KSrelief donation of dates to reach poorest Afghans during Ramadan 

An Afghan fruit seller displays local dates at a market in Kabul on April 1, 2023, but few are able to afford the Ramadan staple amid skyrocketing prices of food. (AN Photo)
An Afghan fruit seller displays local dates at a market in Kabul on April 1, 2023, but few are able to afford the Ramadan staple amid skyrocketing prices of food. (AN Photo)
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Updated 01 April 2023

KSrelief donation of dates to reach poorest Afghans during Ramadan 

KSrelief donation of dates to reach poorest Afghans during Ramadan 
  • 100 tons of premium Saudi dates will be distributed by Afghan Red Crescent Society 
  • For many, the Ramadan staple is unaffordable amid skyrocketing prices of food 

KABUL: A Saudi donation of dates for Afghanistan will reach the country’s poorest during Ramadan, a relief coordinator said on Saturday, as most Afghans are currently unable to afford the fasting month staple.  

One hundred tons of premium Saudi dates were donated to Afghanistan by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center on Friday. The donation was received by KSrelief’s local partner, the Afghan Red Crescent Society, at the Saudi Embassy in neighboring Pakistan. 

Irrfanullah Sharfzoi, spokesman of the Afghan Red Crescent Society, told Arab News that the distribution of the donated fruits should start in the next three days, as they reach Afghanistan. 

“This assistance is very important for Afghanistan, as the Afghan Red Crescent Society had already done a survey for it, and it will be distributed to those who are really poor,” he said. 

The holy month of Ramadan is a time of celebration and unity, but with Afghanistan’s economy near collapse, families are resorting to desperate measures to buy food. 

Living costs in the country have skyrocketed and the unemployment rate has soared since major international organizations stopped operations in Afghanistan after the Taliban took control in 2021. Few can afford dates, a Ramadan staple, as their prices range between $2 per kg for the lowest quality local fruit and $35 — about the current average salary — for higher quality ones. 

Bibi Khalida, a homemaker in Kabul, whose husband works as a driver, has rarely seen the fruit on her table yet during this year’s fasting month. 

“Having dates in the month of Ramadan is very important for us because they give you a lot of energy,” she said. “I’ve been asking my husband every day in the morning since the beginning of this month to bring some dates, but most days he returns home without them.” 

The situation is no different in other households where families mostly break their fast with bread and tea. 

With the Saudi donation, some of the poorest will be able to taste the sweet flavor traditionally associated with the holy month. 

“The dates will be distributed to those who have been not able to buy them in the month of Ramadan due to the high prices,” the Red Crescent Society’s Sharfzoi said. “They will give joy to the poor families.” 


Saudi king, crown prince offer condolences to president of India after deadly train crash

Saudi king, crown prince offer condolences to president of India after deadly train crash
Updated 13 sec ago

Saudi king, crown prince offer condolences to president of India after deadly train crash

Saudi king, crown prince offer condolences to president of India after deadly train crash

RIYADH: King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman offered their condolences to the President of India Droupadi Murmu following a deadly train crash in the state of Odisha.

Nearly 300 people have died and hundreds of others were injured in eastern India when three trains collided in one of the worst rail disasters in the country’s history, authorities said on Saturday.

“We learned of the news of a collision of several trains in the state of Odisha, India, and the resulting deaths and injuries,” Saudi Press Agency reported the king as saying. 

“We share with Your Excellency the pain of this affliction, we send to you and the families of the deceased and your friendly people our condolences and sincere sympathy, wishing the injured a speedy recovery,” he added.

The crown prince also shared his “deepest condolences and sincere sympathy” to the president, SPA reported.

 


Drug dealers, smugglers arrested in raids across Kingdom

Drug dealers, smugglers arrested in raids across Kingdom
Updated 03 June 2023

Drug dealers, smugglers arrested in raids across Kingdom

Drug dealers, smugglers arrested in raids across Kingdom
  • Security patrols in Jazan also intercepted the smuggling of 160 kg of qat in the Al-Dayer governorate
  • Preliminary legal procedures were completed, and the seized items were handed to the competent authorities

RIYADH: Saudi authorities tackling drug traders and smugglers reported a number of arrests across the Kingdom in recent days.
On Saturday, Border Guard land patrols in the Al-Ardah sector of the Jazan region foiled the smuggling of 300 kg of the narcotic plant qat.
Security patrols in Jazan also intercepted the smuggling of 160 kg of qat in the Al-Dayer governorate.
Preliminary legal procedures were completed, and the seized items were handed to the competent authorities.
Meanwhile, police in the Najran region arrested a citizen for trafficking marijuana, amphetamine and regulated medical tablets. Firearms, weapons, live ammunition and mobile phones were found in his possession. He was apprehended and faced legal measures.
The General Directorate of Narcotics Control apprehended a citizen in the Turaif governorate of the Northern Borders region for trafficking amphetamine.
The directorate also apprehended two Pakistani residents in Riyadh for trafficking methamphetamine and heroin.
They were arrested, and legal measures were taken against them before their referral to the Public Prosecution.
Security patrols in the Hafar Al-Batin governorate, in the Eastern Province, arrested a Bangladeshi resident for trafficking methamphetamine. He was apprehended and faced legal measures.
The General Directorate of Narcotics Control reaffirmed its commitment to prevent drug smuggling and tighten customs procedures on imports and exports.
The Saudi government has urged anyone with information related to suspected smuggling operations or customs violations to call the confidential hotline 1910, the international number 00 966 114208417, or email [email protected]
Tips received by the authority related to smuggling crimes and breaches of common customs law are treated with strict confidentiality. Financial rewards are offered for valid tips.


