US chargé d’affaires praises humanitarian role played by Saudi Arabia
Updated 03 August 2022
Rashid Hassan
RIYADH: Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy in Riyadh Martina Strong has praised Saudi Arabia for the humanitarian work it is doing worldwide through its aid agency, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center.
Strong met Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, advisor at the Royal Court and KSrelief supervisor general in Riyadh on Tuesday.
“During the meeting, they discussed the latest developments in the humanitarian and relief situation in countries in need and ways to enhance food security for affected peoples around the world,” the KSrelief tweeted.
Strong praised the humanitarian role played by Saudi Arabia, represented by KSrelief, and noted the fruitful partnership between the center and the US Agency for International Development, which work together to alleviate the suffering of people worldwide.
Strong had previously met Al-Rabeeah in May this year and discussed the humanitarian situation in Yemen, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic and ways to reduce the health risks posed to countries in need.
In September 2019, Al-Rabeeah met USAID Deputy Administrator Bonnie Glick and several officials in Washington to discuss present and future cooperation between the two agencies.
In November 2020, USAID and KSrelief signed an agreement to provide $1 million each to the World Food Programme in order to renovate cyclone shelters and reduce the risk of disasters in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.
Saudi Cabinet condemns Qur’an burnings, calls for rejection of hate
Updated 11 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: The Cabinet condemned burning of copies of the Holy Qur’an and called for tolerance and respect and a rejection of spreading hatred and extremism, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The Kingdom on Sunday strongly denounced the burning of the Qur’an by a Danish extremist group outside the Turkish embassy in Copenhagen.
King Salman, chaired the weekly government session at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah on Tuesday.
RIYADH: When fasting from dawn to dusk during the holy month of Ramadan many people can overlook the importance of a well-rounded diet and either overeat or fail to ingest enough nutrients for the day.
Dr. Mohammed Baker Alawamy, a consultant adult gastroenterologist and therapeutic endoscopist from Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, highlighted several ways of keeping healthy this Ramadan through diet and exercise.
“Drink ample amounts of water, try to limit the amount of refined sugars in your diet, and be cognizant (of) the amount of protein you consume,” Alawamy said.
Eating proper nutrition — such as a Mediterranean diet — staying hydrated and getting enough sleep can nurture the body during Ramadan and harness the benefits of fasting. (Shutterstock)
Many people find themselves overeating during the month of Ramadan while others complain of weight loss due to having a lower caloric intake. The ideal wellness goal while fasting is finding the right balance that provides the body with proper nutrition to complete the fast.
“My rule of thumb is 1 gram of protein for each kilogram of body weight to reduce the muscle losses during the fasting month of Ramadan,” Alawamy said.
HIGHLIGHT
The ideal wellness goal while fasting is finding the right balance that provides the body with proper nutrition to complete the fast. Many people have their sleep disrupted because of the tradition of spending late nights with family and friends. Maintaining proper sleep is also important in Ramadan.
The holy month of Ramadan is one of the best times to create a reset for the body with changes in habits including avoiding unhealthy food.
When choosing the right sahoor or iftar drink to consume, many people choose smoothies believing that it is a healthy option that will satisfy their hunger throughout the day.
Eating proper nutrition — such as a Mediterranean diet — staying hydrated and getting enough sleep can nurture the body during Ramadan and harness the benefits of fasting. (Shutterstock)
“What I usually tell my patients, the worst kind of calorie you can consume is one that is easily absorbed, does not satisfy your hunger, and is calorie dense,” Alawamy said.
Alawamy explained that most of these calorie-dense foods include juices, smoothies and ice cream.
“Obviously, you can make smoothies that are balanced and nutritionally excellent, but most people use frozen fruits, add sugar or ice cream, and do not include much fiber in that mix,” he said.
High fiber, balanced diets such as the Mediterranean diet have been shown to affect health positively. (Supplied)
When asked about what “gut-healthy” foods people should make a part of their Ramadan routine, Alawamy explained that he has some reservations about the term gut healthy since it is “always misconstrued or misrepresented.”
“It is always best to stick to the basics. High fiber, balanced diets such as the Mediterranean diet have been shown to affect health positively,” he explained.
Many medical experts suggest avoiding eating processed foods and relying on nutritional options such as fresh fruits and vegetables and snacks such as nuts.
