• Manama - Gulf integration: The Gulf Cooperation Council states signed today in the Bahraini capital Manama the general agreement to link the Council states with the railway project, on the sidelines of the thirtieth meeting of the Committee of Ministers of Transport and Communications, and Secretary General Jasim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi said that enhancing interconnection between transport networks and logistics services is a fundamental pillar for safeguarding Gulf economic security, and that the project is targeted for completion by the end of 2030 — and a network linking Kuwait with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the Emirates through to Oman opens alternative supply and trade routes to the troubled maritime corridors, which matters to Sudanese working in transport and logistics in the Gulf and to the safety of goods heading to Sudan's ports on the Red Sea. (Source: Qatar News Agency - QNA) • Saudi Arabia - Energy security: A responsible source at the Ministry of Energy stated that one of the administrative buildings belonging to Saudi Aramco in Riyadh was today, Sunday, subjected to an attempted targeting that resulted in falling shrapnel and limited damage, without recording any injuries or deaths, while the coalition led by Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted two ballistic missiles that were targeting Riyadh — and Riyadh hosts one of the largest Sudanese communities abroad, so the safety of civilians and facilities there directly affects thousands of Sudanese families residing and working in the Kingdom. (Source: Saudi Press Agency - SPA, and Reuters) • Kuwait - Condemnation and solidarity: The Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the State of Kuwait's strong condemnation and denunciation of the continued attacks launched by the Houthi militia on areas in Saudi Arabia, the latest of them the launching of two ballistic missiles towards Riyadh, and described them as a flagrant violation of the Kingdom's sovereignty and a blatant breach of international law, and renewed Kuwait's absolute solidarity with the Kingdom, affirming that its security is an integral part of the security of Kuwait and the Council states — and a position that preserves the security of a region in which Sudanese live and work in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia alike. (Source: Kuwait News Agency - KUNA) • Qatar - Ongoing mediation: Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, told Al Jazeera that Doha is still mediating between Washington and Tehran to prevent escalation of the regional crisis, and Reuters reported him as saying that the contacts had made progress and that Washington is still ready to reach an agreement even after the US midterm elections — and the success of mediation in reducing escalation around the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf protects Red Sea navigation and the remittances of Sudanese in the Gulf and the stability of energy and food prices reaching Sudan. (Source: Reuters via Al Jazeera) • The Emirates - Maritime rescue: The National Guard's Coast Guard group in the Emirates announced the rescue of 22 people of Arab nationalities and the provision of first aid to them after a fire broke out in a cargo ship they were aboard in the Sea of Oman, after its teams responded to a report from the ship's crew today, Sunday — and the safety of shipping routes in the Sea of Oman and the Gulf of Oman matters to Sudanese and Arab sailors and workers working in navigation and maritime trade in the region. (Source: Emirates News Agency - WAM) • Gulf markets - Decline and anticipation: Most Gulf stock exchanges declined at today's close, Sunday, as investors awaited whether US President Donald Trump would order new attacks on Iran, with the Saudi index falling 0.8 per cent as Al Rajhi Bank fell 1.5 per cent, the National Bank 1.3 per cent and Aramco 0.3 per cent, and the Qatari falling 0.5 per cent, the Kuwaiti 0.5 per cent and the Omani 0.2 per cent, while the Bahrain index advanced 0.3 per cent — and the movement of these markets and energy prices directly affects the jobs and remittances of Sudanese working in the Gulf states and the cost of goods for their families in Sudan. (Source: Reuters) • Saudi aid - Sudan in the figures: Saudi Arabia announced that it has provided more than 145 billion dollars in humanitarian and development aid to 175 countries, including about 49 billion dollars to Africa, and the Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, Dr Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, said the centre has implemented more than 4,000 projects worth more than 8.5 billion dollars in 113 countries, and the centre's records show Sudan benefiting from 197.93 million dollars through 294 projects — a documented figure for the volume of Saudi humanitarian support that has reached Sudanese through the centre alone. (Source: Statements by the Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre at a World Economic Forum session in Brussels, published today)
— Editorial Team