Father of slain Saudi student details depths of family’s tragedy

Father of slain Saudi student details depths of family’s tragedy
Updated 03 June 2023

Father of slain Saudi student details depths of family’s tragedy

Father of slain Saudi student details depths of family’s tragedy
  • Three Saudi college students have died in the US this year, two in accidents at popular scenic locations and one who was murdered in Philadelphia
  • Saudi officials say that the deaths are very tragic but emphasize there is no evidence that the Kingdom’s citizens are being targeted

CHICAGO: Abdullah Al-Ghareibi was in his home in Riyadh about to go to sleep on Jan. 23 when he received an email from the Philadelphia Police Department.

Al-Ghareibi said that he had spent an enjoyable weekend in Washington D.C. with his two sons and returned to Riyadh days earlier, sharing happy memories of the trip with his wife and daughter.

However, Al-Ghareibi told The Ray Hanania Radio show, sponsored by Arab News, that he was “shocked” by an email from police asking him to “immediately” contact their offices regarding a “homicide” and his eldest son, Al-Waleed Al-Ghareibi, 25. Waleed was a university student in his final year studying network engineering.

The father was told his son had been murdered in his Philadelphia apartment building by a 19-year-old suspect, Nicole Marie Rodgers, who was from Atlanta, Georgia. Rodgers was moving out of the building and may have targeted the son for robbery, police told the father. Believing no one was in the building, Rodgers allegedly stabbed Waleed multiple times after she asked for his help.

 

 

“Nobody knows exactly what happened. It is just like a logic explanation from police, and the landlady. She (the suspect) didn’t speak and obviously my son cannot talk on his behalf. She tried to befriend just him in the recent days, try to get close. We understand from my son, he was like kind of annoyed. She knocked at his door. His room is on the first floor. She knocked on his window and she said I had forgot the keys and can you open the door for me. She tried to engage in conversation with him. She wanted to find a way just how to rob him,” Al-Ghareibi told The Ray Hanania Radio show on Wednesday, May 31, struggling with his grief.

Al-Ghareibi said that the police believe the murder was driven by the suspect wanting to rob Waleed before she moved out of the building. Police said that Waleed was allegedly stabbed multiple times by Rodgers, who was accompanied by her parents in court. She had expressed no remorse, police said.

Al-Ghareibi said that his family had received extensive support from the Saudi embassy in Washington D.C. as they worked through their pain. Waleed was scheduled to graduate from the university in May, and his father was invited to accept the degree.

 

“I really thank them, thank the (Saudi) government. They are taking all the financial burden on it,” Al-Ghareibi said.

“But still, just emotionally, it is very hard on us as a family. We need to see the end of it. We need her to get what she really deserves. You think something might happen along the way with the court and lawyers and stuff, jury. You know it is not going to be easy. It’s not going to be easy, but we hope she gets what she really, really deserves. What she deserves is a life without the possibility of parole. That’s what she really deserves. But what will happen, I don’t know. It has caused a lot of hurdles we have to jump.”

Al-Ghareibi said that the university his son attended had contacted him and invited him to a memorial service, and presented him with his son’s diploma during graduation ceremonies.

“It was very touching,” he said. “I wished he received the degree by himself. That’s what happened. You have to live with it. It’s very needless,” Al-Ghareibi said, noting that his wife and daughter had not seen Waleed for nearly three years because of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

Waleed Al-Ghareibi was one of three Saudi university students who died in the US in 2023, including Abdulrahman Al-Anzi, 29, who was with friends at a tourist location along the shores of Lake Erie in Cleveland, Ohio on Jan. 30 when he fell into the freezing lake waters. He was recovered from the lake but pronounced dead at the scene.

On May 22, Atheer Al-Khalban, 28, was touring Glacier National Park in Montana with friends when she strayed off the trail and fell over a rocky cliff down a gorge into Avalanche Creek. She was spotted by other tourists who tried to resuscitate her but Al-Khalban, who was attending college in Kansas, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Glacier National Park Public Affairs Officer Gina Kerzman expressed condolences to the Al-Khalban family.

 

 

“Atheer was hiking a very popular trail in Glacier National Park that is known as the Avalanche Lake Trail. Sometime during her hike, early on in her hike, she went near the water. Nobody saw what happened exactly, but she ended up going in the water. She was swept down through the Avalanche Creek gorge and was pulled from the water by visitors who saw her in the water down below,” Kerzman said, noting that there was a steep drop-off along the rocky edge several feet from the visitor’s path.

