Saudi health minister leads Walk 30 initiative at Sports Boulevard

Saudi Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel leads a walk at Riyadh’s Sports Boulevard on Saturday to kick off Walk 30 public health initiative. (AN photo by Loai Elkelawy)
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Saudi Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel leads a walk at Riyadh’s Sports Boulevard on Saturday to kick off Walk 30 public health initiative. (AN photo by Loai Elkelawy)
Saudi Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel leads a walk at Riyadh’s Sports Boulevard on Saturday to kick off Walk 30 public health initiative. (AN photo by Loai Elkelawy)
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Saudi Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel leads a walk at Riyadh’s Sports Boulevard on Saturday to kick off Walk 30 public health initiative. (AN photo by Loai Elkelawy)
Saudi Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel leads a walk at Riyadh’s Sports Boulevard on Saturday to kick off Walk 30 public health initiative. (AN photo by Loai Elkelawy)
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Saudi Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel leads a walk at Riyadh’s Sports Boulevard on Saturday to kick off Walk 30 public health initiative. (AN photo by Loai Elkelawy)
Saudi Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel leads a walk at Riyadh’s Sports Boulevard on Saturday to kick off Walk 30 public health initiative. (AN photo by Loai Elkelawy)
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Saudi Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel leads a walk at Riyadh’s Sports Boulevard on Saturday to kick off Walk 30 public health initiative. (AN photo by Loai Elkelawy)
Saudi Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel leads a walk at Riyadh’s Sports Boulevard on Saturday to kick off Walk 30 public health initiative. (AN photo by Loai Elkelawy)
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Saudi Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel leads a walk at Riyadh’s Sports Boulevard on Saturday to kick off Walk 30 public health initiative. (AN photo by Loai Elkelawy)
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Updated 27 April 2025
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Saudi health minister leads Walk 30 initiative at Sports Boulevard

Saudi Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel leads a walk at Riyadh’s Sports Boulevard on Saturday to kick off Walk 30.
  • Activity program is ‘a pillar of health and quality of life transformations,’ Fahad Al-Jalajel says
  • Efforts have contributed to rise in average life expectancy in the Kingdom, minister says

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel led a walk at Riyadh’s Sports Boulevard on Saturday to kick off the Walk 30 public health initiative.

Al-Jalajel told Arab News that one of the aims of the program is to increase activity among the Kingdom’s population, with the goal of at least 150 minutes each week.

Walk 30 aims to address the health challenge of physical inactivity, which currently affects over 80 percent of people.

The campaign encourages a simple, but effective, goal: Walk 30 minutes per day, or 150 minutes per week, to achieve long-term behavioral change, and become healthier and more active.

“Walk 30, in its fifth season, is considered a pillar of the health and quality of life transformations,” Al-Jalajel said.

The push for healthier lifestyles is bearing fruit, with 58.5 percent of adults now engaging in at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week, above the 2024 target. Among children and adolescents, 18.7 percent meet the daily 60-minute activity recommendation.

These efforts have contributed to a rise in average life expectancy, which now stands at 78.8 years, edging closer to the Vision 2030 target of 80 years.

“I’m really glad to see Walk 30 today achieving a new record,” Al-Jalajel said.

He said that walking, even for 30 minutes a day, enhances one’s health and can lower the risk of chronic illnesses, including heartburn by 30 percent and strokes by 40 percent.

With the approach of summer and higher temperatures, the minister advised people to walk in the evenings, when it is cooler, and to stay hydrated and shaded.

He also highlighted the Healthy Mall program, which encourages people to take exercise in shopping malls.  

The program began in 2019, and takes place in several locations across the Kingdom.

Malls have been transformed into places where members of the community can comfortably walk, featuring stations for bottled drinking water and restaurants serving healthy meals.

Al-Jalajel said: “We think that Walk 30 is something that can be replicated in different countries. Last season we had Dr. Tedros (Adhanom Ghebreyesus), director-general of WHO, participating with us, and they have a walking program, too.
 
“We have multiple initiatives for advancing Walk 30 in the wintertime, in the summertime, and we can participate with different countries on that,” he said.


Saudi Arabia and Kuwait strengthen museum relations

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait strengthen museum relations
Updated 9 sec ago
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Saudi Arabia and Kuwait strengthen museum relations

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait strengthen museum relations
  • Agreement aims to strengthen cultural cooperation and the exchange of expertise in the fields of museums and exhibitions
  • Mona Khazindar underlined the importance of the Tareq Rajab Museum as a leading institution dedicated to Islamic art and heritage

RIYADH: The Saudi Arabian Museums Commission signed a memorandum of understanding with the Tareq Rajab Museum in Kuwait on Wednesday.

The agreement aims to strengthen cultural cooperation and the exchange of expertise in the fields of museums and exhibitions.

It aims to strengthen the broader cultural relations between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, helping to promote mutual understanding and intercultural dialogue between the two countries.

