Category: General

Kabul– King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) yesterday distributed 800 food baskets for underprivileged people and orphans in Paktia Province in Afghanistan, which benefited 800 families.

This is part of the relief and humanitarian efforts offered by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by KSrelief, to several needy and afflicted countries and peoples.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh– The Saudi ports’ container throughput volumes reached 600,107 TEU, which is a 1.38% increase compared to numbers recorded in May 2021. The exported containers remarkably increased by 2.57% with a total of 175,958 TEU, while the imported containers hit a minor setback as it decreased by 0.64% with a total of 176,978 TEU.

Meanwhile, the initiatives launched by the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani), in line with the National Transport and Logistics Strategy (NTLS), which offer competitive services in throughput and operations, have raised the number of transshipment containers in Saudi ports to reach 247,172 TEU, which is 2.01% compared to numbers recorded during the same time last year.

Similarly, the cargo throughput volumes increased by 23.70% with a total of 21,041,021 tons, as the general cargo recorded a 21.86% increase with a total of 810,244 tons, the dry bulk which increased by 2.46% with a total of 4,166,749 tons, and the liquid bulk which increased by 30.74% with a total of 15,869,634 tons, as a result of organizing the truck flow to and from the Saudi ports, which is within Mawani’s priorities, in order to enable various national industries and sectors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Whereas the number of vessels increased by 3.03% with a total of 1,020 vessels, and the number of vehicles increased by 42.33% with a total of 81,737 vehicles, on the other hand, the percentage of food decreased by 6.50% with a total of 1,825,579 tons compared to numbers recorded last year.

The Saudi ports recorded a 16.38% increase in the number of passengers with a total of 54,907 passengers, and unloading 459,677 heads of imported livestock, which is a 181.64% increase, as these numbers strengthen the Saudi imports and exports, along with catalyzing economic growth in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Khartoum– King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) has launched a voluntary medical project to combat blindness and its causes in the city of Nyala, Sudan, in cooperation with the Al-Basar International Foundation.

KSrelief’s voluntary medical team has checked 2,500 cases, performed 270 surgeries, and distributed 950 eyeglasses.

This campaign is an extension of the center’s projects aimed at combating blindness targeting families with low incomes in several countries.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Cairo– Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Rashad Muhammad Al-Alimi praised the Arab League’s positions that help the project of restoring the state and ending the coup of the Iran-backed Houthi militia, voicing his hope for the Yemeni issue to remain at the center of the upcoming summit in coordination with all partners in the coalition to support legitimacy, under the leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Al-Alimi made his remarks before the plenary session of the Arab League Council at the level of representatives, which was held today at the Arab League’s headquarters in the presence of Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and permanent representatives of Arab League member states.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s permanent representative to the Arab League Abdulrahman bin Saeed Al-Jumaa attended the session.

Al-Alimi expressed hope to move forward with the Arab League’s imitative to arrange for an Arab and international meeting for the reconstruction of Yemen in coordination with partners in the coalition to support legitimacy in Yemen and expressed aspiration for an effective role to open Taiz and Yemeni cities’ border crossings, in addition to saving the FSO Safer floating vessel that holds a large amount of fuel and might cause a humanitarian disaster at the Red Sea.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh– Tourism Development Fund (TDF) announced today the launching of the Tourism Finance Program, which is designed to provide the best solutions and soft financing products for small and micro enterprises, to enable them to benefit from promising opportunities in various fields of tourism.

The announcement was made after the Fund signed, at its headquarters in Riyadh, a financing agreement with the Arab National Bank, as part of the Fund’s efforts to enhance tourism opportunities in the main destinations identified by the National Tourism Strategy and to maximize the societal impact of tourism development projects in the Kingdom.

The agreement, which was signed by TDF CEO, Qusai Abdullah Al-Fakhri, and the Managing Director and CEO of the Arab National Bank, Obaid Abdullah Al-Rasheed, was also attended by several officials from both sides.

Al-Fakhri highlighted the signing of this agreement with the Arab National Bank and the launch of the tourism financing program, expressing optimism for the important role that the program will play in achieving the objectives of the Fund by supporting micro and small enterprises and entrepreneurs in the field of tourism.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh– Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for Arab States Dr Nayef Falah M. Al Hajraf received today Ambassador Vu Viet Dung of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed aspects of strengthening the GCC-Vietnamese relations to serve common interests.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh– King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) Project (Masam) for clearing mines in Yemen, dismantled, during the second week of June 2022, a total of 1,336 mines planted by the Houthi militia across Yemen, including 42 anti-personnel mines, 245 anti-tank mines, 1,048 unexploded ordnance and one explosive device.

