KHARTOUM: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) distributed more than 59 tons of food baskets in Al-Junaynah in Gharb Darfur province in Sudan, benefiting 3,354 people.
This follows an appeal for humanitarian aid by the Sudan Humanitarian Aid Commission.
Meanwhile, the center distributed more than 130 tons of food baskets in Yemen’s Socotra governorate, helping 7,300 people.
This comes as part of 575 rescue and humanitarian projects by the Kingdom, through KSrelief, to Yemeni people in all regions.
The center also distributed 3,000 cartons of dates in Marib governorate, helping thousands of families.
JEDDAH: Businesses are being closed in the Kingdom for violating COVID-19 rules, including a Jeddah cafe that was secretly letting in customers to smoke shisha, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Saad Al-Qahtani, mayor of the Al-Sharafiya municipality in Jeddah, said the cafe had been previously closed by authorities but was giving customers entry through a side door.
The municipality seized 50 shishas.
The closure is part of a campaign from Jeddah municipality to ensure compliance with the precautionary measures put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Teams in the Eastern Province municipality carried out 1,250 inspection tours of commercial centers and facilities to ensure adherence to coronavirus precautionary measures.
There were 34 violations detected and 21 facilities shut during the tours.
Municipalities said they would continue to intensify their inspection tours to ensure that regulations were implemented in facilities and commercial centers in order to preserve public health.
They also urged people to do their part in maintaining public health by reporting any COVID-19 breaches to the 940 call center number.
Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) signed several cooperation agreements with international companies and government authorities during the International Defense Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) this week.
SAMI, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), aims to enhance the Kingdom’s defense capabilities and localize its military industry as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
“We are pleased to achieve outstanding success through our participation in IDEX 2021,” Walid bin Abdulmajeed Abu Khaled, CEO of SAMI, said.
“This will lead us to new achievements and make Saudi Arabia one of the leading manufacturers of military systems in the world.”
SAMI signed a joint venture agreement with the US firm Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest military defense company. The venture will develop capabilities in manufacturing software technologies, along with the production, maintenance, and repair of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.
SAMI also signed a cooperation agreement with Nimr, which is part of the Abu Dhabi-based EDGE Technology Group. The deal will allow both companies to work together on armored military and security vehicles. It also marks the first collaboration in the field of military industries between Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) also signed an agreement with SAMI to be a strategic partner in next year’s IDEX.
During the five-day exhibition, GAMI Gov. Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz Al-Ohali visited the Saudi pavilion along with Saudi Ambassador to the UAE Turki bin Abdullah Al-Dakhil.
The pavilion also welcomed Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and Lt. Gen. Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the UAE’s deputy prime minister.
Ziyad Al-Shiha has been appointed CEO of the Saudi Investment Recycling Co. (SIRC).
SIRC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund, the National Waste Management Center and the municipality of the Eastern Province recently signed an agreement to start integrated waste management and waste recycling activities in the province.
Al-Shiha has been a board member of the National Petrochemical Company, a Saudi joint-stock company, since 2019, and was deputy chair of the Business 20 (B20) Trade and Investment Taskforce.
He was president and CEO of the Saudi Electricity Co. (SEC) from 2014 to 2018 and, prior to that, was a SEC board member from 2012 to 2013.
Al-Shiha has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, a master’s degree in engineering and control systems from Rice University, and a second master’s in executive business administration from MIT.
He had a number of positions at Saudi Aramco after joining the company in 1984. He was an electrical engineer and vice president of general planning in one of the international joint ventures in the Philippines. He was also a public relations manager at Aramco, the director of facilities planning, and the executive director of power systems.
Al-Shiha has participated in several leadership training programs, including MIT’s Sloan Fellowship Program.
RIYADH: Several Saudi universities have begun preparing coronavirus vaccination centers for use by faculty, their families, citizens and residents.
Vaccines will be given to people according to priority and age group, and as per the approved electronic systems.
The move comes as part of the Ministry of Education’s efforts under the guidance of Education Minister Hamad Al-Asheikh to join national efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
The launch of vaccination centers in universities emphasizes their role in serving the community. It is is also part of a long series of joint programs between Saudi government bodies.
