RIYADH: Geopolitical threats such as the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine pose the greatest risk to the global economy, Saudi Arabia’s finance minister has said. Speaking in a panel discussion during the special two-day World Economic Forum meeting in Riyadh, Mohammed Al-Jadaan warned that the knock-on effects of conflict are “directly impacting economies.”

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Project Masam cleared 797 mines in Yemen — which had been planted by the Houthi militia — between April 20 to 26, according to a recent report. Overseen by the Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief, the project’s special teams destroyed 681 pieces of unexploded ordnance, 110 anti-tank mines, five improvised explosive devices, and one anti-personnel mine. The explosives, which were planted indiscriminately by the Houthis across Yemen, posed a threat to civilians, including children, women and the elderly.

RIYADH: Saudi Deputy Minister of Human Resources and Social Development for Labor, Abdullah bin Nasser Abu Thanin, led the Saudi delegation at the 50th session of the Arab Labor Conference, being held from April 27 to May 4 in Baghdad. Labor ministers, heads and members of delegations from employers’ organizations, and labor unions from 21 Arab countries, along with representatives from the Arab League and other Arab and international organizations, are attending the conference.

RIYADH: Ministers gathering in Riyadh to discuss the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip stressed the urgent need for imposing sanctions on Israel, the Saudi Press Agency reported Sunday. Chaired by Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, the meeting comprising dignitaries from a group formed jointly by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Arab League convened to address developments in Gaza. The ministers called for international legal mechanisms to hold Israeli officials accountable, alongside decisive action against settler terrorism. 

RIYADH: Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan hosted a ministerial meeting on Saturday in Riyadh with representatives from six other Arab states to discuss the situation in Gaza, Saudi Press Agency reported.  The meeting was attended by Ayman Al-Safadi of Jordan, Egypt’s Sameh Shoukry, Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization Hussein Al-Sheikh, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, and Minister of State at the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi.

RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief recently distributed 50 shelter bags in Yemen’s Hadramout governorate following heavy rain in the area, benefiting 300 people in the Ghayl Ba Wazir district. In Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the agency distributed 540 food baskets, assisting 3,150 people impacted by recent floods in the Shangla district. In Sudan’s Khartoum province, the agency distributed 360 food baskets to displaced families, reaching 2,595 people.

Ahmed Al-Suwailem has been CEO of the National Center for Non-Profit Sector since 2022. He has over 20 years of experience in the public and private sectors, specializing in economics, trade, finance, and banking. Al-Suwailem is responsible for developing the Kingdom’s non-profit sector, expanding its impact on social and economic development, and integrating government efforts in licensing, financial supervision, and coordination.

RIYADH: Saudi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji received Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his accompanying delegation at King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh, on Saturday. Abbas will participate in the special meeting of the World Economic Forum to promote global collaboration, growth, and energy for development, the Saudi Press Agency reported. Nayef bin Bandar Al-Sudairi, the Saudi ambassador to Jordan and non-resident ambassador to Palestine, and Ambassador of Palestine to the Kingdom Bassem Al-Agha were also present.  

JEDDAH: Saudi artist Heba Ismail showcased her work at the Outer Edge Innovation Summit in Riyadh this week. Commenting on her experience at the summit as one of the first Saudi artists to venture into the Web3 art scene, she said: “Having my paintings displayed on the event screens is a tremendous honor, offering global visibility and inspiring more Saudi and Arab artists to explore the diverse options available for sharing their art with the world.

RIYADH: Around 1,000 leaders from 92 countries will convene in Riyadh for the World Economic Forum’s Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy for Development on Sunday and Monday. Building on the inaugural Growth Summit in Switzerland last year, the Riyadh meeting will, according to the WEF, “promote forward-thinking approaches to interconnected crises, while remaining realistic about shorter-term trade-offs” and “work to bridge the growing North-South divide on issues such as emerging economic policies, the energy transition and geopolitical shocks.”

RIYADH: Honduras announced on Saturday that Saudi citizens wishing to visit the country are now exempt from requiring entry visas, Saudi Press Agency reported. The announcement was made by the Honduran Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Consular and Immigration Affairs Antonio Garcia, who posted the decision on the social media platform X. The visa exemption decision comes after a recent meeting between the Saudi deputy minister of foreign affairs, Waleed Elkhereiji, and his Honduran counterpart Enrique Reyna in Tegucigalpa.

