Kazakhstan's Grand Mufti Nauryzbai Haji Taganuly visited the Hira Cultural District in Makkah today, where he toured the Revelation Exhibition. He expressed his admiration for its collections and modern technologies. Source: Saudi Press Agency
Iraq and Kuwait confirm the continuation of cooperation within international treaties and bilateral agreements
National Security Adviser Qassim Al-Araji and Kuwaiti Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahd Yousef Al-Sabah confirmed the continuation of cooperation within international treaties and bilateral agreements. The Advisory said in a statement: "Al-Araji met in his office today, on the sidelines of the second Baghdad Conference to Combat Terrorism held in Baghdad, the Kuwaiti Minister of Interior and his accompanying delegation." During the meeting, the two sides discussed strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries, in a way that serves the common higher interests of the two countries and the two brotherly peoples. The two sides stressed the importance of continuing cooperation between the two countries within the international treaties and bilateral agreements signed between the two sides. Source: National Iraqi News Agency
Sphinx Mountain Archaeological Gem and Tourist Haven Amidst Hail Region’s Aja Mountain Range
Sphinx Mountain, located in the southwestern part of Hail region, specifically near the village of Abu Al-Hiran, is a remarkable geological formation that has been shaped by erosion and weathering over time. This distinctive landmark has gained recognition as an archaeological and tourist destination, attracting visitors from both within the Kingdom and abroad, as its formation resembles a human face and head. Mishari Al-Nashmi, a researcher specializing in ancient astronomy and rock formations, highlighted in an interview with the SPA the geological phenomena found in the Abu Al-Hiran site, including Sphinx Mountain. The site showcases a wealth of physical and chemical erosion and weathering influenced by rainwater and humidity throughout the decades. As a result, these detached rock formations offer diverse shapes and artistic drawings that intrigue observers from different perspectives. Al-Nashmi emphasized the significance of conducting an extensive geological and astronomical study of the site to unrav el its secrets and answer visitors' curious inquiries. Furthermore, the Hail region stands out for its exceptional range of heritage tourist sites, owing to its pristine natural environment. One notable site within this region is the rock art site in Shuwaymis, which holds immense significance as one of the Kingdom's and the world's most important and prominent archaeological destinations. It serves as a vast open-air museum for rock art dating back to the Neolithic era and is considered one of the largest of its kind on the Arabian Peninsula. Source: Saudi Press Agency
Saudi Hawks Team Continues Aerial Displays at RIAT 2024
The Saudi Hawks team, affiliated to the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF), continued their aerial displays at the Royal International Air Tattoo 2024 "RIAT 2024" airshow today. Their performances, characterized by harmony and precision, garnered enthusiastic applause from the audience with intricate formations and complex maneuvers. The team had a dedicated tent at the exhibition, which saw a large turnout. It served as a meeting point for visitors and the team, a venue for cultural interaction, and offered Saudi coffee along with several commemorative gifts. RIAT 2024 is expected to attract thousands of visitors, similar to RIAT 2023, which drew over 150,000 attendees. They witnessed at the time the display of 253 aircraft over three days, with more than 56 teams from various countries participating in static and aerial displays. Source: Saudi Press Agency
DCO Calls for Urgent Discussions with Member States and Digital Experts to Address Implications of Recent Global IT Outage
The Digital Cooperation Organization's (DCO) Secretariat General said that it will hold urgent discussions with member states and digital economy experts to address the implications of the global IT outage that disrupted vital operations around the world, affecting businesses like airlines, banks, broadcasters, software providers, and more, according to a press release from the DCO. The DCO Secretariat General emphasized that 'the high level of impact the world witnessed as a result of the unfortunate outage is alarming and indicates the dire need for a more effective and agile international digital cooperation'. In addition, the incident raised questions on continuity and sustainability in a world rapidly moving towards being highly dependent on digital channels and platforms. The release underlined that the international community must develop proper policies and protocols to mitigate the risks of such incidents and ensure the continuity of at least essential operations. To this end, the DCO Secretariat General has called for an urgent deliberation for its member states and digital economy experts to 'capture the lessons learned from this incident, assess its impact on national digital transformation plans in member states, and plan practical steps to ensure that relevant stakeholders across sectors are aligned and ready to deal with such mishaps'. Source: Saudi Press Agency
Makkah Deputy Governor Chairs Meeting to Discuss Developing Tourism Sector
