Saudi Arabia highlights urban sustainability vision at Cairo forum

Saudi Arabia highlights urban sustainability vision at Cairo forum
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The municipality of Baha region highlighted Vision 2030 objectives and the Kingdom’s urban development initiatives, along with the standards followed by the municipality. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia highlights urban sustainability vision at Cairo forum
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Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf, head of the Saudi delegation at the forum, highlighted Saudi Arabia’s extensive experience in urban development and improving residents’ quality of life. (SPA)
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Updated 06 November 2024
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Saudi Arabia highlights urban sustainability vision at Cairo forum

Saudi Arabia highlights urban sustainability vision at Cairo forum
  • Authorities emphasize development goals, from green spaces to innovative infrastructure

Riyadh: Saudi authorities are showcasing the Kingdom’s role in sustainable urban development at the 12th World Urban Forum in Cairo, organized by the UN Human Settlements Programme, from Nov. 4-8.

The municipality of Baha region highlighted Vision 2030 objectives and the Kingdom’s urban development initiatives, along with the standards followed by the municipality.

Ali Al-Sawat, mayor of Baha, emphasized the Kingdom’s pioneering efforts to achieve sustainable development goals across various urban sectors.

The municipality’s participation also focused on urban planning, sustainable transportation, community engagement, waste management, recycling, green spaces and strategies to address environmental challenges.

It highlighted Saudi Arabia’s efforts to transform cities into adaptable, sustainable environments and showcased innovations improving residents’ quality of life and preserving the environment.

The municipality is committed to innovative solutions in infrastructure, project management and data analysis to build a sustainable urban model that meets community needs.

Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf, head of the Saudi delegation at the forum, highlighted Saudi Arabia’s extensive experience in urban development and improving residents’ quality of life.

Since 2016, Saudi Arabia had pursued an ambitious national vision for 2030, Prince Faisal said at the forum’s ministerial roundtable. This comprehensive vision includes 27 sub-objectives, addressing various aspects of human life.




The Quality of Life Program, part of Saudi Vision 2030, hosted a panel titled 'Towards Future Cities: Putting Quality of Life and People’s Well-Being at the Core of Urban Planning.' (SPA)

He emphasized that the vision also focused on enhancing livability in Saudi cities, alongside economic, environmental and social improvements.

Prince Faisal praised Saudi Arabia’s experience in urban development, with 17 municipalities working to turn the Vision into practical initiatives benefiting both residents and visitors.

“The Kingdom is home to excellent and historically impactful projects,” he said, highlighting the King Salman Park, Sports Boulevard, Diriyah project and environmental programs such as the Saudi Green Initiative.

The Quality of Life Program, part of Saudi Vision 2030, hosted a panel titled “Towards Future Cities: Putting Quality of Life and People’s Well-Being at the Core of Urban Planning.”

The session explored strategies to improve living conditions in urban areas, focusing on cross-sector collaboration.

CEO of the program, Khalid Albaker, emphasized the forum’s role in raising awareness of quality of life in urban planning, showcasing Saudi efforts to enhance living standards.

Albaker stressed the need for collaboration across government, industry and entrepreneurship to find innovative solutions that met community needs and promoted sustainable development.

The program contributes to sustainable development through 170 initiatives in sports, culture, tourism, entertainment, urban design and safety, supporting job creation, economic growth, innovation and city humanization to improve quality of life across Saudi Arabia.

The Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites is also participating in the forum, showcasing its efforts to develop Makkah into a sustainable city. The commission is highlighting its work in enhancing transportation networks, infrastructure and services.

The municipality of Riyadh is showcasing exemplary urban and environmental initiatives, using modern technologies for planning, development and construction of future cities. The pavilion highlights the Kingdom’s achievements in sustainable urban development and innovation.

The Diriyah Gate Development Authority is also showcasing its role in preserving historical, cultural and urban heritage, while overseeing vital initiatives and projects. Through these efforts, the authority aims to achieve a vision that goes beyond traditional urban development.

Real Estate General Authority CEO Abdullah Al-Hammad emphasized Saudi Arabia’s steady progress toward its ambitious vision under the Kingdom’s leadership. He highlighted the commitment to a forward-looking urban future aligned with sustainability and global environmental challenges.

Al-Hammad said that the authority’s participation in the forum reflected its belief in the importance of local and international partnerships to address urban challenges and build modern, sustainable communities that were resilient and adaptable.

The authority aims to adopt global best practices to build cities of the future that meet the needs of residents, visitors and investors, while enhancing quality of life and creating vibrant, innovative communities.

The authority’s pokesperson ,Tayseer Al-Mufarrej, highlighted Saudi Arabia’s approach to urban development, including transforming informal settlements into sustainable communities, improving residents’ quality of life and providing adequate housing.

