Unified Gulf visa implementation to take time, says Oman minister
Furthermore, he highlighted that there are specific considerations regarding certain nationalities, particularly those originating from countries experiencing conflict and instability. This factor contributes to the complexities surrounding the visa's implementation, as security concerns are paramount.
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Times of Oman
6 hours ago
- Times of Oman
Oman guarantees expatriate workers right to retain passports
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Observer
10 hours ago
- Observer
Oman backs global push for Palestine
The Sultanate of Oman has renewed its call for all nations to recognise the State of Palestine, following the announcement by French President Emmanuel Macron that France will officially extend recognition during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in September. In a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry on Friday, Oman welcomed France's position and urged countries that have not yet recognised the Palestinian state to take this step as a moral and political imperative. 'The Sultanate of Oman calls on all countries that have not yet recognised the State of Palestine to do so — embodying the two-state solution and consolidating the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital', the statement said. Oman added that such recognition would enhance the chances of achieving peace and justice in the Middle East. Meanwhile in Riyadh, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jassim bin Mohammed al Budaiwi, also praised the French announcement, calling it 'an important step that reflects the French Republic's firm commitment to justice, international legitimacy and global stability'. He called on all countries that have not recognised Palestine to 'take this historic and responsible step, which will contribute to alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people and support the path towards a just and lasting peace'. Al Budaiwi reaffirmed the GCC's unwavering position in support of the Palestinian cause and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with relevant UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump accused Hamas on Friday of not wanting to reach a ceasefire deal in Gaza as Israel said it would explore 'alternative options' to rescue hostages after negotiations collapsed. An Israeli official meanwhile said air drops of aid would resume soon over the Gaza Strip, where aid groups warned of surging numbers of malnourished children as international concern mounted over the deepening humanitarian crisis after more than 21 months of war. After US and Israeli negotiators quit indirect talks with Hamas in Qatar, Trump said that 'it was was too bad. Hamas didn't really want to make a deal. I think they want to die.' His special envoy Steve Witkoff accused Hamas of not 'acting in good faith' in the negotiations that ended on Thursday. Meanwhile, aid groups warned of surging numbers of malnourished children in war-ravaged Gaza as a trio of European powers held an 'emergency call' on Friday on the deepening humanitarian crisis. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said that a quarter of the young children and pregnant or breastfeeding mothers it had screened at its clinics last week were malnourished, a day after the United Nations said one in five children in Gaza City were suffering from malnutrition. — ONA, Agencies
Observer
2 days ago
- Observer
GCC urges international community to act urgently on Gaza
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has voiced its condemnation and strong denunciation of the continued unjust, inhumane, and illegal siege imposed by Israeli occupation forces on the Gaza Strip and their prevention of the entry of all forms of humanitarian aid. In a statement today, the GCC Secretary General Jasem bin Mohammed Al Budaiwi emphasized that the siege has resulted in a worsening humanitarian catastrophe, manifested in the spread of famine and the depletion of food and medical supplies, in a flagrant violation of the provisions of international humanitarian law, the Geneva Conventions, human rights principles, and in clear defiance of the international community. Al Budaiwi affirmed that the GCC holds the Israeli occupation authorities fully responsible for the ongoing humanitarian tragedy in the Gaza Strip, including the policy of forced collective starvation pursued by the occupation forces against our brethren in Gaza. "This constitutes a full-fledged war crime that requires urgent accountability from the international community, he stressed. Moreover, he called on the international community, including all its states, institutions, and organisations, to take immediate and serious action to stop this brutal siege, halt the machine of killing and starvation, ensure the entry of urgent humanitarian aid, open the crossings without delay, and save the lives of innocent people from a certain catastrophe. Additionally, the GCC Secretary General reiterated the firm stance of the GCC states in supporting the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them their right to a dignified life, freedom, and self-determination, and to achieve a just and lasting peace in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
