Peregrine falcon chick sells for record $106,601 at Saudi auction

Peregrine falcon chick sells for record $106,601 at Saudi auction
US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney visited the International Falcon Breeders Auction in Riyadh. (SPA)
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Updated 21 August 2024
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Peregrine falcon chick sells for record $106,601 at Saudi auction

Peregrine falcon chick sells for record $106,601 at Saudi auction
  • US envoy joins falconry fans, experiencing Saudi cultural heritage

RIYADH: A peregrine falcon chick named Ultra White has been sold for a record SR400,000 ($106,600) this year after an initial price of SR100,000 at the 2024 International Falcon Breeders Auction, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

American breeder Pacific Northwest Falcons, the owner of Ultra White, sold another peregrine chick named Super White for SR86,000 after an opening price of SR40,000 during the bidding on Tuesday night.

The event, hosted by the Saudi Falcons Club from Aug. 5-24 at its headquarters in Malham, north of Riyadh, features top falconry farms from 19 countries, showcasing championship-winning breeds for falconers, producers, and enthusiasts.

Twelve auction nights will be held throughout the event, with competitions and auctions streamed live on TV channels and the club’s social media platforms.




The annual auction in Riyadh, which this year features 19 falconry farms from 19 countries, showcases championship-winning breeds for falconers, producers and enthusiasts. (SPA)

The club announces the falcons on offer before each auction night, SPA reported.

US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney also visited the event and was briefed on the methods used to produce distinctive types of falcons.

Photos were taken of the ambassador with the falcons during the tour, where he visited the Falconer of the Future pavilion, designated for junior falconers.

Ratney was also briefed on Saudi cultural heritage and how falconry has been passed down through generations.

With a history of exceeding SR18 million in sales over the past three years, the auction introduces new international breeding farms and fosters collaboration among producers and investors.




US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney also visited the event and was briefed on the methods used to produce distinctive types of falcons. (SPA)

The event provides a valuable networking opportunity for falconers and breeders from around the world, aligning with the Saudi Falcons Club’s commitment to preserving falconry heritage and promoting the Kingdom as a global center for the sport.

It also aligns with the club’s vision to lead in falconry development, innovation, breeding, and care. The event contributes to the cultural and economic landscape while raising awareness about environmental conservation.


KSrelief’s Masam Project clears 1,579 explosive devices in Yemen

KSrelief’s Masam Project clears 1,579 explosive devices in Yemen
Updated 43 min 50 sec ago
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KSrelief’s Masam Project clears 1,579 explosive devices in Yemen

KSrelief’s Masam Project clears 1,579 explosive devices in Yemen

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Masam Project, run by its aid agency KSrelief, dismantled 1,579 explosive devices across various governorates in Yemen between Sept. 28 and Oct. 4.

These included 1,442 unexploded ordnances, 126 anti-tank mines, six other devices, and five anti-personnel mines, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.

Since its inception, the project has removed 465,252 explosive devices from the country.

Saudi Arabia, through KSrelief, remains dedicated to eliminating these dangers, which continue to pose a severe threat to civilians.

These devices have already killed and injured several children, women and the elderly in Yemen.


Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief supports 13,300 Yemenis in education initiative

Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief supports 13,300 Yemenis in education initiative
Updated 08 October 2024
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Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief supports 13,300 Yemenis in education initiative

Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief supports 13,300 Yemenis in education initiative

RIYADH: The second phase of the “Back to School” project in Yemen, funded by Saudi Arabia through its aid agency KSrelief, has supported 13,300 people across Hajjah, Abyan, Hadhramaut, and Perim Island in Taiz.

Running from Sept. 17, 2023, to Sept. 16, 2024, the project provided 95 classrooms equipped with chairs, whiteboards, lighting, and solar-powered fans.

It also distributed 1,900 school uniforms and bags with supplies.

In addition, KSrelief supported local women by training them to manufacture 950 bags, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.


Saudi aid agency KSrelief boosts medical services in Egypt, Jordan’s Zaatari refugee camp

Saudi aid agency KSrelief boosts medical services in Egypt, Jordan’s Zaatari refugee camp
Updated 08 October 2024
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Saudi aid agency KSrelief boosts medical services in Egypt, Jordan’s Zaatari refugee camp

Saudi aid agency KSrelief boosts medical services in Egypt, Jordan’s Zaatari refugee camp
  • Various clinics provide pediatric, eye, dental, emergency treatments, and open-heart surgeries for needy people

RIYADH: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief has stepped up its healthcare services to reach more beneficiaries in Egypt and Jordan’s Zaatari refugee camp.

