Buraidah Dates Carnival empowers youth with trading opportunities

Buraidah Dates Carnival empowers youth with trading opportunities
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Featuring more than 50 date varieties, the carnival draws crowds every day and is fast becoming a major attraction for those interested in the date sector. (SPA)
Buraidah Dates Carnival empowers youth with trading opportunities
2 / 2
Featuring more than 50 date varieties, the carnival draws crowds every day and is fast becoming a major attraction for those interested in the date sector. (SPA)
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Updated 01 September 2024
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Buraidah Dates Carnival empowers youth with trading opportunities

Buraidah Dates Carnival empowers youth with trading opportunities
  • Buraidah Dates Carnival is a key economic opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs, providing a platform for increased earnings and self-sufficiency
  • The carnival is a symbol of the Kingdom’s agricultural economy, creating thousands of jobs and boosting economic activity in Buraidah

RIYADH: Young entrepreneurs in the Qassim region have entered the date trade, buying dates from local farms or entering into agreements with farmers to care for the dates for a specified period. They also attend the dawn date auction in Buraidah to buy dates for resale in shops or online.

The Buraidah Dates Carnival is a key economic opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs, providing a platform for increased earnings and self-sufficiency. Featuring more than 50 date varieties it draws crowds every day and is fast becoming a major attraction for those interested in the date sector.

The carnival is a symbol of the Kingdom’s agricultural economy, creating thousands of jobs and boosting economic activity in Buraidah, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Mohammed Al-Rumyyan, an expert in farm acquisitions, identified the date season in Buraidah as an excellent opportunity for young people to earn money.

He emphasized the importance of proper care, such as watering and fertilizing, to produce high-quality dates. After harvesting, dates are sorted into grades before being packaged for sale.

The carnival provides essential resources and support for young traders, with backing from Prince Faisal bin Mishaal bin Saud, the governor of Qassim.

Hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and overseen by the National Center for Palms and Dates, the carnival handles more than 1,000 vehicles of dates daily.

Saudi women play a crucial role in the carnival, contributing to marketing, supervision and support.

Khaled Al-Naqeedan, secretary-general of the carnival’s higher committee, noted that the event has created jobs in various sectors including supervisory teams, sales points, retail stores, farms, export yards, and support functions.

Qassim produces more than 390,000 tonnes of dates annually and plans to plant more than two million additional palm trees, aligning with Saudi Vision 2030’s goals to boost non-oil revenue.

The 51-day carnival, starting on Aug. 1, displays produce from over 11.2 million palm trees in Qassim and includes cultural, social, and entertainment programs beginning in September.

In 2023, sales at the carnival exceeded SR2.5 billion ($666 million), with the aim to boost economic activity, increase date exports, and provide opportunities for young entrepreneurs.


KSrelief medical volunteers help amputees, cardiac patients in Ukraine, Tanzania

KSrelief medical volunteers help amputees, cardiac patients in Ukraine, Tanzania
Updated 8 sec ago
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KSrelief medical volunteers help amputees, cardiac patients in Ukraine, Tanzania

KSrelief medical volunteers help amputees, cardiac patients in Ukraine, Tanzania

RIYADH: A team of medical volunteers affiliated with Saudi aid agency KSrelief concluded on Sunday a project to fit prosthetic limbs for Ukrainian refugees in Rzeszow, Poland.

The project ran from Sept. 23 to 29, 2024.

KSrelief’s medical team fitted prosthetic limbs for 21 beneficiaries during the campaign.

Meanwhile, a team of volunteers in Tanzania conducted 30 successful cardiac operations for children from Sept. 4 to 14.

The effort was part of a voluntary medical project to provide cardiac surgery and catheterization for children in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.


Tech initiative launched to support startups, digital growth

Tech initiative launched to support startups, digital growth
Updated 22 min 9 sec ago
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Tech initiative launched to support startups, digital growth

Tech initiative launched to support startups, digital growth

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has launched the Tech Talent Hub initiative in collaboration with recruitment and human resources companies to offer services and benefits to technology startups and digital talent.

