International Obesity Day aims to encourage healthy lifestyles

Saudi ministry is working with health and sports authorities to raise awareness of the importance of nutritional balance and maintaining a healthy weight. (Shutterstock)
Saudi ministry is working with health and sports authorities to raise awareness of the importance of nutritional balance and maintaining a healthy weight. (Shutterstock)
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Updated 04 March 2023

International Obesity Day aims to encourage healthy lifestyles

International Obesity Day aims to encourage healthy lifestyles
  • Obesity’s main causes are unhealthy eating habits and a lack of regular physical activity. It is one of the most prevalent diseases in the world, reportedly affecting more than 2 billion people

JEDDAH: March 4 is annual International Obesity Day, during which the international community strives to raise awareness of, and establish programs to prevent, obesity, including the promotion of healthy dietary patterns and regular exercise.

Adults with a body mass index of more than 30 are generally classified as obese. Obesity’s main causes are unhealthy eating habits and a lack of regular physical activity. It is one of the most prevalent diseases in the world, reportedly affecting more than 2 billion people.

For this year’s International Obesity Day, the theme of which is “Changing Perspectives: Let's Talk About Obesity,” the Saudi Ministry of Health has launched programs including meals that use high-quality ingredients and following up with patients on a regular basis to help them improve their quality of life by changing their lifestyle.

The Saudi Press Agency reported that the ministry’s goal is “to reduce the prevalence of obesity, promote balanced nutritional behaviors and increase physical activity, in addition to providing preventive and curative services for obese citizens.” The ministry is also working with health and sports authorities to raise awareness of the importance of nutritional balance and maintaining a healthy weight.

Rheumatologist Dr. Dhiya Houssien told SPA that obesity increases the risk of arthritis, and that physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight can reduce the risk of becoming obese.

He stressed the importance of raising public awareness of the causes and risks of obesity, ways to prevent it, and of encouraging early detection.

Houssien also noted that individuals become obese due to an imbalance between the calories they consume and those they burn.

He said that obesity is a serious disease, as it can increase the likelihood of contracting a number of chronic conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, liver and kidney problems, back and joint pain, as well as shortness of breath and difficulty sleeping, in addition to psychological issues.

 


US-Saudi relationship in a period of ‘increasing convergence,’ says US secretary of state

US-Saudi relationship in a period of ‘increasing convergence,’ says US secretary of state
Updated 17 sec ago

US-Saudi relationship in a period of ‘increasing convergence,’ says US secretary of state

US-Saudi relationship in a period of ‘increasing convergence,’ says US secretary of state
  • Antony Blinken said that decades-long ties remain strong despite differing views on the decision by OPEC+ nations to cut oil-production targets
  • He added that ‘there are important opportunities for our two countries to work together to advance some very positive issues, very positive trends’

RIYADH: The decades-long strategic relationship between Saudi Arabia and the US remains strong and is going through a period of “increasing convergence,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday.

During an official trip to Saudi Arabia, Washington’s top diplomat told Hiba Nasr of Asharq News that the Kingdom and the US are successfully working together despite “a difference in views” over the decision by OPEC+ nations last October to cut oil-production targets.

“We’ve had a partnership together for decades that was grounded in security, in cooperation, energy and, in recent years, counterterrorism, and that foundation remains,” Blinken said.

“But what we’re also seeing — and what this visit reconfirms — is that there are important opportunities for our two countries to work together to advance some very positive issues, very positive trends.”

Blinken, who attended a Global Coalition Against Daesh conference in Riyadh this week, said the deescalation of tensions in the Middle East was a priority for both countries, but that the Kingdom and the US have also been working together well on a “positive trajectory based on interests we share” in other arenas.

This includes “collaboration between our countries in addressing some of the challenges that not only are of concern to our people but to people around the world, from health security to climate security to energy security to food security and, of course, the transition to clean energy, working on emerging technologies,” he added.

Blinken said the US is not abandoning the Middle East in the face of growing Chinese and Russian influence and is “here to stay” in the region.

“Day-in, day-out, we’re working with partners throughout the region and what I hear in almost all of my engagements is the US remains the No. 1 partner of choice; that is clear in what I hear, what we hear from all of our partners,” he added.

“And we’re engaging with them, working with them both to deal with many of the challenges (that you just talked about), which are real and urgent and acute, but also — and this is so important — on an affirmative agenda for the future; not just dealing with the crisis but actually trying, together, to build a better future for our people in the US and for people throughout this region.

“So, yes, we’re dealing with crises, we’re dealing with security challenges, but we’re also dealing with an affirmative agenda. And across the board on all of that, as I said, what I hear again and again is the US is our preferred partner. We are a partner and we’re here.”

On the issue of the recent Beijing-brokered agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Blinken said any and all contributions by countries, including China, to the advancement of peace in the region is a positive step.

“We applaud what happened,” he said. “Anything that deescalates tensions, that takes at least one problem off of the agenda, and in this case also may have the additional benefit of helping to advance a peace in Yemen, we think is a good thing.

“Of course, the Saudis and Iranians have been talking together for at least a couple of years to get to this place. We’ll see what happens now.

“If countries — including China — can play a positive role, wherever it is, in helping to advance peace, to reduce tensions then, again, I think that’s positive, that’s what we should all be trying to do.”

Blinken also praised Saudi Arabia for its role in joint humanitarian efforts and its attempts to help end the conflict in Sudan.

“We had, by the way in very close partnership with Saudi Arabia, some success in getting very limited ceasefires that were highly imperfect but did allow more humanitarian assistance to get in (to Sudan) and reach about 2 million people that otherwise would not have had this assistance provided to them,” he said.

With both sides in the conflict increasingly ignoring truce commitments, Blinked added that if neither side was serious about the ceasefire process, Washington has “tools at its disposal” to help bring about a lasting peace.


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 59 min 46 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.”