RIYADH: Riyadh experienced a wave of food poisoning cases caused by Clostridium botulinum on Thursday. The outbreak was linked to the consumption of food from the local Hamburgini fast-food restaurant chain, leading to several hospitalizations. Ministry of Health spokesperson Dr. Mohammed Al-Abd Al-Aly provided an update on his X account on Saturday, detailing the impact of the outbreak and the steps being taken to manage it.

RIYADH: The National Olympiad for Programming and Artificial Intelligence (ATHKA) concluded on Saturday.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Environment Week 2024 will begin on Sunday, emphasizing the Kingdom’s leadership in environmental preservation and sustainable development. The event reflects the Kingdom’s dedication to environmental issues, aiming to raise awareness across society, according to the Saudi Press Agency report. Organized by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, the event features workshops, lectures, field activities and awareness campaigns designed to encourage citizens to protect natural resources and support sustainable development.

RIYADH: Saudi authorities arrested 19,050 people in one week for breaching residency, work and border security regulations, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday. According to an official report, a total of 11,987 people were arrested for violations of residency laws, while 4,367 were held over illegal border crossing attempts, and a further 2,696 for labor-related issues. The report showed that among the 1,011 people arrested for trying to enter the Kingdom illegally, 61 percent were Ethiopian, 36 percent Yemeni, and 3 percent were of other nationalities.

RIYADH: Consulting services company Adhlal, a social enterprise based in the Kingdom, recently organized three technology workshops at the studios of Faiiida, an industrial design company, in Riyadh. Tanja Ludwig, founder of w3-ff venture builder; Rakan Al-Shehri from Adhlal; and Abdulaziz Alobaid, who developed Faiiida, ran the workshops, which looked at ways in which technology, including artificial intelligence, can enhance creative workflow.

RIYADH: The Council of Senior Scholars in Saudi Arabia said in a statement that it is mandatory for Muslims to obtain a Hajj permit if they will perform pilgrimage. The council said obtaining a permit is obligatory to comply with the Sharia law, and facilitate Hajj and safeguard the sanctity of the Holy Sites. Performing Hajj without a permit is deemed a sin, according to the council’s interpretation. It made it clear that it is not permissible to go to Hajj without obtaining a permit and “those who do so are committing a sin,” the statement read.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is emerging as a hotspot for international investment. Its latest hook? Sustainable hospitality. The Kingdom led the Middle East and Africa’s hotel-building activity in 2023, with 42,033 hotel rooms constructed. This accounted for 35.1 percent of the 119,505 built in the region over the year, according to data from hotel monitoring firm STR.  Saudi Arabia’s hotel segment is projected to generate $2.51 billion in revenue this year and is expected to reach $3.02 billion by 2027, according to Statista.

RIYADH: The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah expressed its gratitude for actions taken by the Supreme Commission for Hajj and Umrah in the Republic of Iraq that resulted in the prosecution of more than 25 companies fraudulently engaged in commercial Hajj operations. A ministry source in the statement also warned prospective pilgrims to beware of unauthorized Hajj offers being promoted this year, primarily through social media.

RIYADH: The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation announced the launch of direct flights from Dammam to Najaf, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday. The decision is in line with the Kingdom’s national aviation sector strategy, aimed at doubling capacity to accommodate over 330 million passengers annually, and extending services to more than 250 global destinations. These flights, along with flights to Baghdad and Irbil, will commence from June 1.

TUBARJAL: The Al-Jouf branch of the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has apprehended three excavators who were found to be violating the water system in Tubarjal. The discovery was made during field tours carried out by the water department, in cooperation with the competent authorities in the governorate.

RIYADH: The Kingdom and Austria recently celebrated the world premiere of the “Premium Saudi Blend” by Viennese coffee manufacturer Bieder & Maier and the Saudi Coffee Company. The launch of the product brings Saudi and Austrian coffee culture together. During the presentations in Vienna and Riyadh, guests tasted the new coffee roast, catering for espresso to filter and cold brewing.  

AL-ARISH: The 48th Saudi relief plane for Palestinians in Gaza arrived on Friday at Al-Arish International Airport, Egypt. It was operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, in coordination with the Saudi Ministry of Defense. The plane carried shelter materials to be transported to the conflict-affected Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The provision of aid is ongoing from the Kingdom, which has stood firm with the Palestinians amid crises and tribulations.  

ALULA: Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar provided the big winners on Day 2 of the second annual AlUla Camel Cup. Held in unseasonably hot conditions, Thursday’s competition consisted of two 5 km categories, the Hagayeg and the Lagaya, with two races run in each. Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif won the first Hagayeg race, much to the delight of spectators.

