Category: General

As the world celebrates the Environment Day on 5th of June, the UfM calls for urgent action from all stakeholders to safeguard the delicate ecosystem of the Mediterranean. The Mediterranean, a sea that holds 1% of the worlds waters but concentrates 7% of all global microplastics, is estimated to be polluted by 570,000 tonnes of plastic waste a year. This is equivalent to over 50 Eiffel Towers’ weight of plastic debris being thrown into our sea each year. The annual leakage of plastic is projected to quadruple by 2050, under a business-as-usual scenario.

The scale of the problem requires urgent commitments and actions at a regional level, and from source to sea, to achieve the necessary long-term reduction of waste produced on land. In recent days, the UfM has endorsed the project, TouMaLi, which contributes to the reduction of waste flows into the sea caused by tourism while promoting circular economy solutions such as the reduction and reuse of unavoidable waste in Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt.

The UfM-supported project, Plastic Busters, has been active since 2013 and aims to enhance the knowledge about the origins of marine plastics to provide policy recommendations to UfM countries while raising awareness among civil society. The project emphasizes the need to urgently tackle single-use plastics, which represent 8 out 10 plastic debris found in the Mediterranean. The project has analyzed 4 protected marine areas in the Mediterranean and 40 species, finding traces of these debris not only on the surface and seabed but also in the digestive systems of many aquatic organisms, from marine turtle species to whales and mollusks. Additionally, the project has created a digital platform for sharing data on marine litter across the Mediterranean. It has trained 250 professionals and individuals in marine litter management, involving 30 municipalities in a network of coastal cities against marine litter. It has also published reports with policy recommendations and good practices to improve marine litter management and governance. Currently, 50 civil society organisations are involved in beach clean-up campaigns.

UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel, highlights that fighting plastic pollution shall be at the centre of the political agenda in the region as ‘it kills aquatic wildlife, damages natural systems, and contaminates marine food chains. Since the Mediterranean is a closed sea, any environmental impact in the North has consequences for the South, and vice versa. The UfM firmly believes that effective reduction of marine litter in the Mediterranean can only be achieved through collective efforts and cooperation among all Mediterranean countries and civil society.’

UfM Deputy Secretary General for Water, Environment and Blue Economy, Almotaz Abadi, states: ‘The UfM operates on three levels to combat plastic litter and protect the Mediterranean. Firstly, as a political platform through its member states, which adopted two ambitious ministerial declarations on environment and climate action and on sustainable Blue Economy in 2021. Secondly, by promoting a Mediterranean policy dialogue to harmonize and strengthen environmental regulations and actions. And thirdly, by establishing operational partnerships as well as supporting and providing technical assistance to regional projects such as the Plastic Busters initiative or the TouMali project.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

Caretaker Information Minister, Ziad Makary, on Tuesday said via his Twitter account that he will be holding a press conference at 3:00 pm on Wednesday to set the record straight about ‘Tele Liban’s administrative and financial file after several inaccuracies have been disseminated by a number of local media outlets.’

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

The Municipal Council of North Al Sharqiyah Governorate today held its 5th meeting for 2023 under the chairmanship of Sheikh Ali Ahmed Al Shamsi, Governor of North Al Sharqiyah, Chairman of the Council.

The meeting discussed the matter of providing fiber optics services in residential areas in the Wilayat of Wadi Bani Khalid. It also reviewed the matter of increasing car accidents in the Wilayat of Al Mudhaibi, among other topics.

The council proposed several recommendation and submitted several matters to authorities concerned

Source: Oman News Agency

The National Energy Services Company, TARSHID, and the Trade Center Company, owned by Kingdom Holding, have signed a contract to start the detailed study required for retrofitting the Kingdom Tower in Riyadh and its associated facilities. This aims to increase energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption in the tower, which is one of Riyadh’s prominent skyscrapers and a symbol of the capital’s cultural identity. The joint collaboration is intended to enhance energy conservation efforts and implement sustainable energy efficiency solutions in all buildings across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in line with the goals of Vision 2030.

TARSHID will conduct field surveys and technical studies for the targeted buildings and facilities. Based on the findings of the study, TARSHID will advise on the best solutions to save energy and reduce consumption in the Kingdom Tower. The energy efficiency retrofit project for the Kingdom Center will focus on five measures: lighting replacement, replacement of split-wall air conditioner units, retrofitting cooling systems (chillers), controlling of air conditioning units, installation of solar panels, and upgrading the building management systems (BMS). These measures will result in increased energy efficiency and reduced consumption in the Kingdom Center project.