The initiative aims to support the tech sector and boost the growth of the digital economy, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

The ministry seeks to accelerate the growth of tech startups by providing comprehensive support for advanced HR services, enabling these companies to reach their full potential and actively contribute to the development of the tech sector, in line with Saudi Vision 2030 aspirations for a sustainable and prosperous future.

The initiative will provide HR services such as recruitment, hiring, outsourcing, HR systems, consulting, skills assessments, and more.

The collaborating companies will empower tech sector beneficiaries, including companies and skilled professionals, to leverage the available resources.


Cultural showcase unites Saudi, Pakistani communities in Jeddah

Cultural showcase unites Saudi, Pakistani communities in Jeddah
Updated 31 min 51 sec ago
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Cultural showcase unites Saudi, Pakistani communities in Jeddah

Cultural showcase unites Saudi, Pakistani communities in Jeddah

JEDDAH: The Consulate General of Pakistan recently organized a joint event to celebrate the national days of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

The event, organized in collaboration with the Pakistan Investors Forum, aimed to strengthen Pakistan-Saudi ties, and highlight shared cultural and social values.

High-profile diplomats, entrepreneurs, community members, and media representatives from both countries attended the event, which was held at a grand banquet hall in Jeddah.

The event began with the national anthems of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. An art exhibition showcased the shared cultural heritage.

Consul General Khalid Majid emphasized art and culture’s role in diplomacy, noting the unique bilateral relations based on strong religious, cultural, and socioeconomic ties.

He praised King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s contributions to regional peace and stability.

Pakistan Investors Forum Chairman Shafqat Chaudhary highlighted the Pakistani business community’s role in Saudi Arabia’s development and praised the Kingdom’s leadership.

The event featured cultural performances by Pakistani and Saudi artists, and concluded with a cake-cutting ceremony.


KSA, Kuwait sign MoU to boost cultural cooperation

KSA, Kuwait sign MoU to boost cultural cooperation
Updated 37 min 3 sec ago
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KSA, Kuwait sign MoU to boost cultural cooperation

KSA, Kuwait sign MoU to boost cultural cooperation

RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan and Kuwait’s Minister of Information and Culture and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Abdulrahman bin Bedah Al-Mutairi met at the Riyadh International Book Fair.

They emphasized the strong historical ties between the two countries and the importance of cultural collaboration under the Saudi-Kuwaiti Coordination Council.

The ministers signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance cultural cooperation between Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture and Kuwait’s National Council for Culture, Arts and Literature.

The MoU covers collaboration in heritage, architecture, design, museums, visual arts, theater, literature, publishing, translation, fashion, culinary arts and film, as well as sharing expertise, participating in festivals and cultural events.

As UNESCO members, they will coordinate agreements and contribute to strategic cultural projects, establish artistic residencies, and implement heritage preservation projects.

Kuwait’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Sabah Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, also attended the meeting. 


KSrelief provides aid to Yemen, Lebanon and Pakistan

KSrelief provides aid to Yemen, Lebanon and Pakistan
Updated 01 October 2024
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KSrelief provides aid to Yemen, Lebanon and Pakistan

KSrelief provides aid to Yemen, Lebanon and Pakistan

RIYADH: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief has provided tens of thousands of shelter packages and other support to vulnerable communities across Yemen, Lebanon and Pakistan, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

The agency distributed 6,000 cartons of dates in the Shabwah governorate of Yemen, benefiting 36,000 needy and displaced people affected by flash floods and heavy rains.

And in Lebanon, 175,000 bags of bread were delivered to Syrian and Palestinian refugees, as well as to the host community in the nation’s north, benefiting 12,000 families.

The aid is a part of the fourth phase of the Al-Amal Charity Bakery Project, carried out by KSrelief in Akkar governorate and Miniyeh district in Lebanon.

Meanwhile there were 1,750 shelter bags delivered on Monday in the Balochistan, Sindh, and Punjab regions of Pakistan, benefiting 12,250 individuals in flood-affected areas.

The distribution was a part of the project’s fourth phase this year that ensures shelter materials and winter bags for vulnerable people in Pakistan.