Day: October 26, 2022

Riyadh-- An official source at the Ministry of Interior stated that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud issued today an order to pardon and release six Pakistani nationals who were arrested last Ramadan after they assaulted a Pakistani woman and her companions with offensive words at the courtyard premises of the Prophet’s Mosque. This is in response to the request of the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, to pardon them.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh-- The Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Eng. Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadley has chaired today the ministerial meeting to approve the Middle East Green Initiative governance charter.

The ministers and officials from 20 countries from the continents of Asia and Africa, and a number of international and regional organizations participated in the meeting which took place in Riyadh.

The minister said that the meeting is an important step to activate the MGI through framing the joint work of the countries in the region by protecting of environment, achieving the ambitious targets of the MGI and contributing to the economic development of the region.

Al-Fadley added that the preparation of MGI governance charter went through several stages starting with the drafting of the first draft of the initiative's scope and governance, and then bilateral meetings with many countries in the region.

Last September, representatives of eighteen countries discussed the final version of the initiative’s charter and its proposed governance to be presented today for approval in preparation for the second MGI summit next November in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

At the conclusion of his speech, His Excellency affirmed that we will achieve the objectives of Middle East Green Initiative by active participation of all countries and partners. And to achieve development goals the efforts must be aligning, intensifying and unifying at the national, regional and international levels. His Excellency is looking forward to the establishment of the MGI general secretariat to launch the implementation aspect of the initiative after adopting the final version of the initiative governance charter.

The Deputy Minister for Environment, Dr. Osama Faqeeha, confirmed the Middle East Green Initiative aims for international cooperation to address common challenges, knowledge exchange and setting a roadmap for action. He added the initiative has many goals such as reducing land degradation, restoring vegetation cover, biodiversity and promoting adaptation. Furthermore, financial support for MGI projects.

Dr. Faqeeha noted the importance of enhancing private sector participation in all activities of the initiative. He pointed out that the member countries with relevant entities and private sectors will establish a fund for the initiative. It is led by a committee of donors that finance the fund.

"More than 3 billion people undermined by land degradation and the cost of ecosystem services lost through land degradation is over 6 trillion USD/year. The land degradation will threaten up to 46% of species threatened with extinction by 2050. Over 70% of ice-free terrestrial ecosystems have been transformed from their natural state for human use." Dr. Faqeeha added.

Dr. Faqeeha said the governance framework for the initiative was designed based on four main principles that are collaborative and inclusive oversight, national, regional, and international linkages, accountability and transparency and science-based decision-making.

The UNCCD Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw said that the leadership of Saudi Arabia on land restoration is undeniable. He also referred to the effects of land degradation.

"We are truly looking forward to the next Conference of the Parties of the UNCCD to be held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2024 " Thiaw added.

At the end of the meeting, the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Eng. Abdulrahman Al-Fadley announced the ministerial approval for MGI governance charter and scope of the initiative. The charter will provide a strong framework for regional cooperation to reduce land degradation, restore vegetation cover, biodiversity and promote adaptation and food security and social wellbeing. The charter is an important building block to activate the initiative and achieve Sustainable Development Goals."

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh-- Jeddah Islamic Port has today received the first vessel on the Himalaya Express shipping service, which was added by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), a global leader in transportation and logistics.

The new shipping service connects the Kingdom to 260 global ports that are dotted across Northern Europe, the Americas, the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Indian Subcontinent, and Eastern Asia, thereby boosting imports and exports as well as expanding shipping operations to and from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Himalaya Express service directly links Jeddah Islamic Port and the ports of Colombo, Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Salalah, King Abdullah, Valencia, Felixstowe, Rotterdam, Hamburg, and Antwerp through 11 motherships out of 730 vessels that have an average carrying capacity of 14,000 TEUs.

The addition of Jeddah to MSC’s service follows strategic efforts to expand liner shipping networks that connect the Kingdom to the rest of the world, adding new shipping services, including seven new routes between Jeddah Islamic Port and ports in the East and West, to boost trade in line with the objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy (NTLS) to transform Saudi Arabia into a global logistics hub.

The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) aims to build a world-class maritime sector that boasts ten state-of-the-art ports situated on the strategic corridor connecting three major continents besides improving the Kingdom’s score in the Logistics Performance Index and expanding the overall container throughput capacity.