KSrelief’s clinics provided comprehensive medical services to 2,564 Syrian refugees at Jordan’s Zaatari camp during the last week of September, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

During this period, the general medicine clinics treated 680 patients, and the internal medicine clinic saw 79 patients with diabetes, hypertension, and asthma.

The pediatric, emergency, dental and two gynecology clinics attended to 318 children, 314 patients, 109 patients, and 220 females, respectively, at the camp.

Also, the ear, nose, and throat clinic saw 43 patients with various infections. In addition, the eye, cardiology and diagnostic radiology clinics treated 80, 20 and 31 patients.

The health education department served 72 beneficiaries, and 2,340 medical prescriptions were filled at the pharmacy.

A team of volunteers including 14 specialist doctors performed 28 pediatric heart surgeries in Alexandria, Egypt, from Sept. 24 to 30.

The procedures included 23 open-heart surgeries and five cardiac catheterizations, all performed with a 100 percent success rate, said the SPA.

The project was a part of KSrelief’s efforts to provide critical healthcare services to people in need across the world.

“The surgeries were part of a volunteer medical project aimed at providing life-saving heart procedures for children from low-income families,” reported the SPA.


Saudi aid agency KSrelief provides food aid in South Sudan, Syria, Kyrgyzstan

Saudi aid agency KSrelief provides food aid in South Sudan, Syria, Kyrgyzstan
Updated 08 October 2024
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Saudi aid agency KSrelief provides food aid in South Sudan, Syria, Kyrgyzstan

Saudi aid agency KSrelief provides food aid in South Sudan, Syria, Kyrgyzstan
  • 3,700 families benefited from KSrelief food aid in South Sudan including the displaced, elderly, and people with special needs

RIYADH: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief recently distributed food aid to vulnerable communities in South Sudan, Syria and Kyrgyzstan, according to separate reports from the Saudi Press Agency over the past few days.

In Syria, 6,870 earthquake-affected individuals in Idlib received 1,310 food packages and 1,310 hygiene kits.

As a part of KSrelief’s Food Basket Distribution Project in Bahr El-Ghazal state, South Sudan, 3,700 families benefited including the displaced, elderly, and people with special needs.

The aid agency also provided 435 food parcels in Talas, Kyrgyzstan, benefiting 2,175 individuals. This is a part of the 2024 food aid distribution project that aims to secure 8,100 packages for 35,000 individuals.

“This effort is part of a series of relief and humanitarian projects provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through KSrelief to support needy and affected groups worldwide,” the SPA reported.


Riyadh forum spotlights women’s leadership roles

Riyadh forum spotlights women’s leadership roles
Updated 07 October 2024
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Riyadh forum spotlights women’s leadership roles

Riyadh forum spotlights women’s leadership roles
  • Award-winning journalist encourages Saudi women to shape their narrative through media
  • Baria Alamuddin: Saudi Arabia is the heart of the Arab world in every sense of the word

RIYADH: The Creative Women Forum, held in Riyadh on Monday, gathered female leaders from around the world to discuss entrepreneurship, sustainability, innovation, technology, wellness, art, and sports.

Baria Alamuddin, an award-winning journalist and broadcaster in the Middle East and UK, and the editor of the Media Services Syndicate, delivered a keynote speech, urging Saudi women to engage with the media to share their stories.

“Saudi Arabia is the heart of the Arab world in every sense of the word,” Alamuddin said.

She shared stories of meeting, working, and interacting with Saudi women, adding she had “never seen women love their country like the women in Saudi Arabia,” and that she had “met some of the strongest women” in the Kingdom.

In an interview with Arab News, Alamuddin expressed her passion for highlighting Saudi women, explaining that she had been frustrated by not knowing enough about them.

After visiting the Saudi Arabia and meeting women in leadership positions, she was amazed by their drive and dedication to the country's development.

“I knew these women were strong, passionate, and driven, with a genuine desire to impact the development of their country,” Alamuddin said.

“Every time I visit the Kingdom, I am amazed by the progress of Saudi women.”

Alamuddin is one of the many distinguished female leaders speaking at the forum.

The two-day event focuses on business, startups, investment, health, female leadership, sports, sustainability, technology, and other key areas. It includes workshops, panel discussions, and question-and-answer sessions with industry experts.

Other topics at the forum include cultural and social transformation, finance, equality in careers, and women’s health and well-being.

Speakers included Princess Reema bint Bandar, Saudi ambassador to the US; Princess Noura Al-Saud, patron of the Creative Women Forum; Dr. Selwa Al-Hazzaa, CEO and founder of the digital health company SDM; and Dr. Basma Al-Buhairan, managing director at C4IR.