Saudi Arabia marks World Meteorological Day

Saudi Arabia marks World Meteorological Day
The WMO has paid tribute to meteorological and hydrological facilities, which collect and consolidate weather prediction data 24 hours a day. (Photo courtesy of Saudi National Center of Meteorology)
Short Url
Updated 24 March 2023

Saudi Arabia marks World Meteorological Day

Saudi Arabia marks World Meteorological Day

JEDDAH: World Meteorological Day, observed on March 23 every year, is celebrated this year under the theme “The Future of Weather, Climate and Water Across Generations.”

It aims to join efforts at all national, regional and international levels to address the causes of extreme weather events and climate change, as well as the increasing scarcity of water resources.

The occasion also falls on the anniversary of the World Meteorological Organization’s establishment in 1950. The organization acts as an international umbrella that deals with weather and climate predictions, and serves as an effective channel for international cooperation in this vital area of development, urbanization and stability of humans and living organisms on the planet.

Through this year’s theme, the organization aims to pay tribute to the 24-hour national services of the meteorological and hydrological facilities, which collect and consolidate weather prediction data. 

Saudi Arabia is one of the founding states of the organization and undertook significant work in the field of meteorology at the local, regional and international levels. Its work in this regard is reflected in its functions on meteorology and climate, as well as through eight regional and international centers.

These centers are the Jeddah Regional Communication Center, the Regional Center for Drought Monitoring and Early Warning, the Jeddah Regional Climate Center, the Jeddah Global Information System Center, the Operational Information Center for Air Navigation Services, the Jeddah Historical Information Rescue Center, the Atmospheric and Hydrological Research Center, and the Agricultural Meteorology Research Center. 


Saudi astronauts Earth-bound after 8 days in space

Saudi astronauts Earth-bound after 8 days in space
Updated 35 sec ago

Saudi astronauts Earth-bound after 8 days in space

Saudi astronauts Earth-bound after 8 days in space
  • Rayyanah Barnawi is the first Saudi Arabian and Arab woman to go into space

DUBAI: Saudi astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali AlQarni are scheduled to return to Earth late Tuesday after spending eight days on the International Space Station (ISS), where they conducted a series of science experiments.

Barnawi, the first Saudi Arabian and Arab woman to go into space, and AlQarni arrived at the space station on May 22 as part of the private AX-2 mission launched by Axiom Space.

TIMELINE: AX-2 mission’s return to Earth

“The four-member multinational astronaut crew is scheduled to undock no earlier than 3:05 p.m. (GMT) Tuesday, May 30, from the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to begin the journey home and splashdown off the coast of Florida,” a NASA statement said.

“Ax-2 Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot John Shoffner, and Mission Specialists Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi, both representing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, will complete approximately nine days in space at the conclusion of their mission. Their SpaceX Dragon will return to Earth with more than 300 pounds of cargo, including NASA hardware and data from over 20 different experiments,” the statement added.

NASA will provide live coverage of the undocking and departure of AX-2 mission from the ISS, while Axiom Space will livestream the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft’s re-entry and splashdown on the company’s website.

The Axiom Mission-2 and Expedition 69 crew members pose for a portrait together during dinner time aboard the International Space Station. (NASA)

During their eight-day stay at the space station, the Saudi astronauts did a series of experiments, among them a heat transmission study with Saudi students across the Kingdom concerning the space station’s microgravity and earth.

“Results have shown that heat travels slower in space than it does on earth,” a report from state news agency SPA said.

A space kite experiment that involved 12,000 11- to 13-year-old middle school students from 47 schools across Saudi Arabia was also conducted through a live video feed with the space-bound Saudis.

The Ax-2 astronauts on Monday joined the Expedition 69 crew members for a joint farewell ceremony.

In 1985, air force pilot Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz took part in a US-organized space voyage, becoming the first Saudi in space.


King Abdulaziz Foundation, Boutique Group sign deal to preserve Saudi heritage and history

King Abdulaziz Foundation, Boutique Group sign deal to preserve Saudi heritage and history
Updated 30 May 2023

King Abdulaziz Foundation, Boutique Group sign deal to preserve Saudi heritage and history

King Abdulaziz Foundation, Boutique Group sign deal to preserve Saudi heritage and history
  • Focus on research, holding summits, exhibitions, workshops
  • ‘Aim to boost Kingdom as global tourist, culture destination’

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives and the Boutique Group, owned by the Public Investment Fund, have signed a memorandum of understanding to preserve the Kingdom’s “captivating history and legacy,” the group announced on Monday.

The agreement will cover research and the holding of various events, including on culture, literature and geography, at Tuwaiq Palace in the Diplomatic Quarter, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The memorandum was signed by CEO Turki Al-Showair on behalf of the foundation, also known as Darah, and CEO Mark DeCocinis, for the Boutique Group.

