Saudi air force contingent in UK for Cobra Warrior drills

Saudi air force contingent in UK for Cobra Warrior drills
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Maj. Gen. Abdullah Al-Shahri, assistant commander of King Fahd Air Force Base, witnessed the events and drills of the group participating in the exercise. (SPA)
Saudi air force contingent in UK for Cobra Warrior drills
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Maj. Gen. Abdullah Al-Shahri, assistant commander of King Fahd Air Force Base, witnessed the events and drills of the group participating in the exercise. (SPA)
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Updated 16 March 2023

Saudi air force contingent in UK for Cobra Warrior drills

Saudi air force contingent in UK for Cobra Warrior drills

RIYADH: The Royal Saudi Air Force is one of seven detachments currently in action at RAF Coningsby in the UK for the Cobra Warrior 2023 exercise.

On behalf of Lt. Gen. Turki bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, commander of the Royal Saudi Air Force, Maj. Gen. Abdullah Al-Shahri, assistant commander of King Fahd Air Force Base, witnessed the events and drills of the group participating in the exercise.

Al-Shahri said the efforts of the group were reassuring and demonstrated professionalism.

He added that the Saudi pilots operated Typhoon aircraft during the exercise, which aimed to boost cooperation between the Saudi and UK forces and the other participating countries, in addition to exchanging expertise in the fields of planning and joint air operations.
 


Saudi envoy to Bangladesh visits Makkah Route airport hall in Dhaka

Saudi envoy to Bangladesh visits Makkah Route airport hall in Dhaka
Updated 14 sec ago

Saudi envoy to Bangladesh visits Makkah Route airport hall in Dhaka

Saudi envoy to Bangladesh visits Makkah Route airport hall in Dhaka
  • Al-Dahilan was briefed on the airport hall, procedures in Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia to facilitate the pilgrimage

RIYADH: Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Issa bin Youssef Al-Dahilan recently visited a hall dedicated to the Kingdom’s Makkah Route initiative at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

The scheme allows pilgrims to pass seamlessly through immigration facilities at airports in their respective countries.

Al-Dahilan was briefed on the progress of work at the airport hall as well procedures implemented in Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia to facilitate the pilgrimage.

The envoy said the initiative, launched by the Interior Ministry, was aimed at streamlining the whole pilgrim travel experience, enabling Hajj visitors from seven countries to complete immigration, cargo, and travel procedures prior to departing for the Kingdom.

Al-Dahilan lauded Bangladesh, Morocco, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Turkiye, and the Ivory Coast for their participation in the initiative.
 


UK announces new £10 visa for GCC and Jordanian nationals

UK announces new £10 visa for GCC and Jordanian nationals
Updated 51 min 2 sec ago

UK announces new £10 visa for GCC and Jordanian nationals

UK announces new £10 visa for GCC and Jordanian nationals
  • “In February 2024, we will go one step further and introduce a new ETA scheme,” the ambassador said
  • This ETA will allow visa holders to enter the UK multiple times over a two-year period and aims to make “travel to Britain cheaper and easier for visitors from the Gulf and Jordan,”

