Saudi’s Formula E races showcase Kingdom’s sustainability efforts, says top driver

Saudi’s Formula E races showcase Kingdom’s sustainability efforts, says top driver
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Updated 02 February 2023

Saudi’s Formula E races showcase Kingdom’s sustainability efforts, says top driver

Saudi’s Formula E races showcase Kingdom’s sustainability efforts, says top driver
  • Mexico City E Prix winner Jake Dennis impressed by nation’s evolution
  • Made world breakthrough at Diriyah, he says on ‘The Mayman Show’

DIRIYAH: Saudi Arabia’s Formula E races at Diriyah showcase the Kingdom’s ever-evolving sustainability efforts, according to top driver Jake Dennis from team Avalanche Andretti. 

Dennis, who appeared recently on “The Mayman Show,” made his debut at the first-ever Diriyah E Prix in 2018, which he regards as the ideal location to host electric car racing. 

 

 

“I think the cool thing with Formula E is we don’t just race countries just for the sake of it, you know. We don’t just choose a location to go, okay, we want to race there just because it’s cool. You know, every race we go to, there’s a reason. Saudi are obviously doing their best to try and promote sustainability,” he said. 

This season’s debut of the Gen3 car is an example of the ongoing focus on protecting the planet and is likely to be the future of motorsport. “These cars are super-fast now, you know, the acceleration is the same as Formula One cars … We reach some serious top speeds of close to 300 kph.” 

Dennis said that Saudi Arabia is shattering the stereotype of an oil-producing country. “So it’s great to see that, you know, even though, yes, they are known for oil and obviously bringing a lot from that. But it’s to try and promote sustainability. And I think a lot of countries need to lean more towards that as well.” 

 

 

The driving prodigy from Nuneaton, England, who started competing at the age of 8, said his fondest moment was at the City of Earth Diriyah for his first E Prix. “It was actually here, because this was where they used to hold the first race of the year and … it’s my first one.”  

Dennis said he was impressed with how Diriyah’s circuit has been developed over a short period and that it has now become a favorite with drivers. “I think the most standout thing of the circuit is just that it’s a night race, so it really makes these cars look alive. You know, it’s super fast through the mountain section.  

“So just the circuit has such good flow, such good rhythm. And for the driver, that’s what makes a great circuit. And today, obviously, under the floodlights, it’s a very special feeling. And yes, I mean, I enjoy coming back here each year.” 

 

 

Dennis said the most important moment for him as a driver was making his debut. “You’re in the garages at the moment and you drive to the grid and you’ve got that one lap to like, you know, get all your emotions out. 

“And you really think, okay, I need to fully focus for this and give it my all, and then you’re set on the grid waiting for the lights to come on. Okay, this is it. Like I’ve made it. I now need to perform and do well, what I’ve been made to do. 

 

 

“I think every racing driver has experienced that at least once in their life. And if their goal is always changing, then they’ll experience it a few times. But, you know, that main goal is just to make it as a professional, that that would be it. And something which, you know, I remember forever.” 

Dennis made his debut in the 2020–21 Formula E World Championship driving for the BMW Andretti team. His first victory came in the second race of the 2021 Valencia E Prix, held at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, and a second win in the first race at the Excel Arena in London. 

 

 


Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy a unique bond of friendship, trust

Updated 16 sec ago

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy a unique bond of friendship, trust

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy a unique bond of friendship, trust

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia’s relationship is unique. There aren’t many examples of inter-state relations where countries not only share the same worldview, values and geo-political interests; but also have unwavering public support and affection at the
grass-root levels. 

Even before the two states existed in their current form, the peoples of both countries felt a unique connection defined by a common religion, culture and heritage. Over generations, this unwavering public sentiment has ensured that both countries look at one another as trusted partners.  

There are many factors that shape this remarkable relationship. First, our relationship is defined by trust. The people and the leadership of both countries have been a constant support for each other throughout history. 

Second, public support is visible across the political and institutional spectrum in the two countries. 

Third, despite ever-evolving geo-political situations, the two countries have not let external factors affect their fraternal bond. 

Fourth, there is a natural confluence in the identities and ethos of the two countries. Pakistan may be situated in South Asia but our freedom struggle — based on two nations theory — gave birth to an ideology that was shaped more by our collective Islamic identity than our geography. 

The Muslims of South Asia had always harbored a collective nostalgia for a Muslim Ummah. We have cherished and celebrated the same heroes as our Muslim brothers in the Middle East and elsewhere. 

