Misk Global Forum urges intergenerational dialogue, youth upskilling, to boost knowledge economy

Misk Global Forum urges intergenerational dialogue, youth upskilling, to boost knowledge economy
Hosted at King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, the forum began on Wednesday. (Supplied)
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Updated 10 November 2022

Misk Global Forum urges intergenerational dialogue, youth upskilling, to boost knowledge economy

Misk Global Forum urges intergenerational dialogue, youth upskilling, to boost knowledge economy
  • Financial support key to empowerment, says energy minister
  • Talks held by top officials, intellectuals, artists, sports people

RIYADH: The two-day Misk Global Forum here saw some of the world’s leading intellectuals, officials, academics, influencers, sports people and artists gather to discuss how to boost the knowledge economy by bridging the gap between young and older people, developing new leaders and empowering communities.

The MGF, the flagship global platform of the Misk Foundation, established in 2016, has extended Misk’s mission to young people across the globe through international events, research and global initiatives. The forum ran from Nov. 9 to 10.

The event “brings together emerging and established leaders, innovators, and creators to explore, experience and experiment with ways to meet the challenge of change,” according to the forum’s website.

Hosted at King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, the forum began on Wednesday with the theme of “Multigenerational dialogue to break barriers and inspire change.”

One of the most well-attended sessions of the first day was titled “Generations of the Future,” which featured a conversation between Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, the Saudi minister of energy, and Omar Al-Jeraisy, the founder of the Socrates podcast. The two discussed ways to enable and empower young people to build society.

“To empower the youth, you have to enable an economic environment that gives them ownership,” said Prince Abdulaziz.

“Change is a journey, not a destination. It cannot be achieved unless there is a leadership that enables youth,” Al-Jeraisy said.

Another discussion on day one was led by Shamim Nabuuma Kaliisa, the co-founder and CEO of Chill Food Center, who focused on ways to leverage intergenerational dialogue to raise awareness and destigmatize mental health.

She stressed the importance of these conversations during a UN Sustainable Development Goals circle discussion titled “Good Health and Wellbeing.”

“I am speaking about mental health and how the young and older generations can work together to create solutions that we can come up with for depression and anxiety. We discussed the idea of implementing a platform for the younger and older generation(s) to collaborate on finding new ways of addressing mental health,” Kaliisa told Arab News.

“These conversations are very important because if you are depressed, it is going to affect what you are going to do,” she added.

Intellectual and influencer Jay Shetty hosted a session focusing on how millennials and Gen Z can create and implement a unique purpose in the world. He then answered several questions from the audience on what it means to have success, how to handle pressure, and develop satisfaction and happiness in the workplace and in personal life.

“A lot of people think their profession has to be their purpose and the truth is that not every single hobby or purpose or passion can be turned into a career,” Shetty said.

“So if you are someone who has to go to work every day to make money and to pay the bills to take care of your family and you use your spare time in the evenings and the weekends to do what you’re passionate about, that’s a beautiful balance,” he added.

In the afternoon, Palestinian American standup comedian, Mo Amer, took to the stage in a fireside chat to discuss his journey, the power of comedy, and the importance of staying grounded while looking into the future.

“It’s important to understand your art form and tip the hat to those before you. Otherwise, all that hard work of the generations before you is lost. We have to keep the connection to the past alive,” Amer said.

The cities of the future were discussed in a session led by Alaa Al-Ban, chair of the interior design department and assistant professor at Dar Al-Hekma University, featuring Jerry Inzerillo, CEO of Diriyah Gate Development Authority, and David Henry, CEO of Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Nonprofit City.

“The cities of the future are generally expansions of existing cities. Proximity, living, and employment are what is important for the cities of the future,” Henry said.

In a session titled “We are Family,” Maha Al-Juffali, director and acting trustee at the Help Center, Daniah Ghandour, board member at the Help Center, and Marilyn Zakhour, CEO of Cosmic Centaurs, discussed philanthropy in Saudi Arabia. They also touched on the importance of family as an anchor to uphold intergenerational values, and address societal changes and transformations.

The second day of the forum saw participants discuss an array of topics including podcasting, e-sports broadcasting, intercultural communication, and innovation skills.


Saudi Arabia sets out its water strategy during landmark, high-level UN conference

Saudi Arabia sets out its water strategy during landmark, high-level UN conference
Updated 21 sec ago

Saudi Arabia sets out its water strategy during landmark, high-level UN conference

Saudi Arabia sets out its water strategy during landmark, high-level UN conference
  • The Kingdom spends billions on infrastructure projects worldwide, making it a global leader in security and sustainability of water supplies
  • The event, the first international gathering of its kind to discuss water in a generation, has been taking place in New York this week

NEW YORK CITY: As concerns about water scarcity continue to grow worldwide, and in the Arab region in particular, Saudi officials on Thursday offered details of the steps they have been taking to address the problems.

They said the Kingdom is working to provide safe and affordable drinking water for all by developing ways to recycle and manage water resources in an integrated manner that reduces the environmental impact, and expressed confidence that it is on the right path to achieve the global goal of safe water for all.