TARSHID is actively involved in retrofitting buildings in both the public and private sectors to increase energy efficiency. The Kingdom Center project is one of TARSHID’s significant partnerships with the private sector, and the company encourages other private-sector companies to adopt a similar approach to environmental sustainability, resource preservation, and finding the best energy efficiency solutions for all buildings and facilities. The Kingdom Center’s commitment to this responsibility is a valuable contribution that aligns with TARSHID’s strategic goals of expanding its reach to keep pace with Saudi Arabia’s energy sustainability transition.

The Vice Chairman of the Trade Center Company, Nada Al Ateegi, expressed the company’s pride in this collaboration, stating, “We are proud of our partnership with TARSHID to achieve the goals of reducing energy consumption, increasing operational efficiency, improving energy efficiency standards, and promoting environmental sustainability principles in the Kingdom Tower Center, one of Riyadh’s important landmarks and a role model for similar places.”

The Chief Operating Officer of TARSHID, Eng. Rashed Al-Mehthel, announced that the company will conduct the necessary studies in cooperation with Kingdom Holding Company for the energy efficiency retrofit project in the Kingdom Center building. In his statement, he said, “We all strive to align with Saudi Vision 2030 in its goals of increasing energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.

TARSHID was established to promote energy sustainability and forming partnerships with private-sector companies. The Trade Center Company, owned by Kingdom Holding, is a crucial private sector player to achieve our goals and transform buildings in Saudi Arabia to become more energy efficient. Through this collaboration, we aim to become the private sector’s strategic partner for all energy efficiency solutions.”

TARSHID’s mission is to serve the strategic sustainability goal of the Kingdom, derived from Vision 2030, which aims to achieve significant energy savings and reduce carbon emissions. TARSHID primarily works to improve energy efficiency in public buildings and facilities, targeting 14,753 structures. From its establishment in 2017 until the end of 2022, the company has achieved a reduction of 5.5 terawatt-hours per year in various projects, equivalent to 8.8 million barrels of oil equivalent (BoE), avoiding 3.1 million metric tons of harmful emissions, which is equivalent to the environmental impact of planting more than 50 million trees.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Saudi astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Alqarni bid farewell to the International Space Station (ISS) as they boarded their spacecraft, preparing to return to Earth after successfully accomplishing the objectives of the Kingdom’s scientific mission.

The primary aim of the Kingdom’s mission was to contribute to scientific research for the benefit of humanity, leveraging the opportunities provided by the global space sector and its industries while also developing national capabilities in manned spaceflights.

Departing the ISS alongside the crew of the Ax-2 mission, which includes astronauts Peggy Whitson and John Shoffner, the Saudi astronauts participated in an official farewell ceremony organized by the ISS crew to bid farewell to the Ax-2 mission team.

With their gratitude and appreciation, Barnawi and Alqarni thanked the ISS crew for their support and cooperation throughout their journey, enabling the Saudi astronauts to accomplish their planned mission successfully.

The Saudi astronauts expressed their pride and appreciation for being part of this unique scientific experience, which was made possible through the Saudi Astronaut Program initiated by the Saudi Space Commission (SSC). The program aims to fulfil the Kingdom’s aspirations in the field of space and align with the ambitious goals of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 in advancing the space industry.

As the farewell ceremony concluded, the Saudi astronauts took commemorative photos with the ISS crew.

The SCC announced today the successful separation of the spacecraft carrying the two Saudi astronauts from the ISS at 17:50 Makkah time. The spacecraft is set to land in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean tomorrow, Wednesday, at five o’clock in the morning.

With the completion of the Saudi astronauts’ mission aboard the ISS, the Kingdom embarks on a new phase of space exploration and investment in specialized sciences. This aligns with Saudi Arabia’s plans and ambitions in the field of space exploration, aiming to strengthen its position among nations engaged in space endeavours and enhance its independent research capabilities.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

