Saudi authorities seize multi-million dollar haul of narcotics
The drugs haul had an estimated street value of between $47 million and $117.5 million
Two people were arrested in the Riyadh region
Updated 28 May 2024
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi authorities have seized a massive haul of 4.7 million Captagon tablets with a street value of up to $117.5m, state news agency SPA reported on Tuesday.
Major Marwan Al-Hazmi, spokesperson for the Saudi General Directorate of Narcotics Control, said the tablets were found hidden in a shipment of concrete blocks.
The drugs haul had an estimated street value of between $47 million and $117.5 million, according to research published in the International Addiction Review Journal, based on assumptions that users pay in the range of $10-$25 a pill.
Amphetamines are largely used by young men and teenaged boys across the Middle East, and the money raised through the sale of all narcotics are usually ploughed back into the drug trade while some find their way into organized crime and terrorism.
Two people were arrested in the Riyadh region, according to SPA and have been referred to the Public Prosecution and initial legal procedures have been taken against them.
The authorities have called upon the public to report all information regarding drug smuggling or selling by calling 911 in Makkah, Riyadh, and the Eastern Province, and 999 in the rest of the Kingdom. Alternatively, authorities may be contacted by email at [email protected].
Reports of suspected cases of drug smuggling are treated with strict confidentiality. Financial rewards are offered for information leading to arrests.
The Kingdom vs Captagon
Inside Saudi Arabia's war against the drug destroying lives across the Arab world
RIYADH: Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, the supervisor general of the Saudi aid agency KSrelief, met the Dutch Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Hans Peter van der Woude in Riyadh on Monday.
Discussions focused on relief and humanitarian issues, with particular attention on global efforts led by Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Van der Woude praised the Kingdom’s contributions through KSrelief, highlighting the agency’s significant role in easing the suffering of those in need and providing assistance to communities worldwide.
Tala Al-Saedi is encouraging Saudi women and men to consider careers in STEM
Updated 24 min 35 sec ago
Tamara Abualsaud
RIYADH: While eager first-year college students were all looking down at their catalogs to select a major, Tala Al-Saedi was looking up at the stars.
A 2024 graduate of the University of Arizona where she majored in aerospace engineering, for her senior design project Al-Saedi was chosen by the dean of engineering to be part of a NASA-sponsored project, the Lunar South Pole Prospecting Rover.
When first deciding on a major, the only thing Al-Saedi knew was that she wanted it to be “unique and challenging.”
NASA’s Lunar South Pole Prospecting Rover was built by a team of six engineering students, including Saudi aerospace engineer Tala Al-Saedi. (Supplied)
Coming across aerospace engineering, she was captivated by the idea of “working on technology that operates in extreme environments.”
The Lunar South Pole Prospecting Rover, built by a team of six engineering students, “was designed to explore the lunar south pole and prospect resources such as water and ice, which could be crucial for sustaining a human presence on the moon.”
According to Al-Saedi, the project is well aligned with NASA’s Artemis Plan, which in 2026 is scheduled to land the first woman and first person of color on the moon.
I believe we’re entering a new era where possibilities for innovation and discovery are greater than ever before.
Tala Al-Saedi, Aerospace engineer
Al-Saedi told Arab News that “the rover needs to operate in the harsh conditions of the lunar south pole.”
As the thermal and structure subsystem lead, she was responsible for making sure the materials used will function in the conditions found at the pole.
“I had to make thermal management control systems, such as active and passive control systems, so it could save the rover’s instruments and keep it working during sunlight and at nighttime,” she said.
The lunar south pole does not receive very much sunlight and temperatures can be extremely low. The many craters on the surface of the pole, such as the Shackleton Crater, have illuminated rims but their interiors are in shadow.
Al-Saedi said that these conditions, coupled with high levels of radiation, make landing on the lunar south pole extremely difficult. Only one country has been able to do so successfully and that was India in August 2023 as part of their Chandrayaan-3 mission.
Al-Saedi also said that the craters in the region indicate the possibility of a water presence, which, in addition to entertaining the possibility of sustaining life on the moon, “could be used for future lunar missions and rocket fuel.”
The rover will continue to be developed by the next generations of senior engineering students at the University of Arizona which “ensures a future of students that can continue to refine the design and integrate new technologies and apply their own ideas,” Al-Saedi added.
“The project is a crucial step forward towards achieving long-term exploration goals that could eventually extend to Mars,” she said.
Al-Saedi held several extracurricular positions during her time at university that allowed her to step outside her comfort zone and explore the social culture of the school, as well as help ease other students’ transition and integration.
She was a member of the Society of Women Engineers and the Wildcat Fencing Club, and was also a global student ambassador, which meant she was international students’ first point of contact upon arriving in Tucson, Arizona. She said that being part of the Society of Women Engineers helped her to “stay focused and motivated,” inspiring her to encourage young engineering hopefuls to do the same.
