Category: General

The Counter-Terrorism Service in the Kurdistan Region announced today, Saturday, that a Turkish army drone targeted, by air strike, a detachment of Kurdistan Workers’ Party fighters in the “Maute” district of Sulaymaniyah Governorate.

It explained in a statement: “At 10:00 a.m., the drone targeted a party detachment in the vicinity of the village of Basawi in the Maut district, killing two PKK militants and wounding a third.”

Kurdish sources announced earlier this morning that a Turkish air strike targeted Maute in Sulaymaniyah, without giving further details.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

Pakistan’s Acting Minister of Climate Change and Water Resources Ahmad Irfan Aslam received Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Maliki at the ministry’s headquarters today.

During the meeting, the two sides reviewed issues of common interest.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Vice Minister of Transport and Logistic Services Dr. Rumaih Al-Rumaih has paid tribute to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for his patronage of the Fourth Extraordinary Conference of the Universal Postal Union (UPU).

The UPU conference is set to be held in Riyadh from October 1 to 5.

Holding the UPU’s Fourth Extraordinary Conference under the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ patronage is an extension of the unlimited care that the leadership provides to the Saudi postal sector, said Al-Rumaih.

The patronage of the conference also consolidates the Kingdom’s position as a global logistics hub and an axis connecting three continents, he added.

Enhancing the Kingdom’s position in this field contributes to achieving the ambitious objectives of the National Transport Strategy launched by HRH the Crown Prince, the vice minister noted.

Hosting the conference is a national achievement that confirms the Kingdom’s active role and presence in international organizations, Al-Rumaih said.

He added that the hosting of the conference reflects the Kingdom’s contributions to enhancing cooperation among the UPU member states in developing postal services.

Furthermore, the vice minister said holding the conference in Riyadh sheds light on the Kingdom’s ambitious initiatives and future projects in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

The transportation and logistics services system is keen to introduce to the world its impactful role at various levels as well as its targets and initiatives aimed at developing the postal and logistics sector in accordance with the National Transport Strategy, Al-Rumaih said.

The Kingdom will have the opportunity to underscore its advanced capabilities in hosting such conferences with high professionalism and elegant organization while conveying a positive image of its resource-rich land, glorious history, and hospitable people, he stated.

The UPU member states voted for the Kingdom’s hosting of the fourth conference during the plenary meeting of the union’s Council of Administration in October last year.

The conference will attract representatives from 192 countries to discuss opening the union to stakeholders in the postal sector and review related proposals. Leaders and representatives of the UPU member states as well as UN organizations and specialized international and regional entities will attend the conference.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

President of the Arab Council for Childhood and Development (ACCD) Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal bin Abdulaziz said that the early childhood stage is decisive in the formation and consolidation of social concepts and is the stage in which the child gets to know himself or herself and become more independent, creative and innovative. He stressed the need to invest in children at this stage, as it is critical to preserving children’s rights.

In a speech he delivered at the opening of the Regional Forum of the Arab Network for Early Childhood (ANECD), currently being held in Cairo, Prince Abdulaziz said, ‘The child is the gateway to any development. Therefore, since its founding, we at the ACCD have focused on the early childhood stage, which is a strategic axis of the council’s activities, and we have presented in this field many knowledge sources, initiatives, and projects in partnership with the Arab Gulf Program for Development (AGFUND) and relevant international and regional organizations’.

He noted that the forum represents an occasion to praise the partnership process between the ACCD and the ANECD, which was recently translated into a memorandum of understanding, expressing his aspiration for more initiatives and events to achieve common goals in childhood development.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

The President of the Saudi Post (SPL), Eng. Anef Abanomi, has thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for patronizing the 4th Extraordinary Conference of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), scheduled to take place in Riyadh from October 1 to 5 with the participation of 192 countries.

Eng. Abanomi stressed that the transportation and logistics sector in general and the postal sector in particular receive unlimited support from the Saudi leadership for its pivotal role in achieving the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which seeks to make the Kingdom a global logistics hub that contributes to maximizing economic returns and consolidating the pillars of sustainable development in all sectors.

