PIF establishes Badael Company in bid to reduce smoking prevalence in Saudi Arabia

PIF establishes Badael Company in bid to reduce smoking prevalence in Saudi Arabia
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Updated 25 May 2023

PIF establishes Badael Company in bid to reduce smoking prevalence in Saudi Arabia

PIF establishes Badael Company in bid to reduce smoking prevalence in Saudi Arabia
  • Initiative has been launched in run-up to WHO World No Tobacco Day on May 31

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund announced on Thursday the establishment of the Badael Company which aims to reduce the prevalence of smoking prevalence and promote a healthier lifestyle in the Kingdom.

The initiative has been launched in the run-up to the World Health Organization (WHO) World No Tobacco Day on May 31.

A statement released by PIF said the initiative is line with Saudi Arabia’s focus on improving the quality of life for its citizens as part of Saudi Vision 2030.

“The Company’s products are expected to help nearly one million people switch from smoking by 2032, representing approximately 25% of all smokers in Saudi Arabia,” the statement said.

“This has the potential to deliver direct annual savings of more than SAR6 billion ($1.6 billion) on healthcare expenditure by 2032, Badael will also aim to deliver on PIF’s localization mandate by supporting domestic manufacturing, sourcing raw materials, knowledge transfer and development of intellectual property (IP),” it added.

PIF said the firm intends to release its tobacco-free nicotine delivery products across Saudi Arabia by the end of 2023, with the aim of expanding its reach to regional and international markets in the longer term.

The company’s products will be manufactured in Saudi Arabia, ensuring the highest level of product quality and safety through best-in-class practices, it added.

“Badael aims to provide new economic opportunities and create jobs, working in partnership with the local private sector and world-class global partners,” the statement read.

“Badael’s vision is to curb smoking and deliver on PIF’s strategy to improve the quality of life for all, and is part of Saudi Arabia’s broader efforts to diversify the economy, localize manufacturing and drive economic transformation as well as job creation.”


446 hobby clubs set up across Kingdom

446 hobby clubs set up across Kingdom
Updated 11 sec ago

446 hobby clubs set up across Kingdom

446 hobby clubs set up across Kingdom
  • Platform offers hobby clubs for people to develop their interests and meet like-minded individuals

RIYADH: A rapid rise in the number of hobby clubs in Saudi Arabia is helping to bring communities together, as well as broaden people’s interests and opportunities.

Since the launch of the Hawi initiative, part of the Saudi Quality of Life program, in October 2022, 446 hobby clubs have been established in 50 cities and provinces around the Kingdom.

From pottery making, fashion, and collecting valuable items, to artisanry, public speaking and reading, the platform offers hobby clubs for people to develop their interests and meet like-minded individuals.

In recent weeks, events, activities and gatherings around the country have been organized or supervised by Hawi in cooperation with amateur clubs, attracting people from all age groups.

The activities and events are associated with the Quality of Life Program Center, which aims to register 6,000 amateur clubs in the Kingdom by 2030.

Khalid Albaker, the center’s CEO, said: “These tours play an important role in effective communication between the Hawi portal, amateur clubs, and their members, as they contribute to creating a fun, engaging, and secure atmosphere where people can practice their hobbies.

He said the leadership places a lot of emphasis on the hobby sector, and is keen to improve both the quality of life for individuals and society by providing the necessary resources to fulfill Saudi Vision 2030.

“The hobby sector is part of a comprehensive plan that seeks to achieve and benefit all segments of society, as well as for individuals’ lives to flourish through the practice of favored hobbies,” Albaker said. 


Saudi royal reserve authority becomes member of world conservation body

Saudi royal reserve authority becomes member of world conservation body
Updated 04 June 2023

Saudi royal reserve authority becomes member of world conservation body

Saudi royal reserve authority becomes member of world conservation body
  • Recognition of environmental and community achievements
  • Access to special databases, 18k experts linked to global body

The King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority has been officially announced as a government member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The authority was recently granted IUCN membership in recognition of its efforts to empower local communities in nature conservation and wildlife protection, and the restoration of key flora and fauna throughout the country.

It is one of the first entities in the Kingdom to obtain IUCN membership, allowing it to draw on international databases specialized in wildlife protection, and the expertise of 18,000 specialists linked to the world body.

The authority will now be able to form partnerships, exchange experiences with members, and participate in the IUCN quadrennial meetings and conferences.

The authority seeks, through this membership, to ensure the sustainability of the environment, in line with the objectives and goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan and the Saudi Green initiative.  

Fahad Al-Shuwaier, director general of communication at King Salman Royal Reserve, told Arab News that the authority applied for the membership with comprehensive detail of all its environmental projects.

Al-Shuwaier said the IUCN advisory board meets every three months to discuss applications received from across the world.

Dr. Ahmed Al-Bouq, director general of wildlife conservation at the National Center for Wildlife Development, said the IUCN membership would aid in following best international practice.

Al-Bouq cited the example of the Farasan Islands’ Archipelago Reserve that became a UNESCO-listed entity by adhering to international benchmarks. 

“The membership gives you guidelines and allows you to benefit from the expertise of a large number of international experts,” added Al-Bouq.

“When talking about biodiversity, you need a huge company of international experts, as it is impossible to attract experts in every subspecialty in biodiversity.

“You may find one expert who specializes in a certain branch of microbiology, and sometimes you find a very small number of experts who specialize in other disciplines,” he explained.

He said that “what links these experiences to each other is usually international organizations.” International partnerships were important for determining standards. 

“When dealing with any organization that deals with protection, the first thing you need to do is to draw a baseline, and then examine the international standards that you aspire to reach, and thus draw (up) a plan to implement these standards.”

