Saudi Arabia

May 24 (Reuters) - Once labelled a pariah, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took centre stage as master of ceremonies last week when Arab states readmitted Syria to the Arab League, signaling to Washington who calls the regional shots.

His effusive greeting of President Bashar al-Assad at the Arab summit with kissed cheeks and a warm embrace defied U.S. disapproval at Syria's return to the fold and capped a turnabout in the prince's fortunes spurred by geopolitical realities.

22 May 2023; MEMO: Axiom Space company yesterday launched its second private mission to the International Space Station carrying two Saudi astronauts including the first Saudi woman.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi launched at 17:37 (21:37 GMT) from the Kennedy Space Centre in the US state of Florida.

22 May 2023; MEMO: A fire at a hotel in the Muslim holy city of Makkah killed at least eight Pakistani pilgrims and injured six others on Friday, a month before the annual Hajj pilgrimage is set to begin.

In a statement, Pakistan's Foreign Office said: "We have reports of eight deaths and six injured Pakistanis in the incident. Our Mission in Jeddah is in contact with local authorities to provide relief to the victims and their families."

19 May 2023; MEMO: Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, attended a Summit of the Arab League in Saudi Arabia on Friday to canvas support for his people, while Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman expressed his readiness to mediate in the war between Moscow and Kyiv, Reuters reports.

19 May 2023; MEMO: Every handshake would count, and Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad had plenty of them at Friday's Arab League Summit – along with hugs and kisses – from his one time foes in the region, Reuters reports.

As he strolled into the Summit venue in the Saudi city of Jeddah on Friday afternoon, a beaming Assad extended his arms to Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, who grabbed them both and kissed Assad once on each cheek.

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, May 19 (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was given a warm welcome at an Arab summit on Friday, winning a hug from Saudi Arabia's crown prince at a meeting of leaders who had shunned him for years, in a policy shift opposed by the U.S. and other Western powers.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shook hands with a beaming Assad as the summit got underway in Jeddah, turning the page on enmity towards a leader who drew on support from Shi'ite Iran and Russia to beat back his foes in Syria's civil war.

JEDDAH, May 19 (Xinhua) -- The 32nd Arab League Summit kicked off in the Saudi city of Jeddah on Friday with the participation of Arab leaders to discuss regional and global issues that are crucial to the region's stability.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad attended the summit for the first time since his country was suspended from the Arab League after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011.

15 May 2023; MEMO: Starting today, residents in Saudi Arabia who do not have a permit will not be allowed to enter Makkah, the Saudi General Security said.

It noted in a statement that this comes in implementation of the Hajj regulations, which requires residents wishing to enter Makkah to obtain a permit to do so from the concerned authorities.

11 May 2023; MEMO: Iran's Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs arrived in Jeddah, a Saudi Arabian port city on the Red Sea, on Thursday, in the first visit to the Kingdom by a senior Iranian official since the restoration of diplomatic relations, Anadolu News Agency reports.

Ehsan Khandouzi is leading a high-level economic delegation to Saudi Arabia, according to state media, as the two countries move to rejuvenate economic ties.

10 May 2023; MEMO: Saudi Arabia is planning to transform Islam's second holiest city of Madinah into a "modern Islamic and cultural destination" according to a report yesterday by Arab News.