Category: General

Madinah– The first batch of pilgrims benefiting from the Makkah Route Initiative arrived at the Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah coming from Pakistan through the initiative’s terminal at the Islamabad International Airport, where they were received by Director of Madinah Passports Lieutenant-General Fahd Al-Otaibi and several representatives of partner institutions.

The Makkah Route Initiative, which is launched in Pakistan this year 1443 for the second year after 1440, in addition to Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Morocco, is one of the initiatives of the “Pilgrim Experience Program”, which is under the Kingdom Vision 2030.

The initiative aims at completing pilgrims’ procedures from their countries, starting from issuing visas electronically, collecting their biometrics, and completing travel procedures at the airport of the country of departure after ensuring they meet health conditions.

The procedures also include labeling and sorting luggage according to the transportation and accommodation arrangements in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where they will immediately use buses upon their arrival to move them to their residences in Makkah and Madinah, while logistics agencies will deliver their luggage to their residences.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Aden– King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) has rehabilitated classrooms for 29 centers for people with disabilities and illiteracy, and distributed educational equipment, such as chairs and necessary school means, in Aden and Hadramout governorates, Yemen, as part of a project to respond the needs of developing local capabilities for the education of illiterate and disabled students.

A KSrelief team and several government officials also checked on the work progress in preparing the training and rehabilitation center at the vocational complex for people with disabilities in Aden, which is one of the targeted centers by the project.

KSrelief branch director in Aden Saleh Al-Thibani noted that 5,775 children will benefit from the support offered under the project, and will be provided with over 20,000 individual educational hours, stressing that the center, through the project, seeks to build up the capacity of the educational personnel and implement awareness campaigns.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Djibouti– The Djibouti-based Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) today welcomed Advisor at the Royal Court Ahmed Qattan in the presence of Djiboutian Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf and IGAD Executive Secretary Dr. Workneh Gebeyeh.

During the meeting, Qattan delivered a speech that went over the Saudi-African relations and means to develop them in all fields, stressing the wise leadership’s keenness to further enhance relations with all African countries.

He also spoke about the First Saudi-African and Fifth Arab-African summits that will be held in Riyadh this year, stressing that the holding the First Saudi-African summit is based on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s keenness to enhance partnership with all African counties.

He also went over Expo 2030 that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia aspires to host in 2030 in Riyadh, referring to the announced support that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia received from all African countries.

At the end of the meeting, the authority issued a statement welcoming the visit of Qattan and his accompanying delegation and holding the two summits, and praised the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s efforts that seek to develop relations with all African countries.

The authority also stressed its full support for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to host Expo 2030 in Riyadh, noting that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia enjoys huge potential and capabilities that enable it to host a historical and successful version with the highest levels of innovation.

The authority comprises Djibouti, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia and Eretria.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Tunis — Director-General of the Arab Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar has stressed the importance of the cultural movement led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the level of the Arab world, and its deep-rooted culture in the depths of history, praising Diriyah Biennale Foundation’s announcement of the first session of the first Islamic Arts Biennale in The World, which will be hosted by Jeddah from January 23 to April 23, 2023, which is an extension of the Saudi cultural movement in the world.

He further said in a press statement that Arab culture has been able to build historical bridges with peoples around the world, and Muslim artists have succeeded in placing an immortal artistic impression for more than 14 centuries, pointing out that the Kingdom’s step in establishing the first Islamic Arts Biennale in the world comes in the right time and place, since it was from its land that the Islamic culture emerged to roam the world in light, knowledge and science.

Dr. Mohamed Amar also explained that ALESCO’s member states have made contributions throughout history to Islamic arts and Muslim artists were able to express their cultures in advanced and innovative ways, until they put an immortal impression on them in the “sky” of human arts.

The ALESCO Director-General praised the first edition of Diriyah Biennale for Contemporary Art, which had concluded its activities last March, after more than 60 artists from around the world participated in it.

At the conclusion of his statement, Dr. Mohamed Amar stressed that such steps mainly contribute to the promotion of arts and culture in the local, regional and global popular presence, citing their importance in building bridges of communication with the world and promoting dialogue and exchange of ideas between humanity.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Cairo– Supervisor General of the Salam Project for Cultural Communication Faisal bin Muammar stressed the prestigious status of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in global dialogue, its effective contribution in realizing international peace and security and its keenness to instill respect and coexistence and combating intolerance and hate.

