Author: Steven Sahiounie

Speaker of the People’s Assembly, Hammouda Sabbagh, met on Thursday the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the UAE in Damascus, Hasan Ahmed al-Shahi, and affirmed the depth of Syrian-Emirati relations. During the meeting, Sabbagh stressed the necessity of strengthening bilateral ties between the two brotherly countries, benefiting from mutual experiences, especially at the parliamentary level. Sabbagh praised the continued UAE humanitarian support for Syria and the UAE National Council’s formation of the UAE-Syria Parliamentary Friendship Committee, which would push relations forward. In turn, Ambassador al Shahi underlined the importance of develop Emirati-Syrian relations at all levels, and exchanging expertise with…

The Palestinian ambassador to the UN on Thursday pleaded for the Security Council to condemn the episode in Gaza that saw Israeli forces open fire on Palestinians scrambling for food aid. “The Security Council should say enough is enough,” Riyad Mansour told reporters ahead of a closed-door meeting by the body, which came at the request of Algeria. The meeting was held to discuss the morning’s events in Gaza, where Israeli forces opened fire on the Palestinians in a chaotic melee that the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said killed 112 people and injured 760. An Israeli source acknowledged…

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has arrived in Turkey, where he is set to participate in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. A TASS correspondent reported that the aircraft of Russia’s top diplomat has landed at the Antalya Airport. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced earlier that Lavrov will hold bilateral talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan during the forum. The top diplomats of Russia and Turkey are expected to discuss a wide range of issues, primarily the current state and prospects for bilateral cooperation in the spheres of mutual interest – trade, energy, security, banking and tourism. The ministers…

The Bureau of the UN General Assembly’s Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People reaffirmed last night its unwavering support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and its indispensable mission. It said the announcement comes in accordance with its General Assembly mandate to ensure the well-being, protection and development of the Palestine refugees pending a just solution to their plight on the basis of resolution 194 (III) of 1948. The Bureau expressed its grave concerns about the catastrophic conditions in Gaza and the hindrances to…

Bloomberg Intelligence expects loss in Suez Canal revenues to continue in case tensions in the region persist Egypt has lost over $700 million in Suez Canal revenues since the onset of the ongoing Red Sea shipping disruptions, Asharq Business reported, citing estimates from Bloomberg Intelligence. Bloomberg Intelligence expects loss in Suez Canal revenues to continue in case tensions in the region persist. On February 3rd, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Osama Rabie unveiled that the canal saw its receipts fall 46.7% year on year (YoY) to $428 million in January. Source: Zawya

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday stressed that Jordan will not allow any conditions to affect its internal priorities and national interests, despite the difficult situation in the region.

Investors said the rate hike was a long-awaited step to address an economic crisis that has deepened in Africa’s most populous nation since President Bola Tinubu took office in May last year

Oman achieved remarkable progress in the 2024 Index of Economic Freedom rising 39 positions to rank 56th globally from 95th in 2023

Oman’s economy has rebounded significantly after its GDP nosedived 3.4% – or RO1bn – during the pandemic: H E Saeed bin Mohammed al Saqri

The UAE continues to hold its position at 10th place in the Brand Finance Soft Power Index 2024 for the second consecutive year, standing as the only Gulf nation among the world’s top 10 soft powers.