British school Reigate Grammar opens in Riyadh

Reigate Grammar School in Riyadh is being established under the international schools attraction program. (SPA)
1 / 3
Reigate Grammar School in Riyadh is being established under the international schools attraction program. (SPA)
Reigate Grammar School in Riyadh is being established under the international schools attraction program. (SPA)
2 / 3
Reigate Grammar School in Riyadh is being established under the international schools attraction program. (SPA)
Reigate Grammar School was founded in 1675. (File/SPA)
3 / 3
Reigate Grammar School was founded in 1675. (File/SPA)
Short Url
Updated 23 May 2023
Follow

British school Reigate Grammar opens in Riyadh

Reigate Grammar School in Riyadh is being established under the international schools attraction program. (SPA)
  • Headmaster of RGS said quality of education at the school ensures doors of opportunities are open for students

RIYADH: The Royal Commission for Riyadh City announced on Tuesday the opening of Reigate Grammar School in Riyadh.

The British school in Riyadh is being established under the international schools attraction program, an initiative to attract major international schools to the Saudi capital, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Investment.

The program has already attracted several other prestigious international schools, including King’s College School, SEK International School, Aldenham School, Downe House School, and One World International School.

Reigate Grammar School was founded in 1675 and has sister schools and partnerships in China, Vietnam and Morocco. RGS Riyadh is the first of several schools planned for Saudi Arabia.

“We are committed to participating in enhancing Riyadh’s education scene. The presence of new international schools in the capital city will further enrich the learning experience of all residents,” acting general manager of education sector development at RCRC Hala Halawani said.

“These schools are in line with our ambitious vision to position Riyadh among the leading city economies in the world. RCRC believes the education sector can play a significant role in enhancing the quality of life in Riyadh, and make it one of the best global cities in which to live, learn and work,” she added.

Headmaster of RGS Shaun Fenton said the quality of education at the school ensures that doors of opportunities are open for its students and that they are equipped academically and emotionally to make the most of those life chances.

“The students and staff at RGS Riyadh are joining an interconnected global community, where the primary focus is happiness, wellbeing and academic success,” he said.

RGS Riyadh offers the British curriculum from nursery level through to GCSEs and A-Levels, and is currently admitting boys and girls.


About 300,000 students to undergo AI training for national olympiad

About 300,000 students to undergo AI training for national olympiad
Updated 02 October 2023
Follow

About 300,000 students to undergo AI training for national olympiad

About 300,000 students to undergo AI training for national olympiad
  • Registrations for the olympiad close on Nov. 28 and there will be two rounds of tests — Jan. 26-27 and April 23-27

MAKKAH: The National Olympiad for Programming and Artificial Intelligence for middle and high school students is to take place in the Kingdom.

The announcement was made by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, and the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity.

About 300,000 students will be selected from 3 million in the Kingdom for training in programming and AI. 

Registrations for the olympiad close on Nov. 28 and there will be two rounds of tests — Jan. 26-27 and April 23-27.

Mawhiba’s Secretary-General Dr. Amal Al-Hazzaa told Arab News: “Our children, the Kingdom’s students of all educational levels, have become competitive and are keen to register in the various competitions and olympiads, as witnessed in recent years.

“There are several stages to the competition, during which our creative students will participate in great numbers. During the final stage, which is the Scientific Creativity Olympiad, 35 students from the Kingdom will be selected to represent their country internationally and in ISEF (the International Science and Engineering Fair).”

Those wishing to participate can register through the following link: https://www.mawhiba.org/NOPAI/Pages/default.aspx


UK defense minister lauds ‘incredibly quick’ Saudi transformation

UK defense minister lauds ‘incredibly quick’ Saudi transformation
Updated 02 October 2023
Follow

UK defense minister lauds ‘incredibly quick’ Saudi transformation

UK defense minister lauds ‘incredibly quick’ Saudi transformation
  • ‘Forget everything you think you know about Saudi Arabia,’ says Grant Shapps
  • Kingdom has ‘women in the workplace at levels that would be unimaginable three or four years ago’

LONDON: Saudi Arabia’s “incredibly quick” transformation is seeing women join the workforce at “unimaginable levels,” the UK’s defense minister has said.

Praising the Kingdom as a “strong ally” of Britain at an event on the sidelines of the Conservative Party conference, Grant Shapps lauded societal change in Saudi Arabia, The Times reported on Monday.

“Forget everything you think you know about Saudi Arabia. Actually, the country is changing incredibly quickly,” he said, citing “women in the workplace at levels that would be unimaginable three or four years ago.”

He added: “What you can’t underestimate is the impact that is having on their society and the way they govern.”

Saudi Arabia’s “society is moving very much in a way we have always called for societies around the world to move,” Shapps said.