Mona Khazindar, adviser to the Saudi Ministry of Culture and representative of the Museums Commission, signed the memorandum alongside Ziad Tareq Rajab, director of the Tareq Rajab Museum. The document outlines areas of cultural cooperation and mutual interest for both parties.

Key areas of cooperation include the exchange of research, the loan of objects and the organization of temporary exhibitions, with the aim of enriching the cultural content and enhancing the value of both collections. The memorandum also establishes a joint working group to implement these areas of cooperation and facilitate the exchange of knowledge.

Khazindar said that the memorandum reflected the Museums Commission’s commitment to forming strategic partnerships with long-established private museums in the Arab region.

She underlined the importance of the Tareq Rajab Museum as a leading institution dedicated to Islamic art and heritage, adding that the collaboration would support cultural and knowledge-exchange initiatives across the museum sector.


Nothing will prevent Saudi success, says UK social media influencer

Nothing will prevent Saudi success, says UK social media influencer
Updated 4 min 35 sec ago
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Nothing will prevent Saudi success, says UK social media influencer

Nothing will prevent Saudi success, says UK social media influencer
  • John bin London praises ‘never quit’ attitude of the Kingdom’s people

RIYADH: British content creator and social influencer John bin London has said he is amazed at the resilience of Saudi Arabia and its people and believes nothing will stop the Kingdom’s success.

Bin London, a native of Nottingham, England, who grew up in Abu Dhabi, was the first guest on the seventh season of The Mayman Show.

He expressed his admiration of the Saudi people and the Kingdom’s rapid transformation.

 

“Saudis have a ‘nothing will stop us or will get in our way and we will succeed’ (attitude),” he said. “This is something that I saw within the people.”

He added that whether it was Telfaz 11 — a creative media studio led by an enthusiastic team of storytellers and social influencers — or students he met from small Saudi villages who had traveled to the UK to obtain university degrees, everyone seemed to have a “never quit” mentality.

Bin London also used the partial privatization of oil giant Saudi Aramco as a prime example of the Kingdom’s flourishing economy potential and appeal.

 

The initial public offering saw 100 percent of the shares transferred to the Public Investment Fund. Some 95 percent remained with the sovereign wealth fund, with the other 5 percent floated to private investors.

“The economics say, ‘Oh this is not going to work, and if it fails this and that,’ and then in a few years, what did we see? We saw a growth of 150 percent,” said bin London.

He also highlighted NEOM’s The Line project. Built on 34 sq. km, it will eventually accommodate 9 million people with a reduced infrastructure footprint, creating new methods of efficiency.

 

“I remember, not long ago, people doubted The Line and then suddenly they saw the trucks going in, and The Line being built, this shut them up,” he said.

Bin London’s view of Saudi perseverance did not just come from observing projects and financial deals, however. He firmly believes that success comes from the people behind it — starting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman: “I think it was obvious to everyone who was following and paying attention what was going to happen in this country.”

 

The influencer, who is fluent in Arabic and has also mastered the Najdi Arabic dialect, creates content in the language to advocate for the opportunities offered in the land he has decided to make his home.

“I started picking up on vocabulary, pronunciation, from their dialects. It was, I guess, an unconscious thing,” he said.

“It was just who you hear around you, how they speak. You start copying it and then later on a lot of my friends were from the Otaibi tribe, which … spreads from Taif, Hijaz and into Najd.”

The Briton lauds many Saudi tourist destinations but says Diriyah, the Kingdom’s birthplace and home of At-Turaif, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, will always have a special place in his heart.

“Diriyah is one of my favorite places. It was somewhere that before my first visit to Saudi Arabia, which was in the end of 2022, I literally dreamt about visiting.

“It’s the jewel of the Kingdom, it’s the place of the Al-Saud family, who created this country.

“I used to watch the videos and see the pictures and I want(ed) to visit the museums, like it was literally a dream, so much so that the first time I came I woke up super early — and I’m not a morning person — with excitement to go visit Diriyah,” he said.

The excitement of that visit, he recalled, meant he spent an entire day wandering around and taking in the depth of history and captivating surroundings.


Major tourism project inaugurated in Al-Ahsa region

Major tourism project inaugurated in Al-Ahsa region
Updated 36 min 38 sec ago
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Major tourism project inaugurated in Al-Ahsa region

Major tourism project inaugurated in Al-Ahsa region
  • Governor of Al-Ahsa Prince Saud bin Talal bin Badr laid the foundation stone for the Dusit D2 Al-Ahsa resort
  • Spanning over 77,000 square meters, it will be located in Al-Ahsa Oasis, which is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

RIYADH: The launch of a major new resort project was inaugurated by Prince Saud bin Talal bin Badr, governor of Al-Ahsa, as he laid the foundation stone to mark the start of its construction on Wednesday evening.

Various officials from government entities, investors, and representatives from Al-Ahsa Development Authority and the Tourism Fund attended the ceremony for the Dusit D2 Al-Ahsa resort.

