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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday held virtual consultations with his counterparts from T&uuml;rkiye, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), focusing on regional developments and underscoring the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in easing tensions, the Foreign Office said.&nbsp;The consultations took place while Dar is on an official visit to Beijing, where he is co-chairing the 7th Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers&rsquo; Strategic Dialogue with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, according to an earlier Foreign Office statement.&nbsp;During his separate conversations with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Dar discussed the evolving regional situation, the statement said.&nbsp;The foreign minister welcomed the Saudi position on Yemen and &ldquo;appreciated the efforts of all sides to resolve&rdquo; regional issues through peaceful means, the Foreign Office added.&nbsp;In a separate interaction with UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Dar exchanged views on the broader regional environment and expressed satisfaction over what the statement described as a &ldquo;positive trajectory&rdquo; and recent improvements in the situation.&nbsp;&ldquo;DPM/FM Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar appreciated that dialogue and diplomacy have resulted in tangible outcomes on the ground,&rdquo; the Foreign Office said, adding that Pakistan continues to support peaceful engagement and cooperative approaches to regional challenges.

Foreign Affairs

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar holds virtual talks with counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and UAE, discussing regional developments and praising dialogue and diplomacy for easing tensions

Pakistani FM consults Muslim-majority counterparts on regional stability, diplomacy

RIYADH: A Saudi-led coalition said it targeted Tuesday a large quantity of weapons and combat vehicles destined for separatist forces that were being offloaded from ships at a port in Yemen, coming from the UAE.&nbsp;Yemen has been fighting a crippling war, as armed factions loosely grouped under the government and backed by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia turn on each other.&nbsp;The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), which seeks to revive the formerly independent state of South Yemen, has in recent weeks swept through swathes of the country, expelling other government forces and their allies.&nbsp;The Saudi-led coalition warned on Saturday that it would back Yemen&#39;s government in any military confrontation with separatist forces and has urged them to withdraw &quot;peacefully&quot; from recently-seized provinces.&nbsp;&quot;At 4:00 am, we received a call to evacuate the port of al-Mukalla a quarter of an hour before the strike,&quot; an official at the Yemeni port told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.&nbsp;&quot;The evacuation completed, and the strike occurred a quarter of an hour later in a dirt area within the port. The fire is still burning,&quot; he said.&nbsp;The coalition targeted two ships carrying &quot;a large quantity of weapons and combat vehicles to support the Southern Transitional Council forces&quot;, the Saudi state news agency SPA reported.&nbsp;&quot;Given the danger and escalation posed by these weapons... the Coalition air forces carried out a limited military operation this morning targeting weapons and combat vehicles that had been unloaded from the two ships at the port of al-Mukalla,&quot; it said.&nbsp;The ships had arrived from the port of Fujairah, on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates, the SPA said, adding that the operation was conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law and that no collateral damage occurred.&nbsp;Aerial footage showing docked boats and a large number of vehicles driving through the port was shared by the SPA.&nbsp;&#39;Sensitive moment&#39;The attack came days after reported Saudi air strikes on separatist positions in Yemen&#39;s Hadramawt province -- and after Washington called for restraint in the rapidly escalating conflict.&nbsp;US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: &quot;We urge restraint and continued diplomacy, with a view to reaching a lasting solution.&quot;&nbsp;Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman posted Saturday on X that troops from the separatist STC should &quot;peacefully hand over&quot; two regional governorates to the government.&nbsp;&quot;It&#39;s time,&quot; he posted, &quot;at this sensitive moment, to let reason prevail by withdrawing from the two provinces and doing so peacefully.&quot;&nbsp;But the STC had warned on Friday they were undeterred after strikes blamed on Saudi Arabia hit their positions, following their seizure of large swathes of territory in the Hadramawt and Mahrah provinces.&nbsp;Since the takeover, supporters of the separatists have been gathering regularly in cities including Aden to demand they declare independence, with the largest rallies taking place every Friday.&nbsp;On Saturday, hundreds of Yemeni tribesmen gathered in Aden to ask the STC&#39;s leaders to announce the independence of South Yemen, according to the separatist-affiliated Aden Independent Channel.&nbsp;The channel aired footage of a large crowd marching and waving the South Yemen independence flag alongside the UAE&#39;s flag.&nbsp;A Yemeni military official said on Friday that around 15,000 Saudi-backed fighters were massed near the Saudi border but had not been given orders to advance on separatist-held territory.&nbsp;The areas where they were deployed are at the edges of territory seized in recent weeks by the UAE-backed STC.&nbsp;The government is a patchwork of groups that includes the separatists, and is held together by shared opposition to the Iran-backed Houthis.&nbsp;The Houthis pushed the government out of Yemen&#39;s capital Sanaa in 2014 and secured control over most of the north.