He added that the outcomes of the extraordinary conference will contribute to the further development of the global postal sector considering the wide international participation, as it seeks to produce recommendations that would improve cooperation mechanisms and innovate more services and products that enhance postal work. He pointed out that SPL started the journey of development years ago, to keep pace with the aspirations of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, to be the crossroads of global trade routes.

The Kingdom has won the right to host the conference after it won the support of the member states of the (UPU) during the meeting of the General Committee of its Board of Directors.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Akadymiuwn International University has signed a memorandum of cooperation and partnership with the Islamic League in Norway. The memo was signed by the university’s Vice Chancellor, Dr. Mishal Al-Mahlawi, while Iman Al-Hasnawi represented the Islamic League.

The Memo aims to enhance academic cooperation and partnership between the two parties and to coordinate efforts to establish mutual relations and cooperation in all educational, cultural, and awareness fields by holding international conferences, seminars, and meetings, implementing training, educational and cultural programs, and setting a general framework to enhance cooperation and coordination in the religious and cultural field, dialogue and exchange of experiences.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, received his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi today at the ministry’s office in Riyadh.

The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the Saudi, Japanese Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue, which aims to boost cooperation in various fields to meet the aspirations of the two countries and their peoples.

The two ministers chaired the first meeting of the Saudi, Japanese Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue, during which solid bilateral relations and the importance of continuing coordination and cooperation were discussed at various levels.

They also reviewed ways to enhance coordination in the political fields and bilateral and multilateral coordination for the benefit of the two countries and their peoples.

Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry for Political Affairs Saud Al-Sati, Director of the General Department of Asian Countries at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Mohammed Al-Matrafi, and Japanese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Fumio Iwai attended the meeting.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

The Royal Court said in a statement today that the mother of Prince Bandar bin Saud bin Saad I Al Abdulrahman Al Saud had passed away.

The funeral prayer will be performed today after the Asr prayer at the Grand Holy Mosque in Makkah.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

The Saudi Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission is preparing to launch Riyadh International Book Fair 2023, under the theme “An Inspiring Destination”, as the largest book fair locally and regionally in terms of cultural program diversity and variety of activities suitable for all age groups. The book fair will be held from September 28 to October 7 in the new location at King Saud University, Riyadh.

A vast number of publishing houses, agencies, and cultural institutions will be participating in the event to present their latest publications, in addition to displaying rare and precious collectibles such as books, manuscripts, and paintings.

During the ten days of the exhibition, visitors will enjoy more than 200 cultural program activities, including seminars, poetry nights, international theatrical performances, concerts, workshops in various fields of knowledge, and various activities for children.

For the first time this year, the exhibition is organizing a poetry competition for children, along with the previous award, organized by the commission, dedicated to publishing houses, covering five categories for excellence in publishing. The categories are children’s books, translation, digital platforms, Saudi content, and a general category in publishing.

Accompanying the exhibition is the “International Publishers Conference”, which will be held on the 4th of October, where a group of local and international speakers of leaders in the publishing industry, individual publishers, authors, specialists and content creators will be participating. The speakers will discuss various aspects of the book industry to transfer professional expertise to emerging companies, spread the Saudi culture to the world, and develop the publishing industry by adopting the highest quality standards and best international practices.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

The Transitional President of Gabon, General Brice Olegé Nguema, announced that former President Ali Bongo Ondimba can travel abroad if he wishes.

The Transitional President of Gabon confirmed, in a statement broadcast on state television, that President Bongo is free to move.

Last Monday, before the Constitutional Court in Gabon, General Brice Olegé Nguema was sworn in as President of the “transitional period,” the duration of which was not determined, pledging to establish “more democratic institutions” and organize “free elections,” stressing his commitment to strengthening Gabon’s relations with other friendly countries, based on tolerance and consensus.”