Abdulaziz Al-Shaibani, the deputy minister for water affairs at the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, said his country leads the world in the unconventional supply of water through desalination, and is working hard to reduce the environmental impact of the processes that are used.

He was speaking at the first UN water conference in a generation, which was co-hosted this week in New York by the governments of Tajikistan and the Netherlands.

“I don’t know why (the conference) hadn’t happened up until now,” UN spokesman Farhan Haq told Arab News. “But we’re certainly glad that it is happening now.

“It takes time for member states to recognize the seriousness of some of the problems we face, and at least they’re doing this and it’s a positive development.”

Organizers hope the conference will prove to be a watershed moment in efforts to mobilize the UN system, member states and other stakeholders to take action, amid increasingly urgent warnings that international progress on water-related goals remains “alarmingly” off target, jeopardizing the entire sustainable development agenda.

The UN General Assembly set out its Sustainable Development Goals — 17 global targets designed to be a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all” — in 2015, with the aim of achieving them by 2030.

Al-Shaibani told the conference on Thursday that the water sector is a cornerstone of comprehensive economic prosperity and a strong nexus of the strategies for other economic sectors.

He said Saudi Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s ambitious development agenda, was launched as part of the country’s efforts to build a more sustainable economy in line with the UN’s sustainability goals, and to pave the way for a better future “by diversifying the economy, reducing the state’s dependence on oil and developing the public sector to be more dynamic, flexible and sustainable.”

The Kingdom’s limited natural freshwater resources and the ever-increasing demand for water, and the challenges these factors pose to sustainable economic development, prompted Riyadh in 2018 to adopt what is now known as the “National Water Strategy 2030.”

Al-Shaibani said it was devised around the principle of Integrated Water Resources Management, which aims to restructure the water sector to make it more sustainable and efficient.

He added that it seeks to achieve this through a number of ambitious initiatives and programs, the most important of which are: “Restructuring and developing Integrated Water Resources Management capabilities; developing and implementing the water law; integrated water planning; development of renewable and non-renewable groundwater resources and surface water; development of sustainable desalination capabilities; promotion of the contribution of the private sector and third sector; and adherence to environmental regulations and requirements as well as improvements of irrigation efficiency.”

Al-Shaibani said his country is striving to reduce carbon emissions from fossil fuels by 56 percent by 2024, which represents 26 percent of the Kingdom’s total commitment to the Paris Agreement, with the remaining reduction set to be achieved by 2030.

He added that advances in desalination have significantly increased the quality of drinking water while protecting nonrenewable groundwater resources.

The Kingdom is also, Al-Shaibani said, “establishing sustainable agricultural cities that promote local economies and rural communities; (and) supporting women through the development opportunities offered by non-traditional water sources such as the Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Program.”

In its efforts to achieve “universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all,” Saudi Arabia has allocated more than $80 billion for “hundreds of projects” related to water infrastructure, to be implemented in the coming years, he told the gathering.

The Kingdom has also rationalized water use through laws and regulations and awareness campaigns, Al-Shaibani added.

He pointed out that in 2020, during its presidency of the G20, the Kingdom sought to include the issue of resilient and sustainable water management on the group’s action map for the first time. Riyadh also spearheaded the G20’s “Dialogue on Water,” which this year, under India’s presidency, will take place for the fourth time.

“The Kingdom seeks to ensure the continuity of the water topic discussion within the G20 in the coming years through cooperation and coordination with the partners in the group,” Al-Shaibani said.

Meanwhile, the Saudi Fund for Development has provided billions of dollars for the development of many water-infrastructure projects in developing countries, he added, including “building dams, well drilling, water-supply networks and other water-related projects.”

Al-Shaibani concluded by calling on all countries to cooperate, share their experiences and face the challenges together as they work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, “among the most important of which is the sixth goal: To have a secure future for all of us and for the future generations.”


Saudi foreign minister discusses ties with Algerian, Cypriot counterparts

Saudi foreign minister discusses ties with Algerian, Cypriot counterparts
Updated 24 March 2023

Saudi foreign minister discusses ties with Algerian, Cypriot counterparts

Saudi foreign minister discusses ties with Algerian, Cypriot counterparts

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan made a phone call to his Algerian counterpart Ahmed Attaf, the Kingdom’s foreign ministry said on Thursday.

At the beginning of the call, the two sides exchanged greetings on the occasion of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and Prince Faisal congratulated the Algerian minister on assuming his new position, wishing him all the success.

They reviewed bilateral relations and ways of enhancing them to achieve the interests of the two countries, and discussed regional and international developments of common interest.

Prince Faisal then received a phone call from his Cypriot counterpart Constantinos Kombos, where he also congratulated him on assuming his new position, and wished him all the success.

They discussed relations between the two countries and ways to support and enhance them, in addition to exchanging views on regional and international issues of common concern.