Middle East

Saudi state news agency says two ships arrived from the port of “Fujairah entered the port of Mukalla on Saturday and Sunday, without obtaining official permits from the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition."

Saudi-led coalition targets arms shipments from UAE in Yemen

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia, the main backer of Yemen&#39;s internationally recognized government, said Thursday that Yemeni separatists should return territory seized recently, adding that it seeks to de-escalate tensions within the government camp. The separatist Southern Transitional Council is part of Yemen&#39;s internationally recognised government, a patchwork of groups held together by their opposition to the Iran-backed Houthis,&nbsp; which rule much of the country&#39;s north. This month, the UAE-backed STC, which seeks to revive the formerly independent state of South Yemen, swept through swathes of the country, expelling other government forces and their allies in a move that sparked fears of secession and further instability. &quot;The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia points out that the military movements in the governorates of (Hadramawt and Al-Mahra), recently conducted by the Southern Transitional Council, were carried out unilaterally, and without the approval of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) nor in coordination with the Coalition&#39;s leadership,&quot; the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement. &quot;These movements resulted in an unjustified escalation that harmed the interests of the Yemeni people with all of its segments,&quot; it added. &quot;The Kingdom remains hopeful that the public interest will prevail through ending the escalation by the Southern Transitional Council and the withdrawal of its forces from the two governorate in an urgent and orderly manner,&quot; it added. A Saudi-Emirati military delegation visited Aden for talks earlier this month to ask the STC to return the two provinces it recently seized, the statement said, adding that Saudi efforts for de-escalation were ongoing. A source close to the STC had told AFP at the time that the delegation asked them to withdraw from the newly-seized territory but that the group refused. Yemen&#39;s government and the eight-member PLC that heads it are split between figures backed by the kingdom, and the separatists and their allies, who are backed by the United Arab Emirates. The 11-year war in Yemen has pitted the Iran-backed rebels against the internationally-recognised government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition that includes the UAE.

Tensions rise between rival factions in Yemen's anti-Houthi coalition as Saudi Arabia pushes back against UAE-supported separatists [File: AFP]

Saudi Arabia, the main backer of Yemen's internationally recognized government, said Thursday that Yemeni separatists should return territory seized recently, adding that it seeks to de-escalate tensions within the government camp.

Saudi Arabia urges Yemen separatists to cede seized territory

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to launch several strategic and high-impact projects under a new Economic Cooperation Framework aimed at strengthening trade and investment relations. The framework was announced in a joint statement after talks between Pakistan&rsquo;s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Tuesday. According to the statement from the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office, the framework covers economic, trade, investment, and development projects. These projects are designed to improve cooperation between the governments, increase private sector involvement, and expand bilateral trade. Priority sectors under the framework include energy, industry, mining, information technology, tourism, agriculture, and food security. The two countries are studying several joint projects, including a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for an electricity interconnection project. It also includes an MoU for cooperation in the energy sector. The statement said the framework extends both nations&#39; efforts to strengthen fraternal ties. They aim to build a sustainable partnership that meets the goals of their leadership and the citizens. The two leaders also look forward to holding a meeting of the Saudi-Pakistani Supreme Coordination Council to advance cooperation further.

As part of an Economic Cooperation Framework, several projects will be discussed in the economic, trade, investment, and development fields that will contribute to strengthening cooperation between the two governments. 