Riyadh book fair provides special section for children

 Activities and workshops are among events aimed at promoting reading among kids. (AN photo by Abdulrahman Shulhub)
Activities and workshops are among events aimed at promoting reading among kids. (AN photo by Abdulrahman Shulhub)
Updated 02 October 2023
Follow

Riyadh book fair provides special section for children

 Activities and workshops are among events aimed at promoting reading among kids. (AN photo by Abdulrahman Shulhub)
  • An animation workshop and educational sensory play area has also been provided
  • A music corner offers children the opportunity to play instruments including the piano and guitar

RIYADH: Organizers of the Riyadh International Book Fair have created a special section for children.

Activities and workshops covering areas such as writing, theater, music, fashion, and culinary arts are among events aimed at promoting reading among kids.

An animation workshop and educational sensory play area has also been provided, and a music corner offers children the opportunity to play instruments including the piano and guitar.

Amr AbuKhalaf, a Jordanian musician and member of rock band Akher Zapheer, was representing Music House at the fair and running guitar classes for young visitors.

Saudi company Music House, established in 2018, specializes in music education and training in the Kingdom.

AbuKhalaf said: “I am here to introduce children to music, especially those who may not have had the chance to learn before.

“I was pleasantly surprised by the positive response from many children. I even had the pleasure of teaching a young girl how to play the guitar, and I was amazed at how quickly she picked it up, as if she had been playing for a year.”

Rewan Abdulrazeeq, a violin and music teacher who graduated from the Conservatoire, The Higher Institute for Music in Egypt, was invited by Music House to take part in the event and provide general information about music to children.

An instrumentalist in the Cairo Symphony Orchestra with 15 years’ experience in the music business, Abdulrazeeq said: “I am fascinated by the approach of schools and institutions in teaching music to children here, and how it helps them express themselves.

“Music is not just about playing or singing; it is a means for children to express their thoughts and emotions,” she added.

The book fair’s fashion design workshop area targets children aged nine to 12, and aims to help them explore their artistic side, discover their potential in fashion, and enjoy experimenting with colors.

The fair is open daily from 11 a.m. to midnight until Oct. 7 at King Saud University.


KSrelief team inspects Rohingya housing in Bangladesh

KSrelief team inspects Rohingya housing in Bangladesh
Updated 02 October 2023
Follow

KSrelief team inspects Rohingya housing in Bangladesh

KSrelief team inspects Rohingya housing in Bangladesh
  • So far 300 out of a total 410 housing units have been delivered and erected with the remainder due to arrive soon

RIYADH: An inspection team from the Saudi aid agency KSrelief recently visited one of the center’s housing projects in Rohingya refugee camps in the Cox’s Bazar area of Bangladesh.

KSrelief assistant general supervisor for planning and development, Aqeel Al-Ghamdi, said shelter was being provided for refugees affected by a devastating fire at the camps.

So far 300 out of a total 410 housing units have been delivered and erected with the remainder due to arrive soon, he added.

Last year, the center sent 500 shelters to Cox’s Bazar which were used to house 3,000 people from 590 Rohingya families.

During the inspection tour, the KSrelief team also went to the Okiya Specialized Hospital, and Sadar District Hospital, in Cox’s Bazar and reviewed the center’s support services including medical supplies.

KSrelief team also went to the Okiya Specialized Hospital, and Sadar District Hospital, in Cox’s Bazar and reviewed the center’s support services including medical supplies. (SPA)

 


Saudi Arabia, China collaborate on literary exchange

Saudi Arabia, China collaborate on literary exchange
Updated 02 October 2023
Follow

Saudi Arabia, China collaborate on literary exchange

Saudi Arabia, China collaborate on literary exchange
  • Through this partnership, both parties aim to strengthen cultural ties, enhance content exchange, and reinforce literary collaboration

Jeddah: Saudi Arabia’s Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission has partnered with China’s National Press and Publishing Administration to promote literary translation between Arabic and Chinese.

The agreement was signed on Monday during the Riyadh International Book Fair, which is currently taking place at King Saud University until Oct. 7.

Hamed bin Mohammed Fayez, deputy minister of culture, signed the agreement with Zhang Jianchun, deputy head of the Chinese Communist Party’s publicity department.

Through this partnership, both parties aim to strengthen cultural ties, enhance content exchange, and reinforce literary collaboration.

The program highlights the Ministry of Culture’s dedication to international cultural exchange under Saudi Vision 2023 and builds upon previous Saudi-Chinese collaboration in this regard.

Saudi Arabia was honored as the first Arab and Islamic country to participate as a guest in the 20th Beijing International Book Fair. The Saudi pavilion at the fair displayed a diverse collection of books in various genres. Over 50 books by Saudi authors were translated into Chinese, and a film about the founder of Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz, was screened in Chinese.