It includes collaboration on “scientific studies and research on the history of palaces and the essence of royal hospitality,” the Boutique Group said in a statement.

The deal includes holding summits, exhibitions and workshops, and spreading awareness through advertising, media campaigns and artworks.

Al-Showair said: “The Kingdom is proceeding on the path of rapid and deliberate development and progress, in accordance with the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030 and its inspiring programs.”

 

 

The agreement “aims to support the Boutique Group by providing reliable and steady historical content, in a way that contributes to preserving the Kingdom’s heritage.”

He said the pact was part of the Darah foundation’s commitment to fulfill its mission of serving the Kingdom through the preservation and publication of all relevant documentation.

Al-Showair said it would serve to introduce the country’s “glorious history and heritage rooted in the national identity that everyone cherishes.”

DeCocinis said the Kingdom has a rich, largely unexplored cultural history, which the deal would now make more widely available to the world.

The Boutique Group was set up to provide an authentic Saudi experience that contributes to supporting the local economy. Its mandate is to further enhance the Kingdom’s position as a global tourist destination by developing “historic and cultural palaces, and royal residences, into ultra-luxury boutique hotels.”


KSrelief continues providing healthcare services to Syrian refugees in Lebanon

KSrelief continues providing healthcare services to Syrian refugees in Lebanon
Updated 30 May 2023

KSrelief continues providing healthcare services to Syrian refugees in Lebanon

KSrelief continues providing healthcare services to Syrian refugees in Lebanon
  • KSrelief’s Arsal Medical Center in Baalbek delivered 9,456 services to 4,186 patients in April

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s aid agency has continued providing healthcare services to Syrian refugees and the host community in Lebanon.

The Arsal Medical Center in Baalbek, operating under King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), delivered 9,456 services to 4,186 patients in April.

“This initiative reflects Saudi Arabia’s commitment, represented by KSrelief, to provide humanitarian aid to those in need, particularly Syrian refugees, to alleviate their suffering in light of the ongoing humanitarian crisis they are facing,” state news agency SPA reported.

The aid agency continued its surgical voluntary program in Cameroon’s Maroua where 22 volunteer doctors have so far examined 605 cases and performed 303 operations.

The program, held in collaboration with Al-Balsam International Organization, will run until June 2.

In Yemen, KSrelief concluded its voluntary medical project for specialized clinics in family medicine, preventive medicine, and dermatology.

As part of the project, which took place in Mukalla from May 21 to May 28, KSrelief’s volunteer medical team served 1,794 individuals in the family medicine and preventive medicine clinics, and 1,079 individuals in the dermatology clinics.


Saudi project dismantles 875 Houthi mines in Yemen within one week

Saudi project dismantles 875 Houthi mines in Yemen within one week
Updated 30 May 2023

Saudi project dismantles 875 Houthi mines in Yemen within one week

Saudi project dismantles 875 Houthi mines in Yemen within one week

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Masam project dismantled 875 mines, planted by the Houthi militia across Yemen, in the last week of May.

Overseen by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), a specialist team removed 11 anti-personnel mines, 165 anti-tank mines, 686 unexploded ammunition, and 13 explosive devices, reported Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

In Aden, the team dismantled three anti-personnel mines, 11 anti-tank mines, 519 unexploded ammunition, and seven explosive devices.

The ongoing project aims to clear Yemeni lands of mines and save people’s lives, said the SPA statement.


Saudi Armed Forces launch ‘Eagle Resolve 23’ with GCC, US troops

Saudi Armed Forces launch ‘Eagle Resolve 23’ with GCC, US troops
Updated 30 May 2023

Saudi Armed Forces launch ‘Eagle Resolve 23’ with GCC, US troops

Saudi Armed Forces launch ‘Eagle Resolve 23’ with GCC, US troops

RIYADH: The Saudi Armed Forces launched a joint exercise on Sunday with the participation of forces from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the US, the Kingdom’s defense ministry announced on Monday.
The “Eagle Resolve 23” drill, which was launched at the Air Warfare Center in the Eastern Province, aims to enhance military cooperation, exchange expertise in the field of missile air defense and unify planning and implementation of procedures.
It will also consolidate the principles and foundations of coordination for joint action to reach a required operational compatibility and integration, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Brig. Gen. Uqab bin Awad Al-Mutairi, the commander of the duty force in the joint exercise, said the forces participating in the exercise will implement a number of theoretical and practical exercises, including air and missile operations with live ammunition, defensive counter-air operations, air-to-air refueling operations, and surface-to-naval warfare operations, electronic warfare, naval incursions, defense against weapons of mass destruction and mass casualties.
He added that the exercise is being implemented for the first time in the Kingdom, where preparatory meetings and academic lectures for the exercise began last week.
Prior to that, eight conferences were also held, seven of which were in Riyadh and another in Tampa, Florida in the US.