He said the most important part of the system was community involvement, a key factor recommended by international organizations concerned with protected areas. The main objective was not to prevent people from entering such areas, but to regulate the sustainable use of natural resources, said Al-Bouq.


Saudi Arabia, US keen on continuing Sudan talks - foreign ministry

Saudi Arabia, US keen on continuing Sudan talks - foreign ministry
Updated 04 June 2023

Saudi Arabia, US keen on continuing Sudan talks - foreign ministry

Saudi Arabia, US keen on continuing Sudan talks - foreign ministry
  • Saudi Arabia calls on Sudan factions to agree to new ceasefire

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and the United States are keen to resume formal talks between the delegations of Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

“Saudi Arabia and the United States remain steadfast in their commitment to the people of Sudan and call upon the parties to agree to and effectively implement a new ceasefire,” the statement said.
 

 

The ministry said that the delegations of the Sudanese fighting factions are still in Jeddah, and continue to engage in daily negotiations.

“Those discussions are focused on facilitating humanitarian assistance and reaching agreement on near term steps the party must take before the Jeddah talks resume,” according to the statement. 

It added: “Facilitators stand ready to resume formal talks and remind parties that they must implement their obligations under the May 11 Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to protect the civilians of Sudan.”

Sudan descended into chaos after fighting broke out in mid-April between the military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo.
For weeks, Saudi Arabia and the US have been mediating between the warring parties. On May 21, both countries successfully brokered a temporary cease-fire agreement to help with the delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid to the war-torn country. Their efforts, however, were dealt a blow when the military announced on Wednesday it would no longer participate in the cease-fire talks held in Jeddah.

The fighting has turned the capital, Khartoum, and other urban areas into battlefields, resulting in widespread looting and destruction of residential areas across the country. The conflict has also displaced more than 1.65 million people who fled to safer areas in Sudan and neighboring countries.
Residents reported intense fighting over the past two days in Khartoum and its neighboring cities of Omdurman and Bahri.
Loud sounds of shelling and gunfire were heard early Sunday in parts of Omdurman, as the military’s aircraft flew over the capital.
Fighting was also reported in the northern part of the Darfur region, which had witnessed some of the worst battles since the fighting began on April 15.


 


KSrelief provide prosthetic limbs for 216 civilians in Yemen’s Marib

KSrelief provide prosthetic limbs for 216 civilians in Yemen’s Marib
Updated 04 June 2023

KSrelief provide prosthetic limbs for 216 civilians in Yemen’s Marib

KSrelief provide prosthetic limbs for 216 civilians in Yemen’s Marib

Riyadh: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) provided prosthetic limbs for 216 civilians mutilated during the war in Yemen during the month of April, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The Prosthetic Limbs and Rehabilitation Center project in Marib Governorate provided various medical services to citizens who had lost their limbs. The prostheses were manufactured and mounted, and 60 patients underwent rehabilitation through physiotherapy; 156 patients were given specialized consultations.
Amputations performed on civilians have been a prominent feature of the vicious war in Yemen, with many requiring assistance from KSrelief after suffering life-changing injuries from bombs and landmines.
Elsewhere, the center managed on Saturday to distribute 75 food packages to more than 549 displaced families in Gezira state, in Sudan, as part of the Saudi relief air bridge that KSrelief is running to help the Sudanese people.


Global Research Council re-elects Saudi Arabia as MENA region chair

Global Research Council re-elects Saudi Arabia as MENA region chair
Updated 03 June 2023

Global Research Council re-elects Saudi Arabia as MENA region chair

Global Research Council re-elects Saudi Arabia as MENA region chair
  • The decision came during the 11th annual meeting of the Global Research Council in The Hague
  • The Kingdom presented a working paper on the challenges and opportunities faced by the research councils in the MENA region

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has been re-elected to represent the Middle East and North Africa region on the governing board of the Global Research Council during its 11th annual meeting in The Hague, The Netherlands, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
The President of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Dr. Munir Eldesouki, will continue to represent Saudi Arabia at the GRC and his re-election reaffirms the Kingdom’s prominent position in the scientific and research fields and its commitment to enhancing joint cooperation among research centers in the MENA region.
This achievement is also a testament to the unwavering support of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is head of the Higher Committee of Research, Development and Innovation.
During the annual meeting, which took place from May 29 to June 2, Eldesouki chaired a meeting of the heads of research councils from the MENA region and participated in a panel discussion on the funding of climate change research, in which the participants endorsed a statement to strengthen international cooperation, research outputs, scientific communication, financing strategies, taking into account social and economic conditions, local cultures and knowledge, capacity building in science, innovation and entrepreneurship, and identifying best practices.
Eldesouki, who is also the general supervisor of the founding team of the Research, Development and Innovation Authority, met with a number of heads of international research councils from Singapore, Canada, the US, Turkiye, Britain and Germany to discuss areas of cooperation on the sidelines of the annual meeting.
The Kingdom presented a working paper on the challenges and opportunities faced by the research councils in the MENA region and the delegation participated in a number of other key meetings, including the council’s executive committee, the international consultative committee, and the working groups concerned with equality, diversity and inclusion, responsible evaluation of research, and international multilateral funding.
Saudi Arabia has played a pivotal role in the GRC’s work since its establishment in 2012, including strengthening cooperation between research funding institutions, exchanging best practices and expertise in supporting scientific research, and exploring ways to support the scientific community across the world.
The Kingdom currently occupies the position of vice-chair of the GRC’s board of governors and also represents the regional research councils of the MENA region on the board, as well as on the executive committee.