This sense of belonging and oneness has been a key factor in shaping our ties with the Arab and Muslim countries. And nowhere is this affinity more pronounced than in the case of our relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 

Fifth, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have common aspirations of peace, economic development and harmony, not only in the region but also beyond. They face similar challenges to peace and security emanating from our region. This creates imperatives for both countries to build strong partnerships and pool in their energies and resources to achieve common objectives. 

Sixth, both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia want to transform their societies on modern lines through economic growth and development, but at the same time, they want to stay true to their traditional outlook and culture. 

While we may acknowledge the rapid growth and advancement made by the West, especially in science and technology, we are also aware that there is great value in our own traditions and sensibilities. 

Going forward, there is no doubt that the two countries would continue building on this unique partnership and further solidify their strategic ties. 

As the Kingdom pursues the ambitious development agenda, new avenues for cooperation are constantly opening up. 

Pakistan not only supports Kingdom in its endeavors to transform its economy and society but is looking to play a significant role in its success. The partnership between the two countries will usher in a new era of progress and prosperity for their people. 

  • M. Zulqarnain Chheena is the first secretary at Pakistan’s embassy in Riyadh.

OIC chief calls water conservation awareness

OIC chief calls water conservation awareness
Updated 28 min 34 sec ago

OIC chief calls water conservation awareness

OIC chief calls water conservation awareness
  • He emphasized that water security has assumed strategic importance for the organization’s member states

JEDDAH: Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Hissein Brahim Taha said that the theme of this year’s International World Water Day, “Be the change,” is a call to promote awareness about water conservation and to seek alternative water sources and regulations for a water-secure future.

He underlined that the water crisis, like any other global crisis, requires a cohesive international community that enables its stakeholders to work collectively toward common goals by facilitating knowledge-sharing and capacity-building.

The OIC chief emphasized that water security has assumed strategic importance for the organization’s member states. The challenges of ensuring access to water and managing unpredictable water-related risks are becoming more pronounced, he added.

The “enormity of the challenge requires indeed a collective response within a framework of cooperation at global, regional and sub-regional levels,” Taha said.

He reiterated that the OIC remains committed to ensuring the realization of its Water Vision Implementation Plan, approved in Egypt in 2018, “which provides a framework for promoting cooperation for a water-secure future through increased collaboration, exchange of best practices, technology transfer, capacity-building and development of expertise in various water-related disciplines.”

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is participating in the UN Water Conference, which is being held at UN headquarters in New York between March 22-24.

The Kingdom’s delegation is led by Abdulaziz Al-Shaibani, the undersecretary for water affairs at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and includes other representatives from the water sector in the Kingdom.

The delegation will participate in several plenary meetings during the conference to shed light on the Kingdom’s experience in water sustainability over the past five years. New initiatives are expected to be announced during the conference to help address the challenges facing the least developed countries.


Winners of 24th King Salman Award for Holy Qur’an to be honored in Riyadh

Winners of 24th King Salman Award for Holy Qur’an to be honored in Riyadh
Updated 33 min 40 sec ago

Winners of 24th King Salman Award for Holy Qur’an to be honored in Riyadh

Winners of 24th King Salman Award for Holy Qur’an to be honored in Riyadh
  • More than 3,000 compete in 6 divisions, with 105 contestants making it to the finals

RIYADH: Prince Faisal bin Bandar, governor of Riyadh, will attend the 24th King Salman Award for the Holy Qur’an memorization, recitation and interpretation for boys, which will be held on Thursday. 

The ceremony, organized and supervised by the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance, will be held at the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh in the presence of the Saudi Islamic Minister Sheikh Abdullatif Al-Asheikh, along with scholars, senior officials, and ambassadors and directors of charities for memorization of the Qur’an in the Kingdom.

More than 3,000 contestants took part in the preliminaries, 105 of whom made it to the finals. The contestants in the preliminaries participated in six divisions of the competition. The first division is memorizing the Qur’an entirely with good performance and intonation with seven frequent readings. 

The second is memorizing the Qur’an entirely with good performance, intonation, and interpretation of the vocabulary of the Qur’an, and the third division is memorizing the entire Qur’an with good performance and intonation. 

The fourth division of the competition involves memorizing 20 consecutive parts of the Qur’an with good performance; the fifth division involves memorizing 10 consecutive parts of the Qur’an with good performance and intonation; and the last division of the competition involves memorizing five consecutive parts of the Qur’an with good performance and intonation.

