Day: September 7, 2022

Jeddah– Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hissein Brahim Taha has called for addressing the challenges faced by youth in OIC Member States, especially with regard to high unemployment, the spread of extremism, displacement, asylum and illegal immigration. To that end, he called for developing joint policies, strategies, and action plans to meet the needs of youth, offer them opportunities and enhance their role in development to advance the socio-economic conditions, as well as to build and promote peace and dialogue and combat extremism and terrorism.

This was part of the Secretary General’s speech before the 5th Session of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers (ICYMS) of the OIC Member States, hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on 7-9 September 2022 under the theme “Development of Youth and Sports for a Solidarity-based Ummah”. Speakers at the opening session also included Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Minister of Sport in Saudi Arabia and Chair of the current ICYSM session, Minister of Youth and Sports in the Republic of Azerbaijan and Chair of the 4th ICYSM Session Farid Gayibov and President of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group Dr. Mohammad bin Suleiman Al-Jasser.

The Secretary General pointed out that Global studies indicate that the OIC geography accommodates about a quarter of the world’s youth, and it is expected that the OIC countries will have more than a third of the world’s youth by 2050, according to the United Nations world population prospects. These facts and statistics can provide opportunities for the Muslim world if the potentials of youth are appropriately harnessed, and when youth are involved in setting and implementing policies and programs on youth and sports development.

The OIC Secretary General called for concrete actions and initiatives through launching development programs for youth in all Member States, and that the OIC Member States and relevant institutions play an active role in these programs and initiatives.

The Secretary General expressed great thanks and appreciation to the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the OIC host country, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Crown Prince, for the generous hosting of this session after Saudi Arabia had kindly hosted the first and second ICYSM sessions.

He highly commended the great attention and care paid by the wise leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to issues related to youth and sports in the OIC Member States in particular, and for the generous care and continuous support for the OIC and its various activities and programs, in order to strengthen Islamic solidarity, and to advance the role entrusted to the OIC.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Dar es Salaam– King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) has continued the voluntary medical project for cardiac surgeries and catheterization in the United Republic of Tanzania, which was implemented during the period from August 28 to September 10, 2022.

The KSrelief’s medical voluntary team examined 173 individuals and successfully performed 21 open-heart surgeries and 30 catheterization surgeries.

The project comes as a part of the voluntary medical projects implemented by the KSrelief to help individuals and families with low incomes in the needy countries.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh– Saudi Export-Import (EXIM) Bank has concluded a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the foreign branch of BOK International Bank (Bahrain branch), aimed at studying aspects of cooperation to enter into the provision of credit solutions that support Saudi non-oil exports, and per the bank’s orientation to establish local and international partnerships.

The MoU was signed by EXIM Bank CEO Eng. Saad bin Abdulaziz Al-Khalb and the CEO of BOK International Bank (Bahrain branch) Ahmed Darwish, at EXIM Bank headquarters in Riyadh, in the presence of senior leaders from both sides.

Eng. Al-Khalb said that the signing of the MoU with BOK International Bank (Bahrain branch), comes in line with EXIM Bank’s continuous efforts to increase support for the export of Saudi non-oil services and products, and to enhance cross-border trade, adding that EXIM Bank seeks to build more effective partnerships with national and international financial institutions, with which the Bank works to provide credit solutions in line with the goals and aspirations of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 to develop non-oil exports and build a sustainable, vibrant and diversified economy.

For his part, Darwish explained that this agreement opens up prospects for cooperation that increases investment opportunities and contributes to enhancing international trade between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, in addition to opening cooperation channels with the banking sector in the region that contribute to boosting the effectiveness of the export activities to and from Saudi Arabia, as it is a meeting point for international trade.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh, September 8, 2022, SPA — Under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing is planned to organize the third edition of the Exhibition of “Projects of Distinguished Cities during the Reign of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques” in Riyadh between September 24 and 28, 2022, with the participation of several institutions from the public and private sectors. The ministry will also organize the first forum accompanying the exhibition.

The exhibition and forum aim at highlighting major projects that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is implementing in effective partnership between the public and private sectors to develop all regions, cities and governorates of Saudi Arabia; shedding light on realized successes under the umbrella of the Saudi Vision 2030 programs to develop cities and increase their efficiencies according to the standards of the Quality of Life Program, one of the vision’s programs; and making three Saudi cities on the Global Livability Ranking.

The exhibition showcases the impact of projects on Saudi cities and their inhabitants, in addition to reviewing the most important successful experiments and lessons learned, anticipating the future of economic and investment opportunities in all regions and cities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to reduce the environmental effects of cities and enhance the safety of the population and protect them from disasters.

The exhibition and work session will also address the most important challenges that face the development of Saudi cities and creative solution for them, in addition to means to realize a sustainable and balanced urban development with healthy conditions; improve the level of quality of life in cities and regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; develop bylaws, policies and regulations of the works of the municipal and rural work in a way that guarantees the efficiency and effectiveness of providing and automating services through identifying an effective mechanism for coordination among public institutions that provide services to facilitate the journey of city residents to access municipal and housing services.

The work sessions’ agenda includes several aspects on the impact of vision initiatives on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’ cities, the future of economic and investment opportunities in various regions and cities, sustainability in housing and challenges facing city development, means of developing cities and realizing urban development, the sustainability of infrastructure and municipal services, and the development of smart cities.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh– CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Marshad received here today Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Rashid Meredov, and his accompanying delegation, in the presence of a number of officials from the two sides.

The visit of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan comes on the sidelines of the joint ministerial meeting of the strategic dialogue between the GCC and Central Asian Countries held in Riyadh.

During the meeting, they discussed development issues of common interest, enhancing development cooperation between the two sides, and the potential vital opportunities for development projects in Turkmenistan.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh, September 7, 2022, SPA — Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) Turki bin Abdulmohsen Al Al-Sheikh launched Wednesday the identity of the Riyadh Season 2022, under the slogan “Beyond Imagination.”

Including new zones, events, and unprecedented surprises, the identity of the new season is designed to reflect the great expansion of activities compared to the previous season, which had the slogan “Imagine More”, and the 2019 season, with “Imagine” slogan.

The Riyadh season is expected to provide a mixture of uniqueness, suspense and modernity, as Riyadh is considered a major incubator, a preferred destination and a stimulating zone, exceeding the local and international imagination in light of what it provides to citizens and visitors.

Riyadh Season seeks to transform the Saudi capital into a tourist entertainment destination, consolidating its position as one of the most prominent and important entertainment destinations in the region and the world.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh– Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics, Engineer Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, has signed a cooperation agreement in maritime transport with the Government of Oman represented by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, on the sidelines of his visit and the accompanying delegation to Oman.

From the Omani side, the agreement was signed by the Omani Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, Eng. Saeed bin Hamoud Al Maawali.

The agreement aims to enhance areas of cooperation in the maritime transport sector for passengers and goods, facilitate the traffic of commercial ships, develop economic relations between the two countries, contribute to raising the efficiency of maritime transport services, facilitate technology transfer and encourage maritime studies and training, which contributes to the localization of the vital industry, as well as providing the necessary facilities for building and maintaining ships in both countries, protecting the marine environment and reducing the environmental pollution.

Deputy Minister of Transport and Logistics and Acting Head of the Public Transport Authority, Dr. Rumaih bin Mohammed Al-Rumaih, also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for mutual recognition of certificates issued under the provisions of the International Agreement on Levels of Training, Certification and Shift Work for Sea Workers of 1978 and its amendments with the Omani Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, in addition to another MoU signed with Eng. Saeed bin Hamoud Al Maawali, to raise the levels of quality and efficiency of officers and sailors working on board the ships of the two countries, and their suitability to carry out their tasks and meet the optimal standards for maritime safety, protection of property, preservation of the marine environment, and to ensure keeping pace with developments and exchange of experiences in the transfer of knowledge, training, qualification and evaluation programs to award certificates.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh– Saudi Minister of Health Fahd bin Abdulrahman Al-Jalajel met today in Riyadh with the Board Chair of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Dr. Donald Kaberuka.

Discussions during the meeting went over a number of issues of common interest and ways to enhance cooperation between the Ministry of Health and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s distinguished experience in combating the COVID-19 pandemic and ways to build on this experience globally were discussed during the meeting. The two sides also addressed securing supply chains and ensuring that enough vaccines reach countries in need, in addition to the global efforts being exerted to establish a treaty to anticipate and address future pandemics and epidemics.

