Saudi

Saudi Arabia has launched a project to issue passports for camels, in a move seen as a “qualitative step” to regulate the sector and strengthen the kingdom’s credibility in local and international markets, the government said on Wednesday, Anadolu reports.

A statement by the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture said Deputy Minister Mansour bin Hilal Al-Mushaiti inaugurated the camel passport project Tuesday evening.

The initiative is designed to organize the camel sector, document identity and improve service efficiency while enhancing market trust domestically and internationally, the ministry said.

The project seeks to record camels’ data, ownership and breeds and link them to verified health and regulatory information, making the passport an officially recognized reference that supports more efficient services, the statement added.

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The camel passport serves as a comprehensive identification document, containing a microchip number, passport number, the camel’s name, date of birth, breed, sex, color, place of birth, and date and place of issuance, as well as photographs of the animal from both sides to ensure accurate identification, the ministry said.

It also includes a dedicated vaccination table that clearly documents veterinary immunization records, certified by the name, signature and stamp of the veterinarian, according to the statement.

The ministry said the passport will help regulate sales and trading by tightening controls over camel sales, transport and official documentation.

In a census released in June 2025, the ministry said the total number of camels in the kingdom reached 2,235,297 heads.

Saudi Arabia ranks among the world’s top camel-owning countries, with an estimated 80,000 owners, according to unofficial figures.

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasised that regional instability ‘benefits no one’ during the call.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has held a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after a United States aircraft carrier arrived in the region amid growing fears of a new conflict with Israel or the US.

The US has indicated in recent weeks that it is considering an attack against Iran in response to Tehran’s crackdown on protesters, which left thousands of people dead, and US President Donald Trump has sent the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier to the region.

Pezeshkian hit out at US “threats” in the call with the Saudi leader on Tuesday, saying they were “aimed at disrupting the security of the region and will achieve nothing other than instability”.

“The president pointed to recent pressures and hostilities against Iran, including economic pressure and external interference, stating that such actions had failed to undermine the resilience and awareness of the Iranian people,” according to a statement from Pezeshkian’s office on Tuesday.

The statement said that Prince Mohammed “welcomed the dialogue and reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to regional stability, security, and development”.

“He emphasised the importance of solidarity among Islamic countries and stated that Riyadh rejects any form of aggression or escalation against Iran,” it said, adding that he had expressed Riyadh’s readiness to establish “peace and security across the region”.

The call between the two leaders comes after Trump repeatedly threatened to attack Iran during a deadly crackdown on antigovernment protests this month. Last week, he dispatched an “armada” towards Iran but said he hoped he would not have to use it.

Amid growing fears of a new war, a commander from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Tuesday issued a warning to Iran’s neighbours.

“Neighbouring countries are our friends, but if their soil, sky, or waters are used against Iran, they will be considered hostile,” Mohammad Akbarzadeh, political deputy of the IRGC naval forces, was quoted as saying by the Fars news agency.

Israel carried out a wave of attacks on Iran last June, targeting several senior military officials and nuclear scientists, as well as nuclear facilities. The US then joined the 12-day war to bombard three nuclear sites in Iran.

The war came on the eve of a round of planned negotiations between the US and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Since the conflict, Trump has reiterated demands that Iran dismantle its nuclear programme and halt uranium enrichment, but talks have not resumed.

On Monday, a US official said that Washington was “open for business” for  Iran.

“I think they know the terms,” the official told reporters when asked about talks with Iran. “They’re aware of the terms.”

Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group, told Al Jazeera that the odds of Iran surrendering to the US’s demands are “near zero”.

Iran’s leaders believe “compromise under pressure doesn’t alleviate it but rather invites more”, Vaez said.

But while the US builds up its presence in the region, Iran has warned that it would retaliate if an attack is launched.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson warned on Tuesday that the consequences of a strike on Iran could affect the region as a whole.

Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters, “Regional countries fully know that any security breach in the region will not affect Iran only. The lack of security is contagious.”

Plans for the city of Neom, once envisioned as the future of Saudi Arabia, have reportedly been dealt another blow, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, ordering a reevaluation of the project

Ambitious, controversial, and startlingly futuristic in its design, the city of Neom was intended to drastically change the future of Saudi Arabia, helping the country diversify beyond its oil-dependent economy.

Now, plans for the uniquely striking metropolis have been scaled back considerably, with spiralling costs and mounting delays meaning the extortionate project may well now be “far smaller” in scale. Launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with an eyewatering budget of £365bn, the £6.8tn mega-city was initially given a deadline of 2030, with the most striking feature set to be The Line.

In a design straight out of a sci-fi film, The Line was intended to be a row of mirror-clad skyscrapers, stretching 125 miles across the desert, and connected by leafy walkways. Reaching a half-kilometre into the sky, these bold structures were intended to accommodate some nine million residents, meeting the needs of a country whose booming population of 35 million is now outgrowing existing cities.

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Built on just 34 square kilometres, these properties were designed with “a reduced infrastructure footprint” in mind, “creating never-before-seen efficiencies in city functions”. According to the Neom website, “The ideal climate all year round will ensure that residents can enjoy the surrounding nature. Residents will also have access to all daily essentials within a five-minute walk, in addition to high-speed rail, with an end-to-end transit of 20 minutes.”

Unfortunately for Saudi Arabia, which has already poured billions into this project, the practical realities of such an endeavour have hampered the original vision, and it’s believed construction could now be significantly cut back.

As reported by The Times, the Crown Prince has grown increasingly frustrated about delays to his grand plan for diversifying the nation’s economy over the course of the next decade, and has already postponed or scrapped various other projects.

Now, the de facto ruler has ordered a reevaluation of Neom, which he has previously hailed as a way to “tackle the challenges facing humanity in urban life today” and to “shine a light on alternative ways to live”. It’s thought likely this lofty mission will now change tack somewhat, focusing on smaller-scale goals such as artificial intelligence data centres.

One source familiar with the ongoing matter told the publication that this review is still in progress, and that it is not currently clear whether or not The Line would continue on as a more modest, manageable project.

Neom was initially envisioned as including a 6,500 square kilometre nature reserve, alongside the mountainous retreat Trojena, anticipated to feature Saudi Arabia’s debut outdoor ski slopes, freezing winter conditions and a “moderate year-round climate”.

However, while Trojena had originally been scheduled to welcome the 2029 Asian Winter Games, officials have acknowledged it won’t be completed on time. Indeed, at the time of writing, the only part of the project to open so far is the Red Sea yachting resort of Sindalah, widely regarded as a costly failure, which ultimately led to the firing of Neom’s chief executive.

The extravagant launch party, which saw 40 private yachts docked at the resort, while guests were treated to performances from Will Smith and Alicia Keys. Crown Prince Mohammed reportedly wasn’t pleased by the outcome, however, and had questions about the steep price tag.

The Mirror has reached out to Neom for comment.

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