“Being part of these organizations also aligned with my personal mission to advocate for greater female participation in STEM,” she said. It is a cause Al-Saedi is deeply passionate about and carries closely with her.
As a young Saudi woman, she expressed concern at the fact so few women engineers were choosing to major in aerospace engineering and cited the lack of female representation in the field as a leading factor in the creation of a vicious cycle.
She also spoke about the value of seeing yourself in your peers and how that helps push you forward in your academics and boosts confidence.
As far as Saudi space exploration goes, Al-Saedi is optimistic. “We’re just at the beginning,” she said, with missions such as Artemis and Vision 2030 underway, “I believe we’re entering a new era where possibilities for innovation and discovery are greater than ever before.”
Al-Saedi is encouraging all young Saudi students, women especially, to consider a future in STEM.
Moving forward in her postgraduate career, Al-Saedi is excited to turn the final frontier into her very own stomping ground. “I really want to contribute to the development of technology and make human exploration in space safer and more sustainable.”
Saudi Arabia seeks to boost efficiency of seasonal date markets
Date season aims to modernize trading and celebrate Saudi heritage
Updated 25 min 11 sec ago
Hebshi Alshammari
RIYADH: A date season initiative launched by Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Palms and Dates will see cultural events and markets taking place in a number of cities.
The center’s CEO, Mohammed Al-Nuwairan, said the aim was to regulate date trading, enhancing market efficiency and quality. Targeting locals, visitors and tourists it also seeks to boost the economic and social value of dates.
To reduce date accumulation, the center also now purchases directly from farmers in order to connect them with consumers and merchants. (Supplied)
The events will strengthen the link between dates and Saudi cultural heritage, reflecting the nation’s history, identity and hospitality.
The initiative promotes the purchasing power of date markets and elevates Saudi dates as an economic product, said Al-Nuwairan. It also enhances satisfaction among farmers, marketers and buyers, and benefits the Saudi economy.
FASTFACTS
$390m
In 2023, date exports increased by 14 percent, reaching SR1.462 billion ($390 million) in 119 countries, up from SR1.280 billion in 2022.
34m
The Kingdom has over 34 million palm trees, with 11.2 million of those in the Qassim region.
A new electronic platform has also been launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture. Sellers, buyers and marketers can sign up to the Seasonal Markets System, which controls and regulates date trading.
Mohammed Al-Nuwairan, CEO of the National Center for Palms and Dates (L) and Abdullah Al-Radadi, director general of the Al-Madinah Dates Cooperative Association. (Supplied)
Abdullah Al-Raddadi, director general of the Al-Madinah Dates Cooperative Association, said there was increased development and interest in the date industry, particularly through the National Center for Palms and Dates.
The initiative supported farmers by connecting them directly with consumers and merchants, improving date prices, and the center also now bought directly from farmers to reduce date accumulation, he added.
In 2023, date exports increased by 14 percent, reaching SR1.462 billion ($390 million) in 119 countries, up from SR1.280 billion in 2022.
The Kingdom has over 34 million palm trees, with 11.2 million of those in the Qassim region.
Saudi Arabia’s home design contest aims to elevate local talent
The top three will each receive a share of the SR100,000 ($26,600) cash prize, awarded by the commission, and Abyat shopping vouchers
Updated 25 min 45 sec ago
Arab News
JEDDAH: A competition called “Your Design in Every Home” has been launched by Saudi Arabia’s Architecture and Design Commission in a bid to support home-grown industrial design talent.
Part of the Jusoor program under the “Designed in Saudi” initiative, the competition invites designers to create products for Abyat, a company specializing in finishing and furnishing materials.
Winning designs will be produced and marketed for sale, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The competition aims to highlight local talent, encourage collaboration among designers and brands, and infuse cultural and natural diversity into designs for both home and global audiences.
The top three will each receive a share of the SR100,000 ($26,600) cash prize, awarded by the commission, and Abyat shopping vouchers.
Submissions are open until Oct. 6. To enter, visit https://engage.moc.gov.sa/jusoor-abyat
Health minister tours new medical facilities in Madinah
Updated 25 min 54 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's Health Minister Fahd Al-Jalajel has visited new medical facilities in the Madinah region, highlighting efforts to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare in the Kingdom.
The tour is part of a strategy to upgrade healthcare for residents and pilgrims in Madinah, in line with the Health Sector Transformation Program and Pilgrim Experience Program under Vision 2030, reported the Saudi Press Agency.
Saudi Arabia's Health Minister Fahd Al-Jalajel. (Supplied)
Al-Jalajel visited the newly inaugurated outpatient clinic at King Fahd Hospital and inspected several developmental projects.
He also toured primary healthcare centers and Al-Salam Hospital, engaging with residents to gather feedback on healthcare services.
The developments are having a significant economic impact with new projects in Madinah exceeding SR180 million ($48 million), including the clinic at King Fahd Hospital and upgrades to seven primary care centers such as Al-Aziziyah and Al-Khalidiyah.