Al-Mufarrej said that addressing global urban challenges required international collaboration to develop innovative solutions based on a comprehensive, forward-thinking urban planning vision, incorporating environmental, economic and social dimensions for the future of cities.

He also emphasized the importance of balancing urban development with environmental diversity to improve residents’ well-being.


Coming up roses — Taif blooms and henna honored by UNESCO 

Coming up roses — Taif blooms and henna honored by UNESCO 
Updated 25 sec ago
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Coming up roses — Taif blooms and henna honored by UNESCO 

Coming up roses — Taif blooms and henna honored by UNESCO 

RIYADH: Taif roses and henna are among the latest traditions to secure a place on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, thanks to the Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission.

The recognition comes following collaborative efforts by the commission, the Saudi National Committee for Education, Culture and Science, and Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Delegation to UNESCO, with the UAE as the leading country for the initiative.

Henna has great cultural significance in Saudi Arabia, with the art mastered by women and passed down through generations. It represents “joy and optimism” and is a social tradition that strengthens community bonds.

Meanwhile, in the Kingdom’s elevated terrains that span the Al-Hada mountains, Wadi Muharram, Wadi Ghazal, Wadi Qawah, Bilad Tuwairq, and Al-Shifa, the Taif rose has flourished as a cultural and historical symbol. Cultivation techniques, passed down through generations, have contributed to its status.

The Taif rose has been woven into the fabric of Saudi history. Taif’s distinct geography, with its fertile soil and moderate temperatures, provides ideal conditions for the flower to thrive allowing local families to perfect their agricultural expertise over the centuries.

From harvesting and distillation to extracting oil and water, knowledge has been passed down from one generation to the next. Growing along the slopes of Mount Ghazwan, these roses benefit from the area’s cool mountain breezes and spectacular landscape.

Rosewater derived from the blooms serves a sacred purpose in the annual washing of the Holy Kaaba and is favored by various segments of society, particularly royalty and elite Gulf families.

Farmer Raddad bin Radda Al-Talhi spoke to Saudi Press Agency and explained that what began as a small-scale cultivation in the mountain peaks has transformed into a thriving industry.

The sector now represents a significant investment in the Saudi market, valued at over SR64 million ($17 million). The scale of production has increased dramatically, with farms across the Sarawat mountains now harvesting approximately 550 million roses each year.

The industry encompasses more than 910 Taif rose farms across the province, supported by 70 factories and laboratories. These facilities produce over 80 different rose-derived products.

Al-Talhi said the time-honored distillation process of the Taif rose followed precise, traditional methods, beginning with carefully cultivated roses harvested from local farms.

Distillation relies on specially copper vessels, chosen for their superior heat conductivity compared to other metals. The higher temperatures optimize both efficiency and yield.

The process results in three distinct products — standard rosewater, concentrated rosewater (traditionally known as bride’s water) and the globally coveted rose oil.


Saudi firms back mass wedding at Riyadh Season

Saudi firms back mass wedding at Riyadh Season
Updated 8 min 40 sec ago
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Saudi firms back mass wedding at Riyadh Season

Saudi firms back mass wedding at Riyadh Season

RIYADH: Turki Al-Sheikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, sponsored a ceremony on Wednesday for signing agreements tied to the mass wedding initiative.

Set for January, the wedding of 300 couples is part of Riyadh Season’s social responsibility efforts and will be held on the two largest stages of Boulevard City.

The Abu Bakr Salem Stage will host the men’s hall, while the Mohammed Abdu Arena will host the women’s hall.

Al-Sheikh and Majid Al-Hogail, minister of municipal, rural affairs and housing, and chairman of Sakkan Foundation, signed an agreement to secure donations from benefactors, partners and supporters.

The contributions aim to support the mass wedding initiative and provide housing for newlyweds through the Jood Eskan platform under Sakani program conditions.

Faisal Bafarat, CEO of the authority, also signed an agreement with Saudi Telecommunications Co. CEO Olayan Al-Wetaid to provide wedding beneficiaries with free internet for one year.

Banque Saudi Fransi, represented by CEO Badr Al-Salloum, pledged SR1 million ($266,000) in financial support.

Ajlan & Brothers, led by CEO Ajlan Al-Ajlan, committed to providing gifts worth more than SR2 million.

Abu Al-Hassan Trading and Investment Group, represented by business development manager Fahad Al-Manea, committed SR1 million in financial support.

The ceremony also saw several companies pledging to offer services to couples during the major charitable event.

Services include hospitality, dining, hall decorations, bridal and groom attire, perfumes, grooming, premarital tests, coffee and tea, and family counseling sessions.


CERN aims to open data center at Saudi university

CERN aims to open data center at Saudi university
Updated 27 min 54 sec ago
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CERN aims to open data center at Saudi university

CERN aims to open data center at Saudi university

MANAMA: Leading particle physics research center CERN is looking to deepen its collaboration with Saudi Arabia by opening a data center at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, a staff member has told Arab News.

