Waste not, want not: Misk Global Forum touts benefits of recycling to businesses and environment

Waste not, want not: Misk Global Forum touts benefits of recycling to businesses and environment
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“A Circular Revolution” panel at Misk Global Forum in Riyadh. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
Waste not, want not: Misk Global Forum touts benefits of recycling to businesses and environment
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“A Circular Revolution” panel at Misk Global Forum in Riyadh. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
Waste not, want not: Misk Global Forum touts benefits of recycling to businesses and environment
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“A Circular Revolution” panel at Misk Global Forum in Riyadh. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
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Updated 20 November 2024
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Waste not, want not: Misk Global Forum touts benefits of recycling to businesses and environment

Waste not, want not: Misk Global Forum touts benefits of recycling to businesses and environment
  • ‘Waste is the gold of the 21st century,’ says founder of pioneering initiative that transforms fish and ocean waste into sustainable textiles
  • Meanwhile, another project has worked with more than 200 farmers to plant 200,000 trees and regenerate 370 acres of land

RIYADH: The world’s economy is shifting towards a state in which sustainability and circularity will no longer be considered optional extras but the baseline for how we operate, experts said at the Misk Global Forum in Riyadh on Tuesday.

During a panel discussion titled “A Circular Revolution,” the participants explored ways in which waste materials can be reused or recycled to help achieve a circular economy that is beneficial to the environment while also generating profits.

“Waste is the gold of the 21st century,” said Moemen Sobh, the Egyptian founder and CEO of Visenleer, described as the first initiative of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa region, which transforms fish and ocean waste into sustainable textiles.

Noting that the fashion industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions than the oil and gas industries, he added: “By 2030, 50 percent of the gas emissions will be because of fashion.” Meanwhile, Egypt has a water deficit of 7 billion cubic meters a year and could run out of the vital resource as soon as 2025, UNICEF warned in 2021.

Sobh said his passion for finding sustainable solutions to these problem stems from his heritage as part of a northern Egyptian family descended from a long line of fishermen. So he decided to launch an initiative that buys fish waste that was being collected in plastic bags and dumped into freshwater sources, and instead use it to produce a more environmentally friendly alternative to animal and faux leather.

Through Visenleer, Sobh created the first sustainable fashion line in the region that uses only ocean waste to create its materials. He said the traditional tanning process for leather generates 90 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions produced by the fashion industry, so it was important for him to develop an alternative process that uses only glycerin, water and sunlight.

Electronic waste is another major environmental issue, and Alex Mativo, co-founder and CEO of Duck Analytics, spoke about the ways in which old devices can be transformed into products such as jewelry and fashion accessories.

He said he learned early on in his career that the circular economy means “turning something that is obsolete into something really beautiful.”

Mativo, who has been featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, added that Duck Analytics uses data and artificial intelligence to help make the supply chains of global companies, such as Coca Cola and Red Bull, more efficient.

A circular economy, which is one based on the reuse and regeneration of materials or products, is beneficial both for businesses and the planet because it helps to reduce waste and generate profit, he said.

Louise Mabulo is the founder of the Cacao Project, an initiative that helps farmers build sustainable, resilient livelihoods through agroforestry, which involves the integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems to create environmental, economic and social benefits for farmers and communities.

“Food systems account for 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions,” she said. The Cacao Project has worked with more than 200 farmers to plant almost 200,000 trees and regenerate more than 370 acres of land, she added. And that is not all.

“All of these farmers are being upskilled into businessmen and they are using agricultural waste; they are using cacao pods to make chocolate products and using that to create an income but also create economic benefits for themselves and for their communities, to protect them against storms and to provide better food,” Mabulo said.

As young innovators seek to develop sustainable solutions to environmental challenges, she said that “sometimes looking into the future requires looking back into the past.”

Rather than focusing only on new technologies, Mabulo added, knowledge of many solutions that can help solve the world’s problems already exists within communities.

“The key lies in unlocking them and finding innovative ways to marry ancestral knowledge or the resources we have with science, with facts, being able to communicate it well, and being able to talk to the communities in a language that they understand, and serve that gap.”