The King Salman award for memorization of the Qur’an for girls will be held on Friday evening in the presence of King Salman’s wife, Princess Fahda bint Falah Al-Hathleen, at the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh.

Prizes worth SR3 million ($800,000) will be distributed among the winners in the six divisions of the competition.


Mawhiba announces names of gifted students for the year

Mawhiba announces names of gifted students for the year
Updated 35 min 1 sec ago

Mawhiba announces names of gifted students for the year

Mawhiba announces names of gifted students for the year
  • The competition featured 25,000 students

RIYADH: The King Abdulaziz and his Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba), the Ministry of Education, and the Education and Training Evaluation Authority represented by the National Center for Assessment announced the results of this year’s National Program for Gifted Identification.

“Participants included students from 40 different nationalities and Saudi students from 13 different regions in the Kingdom,” said Dr. Basil Al-Sadhan, Mawhiba’s deputy secretary-general.

Last year, the competition saw the participation of 17,000 students, while this year, it featured 25,000 students, said Dr. Mohammed Al-Moqbel, undersecretary of the Ministry of Education.

Compared to last year, there was “a huge increase in the number of discovered gifted students,” said Al-Sadhan.

The aim of the program is to discover students who are gifted in science and technology and to direct them through appropriate care programs.

“Gifted, promising students and their accomplishments should be reflected in our society, to raise the spirit of competition among students,” said Dr. Abdullah Al-Qatie, executive director of the National Center for Assessment.

“An important element for the success of this program is to train teachers on how to spot and deal with gifted students. A teacher who is trained to deal with gifted students has to be carefully selected,” he said.

He added: “It is our responsibility and priority to provide gifted students with a suitable, safe and supportive environment.”

In light of the increased number of students participating this year, Mawhiba has announced new plans to further improve the effectiveness of the program.

These include opening an international training program for high school students, led by researchers from prestigious universities; reaching out to undiscovered gifted students residing in small towns in the Kingdom; and improving on the special curriculum for gifted students.


KSrelief chief calls for expansion of global humanitarian donor base

KSrelief chief calls for expansion of global humanitarian donor base
Updated 40 min 30 sec ago

KSrelief chief calls for expansion of global humanitarian donor base

KSrelief chief calls for expansion of global humanitarian donor base
  • Only a small number of donors fund over 80% of aid operations around the world, says Al-Rabeeah

RIYADH: Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah said that only a small number of donors fund over 80 percent of humanitarian operations around the world, calling upon other countries to help expand the donor base to meet growing needs.

Speaking at a session titled “Soaring humanitarian needs and limited resources: Engaging emerging donors and new sources of financing” at the European Humanitarian Forum, which is being held in Brussels March 20-22, Al-Rabeeah stressed the importance of expanding the donor base for global humanitarian action.

It is important to expand that base to reduce the cost for donors, Al-Rabeeah said, calling for intensified efforts on the part of countries, institutions and the private sector to finance global humanitarian action.

Al-Rabeeah recalled the generous directive of King Salman to involve the private sector in financing worldwide humanitarian work and task the center with launching campaigns in response to humanitarian crises, noting that the center supports international humanitarian action and UN institutions.

Saudi Arabia, in partnership with the World Food Programme, annually carries out a campaign worth over $136 million, gifting dates to 72 countries, Al-Rabeeah said.

KSrelief also supported the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic by providing vaccines, medical supplies and financial support.

Al-Rabeeah noted that the Kingdom is chair of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ donor group for 2022-2023, adding that Saudi Arabia has been active in contacting donors, mobilizing their support for OCHA, and working with the group to expand the donor base and provide solutions to humanitarian problems.

At the forum in the Belgian capital, KSrelief showcased its humanitarian work in 90 countries. The center’s pavilion featured projects involving food security, health, safety, emergency relief, education and shelter for the displaced.

It also showcased KSrelief’s reach to beneficiaries through air and land bridges and its projects implemented in Yemen, including the Masam project to clear the country of mines, an initiative to rehabilitate child soldiers and the establishment of a center for prosthetics.

On the sidelines of the forum, Al-Rabeeah met with EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic. 

The two officials discussed issues related to humanitarian and relief affairs, and ways to develop them, as well as the key topics touched upon in the forum.

Lenarcic commended Saudi Arabia’s active participation in the forum and the donors’ conference for people affected by the earthquake in Syria and Turkiye, highlighting KSrelief’s efforts in supporting humanitarian aid worldwide.

Haifa Al-Jedea, ambassador and head of the Saudi mission to the EU, also attended the meeting.