Spanning over 77,000 square meters, it will be located in Al-Ahsa Oasis, which is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It will include 120 luxury hotel units and amenities such as an artificial lake, a health club, restaurants, a cultural center, nature trails, and recreational areas.

The resort will partly operate using solar energy and have electric internal transport, water treatment, and low-carbon building materials.

A SR60 million ($15.995 million) project was also implemented to upgrade the water system in the region ahead of tourist season.

Prince Saud expressed pride at the rapid growth of high-quality tourism projects in Al-Ahsa, all of which strengthen its status as an attractive tourist destination in the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

He added that these projects contribute to diversifying income sources and increasing the tourism sector’s contribution to the national economy, in alignment with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

The support and care that Al-Ahsa and its development projects receive from the Kingdom’s leadership help empower the private sector and encourage investments across various fields, the prince added.

The importance of supporting and enabling the private sector and creating a fruitful investment environment — one that prompts innovative initiatives and provides job opportunities for the people of the governorate — was also highlighted.

The ceremony included the signing of management and operation agreements with the Thai company Dusit, which will operate the resort once it is completed, SPA reported.

Naif bin Abdullah Al-Madhi, CEO of the Business Sector and Tourism Development Fund, spoke of the necessity to embolden projects that reflect the diversity of the Saudi identity and contribute to making unique experiences for tourists that showcase local culture and heritage.

Al-Madhi described the resort as a model for utilizing local environmental resources to offer a complete hospitality experience that highlights agricultural and cultural tourism, especially in a region with the largest palm oasis in the world.

Bassem Al-Ghadeer, chairman of Al-Ghadeer Group, which owns the project, expressed his thanks and appreciation to the governor for his support of the development.


New smart portal launched to enrich pilgrims’ Grand Mosque experience

New smart portal launched to enrich pilgrims’ Grand Mosque experience
Updated 22 May 2025
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New smart portal launched to enrich pilgrims’ Grand Mosque experience

New smart portal launched to enrich pilgrims’ Grand Mosque experience
  • The interactive portal is the first of its kind, says the president of religious affairs

RIYADH: As Saudi Arabia gears up for this year’s Hajj, the Presidency of Religious Affairs at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque has launched a new smart portal to enhance the digital experience of pilgrims to the Grand Mosque.

The initiative offers well-curated Islamic content in a simplified and comprehensive manner that addresses the needs of pilgrims, visitors and Umrah performers, reported the Saudi Press Agency.

The portal offers a fully integrated digital platform dedicated to delivering religious and enrichment services.

President of Religious Affairs at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, said it was the first smart, faith-based portal of its kind — innovative, globally accessible and highly regulated.

Designed in multiple languages, it serves as an enrichment reference for pilgrims based on a carefully curated and standardized database.

The interactive platform is powered by several smart technologies and offers a range of features including prayer time displays, notifications about imams and muezzins, and schedules of religious lessons and their locations. It is distinguished by an interactive navigation feature that allows visitors to directly access service and lesson locations using smart maps within the app.

The portal also enables instant responses to visitor queries through live chat and provides guidance on how to perform prayer and ablution, along with definitions of Islamic terms. It can be accessed via https://services.prh.gov.sa.

The Presidency also unveiled the updated second version of its AI-powered Manarat Al-Haramain robot on Wednesday, as part of an initiative aiming to leverage advanced technologies to enhance pilgrims’ spiritual experiences.

The robot will act as a reference point for religious inquiries at the Grand Mosque and can connect worshippers and other visitors to direct video calls with muftis who can answer any questions they have.


Saudi university develops sensor to reduce fresh produce spoilage

Saudi university develops sensor to reduce fresh produce spoilage
Updated 22 May 2025
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Saudi university develops sensor to reduce fresh produce spoilage

Saudi university develops sensor to reduce fresh produce spoilage
  • Enables real-time remote monitoring across food supply chain
  • King Faisal University registers the device with US patent office

AL-AHSA: Researchers at King Faisal University in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province have developed a low-cost smart sensor that aims to reduce spoilage of fresh produce.

The Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday that the device, which is now registered with the US Patent and Trademark Office, is designed to predict spoilage early during transportation and storage.

Developed by a team from the KFU’s College of Science, the device detects volatile organic compounds, particularly ethylene gas, a key indicator of the onset of spoilage in fresh produce.

The smart sensor enables remote monitoring by stakeholders across the food supply chain, thus helping reduce wastage of fruits and vegetables. (SPA photo)

“The compact and lightweight prototype is designed for easy installation in refrigeration units or transport containers,” the report stated.

As the device can be connected to Internet of Things networks, real-time remote monitoring and early alerts can be done by stakeholders across the food supply chain.

It can be integrated into cooling and distribution systems, offering a practical solution for the food and logistics sectors, the report stated.

It added that the device was showcased by KFU during the 16th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification in Riyadh last December.

It has drawn significant interest from investors due its “practical value in supporting smart agriculture and minimizing food waste in supply chains,” the SPA reported.