by admin | May 25, 2021 | Muslim World
Cairo : The 49th meeting of the Committee of Senior Arab Officials on Nuclear and other Weapons of Mass Destruction started at the headquarters of the Arab League in Cairo on Wednesday.
The two-day meeting will discuss a number of issues, most notably the Arab move to activate and implement “Convening a Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and other Weapons of Mass Destruction.
The meeting comes in the wake of the recent action taken by the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly on a draft resolution on “Convening a Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and other Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Middle East”. If adopted, the UNGA would entrust the UN Secretary General with convening, no later than June 2019, a conference on establishing such a zone, to which all Middle Eastern countries will be invited.
—AB/UNA-OIC
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Muslim World, Opinions
By Dr. Saud Mohammed Al Sati,
On September 23, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will celebrate its 88th National Day. It marks the day the Kingdom was unified under the founding King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud in 1932. On this occasion, we also celebrate the progress our great nation has made over the last nine decades to become a modern state and a major player on the international arena.
Yet another milestone event in our nation’s historic journey under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and the Crown Prince Prince Mohammad bin Salman, is April 25, 2016 – the day Vision 2030 was announced. The Vision expresses our long-term goals and reflects our country’s strengths and capabilities. Our leadership’s vision is of a strong, thriving, and stable Saudi Arabia that provides opportunity for all. The Vision emphasises scaling up economic diversification, raising the skill level of the Saudi young men and women and wisely utilizing the Kingdom’s abundant natural resources.
The Saudi government is exerting continuous efforts at diversifying its economy to achieve the goals set under Vision 2030. The ambitious $500 billion mega city project, NEOM, is underway. The 26,500 square km zone will focus on diverse industries including energy and water, biotechnology, food, advanced manufacturing and entertainment. Additionally, the project of Al-Qiddiya, an entertainment, sports and cultural destination, a first of its kind, has been launched earlier this year near Riyadh. These diverse cities will be significant in creating new employment opportunities and accelerating the growth of the Saudi Arabian economy.
Our eyes are set on the future. Our New Solar Energy Plan 2030 is the world’s largest project of its type. By 2019, the Kingdom’s first two solar generation projects with 3GW and 4.2GW of solar capacity will be commissioned and by 2030, more than 150 GW solar power will be generated. The Plan will help create up to 100,000 direct and indirect jobs in the Kingdom. Additionally, it will increase the GDP by $12 billion and save up to $40 billion annually. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia has been strengthening its oil industry, one of the strongest drivers of its growth and has maintained its position as a key enabler in the global oil economy. In April 2018, Saudi Aramco and a consortium of three Indian oil companies signed a MoU to jointly develop and build an integrated refinery and petrochemical complex in Ratnagiri, West Coast of India. The project is estimated to cost around $ 44 billion.
The Kingdom has also initiated a program of restructuring at all levels of government institutions. Digital services have been expanded to reduce delays and cut tedious bureaucracy and ensure more efficiency, transparency, and accountability. Significant steps have been taken to improve the business and investment climate to promote industrial development, particularly small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs). According to a recent World Bank report, Saudi Arabia instituted the largest number of business reforms in the Middle East and North Africa region. In June 2019, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be included in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, the MSCI ACWI Index and other applicable regional and international indexes. Multiple regulatory and operational improvements are opening the domestic market to international investors.
Social development is as crucial as economic development. Led by Vision 2030 and the associated National Transformation Program, Saudi Arabia has surpassed a majority of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It was made possible by integrating SDGs into specific and detailed plans and programs developed by the government in partnership with the private sector and civil society organizations.
To promote full participation of women, the Kingdom has launched several initiatives including a national observatory to monitor women’s participation in economic and social development, including a digital portal for female job seekers. The royal decree that has allowed women in the Kingdom to drive has further enabled their participation in the progressive economy. Over 50% of Saudi university graduates are women. Women have achieved remarkable increase in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Program for Scholarships Abroad in multiple disciplines. Today, women scholarship students are enrolled at universities in 57 countries, accounting for nearly 25% of our students abroad, nearly 150,000 students.