Saudi Arabia marks World Meteorological Day

Saudi Arabia marks World Meteorological Day
Updated 24 March 2023

Saudi Arabia marks World Meteorological Day

Saudi Arabia marks World Meteorological Day

JEDDAH: World Meteorological Day, observed on March 23 every year, is celebrated this year under the theme “The Future of Weather, Climate and Water Across Generations.”

It aims to join efforts at all national, regional and international levels to address the causes of extreme weather events and climate change, as well as the increasing scarcity of water resources.

The occasion also falls on the anniversary of the World Meteorological Organization’s establishment in 1950. The organization acts as an international umbrella that deals with weather and climate predictions, and serves as an effective channel for international cooperation in this vital area of development, urbanization and stability of humans and living organisms on the planet.

Through this year’s theme, the organization aims to pay tribute to the 24-hour national services of the meteorological and hydrological facilities, which collect and consolidate weather prediction data. 

Saudi Arabia is one of the founding states of the organization and undertook significant work in the field of meteorology at the local, regional and international levels. Its work in this regard is reflected in its functions on meteorology and climate, as well as through eight regional and international centers.

These centers are the Jeddah Regional Communication Center, the Regional Center for Drought Monitoring and Early Warning, the Jeddah Regional Climate Center, the Jeddah Global Information System Center, the Operational Information Center for Air Navigation Services, the Jeddah Historical Information Rescue Center, the Atmospheric and Hydrological Research Center, and the Agricultural Meteorology Research Center. 


International Qur’an recitation, adhan contest underway in Riyadh

International Qur’an recitation, adhan contest underway in Riyadh
Updated 24 March 2023

International Qur’an recitation, adhan contest underway in Riyadh

International Qur’an recitation, adhan contest underway in Riyadh
  • Coinciding with the first day of Ramadan, the contest has a total prize pool of $3.2 million

RIYADH: The second edition of the “Otr Elkalam” TV show, featuring international Qur’an recitation and call to prayer (adhan) competitions, started on Thursday.

Coinciding with the first day of Ramadan, the contest has a total prize pool of SR12 million ($3.2 million).

An initiative of the General Entertainment Authority, the popular show is broadcast on MBC1 and Shahid digital platform during the holy month.

The first episode featured the 32 contestants from around the world and revisited last year’s winners of the Qur’an recitation and adhan competitions, Younes Gharbi from Morocco, and Mohsen Kara of Turkiye, respectively.

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.

More than 50,000 entrants from 165 countries were whittled down to 50 for the final stage, which is held in Riyadh. Another selection process by the main jury left 32 contestants, 16 for each competition.

Viewers were introduced to this year’s panel of judges which includes the competition’s secretary-general, Dr. Fahd Al-Andas, general supervisor, Sheikh Adil Al-Kalbani, and Moroccan president, Dr. Abdel Rahim Nabulsi.

Bahloul Abu Arqoub from Libya, Meshary Al-Afasy from Kuwait, Ahmed Mansour from Egypt, and Ahmed Nahhas from Saudi Arabia were also present.

“Otr Elkalam” is the first competition to combine Qur’an recitation and adhan and the largest contest of its kind in the world.


Saudi Civil Defense warns of thunderstorms, dust storms

Saudi Civil Defense warns of thunderstorms, dust storms
Updated 24 March 2023

Saudi Civil Defense warns of thunderstorms, dust storms

Saudi Civil Defense warns of thunderstorms, dust storms

JEDDAH: The General Directorate of Saudi Civil Defense has urged residents to take precautionary measures against thunderstorms and dust storms that are likely to affect some regions between Friday and Monday. 

The organization, acting on information from the National Center of Meteorology, said the Makkah region will be affected by moderate to heavy rains that may lead to torrential flows. The areas of Taif, Maysan, Adham, Al-Khurmah, Al-Ardiyat, Turbah, Rania, Al-Muwayh, Qia, Khulais, Al-Kamil, Al-Jumum, Bahra, Al-Lith, and Al-Qunfudhah are expected to be hit.

The Riyadh region is also expected to suffer, including the capital, Al-Kharj, Wadi Al-Dawasir, As-Sulayyil, Afif, Al-Duwadmi, Shaqra, Al-Zulfi, Al-Majma’ah, Al-Quwa’iyah, Al-Ghat, Hotat Bani Tamim, Al-Aflaj, Thadiq, Ramah, Al-Muzahimiyah, Al-Diriyah, Dhurma, Huraymila and Al-Dalam.

Authorities stressed the need to stay away from areas where torrents gather, and not to swim in dangerous places. 

Residents have been advised to adhere to instructions announced through the media. 

The regions of Asir, Al-Baha, Jazan, Najran, Madinah, Hail, Tabuk, Al-Jawf, the northern borders, Al-Qasim and the eastern borders are also expected to be affected.

Moderate rains and winds resulting in dust storms are expected in the Makkah region, including Jeddah and Rabigh.

The Civil Defense has stressed the need to stay away from areas where torrents gather, and not to swim in dangerous places.

Residents have been advised to adhere to instructions announced through the media.