two-day event in San Jose, Costa Rica, is to prepare for the 3rd UN Ocean Conference to be held in France in 2025
- Topics included the capacity of the ocean to absorb carbon dioxide, the need for sustainable fishing and tackling marine pollution
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's Climate Envoy Adel Al-Jubeir on Saturday said the Kingdom is committed to cooperate with the international community in enhancing efforts to protect oceans and marine resources.
Al-Jubeir, who is also minister of state for foreign affairs and a member of the Council of Ministers, reaffirmed the Kingdom's commitment in a speech at the high-level event on Action for the Oceans (Immersed in Change) in the Costa Rican capital, San Jose, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
The San Jose gathering of country representatives, scientists and international experts, is to prepare for the 3rd UN Ocean Conference, to be held in France in 2025. Participants debated issues including the capacity of the ocean to absorb carbon dioxide, the need for sustainable fishing and tackling marine pollution.
Al-Jubeir cited Saudi Arabia’s participation in international negotiations that resulted in a legally binding formula for an agreement on the sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas outside national areas.
The Kingdom also took an active part in negotiations aimed at coming up with a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution that includes the marine environment, SPA quoted Al-Jubeir as saying.
Al-Jubeir also noted that the Saudi Green Initiative, part of Saudi Vision 2030, has a commitment to protecting 30 percent of the Kingdom’s terrestrial and marine areas by 2030.
During Saudi Arabia's presidency of the G20 in 2020, the Kingdom led international efforts by launching the global platform to accelerate research and development of coral reefs to complement ongoing international efforts to protect the marine environment, he said.
He further cited the Kingdom's commitment to protecting marine and coastal ecosystems in the Red Sea and its launch of the General Foundation for the Conservation of Coral Reefs and Turtles in the Red Sea.
“The Kingdom contributes effectively to regional efforts to protect and preserve the marine environment in the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf. It is also a member of the Regional Authority for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and the Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment,” Al-Jubeir said.
Earlier on Friday, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Social Affairs Li Junhua said at the start of the talks that protecting the ocean was “not an option but an imperative.”
Costa Rica’s President Rodrigo Chaves, host of the two-day meeting, said that if the world does not act, “we as a generation would be taking away the future of humanity.”
Saudi authorities arrest 21 Hajj permit violators
RIYADH: Authorities in Saudi Arabia have arrested 21 violators of Hajj regulations at the entrances to Makkah after they tried to enter without a valid Hajj permit, the state news agency SPA reported on Saturday.
The Ministry of the Interior announced that the Hajj Security Forces arrested eight residents and 13 citizens on Friday.
The seasonal administrative committees of the General Directorate of Passports issued 21 administrative decisions against them, which included: a prison sentence for a period of 15 days for each violator, and a fine of SR10,000 ($2,666).
The expatriate violators will then be deported and prevented from entering the Kingdom according to the legally specified periods after the execution of the sentence, while three vehicles used in their transportation have also been confiscated.
The Ministry of Interior called on all citizens and expatriates to abide by Hajj regulations and instructions so that pilgirms may enjoy safety, security, comfort and reassurance in performing their rituals.
Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Mohammad bin Abdullah Al-Bassami, the director of Public Security and chairman of the Hajj Security Committee, stressed the security of the country, pilgrims, and the holy sites was “a red line.”
He said that safeguarding the pilgrims while they perform their Hajj rituals until they return to their home countries is a top priority for the Hajj security forces and that “preventing violators of Hajj regulations and those who have not obtained Hajj permits is central to this endeavor.”
He was speaking during a press conference held by the interior ministry for the commanders of the Hajj security forces in Makkah to brief on the ministry’s security, traffic, and organizational plans for this year’s Hajj season.
Al-Bassami said that the Public Security “has seized 140 fake Hajj campaigns and 64 carriers violating Hajj regulations, in addition to returning 97,664 violating vehicles and 171,587 non-residents of Makkah,” the SPA reported.
Authorities also apprehended 4,032 violators who did not have a valid Hajj permit and 6,105 violators of residency, work, and border security regulations, while those turned away in recent days from the holy city include 153,998 foreigners who held tourist visas rather than the required Hajj visas.
