Uranium in Saudi Arabia ‘will fuel nuclear industry’, energy minister says

Uranium in Saudi Arabia ‘will fuel nuclear industry’, energy minister says
Saudi Arabia’s energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman (AFP)
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Updated 16 January 2023

Uranium in Saudi Arabia ‘will fuel nuclear industry’, energy minister says

Uranium in Saudi Arabia ‘will fuel nuclear industry’, energy minister says
  • Saudi Arabia has a nascent nuclear program that it wants to expand to eventually include proliferation-sensitive uranium enrichment

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has discovered “significant quantities” of uranium in the Kingdom and will use it to fuel the development of its nuclear power industry, Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on Wednesday.

The Kingdom wants to use nuclear power to diversify its energy mix, Prince Abdulaziz told a mining conference in Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia “intends to utilize its national uranium resources, including in joint ventures with willing partners in accordance with international commitments and transparency standards,” he said.

This would involve “the entire nuclear fuel cycle which involves the production of yellowcake, low enriched uranium and the manufacturing of nuclear fuel both for our national use and of course for export.”

The UAE has the Arab world’s only multiunit operating nuclear energy plant. It has pledged not to enrich uranium itself and not to reprocess spent fuel.

Addressing the second day of the Future Minerals Forum, Prince Abdulaziz set out the government’s plans to be a global leader in the mining sector, and reinforced the Kingdom’s determination to develop renewable energy and its ambition to become a global hub for green metal industries that would lead to more investment in the sector.

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Saudi Arabia ‘intends to utilize its national uranium resources, including in joint ventures with willing partners in accordance with international commitments and transparency standards.’

He said the Kingdom had an abundance of metals and minerals now greatly in demand in the world and was developing the structure and partnerships that could exploit them to the best advantage.

“Recent explorations showed a diverse portfolio of uranium in different geological locations within the Kingdom such as Jabal Saeed, Madinah, and Jabal Qariah in the north,” he said.

“Along with uranium, rare minerals such as titanium have been identified in significant quantities in the Kingdom, unlocking even greater investment opportunities.”

Prince Abdulaziz said the conference was a “stage for us as Saudi Arabia to reconfigure the perception of Saudi Arabia.”

He said: “Saudi Arabia has of course a leading global oil industry and we are well on the way to becoming a global leader in all forms of clean energy encompassing hydrocarbons, renewable and clean hydrogen to complement our artificial skills in oil and gas.”

The minister said the government had set “ambitious targets for its energy mix,” and this would require “a large scale of deployment of solar, wind and battery storage projects across the Kingdom. Manufacturing these components will also create a demand surge for minerals like copper, aluminum, zinc, nickel, lithium, and silicon,” he said.


Saudi Arabia to create ‘Woven’ cultural legacy at 4th London Design Biennale

Saudi Arabia to create ‘Woven’ cultural legacy at 4th London Design Biennale
Updated 19 sec ago

Saudi Arabia to create ‘Woven’ cultural legacy at 4th London Design Biennale

Saudi Arabia to create ‘Woven’ cultural legacy at 4th London Design Biennale
  • Sadu-style, 50m tapestry creation allows visitor input
  • Ruba Alkhaldi and Lojain Rafaa are designers, curators

LONDON: Saudi Arabia is participating in the 4th London Design Biennale with a pavilion entitled “Woven” created by two leading female designers.

Over the course of the 25-day biennale, which kicked off on Thursday, a 50-meter-long tapestry will be woven by visitors to the Saudi Pavilion, based on the traditional “Sadu” weaving practice.

This is the first time that the Kingdom, which is being represented by the Architecture and Design Commission — part of the Ministry of Culture — has participated in the annual exhibition with a large-scale interactive display.

“We had an invited call for participation to allow many of our designers to have an opportunity to be part of showcasing their work,” which “shows how now there is a legacy that we are building on,” Dr. Sumayah Al-Solaiman, CEO of the commission, told Arab News.

“The traditional arts of weaving, for instance, it’s also very future, forward-looking in the sense that it’s a collaborative design piece where every thread that is now put into the woven canvas is some sort of a timestamp of what is important in our future. And allowing all the participants who would like to be part of this to have a voice and tell us what is important to them,” she added.

The installation has been designed and curated by leading Saudi designers Ruba Alkhaldi and Lojain Rafaa, and consists of a large loom and visual displays. Participants have a choice of weaving one of five different color threads, each representing innovation, nature, spirituality, knowledge and wellness.

