RIYADH: The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture’s Yanbu office, in cooperation with Reef National Foundation, delivered 65 marine engines to fishermen in the governorate, along with around 1,234 tools and pieces of equipment for boat outfitting.

The initiative is part of support programs for small-scale fishermen to strengthen the fisheries sector, ensure sustainable marine resources, and contribute to the ministry’s strategic goals.

The programs also included training and qualification for 580 beneficiaries to improve efficiency in all fishing processes, ensuring the highest quality products reach consumers, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

Earlier, the office provided about 17 preservation and refrigeration vehicles and 40 fishing boats under the localization of the fishing profession initiative, in cooperation with the Yanbu Cooperative Society for Fishermen.

The initiative’s fishing boats generated sales exceeding SR697,000 ($186,000) through more than 2,700 fishing trips, the SPA reported.

Saudi Arabia strongly condemned Israeli incursions inside the Syrian border, it was announced on Tuesday, calling them “a flagrant violation of the sovereignty” of Syria. 

A statement from the Saudi Foreign Ministry said: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expresses its strong condemnation and denunciation of the continuation of Israeli violations, its incursion into Syrian territories, and its interference in its internal affairs.”

It added the act was “a flagrant violation of the sovereignty” of Syria and international law and also violated “the disengagement agreement signed between Syria and Israel in 1974, which comes amid the tension in the situation in the Sweida Governorate.”

#بيان | تعرب المملكة العربية السعودية عن استنكارها وإدانتها الشديدين لاستمرار الانتهاكات الإسرائيلية، وتوغلها داخل الأراضي السورية، والتدخل في شؤونها الداخلية، وذلك في انتهاك صارخ لسيادة الجمهورية العربية السورية الشقيقة والقانون الدولي، واتفاق فض الاشتباك المبرم بين سوريا… pic.twitter.com/hKCBD43K72

— وزارة الخارجية (@KSAMOFA) August 26, 2025

Syria said on Monday that Israel had sent 60 soldiers to take control of an area inside the border around Mount Hermon. The Syrian government said the operation violated its sovereignty and posed a further threat to regional security.

“This dangerous escalation is considered a direct threat to regional peace and security,” said a statement from Syria’s foreign ministry.

A spokesman for the Israeli military said troops carried out routine operational activity in an area of southern Syria but did not operate in Beit Jinn, an area close to the border with Lebanon and near Mount Hermon.

Monday's incident took place near a strategic hilltop overlooking Beit Jinn, according to the Syrian ministry. It was also reported that Israel arrested six Syrians there.

The incident comes as the two countries engage in US-mediated talks on de-escalating their conflict in southern Syria. Damascus hopes to reach a security arrangement that could eventually pave the way for broader political talks.