Saudi health minister meets with Iranian, Syrian counterparts in Geneva

Saudi Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel greets Iran’s Health Minister Dr. Bahram Eynollahi (L) and his Syrian counterpart Dr. Hassan Al-Ghobash (R). (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel greets Iran’s Health Minister Dr. Bahram Eynollahi (L) and his Syrian counterpart Dr. Hassan Al-Ghobash (R). (SPA)
Short Url
Updated 25 May 2023

Saudi health minister meets with Iranian, Syrian counterparts in Geneva

Saudi Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel greets Iran’s Health Minister Dr. Bahram Eynollahi (L) and his Syrian counterpart (R).
  • Saudi and Iranian health ministers agreed to form technical teams to discuss health cooperation
  • Al-Jalajel welcomed Syria’s participation in the 59th session of the Council of Arab Ministers of Health

RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel met with his Iranian and Syrian counterparts in separate meetings in Geneva on Thursday.

During a meeting on the sidelines of the 76th World Health Assembly taking place this week, Al-Jalajel and Iran’s Health Minister Dr. Bahram Eynollahi discussed the health conditions in their countries and developing joint work in the health sector.

They agreed to form technical teams on both sides to discuss health cooperation, especially in the fields of public health, health research, and crowd medicine.

Al-Jalajel also met with his Syrian counterpart Dr. Hassan Al-Ghobash and they discussed aspects of cooperation between their countries in the health sector.

The Kingdom’s health minister welcomed Syria’s participation in the 59th session of the Council of Arab Ministers of Health, the first ministerial meeting after the Arab League summit in Jeddah during which the country was welcomed back to the league after a 12 year suspension.

The two ministers discussed health cooperation in the wake of the devastating Turkiye-Syria earthquake that claimed a number of lives, and strengthening joint work in the health sector which would preserve the health of Arab societies and contribute to the protection of lives.


Al-Jubeir meets ambassadors from US, Costa Rica

Al-Jubeir meets ambassadors from US, Costa Rica
Updated 16 sec ago

Al-Jubeir meets ambassadors from US, Costa Rica

Al-Jubeir meets ambassadors from US, Costa Rica
  • Al-Jubeir wished Ratney success in his new role and in fulfilling his duties

RIYADH: Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, minister of state for foreign affairs, on Wednesday met newly appointed US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney, in Riyadh.

Al-Jubeir wished Ratney success in his new role and in fulfilling his duties.

Al-Jubeir also met non-resident Francisco Chacon Hernandez, Costa Rica’s ambassador to the Kingdom. The parties discussed bilateral relations as well as issues of mutual interest.
 


Kingdom’s population passes 32m, census results show

Kingdom’s population passes 32m, census results show
Updated 50 min 23 sec ago

Kingdom’s population passes 32m, census results show

Kingdom’s population passes 32m, census results show
  • The number of males reached 19.7 million, 61 percent of the population, while the number of females reached 12.5 million, representing 39 percent
  • The 2022 census was conducted in line with the best international methodologies and by using satellite and self-enumeration technologies

RIYADH: The population of Saudi Arabia has reached 32.2 million, statistics from the 2022 census released by the General Authority for Statistics on Wednesday revealed.
Of the total number, Saudis made up 18.8 million people (58.4 percent), while non-Saudis accounted for 13.4 million, or 41.6 percent of the population.
The census results also revealed the Kingdom’s youthful population, with the median age being 29 and the proportion of Saudis aged under 30 reaching 63 percent of the population.
The number of males reached 19.7 million, 61 percent of the population, while the number of females reached 12.5 million, representing 39 percent.
Saudi Minister of Economy and Planning and General Authority for Statistics Chairman Faisal Al-Ibrahim said: “The Saudi census 2022 is an important national project, and its outputs will be a key pillar for planning and decision-making, developing economic and social policy, creating development plans for various sectors and services, and supporting the investment environment in the Kingdom and the achievement of Vision 2030 goals.”
General Authority for Statistics President Fahad Al-Dossari told Arab News that technological advancement allowed the authority to reach a confidence level of 95 percent for the 2022 census.
“Saudi census 2022 is the most accurate and comprehensive. It will be used as a foundation for the General Authority for Statistics’ projects, publications as well as numbers,” he added.
The 2022 census was conducted in line with the best international methodologies and by using satellite and self-enumeration technologies.
Error monitoring and automated data correction techniques were deployed to ensure the quality of the census data.
More than 1 million phone calls, 900,000 field visits, and advanced data analysis and statistics methods were used.
The comparisons included five different data sources, and more than 200 indicators reviewed data to confirm its accuracy.
Al-Dossari told Arab News: “For that reason, we decided to use 2022 as a base year for us to do the backcasting – an international practice whenever there is a new census – as an exercise to the previous census.
“We looked at 2022, and we backcasted based on the multiple sources of data that helped us estimate the changes and numbers of the census, especially from 2010 to today.”
The backcasted 2010 data shows that the total population of Saudi Arabia has increased by 8.2 million (34.2 percent) since 2010; the number of Saudis by 4.8 million (33.8 percent); and the number of non-Saudis by 3.5 million (34.7 percent).
The announcement of the Saudi census 2022 results included detailed data on three main categories: population, households and housing. Results on education, health, employment, income, migration and diversity will be announced over the next few months.
The authority will make the census results available on a dedicated website featuring interactive dashboards, easy-to-use interactive maps, reports, tables and charts. It will also host a livestreamed webinar covering the census methodology and key findings in the coming month.