Al-Solaiman said one of the commission’s aims was to showcase the richness of Saudi culture. “If we look at the traditional art, traditional architecture and how all of that is influencing our cultural renaissance at this time, it’s an amazing time for us to have this multiplicity of voices coming in and showcasing that.”

She said the response has been “resoundingly positive,” and they were excited to see the outcome as it would give them a more historical view, while also creating a legacy that they would display at future venues.

Al-Solaiman said that the work had to follow the theme of this year’s biennale, which is “The Global Game: Remapping Collaborations.”

“When you remap collaboration, thinking about the past, the present, but then also the future, I think this work really brings all of those together.”

The commission’s strategy is aligned with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan and is responsible for regulating and uplifting the architecture and design sector, she said. This includes community engagement, talent development, gross domestic product contribution, diversification of the economy, research, and celebrating the products of Saudi architects and designers nationally and internationally, she added.

Alkhaldi, who is a design innovation strategist, said she focuses on how design could drive future innovation. The collaborative interactive installation was a platform where the participants’ thoughts and perceptions about the future “will be bonded and connected through what we call the fabric of humanity.”

Alkhaldi said that they were inspired by the Sadu craftspeople because it was led by powerful nomad women in the desert who had limited resources and created multiple ways to assemble and create fabric.

“That fabric, at the end, extended value to affect us socially, culturally and even on the level of architecture and art — it’s included in tents, in houses and part of our culture till now.

“It was a symbol of revolution and we wanted to recreate that sense of revolution within the experience in the London Design Biennale,” said the 34-year-old from Dammam in the Eastern Province.

Alkhaldi added that they were also inspired by Vision 2030 which focuses on creating an innovative community in Saudi Arabia and encourages people to share their thoughts and opinions, and the installation was meant to show their welcoming nature.

“We’re trying to tell people that we are welcoming our opinions, our thoughts and let’s interlace it together to shape the future globally, not just locally,” she added.

She said there was positive feedback from people of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds, interacting and sharing stories about their culture and weaving techniques.

Victoria Broackes, director of the biennale, said the theme of remapping collaboration was about bringing countries, nations and cities together — and also different disciplines and ideas, to find new ways of working.

“The exhibits that we have here from Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Dubai visibly show how these ideas do not come from one type of discipline, they come from a multitude of different people and types of people working together,” she added.


Saudi authorities seize drugs worth more than $4.7m

Saudi authorities seize drugs worth more than $4.7m
Updated 09 June 2023

Saudi authorities seize drugs worth more than $4.7m

Saudi authorities seize drugs worth more than $4.7m
  • Bids to smuggle Captagon pills through Haditha port foiled
  • Two arrests made following coordination between ZATCA and the General Directorate for Narcotics Control

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority has foiled two separate attempts to smuggle hundreds of thousands of Captagon pills through Haditha port.
The Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday that ZATCA foiled an attempt to smuggle 365,166 Captagon pills hidden in a truck coming through the port, as well as discovering another 101,160 pills hidden in a different vehicle.
The seized drugs had an estimated street value ranging from $4.5 million to $11.25 million according to the International Journal of Addiction Research, which said users pay between $10 and $25 per pill.
Two people were arrested following coordination between ZATCA and the General Directorate for Narcotics Control. A statement from ZATCA said that the authority “spares no effort to tighten its grip over the Kingdom’s imports and exports.”
ZATCA further warned that it would be “extra vigilant” against smugglers to realize its goal of “strengthening security and protecting society against any harm caused by drugs and other contraband.”
Members of the public can report suspected smuggling or other violations of the customs system in strict confidence via email — [email protected] — or through the designated number for security reports: 1910 from within the country, +966114208417 from overseas. A financial reward is offered if the information leads to discovery of a crime.
 


Green Riyadh reaches its fifth station, Qurtubah neighborhood

Green Riyadh reaches its fifth station, Qurtubah neighborhood
Updated 09 June 2023

Green Riyadh reaches its fifth station, Qurtubah neighborhood

Green Riyadh reaches its fifth station, Qurtubah neighborhood

Riyadh: Urban greening works began in the Qurtubah neighborhood of Riyadh on Thursday, a continuation of a tree planting initiative in the city’s residential neighborhoods within the framework of the Green Riyadh project.

The work in the Qurtubah neighborhood includes planting trees and shrubs and establishing parks and green areas.

The program aims to plant more than 92,000 trees and shrubs in the neighborhood and build 34 gardens. Trees will be planted in the surrounding areas of four schools, 56 mosques, nine parking lots, eight governmental facilities, and along 44 km of roads and streets in Qurtubah.

