Riyadh-Wellington trade, security ties see new zeal

Comprehensive talks focusing on bilateral ties with special reference to the GCC-New Zealand free trade agreement and regional conflicts such as in Yemen took place during a meeting between Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key on Tuesday.

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Romanian premier to discuss bilateral cooperation, Yemen

Romanian Prime Minister Victor-Viorel Ponta will arrive here on Wednesday to hold talks with top officials in which he will outline the framework of a comprehensive political and economic cooperation.

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Bank AlJazira to open 60 world-class ‘Fawri’ money transfer centers

Fawri, a popular remittance wing of the leading bank of Saudi Arabia, Bank AlJazira (BAJ), has announced plans to open 60 model money transfer centers within next three years in an effort to maximize its reach among customers and to add new services to its portfolio.

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Expo Milan: Italian envoy seeks Saudi participation

The Italian Embassy held a reception here to promote ‘Expo Milan 2015,’ a high-profile international exhibition that the Italian city of Milan will host from May 1 to Oct. 31 this year.

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Decisive Storm: US stepping up logistics support

Saudi Arabia and the US are working to broaden military cooperation as the Saudi-led Operation Decisive Storm against Houthi militants in Yemen enters a second week, said reports from Washington on Wednesday.

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World leaders reiterate support

American and European leaders reiterated their support for the Saudi-led coalition, and agreed to extend all technical and logistical help to contain the Houthis’ growing influence, and reinstate the legitimate government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi in Yemen. Similar sentiments of support were also echoed by Riyadh-based foreign diplomats on Saturday.

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US missions resume consular services

The US diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia will resume full consular services on Sunday, following a weeklong closure amid reports of “heightened security concerns” against Western targets.

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Security fears: US shuts diplomatic missions

Operations at the US Embassy in Riyadh and its consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran have been halted in the wake of "heightened security concerns," it was announced on Sunday.

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Iran promoting terrorism, taking over Iraq: KSA

Iran’s belligerent policies, which are hampering all plans for restoring peace and security in the Middle East, came under fire during talks between US Secretary of State John Kerry and the foreign ministers of the GCC states on Thursday.

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US to relocate staff in Yemen to Jeddah

The United States government has decided to temporarily relocate its Yemeni-based diplomatic staff to Jeddah.

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Anti-IS coalition seeks stronger Iraqi Army

Top military officials from 26 member states of the anti-Islamic State coalition, including Saudi Arabia and the US, stressed their readiness in Riyadh on Thursday to equip and strengthen the Iraqi army.

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OIC, UN intervention urged to solve Kashmir dispute

Expressing solidarity with of Kashmiri people, Pakistani Ambassador Manzoor ul Haq urged the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the UN General Assembly, and the international community to play their role in redressing the plight of the hapless Kashmiris.

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Saudi, US position on Iran N-crisis unchanged

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and US President Barack Obama tackled a range of sensitive regional issues Tuesday during Obama’s visit to Riyadh.

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Partners in progress: King Salman, Obama to continue strategic ties

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and US President Barack Obama pledged to work closely on a range of regional and international issues at a meeting on Tuesday, including terrorism, the Iranian nuclear talks and conflicts in neighboring states.

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Georgia opens embassy in Riyadh

Georgia, a country located on the crossroads of western Asia and eastern Europe, has opened its embassy here in the Saudi capital to further promote bilateral relations.

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Jakarta steps up efforts to save death-row maid

The Indonesian government has sent a formal appeal to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to pardon a maid on death row for murdering her Saudi employer.

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‘Deeper Saudi-US ties can counter Mideast volatility’

A senior American diplomat has called for a deepening of ties between Saudi Arabia and the United States to counter the continuing volatility in the Middle East, and for further mutual economic benefit from the two nations' longstanding trade relations.

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Unsafe Ukraine airspace forces many airlines to cancel flights

Several Gulf airlines, which have either suspended flights to Ukraine or reduced their frequency, have expressed serious concerns over the safety of passengers flying to destinations in and around Ukraine.

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US meddling in Gulf issues flayed by GCC

The US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor has been slammed by GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif Al-Zayani, for his interference in Bahrain’s internal affairs.

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Saudi trade sanctions bite Dutch companies

Sanctions imposed on Dutch companies by Saudi Arabia following the distribution of anti-Islamic stickers by populist politician Geert Wilders are now biting, and could further hurt business interests of the Netherlands, said Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans on Thursday.

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Fleet boost: Lufthansa invests $50 billion

Germany's flag carrier Lufthansa, which operates a record number of 24 flights a week on Saudi-German sector, has launched a $50 billion fleet expansion plan. This fleet expansion project will enable Lufthansa to acquire 295 latest-version of airplanes, including ultramodern Boeing 777-9x and new airbus A350-900 in a staggered schedule until 2025.

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I remain calm when others get excited, says Austrian envoy

• Which particular aspect of Saudi Arabia do you like the most? Saudi Arabia is full of welcoming and highly interesting people. • Can you tell us about your favorite and oft-repeated Arabic word?

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Hagel to join US-Gulf defense ministers’ meeting

Defense ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will hold consultative talks with US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who begins his tour to three Middle East countries, including the Kingdom, on Monday.

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Prince Charles accorded a warm welcome

Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, hosted a state dinner in honor of Prince Charles and his accompanying delegation, here last night.

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Austria partners with Kingdom and Spain to further religious dialogue

Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Austrian Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister Michal Spindelegger and Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo will launch the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) in Vienna on Monday.

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Ghazanfar Ali Khan