Since the beginning of the project, as many as 345,147 mines planted by the Houthi militias, have been dismantled.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh– Mohammad bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan, Minister of Finance and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Government Expenditure & Projects Efficiency Authority (EXPRO), launched two national guides which are, the National Guide to Project Management and the National Guide to Asset and Facilities Management. This was in a ceremony organized by Government Expenditure & Projects Efficiency Authority on Sunday, June 6th, 2022.

As a part of the efforts of government agencies that seek to unify and develop methodologies aimed at controlling and governance affiliated infrastructure projects. The authority has worked to implement the transformation plan for asset and facilities management, as well as the project management, and the development of sustainable institutional solutions to prepare and launch these two guides to form the approved national reference within the national projects platform that operates according to an integrated methodology for managing projects and facilities.

During the launching ceremony of the two national guides, His Excellency delivered a speech in which he stressed that these two guides would be tributaries to the efforts of the government agencies and their endeavors towards excellence at an institutional level. As it raises the efficiency of spending in capital and operational projects since it is a high-quality infrastructure upon which the foundations of our prosperous economy and the well-being of citizens and residents rest.

Al-Jadaan added, “these accelerated steps in the field of achieving the quality and sustainability of project management and public utilities, are only part of a larger and broader process entitled to achieve the efficiency of spending and the quality of government projects, in order to ensure the greatest impact against government spending on capital and operational projects,” noting that “we look forward to today, after launching this integrated methodology, through our partners in all government agencies, to activate these two guides into continuous practices that all parties and active partners in the construction and operation of infrastructure in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are committed to, to speed up the access and sustainability of services to citizens and residents; Bearing in mind the supreme goal, which is the sustainability of the Kingdom’s economy and serving its people.”

For his part, the CEO of the Government Expenditure & Projects Efficiency Authority (EXPRO), Eng. Abdul Razzaq bin Subhi Al-Aujan, said: “these two guides have been prepared in accordance with the best local and international standards and practices. They were under the supervision and follow-up of distinguished national competencies and expertise, which contributes to improving and raising spending efficiency in operating expenses and consolidating the quality of the services provided. Work has been done to build the scientific content of the two guides based on rich national and global experiences for managing infrastructure projects in all its stages, covering the entire life cycle of the project starting from the planning and construction stage, through the stages of contracting and purchasing, and from operating and maintaining with initiatives to raise spending efficiency in partnership with government agencies.”

Al-Aujan added: “within this approach based on supporting projects, asset and facilities in partnership with government agencies, some government agencies have been able to achieve success in the speedy implementation of government projects by 40%, which is equivalent to (6,085) days, and have also succeeded in achieving a financial impact of (120) billion riyals during the year 2021, which are the amounts that were redirected into priority and development projects to achieve the goals of Vision 2030. While this resulted in the initiative to localize operation and maintenance contracts, providing more than (100) thousand job opportunities to young Saudi men and women. It has also trained more than 1,845 trainees in the same initiative, in addition to training 1,844 trainees in the field of asset and facilities in government agencies. And it supported government agencies in establishing (194) spending efficiency teams, which resulted in achieving a financial impact of (39) billion riyals.

The National Guide to Project Management includes 16 volumes, each of which specializes in a specific project management function, which helps public authorities in planning, implementing, and moving from one phase to another. It starts from the project registration phase to the delivery phase and the final closing, it goes through stages of establishing, finalizing, and managing the structure, as well as the precise technical stages of planning, designing, implementation, operation, and maintenance.

The National Guide for Asset and Facilities Management consists of 17 volumes, each of which is concerned with a specific function of asset and facilities management and includes the best local and global standards and practices to accomplish these functions. It also covers 6 major sectors of government assets and efficiency, as well as raising the efficiency of assets and facilities. The guide is considered the first technical reference of its kind at national, regional, and global levels in the field of providing direction and guidance to public authorities on ways to optimally utilize the resources of asset management and facilities for each entity.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Cairo– The extraordinary meeting of the Group of Experts on Counter-Terrorism kicked off today at the headquarters of the Arab League, which will continue for three days with the participation of experts from the ministries of justice, interior, defense and foreign affairs in the Arab states and the secretariat general of the Arab Interior Ministers Council.

Director of the Legal Department at the Presidency of State Security Major General Salah Al-Jutaili headed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s delegation to the meeting.

Director of the Legal Affairs Department at the Arab League and Official in charge of technical affairs at the secretariat general of the Arab Justice Ministers Council Minister Plenipotentiary Yasser Abdulminem noted that the meeting discussed means to activate the development of the group’s work in a way that keeps pace with the new challenges in the counter-terrorism field and the remarks of concerned agencies in counter-terrorism in Arab states so as to develop the group’s work.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh– The Ministry of Culture (MoC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA), marking another milestone and strengthening the collaboration between MoC and its affiliated commissions and DGDA.

The memorandum covers a detailed agenda encompassing coordination, development, and implementation of projects, initiatives, and events in the cultural sector.