RIYADH: The UK has announced a new Electronic Travel Authorization scheme that will cost £10 ($12.44) for nationals of Jordan and Gulf Cooperation Council states.
“In June 2022, the UK introduced an Electronic Visa Waiver scheme, which allowed any Saudi citizen to apply for authorization to travel to Britain online,” British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Neil Crompton told Arab News.
“This reflected the desire of both governments to strengthen people-to-people links between the two countries,” he added.
Also in June of 2022, the UK announced that under its new ETA scheme, rolling out in 2023, nationals from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE will join Americans and Canadians in benefiting from visa-free travel through an electronic visa waiver.
“In February 2024, we will go one step further and introduce a new ETA scheme,” the ambassador said.
“Under this, applicants will be able to apply for a visa online that covers multiple visits over a two-year period. The cost will be just £10 per applicant. This will make it much easier and cheaper to travel.”
This ETA will allow visa holders to enter the UK multiple times over a two-year period and aims to make “travel to Britain cheaper and easier for visitors from the Gulf and Jordan,” as stated on gov.uk.
Previously under the EVW scheme, Gulf nationals had to pay £30 per visit to the UK and Jordanian nationals £100 for a visit visa.
The newly announced ETA aims to strengthen relations between the countries and contribute to Britain’s economy.
The scheme will be implemented for Qatari nationals later this year in October 2023 and for the rest of the GCC and Jordan in February 2024.
According to gov.uk, Gulf visitors are highly valuable to the UK economy, with over 790,000 of them spending £2 billion during their stays in the UK last year.
The process to apply is all-digital and requires applicants to upload a photograph of themselves and answer a set of suitability questions.
Earlier in 2023, the UK government announced plans to introduce a new ETA scheme as part of a digitization initiative for the UK border to further enhance security and customer experience.
In a statement, the UK Minister of State for the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia Lord Tariq Ahmad said: “I’m delighted that our partners across the Gulf and Jordan will be the first to benefit from the UK’s new Electronic Travel Authorization scheme. This scheme is further proof of the strong partnership between the UK and countries across the region.
“By cutting costs and visa requirements, the ETA scheme will ensure visitors from the Gulf states and Jordan can enjoy traveling with ease to the UK, boosting business and tourism links between our countries,” he added.


Construction work gets underway on ambitious AlUla mountain resort

Construction work gets underway on ambitious AlUla mountain resort
Updated 07 June 2023

Construction work gets underway on ambitious AlUla mountain resort

Construction work gets underway on ambitious AlUla mountain resort
  • Sharaan hotel concept and International Summit Center aims to meet sustainability goals

RIYADH: Construction work on an ambitious Saudi mountain resort has got underway in AlUla.

Making the announcement, Royal Commission for AlUla officials said the Sharaan hotel concept and International Summit Center, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, would aim to meet sustainability goals for the building phase and resort operations.

The development will be built directly into the rock formations of Sharaan Nature Reserve and has been inspired by AlUla’s ancient Nabataean architecture and dramatic desertscape.

During a ceremony at the reserve, an agreement was inked between officials from the RCU and Bouygues Construction, a French engineering group which will manage construction of the resort through a joint venture with Almabani, a leading Saudi engineering firm.

The commission’s development and construction sector is spearheading the project with consultation from Canadian firm WSP and program management support from Saudi company Jasara.

Together they will deliver a destination designed to immerse guests in the natural and cultural heritage of the Sharaan reserve.

Just as the Nabataean civilization carved structures into nearby sandstone more than 2,000 years ago, project chiefs hope the Sharaan resort will carve a new chapter in stone for AlUla’s living museum while preserving the natural scenery and native flora and fauna at the heart of the RCU’s vision.

The new resort will offer 38 suites, a spa and wellness center, kids club, sports complex, an all-day dining restaurant, and business center.

In addition, a signature fine-dining restaurant will sit atop the mountain with panoramic views of Sharaan. A glass elevator will connect the resort with a geologic and artistic experience, offering views of ancient sedimentary layers and niches filled with art and engravings.

Inside an adjacent mountain, the Sharaan International Summit Center will host events and leaders from around the world.

With a completely secure and private environment, its design will enable chance encounters and private interaction for guests with shared leisure activities in an informal setting.

Facilities will include an auditorium, meeting rooms, majlis (sitting room), library, and a sports and leisure area.

Mohammed Altheeb, RCU chief development and construction officer, said: “Sharaan resort is our most ambitious project currently under construction.

“The resort was designed with complete reverence for the human and natural history of AlUla, and we are committed to sustainable building practices in line with this same philosophy.

“The RCU and its partners are excited to unveil a new chapter in the story of these ancient mountains, where guests will experience the wonders of Sharaan Nature Reserve,” he added.


First pilgrims from Kashmir depart for this year’s Hajj 

First pilgrims from Kashmir depart for this year’s Hajj 
A pilgrim is embraced by his relative before leaving for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, in Srinagar on June 7, 2023. (AFP)
Updated 07 June 2023

First pilgrims from Kashmir depart for this year’s Hajj 

First pilgrims from Kashmir depart for this year’s Hajj 
  • 12,000 Kashmiris are going to perform the pilgrimage this year 
  • The group is the region’s largest-ever Hajj contingent 

NEW DELHI: The first batch of pilgrims from Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir left for Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to perform this year’s Hajj. 

