August 2018
ISIS leader Abubaker Al Baghdadi released a new recording last Wednesday, August 22, titled "Give Glad Tidings to the Patient," in which he urged his followers all over the world to wage terrorist attacks, and to reassure his “followers” over the group’s recent losses in Syria and Iraq.
The spokesman for the Houthi militia in Yemen, Mohammed Abdulsalam, tweeted a picture of a meeting that had taken place between him and the leader of the terrorist Lebanese militia Hizbollah, Hassan Nasrallah. Abdulsalam “conveyed the greetings of the political leadership and the Yemeni people,” expressing what he called “pride towards Hizbollah’s strong and principled stance on Yemen facing Saudi American aggression.”
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in its continued commitment to serve as stabilizing force in the region, has contributed $100 million dollars for Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS-supported stabilization projects in areas liberated from ISIS in northeast Syria. This is the largest Coalition contribution to date for these liberated areas, and follows the pledge made by Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir during the July 12, 2018 Global Coalition Ministerial Conference in Brussels, hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been a leading partner in the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS from the outset. In line with this, the Kingdom contributed $100 Million to the Coalition’s stabilization efforts in Syria. This contribution represents a continuation of its leading and regional stabilizing role to ensure ISIS is defeated in all of its dimensions.
A senior official in the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen stated that the Joint Forces Command has seen media reports- including reports of some relief organizations operating in Yemen, regarding allegations related to operations conducted by the Coalition in Saada province, on Thursday, August 9, 2018, claiming that a bus was subject to collateral damage as a result of this operation.
In response to statements made by the Canadian Foreign Minister and Canadian Embassy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the purported “civil society activists” who were arrested before urging to release them immediately; the Minister of Justice, President of Supreme Judicial Council Dr. Walid Al Samaani, said “We categorically reject any interference from any party in the affairs of our country, especially in the judiciary.” Adding that the comments reflect a “lack of knowledge of the Saudi judiciary system.”
After circulation of various media reports about Al Qaeda in Yemen, Colonel Turki AlMalki, the Official Spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen stated yesterday that the Coalition is waging a war against terrorist groups in Yemen such as AQAP, ISIS and the terrorist Iranian-Houthi militia, which are joined by common extremist ideology and intolerance.
As part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s long term commitment to the wellbeing of the Yemeni people and the Yemeni economy, the Kingdom has granted $60 million worth of oil derivatives per month to power plants in Yemen in order to operate 24/7. This $60 million grant will enable the Government of Yemen to manage market stability, prevent extreme inflation, and increase public access to critical goods. This support comes in tandem with the Saudi Reconstruction Project in Yemen (SRPY), a Saudi initiative to support long-term development and growth in Yemen.
The Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programing and Drones (SAFCSP) hosted a Hajj Hackathon in Jeddah on August 1st-3rd. The Hackathon rallied global and local technology experts, including Saudi women and youth, to pitch tech innovations on enhancing the Hajj experience. Technology legends Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Inc., and Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia, also joined the thousands of tech acolytes on Tuesday night at the official opening ceremony of the Hajj Hackathon in the Kingdom. The competition focused on areas of crowd management, food, health, finance, traffic
His Excellency Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, President of the Republic of Yemen and His Excellency Mohammed bin Saeed Al Jabir, Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the Republic of Yemen, announced eight new projects today as part of the long-term Saudi Reconstruction Program in Yemen (SRPY).
Announced in May 2018, SRPY accelerates the work of companies specializing in upgrading critical infrastructure in Yemen. This includes building and expanding civil, industrial, educational and medical facilities complete with state-of-the art technology.