Qatar Chamber hosts Saudi business meeting

Qatar Chamber hosts Saudi business meeting
A number of businessmen from both countries attended the Qatar-Saudi business meeting. (QNA)
Short Url
Updated 19 September 2022

Qatar Chamber hosts Saudi business meeting

Qatar Chamber hosts Saudi business meeting
  • Bilateral trade gradually returning to pre-2017 levels, says QC chairman

DOHA: The Qatar Chamber (QC) hosted a Qatar-Saudi business meeting on Sunday, with a number of businessmen from both countries in attendance, Qatar News Agency reported.

The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation, establishing new channels of partnership between companies and institutions, and searching for investment opportunities in the Qatari and Saudi markets, particularly in the Kingdom’s Eastern Province.

QC First Vice-Chairman Mohamed bin Twar Al-Kuwari emphasized the QC’s desire to increase cooperation between companies in both countries.

He said that Qatar and Saudi Arabia have “close and historic” relations, which is reflected in the desire of the private sectors in both countries to forge new channels of partnership.

He added that bilateral trade has began to gradually return to pre-2017 levels, but that the QR674 million ($185 million) recorded in 2021 still falls short of expectations.

Al-Kuwari said that the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia is of particular importance to the Qatari private sector due to its geographic location.

He urged Saudi businessmen to increase their investments in Qatar and take advantage of government incentives. Meanwhile, he urged Qatari businessmen to explore opportunities in the Eastern Province and collaborate with Saudi counterparts in joint ventures to increase the private sector contribution to both countries’ Vision 2030 programs.

According to Badr bin Suleiman Al-Raziza, chairman of the Board of Directors of Asharqia Chamber, Qatar and Saudi Arabia “share a common vision for achieving an inclusive renaissance in the interests of their peoples.”

He emphasized the role of the Qatar-Saudi Coordination Council in strengthening bilateral relations and expanding partnerships between the two countries in accordance with national Vision 2030 plans, thereby supporting joint Gulf cooperation.

He added that the Saudi side is looking forward to a broader partnership with the Qatari business sector, especially given the favorable conditions supported by the aspirations of the Qatari and Saudi leaders, as well as the opportunities in fast-growing sectors in both countries.

The Investment Promotion Agency of Qatar delivered a presentation on investment opportunities in Qatar during the meeting.

The presentation also discussed Qatar’s investment incentives and the services provided by the authority to foreign investors.

In turn, the Saudi delegation examined a number of investment opportunities in the Eastern Province, which has the most important land and air border crossings in the region and 1,845 factories, accounting for 22 percent of total factories in the Kingdom.

The delegation also highlighted the province’s most important industries, including chemicals, textiles, paper, foodstuffs, non-metallic materials, oil, gas, coal, minerals and more.


Dental help offered for special needs patients in Saudi Arabia’s eastern region

Dental help offered for special needs patients in Saudi Arabia’s eastern region
Updated 9 sec ago

Dental help offered for special needs patients in Saudi Arabia’s eastern region

Dental help offered for special needs patients in Saudi Arabia’s eastern region

DAMMAM, Saudi Arabia: The Eastern Health Cluster, a healthcare system in the Kingdom, has provided dental care clinics for patients over 12 years with special needs who were previously lacking access to treatment services.

The provider said: “The obstacles stopping people with special needs from receiving dental care services included [those with] mental health problems, autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, and Parkinson’s disease.

“More than 950 patients, including 547 males and 409 females, were provided with our services. Furthermore, residents comprehensively treated 92 patients under general anesthesia in the comprehensive rehabilitation center.

“In 2022, around 400 beneficiaries were provided with our services during weekly examination visits.”
 


Padel Classification Championships kick off in Riyadh with $37,000 purse

Padel Classification Championships kick off in Riyadh with $37,000 purse
Updated 11 min 13 sec ago

Padel Classification Championships kick off in Riyadh with $37,000 purse

Padel Classification Championships kick off in Riyadh with $37,000 purse

RIYADH: The Saudi Ministry of Culture, in cooperation with the Ministry of Sports, launched the Padel Classification Championships in Riyadh on Thursday.

The championships have been organized as part of Riyadh Season, and will help boost sporting activity in the Kingdom and add to the game’s rising popularity.

Padel, a racket sport typically played in an enclosed space slightly smaller than a tennis court, is one of the world’s fastest-growing games.

Prize money for the Riyadh championships totals SR140,000 ($37,000)

The championship includes three tournaments covering three societal categories, the first of which is the men’s championship, with players competing in three categories — A, B and C.

Winners of category A will receive a cash prize of SR35,000, SR20,000 and SR10,000, respectively.

In category B, the winners will win SR7,000, SR4,000 and SR3,000, respectively, while in category C, winners will pocket SR2,500, SR1,500 and SR1,000. 

In the women’s contest, the winners will receive SR10,000, SR7,000 and SR3,000, respectively. 

The third championship is dedicated to the 12-17 age group.
 


Umm Al-Qura University signs deal with 120 companies to serve pilgrims

Umm Al-Qura University signs deal with 120 companies to serve pilgrims
Updated 18 min 1 sec ago

Umm Al-Qura University signs deal with 120 companies to serve pilgrims

Umm Al-Qura University signs deal with 120 companies to serve pilgrims
  • The agreement focuses on implementing quality initiatives for the services provided to pilgrims

MAKKAH: The Institute of Consulting Research and Studies at Umm Al-Qura University has signed an agreement with 120 companies and institutions committed to serving pilgrims inside the Kingdom.

