Palestine was at the forefront of Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan’s speech at the UN General Assembly, during which he reiterated the Kingdom’s condemnation of Israel’s “heinous” recent and historic crimes against the Palestinians, according to state news agency SPA. The minister also criticized the lack of accountability for Israel’s aggression. The Kingdom’s top diplomat encouraged UN member states to recognize the state of Palestine, highlighting decisions by Norway, Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and Armenia to do so, and to join a multinational coalition to adopt a two-state solution formed by Saudi Arabia earlier this week.
Farhan called for international efforts to stabilize Lebanon and protect its sovereignty, while also appealing for de-escalation in Sudan, Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, and the Red Sea, emphasizing the need for diplomatic resolutions to end ongoing conflicts in the region.
The minister also discussed bilateral relations with foreign counterparts on the sidelines of the General Assembly, holding talks with Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Iban Eduardo Gil Pinto and Canada’s Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, state news agency SPA reported here and here.
KSrelief + WHO launch USD 10 mn healthcare initiative in Ukraine: King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are launching a USD 10 mn initiative to support healthcare access in hard-to-reach areas of Ukraine, according to a press release. The 18-month agreement will see the pair provide life-saving medical care, essential medicines, and preventive health measures, to some 411k individuals, focusing on areas suffering where healthcare access is severely restricted.
Saudi mining push draws US expertise at MINExpo: Industry and Mineral Resources Minister Bandar Alkhorayef attended MINExpo 2024 in Las Vegas, where he met with top US executives to explore partnerships and tap FDI for the Kingdom’s mining sector, he said in a post on X. AlKhorayef also discussed prospects for collaborations in aerospace with JetZero and SpaceX while visiting California, the minister said in a separate post.
Also on the agenda: Alkhorayef’s US tour saw the minister meet with mining and heavy equipment executives, including bosses from Thiess, Weir Group, Sandvik, Hexagon, and Caterpillar, to advance collaborations in mining, manufacturing, and the localized production of heavy equipment in the Kingdom, Arab News reports.