Diet and exercise are two ways to stay healthy this Ramadan. (Shutterstock)
“Nuts contain a significant amount of polyunsaturated fats, which are healthy and help reduce the (craving) for other less nutritious foods,” the doctor said.
When the month of Ramadan begins many stop exercising completely, but Alawamy says it is a great time to do light workouts.
“It (Ramadan) is an excellent opportunity for most people to do low-intensity level exercises, for example, normal pace walking or brisk walking as well as stretching and yoga,” he said.
People can even engage in high-intensity exercise after breaking their fast, he said.
Maintaining proper sleep is also important in Ramadan. In many parts of the world, many have their sleep disrupted because of the tradition of spending late nights with family and friends.
Some people use Ramadan as a time to be drastically reduce food intake but losing weight too quickly can potentially be harmful to the body. Therefore, it is important to find a certain balance when it comes to the quality and quantity of the foods consumed, ways of staying active and regulating the body’s sleeping schedule.
When trying to find a healthy Ramadan routine that suits your individual needs and health requirements one can feel overwhelmed by the different voices and opinions online. It is always best to do thorough research and contact a trusted physician for advice.
They reviewed bilateral relations and discussed developments of common interests
Updated 28 March 2023
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Deputy Minister for International Multilateral Affairs Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Rassi met Ambassador of France to the Kingdom Ludovic Pouille in Riyadh on Tuesday.
During the meeting, they reviewed bilateral relations and discussed developments of common interests.
In another meeting, the Saudi minister held talks in Riyadh with Nahid Hussein, the resident representative of the UN Development Programme for the Kingdom.
During the meeting, they reviewed relations between the Kingdom and the UN and aspects of cooperation.
Who’s Who: Dr. Sharifah Abdullah Al-Rajhi, acting deputy minister at the Ministry of Education
Updated 28 March 2023
Arab News
Dr. Sharifah Abdullah Al-Rajhi has been the acting deputy minister for planning and development at the Ministry of Education since 2022.
She is responsible for developing strategic and operational plans for the ministry, producing its institutional performance, building and managing informational statistical reports, and proposing necessary changes in educational policies based on research.
Prior to her current role, Al-Rajhi served as assistant deputy minister for planning and development and general manager for the education statistics center at the Ministry of Education.
Her main target involved transforming the Ministry of Education to become more data-driven and enhancing the quality of education in alignment with Vision 2030. She designed and managed two major initiatives, involving managing and sharing education data, for a Vision 2030 human capability development program.
Al-Rajhi made several strategic decisions based on accurate and dynamic data across the Kingdom’s education sector. Her achievements include providing national and international organizations with statistics and indicators from the sector and working on multiple projects within the ministry, including capacity and demand management and the educational performance portal, Qarar.
Al-Rajhi also worked at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah and Florida State University in the US and served as a member of multiple committees at the Saudi Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Economy and Planning and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.
She was also a part of the executive committee of the UN E-Government Development Index at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
At the General Authority for Statistics, she was a member of the executive and steering committee for Census 2020.
Al-Rajhi received a Ph.D. in data science and two master’s degrees in biostatistics and applied statistics from Florida State University. She was certified in SAS programming and data analysis from the same university in the US.
Saudi interior minister, UK Home Secretary sign raft of agreements at meeting in London
The session saw the signing of several agreements in the security, development and training fields
Updated 28 March 2023
Arab News
LONDON: Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud, the Saudi Minister of the Interior, met with the UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman in London on Tuesday.
Prince Abdulaziz thanked the British Home Secretary for hosting the meeting, which reflected the common desire to boost the strategic and historical ties between the two countries.
The prince stressed that the Saudi government valued and appreciated the existing security cooperation, referring to the ongoing security coordination between the two countries' ministries of interior.
During the session, the two sides discussed ways to strengthen and develop the courses of joint security cooperation.
The session saw the signing of several agreements in the security, development and training fields between the Ministry of the Interior of Saudi Arabia and the UK Home Office.
The session was attended by Prince Khaled bin Bandar, Saudi Ambassador to the UK, the undersecretary of the Saudi Ministry of Interior Hisham bin Abdulrahman Al-Falih, and a number of officials from the two countries.