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia to launch strategic, high-impact projects 

JERUSALEM: Israel&rsquo;s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Thursday apologized for what he called his &ldquo;unfortunate&rdquo; remarks about Saudi Arabia, after facing backlash for making disparaging comments toward the Kingdom.&nbsp;Speaking at a conference earlier in the day, Smotrich had rejected the idea of Saudi Arabia linking normalization with Israel to the creation of an independent Palestinian state.&nbsp;&ldquo;If Saudi Arabia tells us normalization in exchange for a Palestinian state, friends, no thank you,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Keep riding camels on the sand in the Saudi desert; we&rsquo;ll keep developing our economy, our society, and our state.&rdquo;&nbsp;The comments sparked swift criticism at home, with opposition figures accusing Smotrich of damaging Israel&rsquo;s international standing.&nbsp;In a video statement posted on X, Smotrich expressed regret, calling his earlier remarks &ldquo;unfortunate.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;I regret any offense they may have caused,&rdquo; he said, adding that he also expects others &ldquo;not to offend the State of Israel.&rdquo;&nbsp;Smotrich, who lives in a West Bank settlement, is a strong advocate for annexing Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967.&nbsp;Opposition leader Yair Lapid denounced the comments, posting in Arabic on X:&nbsp;&ldquo;To our friends in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. Smotrich does not represent the State of Israel.&rdquo;Lapid later urged the minister to issue a formal apology.&nbsp;Former defense minister Benny Gantz also criticized Smotrich, saying his comments &ldquo;reflect ignorance and a lack of understanding of his responsibilities as a senior minister.&rdquo;&nbsp;Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s normalization talks with Israel have been on hold since Hamas&rsquo;s October 2023 attack on southern Israel, which triggered the ongoing Gaza war.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich apologizes for “unfortunate” remarks telling Saudis to “keep riding camels” amid normalization talks. His comments draw condemnation from Israeli opposition leaders, as Saudi-Israel ties remain frozen since the Gaza war.

Israeli minister apologizes for ‘inappropriate’ remarks about Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia condemned on Wednesday a visit by Israel&#39;s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir to the Al-Aqsa compound, a disputed area in occupied east Jerusalem home to Islam&#39;s third-holiest site that is also Judaism&#39;s holiest place. Riyadh voiced its &quot;condemnation of the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound by Israeli officials and settlers under the protection of the occupation forces, reiterating its strongest condemnation of the continued attacks on the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque,&quot; the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Saudi Arabia strongly condemned Israeli minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s visit to Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa compound, calling it a provocative “storming” under military protection and denouncing repeated Israeli violations against the sanctity of Islam’s third-holiest site.

Saudi Arabia condemns far-right Israeli minister's 'storming' of Al-Aqsa compound

ISLAMABAD: Prince Mansour bin Mohammad Al Saud, chairman of the Saudi-Pakistan Joint Business Council, arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday, leading a high-level Saudi business delegation to strengthen bilateral trade and investment cooperation.&nbsp;According to a statement issued by Pakistan&rsquo;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, the visit underscores the close and longstanding relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and reflects their shared commitment to expanding economic and investment partnerships under the Saudi-Pakistan Joint Business Council framework.&nbsp;During the visit, Prince Mansour and his delegation will meet with Pakistani leadership, senior government officials, and representatives of major business groups and chambers of commerce.&nbsp;Discussions are expected to focus on trade facilitation, investment promotion, and joint ventures in priority sectors aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 and Pakistan&rsquo;s economic growth agenda.&nbsp;The Foreign Office said the visit aims to deepen collaboration in key areas including energy, infrastructure, agriculture, information technology, and services, paving the way for sustainable economic cooperation between the two countries.

Prince Mansour bin Mohammad Al Saud arrived in Islamabad leading a Saudi business delegation to discuss trade, investment, and joint ventures, aiming to strengthen Pakistan-Saudi economic cooperation under Vision 2030 and Pakistan’s growth agenda.

Prince Mansour leads Saudi delegation to Pakistan for economic cooperation

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Researchers have uncovered life-size rock carvings of camels, gazelles, and other animals in the Saudi Arabian desert, dating back around 12,000 years. Many carvings measure over 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall and were made using a wedge-shaped rock to create sharp lines.&nbsp;Some were etched on narrow ledges, preventing artists from stepping back to view their work. Maria Guagnin, an archaeologist at Germany&rsquo;s Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology involved in the discovery, said creating such detailed engravings with just a rock required significant skill.&nbsp;The carvings and tools found at the site indicate human presence in the area about 2,000 years earlier than previously believed. It remains unclear how people survived in the arid conditions, whether relying on shallow lakes that formed seasonally or water collected in deep crevices.&nbsp;Guagnin noted that rock art has been made in Saudi Arabia for thousands of years, but dating older engravings is difficult due to the lack of writing and scarce organic remains like charcoal for analysis. Michael Harrower, an archaeologist at Johns Hopkins University not involved in the research, said little is known about art in the Middle East from this ancient period. Scientists were able to date the carvings by finding a rock pick buried beneath them, as reported in the journal Nature Communications. Previously, it was uncertain if people lived in the desert at that time because the environment was dry and water scarce, leading to the assumption that humans settled there later when the landscape was greener.&nbsp;One carving showed an auroch, a wild cattle ancestor extinct today that did not inhabit deserts, prompting Guagnin to suggest the artists might have encountered the animal elsewhere during dry seasons. She said the evidence points to well-established communities with strong knowledge of the landscape.&nbsp;