The Kingdom had recorded a remarkable rise in the 2021 Liner Shipping Connectivity Index (LSCI) issued by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) by attaining a score of 70.68, which firmly establishes its leadership regionally and translates the national drive to bolster the competitiveness and presence of the local maritime sector at the regional and global scale.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh-- CEO of Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) Dr. Hisham bin Saad Al-Jadhey met today with Vice President of Amazon Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and CEO of Souq.com Ronaldo Mouchawar and the company’s team in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, on the sidelines of the 6th edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) which is being held in Riyadh from 25 to 27 October 2022.

During the meeting, they discussed opportunities and aspects of cooperation between the two sides in the areas supervised by the SFDA. The company also reviewed its work and future investment plans, and presented an overview of its experience in developing operations, logistics and artificial intelligence.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh-- Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Minister of Culture, affirmed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is looking forward to strengthening cultural cooperation among the GCC countries, and exploring its new horizons, in light of the confirmation of the final communique of AlUla of 41st session of the Supreme Council, and the importance of strengthening the GCC action. The Kingdom was keen to harness all its capabilities to contribute to enhancing the gains of the cultural sector in the GCC countries, preserving its strength, and expediting its recovery in light of the challenges imposed by the Coronavirus pandemic.

This came in a speech of the Minister of Culture, delivered on his behalf by Deputy Minister of Culture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, who is the Chairman of the current session, Hamed bin Mohammed Al-Fayez, at the 26th meeting of the Ministers of Culture of the GCC countries, which was held here today, with the participation of the ministers concerned with the cultural affairs in the GCC countries, and GCC Secretary-General Dr. Nayef bin Falah Al-Hajraf.

The meeting reviewed a number of cultural issues within the framework of developing and strengthening the joint GCC cultural work, and setting policies and frameworks organizing them with the aim of creating a cultural development plan that achieves the vision of the GCC countries on strengthening the cultural identity.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Rome-- Secretary General of the Muslim World League (MWL), and Chairman of the Association of Muslim Scholars, Dr. Mohammed bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, as a representative of the efforts of Islamic diplomacy and the contributions of the religious leadership in addressing contemporary issues, participated in the opening session of the "International Meeting of Dialogue and Prayer for Peace", joined by Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and French President Emmanuel Macron, taking place in the Italian capital, Rome, with the support of the Vatican and the participation of the Pope, senior religious leaders, and representatives of peoples and cultures from all around the world, as well as around 3,500 international figures.

This international gathering is held under the title: "A Cry for Peace", and enjoys extensive global media coverage, and a large international presence that focused on prominent religious, intellectual, and community leaders around the world, with the participation of the Italian and French presidents, as guests of honor.

The meeting includes fourteen discussion forums, aimed at achieving integration between efforts to establish a stronger structure for dialogue and friendship among peoples and cultures.

In his speech, Al-Issa highlighted that the values of Islam support the alliance of civilizations, pointing out to the role of followers of religions in making peace, building the land and preserving it.

He warned against using religion to disseminate deception and lies, and that whoever possesses the truth must present it to others in the form of gifting, kindness and love, stressing that the MWL is based on respect for all and serving humanity, and spreading awareness of the importance of controlling religious emotions.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh-- The Saudi officials discussed today at the Future Investment Initiative (FII), the tourism components and destinations in the Kingdom and main achievements, stressing the importance of investment in tourism and travel sectors.

According to Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority, the number of tourists who visited the Kingdom after it recovered from the Corona pandemic reached (14) million. He also noted that the Kingdom's Vision 2030 addresses the topic of tourism and seeks to position the Kingdom as the best tourist destination to be among the developed nations.

He noted that the Kingdom recently achieved a new milestone by being ranked among the top travel destinations by the World Tourism Organization, demonstrating the significance of the travel and tourism industry as the G20's fastest-growing destination, through which the Kingdom achieved a large percentage, with an increase of 120%, driven by the Kingdom's tourism potential, including heritage, environmental, cultural and social aspects, citing the Al-Ula Governorate with its deep history and distinguished geographical location.