As per the directives of Al-Asheikh, universities have prepared emergency plans since February last year to fight the pandemic. These include programs, events and community activities that raise awareness of the threat of coronavirus.
Universities also used human and technical capabilities in university hospitals and health centers to support state institutions, and allocated buildings for isolation and quarantine.
Saudi institutions also encouraged faculty members and researchers in universities to present scientific studies, research, and innovations to aid the global fight against the pandemic.
The Kingdom is ranked first in the Arab world, 12th among G20 countries, and 14th at the global level in publishing scientific research on coronavirus.
In addition, Saudi universities have organized conferences, forums, scientific seminars and workshops. The events were part of the success of clinical trials for the production of a Saudi vaccine by the scientific team at Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University.
Vaccination centers are being prepared at King Saud University, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University, Majmaah University, Bisha University, Umm Al-Qura University, Taif University, Hail University, Jazan University, the University of Hafr Al-Batin, and others.
Specialized administrative workers will organize medical teams to ensure the smooth flow of vaccines at the new centers.
RIYADH: US President Joe Biden and his administration may be seeking a recalibration of its relationship with Saudi Arabia, but is adamant not to rupture the relationship with the Kingdom, a senior US official said.
Speaking to Politico, the official said that there are “important interests” the US shares with Saudi Arabia. The administration views the Kingdom as an important partner in the Middle East, and it has promised to keep supporting the country as it defends itself against attacks blamed on Iran.
The official’s comments came after a classified CIA report was released on the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, who was killed by a group of rogue Saudi agents in Istanbul in 2018.
Despite a lot of hype that preceded the release of the report, many observers have described it as too analytical and lacking evidence.
“No smoking gun,” CNN’s International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson said.
Israeli journalist and commentator Barak Ravid wrote on Twitter: “US intelligence report on Khashoggi, which is 100% analysis and 0% information, raises real concerns about the quality of access US intelligence agencies have in Saudi Arabia.”
Meanwhile, in the Kingdom, Saudis took to social media to show support for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who underwent a successful surgical procedure on Wednesday morning to treat appendicitis.
Saudi journalist Abdulrahman Al-Rashed tweeted there was nothing new in the declassified CIA report. He described those who were betting on Biden to damage the relationship with Saudi Arabia as “ignorant of how the world operates.”
Saudi columnist Salman Al-Dossari tweeted that the Biden administration should be praised for publishing the CIA report, saying that the findings support Saudi court rulings.
Last September, Saudi Arabia’s Public Prosecution announced the final sentences for the eight people convicted of the Khashoggi murder.
Five of them received 20-year jail sentences for their involvement in the killing. Another was sentenced to 10 years while two others received seven years. Commenting on the verdict, the Khashoggi family called the judgment “fair and dissuasive.”
NEW YORK: Saudi Arabia’s permanent representative to the UN, Abdallah Al-Mouallimi, held a virtual meeting with Asa Regner the assistant secretary-general of the UN and deputy executive director of UN Women.
The two sides reviewed the latest preparations for the upcoming session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW65), in which the Kingdom will take part.
They also discussed a number of topics of common interest, and ways to enhance cooperation in various fields.
Al-Mouallimi also virtually met the newly-appointed permanent representative of Mozambique to the UN, Pedro Comissario Afonso.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed topics of common interest and ways to enhance cooperation in various fields.
Both meetings were attended by the director of Al-Mouallimi’s bureau, Faisal Al-Haqbani, and the head of public relations and information of the delegation, Taful Al-Aqbi.
Jabal Abyad, located in Harrat Khyber, stands at a 2,093 meters, making it the tallest volcano in the Kingdom. Its name translates to ‘white mountain’ after the distinctive white ash that coats it.
From an observer’s point of view, it can look like snow, but the white substance is volcanic ash called comendite that is a residue of felsic lava rich with silica. An image of Harrat Khyber captured from a satellite received attention because of its spectacular layout that mimics the cratered surface of the moon. Harrat Khyber is home to both black and white volcanoes.
