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Saudi crown prince meets with Indian PM Modi in Jeddah

Modi met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the two chaired the Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council. (SPA)
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Modi met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the two chaired the Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council. (SPA)
Modi met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the two chaired the Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council. (SPA)
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Modi met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the two chaired the Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council. (SPA)
Modi met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the two chaired the Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council. (SPA)
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Modi met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the two chaired the Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council. (SPA)
Modi met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the two chaired the Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council. (SPA)
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Modi met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the two chaired the Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council. (SPA)
Modi met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the two chaired the Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council. (SPA)
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Modi met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the two chaired the Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council. (SPA)
Modi met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the two chaired the Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council. (SPA)
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Modi met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the two chaired the Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council. (SPA)
Modi met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the two chaired the Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council. (SPA)
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Modi met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the two chaired the Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council. (SPA)
Saudi crown prince meets with Indian PM Modi in Jeddah
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A delegation of Saudi officials has received Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and his accompanying delegation upon arriving in Jeddah Tuesday. (SPA)
Saudi crown prince meets with Indian PM Modi in Jeddah
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Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and his accompanying delegation arrived in Jeddah Tuesday on a state visit to the Kingdom. (SPA)
Saudi crown prince meets with Indian PM Modi in Jeddah
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A delegation of Saudi officials has received Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and his accompanying delegation upon arriving in Jeddah Tuesday. (SPA)
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Updated 23 April 2025

Saudi crown prince meets with Indian PM Modi in Jeddah

Saudi crown prince meets with Indian PM Modi in Jeddah
  • The prime minister was invited by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
  • Modi left Jeddah on Tuesday evening

JEDDAH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah on Tuesday evening.

An official reception ceremony was held for Modi and the two leaders held an official session of talks, Saudi Press Agency reported.

Prince Mohammed and Modi also chaired the Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council.

India’s prime minister landed in Jeddah earlier on Tuesday for an official visit to the Kingdom. His plane was escorted by Saudi Royal fighter as it entered Saudi airspace, Indian newspapers reported.

“India deeply values its long and historic ties with ֱ that have acquired strategic depth and momentum in recent years,” said Modi in a statement released by his office.

“Together, we have developed a mutually beneficial and substantive partnership.”

Modi left Jeddah on Tuesday evening, and was seen off at King Abdulaziz International Airport by Prince Saud bin Mishal bin Abdulaziz, deputy governor of Makkah Region, and Minister of Commerce Majid Al-Qasabi.

This is Modi’s third trip to ֱ overall following visits in 2016 and 2019.

The prime minister was invited by the crown prince and he is scheduled to meet members of the Indian community, according to his office. The visit is expected to see several memorandums of understanding being signed.

The crown prince also expressed his condolences and sympathies to Modi over a deadly shooting attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir.

The attack left at least 24 dead and targeted tourists in Kahsmir’s Pahalgam, which lies 90 kilometres by road from the key city of Srinagar.

Prince Mohammed “conveyed his condolences and sympathies and offered any help in this regard to us,” India’s Ambassador to the Kingdom Suhel Ajaz Khan said. 


ֱ, regional countries back Trump peace proposal to end Gaza war

ֱ, regional countries back Trump peace proposal to end Gaza war
Updated 56 min 15 sec ago

ֱ, regional countries back Trump peace proposal to end Gaza war

ֱ, regional countries back Trump peace proposal to end Gaza war
  • Ministers welcomed Trump’s “sincere efforts” and voiced confidence in his ability to “find a path to peace” in the region

RIYADH: Foreign ministers from ֱ, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkiye, Qatar and Egypt have expressed support for US President Donald Trump’s latest initiative to end the war in Gaza.

In a joint statement issued on Monday, the ministers welcomed Trump’s “sincere efforts” and voiced confidence in his ability to “find a path to peace” in the region.

They underscored the importance of working in partnership with Washington to consolidate peace, describing the proposal as a chance to advance a comprehensive settlement, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The ministers said the plan, which calls for a halt to the war, the reconstruction of Gaza and the prevention of Palestinian displacement, offered a framework for stability.

They also highlighted Trump’s pledge to block the annexation of the West Bank as a significant step.

The statement outlined a series of commitments the ministers said were essential for a lasting peace: ensuring humanitarian aid can reach Gaza without obstruction, preventing forced displacement, securing the release of hostages, establishing a security mechanism for all parties, and guaranteeing a full Israeli withdrawal from the enclave.

They added that reconstruction of Gaza and progress towards a two-state solution, in which Gaza and the West Bank form part of a fully sovereign Palestinian state, were “the key to achieving regional stability and security.”


Greek diplomat praises ‘excellent momentum’ as Saudi-Greek ties deepen with cultural partnerships

Greek diplomat praises ‘excellent momentum’ as Saudi-Greek ties deepen with cultural partnerships
Updated 29 September 2025

Greek diplomat praises ‘excellent momentum’ as Saudi-Greek ties deepen with cultural partnerships

Greek diplomat praises ‘excellent momentum’ as Saudi-Greek ties deepen with cultural partnerships
  • ‘Sky’s the limit’ for cultural diplomacy, Maira Myrogianni says
  • Official highlights Year of Handicrafts as opportunity for shared projects, international exchange

RIYADH: ֱ and Greece are pursuing new cultural initiatives in education, handicrafts and the culinary arts, building on the success of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, according to a Greek diplomat.