Addressing attendees of Dar al-Ifta’s first international conference of Salam Center for Extremism Studies, currently held in Cairo, he referred to the ongoing efficiency of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s approach and the wise leadership in eliminating all types of extremism and terrorism at the local, regional and international levels and its prominent role in the effective efforts of combating this phenomenon.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Dushanbe– The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is participating in the 2nd High-Level International Conference on International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development 2018-2028”, which is currently being held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan between June 6 and 9, 2022.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s delegation is headed by Undersecretary of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture for Water Affairs Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Shibani with the participation of Saudi Ambassador to Tajikistan Walid Al-Rushidan.

Dr. Al-Shibani, during a speech at the first session on cooperation at the regional and international levels, referred to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s role in adopting water issues at the regional and international levels through its participation in specialized Arab ministerial councils and through its presidency of the G20, where the group adopted a proposal by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to hold an annual dialogue on water and establish an e-platform on the best global practices in water administration fields.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Jeddah– Jeddah Season 2022, since its inauguration in early May, registered visits by 3 million citizens and residents from inside and outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from various nationalities and age groups, who enjoyed the diversity of shows, events and global experiences in 9 main zones comprising 2,800 events.

The big turnout on zones of the events reflects the diversity and excellence of shows that meet various needs, which met the aspirations of visitors at the cultural, entertainment and tourist levels through utilizing them as an investment source contributing to development in a way that realizes the targets of the Kingdom Vision 2030.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh– The Federation of Saudi Chambers of Commerce (FSCC) and the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) today signed a cooperation agreement to establish a Saudi-Cypriot Business Council in a bid to enhance trade between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Cyprus and increase the commercial and investment cooperation volume between the two countries.

FSC Acting Secretary General Hussein Al-Abdulqader and CCCI Secretary General Marios Tsiakkis signed the deal.

The council will be concerned with opening qualitative fields for economic cooperation, facilitating interaction between the Saudi and Cypriot business sectors, overcoming challenges and obstacles, exchanging information on available markets and investment opportunities and empowering commercial and investment partnerships.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Tripoli, Libya– Libya strongly condemned statements issued by the spokesperson for the Indian Bharatiya Janata Party who insulted Islam and Prophet Mohammed, peace and blessings be upon him.

In a statement, the foreign ministry of the Libyan National Unity government called for rejection of all practices and behaviors that call for violence and hatred.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh– Chief of General Staff Lieutenant-General Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili met here today with the Deputy Commander of the US Central Command, Vice Admiral James Malloy.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed several issues of mutual interest, and ways to enhance cooperation between the Saudi and the US naval forces, to ensure and achieve security and stability in the region.

The meeting was attended by a number of officials.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Jeddah– The first batch of pilgrims who benefited from the “Makkah Route Initiative” from Bangladesh arrived at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah today, who departed from the initiative’s terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.

Upon arrival, the pilgrims were received by Director General of Passports (Jawazat) and Chairman of the Supervisory Committee of Makkah Route Initiative Lt. Gen. Sulaiman Al-Yahya, Consul General of Bangladesh in Jeddah Muhammad Nazmul Hoque, and several representatives of the relevant agencies.

The Makkah Route Initiative, which is launched in Bangladesh this year 1443 for the second year after 1440, in addition to Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Morocco, is one of the initiatives of the “ Pilgrim Experience Program, which is under the Kingdom Vision 2030.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Hadramout– The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) concluded the third voluntary training program in Mukalla, Hadhramaut Governorate, Yemen, in cooperation with the General Organization for Technical and Vocational Training and the Saudi Red Crescent Authority.

During the program, training courses were provided, including carpentry and decoration, benefiting 80 people, computer maintenance, benefiting 83 people, maritime rescue, benefiting 16 divers chosen by coast guard employees and volunteers, and first aid and psychological counseling, benefiting 821 people of both sexes.

This comes as an extension of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s noble humanitarian role by standing with the Yemeni people in various fields and to alleviating their suffering as a result of the humanitarian crisis they are going through.

Source: Saudi Press Agency