The country’s infrastructure is also being developed and upgraded, including expansion of the railway system and introduction of a new light rail mass transit project with metro lines and a community bus network in the Kingdom’s major cities of Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah and Medinah.
With Vision 2030 serving as a blueprint, the Kingdom is working on the strategic objective of welcoming 30 million pilgrims each year to perform Haj and Umrah. The third phase of expansion of Grand Mosque launched by King Salman is making good progress. Expansion of the building itself covers 1.47 million square metres, including 78 new gates. The various new infrastructure and transportation projects are beautifully shaping up. In Medina, the new Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz Airport was inaugurated by King Salman in 2015. The new King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah is expected to be fully operational in a few months. The Haramain Railroad, which has been going under testing for the last four months, will be fully operational later this year. It will shorten the time of the journey between the two holy cities of Makkah and Medina to a couple of hours with the capacity of 60 million passenger per year.
As we focus on the development of our country and bringing about prosperity for our people, we continue to face the challenges in our region and continue our responsible role as a peace-loving nation. Political and economic stability in the Middle East and around the world is one of Saudi Arabi”s greatest priorities. Peace, stability, non-interference, good neighbourliness and prosperity of the region will continue to be our guiding principles. My country will continue its leading role in countering extremism and terrorism and their supporters.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has maintained its pioneering role in spreading goodwill and compassion beyond its borders by being at the forefront of the international community in terms of share of gross domestic product (GDP) earmarked for humanitarian aid. The King Salman Centre for Humanitarian Aid and Relief, since its was established in 2015, has provided humanitarian and development aid worth more than $ 1.9 billion to more than 37 countries in four continents, implementing more than 450 projects in areas of food security, housing and shelter, preventative health care and education.
India is one of our most important strategic partners. In all aspects, our ties have grown and expanded. In the spheres of cultural ties and people to people connection, earlier this year India was the ‘Guest of Honour’ at the Kingdom’s National Heritage Festival and Saudi Arabia is hosting over 3.2 million Indian nationals, forming an important pillar of our relationship. Our energy cooperation and joint investment is set to grow further and our security cooperation is also getting stronger. The partnership between our two friendly countries will certainly continue to grow further in the coming years.
(The author is Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to India. The views expressed are personal)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Muslim World
The Spanish Foreign Ministry, Madrid.
Madrid : Following the US decision to end financing the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Spain urged the European Union and its member states for “supplementary” efforts to bridge the ensuing void.
In a press statement issued here on Sunday, the Spanish Foreign Ministry asked Washington to reconsider the decision, taking into account that it had slashed its aid from $365 million in 2017 to $60 million at the start of 2018.
The “critical financial situation of the UNRWA caused by the decision taken by the (US President Donald) Trump administration seriously threatens the continuity of special programs in health, education and food, which directly benefit Palestinian refugees in the Middle East,” it said.
“The suppression of basic services to 3 million Palestinian refugees could have serious consequences for the stability of the region, especially in the Gaza Strip.”
The ministry said Madrid is “fully committed” to “finding joint solutions,” which will allow UNRWA to continue its work in a sustainable manner.
“Spain considers that the EU and its member states should make a supplementary effort to compensate the possible consequences of the serious decision taken by the U.S,” the statement added.
—AB/UNA-OIC
by admin | May 25, 2021 | News
David Cameron
Kolkata : Former British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday said terrorism should not be seen as a battle between the Christian countries of the West and the Islamic countries in the Middle East. It is all about identifying and wiping out a small section that believes in extremism.
Criticizing US President Donald Trump’s view on terrorism, he said it is more of an intellectual battle against those who believe in the “perverted view” of the Islamic religion.
“When at times I listen to President Trump, it seems he thinks of terrorism like a clash of civilizations between the Christian West and the religion of Islam, which I think is completely wrong,” said Cameron, also the former Conservative Party chief.
“What’s happening now-a-days is a civil war in the Islamic states between a vast majority willing to practice their religion peacefully and a very small minority that have taken up a radicalized and perverted view of the religion and turned it into a kind of belief.