For his part, Eng. Amr bin Saleh Al-Madani, CEO of the Royal Commission for Al-Ula, emphasized that the region is a living museum of Islamic origins and ancient kingdoms that date back 3,000 years. He spoke about the Commission's efforts to promote Al-Ula as a tourist destination and mark it through a plan that has been tested over the past five years to highlight the area's historical landmarks, cultural heritage, and peaceful sites with the participation of various parties and companies.

Eng. Al-Madani affirmed that the ongoing initiatives in Al-Ula will have a good impact on the estimated 30,000 residents' standard of living and income, as well as the region's economic resources. In order to expand initiatives in the area and achieve sustainability, development, and prosperity, he continued, the plans are evaluated annually.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh-- The General Organization for Social Insurance signed an agreement with the International Social Security Association (ISSA) to host the upcoming Asia and Pacific Regional Social Security Forum, which is scheduled to be held in November 2024.

The signing of the agreement came on the sideline of the organization's participation in the activities of the World Insurance Forum which is being held in the city of Marrakesh, Kingdom of Morocco, and it is organized by the International Social Security Association (ISSA).

The agreement was co-signed by Governor of the organization Mohammad bin Talal Al-Nahas and ISSA Secretary-General Marcelo Abi Ramia Caetano.

The agreement stipulates that the General Organization for Social Insurance will host the Regional Social Security Forum (RSSF), for Asia and the Pacific countries in November 2024. Also the agreement stated that it must establish a framework for the cooperation between the organization and the association to host the forum, share responsibilities and form committees whom are going to work on managing the forum, as well as opening a channel of communication between the two sides to exchange information, and coordinate activities, plus to promote the activities of the forum.

After signing the agreement, the Governor of the General Organization for Social Insurance expressed his happiness with this agreement to give the organization a chance to host the activities of this important and vital forum which is held triennially, where he stressed that this forum has a great importance among all the countries, which are members of the International Social Security Association (ISSA) for the developments it presents and discusses in insurance protection laws. Moreover, the elite leaders and specialists of the social protection law in the world gather to discuss opportunities, risks and challenges surrounding these laws, and how to confront them and work to sustain them.

Also, Al-Nahas stressed that the organization will work with all capabilities to make this hosting a success, extending his thanks to the General Secretary of the Association for constructive and permanent cooperation with the organization.

It is noteworthy that the General Organization for Social Insurance is one of the prominent members of the International Association.

The Social Security Association (ISSA), which was established in 1927 and has 322 following organizations from156 countries. Thus, the organization always seeks to exchange experiences and coordinate efforts with regard to insurance protection activities and participate in seminars, conferences, workshops and researches the association hold on various social security issues. Also, the organization had won distinction and praise during the association's ceremony earlier this year with 26 best practices awards in recognition for the organization's efforts in the areas of digitization, customer service, governance, risk management and others.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh-- CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Marshad received here today Minister of Water and Village Hydraulics of the Republic of Togo Bolidja Tiem, and his accompanying delegation, in the presence of officials from both sides.

During the meeting, they discussed development issues of common interest, and the SFD's ongoing development projects in the water sector in the Republic of Togo. The SFD also reviewed the Saudi Program for Well Drilling and Rural Development in Africa, which is one of the most prominent development projects supporting the water sector. The program's projects have exceeded 6,300 water facilities, as the Republic of Togo is one of the countries benefiting from the program.

The Minister of Water and Village Hydraulics of the Republic of Togo expressed his thanks and gratitude to the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the development support provided in the water sector, praising the efforts of the SFD in its contribution and financing of development projects for decades in the Republic of Togo.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh-- The Kingdom is one of the leading nations in the regional electronic games industry, according to Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, Chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation's Board of Directors. He noted that the industry is seeing an increase in the popularity of video games, cloud games, virtual competitions, and e-sports.

Prince Faisal stated during his participation in the Future Investment Initiative (FII) session titled "Gaming Levels up All" today, which was held in Riyadh, that the National Gaming and Esports Strategy, announced by HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, will be a major supporter in developing the games and e-sports industry and making the Kingdom a global leader in both.

He emphasized that the Kingdom has promising investment opportunities in the gaming and e-sports sectors, that it has a well-equipped physical infrastructure, and that it is a large local market, particularly with a large number of talents, stressing that the Kingdom will make greater contributions to the sector and consolidate its position within the modern economy.

Source: Saudi Press Agency