Martin Gastal, CERN adviser to the Middle East and North African region, told Arab News that “the ambition of the Kingdom is to try and integrate CERN into one of its drivers for research,” adding that there are plans to launch the center at the Saudi university to analyze CERN data.

KAUST already collaborates with the Swiss center, with four KAUST students taking part in internships at CERN.

According to Gastal, the Research, Development and Innovation Authority in Saudi Arabia aims to bring together more particle physicists in the Kingdom to improve research efficiency.

Also working with NEOM University, Gastal said he hopes to find synergies between the technology developed at CERN and the research conducted at Saudi universities.

“Scientific cooperation is a way of bringing together lots of brains with different ways of thinking that bring different ideas to the table and maybe also different techniques for testing those ideas,” CERN physicist John Ellis told Arab News.

Ellis, who holds the Clerk Maxwell Professorship of theoretical physics at King’s College London, and is known for his work in helping discover the Higgs-Boson particle, spoke to Arab News at a recent event on promising work in nuclear research and particle physics.

“Most countries in the Gulf region now have some sort of collaboration with CERN … Bahrain is perhaps the most advanced,” he said.

Ellis added that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE and Oman have also forged significant partnerships with CERN, with Saudi Arabia taking part in one of its experiments.

He said that CERN’s biggest focus is on “the smallest constituents of matters,” or the particles that make up the universe.

The research center aims to understand the behavior of these particles and decipher how they once behaved in the early history of the universe to answer the fundamental questions of who we are, why we are here and where we are going.

One focus is on the particles that make up dark matter, which, astrophysicists believe, constitute most of the matter in the universe, Ellis said.

CERN is home to the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s biggest and most powerful particle accelerator. It works by colliding hadrons to create new particles and it is responsible for discovering the Higgs-Boson in 2012, a breakthrough that Ellis said was the “holy grail that we physicists have been looking for, for almost 50 years.”

Now, the focus is on carrying out more particle collisions and upgrading the experiments.

“The technological output from CERN is not just from the particles that we discover, but also from the techniques we develop to discover those particles.”

Ellis spoke to Arab News at a CERN event held jointly with the American University of Bahrain and the Sheikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa Center for Culture and Research in Manama on Tuesday.

The event hosted officials from CERN and Bahrain universities to discuss scientific collaboration between Gulf and international countries in particle physics.


Saudi program promotes Arabic in Thailand

Saudi program promotes Arabic in Thailand
Updated 41 min 20 sec ago
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Saudi program promotes Arabic in Thailand

Saudi program promotes Arabic in Thailand

RIYADH: Arabic Language Month activities in Thailand by the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language have concluded, reported the Saudi Press Agency.

The initiative, in cooperation with Krirk University in Bangkok and Prince of Songkla University in Hat Yai, aimed to enhance Arabic curricula, improve teacher performance and promote the language.

Activities included a scientific symposium on teaching Arabic to non-native speakers which focused on Saudi contributions to Arabic education, challenges faced by educators and students, and the development of dual-language curricula.

Workshops, training sessions and panel discussions further enriched teaching methodologies and improved learning outcomes for Arabic language students.

Abdullah Al-Washmi, the academy’s secretary-general, expressed gratitude for support from Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan.

As part of the academy’s global Arabic teaching program, the initiative has been implemented in countries such as Indonesia, China, India, Uzbekistan, Brazil and France, expanding its international reach and fostering global partnerships.


150 new tech programs to train Saudi workforce

150 new tech programs to train Saudi workforce
Updated 44 min 44 sec ago
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150 new tech programs to train Saudi workforce

150 new tech programs to train Saudi workforce

RIYADH: Tuwaiq Academy in Riyadh has opened registrations for more than 150 advanced technical bootcamps and programs scheduled for Q1 2025, in partnership with leading global organizations.

The schemes will improve the skills of the workforce in advanced technologies and connect people to job opportunities, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Training is open to employees, university students, graduates and high school students, covering fields such as programming, cybersecurity, AI, cloud computing, user experience and interface design, metaverse technologies, digital manufacturing, game development, robotics and drone programming.

It reflects the academy’s commitment to addressing job market needs and preparing the workforce, the SPA added.

Register for training at tuwaiq.edu.sa.

Established in 2019, Tuwaiq Academy works with more than 1,000 in-person trainees daily and offers professional certifications in collaboration with global organizations such as Apple, Meta, Amazon, Alibaba, Dell, CompTIA, OffSec, IBM and Microsoft.

As the training arm of the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones, the academy has trained more than 32,000 people, with 80 percent of graduates securing placements through its Tuwaiq Job Fair program involving government and private sectors.