Saudi authorities foil plot to sell 4.1m pills of controlled drug

Saudi authorities foil plot to sell 4.1m pills of controlled drug
Updated 31 May 2023

Saudi authorities foil plot to sell 4.1m pills of controlled drug

Saudi authorities foil plot to sell 4.1m pills of controlled drug
  • 6 people arrested, including 3 Egyptians, 1 Saudi

RIYADH: Six people have been arrested in Riyadh in connection with an attempt to sell almost 4.1 million tablets of a controlled drug, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

The arrests followed an investigation into gangs linked to the smuggling and distribution of drugs inside the Kingdom, Maj. Marwan Al-Hazmi, a spokesman for the General Directorate for Narcotics Control, said.

Three of the suspects were of Egyptian nationality, one was Sudanese, one Yemeni and one a Saudi citizen. They have all been referred to public prosecutors and preliminary legal measures have been taken against them

Anyone with information or suspicions about drug-related activities can call 911 in the Makkah, Riyadh and Eastern Province regions, or 999 in the rest of the Kingdom.
 


Saudi Green Initiative celebrates World Reef Day

Saudi Green Initiative celebrates World Reef Day
Updated 31 May 2023

Saudi Green Initiative celebrates World Reef Day

Saudi Green Initiative celebrates World Reef Day
  • SGI initiatives helping protect and regenerate Kingdom’s reefs
  • Coral reefs known as ‘rainforests of the sea’ due to rich biodiversity, ecological significance

RIYADH: The Saudi Green Initiative is celebrating World Reef Day by recognizing initiatives taking place to protect and regenerate the Kingdom’s stunning ocean habitats.
The annual World Reef Day on June 1 raises awareness about the importance of coral reefs and the urgent need to protect them.
The SGI was launched in 2021 under the patronage of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to help protect the planet and combat climate change with three targets: Reducing harmful emissions, foresting and protecting land and sea.
Under the SGI, Saudi Arabia has committed to protecting 30 percent of its land and marine area and is working with international groups such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature to safeguard and restore the natural ecosystems and pristine landscapes of the Kingdom.
“The SGI is highlighting Saudi Arabia’s commitment to national environmental conservation with a month of activity to raise awareness around the Kingdom’s conservation efforts,” a statement from the initiative said.
It said that Saudi Arabia is rich in marine life, and that the Red Sea is home to one of the longest continuous living reefs on earth. Its corals are uniquely resilient and can survive rises in water temperature that would bleach or kill others elsewhere in the world, it added.
Scientists are now studying Red Sea corals to see if they can be used as a basis for coral restoration and survival around the world, said the SGI.
The initiative has a series of programs that will protect and regenerate the Kingdom’s reefs. They include:
The National Center for Wildlife is developing a national strategy by 2025 for the sustainable use of coastal and marine areas to conserve marine biodiversity and reduce damage to reef habitats.
The KAUST Reefscape Restoration Initiative, in partnership with NEOM, is one of the largest reef restoration and conservation programs in the world. The first phase of the initiative is a 100-hectare restoration project at Shushah Island, approximately 20km off the coast. The effort will be a mix of reef conservation, replanting, and restoration; corals will be grown in a nursery before being transferred to the reef.
The Reef Revive Initiative, led by the Baa Foundation, KAUST and Beacon Development, will reduce reef damage using techniques such as transplantation. Reef stewardship is being encouraged by engaging and training local dive operators in coral restoration.
Red Sea Global is establishing a 6,693 km2 ‘no-take’ Marine Protected Area as part of the proposed new Special Economic Zone around the AMALAA and the Red Sea project developments.
World Reef Awareness Day was first observed in 2018 by the Coral Restoration Foundation. Its purpose is to draw attention to the deteriorating state of coral reefs worldwide due to various threats such as climate change, pollution, overfishing, and destructive fishing practices.
The theme this year is “Reef resilience: Protect, restore and sustain” to emphasize the need to take action to ensure the long-term survival and health of coral reefs, which are important breeding and spawning grounds for a wide variety of creatures.
Reefs sequester an estimated 200,000 tons of carbon annually. They protect the world’s coasts by providing a natural barrier against high tides, and minimize the impact of storm surges.
Covering less than 1 percent of the world’s ocean floor, reefs are home to more than one million species, or a quarter of all marine life, including 4,000 species of fish.
The so-called ‘rainforests of the ocean’ are under threat from pollution, rising water temperatures due to climate change and damage caused by fishing and diving activities. Estimates suggest that 90 percent of the world’s coral could disappear by 2050 if action is not taken to save them.


Saudi ambassador presents credentials to German President Steinmeier

Saudi ambassador presents credentials to German President Steinmeier
Updated 31 May 2023

Saudi ambassador presents credentials to German President Steinmeier

Saudi ambassador presents credentials to German President Steinmeier
  • Prince Abdullah conveyed a greeting from King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

RIYADH: Prince Abdullah bin Khalid has presented his credentials as Saudi ambassador to Germany to German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

During a reception in Berlin, the prince conveyed a greeting from King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman wishing the people of Germany continued progress and prosperity.

He also affirmed the Kingdom’s keenness to strengthen friendly relations between the two countries.

Steinmeier welcomed the ambassador and asked him to convey his greetings to the king and crown prince, and his best wishes to the people of Saudi Arabia.