����ֱ��

RIYADH: A main street in Riyadh is to be renamed in honor of Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Asheikh, the former grand mufti of ����ֱ�� who died on Sept. 23.

The directive, issued on Tuesday by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is recognition of Sheikh Abdulaziz’s scholarly status, and the significant contributions he made to ����ֱ��, Islam and the wider Muslim community, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

It honors a life dedicated to the study and teaching of Islamic jurisprudence, the guidance he provided to people in their understanding of Islam, and the significant contributions he made to Islamic studies and education, the agency added.

Al-Asheikh was appointed grand mufti, the highest-ranking religious scholar in the Kingdom, in June 1999. As part of his role he interpreted Shariah, or Islamic law, and issued fatwas on legal and societal matters.

His death was described as the end of an era for the religious establishment in ����ֱ��, as under his leadership traditional Islamic scholarship was brought into alignment with modern state needs, and fatwas were shaped to address evolving legal and financial issues while adhering to established Shariah principles.

He also served as chair of the Council of Senior Scholars, president of the General Presidency of Scholarly Research and Ifta, and chair of the Muslim World League’s Supreme Council.

RIYADH: The Kingdom of ����ֱ�� signed a series of bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding with 17 countries during the 42nd General Assembly of the UN International Civil Aviation Organization, the SPA reported on Tuesday. 

The event, which is being held in Montreal, Canada, began on Sept. 23 and will continue until Oct. 3.

The move underscores the Kingdom’s commitment to strengthening its global presence in aviation and air transport, establishing regulatory frameworks for air traffic, enhancing civil aviation safety and security standards, and expanding travel options for passengers.

The agreements aim to strengthen bilateral cooperation in air transport, develop regulatory and legislative frameworks for civil aviation, expand international air connectivity, and enhance aviation safety and security, in addition to supporting economic and tourism development.

The signing of such agreements contributes to achieving the objectives of the aviation program, expanding the operational network of national carriers, strengthening the Kingdom’s position as a global logistics hub, and increasing international air connectivity to 250 destinations.

It also aims to transport 330 million passengers annually by 2030, in line with the targets of Saudi Vision 2030.