The American University of Beirut (AUB) and the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa are proud to begin a new phase of the Support and Accelerate Women’s Inclusion (SAWI) project. The project is a multi-country and multi-sector initiative that aims to promote women’s economic inclusion in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. SAWI is supported by generous funding from the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) at the U.S. Department of State and is the first-of-its-kind to work directly with decision-makers and human resource managers to implement inclusive policies for the recruitment, retention, and promotion of women across the target countries. The project began as a pilot at the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB) at AUB working to tackle structural barriers to women’s equitable workplace inclusion. SAWI has now transitioned to become a multi-national project with country partners from across the MENA region. SAWI is an impact-focused and evidence-based project, breaking disciplinary silos, building transnational multi-stakeholder collaborations, to co-create and implement localized strategies for more inclusive workplaces. Through SAWI, over 3310 local employers and 981 women have provided data to help close the data deficit on policies and practices relating to women’s recruitment, retention, and promotion in the region. SAWI has also provided a forum for training on women-inclusive human resource systems and gender-lens investing, and for working with regional employers to co-create more than 100 actionable inclusive HR policies. Over the next two years, SAWI will continue this work and engage a wider network of researchers, practitioners, activists, policy makers, and economic stakeholders interested in accelerating women inclusion across the STEM, healthcare, banking, and education sectors, and throughout our eight target countries, Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia. “The turmoil and crises we face across the MENA have only strengthened our resolve to continue to work collaboratively through SAWI across sectors, disciplines, and geographical borders. All hands-on deck to advance a dignified and inclusive agenda for women’s inclusion in the region,” said Professor Charlotte Karam, SAWI primary investigator, Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa. SAWI’s impact could not have been possible without our country partners and a dedicated team of managers, experts, researchers, activists, and professors who share a commitment to women’s economic inclusion in the MENA. The team also includes co-principal investigators from AUB Dr. Fida Afiouni, Dr. Wassim Dbouk, and Dr. Yasmeen Makarem; as well as Dr. Lina Daouk-Öyry from Bi Norwegian Business School, Norway and from AUB; and Dr. Carmen Geha from Soltara Consulting and Pompeu Fabra University, Spain. The SAWI team consists of Dr. Lina Choueiri, managing director, Line Reda, Olfat Khattar, Abir El Danaf, Axelle Meouchy, Elissar Gebrael, Ghadi El Ayash, Mireille El Haber, and Samira El Hazzouri, all from AUB; and Mariam Omar from the University of Ottawa, Canada.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

The United Arab Emirates unveiled plans Monday to send a spaceship to explore the solar system’s main asteroid belt, the latest space project by Gul nation after it launched the successful Hope spacecraft to Mars in 2020.

Dubbed the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt, the project aims to develop a spacecraft in the coming years and then launch it in 2028 to study various asteroids, reports AP.

The UAE became the first Arab country and the second country ever to successfully enter Mars’ orbit on its first try when its Hope probe reached the red planet in February 2021.

The craft’s goals include providing the first complete picture of the Martian atmosphere and its layers and helping answer key questions about the planet’s climate and composition.

If successful, the newly announced spacecraft will soar at speeds reaching 33,000 kilometers (20,500 miles) per hour on a seven-year journey to explore six asteroids.

It will culminate in the deployment of a landing craft onto a seventh, rare “red” asteroid that scientists say may hold insight into the building blocks of life on Earth.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

Minister of Environment, Nizar Amidi, discussed with Ambassador Safia Al-Suhail, prior to assuming her duties as Iraqi ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the importance of strengthening the diplomatic effort in consolidating comprehensive cooperation between Iraq and the Kingdom.

Amidi stressed during the meeting, the necessity of “strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries by virtue of the good brotherly relations between Iraq and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, especially the neighboring Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on the economic and development levels, including cooperation in areas that fall within the environmental work, in a way that serves growth and supports joint opportunities with programs and projects of modern systems in to face climate change and desertification, the use of new technologies in environmental sustainability and agriculture, the trend towards green economy, renewable energy and support for environmentally friendly projects.

The statement pointed out that “the environmental sector is one of the most important economic pillars that the government adopts to develop investment horizons and encourage sustainable development policies between the two countries through launching development projects,” stressing the importance of continuing diplomatic efforts and coordination with sectoral ministries to advance development and knowledge in a way that serves the interests of the two brotherly neighboring countries. /End

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

An earthquake of (3.7) degrees on the Richter scale struck Sinjar district in Nineveh Governorate.

The Ministry of Transport stated in a statement: “The tremor occurred at 02:23:34 this morning, 31 km south of Sinjar district, and it was not proven to be felt by citizens.”

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

The National Security Adviser, Qassem Al-Araji, headed today, Monday, to Tehran, at the head of a security delegation.

The Chancellery stated in a statement: “Under the direction of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the National Security Adviser, Qassem Al-Araji, headed to Tehran to discuss measures to secure the borders between the two countries.”

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

The Presidency of the Egyptian Republic announced that President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to immediately start raising the level of diplomatic relations between the two countries and exchanging Ambassadors.

It stated in a statement: The agreement came with a phone call made by Sisi to Erdogan, congratulating him on his victory in the presidential elections, and his re-election as President of Turkey for a new presidential term.

The statement added that the two Presidents affirmed the depth of the historical ties that bind the two countries and the Egyptian and Turkish peoples, and agreed to strengthen the bonds of relations and cooperation between the two sides.

The two Presidents decided, according to the statement, to start immediately lifting diplomatic relations between the two countries and exchanging Ambassadors.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

The American Bureau of African Affairs announced today, Monday, that an agreement has been reached to extend the ceasefire between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, for a period of 5 days.

According to a statement by the office, Saudi Arabia and the United States welcomed the agreement to extend the ceasefire agreement, which was signed by the two sides on May 20, for a period of 5 days.

The statement added: The extension will allow time for more humanitarian aid, the restoration of basic services, and a discussion of the possibility of extending for a longer period.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency