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.

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Japan Dr. Ghazi Binzagr met with Nobuyori Kodaira, chairman of the Japan Cooperation Center for the Middle East, on Thursday in Tokyo to discuss improving mutual investments. The two officials highlighted the role that the JCCME plays in supporting Japan’s investments in Saudi Arabia, in sectors including healthcare, industry and entertainment. The JCCME set up its regional headquarters in Riyadh in the 1990s. It now has an office in Dammam with an investment desk, while a water desk has been opened in Jeddah.

The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called for applications to design a logo to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Saudi Arabia in 2025. The chosen logo will be used in all events commemorating the 70th anniversary of the two countries. Anyone is eligible to apply to create a logo that conveys the strong ties between the Kingdom and Japan.

RIYADH: Travel to Europe will become simpler and easier for Saudi, Omani, and Bahraini nationals following a European Commission decision to relax visa rules. EU Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Christophe Farnaud told reporters in Riyadh on Thursday that the new Schengen visa rules are “an important step in promoting people-to-people contacts, and facilitating exchanges between the EU and the GCC citizens.” Under the new rules, a multiple-entry visa will normally be issued for five years to successful applicants, including those applying for the first time.

Scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, in collaboration with NEOM, have launched the first nursery of the KAUST Coral Restoration Initiative. “KCRI is the largest coral restoration project in the world and represents a significant step towards restoring reefs globally with a primary nursery officially in operation and a second facility in development, both in the Red Sea,” according to a statement released on Thursday.

RIYADH: The makers of a recently produced, highly acclaimed documentary on Saudi wildlife were honored at a special screening of the film “Horizon” at the residence of the EU ambassador in Riyadh. The new documentary, produced by the Konoz Initiative, is part of a collaboration between the Saudi Ministry of Media’s Center for Government Communication and the National Center for Wildlife. It explores the ecological treasures and unique habitats of the Kingdom.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has welcomed an independent committee’s report on the performance of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday. The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Kingdom backed the report, which confirmed UNRWA’s main role in supporting the relief, humanitarian and developmental efforts of the Palestinian people.

Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Egypt Osama Nugali on Wednesday received Saudi astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi, who is currently visiting Egypt, at the embassy in Cairo. Nugali congratulated Barnawi, the first Saudi female astronaut, on her achievement which affirmed the progress Saudi Arabia is witnessing in all fields, including the space sector and its technologies, in light of its ambitious Vision 2030. Barnawi, who is a scientist specializing in cancer stem-cell research, traveled into space as part of the Axiom Mission 2 to the International Space Station last year.

Swaied Al-Zahrani has been the CEO of the Saudi Credit Bureau, also known as SIMAH, since March 2018. As CEO, Al-Zahrani has guided SIMAH’s short and long-term strategies, ensuring a competitive landscape within the market. He led major restructuring to enable a future-proof operating model and enhance customer experience. He is focused on improving the governance, risk management, and data management framework and practices.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s transformation has involved many authors: The government, Saudi citizens, the private sector, and international partners. Their combined efforts have meant that by 2023 — the Vision 2030 midpoint — the plan was already ahead of schedule. Eight years since its launch, the social reform and economic diversification blueprint’s promise is quickly being realized, with 87 percent of its 1,064 initiatives deemed completed or on track.

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has been admitted to King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Jeddah for routine check up, state news agency (SPA) reported. The tests were expected to last “a few hours”, the Royal Court said, as cited by SPA. King Salman attended on Tuesday the weekly cabinet meeting.

Riyadh: The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture launched an urban vertical farm project for food markets and stores, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The initiative, the first of its kind in the region, allows customers to obtain fresh food products grown in the Kingdom. The ministry’s undersecretary, Ahmed Al-Eyada, attended the launch of the project, which was implemented by a leading bioagriculture company.

RIYADH: Music has always been at the cutting edge when it comes to utilizing technological innovation, Paul Pacifico, CEO of the Saudi Music Commission, told a forum in Riyadh. Experts discussed the impact of artificial intelligence on the creative industries during the Outer Edge summit held at The Garage in the Saudi capital on Tuesday. The forum explored innovations linked with Web3, a new stage of the internet driven by the cryptocurrency-related technology blockchain.

RIYADH: The Kingdom is taking promising steps to balance its ecosystem by expanding rewilding efforts. Rewilding is a method used to restore and sustain biodiversity by reintroducing wild animals, restoring wilderness areas and promoting natural processes.