As an extension of Saudi Arabia’s continuous support for international efforts in the health and humanitarian field, Al-Jalajel affirmed keenness to support the fund’s efforts to combat AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh– The National Competitiveness Center hosted here today a delegation from the American Chamber of Commerce, in the presence of the Deputy Minister of Commerce and CEO of the Center, Dr. Iman Al-Mutairi and Vice President for Middle East Affairs of U.S. Chamber of Commerce Steve Lutes.

At the beginning of the meeting, Al-Mutairi praised the partnership between the business sectors in the two countries, stressing that the center supports the business sector’s adoption of everything possible to keep pace with the global transformation towards a green economy, and the application of standards for environmental, social and governance practices (ESG), and the pillars of competitiveness, based on innovation, employing modern technologies, effective use of resources, and engaging social groups in economic cycles to contribute to building a promising and sustainable future that enhances the Kingdom’s global competitiveness.

In turn, Lutes stressed the efforts of US companies operating in the Kingdom to align their businesses and goals in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which opened promising opportunities in many vital and new sectors, praising the success achieved by the “Saudi-American Business” forum in Washington last June.

The meeting discussed a number of vital sectors, including the green economy, especially energy, circular economy, waste management and sustainability, innovation and its impact on the business environment, and the growth of the information technology, communications and data sectors.

During the meeting, senior officials from the participating government agencies, which are the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization, the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property, and the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence, reviewed the economic and development reforms they have accomplished to enable and stimulate the business environment, in the presence of the Saudi-US Business Council.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Tokyo– Asian benchmarks mostly rose Thursday, as investor optimism got a perk from a rally on Wall Street that’s on track to break a three-week losing streak, the Associated Press reported.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 surged 2.3% to finish at 28,065.28. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 1.8% to 6,848.70. South Korea’s Kospi edged up 0.3% to 2,382.88. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slipped 0.8% to 18,897.29, while the Shanghai Composite fell 0.2% to 3,239.64.

In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude added 66 cents to $82.60 a barrel. U.S. crude oil prices slid 5.7% Wednesday. Brent crude, the international standard, gained 58 cents to $88.58 a barrel.

In currency trading, the U.S. dollar edged up to 143.60 Japanese yen from 143.74 yen. The euro was little changed at $1.00.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh, September 08, 2022, SPA– Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional International Cooperation of the Republic of Burkina Faso, Olivia Rouamba, and her accompanying delegation visited the King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue yesterday.

During the visit, the minister was introduced to the center’s activities and events that contribute to promoting the concepts of dialogue and the values of tolerance and coexistence among societies. The delegation was briefed on the center’s progress, starting from the national meetings to the center’s strategy and recent initiatives related to the Kingdom’s vision 2030. The visiting officials also reviewed the most prominent dialogue and cultural events organized by the center recently.

The Center’s Secretary-General, Dr. Abdullah Al-Fawzan, stressed the importance of the visit to build bridges of cooperation between the Center and the African international bodies and institutions, including Burkina Faso, in a way that serves the kingdom’s objectives to promote the values of tolerance, coexistence, humanitarian partnerships and the rejection of violence and extremism, adding that effective relations between all countries are based on the principle of dialogue and mutual respect, and through dialogue which contributes to achieving good cooperation and common interests.

For her part, the Foreign Minister expressed her appreciation for the Kindom’s efforts in promoting human values and coexistence between different societies and cultures.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking will travel to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Oman starting September 8 to urge the parties to intensify UN-led negotiations in the coming three weeks, to act with urgency and flexibility, and to take the necessary steps to extend and expand the UN-mediated truce. A truce expansion increases tangible benefits to all Yemenis, making indispensable progress on paying civil servant salaries, expanding flight destinations, and opening roads. It would also pave the way for a permanent ceasefire and an inclusive, durable Yemeni-led resolution that addresses the calls of the Yemeni people for justice and accountability.

The United States is concerned by recent Houthi actions which undermine the truce and threaten the lifesaving benefits it has brought the Yemeni people. We call on the Houthis to refrain from such actions and continue implementing the terms of the truce as they publicly committed to on August 1.

For any questions, please contact Vanessa Vidal at NEA-Press@state.gov and follow us on Twitter @StateDept_NEA.

Source: US State Department