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RIYADH: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief has distributed 2,028 food parcels in Pakistan’s flood-affected Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regions, benefiting 13,159 people, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.
Sunday’s initiative forms part of this year’s Food Security Support Project in Pakistan.
The aid reflects the Kingdom’s ongoing humanitarian efforts through KSrelief to assist needy individuals in Pakistan.
NEW YORK: Saudi Arabia’s international efforts to combat sand and dust storms were commended this week during a high-level meeting at the UN Headquarters in New York, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday.
The meeting highlighted the Kingdom’s $10 million commitment over five years to strengthen early warning systems and support countries vulnerable to dust storm impacts.
The initiative, led by Saudi Arabia in cooperation with regional centers affiliated with the World Meteorological Organization, was praised for enhancing forecasting and response capabilities.
Jumaan bin Saad Al-Qahtani, deputy CEO of the National Center of Meteorology, emphasized the Kingdom’s work through Vision 2030 programs such as the Saudi and Middle East Green Initiatives.
He also noted the establishment of the Regional Center for Dust and Sand Storms in Jeddah as a strategic hub for regional coordination, data exchange, and capacity building.
Saudi Arabia has hosted major research events, including the First International Conference on Dust and Sand Storms in Riyadh, and plans to hold a second edition in 2026.
Its environmental efforts have resulted in planting over 142 million trees and reclaiming more than 436,000 hectares of degraded land.
Al-Qahtani reaffirmed the Kingdom’s readiness to expand international partnerships to reduce dust sources, protect the environment, and improve resilience against climate change, SPA added.
NEW YORK: An international conference organized by Saudi Arabia and France to discuss Palestinian statehood has been rescheduled for later this month.
“The two-state solution ministerial conference will resume on July 28 and 29, details will be shared shortly,” diplomats confirmed to Arab News on Friday.
Originally scheduled for June, the International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Palestinian Question and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution was postponed when Israel launched airstrikes against Iran.
The event was convened by the UN General Assembly and will be co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia at the UN headquarters in New York.
The conference aims to urgently adopt concrete measures toward the implementation of a two-state solution and end decades of conflict between Israel and Palestinians.
The event was due to take place on June 17-20, just a few days after Israel launched its 12-day military operation against Iran.
French President Emmanuel Macron said at the time that the conference was put back for logistical and security reasons, and insisted that it would be held “as soon as possible.”
He said the delay did not “call into question our determination to move forward with the implementation of the two-state solution.”
Macron is expected to use the event to announce French recognition of a Palestinian state. This week, he urged Britain to do the same.
Palestine is officially recognized by 147 of the UN’s 193 member states and has observer status at the UN but is not a full member.
Speaking at a preparatory UN meeting in May, Manal Radwan, counsellor at Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry, said the conference came at a moment of “historic urgency” with Gaza “enduring unimaginable suffering.”
She said Saudi Arabia was honored to stand with other nations committed to the diplomatic effort to bring “real, irreversible and transformative change, to ensure, once and for all, the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine.”
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia marked World Population Day, observed annually on July 11, with a focus on raising awareness of population issues and their impact on sustainable development and the environment.
World Population Day was established in 1989 by the UN Development Program amid rapid population growth, which required accurate and reliable data to support development strategies.
In this context, the Saudi General Authority for Statistics has enabled the Kingdom to stay abreast of global statistical advancements by adopting the latest international technologies and methodologies in conducting its census.
These efforts ensure the quality and accuracy of data, enhancing the reliability of statistical indicators that form the foundation of national plans and policies.
An integrated team at the authority is tasked with reviewing and verifying census data in accordance with the highest international standards, using advanced techniques for analysis and statistics. This work is carried out in cooperation with other government entities, ultimately contributing to the development of an accurate database that serves as a key reference for shaping economic and social policies.
RIYADH: Saudi Deputy Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Mansour bin Hilal Al-Mushaiti has launched the second phase of the Sidra Accelerator initiative in Riyadh, SPA reports.
The initiative is designed to foster an entrepreneurial ecosystem in Saudi Arabia’s environmental sector in line with the Saudi Vision 2030.
The Sidra Accelerator is the first initiative of its kind in the region in terms of its targeted sectors and the locations of its selected entrepreneurship systems in Riyadh and Boston, SPA reports.
The accelerator focuses on promoting collaboration and strategic partnerships. It also supports startup companies in navigating complex regulatory frameworks.
The Sidra Accelerator is a 12-week intensive program targeting startup companies in the environmental technology field, the ministry said.
It supports their development and scaling by connecting them to a wide network of local and international experts, providing access to global systems and markets, and facilitating cooperation with leading venture capital firms. Ultimately, the program will help them expand globally, the ministry said.
RIYADH: Mawhiba’s Academic Enrichment Program continues in Yanbu Industrial City on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast, SPA reports.
The program, which is implemented by the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, also known as Mawhiba, has targeted a select group of talented female students in various scientific and cognitive fields.
According to SPA, the program is part of Mawhiba’s efforts to support gifted men and women, and integrates specialized scientific content, practical application and personal and leadership skills development in a stimulating learning environment.
Some 95 female students participating in the program are receiving rich scientific content in tracks that include inventions, chemistry and engineering design, in addition to developing thinking, innovation and entrepreneurship skills, under the supervision of a select group of qualified female trainers.
The program’s activities include scientific visits, applied workshops and mini exhibitions, featuring active interaction from students and parents.
Scientific and creative outputs will conclude the event, showcasing the efforts of the students and education team, which contributes to the discovery, development and support of talents in the field of excellence and creativity, SPA reports.