“Every year we have fatalities in the park. Last year, I think, we had seven fatalities. The number one cause of death is drowning. Number two is falling, people being up on high levels either mountain climbing or just being at high elevations and falling.”

Al-Khalban was walking several feet behind her friends when she disappeared into the gorge and waters. Kerzman said that more than 3 million people visit Glacier National Park every year. May is the beginning of the most popular season for tourists.

Saudi Arabia embassy spokesman, Fahad Nazer, said that the embassy does everything possible to help Saudi families who are in need and suffer tragedies such as these.

“Ensuring the safety and well-being of Saudi citizens living or visiting a foreign country is among the highest priorities for any diplomatic mission around the world. It certainly is the case for us here in the embassy in Washington D.C. Over the decades, hundreds of thousands of Saudis have visited or studied in the United States. The overwhelming majority have a pleasant and productive stay,” Nazer told Arab News during the radio show interview, saying that it is one of the Kingdom’s “highest priorities” to keep Saudi citizens safe.

“However, occasionally accidents and tragedies do occur. As you said, over the past couple years we have had some tragic incidents that led to the deaths of a few young Saudis. As soon as we became aware of such tragedies, we immediately contacted the families of the deceased to provide any assistance that they may need. We also stay in touch with local authorities to make sure that we have all the details and we share these details with the families as soon as we obtain them.”

Nazer added: “Of course, our hearts go out to the families of these young Saudis. There is nothing more tragic than the death of a young person. However, I do have to stress that these are isolated incidents. We have no reason to believe that Saudi students or Saudis in general are being targeted in the United States.”

Al-Ghareibi, Kerzman and Nazer made their comments during an appearance on “The Ray Hanania Radio Show,” broadcast on Wednesday, May 31 live in Detroit and Washington D.C. on the US Arab Radio Network and sponsored by Arab News.

You can listen to the radio show’s podcast by visiting ArabNews.com/rayradioshow.


KSrelief distributes aid packages in Afghanistan, Syria and Sudan

KSrelief distributes aid packages in Afghanistan, Syria and Sudan
Updated 03 June 2023

KSrelief distributes aid packages in Afghanistan, Syria and Sudan

KSrelief distributes aid packages in Afghanistan, Syria and Sudan

RIYADH: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) has distributed food packages in Afghanistan, Syria and Sudan.
In Afghanistan, around 350 food packages were distributed to orphans and widows as well as needy residents in Kandahar Province, and benefited 350 families affected by the floods this year.
In Jindires of Syria’s Aleppo governorate, 1,580 food packages and 1,580 hygiene kits were given out to families affected by the earthquake in February.
The center has also sent its first aid shipment to Sudan via the Saudi relief sea bridge, comprising 50 tons of food products.
The KSrelief aid aims to alleviate the suffering of people affected by natural disasters of floods and earthquakes across the world in different cities, benefiting thousands of families in need.


Saudi foreign minister urges developing cooperation with BRICS to achieve prosperity

Saudi foreign minister urges developing cooperation with BRICS to achieve prosperity
Updated 03 June 2023

Saudi foreign minister urges developing cooperation with BRICS to achieve prosperity

Saudi foreign minister urges developing cooperation with BRICS to achieve prosperity

CAPE TOWN: Saudi Arabia is keen to develop future cooperation with the BRICS group to achieve collective prosperity, Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah said on Friday.

The BRICS group consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The Saudi foreign minister participated on Friday in the ministerial meeting of Friends of BRICS in Cape Town, South Africa, held under the theme, “Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism.”

In his speech at the meeting, Prince Faisal bin Farhan said that the Kingdom was keen to advance its future cooperation with BRICS by benefiting from the potential and capabilities possessed by both sides.

This aimed to fulfill joint interests and achieve prosperity for all, the foreign minister said.

Saudi Arabia was the BRICS group’s largest commercial partner in the Middle East, Prince Faisal said, affirming that trade relations with the BRICS countries had witnessed great growth.

“This reflects the growing and developed relations with the countries of the group,” he said.

The total value of bilateral trade with the countries of the BRICS group increased from $81 billion in 2017 and $128 billion in 2021 to surpass $160 billion last year, the foreign minister said.

The Kingdom shared basic values with the BRICS countries, represented in the belief that relations between countries were based on the principles of respect for sovereignty, non-interference and adherence to international law, Prince Faisal said.

These principles also included the existence of multilateral frameworks and collective action as reference points in the face of mutual challenges.

Saudi Arabia, along with BRICS countries, also believed in the importance of peace, security and stability in order to refocus efforts toward national development and common prosperity, Prince Faisal said.

The Kingdom maintained its commitment to working with international partners to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, he said.

He added that Saudi Arabia also worked on intensifying global efforts to enhance food and energy security amid recurring crises and supply-chain issues.

The Kingdom was a pioneering country worldwide in humanitarian and development aid and was among the top 10 donors to low- and middle-income countries, Prince Faisal said.

Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Rassi, undersecretary of the foreign affairs ministry for international multilateral affairs, and Saudi Ambassador to South Africa Sultan Al-Liwiahan Al-Anqary were also part of the Saudi delegation at the meeting.