The types of trees and shrubs to be planted include acacia gerrardii, acacia pruinocarpa, acacia salicina, acacia tortilis spirocarpa, and balanites aegyptiaca, all of which are heat-tolerant and suitable for the Kingdom’s summer climate.

Details of the urban greening works were announced during an interactive event held in Qurtubah, where visitors had the chance to familiarize themselves with the project’s various phases and see what the neighborhood will look like once it is complete.

The exhibition showcasing details of the greening project in Qurtubah is open for one week and includes a space for children to learn about the importance of planting trees and the role they can play in community tree-planting events across the city.

The urban greening works in Qurtubah have wide-ranging environmental, social and economic impacts, reducing temperatures and protecting biological diversity, improving the well-being of the neighborhood’s residents, increasing the global attractiveness of Riyadh, and reducing annual power consumption by 650 GW per hour.

Next on the list of Green Riyadh projects are the neighborhoods of Al-Ghadeer and Al-Nakhil. Contracts have already been signed for the implementation of greening projects in these neighborhoods.

The Green Riyadh program is one of Riyadh’s four megaprojects launched by the Saudi leadership in 2019, contributing to achieving the goals of the Saudi Green Initiative and the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

Green Riyadh aims to plant over 7.5 million trees in the city of Riyadh, raise the vegetation cover’s proportion to 9.1 percent of the city’s area, and increase the share of green space per individual from 1.7 square meters to 28 square meters per capita, which is 16 times higher than the current share.


Saudi Armed Forces, GCC, US troops conclude military exercises

Saudi Armed Forces, GCC, US troops conclude military exercises
Updated 09 June 2023

Saudi Armed Forces, GCC, US troops conclude military exercises

Saudi Armed Forces, GCC, US troops conclude military exercises
  • ‘Eagle Resolve 23’ drill held to raise combat readiness
  • 8-month project included air, sea, land, cyber operations

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Armed Forces have concluded military exercises with GCC countries and the US, the Kingdom’s Defense Ministry announced on Thursday.

The “Eagle Resolve 23” drill, which was launched at the Air Warfare Center in the Eastern Province, aimed to raise combat efficiency, achieve operational readiness, and exchange expertise on planning and implementation at all levels.

It was held to demonstrate the depth of strategic and military relations with the GCC countries and the US, the ministry said in a statement.

Over the course of two weeks, the countries participated in various exercises including air and missile combat with live ammunition, defensive counter-air operations, air-to-air refueling, surface-to-naval warfare, electronic warfare, naval incursions, defense against weapons of mass destruction and handling mass casualties.

The closing ceremony was attended by Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Fayyad Al-Ruwaili, the chiefs of staff of the participating countries, Commander of the Saudi Air Force Lt. Gen. Turki bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, and a number of senior officers of the Saudi Armed Forces.

Maj. Gen. Fahad bin Hamad Al-Salman, the exercise director, said the drill and its various scenarios took place over more than eight months, during which several conferences and seminars were held in the Kingdom and the US.

The chiefs of staff were briefed on the working groups involved, and attended a “Senior Leaders” symposium, during which issues of common interest were discussed.

As part of the symposium’s activities, the Commander of the Naval Forces at the US Central Command Lt. Gen. Brad Cooper, gave a lecture entitled “Partnerships and Innovation,” while the Saudi side presented two lectures entitled “Air Defense in Joint Operations” and “Information Operations.”


Princess Sara, wife of Saudi crown prince, sponsors Alnahda charity ceremony

Princess Sara, wife of Saudi crown prince, sponsors Alnahda charity ceremony
Updated 09 June 2023

Princess Sara, wife of Saudi crown prince, sponsors Alnahda charity ceremony

Princess Sara, wife of Saudi crown prince, sponsors Alnahda charity ceremony

RIYADH: Princess Sara bint Mashhour, the wife of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, sponsored the ceremony of Alnahda Society held in Diriyah, Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.

The non-profit organization was founded in 1962 to empower Saudi women socially and economically through financial assistance, training and job skill development.

The patronage of Princess Sara is an extension of her efforts to empower others, especially the youth, women and those with disabilities, by enabling them to become active members of society.

The entire proceeds of the ceremony will go toward the organization’s vocational rehabilitation program, which includes academic support and workshops to help people develop personal and social skills. 

During her speech at the ceremony, Princess Moudi bint Khalid bin Abdulaziz, chairwoman of Al-Nahdha, expressed her appreciation to Princess Sara for her charitable work, her passion for social development and the non-profit sector, and her support of youth empowerment projects.