Category: General

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

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, participated today in the joint ministerial meeting between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Japan at the GCC headquarters in Riyadh.

During the meeting, the GCC Foreign Ministers and their representatives discussed with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Hayashi Yoshimasa, ways to enhance cooperation between the GCC countries and Japan, in addition to discussing ways to develop joint work in many fields in order to achieve development and prosperity for their countries and peoples.

The meeting also discussed developments in the regional and international arenas and the efforts exerted in this regard in order to enhance international peace and security and achieve the goals of sustainable development.

The meeting was attended by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Multiple International Affairs, Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Rassi.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Japan launched today, Thursday morning, an H-2A rocket carrying a spacecraft belonging to the National Space Agency to land on the moon, after unfavorable weather conditions delayed the launch three times within one week during the past month.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said: The rocket was launched from the Tanegashima Space Center as planned, and it is manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which also took over the launch process.

The rocket carries a Japan Exploration Agency spacecraft dubbed “Moon Sniper” because of its accurate experimental landing technique.

The vehicle is scheduled to land on the lunar surface early next year.

Two previous attempts by Japan to land on the moon last year failed./ End

Assistant Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) for Operations and Programs, Eng. Ahmed bin Ali Al- Baiz, met yesterday with the Ambassador of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mr. Lencho Bati, at the KSrelief headquarters in Riyadh.

During the meeting, both sides discussed issues of common interest related to humanitarian and relief affairs.

Bati commended the Saudi humanitarian efforts carried out by KSrelief in supporting humanitarian work and aiding those affected worldwide. He also acknowledged KSrelief’s excellent international reputation.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

The Representative of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan in Kirkuk, Sabah Habib Qadir, ruled out that the recent events in the province would affect the course of the local elections scheduled for October.

Qader said in a statement: “These events will not change the course of the electoral process, and each component will get its due in the governorate.

He explained: “The decisions and initiatives launched by Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa al-Sudani during his meeting with the MPs and components of Kirkuk include changes in the leadership of Kirkuk operations, the formation of an investigative committee regarding the events in Kirkuk, the release of detainees, stopping raids in the Kurdish regions and preparing them for the upcoming local elections.”/ End

The Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Natural Reserve Development Authority today stressed that Rhim gazelles (the Arabian sand gazelle) that appeared in a video that went viral on social media platforms are gazelles that the authority released in the area in 2021 along with oryxes and red neck ostriches, adding that it also released more gazelles in May as part of efforts to resettle rare species in their indigenous habitats.

The authority noted that it had monitored the increasing numbers of gazelles in several locations within the reserve, with a positive indication of the success of rare species’ welfare initiatives, their increasing numbers in their natural habitats, the promotion of biodiversity and the restoration of environmental balance in the reserve, as part of the national program for the release and resettlement of wild animals in national reserves and parks.

The authority valued community members’ awareness, commitment and effective cooperation to ensure a safe environment for wild animals, free from abuse and poaching, noting that conservation and protection of rare and endangered species is one of the fundamental pillars of the work and strategic objectives of royal reserves and their aspiration to restore coexistence and natural harmony between urban growth and economic activities, from one side, and the protection of nature and the care of wild animals, from the other.

The authority also aspires to contribute to effectively developing community environmental awareness and care to protect nature to achieve the reserve’s goal of being a destination for ecotourism per the best international standards.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Head of the Transitional Sovereignty Council in Sudan, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, arrived in the Qatari capital, Doha, today, Thursday morning.

The Qatar News Agency stated that Al-Burhan arrived this morning on a working visit to the country and was received and the accompanying delegation, upon his arrival at Doha International Airport, by Muhammad bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al-Khulaifi, Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Muhammad bin Ibrahim Al-Sada, Qatar’s Ambassador to Sudan, and Ahmed Abdul Rahman Muhammad Hassan Siwar al-Dahab, Sudan’s Ambassador to the country.

Yesterday evening, Wednesday, the head of the Sovereignty Council in Sudan, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, issued a decision to dissolve the Rapid Support Forces, and directed the Sudanese army to implement the decision.

The Sudanese Sovereignty Council said in a statement: “The decision to disband the Rapid Support Forces comes because of its grave violations against civilians.”/ End

The Ministry of Energy of Saudi Arabia and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has announced that registration for Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Climate Week 2023 has opened.

MENA Climate Week 2023 will be held from 8 – 12 October 2023, at the Boulevard Riyadh City, Riyadh. The event will welcome participants from across the MENA region and the world, convening policymakers, practitioners, businesses, youth, and civil society representatives. All will come together to reflect on regional progress made towards the Paris Agreement, and the key solutions moving forward. The event will also inform the Global Stocktake outcome at COP28, the progress assessment mechanism of the Paris Agreement.

The formal agenda and sessions for MENA Climate Week 2023 include ministerial panels, roundtables, side events, workshops, an action hub and a Youth Summit, all of which are developed around four major tracks: Energy systems and industry; Cities, urban and rural settlements, infrastructure and transport; Land, ocean, food and water; and Societies, health, livelihoods, and economies.

The wider MENA Climate Week 2023 program is intended to range from high-level ministerial and CEO-level engagement to technical side events and workshops, interactive networking to partnership-building. It also features an exhibition by the Kingdom as the hosting nation showcasing its efforts and initiatives.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, has sent a cable of congratulations to the President of the Federative Republic of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on the anniversary of his country’s Independence Day.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques wished the president continued good health and happiness and the government and people of the Federative Republic of Brazil steady progress and prosperity.

Source: Saudi Press Agency