UN tourism chief lauds Saudi Arabia’s starring role in sector on world stage

UN tourism chief lauds Saudi Arabia’s starring role in sector on world stage
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Glimpses from the second day of World Tourism Day 2023 in Riyadh where visitors attended panel discussions and indulged in dialogue. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
UN tourism chief lauds Saudi Arabia’s starring role in sector on world stage
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Glimpses from the second day of World Tourism Day 2023 in Riyadh where visitors attended panel discussions and indulged in dialogue. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
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Updated 28 September 2023
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UN tourism chief lauds Saudi Arabia’s starring role in sector on world stage

UN tourism chief lauds Saudi Arabia’s starring role in sector on world stage

RIYADH: Sustainability and tourism, the rapid growth of the sector in Saudi Arabia, and its importance in fostering cross-cultural dialogue around the world, were the subjects of a roundtable discussion on the last day of an international industry gathering in Riyadh.

Secretary-general of the UN World Tourism Organization, Zurab Pololikashvili, spoke at the private session held to mark World Tourism Day.

This year’s event was attended by more than 50 ministers from around 70 countries. “This is happening for the first time for us, and we are very happy,” Pololikashvili said.

Several initiatives, most of which concerned Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning role in the global tourism sector, were announced over the course of the conference.

High on the meeting’s agenda was the need to expand knowledge surrounding the industry’s sustainability, and Pololikashvili revealed that UNWTO officials were working closely with Riyadh to create a center to address the issue in the Kingdom.

“The center will be like a brain where all projects and all guidelines are generated and from where we can provide and support member states from the Kingdom.

“From the center we will foster educational programs and projects catered to better understanding of sustainability. From here we will support countries in how to foster sustainable development of tourism in their countries,” he added.

The UN agency’s official office for the Middle East has been based in Riyadh since 2021.

Pololikashvili said: “We want to create a very clear program for sustainable development.”

He noted that the project was due to be launched in September next year with a bachelor’s program and participants spending time studying in the Spanish capital Madrid, and the Swiss city of Lucerne.

“The program will provide knowledge of sustainability to the young generation who will then have a clear methodology in how to create steps toward sustainable development,” he added.

Pololikashvili highlighted the progress being made in the Kingdom in developing tourism.

During the roundtable, he said: “We need to work together to make Saudi Arabia even more accessible. The investments in infrastructure and the rules, they’re changing every day. It creates an opportunity to attract more and more events.

“Until a few years ago, the country was totally closed for international travel. Now you see people coming from Argentina, Chile, Japan, and from all over the world.

“Almost 20 African ministers are here. This has never happened, and nobody could have imagined it happening five years ago. The steps are in place. This is a long vision. It’s not only Vision 2030. Many more things will happen here.”

He pointed out that cross-cultural dialogue and cultural diplomacy were key aspects for tourism which helped nations develop and grow economically on the world stage.

“Tourism is the best way for people to get to know one another. For the next five or 10 years we will be working toward tourism as a means for connecting people and bringing the world together.

“It brings all of us together and this is part of our new branding strategy, and it is a reality. Tourism is not only words and nice pictures,” Pololikashvili added.

He said tourism used to involve little more than traveling to a hotel and then returning. “Now it connects many more industries and people, and it is the way to promote intercultural relationships.”

And he noted that it was such relationships that spurred constructive dialogue and helped promote world peace.

“The more we travel, the more we are educated, and the more we know about the culture and people of new destinations, and this is what the government is doing here in Saudi Arabia,” Pololikashvili added.


Saudi Air Force jet crashes on training mission, 2 crew members killed

Saudi Air Force jet crashes on training mission, 2 crew members killed
Updated 28 min 55 sec ago
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Saudi Air Force jet crashes on training mission, 2 crew members killed

Saudi Air Force jet crashes on training mission, 2 crew members killed
  • Brig. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki said crash occurred during routine mission at King Abdulaziz Air Base in Dhahran

RIYADH: A Saudi Arabian Royal Air Force F-15SA fighter plane crashed during a training mission in Dhahran on Thursday, killing two members of the crew on board, the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

Brig. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki, spokesman for the ministry, said that the plane crash occurred at 12:50 p.m. on Thursday during a routine mission at King Abdulaziz Air Base in Dhahran, Saudi Press Agency reported.

Al-Maliki added that an investigation committee had begun probing the causes of the accident.

He offered condolences to the families and relatives of the pilots.


Neamaa Mostadama project in Makkah aims to reduces food waste

Food waste costs the country in the region of $10.66 billion annually. (Twitter @hneksa)
Food waste costs the country in the region of $10.66 billion annually. (Twitter @hneksa)
Updated 19 sec ago
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Neamaa Mostadama project in Makkah aims to reduces food waste

Food waste costs the country in the region of $10.66 billion annually. (Twitter @hneksa)
  • Shoura Council member Hoda Al-Helaissi told Arab News: “We should work together on the project to combat food waste

MAKKAH: The Neamaa Mostadama project was inaugurated in Makkah on Wednesday as part of the Hefz Al-Neamaa initiative, and Abdullah Felali, the chairman of its board of directors, told Arab News about the importance of establishing an organization to help preserve food while reducing waste.

He said it was also important to find a mechanism to collect clothes to provide for the needy, and create a volunteer team to help with its distribution.

He said: “We are heading towards creating a clothing center similar to (the) markets so that beneficiaries can visit these centers at the association’s headquarters and take what they need.

“They will be able to obtain what they need throughout the year, and we will thus be a recipient of these pre-owned clothes that are in good shape, and will allow the beneficiaries to take them.

