Weather warnings in Saudi Arabia amid forecasts of snow and freezing temperatures

Weather warnings in Saudi Arabia amid forecasts of snow and freezing temperatures
Authorities in Saudi Arabia warned on Tuesday that adverse weather conditions are expected to continue in most parts of the country until Friday. (SPA/File)
Short Url
Updated 31 January 2024
Follow

Weather warnings in Saudi Arabia amid forecasts of snow and freezing temperatures

Weather warnings in Saudi Arabia amid forecasts of snow and freezing temperatures
  • National Center of Meteorology also forecasts light-to-moderate rainfalls, dusty surface winds and high waves

RIYADH: Authorities in Saudi Arabia warned on Tuesday that adverse weather conditions are expected to continue in most parts of the country until Friday, with snow and freezing temperatures forecast in some areas.

The National Center of Meteorology also warned of light-to-moderate rainfalls, dusty surface winds, and high waves amid the falling temperatures, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Light rain was expected in Asir region until Friday, and light-to-moderate rain in Jazan and Al-Baha regions, the center said. Light rain was forecast for Taif, Maysan, Adham and Al-Ardiyat until Thursday.

Light rain was also likely in Tabuk, Hafr Al-Batin, Al-Khafji, Al-Eis, AlUla, Yanbu and Khaybar on Thursday and Friday, and in the Northern Borders and Al-Jawf from Wednesday evening until Friday.

Dust-raising surface winds of 45 kilometers per hour or more were expected to hit Tabuk, Madinah, Makkah, Al-Jawf, Northern Borders and Hail regions, resulting in low visibility until Friday. The regions of Riyadh, Qassim and the Eastern Province can expect similar winds reaching 50 kph, with similar results.

The center said it expects waves of more than 2.5 meters in coastal areas of Tabuk, Madinah, Makkah, Asir and Jazan regions on Thursday and Friday.

Meanwhile, light snowfalls are expected on Thursday and Friday in Jabal Al-Lawz, also known as Almond Mountain, Alaqan and Al-Dhahr in Tabuk, as well as Al-Jawf and the Northern Borders regions.

Temperatures are forecast to fall to between 5 degrees Celsius and below zero in Tabuk, Al-Jawf, the Northern Borders, Hail, AlUla and Khaybar between Wednesday and Friday.

The center urged the public to check status updates online on its early-warning page, social media accounts and apps for the latest weather information, and to take care and follow any safety guidelines and instructions issued by authorities.


Saudi project clears 1,579 Houthi mines in Yemen

Saudi project clears 1,579 Houthi mines in Yemen
Updated 9 sec ago
Follow

Saudi project clears 1,579 Houthi mines in Yemen

Saudi project clears 1,579 Houthi mines in Yemen
  • A total of 465,252 mines had been cleared since Masam's inception in 2018

RIYADH: Members of Saudi Arabia’s Project Masam removed 1,579 explosive devices from various regions of Yemen last week.

The total included five anti-personnel mines, 126 anti-tank mines, 1,442 unexploded ordnances and six explosive devices, according to a recent report.

Ousama Al-Gosaibi, the initiative’s managing director, said a total of 465,252 mines had been cleared since its inception in 2018.

The explosives were planted indiscriminately and posed a threat to civilians, including children, women and the elderly.

Project Masam is one of several initiatives undertaken by Saudi Arabia on the orders of King Salman to help the Yemeni people, clearing routes for humanitarian aid to reach the country’s citizens.

The demining operations took place in Marib, Aden, Jouf, Shabwa, Taiz, Hodeidah, Lahij, Sanaa, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhale and Saada.

The initiative trains local demining engineers and provides them with modern equipment. It also offers support to Yemenis injured by the devices.

Teams are tasked with clearing villages, roads and schools to facilitate safe movement for civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid.

About 5 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the start of the conflict in Yemen, many of them displaced by the presence of land mines.


Moon-Venus conjunction visible in northern Saudi Arabia

Moon-Venus conjunction visible in northern Saudi Arabia
Updated 06 October 2024
Follow

Moon-Venus conjunction visible in northern Saudi Arabia

Moon-Venus conjunction visible in northern Saudi Arabia
  • Celestial show after sunset over the Northern Border region was visible to the naked eye

RAFHA: A spectacular celestial event occurred over Saudi Arabia’s northern skies on Saturday night, with the moon and Venus in conjunction, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

Known as a conjunction, the phenomenon in the sky after sunset in the Northern Border region was visible to the naked eye, with the moon and the planet separated by just three degrees.

A conjunction occurs when two celestial objects appear close to each other in the sky and share the same celestial longitude, according to astronomer Berjis Al-Fulaih.

Al-Fulaih, an official with the AFAQ Society for Astronomy in Taif, noted that Venus is often referred to as the “Evening Star” or the “Morning Star,” depending on its position in the west or east.

The alignment marks the beginning of the moon’s monthly journey past the bright planets.

The phenomenon occurred in the sky after sunset over the Northern Border region and was visible to the naked eye. (SPA)

In an interview with SPA before the celestial event, Jeddah Astronomy Society chief Majed Abu Zahra said the appearance of the crescent moon and Venus together shortly after sunset, before the sky darkened fully, created the spectacular view.

“As the second and third brightest objects in the night sky, after the sun, they will present a striking view,” he said.

