Saudi, UAE foreign ministers discuss ties during call

Saudi, UAE foreign ministers discuss ties during call
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed hold phone call. (File/SPA/WAM)
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Updated 04 January 2023

Saudi, UAE foreign ministers discuss ties during call

Saudi, UAE foreign ministers discuss ties during call

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received a written letter from his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the Kingdom’s foreign ministry announced.
The message dealt with “the strong and firm bilateral relations that bind the two countries and peoples, and ways to support and enhance them in various fields and at all levels,” the ministry said.
The message was received by Saudi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Al-Khuraiji, during a meeting with the UAE ambassador to the Kingdom, Sheikh Nahyan bin Saif, in Riyadh.
During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations and ways to develop them in various fields, and exchanged views on issues of common concern.


Installation of 120 areas for prayer, 12,000 Zamzam water containers at Grand Mosque

Ramadan visitors to Makkah will find 120 prayer areas and 12,000 containers of Zamzam water at the Grand Mosque. (SPA)
Ramadan visitors to Makkah will find 120 prayer areas and 12,000 containers of Zamzam water at the Grand Mosque. (SPA)
Updated 10 sec ago

Installation of 120 areas for prayer, 12,000 Zamzam water containers at Grand Mosque

Ramadan visitors to Makkah will find 120 prayer areas and 12,000 containers of Zamzam water at the Grand Mosque. (SPA)
  • Visitors to the Grand Mosque will be given the opportunity to learn more about the Prophet Muhammad following an initiative by the presidency to enrich the experience of those attending the site during Ramadan

RIYADH: The Grand Mosque in Makkah boasts 120 areas for prayer and 12,000 containers of Zamzam water to help ensure a comfortable visit for pilgrims during Ramadan.

People at the location have worked round the clock on the third Northern expansion to make the mosque as safe and as hospitable as possible for visitors during the holy month.

The General Presidency of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque has prepared some 120 areas for prayer at the site. New additions to help visitors include several allocated doors for entry and exit.

Walid Al-Masoudi, the director of the General Administration of the Third Saudi Expansion at the Grand Mosque, said that the specially allocated doors would facilitate the arrival of worshippers and aid them on their way to prayer rooms on the ground and first floors, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

He added that the roof level will be used for the first time, and in the event that the internal areas of the Grand Mosque are filled, the northern and western courtyards and parts of the service buildings will be utilized as they have the capacity to accommodate more visitors.

Al-Masoudi said that in coordination with the specialized agencies and authorities, some 26 elevators had been installed.

He added: “All the praying areas of the mosque have been provided with 22,000 carpets and over 12,000 containers of Zamzam water.”

Visitors to the Grand Mosque will be given the opportunity to learn more about the Prophet Muhammad following an initiative by the presidency to enrich the experience of those attending the site during Ramadan.

 


Bisat Al-Reeh festival returns to Jeddah for 22nd year

Bisat Al-Reeh festival returns to Jeddah for 22nd year
Updated 26 March 2023

Bisat Al-Reeh festival returns to Jeddah for 22nd year

Bisat Al-Reeh festival returns to Jeddah for 22nd year
  • More than 170 exhibitors from 15 countries including Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Turkiye, Egypt, London, India and Jordan are taking part

JEDDAH: One of the biggest festivals in the Islamic world dedicated to women is holding its 22nd event in Jeddah as part of the Kingdom’s Ramadan Season.

The National Charity Foundation for Home Health Care, also known as We Care, is holding its ‘Bisat Al-Reeh’ event for six days starting on Monday at the Jeddah Superdome under the slogan “Everlasting Goodness.” 

The annual exhibition this year has two days for families and four dedicated exclusively for women to promote their creativity in fashion, jewelry and furniture and nurture young talent.

Bisat Al-Reeh is held under the patronage of Princess Adelah bint Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz and in the presence of Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan.

More than 170 exhibitors from 15 countries including Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Turkiye, Egypt, London, India and Jordan are taking part. Uzbekistan will also be represented for the first time. 

We Care said Bisat Al-Reeh encourages entrepreneurs to exchange knowledge and experience with elite society members and promotes the display of various related industrial sectors.

Proceeds have supported We Care charitable programs and activities in home healthcare and hospitals.

Princess Adelah, the chairwoman of the foundation’s board of trustees, told Arab News at last year’s event: “The foundation works for noble goals, as today it serves ten different regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“Its goals fall within providing home health care in addition to providing patients’ psychological and social needs and supporting them with medical equipment and supplies, as well as enhancing the functional capabilities of the patients and supporting them until they regain their independence.”

Ramadan Season also offers a series of cultural experiences and events in Riyadh, Jeddah and Makkah organized by the Saudi Ministry of Culture.

The season aims to celebrate areas of the Kingdom’s historical and cultural heritage that relate to the holy month.


Saudi Arabia participates in Global Children’s Designathon to create sustainable environmental solutions

Saudi Arabia participates in Global Children’s Designathon to create sustainable environmental solutions
Updated 26 March 2023

Saudi Arabia participates in Global Children’s Designathon to create sustainable environmental solutions

Saudi Arabia participates in Global Children’s Designathon to create sustainable environmental solutions
  • The children focused on innovative stories and solutions for protecting the existing ecosystems and tackling some of the environmental issues facing the planet

RIYADH: The Global Children’s Designathon, a competitive program championing design thinking and sustainable environmental solutions, took place on March 25 at King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh.

The Saudi Rukun Creative Exchange partnered with Designathon Works, a developmental and knowledge institution based in Amsterdam concerned with issues of sustainable development, to bring the event to the region.

Princess Noura Turki Al-Saud, co-founder of Rukun Creative Exchange, told Arab News: “As a certified design thinker myself, I see the power in this tool and this method, and I believe in empowering children from as early as possible.