“Worn-out clothes will be sold to clothing companies and the amount we get will be used to serve the expansion of the organization’s community projects.”

Shoura Council member Hoda Al-Helaissi said recently that the amount of food waste in Saudi Arabia was far too high.

She stressed the importance of introducing stricter penalties against bodies and stores that violated the system.

She told Arab News: “We should work together on the project to combat food waste.

“Collective efforts (will) lead towards the success of the food and clothing waste process, in addition to controlling societal behavior in the issue of waste.”

Food waste costs the country in the region of $10.66 billion annually, and Al-Helaissi added: “The Shoura Council … (has) studied several … European models and tried to emulate their positive aspects and apply them.”

She called on supermarkets to “distribute goods that are about to expire, to those in need, instead of letting them spoil.”

She added: “This should also apply to the many large coffee shops scattered all over the Kingdom that dispose of their leftovers such as cakes, croissants, and pastries on a daily basis.

“The poor and needy are not benefiting from these leftovers, which is an issue that must be reflected on.

“The quantities of wasted food are very large, which is annoying. Everyone must work in solidarity to reduce this irresponsible waste. Waste is not a sibling of generosity. Generosity is one thing, and waste is another.”

She pointed out that Saudis are generous people “but let us not reach levels of waste and failure, and (help) preserve food.”

Al-Helaissi indicated that the European system of food preservation first appeared in France, with Italy, Britain, and then Germany following suit.

She added: “We need community awareness and media coverage at all levels to reduce levels of waste, starting with schools.

“Parents must instill in their children the importance of only buying necessities … and for a person to only buy what they need, as well as raising awareness of the harmful effects sugars and fats have on a person’s health.”

 


MWL chief meets French parliamentary delegation

MWL chief meets French parliamentary delegation
Updated 07 December 2023
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MWL chief meets French parliamentary delegation

MWL chief meets French parliamentary delegation
  • Al-Issa condemned on behalf of the MWL the murder that took place in France three days ago

Riyadh – Secretary-General of the Muslim World League and Chairman of the Association of Muslim Scholars Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa met a French parliamentary delegation at the sub-headquarters of the MWL in Riyadh.

During the meeting, both parties discussed topics of common interest, including MWL initiatives to build bridges and enhance mutual respect between people of different national and religious backgrounds.

One such initiative is “Building Bridges of Understanding Between East and West,” launched by the league at UN headquarters, with the support and participation of international leaders.

Al-Issa condemned on behalf of the MWL the murder that took place in France three days ago, in which a French man pledging allegiance to Daesh killed a German tourist and wounded two others near the Eiffel Tower in Paris.


Mangrove park to be created in Jubail as part of ecology push

Mangrove park to be created in Jubail as part of ecology push
Updated 07 December 2023
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Mangrove park to be created in Jubail as part of ecology push

Mangrove park to be created in Jubail as part of ecology push
  • ‘This partnership is focused on preserving the Kingdom’s unique natural environment’

RIYADH: A mangrove park in Jubail is set to be created thanks to a new agreement signed by the Saudi Arabian Mining Co., also known as Ma’aden.

The firm inked a memorandum of understanding with the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu in a move that will support carbon sequestration and biodiversity preservation in Saudi Arabia.

The plan falls in line with the mining company’s commitment to plant 10 million terrestrial trees and 10 million mangroves by 2040, as part of its ambition to be carbon neutral by 2050.

It also aligns with the Saudi Green Initiative’s target to plant 100 million mangroves in Saudi Arabia by 2030, which will offset around 96 million tons of carbon emissions as well as help to stabilize the Kingdom’s coastline ecosystems.

“This partnership is focused on preserving the Kingdom’s unique natural environment,” CEO of Ma’aden Robert Wilt said.

“Mangroves provide one of the most effective natural carbon-capture ecosystems and our ability strategy provides a roadmap towards restoring and enhancing the biodiversity of our coastline, in line with Ma’aden’s vision for sustainable growth in Saudi Arabia,” he added.

Under the agreement, both parties will work hand in hand on research initiatives relating to mangrove planting and ecosystem health.

In addition to this, the two entities will work on developing local community programs which back ecosystem restoration as well as boost environmental awareness.

“Our partnership with Ma’aden will continue to preserve and expand mangrove ecosystems in Jubail, a key feature of our region’s natural environment,” CEO of the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu Mahmood Al-Theeb explained.

“Together we will develop impactful initiatives that benefit the local community and contribute to the Kingdom’s sustainability objectives,” Al-Theeb added.

Recognizing mangroves as an essential barrier to protect biodiversity in the coastal areas and prevent erosion, the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification is implementing an ambitious project to plant over 200 million mangrove trees, said the CEO of the government organization mandated to protect and restore green cover all over Saudi Arabia earlier this week.

Speaking to Arab News during the Saudi Green Initiative Forum held at Expo City on the sidelines of COP28 in Dubai, Khaled bin Abdullah Al-Abdul Qadir said that mangroves were distributed widely in the Gulf region and also in the Red Sea areas of Saudi Arabia and that a massive effort was underway to not only preserve the existing mangroves, but also restore others.


Saudi foreign minister, UN chief discuss situation in Gaza

Saudi foreign minister, UN chief discuss situation in Gaza
Updated 07 December 2023
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Saudi foreign minister, UN chief discuss situation in Gaza

Saudi foreign minister, UN chief discuss situation in Gaza

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed on Wednesday the situation in Gaza  with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry said.
Guterres called Prince Faisal and they discussed the importance of making more effort to reach an immediate ceasefire.
Israel is waging a ground and air offensive against Hamas in all parts of Gaza, resulting in mass civilian deaths and causing a humanitarian catastrophe.