RIYADH: The Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Nature Reserve Development Authority has announced the birth of three endangered red-necked ostrich chicks. The birds have been considered extinct in the northern region of the Kingdom for a century and have now returned thanks to the efforts of the ITBA, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday.

ALULA: “Our dream, as athletes, is to be able to represent our country; and for me to live my dream for my country — in my country — is the ultimate triumph,” Rima Al-Harbi told Arab News after making history this week as the first Saudi woman to win at the AlUla Camel Cup. At last year’s inaugural competition, Al-Harbi was the only woman to compete in a field full of male riders. This year, the event included a women’s category. Al-Harbi returned. And this time she won.

RIYADH: The Nanotechnology Association, supported by the Misk Foundation, is set to launch the Nanohub Program, aimed at inspiring and equipping the next generation for careers in the sector to help support a brighter future and a thriving economy. Nanohub, a nonprofit initiative, is structured in three phases to train Saudi graduates and entrepreneurs aged between 20 and 26. It provides workshops and sessions to develop personal skills, gain hands-on experience with nanotechnology, and receive guidance from industry experts.

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan received his Cypriot counterpart, Dr. Konstantinos Kompos, at the ministry’s headquarters in Riyadh on Thursday. During the meeting, the ministers reviewed the advanced bilateral relations between the Kingdom and the Republic of Cyprus, and ways to promote them in a variety of fields.  They also discussed ways to increase bilateral coordination on issues of common interest and reviewed international developments.

RIYADH: The US Embassy in Riyadh celebrated the 248th anniversary of Independence Day on Thursday with a reception hosted by US Ambassador Michael Ratney.  The ambassador welcomed guest of honor Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf, Riyadh Region mayor, along with Saudi officials, and hundreds of Saudi guests, as well as visitors from Washington, including members of the US Congress.  

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has launched a new center to protect whistleblowers and witnesses to crimes that will begin operations in July. Attorney General Sheikh Saud Al-Mojeb approved the establishment in line with Article Four of the Law for the Protection of Whistleblowers, Witnesses, Experts and Victims. The center will provide legal protection from threats, danger, or harm through methods stipulated in Article Fourteen of the Law, including security, as well as identity and data anonymization.

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received his Yemeni counterpart Shaya Mohsin Al-Zindani in Riyadh on Thursday. Prince Faisal congratulated Al-Zindani on his recent appointment as foreign minister by Yemen’s internationally recognized Presidential Leadership Council at the end of March, and wished him success in the role.  During the meeting, the two ministers reviewed aspects of bilateral relations and ways to strengthen and develop them in various fields. They also discussed topics of common interest.

RIYADH: The Joint Incident Assessment Team held a conference in Riyadh on Wednesday to announce the results of investigations into allegations against coalition forces in Yemen.  The report details three incidents, including claims that coalition forces targeted two houses in the Sha’aban area, a civilian house in Al-Hudaydah governorate, and Al-Ghail Health Center in Al-Ghail. 

JEDDAH: Effat University’s School of Cinematic Arts in Jeddah welcomed aspiring filmmakers and cinephiles to the 11th Showreel Effat International Student Film Festival this week. The theme for the three-day event, which concluded on Thursday, was “Behind the Seen,” reflecting the aim of organizers to shed light on the creative process and less-visible aspects of filmmaking. The program included a diverse range of cinematic offerings celebrating the work and talent of student filmmakers, not only those studying at the school but also their peers around the globe.

RIYADH: The Arabian horse and hunting falcon are important historical and cultural symbols for the Arab world, both ancient and modern. Now a Riyadh gallery is highlighting this enduring bond with a series of portrait studies of both creatures by Tariq Dajani, a Jordanian photographer and printmaker. Arabian horses have been the subject of songs and poetry praising their individual and physical qualities down through the ages. However, Dajani, an owner of Arabians, chose to reflect his love of these creatures through photography and artworks.

DUBAI: As it celebrates its 25th anniversary, L’Oreal Middle East has signed an agreement with the Himayah Organization in Saudi Arabia to support its “Safe Homes” initiative, which seeks to provide skills training for more than 600 women. “The project aims to have a lasting long-term impact through psychological support and skill training,” said Laurent Duffier, CEO of L’Oreal Middle East, in an interview with Arab News en Francais. Over the past 25 years, L’Oreal has assisted 25,000 women in the region.