“If we include them in the conversation from early on, they become the change-makers of the future.

“The designathon works in enabling and empowering the ability of all children, no matter their background or their abilities or their race, to be part of this conversation.”

Designathon Works launched the international competitive design program in 2014, and since its inception it has been characterized by its wide geographical scope and diversity of participants.

The task at hand on Saturday was to find ways to restore and enhance biodiversity within the Kingdom.

The children focused on innovative stories and solutions for protecting the existing ecosystems and tackling some of the environmental issues facing the planet today.

The designathon awarded categories based on values rather than a ranking system: problem-solving, the clever mind, the young innovator, and team spirit.

The children, aged 8 to 12, were put into nine groups, launching first into a research and ideation phase, and then determining the main idea and creating a tangible prototype demonstrating its functionality in the real world, before presenting their work to a panel of judges.

Princess Noura said: “I was so impressed by the ideas that [the children] showed, and their enthusiasm more than anything.

“I knew they were very happy and open, and they were very receptive to working together.”

Hussam Al-Saud won the young innovator award after creating a robot that helped with planting seeds across farmlands. Generated by solar panels, his solution utilized the Saudi sun.

He said: “I chose this so I can fulfill the Saudi Vision 2030 for a greener future.”

The problem-solving champions were team one, who prioritized the preservation of wildlife in the desert.

Ibrahim, one of the team’s members, said: “There’s no food for animals in the desert, like snakes and camels. Over 50 animals die of heat exhaustion. We came up with this [idea] where there are seeds on the drone.”

Their theory was that seeds are planted and watered using drones, and the children predicted that in just a few months, the seedlings would sprout, providing a sustainable food supply for the desert animals.

Group six triumphed in the team spirit award, with members inventing a tube that connected rivers in the desert to cities, acting as a main water source.

The children equipped their project with solar panels which chimed in the event of a power outage.

Judges commended the students on their excellent presentation skills and strength in team collaboration.

Team five took the clever mind award after members designed an area, powered by a windmill, where polluted water is treated.

Their study showed what the choices are: neglecting or nurturing the environment.

One of the team’s members said: “Our project shows what happens if you care or do not care about the environment, and informs people to take care of the environment, maybe even make a podcast and show how you can stop this from happening.”

The GCD contributes to developing children’s skills and gives them the space to participate in thinking toward building a better future.

Its values are in line with both the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and initiatives.

Rukun Creative Exchange has revealed plans to make the GCD an ongoing event.

Princess Noura said: “[We’re] looking at doing more throughout the year so it’s not just a one-time thing, but actually keeping it going throughout the year and collaborating with schools and other entities.

“Seeing this today just reinforces how much this needs to become systemized throughout schools and in part of the programs, and even teaching teachers this kind of method.”


KSrelief continues to clear land mines, rehabilitate Yemeni people

KSrelief continues to clear land mines, rehabilitate Yemeni people
Updated 26 March 2023

KSrelief continues to clear land mines, rehabilitate Yemeni people

KSrelief continues to clear land mines, rehabilitate Yemeni people
  • 400k removed from 2018 to mid-March 2023 in the country
  • 45,588 people helped with prosthetic and rehab services

RIYADH: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has continued to provide humanitarian aid to nations across the globe, including education, health, shelter, water, and demining operations, which has recently focused on Yemen.

The Masam project and the prosthetic limb program in Yemen have been able to provide much-needed support for those injured by explosive devices in the country.

Despite the danger, the Masam project teams have cleared 400,000 mines in Yemen from its launch in 2018 to mid-March 2023.

The prosthetic centers have provided over 142,000 services including physical and psychological counseling for those affected. It has benefited 45,588 people in Taiz, Aden, Marib and Seiyun from Jan. 1, 2020, to Feb. 28, 2023.

On the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action on April 4, KSrelief, along with the international community, UN and global organizations, will raise awareness of the dangers of these devices. They will seek collaboration with countries worldwide to help people.

Yemen is among the top beneficiaries of KSrelief assistance. The center has implemented 797 projects in Yemen worth over $4.2 billion.

Its programs include food, health, emergency relief, water, sanitation, shelter, education and telecommunications.


Career guidance on the agenda at Saudi human resources fund, Diriyah workshop

Saudi Human Resources Development Fund’s workshop, held in cooperation with the DGDA, saw participation of 15 education offices.
Saudi Human Resources Development Fund’s workshop, held in cooperation with the DGDA, saw participation of 15 education offices.
Updated 26 March 2023

Career guidance on the agenda at Saudi human resources fund, Diriyah workshop

Saudi Human Resources Development Fund’s workshop, held in cooperation with the DGDA, saw participation of 15 education offices.
  • The workshop aimed at reviewing vocational guidance initiatives and analyzed needs in the education sector
  • It focused on developing plans to be presented to school students and mentors

RIYADH: The Saudi Human Resources Development Fund’s workshop, which was held in cooperation with the Diriyah Gate Development Authority, saw the participation of 15 education offices.

The workshop aimed at reviewing vocational guidance initiatives and analyzed needs in the education sector. It focused on developing plans to be presented to school students and mentors.

Those in charge of the education offices were briefed on the ideas at the event, which took place at the headquarters of the DGDA.

Discussions were also held regarding the skills and needs of the labor sector to help equip students with the necessary capabilities.

Career guidance initiatives aim to empower students through integrated counseling and training, in order to help develop their skills and increase their readiness to enter the labor market.

The workshop was an extension of efforts to consolidate the concept of vocational guidance and its methods to serve the country and society in line with Saudi Vision 2030, which stipulates in its programs and objectives the promotion and development of human capabilities.