Saudi defense minister arrives in Tehran for an official visit

Saudi defense minister arrives in Tehran for an official visit
Updated 17 April 2025
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Saudi defense minister arrives in Tehran for an official visit

Saudi defense minister arrives in Tehran for an official visit
  • Prince Khalid will hold several meetings to discuss bilateral relations

DUBAI: Saudi Minister of Defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman, arrived on Thursday in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on an official visit, the Saudi Press Agency reported. 

During the visit, Prince Khalid will hold several meetings to discuss bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest between the two countries.

The visit follows renewed diplomatic engagement between the two countries. On Monday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, during which they discussed regional developments and efforts to address them.

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Launch of Cinamaa platform marks push for film studies in Saudi Arabia

Launch of Cinamaa platform marks push for film studies in Saudi Arabia
Updated 17 April 2025
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Launch of Cinamaa platform marks push for film studies in Saudi Arabia

Launch of Cinamaa platform marks push for film studies in Saudi Arabia
  • Saudi Film Commission and National Film Archive launch platform to educate and support budding filmmakers
  • Experts describe the importance of developing film studies in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: The Saudi Film Commission has introduced a new initiative, Cinamaa, to promote film studies and support people entering the industry.

A launch event was held on Wednesday at the Cultural Palace in Riyadh, hosted by the commission and National Film Archive.

The Cinamaa website, a platform intended to help educate aspiring filmmakers, critics, and film enthusiasts, allowing them to share their work, gives users access to articles, research studies, discussions, workshops, and short films on various topics related to film.

Following a panel discussion in which she spoke on the importance of film studies in academia, Salma Tarek, professor of literature at the University of Cairo’s French language department, told Arab News: “We need to distinguish between academic studies, meaning university-level education, and studies at film institutes, which aim to train technicians and filmmakers.”

The latter is very important and widely available, she said, but cinema studies at the school and university levels are still lacking.

“Abroad, for example, children in elementary school have reading and literacy programs that include a section on how to ‘read’ a film. They learn what a shot is, what camera movement means, because these have become part of the basic language of how we interpret the world around us,” Tarek said.

“Cinema is no longer just an art form; it is a form of discourse. We are constantly exposed to it, and it’s very important that we learn how to decode its messages.”

Tarek said that these are messages that are constantly being sent to viewers, who must receive them in an open and thoughtful way.

“The university is the institution best suited to play this role.”

When asked what can be done to push this agenda forward, the professor said that first, there must be conviction in the value of cinema studies, a task she said is “not simple.”

The entry point, however, is in interdisciplinary studies.

“For example, literature departments can offer courses on the relationship between performance art and cinema. In history departments, there can be a course on cinema and history. Gradually, these borders will open up, and we will start to develop a cinematic culture within academic institutions.”

These institutions will then have the capabilities and foundation to establish dedicated departments for cinema studies, which Tarek said is the “ultimate goal.”

The panel also discussed the need for more original Arabic content in addition to translations of foreign films.

Tareq Al-Khawaji, film critic and cultural adviser at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, said that young Saudis interested in screenplay writing have a great opportunity to develop scripts that can contribute to bolstering the cinematic scene in the Kingdom.

The launch of Cinamaa was followed by the signing of two memoranda of understanding between the Saudi Film Commission and its partners, the Saudi Broadcasting Authority and the International Federation of Film Critics.

The commission’s CEO Abdullah Al-Qahtani took the stage with Mohammed Fahad Al-Harthi, SBA CEO and former editor in chief of Arab News, and Fipresci CEO Ahmad Shawky.

The establishment of the Cinema Critics Association was also announced, the first independent professional entity dedicated to film criticism in Saudi.

At the end of the night, the doors opened to welcome guests into an exhibition on film history in the Arab world.


Red Sea Global unveils Laheq Island, a landmark luxury-living destination

Red Sea Global unveils Laheq Island, a landmark luxury-living destination
Updated 17 April 2025
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Red Sea Global unveils Laheq Island, a landmark luxury-living destination

Red Sea Global unveils Laheq Island, a landmark luxury-living destination
  • Laheq Island opens in 2028, first to focus on residential ownership
  • One of the world’s largest barrier reefs with over 2,000 rare species

TABUK: Red Sea Global has unveiled Laheq Island, Saudi Arabia’s first private residential island offering a luxury lifestyle experience.

The island marks the RSG’s first residential project following the completion of phase one, which welcomed its first guests in 2023 with the opening of five resorts.