This image provided by Sahout Rock Art and Archaeology Project shows experts excavating the ground underneath an animal rock carving, in a desert in northern Saudi Arabia in 2023. (AP)

Asia

Researchers discovered 12,000-year-old life-size animal rock carvings in Saudi Arabia, revealing skilled artistry and suggesting human presence in the desert 2,000 years earlier than thought.

12,000-year-old giant animal carvings discovered in Saudi desert

DUBAI: Dar Global, a London-listed luxury real estate developer, said on Monday that it plans to launch a Trump Plaza in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah in the second collaboration with the Trump Organization, following the success of Trump Tower Jeddah. The announcement by the company, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, said the $1 billion landmark development is to rise along King Abdulaziz Road in the heart of the city. Dar Global said the project will have a Central Park-inspired green spine as an anchor, &ldquo;bringing Manhattan-style vibrancy&rdquo; to Jeddah. It is the second collaboration in the coastal Saudi city with The Trump Organization and Dar Global said Trump Plaza Jeddah will represent the second Trump-branded development in Saudi Arabia, following the launch of Trump Tower Jeddah in December last year. Trump&rsquo;s company struck many real estate licensing deals overseas before he entered the White House in 2017, including for hotels and residential towers in Canada, Dubai, Mexico, India and Turkey. Trump&rsquo;s close ties to Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s crown prince and day-to-day ruler, Mohammed bin Salman, drew heavy criticism after the 2018 killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi columnist for the Washington Post who had written critically about the monarchy. Dar Global is the international arm of Dar Al Arkan, a large Saudi developer. It says it has $7.5 billion worth of projects under development in the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, the United Kingdom, Spain and Saudi Arabia. Dar Global said Trump Plaza Jeddah will transform the city&#39;s skyline into a world-class community that will include premium residences, serviced apartments, Grade-A office space, and exclusive townhouses. Designed to redefine urban living in Saudi Arabia, the development will integrate living, working, and leisure into one seamless destination, the statement said. &ldquo;This project embodies our vision of excellence by blending world-class hospitality, modern living, and dynamic business environments,&rdquo; Dar Global&#39;s statement quoted Eric Trump, Executive Vice President of The Trump Organization, as saying. &ldquo;Together with Dar Global, we are creating a destination that will set a new benchmark for prestige and innovation in the kingdom,&rdquo; he said.

Americas

Dar Global announced plans for Trump Plaza Jeddah, a $1 billion luxury development along King Abdulaziz Road. The project, the second Trump-branded venture in the city, will feature residences, offices, and Manhattan-inspired urban vibrancy.

Dar Global to launch a $1 billion Trump Plaza in Saudi Arabia

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Arab and Muslim countries made clear to US President Donald Trump the dangers of Israeli annexation of the West Bank, Saudi Arabia&#39;s foreign minister said on Thursday, Reuters reported. &quot;Some countries made very clear to the president the danger of annexation of any type in the West Bank and the risk that poses not just to the potential of peace in Gaza, but also to any sustainable peace at all. And I feel confident that President Trump understood the position of the Arab and Muslim countries,&quot; Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud told reporters at the United Nations. Trump&rsquo;s assuranceAccording to NBC News, President Donald Trump has assured Arab leaders that he will not allow Israel to annex the already occupied West Bank, sources told NBC News, amid fears of retaliation from the US ally after a host of countries moved to recognize Palestinian statehood. Trump made the comments Tuesday, according to two sources who were in the room, as he presented his 21-point plan for peace in the Middle East to Arab leaders gathered in New York for the United Nations General Assembly.&nbsp; The comments were first reported by Politico.&nbsp;

Arab and Muslim nations warned Trump about the dangers of Israeli West Bank annexation, citing risks to peace in Gaza and overall stability. Trump assured leaders he would prevent such annexation during the UN General Assembly.

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