To explore the dormant volcano, visitors will need to strengthen their wills as the terrain is difficult to cross and requires certain equipment and tough vehicles. Tourists who have traveled there say that it is better to move on foot rather than drive. However, because of the difficulty of the walk, only a small number of visitors travel to the area, making it a peaceful experience for those that do.
JEDDAH: The second phase of the Saudi Ministry of Culture’s Fashion Incubation program will kick off on Sunday in an effort to promote the fashion sector and cultural entrepreneurship in the Kingdom.
For five days, entrepreneurs and talent in the fashion industry will take part in the virtual bootcamp to focus on the basic concepts of the fashion industry, including product design, marketing, brand management and retail.
The program will also cover leadership skills, team building, innovation and flexibility in entrepreneurship, as well as the principles of intellectual property and the sustainability concept in the fashion industry.
According to the website, applicants must be early entrepreneurs, practitioners, or freelancers with less than two years of experience, and should have a clear presentation of a product, service or brand they want to develop.
Applicants are encouraged to submit a business model with a clear and promising target market size and potential revenue.
Those taking part will be given intensive educational courses, where they will learn to develop ideas into business models, learn the entrepreneurial skills necessary to build an influential and sustainable business in the industry, and discover client-centered business models.
Applicants must be early entrepreneurs, practitioners, or freelancers with less than two years of experience, and should have a clear presentation of a product, service or brand they want to develop.
The program will also teach entrepreneurs how to assess the market, identify internal efficiencies, plan strategic partnerships, and benefit from prototypes, among other business skills.
Successful investors and experts in the fashion industry will also take part in teaching.
By completing the second phase, participants can apply for the third phase, “Babysitter,” a long-term program that will begin in April and run for five months. It will provide participants with the guidance and support necessary to “help support and establish a solid foundation to help strengthen their products.”
The ministry aims through its Fashion Incubation program to empower Saudi talents in the fashion industry and allow their products to flourish on the local and international levels.
The first phase, which was held in December last year, was a three-day virtual “fashion hackathon that included 33 teams. The program will conclude later in the year.
The ministry’s initiative was organized in cooperation with public authorities, including Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises (Monshaat) and the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP).
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia on Friday rejected the findings of a US Congress report on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
The Saudi journalist was murdered in on Oct. 2, 2018 at the Kingdom’s consulate in the Turkish city of Istanbul. He had gone there to complete paperwork relating to his divorce.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it has been following the report submitted to the US Congress “regarding the heinous murder of Saudi citizen Jamal Khashoggi” and “notes that the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia completely rejects the negative, false and unacceptable assessment in the report pertaining to the Kingdom’s leadership, and notes that the report contained inaccurate information and conclusions.”
It said: “The ministry reiterates what was previously announced by the relevant authorities in the Kingdom, that this was an abhorrent crime and a flagrant violation of the Kingdom’s laws and values. This crime was committed by a group of individuals that have transgressed all pertinent regulations and authorities of the agencies where they were employed.”
The ministry said that authorities in the Kingdom “took all possible measures within our legal system to ensure that these individuals were properly investigated, and to ensure that justice was served.” It pointed out that they were convicted and sentenced in Saudi courts and that “these sentences were welcomed by the family of Jamal Khashoggi.”
The statement continues: “It is truly unfortunate that this report, with its unjustified and inaccurate conclusions, is issued while the Kingdom had clearly denounced this heinous crime, and the Kingdom’s leadership took the necessary steps to ensure that such a tragedy never takes place again.
“The Kingdom rejects any measure that infringes upon its leadership, sovereignty, and the independence of its judicial system.”
The ministry reiterated that the relationship between the Kingdom and the US is “a robust and enduring partnership.”
It added: “This partnership has thrived for nearly eight decades on the basis of mutual respect and the institutions in both countries have worked diligently to deepen these ties in all aspects, through increased cooperation and consultations to bolster security and stability in the region and the world.
“We look forward to maintaining the enduring foundations that have shaped the framework of the resilient strategic partnership between the Kingdom and the United States.