Construction is underway to complete an additional 11 resorts on Shura Island, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.

The destination is connected with other parts of the Kingdom and the world via the Red Sea International Airport.

Scheduled to open in 2028, Laheq Island will be the first project within the destination focused on residential ownership, complemented by exceptional hospitality facilities and services, the SPA reported.

Scheduled to open in 2028, Laheq Island will be the first project within the destination focused on residential unit ownership. (SPA)

Laheq is part of an archipelago of 92 pristine islands along the Kingdom’s west coast, surrounded by one of the world’s largest barrier reefs that are home to over 2,000 rare and unique marine species.

The island spans 400 hectares and features a wide array of recreational facilities and activities for residents and visitors.

The RSG, owned by the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, has pledged to plant 50 million mangrove trees and enhance their habitats while also regenerating coral reefs and surrounding marine ecosystems.

The Red Sea destination will become the world’s largest tourism attraction with all facilities and resorts powered entirely by renewable energy, the SPA reported.

All 16 resorts of phase one are expected to be operational this year. By 2030, it will have 50 resorts with 8,000 hotel rooms, and more than 1,000 residential units across 22 islands and six inland sites.


Investigation debunks claims about coalition strikes in Yemen

Investigation debunks claims about coalition strikes in Yemen
Updated 16 April 2025
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Investigation debunks claims about coalition strikes in Yemen

Investigation debunks claims about coalition strikes in Yemen
  • Coalition’s Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT) held a meeting to address allegations regarding airstrikes in various regions of Yemen

RIYADH: An investigation found that a number of airstrikes carried out by The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen did not target civilian sites including a hospital and farm as claimed.

The coalition’s Joint Incidents Assessment Team held a meeting on Wednesday to address allegations regarding airstrikes in various regions of Yemen in recent years.

On Jan. 13, 2022, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that an airstrike partially damaged the emergency department and inpatient clinics of a hospital in the Al-Sawad area.

It was claimed that coalition forces targeted a military camp near the hospital.

The JIAT reviewed relevant documentation and found that a military camp, known as Al-Sawad camp, was located near the 48 Model Hospital, which is on the coalition forces’ no strike list.

On the day of the alleged strike, coalition forces conducted a targeted airstrike on military targets within the camp, based on intelligence regarding Houthi militia activities.

The bombs were guided and aimed to minimize civilian impact, hitting their intended targets accurately and remaining a safe distance from the hospital.

Therefore, the JIAT concluded that coalition forces did not target the hospital on Jan. 13, 2022.

On March 3, 2021, reports emerged alleging that coalition forces conducted an airstrike targeting a farm in the Al-Watadah area of the Khawlan Directorate in Sanaa Governorate.

The JIAT said it reviewed documents, including air tasking orders, daily mission schedules and satellite imagery.

The investigation revealed that no specific coordinates for the alleged farm were provided.

The JIAT found no record of airstrikes in Al-Watadah on the date in question, nor in the days surrounding it. Open-source searches yielded no corroborating information.

In conclusion, the JIAT determined that coalition forces did not target a farm in Al-Watadah on March 3, 2021, as alleged.

Other reports indicated that a missile fell near a house in Al-Malaheet village on Feb. 23, 2020. The JIAT investigated and found no evidence that coalition forces had conducted missile strikes in the area on that date.

On June 4, 2015, allegations surfaced regarding an airstrike on the governorate building in Zinjibar. The JIAT confirmed that no air missions were conducted in Abyan on that date.

Through these investigations, the JIAT aims to clarify allegations and uphold accountability and transparency.


Saudi deputy FM receives Mauritania envoy in Riyadh

Saudi deputy FM receives Mauritania envoy in Riyadh
Updated 16 April 2025
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Saudi deputy FM receives Mauritania envoy in Riyadh

Saudi deputy FM receives Mauritania envoy in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Saud Al-Sati received Ambassador of Mauritania to the Kingdom Mokhtar Ould Dahi in Riyadh on Wednesday.

During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations and various issues of common interest, the Foreign Ministry wrote on X.

Meanwhile, Faisal Al-Harbi presented a copy of his credentials as non-resident ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Pholile Dlamini Shakantu, the Eswatinian foreign minister, the Saudi Embassy in South Africa wrote on X.