“What we have to do is recognize those who are involved in this,” he pointed out while addressing the Annual General Meeting of the Indian Chamber of Commerce here.
Cameron said the terrorist problems have surfaced not just in the Middle East but also in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Britain in recent times, which shows “we are involved in a big intellectual fight”.
He said that in order to discourage the spread of radicalism among people, the success of multi ethnic nations like India and Britain should be celebrated.
“We should try to celebrate the multi cultural, multi religious, multi ethnic countries like India and Britain. We should also help those countries in wiping out the perverted practice of radicalism in the name of religion,” he said.
Talking about the spread of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, he said such forces need to be fought with fire to eliminate the extremists.
“Iraq is a state that has been finding support for the Islamic State that actively sends terrorists to other countries. Sometimes people are trained in Iraq and sent to the European countries while at other times they are just radicalized through social media.
“But a large section of their people are willing to break free from the grasp of this extremist group. We have to find a strategy to wipe out the extremist forces and work with the locals,” Cameron said.
He also said that the world will be a safer place if there is peace between Israel and Palestine but it will not ensure the end of terrorism.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Muslim World
Xi Jinping
By Dildar Baykan,
Ankara: Political analysts interpreted China’s pledge to send more than $23 billion in loans and humanitarian aid to Arab countries as a step to increase Chinese influence in the region.
Dr. Altay Atli, a lecturer at Koc University, delivered remarks on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s promise to send humanitarian aid and billions worth of loans to Arab countries during a conference, which was participated by 22 Arab countries, in Beijing.
Chinese interest was actually based on “Belt and Road Project” and China sped up its support to the Middle Eastern countries who were subjected to constant change due to wars and terror, Atli told Anadolu Agency.
“China produces half of its oil and gas on its own, however, the demand is too much. Therefore, China buys half of its oil and gas needs from the Middle East, hence the efforts to have a say in the region,” he said.
Atli pointed out that China was solely focused on the economic aspects of the Middle East policy, however things changed after 2011’s Arab Spring as China found itself isolated from the region in terms of economy.
“China continues its aids and investments to the region during the financial shifts. While doing this, it wants to join the roundtable by having a say in politics and economy of the Middle East, which will be reshaped again,” he added.
Atli went on to note that China hadn’t sent troops or fighter jets to the region despite being on the same page with Russia. “In short, China wants to maintain a presence within the scope of Belt and Road Project, it uses the economic presence instead of military intervention,” he said.
China’s role in the Middle East
The conference was largely covered by the Chinese press as some experts opined that the loan and aid promise “might strengthen China’s role in the region.”
Chinese experts also pointed out that the move should be regarded as normal given that China had a Muslim population of 20 million.
Having established close ties with nine Arab countries via “Belt and Road Project”, China would find more “practical” ways to the current problems in the region, according to Chinese experts.
Security aspect of the Chinese investments
Experts stressed that safety should be the priority in the region, which suffers clashes and civil wars.
They warned that China’s national interests might be imperiled should the oil sources or trade routes are to be cut all of a sudden.
Joost Hiltermann, the program director of the Middle East and North Africa for International Crisis Group, said that China assumed a financial role in the region, while staying away from the political issues.
“If their [China’s] security status puts commercial interest and investments under danger, China, in the end, will have no other option than the military intervention. This will be a distressed period in which Beijing will take some tough decision. Along with some friends, they will also make some enemies,” he asserted.
China’s great investment in Middle East
Chinese President Xi Jinping Tuesday announced in a conference participated by 22 Arab countries that Beijing would pledge more than $23 billion worth loans and humanitarian aid, $91 million of which would be sent to Syria, Yemen, Jordan, Palestine and Lebanon.
“China and Arab countries, in pursuit of modernization, must create synergy to bring out progress strategies,” Xi said, noting a separate $151 million would be pledged for aid projects.
Xi also underlined that Beijing sought to increase cooperation in fields such as renewable energy sources and hydrocarbon. “China wants to join Arab countries with the aim of supporting joint development, being a supporter of peace and stability and advocating equality and justice,” he said.
*Ali Murat Alhas contributed to this story from Ankara
—AA