The agreement focuses on implementing quality initiatives for the services provided to pilgrims to help enrich their experience in terms of administration, food, transportation, hotels, reservations, and reception.

It also aims to help workers providing the services during Hajj and Umrah, according to the goals of the Pilgrim Experience Program 2030.

The program’s focus is on maintaining the Two Holy Mosques, preparing tourist and cultural sites, and providing the best services before, during and after the pilgrims’ visits to Makkah, Madinah and other holy sites.
 


Qur’an recitation contest draws melodious voices from across the world

Qur’an recitation contest draws melodious voices from across the world
Updated 26 min 1 sec ago

Qur’an recitation contest draws melodious voices from across the world

Qur’an recitation contest draws melodious voices from across the world
  • Syrian contestant seeks solace in holy book after earthquake tragedy
  • Otr Elkalam is biggest and richest competition of its kind in the world

RIYADH: The Kingdom’s second Qur’an recitation and call to prayer competition, the largest of its kind in the world, continues to inspire Muslims to participate from across the world.

The Otr Elkalam or Perfumed Speech contest, has since last year been the goal of Syria’s Mohammed Al-Jalab, an interior designer, who has been drawing strength from the holy book because of the devastation in his country, according to reports on the websites of the competition and the broadcaster MBC’s Shahid digital platform.

Al-Jalab completed the memorization of the holy Qur’an at 15. He also studied Tajwid, the science of proper pronunciation, and mastered various maqamat, or melodic modes, used during recitation.

The second edition of Otr Elkalam started on March 23, coinciding with the first day of Ramadan.

During Wednesday’s episode, Al-Jalab competed in the Qur’an recitation contest against Morocco’s Zakaria Al-Zirik, who managed to qualify for the next stage of the competition.

In the adhan or call to prayer contest, Syrian contestant Ahmed Darwish, who specializes in electronic production and publishing, competed against Lebanon’s Raheef Al-Hajj, a teacher of maqamat and vocal performances and founder of a specialized academy.

Al-Hajj qualified for the next stage of the competition thanks to the diversity of his maqamat, and his balance between vocal transitions, which dazzled members of the jury.

Otr Elkalam is an initiative of the General Entertainment Authority. It was announced in 2019 offering a total prize pool of SR12 million ($3.2 million).

The first version of the show was broadcast in Ramadan 2022 with the participation of some of the best voices in the world. The competition is on MBC daily at 4:30 p.m., Riyadh time.

More than 90,000 participants from more than 160 countries have now participated in the first and current editions of the competition, in front of a specialized jury.

Over 50,000 entrants were whittled down to 50 for the final stage this year in Riyadh. Another selection process by the main jury left 32 contestants, 16 for each section of the competition.

Applications to take part in this year’s contest began rolling in from Jan. 4 and contestants then went through several online stages of evaluation by 120 jury members.


Talking movies… Saudi Arabia holds first film critic forum 

Talking movies… Saudi Arabia holds first film critic forum 
Updated 33 min 20 sec ago

Talking movies… Saudi Arabia holds first film critic forum 

Talking movies… Saudi Arabia holds first film critic forum 
  • Jeddah event organized to boost Kingdom’s industry 
  • Similar forums to be held in five other cities

JEDDAH: Leading film critics discussed the future of Saudi Arabia’s cinema industry at the first Film Criticism Conference held in Jeddah’s Al-Balad district.

The two-day forum was organized by the Saudi Film Commission in partnership with Jeddah’s Islamic Arts Biennale and focused on “Spirituality in Cinema.”

Those in attendance enjoyed workshops that introduced concepts related to media and cinematic awareness and stimulated reading films critically and objectively. 

Among the local and visiting critics sharing their expertise and opinions were Naminata Diabate, Associate Professor at Cornell University and Book Author of Naked Agency, Saudi Ruba Al-Sweel, a writer and researcher of arts and culture, Indian Dr. Syed Haider, lecturer in world cinemas and Portuguese Sergio Dias Branco, a film critic and Assistant Professor of Film Studies at the University of Coimbra.

One of the main guests at the forum who is visiting the Kingdom for the first time, American Joe Kickasola, Professor, Film & Digital Media, Director of the Baylor in New York Program told Arab News that the Saudi Film Commission plays a critical role in forming the whole possibility of film-making within Saudi Arabia.

“It is creating an opportunity, it is creating a framework. The most important thing for film artists is to know the possibilities; otherwise, it is constantly challenging or trying to figure things out, but when you have a higher organization, it will help you out to achieve your goal and that’s the role of the Saudi Film Commission,” he said.

Saudi art expert Al-Sweel presented her recent research of media theory, looking at how platform capitalism and network spirituality breed a specific cultural moment. 

She said: “There has always been brilliant independent attempts at creating a film community that strives to tell stories from a local vantage point — where depth of subject matter matches that of technical knowledge. 

“Now and with the support and structures of institutions such as the Film Commission, we can expect an avalanche of critical films to come out of the country and into the world over the next decade.”

Forums are also to be held in Riyadh, Buraydah, Abha, Tabuk and Dhahran for people interested in the film sector in the Kingdom and abroad, and who specialize in film criticism.

It will also invite academic bodies concerned with local and international cinematic studies and research and local, regional, and international media outlets concerned with the cinema movement in the Kingdom.