King, crown prince attend Saudi Cabinet meeting

King, crown prince attend Saudi Cabinet meeting
King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday attended the Saudi Cabinet’s weekly meeting. (SPA)
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Updated 03 October 2023
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King, crown prince attend Saudi Cabinet meeting

King, crown prince attend Saudi Cabinet meeting

RIYADH: King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday attended the Saudi Cabinet’s weekly meeting.

Ministers discussed the outcomes of recent talks between senior officials from the Kingdom and their foreign counterparts and reviewed the country’s budget for the fiscal year 2024.

Cabinet members also looked at labor market indicators in the second quarter of this year. Figures showed a drop in the unemployment rate on the same period last year, from 9.7 percent to 8.3 percent.

The fall in the number of jobless Saudis was attributed to initiatives and programs related to Vision 2030.


KSrelief sends 3rd relief ship to Palestinians in Gaza

KSrelief sends 3rd relief ship to Palestinians in Gaza
Updated 6 sec ago
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KSrelief sends 3rd relief ship to Palestinians in Gaza

KSrelief sends 3rd relief ship to Palestinians in Gaza
  • The shipment, carrying 300 large containers weighing 1,246 tons, includes 200 containers of medical supplies
  • It comes as part of the Kingdom’s historic role in standing with the Palestinian people

JEDDAH: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center on Saturday shipped the third batch of Saudi assistance to the Palestinian people in Gaza.
The shipment, carrying 300 large containers weighing 1,246 tons, includes 200 containers of medical supplies for hospitals in Gaza, and 100 containers of basic foodstuffs, baby formula and shelter material.
The ship set sail from Jeddah Islamic Port heading to Port Said in Egypt, from where it will be transported to Gaza.
It comes as part of the Kingdom’s historic role in standing with the Palestinian people.
Meanwhile, people sheltering in the south of Gaza after fleeing their homes earlier in the war said on Saturday they had nowhere safe to go now.
The city of Khan Younis is the focus of Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire after fighting resumed on Friday following the collapse of a week-long truce.
Its population has swelled in recent weeks as several hundred thousand people from the northern Gaza Strip have fled south. 


King Abdulaziz festival sees significant development

King Abdulaziz festival sees significant development
Updated 11 min 57 sec ago
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King Abdulaziz festival sees significant development

King Abdulaziz festival sees significant development
  • The total prize money on offer at the festival is more than SR33.6 million
  • Falconry as a traditional sport has become embedded in various cultures worldwide

RIYADH: The King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival 2023, which runs until Dec. 14 at the Saudi Falcons Club in Malham, north of Riyadh, has developed significantly this year — particularly the Al-Milwah competition for international falconers, which includes new rounds and an expanded pool of winners.
The total prize money on offer at the festival is more than SR33.6 million ($8.96 million), according to a press release.
The festival is accepting applications from international falconers for the qualifying rounds of the 400-meter Al-Milwah competition until Dec. 5.
Registration takes place at the SFC headquarters from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Falconry as a traditional sport has become embedded in various cultures worldwide, the result of being practiced globally for 4,000 years. It is a complex and immersive sport, yet it is not indigenous to one community, people, or territory.
In Dec. 2016, and under the Convention for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, UNESCO adopted falconry as a living human heritage.


Flynas launches operation base at Madinah, announces 6 new international, domestic destinations

Flynas launches operation base at Madinah, announces 6 new international, domestic destinations
Updated 02 December 2023
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Flynas launches operation base at Madinah, announces 6 new international, domestic destinations

Flynas launches operation base at Madinah, announces 6 new international, domestic destinations

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s low-cost airline Flynas on Friday launched its newest operation base at Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The airline also inaugurated six destinations and routes, including two domestic flights to Abha and Tabuk, and four in the international category — to Dubai, Amman, Istanbul, and Ankara — to be operated alongside the other four existing destinations, from Madinah to Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and Cairo.

It brings to 10 the total destinations that are now served by Flynas from the new operation base at Madinah.

Flynas, the leading low-cost carrier in Saudi Arabia, has now become the only airline with four bases across the Kingdom, in line with its expansion and growth plans and in parallel with the objectives of the Pilgrim Experience Program to facilitate access to the Two Holy Mosques, and the National Civil Aviation Strategy.

The strategy will enable national air carriers to contribute to connecting 250 international destinations to the Kingdom, as well as reaching 330 million passengers and attracting 100 million tourists annually by 2030.

Bander Al-Mohanna, CEO and managing director of Flynas, said: “Launching our newest operation base and inaugurating the new routes come in response to the high demand for Madinah, notably from pilgrims and visitors to the holy mosque.”

He added that more new destinations and routes will be announced in the future.

Al-Mohanna said: “Operating 10 routes from the new base as a start was made possible as a result of more than 100 percent upscaling of our all-Airbus fleet in less than two years, in line with the growth and expansion plan launched early last year under the slogan ‘We Connect the World to the Kingdom’.”

One of its key features was signing an agreement with Airbus for 30 new A320neo aircraft last June, as part of an order of 120 Airbus aircraft and approval to increase new orders to 250, he added.

Flynas connects more than 70 domestic and international destinations with more than 1,500 weekly flights and has flown more than 60 million passengers since its launch in 2007. It aims to reach 165 domestic and international destinations, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.


24th Saudi relief plane heads to Gaza Strip

King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center sends 24th relief plane to Gaza. (SPA)
King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center sends 24th relief plane to Gaza. (SPA)
Updated 01 December 2023
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24th Saudi relief plane heads to Gaza Strip

King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center sends 24th relief plane to Gaza. (SPA)

RIYADH: The 24th Saudi relief plane, operated by the Riyadh-based King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), arrived in Egypt on Friday carrying 31 tons of aid, including food and shelter materials, the official SPA news agency reported.
The assistance, which was dispatched on Thursday, is to be transported to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.
The aid efforts are in keeping with Saudi Arabia’s historic role in supporting the Palestinian people in times of crisis, the SPA statement said.


Saudi cultural event aims to put theater, performing arts in spotlight

Saudi cultural event aims to put theater, performing arts in spotlight
Updated 01 December 2023
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Saudi cultural event aims to put theater, performing arts in spotlight

Saudi cultural event aims to put theater, performing arts in spotlight
  • The Argentinian shows, which conclude on Dec. 5., have included circus and magic performances, a jungle show, and classic plays such as “Cinderella” and “Alice in Wonderland”

RIYADH: The Saudi Theater and Performing Arts Commission organized the eighth Urban Art event as part of a series of Argentinian shows being held at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University.

The show, which runs until Saturday in the Blue Hall, aims to increase awareness about the theater and performing arts sector in the Kingdom and around the world.

The show, which runs until Saturday in the Blue hall, aims to increase awareness about the theater and performing arts sector in the Kingdom and around the world. (SPA)

After kicking off with a hip-hop performance, the show has featured acrobatics, bike jumps and skateboards, and showcased football skills to a background of tango music.

An accompanying educational exhibition included dishes presented by local Argentinian and Latin American restaurants. There were also specially designed photo booths and a shop selling Argentinian products and costumes.

HIGHLIGHTS

• An accompanying educational exhibition included dishes presented by local Argentinian and Latin American restaurants.

• There were also specially designed photo booths and a shop selling Argentinian products and costumes.

The Argentinian shows, which conclude on Dec. 5., have included circus and magic performances, a jungle show, and classic plays such as “Cinderella” and “Alice in Wonderland.”

In addition, the shows also help to bolster the Saudi Culture Ministry’s efforts to boost international cultural exchange, one of the goals of Vision 2030.