Maira Myrogianni, secretary-general for Greeks abroad and public diplomacy, said: “There is very good momentum between the two countries … the diplomatic relations are at an excellent momentum and also we have a lot of signed agreements in the last years, in cultural, economic and different (fields).”

Speaking at the inaugural Cultural Investment Conference in Riyadh, she said the two countries held their first High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council in January in AlUla, co-chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Greek Ambassador to ֱ Alexis Konstantopoulos, center, receives a parting gift of a portrait created by Arab News’ cartoonist, presented by Editor-in-Chief Faisal J. Abbas, left, in the presence of Greek Secretary-General for Public Diplomacy Maira Myrogianni. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)

In the field of public diplomacy, particularly culture, “the sky is the limit,” she told Arab News.

“We have ancient cultures, we have modern art. We have also started a task force called Crafting Greece … to promote the crafting,” she said.

She pointed to opportunities for collaboration as ֱ celebrates its Year of Handicrafts, with the Banaan Handicraft Week bringing together countries to showcase their traditions.  

HIGHLIGHT

The Cultural Investment Conference in Riyadh brings together artists, government officials, investors and diplomats for high-level discussions on culture as a driver of strategic investment.

On education, Myrogianni said there had been several meetings with the Saudi Minister of Education Yousef Al-Benyan.

“We have some Greek students studying in universities here and some Saudi students studying in Greece,” she said.

“Its important to explore the possibilities to have a section of teaching the Greek language … we think this is the modern Greek language and this is also a part of culture.” 

Reflecting on her experience at the cultural forum, Myrogianni said she was “thoroughly impressed” and that “it was much better than I could have imagined.”

The secretary-general thanked the crown prince and Ministry of Culture for supporting cultural investment.

“It is a discussion that we need to have,” she said. “The fact that we have a first forum, dedicated at the global level … it’s a very good initiative and a very good intake for ֱ and internationally as well.”

The two-day event, held under the patronage of the crown prince, brings together artists, government officials, investors and diplomats for high-level discussions on culture as a driver of strategic investment.

Myrogianni said that she was “amazed” by the rapid changes she had witnessed in ֱ, recalling her past visitors for the Future Investment Initiative forums.

The growing cultural, educational and economic exchanges between ֱ and Greece reflect a partnership built on shared values and future ambitions. With new initiatives under discussion, both countries are deepening ties and ensuring the current momentum translates into lasting cooperation.

 


KSrelief donates school supplies to children in Yemen

More than 13,500 students across the four governorates are set to benefit from the initiative. (SPA)
More than 13,500 students across the four governorates are set to benefit from the initiative. (SPA)
Updated 29 September 2025

KSrelief donates school supplies to children in Yemen

More than 13,500 students across the four governorates are set to benefit from the initiative. (SPA)
  • This humanitarian support reflects ֱ’s commitment to providing essential resources and enhancing the quality of education in Yemen

LAHJ: The Saudi aid agency KSrelief recently distributed educational supplies to support displaced children and host communities in Yemen.

The donation, centered on the Tuban district of Lahj, comprised school uniforms, bags and hygiene kits for 1,589 students, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

A wider project, covering the Lahj, Abyan, Al-Dhale and Taiz regions, includes equipping schools with blackboards, training more than 600 teachers in active learning methods and raising awareness about the importance of education.

More than 13,500 students across the four governorates are set to benefit from the initiative.

This humanitarian support reflects ֱ’s commitment to providing essential resources and enhancing the quality of education in Yemen.

 


Hail camel auction begins in Al-Qaid

Hail camel auction begins in Al-Qaid
Updated 29 September 2025

Hail camel auction begins in Al-Qaid

Hail camel auction begins in Al-Qaid
  • The auction aims to stimulate both economic and heritage activities in the region and serves as a vital platform for exchanging expertise, forging business deals and strengthening connections among camel owners and breeders

HAIL: The Hail camel auction has begun in Al-Qaid, drawing enthusiasts from across the Kingdom for the 10-day event.

The auction showcases rare and distinctive camel breeds and is considered one of the largest events of its kind in the region owing to the high number of camel owners attending.

The event features a diverse range of heritage, cultural, and social activities designed to engage visitors of all ages.

The auction aims to stimulate both economic and heritage activities in the region and serves as a vital platform for exchanging expertise, forging business deals and strengthening connections among camel owners and breeders.

 


Riyadh mayor concludes official to Japan

The mayor inaugurated the Saudi Vision 2030 Forum in Osaka in the presence of Japanese and international leaders. (SPA)
The mayor inaugurated the Saudi Vision 2030 Forum in Osaka in the presence of Japanese and international leaders. (SPA)
Updated 29 September 2025

Riyadh mayor concludes official to Japan

The mayor inaugurated the Saudi Vision 2030 Forum in Osaka in the presence of Japanese and international leaders. (SPA)
  • His opening address highlighted the history of relations between the two countries and their development over the past seven decades

RIYADH: Mayor of Riyadh Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf and his accompanying delegation recently concluded an official visit to Japan. 

While there, the mayor inaugurated the Saudi Vision 2030 Forum in Osaka in the presence of Japanese and international leaders.

His opening address highlighted the history of relations between the two countries and their development over the past seven decades, culminating in 2017 with the launch of the Saudi-Japan Vision 2030 to strengthen cooperation and partnership.