RIYADH: The King Khalid Foundation has signed a cooperation agreement with TATA Consultancy Services to promote sustainable digital practices among university students in Saudi Arabia. The initiative is called “Sustainathon” and aims to help students design projects that would assist in this field, according to a statement released by the foundation on Monday. For three months, the King Khalid Foundation and the TCS will be running online seminars to help “Sustainathon” competitors with their proposals.

RIYADH: By owning our data, we will be empowered and safe, says Krista Kim at Outer Edge Innovation Summit on April 23 at The Garage in Riyadh. Kim spoke in one of the summit’s panel discussions, titled “Web3 and AI for business and smart cities,” which included guest speakers Naif Al-Rabeah, director of Web3 and spatial reality portfolio at NEOM; Eric Pulier, founder & CEO at Vatom Corporation; and Kamal Youssefi, president at the Hashgraph Association.

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received his Bahraini counterpart Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani in Riyadh on Tuesday. During the meeting, the close relations between their countries and ways to strengthen them in various fields were reviewed. The ministers also discussed the latest regional and international developments and efforts made with regard to them. 

TEGUCIGALPA: Saudi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji met Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina in the country’s capital city, Tegucigalpa, on Tuesday. During the meeting, they discussed Saudi-Honduras relations and ways to strengthen them, along with prominent regional and international issues, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said on X. The two ministers also signed a general framework agreement for coooperation between the Kingdom and Honduras.

Abdulrahman Abaalkhail is the CEO of Dan Co., a Public Investment Fund company dedicated to promoting agritourism, ecotourism, and adventure tourism in Saudi Arabia. As CEO, he uses his expertise in strategic planning, business model design, investment and business development, operations management, and project delivery to guide the company's growth and achieve its strategic objectives.

RIYADH: This month, Saudi Arabia marks six years of movie screenings after a 35-year gap. Back then, the idea of a flourishing domestic film industry seemed improbable. Today, it has become a reality. Since cinemas reopened on April 18, 2018, multiplexes have prospered, with accumulative box office revenues hitting almost $1 billion. Even the closures of the pandemic years were not enough to halt the industry’s meteoric rise.

Riyadh: The winners of this year’s King Faisal Prize received their awards at a glittering ceremony staged in Riyadh on Monday. Held under the auspices of King Salman, Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar attended the ceremony, handing over the King Faisal International Award to laureates in its 46th edition. The event is the most prestigious in the Muslim world and recognizes outstanding achievements in services to Islam, Islamic studies, Arabic language and literature, medicine, and science.

RIYADH: King Salman briefed on Tuesday the Council of Ministers on recent regional dynamics and global affairs, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.  The cabinet reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to fostering security and stability globally and regionally. It called on the international community to fulfill its obligations in halting Israeli assaults on civilians in Gaza and support the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, advocating for their state based on the 1967 borders with its capital.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is set to receive more rainfall toward the weekend, with Riyadh and its outskirts likely to witness heavy rains from Friday to next Tuesday. In addition, the National Center for Meteorology said on Tuesday: “May forecasts indicate a chance of higher than average rainfall.” More rain is forecast this week in Makkah, Jazan, Aseer, Al-Baha, the Eastern Province, and regions in Riyadh, the NCM added.

RIYADH: Cairns, known as “rjum” in Arabic, are more than just heaps of stones scattered throughout the desert but have served as important landmarks and silent guides for Bedouins and travelers through the years, and will continue to do so, according to a local heritage researcher and archeologist. 

RIYADH: The National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification is organizing the first National Afforestation Forum with the theme “Toward a Green Future.” The forum will be held in Riyadh on May 6 and aims to unify national efforts, align energies, and foster collaboration across various sectors, including public, private, and nonprofit. According to the Saudi Press Agency report, one of its key objectives is to support the Saudi Green Initiative’s ambitious target of planting 10 billion trees.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman received a phone call on Monday from UK Secretary of State for Defense Grant Shapps. The officials discussed military escalation in the region, its repercussions, and efforts towards containing it. They also reviewed strategic bilateral relations and military cooperation.

RIYADH: The Royal Commission for AlUla aims to host 2 million visitors annually and create 40,500 jobs by 2035, a top RCU official has said. Speaking on the second day of the inaugural Hima protected areas forum in Riyadh in a session titled “Protected Areas and Economic Development,” keynote speaker Dr. Stephen Browne, vice president of wildlife and natural heritage at the RCU, shared AlUla’s vision for protected area development and its economic impact.