Officers from the Gabonese army, led by General Nguema, seized power in the eighth coup in West and Central Africa in three years, minutes after it was announced that Ali Bongo had won a third term in the elections, a result that the coup annulled and said lacked credibility./End

In line with the Diriyah Company’s focus on sustainable development and high quality of healthy life, the Wadi Safar masterplan has achieved the first Gold Pre-certification awarded in the Middle East by the Sustainable SITES Initiatives (SITES®), a rating system administered by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) that evaluates a landscape project’s sustainability across planning, design, construction, and management.

The Wadi Safar masterplan focuses on creating an authentic, luxurious, and sustainable living experience shaped by nature and characterized by exclusive recreation and leisure amenities. It focuses on the rehabilitation and preservation of the natural beauty of the wadi and is underpinned by the three pillars of environmental balance, socio-cultural identity, and prosperity.

Diriyah Company Group CEO, Jerry Inzerillo, said: “It is fitting that the first SITES Gold pre-certification in the Middle East has been awarded to Wadi Safar’s masterplan. This achievement squarely places our project alongside some of the most innovative developments worldwide. It certifies Diriyah Company and Wadi Safar’s commitment to becoming a top destination that attracts residents and visitors who share our ambition for a more sustainable and resilient future. In achieving this certification, the Wadi Safar team and Diriyah Company’s Environmental Sustainability team have demonstrated our shared commitment to these important principles.”

Recognizing Wadi Safar as one of the Kingdom’s premier natural areas, the SITES Gold Precertification positions Wadi Safar among a growing list of top-tier projects across the United States, Japan, Brazil, China, and Canada. It also demonstrates a commitment to the principles of sustainability and resilience, which are central to the Wadi Safar masterplan. As recognition of this commitment grows, SITES Gold Precertification demonstrates the project’s unique and valuable features. It catalyzes community-level support, raises the project’s profile and will continue to attract some of the best commercial partners from around the world.

Diriyah Company is establishing a reputation for sustainability as a leading Saudi developer. Following the recent LEED Platinum Certification for the first phase of Diriyah’s masterplan, the Company has set new regional and global development benchmarks.

“Diriyah Company recognizes that landscapes are not merely beautiful, passive features, but living systems that serve as the world’s natural infrastructure,” said Peter Templeton, president and CEO, U.S. Green Building Council and GBCI. “With SITES, we can build, quite literally, the future we aspire to with approaches that conserve and enhance the land on which we depend, protect our communities from disaster and improve human health. We look forward to seeing a SITES-certified Wadi Safar upon its completion.”

Danny Aoun, Regional Director of Operations at Dar Al-Handasah Consultants (Shair and Partners), the Lead Consultant on the Wadi Safar Public Realm and Landscape, commented: “We are exceptionally privileged and honored to be supporting the visionary Diriyah Company Group in its mission to reinvigorate Diriyah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s cultural and historic capital, into a future-fit, sustainable, resilient, and world-leading destination set at the heart of the Kingdom’s unique heritage and rich history. Our vision and design for the Wadi Safar’s public realm and landscape was aligned with the Diriyah Company’s commitment to regional leadership in sustainability and resilience and Dar’s own track record of designing leading and innovative sustainability solutions in the work we deliver for our clients. The result was the Middle East’s very first SITES Gold pre-certification. And as we celebrate this landmark triumph, we look forward to supporting the delivery of this transformative and unique destination,
for the Kingdom and for the world beyond.”

There are more than 315 projects participating in SITES, spread across 20 countries, representing more than 1.26 billion gross square feet of landscapes and outdoor spaces. These projects range from university campuses, hotels and resorts, government facilities and public parks to commercial headquarters and mixed-use developments.

SITES Gold Pre-certification yields key performance measures rather than binding practices, which enable compliant sites like Wadi Safar to track and monitor progress. The certification also demonstrates both Wadi Safar and Diriyah Company’s commitment to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles.

This certification was made possible through innovative collaboration across the entire Wadi Safar team and Diriyah Company’s Environmental Sustainability team.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

The House of Representatives will hold its twelfth regular session, the day after tomorrow, Saturday, and its agenda includes voting on two draft laws and reading and discussing four other draft laws./ End