A faint glow, caused by sunlight reflecting off Earth (known as Earthshine), will softly illuminate the unlit part of the moon’s disk, he explained.

Abu Zahra said there will be another astronomical event in mid-October: the arrival of Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, which will appear 20 to 25 degrees northwest of Venus on Oct. 13 and 14. The comet may even be visible to the naked eye, although comets are notoriously unpredictable.

By Oct. 25, Venus will appear three degrees north of the star Antares. Toward the end of the month, Venus will draw closer to Earth, with its disk measuring 14 arcseconds and being 77 percent illuminated, Abu Zahra told SPA.


Saudi Arabia’s PIF considers larger stake in Nintendo 

Saudi Arabia’s PIF considers larger stake in Nintendo 
Updated 05 October 2024
Follow

Saudi Arabia’s PIF considers larger stake in Nintendo 

Saudi Arabia’s PIF considers larger stake in Nintendo 

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund said on Saturday it was considering raising its stake in Japan’s Nintendo and other Japanese gaming companies, according to reports.

Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, vice chair of the PIF’s gaming unit, disclosed the plan in an interview with Kyodo News.

He said that the PIF was “not in a rush to increase its stakes” and that the investments would be made in a “friendly way.”

The PIF currently owns 8.58 percent of Nintendo and has stakes in video game companies Capcom, Nexon, and Koei Tecmo.


National heritage will be ‘biggest driver’ of Saudi economy

Prince Sultan bin Salman, middle, with Prince Turki Al-Faisal and Jerry Inzerillo at the meeting. (X: @ATURATH)
Prince Sultan bin Salman, middle, with Prince Turki Al-Faisal and Jerry Inzerillo at the meeting. (X: @ATURATH)
Updated 05 October 2024
Follow

National heritage will be ‘biggest driver’ of Saudi economy

Prince Sultan bin Salman, middle, with Prince Turki Al-Faisal and Jerry Inzerillo at the meeting. (X: @ATURATH)
  • Riyadh book fair is a testament to Kingdom’s focus on culture and heritage, says Prince Sultan

RIYADH: National heritage will be the biggest driver of the economy under Saudi Vision 2030, said Prince Sultan bin Salman, special adviser to King Salman and founder and chairman of the nonprofit Al-Turath (Heritage) Foundation.

He was speaking at the foundation’s annual meeting held under the theme “Confident Steps Toward the Future” at the Riyadh International Book Fair, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

A documentary film about the foundation’s journey, highlighting its key initiatives and most important milestones, was screened.

HIGHLIGHT

Prince Sultan bin Salman also spoke about the Al- Turath Foundation-produced documentary film “Okath Al-Badr,” which covers stories from the life of Prince Badr bin Abdul Mohsen bin Abdulaziz.

Another film showed the launch, at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture in Dhahran, of the book “King Salman,” an Al-Turath Foundation initiative sponsored by Saudi Aramco to coincide with the 94th National Day.

Prince Sultan said that the book fair is a testament to the attention the Kingdom gives to culture and national heritage, which will become the biggest drivers of the economy.

The book, which Prince Sultan described as a gift to the nation, covers different stages in the life of King Salman alongside the Kingdom’s founder King Abdulaziz and other Saudi rulers.

Prince Sultan said that the Al-Turath Foundation has experienced continuous development since its establishment 28 years ago, printing books, conducting research, archiving historical photos, and documenting the nation’s history over the course of more than a quarter of a century.

Prince Sultan also spoke about the Al-Turath Foundation-produced documentary film “Okath Al-Badr,” which covers stories from the life of Prince Badr bin Abdul Mohsen bin Abdulaziz.

The meeting was attended by Prince Turki Al-Faisal, founder and trustee of the King Faisal Foundation and chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies; Prince Faisal bin Salman, special adviser to King Salman and chairman of the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives; Jerry Inzerillo, CEO of the Diriyah Gate Development Authority; and several princes, officials, and ambassadors to the Kingdom.

The Riyadh International Book Fair, themed “Riyadh Reads” and featuring over 800 pavilions, is organized yearly by the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission.

It began on Sept. 26 and runs until Oct. 5, with over 2,000 publishing houses from 30 countries participating. The schedule includes seminars, panel discussions, poetry recitals, stage performances, and workshops.

 


Saudi academy to launch Arabic Language Month in France

The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language. (SPA)
The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language. (SPA)
Updated 06 October 2024
Follow

Saudi academy to launch Arabic Language Month in France

The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language. (SPA)
  • The program includes visits to French universities and educational centers to “meet staff and enrich the learning experience”

RIYADH: The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language will launch its Arabic Language Month in France program on Oct. 7.

The initiative aims to “develop Arabic-language teaching curricula, enhance teacher performance, promote the language, and showcase Saudi Arabia’s initiatives,” according to a Saudi Press Agency report published on Saturday.

The program includes visits to French universities and educational centers to “meet staff and enrich the learning experience,” the report continued.

Previous editions of the Arabic Language Month program have been implemented in Uzbekistan, Indonesia, and China.

The academy will also host its third international conference — “Arabic Language Computing and Enriching Linguistic Data” — on Oct. 6 and 7 in Riyadh, at which experts will discuss “innovations in Arabic language computing and improving artificial intelligence models,” and “address the need for enhanced academic practices in the Arab world.”