The MoU was signed by Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud, Saudi Minister of Culture, and Saudi Minister of Tourism, Secretary-General and Member of DGDA’s Board of Directors Ahmed Al Khateeb.

The agreement will also include the provision to jointly implement cultural and heritage initiatives and develop educational assets within the Diriyah Gate master plan, including academies for creative writing, performing arts, music, architecture, Arabic calligraphy, culinary traditions, in addition to a museum for digital art as well as a contemporary art museum.

“This MoU with Diriyah Gate Development Authority represents a clear attestation to the synergies and strong collaboration between our two teams. Partnerships such as these are fundamental to our collective mission to support the development and preservation of the cultural ecosystem here in Saudi Arabia,” said Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan.

He added, “Today, we enter the next stage of development where we add value to this precious historic site while protecting the cultural heritage and identity of its people. Our agreement with DGDA reflects our shared commitment to preserving the unique history of Diriyah and creating opportunities to promote and celebrate this national treasure.”

“This would not have been possible without the unwavering support of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. We will continue to work with our partners at DGDA to meet the objectives of this MoU with a plethora of cultural and heritage events, activities, and megaprojects in the pipeline aimed at attracting investment and achieving short and long-term sustainability,” the prince pointed out.

Commenting on the partnership, Ahmed Al-Khateeb said: “We are honored to sign this MoU with the Ministry of Culture covering various aspects of Diriyah’s development. This partnership is a key accomplishment in our continuous efforts to transform the historic city into a major tourism and cultural destination, capitalizing on the ministry’s numerous initiatives to fulfill the objectives of Vision 2030 to build a vibrant society, a thriving economy, and an ambitious nation.”

He also extended thanks to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince for their great support to Diriyah. Al-Khateeb added: “This partnership will take Diriyah’s cultural and heritage events and activities to the next level. They will be unique and diverse, reflecting its distinctive identity and rich heritage. This will also create a solid platform for investment opportunities by attracting businesses of every kind. It is with great ambition that we look forward to making Diriyah Gate a tourist attraction that combines a historic feel with modern features to become the greatest gathering place. We will work with our partners at the Ministry of Culture to make this strategic goal a reality.”

Further strengthening this partnership, Diriyah, the Arab Capital of Culture for 2030, will be home to the Ministry of Culture’s headquarters. The partnership will also provide the opportunity for both entities to collaborate on establishing awareness programs as well as events and marketing initiatives for film, music, visual and performing arts, literature, culinary, and design. These heritage and cultural activities will also extend into initiatives for education, research, training, and development.

By signing this agreement, the Ministry of Culture and DGDA aim to attract and promote investment opportunities by creating incentives to support the private sector, implement various cultural activities and link them to the historical depth of Diriyah, thereby enhancing Diriyah’s position as a global cultural tourism destination.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh– Saudi Stock Exchange’s main index ended trading lower here today, losing 281.04 points to close at 12,322.35 points.

The total value of the trading reported was SAR 7.4 billion, while the toll of shares traded was 173 million, divided into over 381,000 deals.

The Saudi Parallel Market Index (NOMU) ended the day losing 503.12 points, to close at 21,737.68 points, with a valuation of SAR 21 million and an overall tally of more than 316,000 stocks traded and divided into as many as 1,549 deals.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh– Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council Dr. Mishal bin Fahm Al-Sulami today at the headquarters of the council in Riyadh met with President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Duarte Pacheco and his accompanying delegation as part of the official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Al-Sulami commended the deep relations between the Shura Council and the IPU, stressing that this visit is part of efforts to enhance communication, cooperation and coordination and exchanging views between the two sides on several issues and unifying parliamentarian efforts to become more effective in enhancing international peace and security.

He noted that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through Saudi Green Initiative and Middle East Green Initiative, which have been announced by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, aim at reducing carbon emissions, exchanging expertise, transferring knowledge among nations, and planting 50 billion trees in the Middle East, including 10 billion trees in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

He also said that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in its war against terrorism has established the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition, which attracted more than 40 Arab and Islamic countries so far.

For his part, Pacheco praised the role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in supporting international peace and security, commending the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s unaltered stance in supporting peace and its efforts in hosting Yemenis and the relief and humanitarian assistance it offers to the Yemeni people in their country.

He also praised the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s model in enhance integrity and anti-corruption, expressing his welcome and support to the Middle East Green Initiative that was announced by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, for its being a qualitative initiative that seeks to improve the quality of life, protect the environment and address negative climate changes.

During the meeting, a briefing was delivered on the work mechanisms of the Shura Council and its committees, in addition to ensuring that the work of the council did not stop during the COVID-19 pandemic, where the two sides also reviewed issues of mutual interest at the parliamentarian level between the Shura Council and IPU, the importance of enhancing cooperation opportunities, and benefiting from training expertise, experiments and programs.

Source: Saudi Press Agency