Special Hajj flights from India started in the last week of May, catering to 175,000 pilgrims. 

Among them, 12,000 are departing from the Himalayan region that is part of the larger Kashmir — a Muslim-majority territory between India and Pakistan, both of which claim it in full and rule in part.  

The number, nearly double Kashmir’s Hajj contingent in 2022, is the region’s largest-ever group embarking on the spiritual journey that is one of the five pillars of Islam. 

“We have the highest quota this year,” Safina Baig, chairperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Haj Committee, told Arab News, as the first group of 630 pilgrims departed from Kashmir’s main airport in Srinagar. 

“It was an emotional scene with many feeling overwhelmed by the opportunity to perform Hajj in their lifetime.” 

Most of the pilgrims were selected through a draw, except for the elderly and women traveling without a mahram, or male guardian. 

“Generally, the selection process happens through a draw, but as a special gesture, we are allowing single women and people above 70 to apply directly without going through the process,” Baig said. 

“For women without a mahram, the Indian government has made special arrangements. They will stay separately, and they will have separate helpers for them. We have also sent a lady to take care of them.” 

Shamima Akhter, 56, a widow from the southern Pulwama district of Kashmir, is one of the 120 Kashmiri women pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia alone after the Kingdom’s decision last year to lift a rule that required them to be accompanied by a mahram. 

“By Allah’s grace, I got the opportunity to travel alone to perform Hajj. This is a good decision to allow single women to travel,” she told Arab News. 

She was supported by her three daughters in collecting about $5,000 to pay for her Hajj package, as the cost of the trip was more than $1,000 higher than in other regions of India.

Baig, of the local pilgrimage authority, said she had raised the issue with the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the Haj Committee of India. 

“What I understand is that the rise in the total expenses is due to the higher prices of airfare from Kashmir,” she said, hoping that there will be some assistance for the region’s pilgrims.   

“Kashmir is a Muslim-majority region, and the government should be more considerate,” Baig added. “I feel that the government should provide some relief to the Kashmiri Hajjis. It sends a good message.” 


Riyadh forum promotes Saudi esthetic medicine sector

Riyadh forum promotes Saudi esthetic medicine sector
Updated 07 June 2023

Riyadh forum promotes Saudi esthetic medicine sector

Riyadh forum promotes Saudi esthetic medicine sector
  • The forum brings together prominent organizations and figures in the world of esthetic medicine
  • Speakers on the opening day discussed safe methods in cosmetic treatment

RIYADH: The Esthetic Medical Forum began on Tuesday in Riyadh to promote esthetic medicine pioneers in the Kingdom as well as the latest technology in the world of beauty and cosmetic treatment.
The three-day forum is being held under the patronage of Princess Adwaa bint Fahad Al-Saud, ambassador of global peace and goodwill, at the Riyadh International Exhibition and Convention Center.
The forum brings together prominent organizations and figures in the world of esthetic medicine.
Speakers on the opening day discussed safe methods in cosmetic treatment, the latest developments in plastic surgery, the importance of raising public awareness about esthetic medicine, supporting Saudization in the beauty sector, and medical insurance experiences in the cosmetic sector.
Other sessions discussed activating fitness culture, building a healthy food culture and its role in beauty and health, and establishing and equipping cosmetic centers and clinics.
The forum is being attended by health care professionals, entrepreneurs, investors and pioneers in the world of esthetic medicine, highlighting the promising future of the sector in the Kingdom, including expanding on advanced laser treatment techniques for specific skin conditions and navigating patient care with expert tips for in-person and virtual consultations.
CEPCO Medical, one of the many Saudi companies to showcase its work at the forum, provides skin analysis using cutting-edge technology to analyze age-related changes.
“The skin analysis machine uses advanced imaging techniques to capture in-depth, high-resolution images of your skin, and details information about the condition of your skin,” said Ghadi Ternati, a product specialist at CEPCO.
“The forum is a great way to see the best of esthetic medical products and services all in one place; it definitely saves me time from browsing online to find the best of the best,” said Rawan Saud, a visitor at the forum.