RIYADH – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim arrived here today to attend the 8th Extraordinary Islamic Summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to discuss the ongoing Israeli aggression in Palestine.
The special aircraft carrying the prime minister landed at the Royal Terminal, King Khalid International Airport, located about 35 km north of Riyadh, at noon (5pm Malaysia time).
Anwar and his wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, as well as other members of the Malaysian delegation, including Communications and Digital Minister, Fahmi Fadzil, were welcomed by Deputy Governor of Riyadh, Prince Muhammad bin Abdulrahman bin Abdul Aziz.
Also at the airport to welcome Anwar were Malaysian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Datuk Wan Zaidi Wan Abdullah and his wife Datin Zuhaila Abd Latiff.
On arrival at the hotel where he is staying, Anwar and the delegation were greeted by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and Foreign Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zin.
Leaders and delegates from OIC member states will gather at the summit, hosted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is also the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Preceding the summit, there were two preparatory meetings, namely the OIC Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) on November 9, and the OIC Ministerial Meeting on November 10, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday.
The extraordinary gathering, held at the King Abdulaziz Convention Centre in Riyadh, follows Anwar’s extensive engagement with several OIC leaders on the Palestinian issue and Israel’s military aggression.
During the summit, Anwar will again underscore Malaysia’s unwavering stance on the imperative need to conclusively and permanently halt Israel’s genocidal actions against Palestinians in Gaza.
The humanitarian catastrophe currently unfolding in Gaza necessitates urgent attention, and the prime minister will advocate for OIC member states and the international community to address the plight and suffering of the Palestinians.
The summit is expected to adopt a final communique.
More than 11,000 Palestinians, a majority of them women and children, have died as a result of more than a month of relentless Israeli airstrikes and ground operations in Gaza.
Thousands remained unaccounted for, believed to be trapped under the rubble of razed buildings.
According to an international human rights organisation, intense bombing by Israel saw its fighter aircraft drop more than 25,000 tonnes of explosives on the Gaza Strip since October 7, equivalent to two nuclear bombs.
In comparison, the atomic bomb dropped by the United States on Hiroshima during World World II yielded 15,000 tonnes of explosives. – November 11, 2023