Deputy Governor of Makkah Region Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz chaired a meeting in Jeddah today, attended by Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb and several ministry officials. The meeting discussed ways to enhance and develop the region's tourism sector to attract more visitors and tourists, given its significant tourism potential and natural diversity. During the meeting, the tourism minister reviewed details of the promotional campaign of the Saudi Summer Program, aiming to highlight the tourism and entertainment potential of Jeddah. He also provided updates on various projects and programs being implemented by the ministry in the Makkah Region to enhance the development of infrastructure and tourism services in the region. Source: Saudi Press Agency
Saudi Arabia Qualifies for 2025 Junior World Championship for the 5th Time
The Saudi junior handball team has secured qualification for the 2025 edition of the Men's Junior World Championship in Poland after their victory in the 18th Asian Men's Junior (U21) Handball Championship held in Amman, Jordan. The Saudi team's path to the world championship was sealed with an impressive victory over the Oman national team, defeating them with a score of 37-23 in the final round of Group 2. The championship was exclusively for players born in 2004 and later and runs until July 25. The junior green team solidified their place in the global tournament by advancing to the semifinals and securing a second-place finish in Group 2. They overcame Oman in the third and final round, won over Iran in the previous match, but faced a setback in the first round against Japan. This feat marks the Saudi junior team's fifth qualification for the World Championship after making it to the editions of 1979, 1997, 2017, and 2023. Source: Saudi Press Agency
Saudi Arabia Qualifies for 2025 Junior World Championship for the 5th Time
The Saudi junior handball team has secured qualification for the 2025 edition of the Men's Junior World Championship in Poland after their victory in the 18th Asian Men's Junior (U21) Handball Championship held in Amman, Jordan. The Saudi team's path to the world championship was sealed with an impressive victory over the Oman national team, defeating them with a score of 37-23 in the final round of Group 2. The championship was exclusively for players born in 2004 and later and runs until July 25. The junior green team solidified their place in the global tournament by advancing to the semifinals and securing a second-place finish in Group 2. They overcame Oman in the third and final round, won over Iran in the previous match, but faced a setback in the first round against Japan. This feat marks the Saudi junior team's fifth qualification for the World Championship after making it to the editions of 1979, 1997, 2017, and 2023. Source: Saudi Press Agency
The Ministerial Economic Council decides to include imported construction materials in the quality control examination
The Ministerial Economic Council decided, today, Monday, to include imported construction materials in the quality control examination. The media office of the Ministerial Economic Council said in a statement: "Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chairman of the Ministerial Economic Council, Fouad Hussein, chaired the twenty-second regular session of the Ministerial Economic Council, in the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Planning, Ministers of Finance, Agriculture, Trade and Industry, the Governor of the Central Bank, the Chairman of the Securities Commission, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Oil, and the Prime Minister's advisors for economic and legal affairs." The statement added, "The Council discussed the items on its agenda and took appropriate decisions, as the Council hosted the Major General, Head of the Border Ports Authority, Head of the General Authority of Customs, Director General of the Administrative Department of the Integrity Commission, and Head of the Central Agency for Standardization and Quality Control to discuss the issue of examining materials used in investment projects and to emphasize the return of shipments that fail the examination for the sake of public safety." The statement indicated that "the Council listened to a briefing presented by those concerned with this issue, and the Head of the General Authority of Customs indicated the imminent implementation of the electronic system in customs work in order to expedite the process of releasing goods according to legal methods, with ease and transparency." He explained that "the Council decided to include construction materials imported by investment companies in the pre-inspection procedures by international inspection companies contracted with the Ministry of Planning /Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control, with the concerned authorities taking the necessary measures to audit and withdraw random samples and examine them. The Council also decided that the Border Ports a nd General Customs Authorities, in coordination with the Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control, would prepare a mechanism to ensure that non-conforming materials are resent and not leaked into local markets." The statement indicated that in order to "develop a new strategy to improve the investment environment in the oil industries sector, the Council hosted Al-Barham Company for Refining and Distribution of Oil Products in order to seek the opinion of investors and solid companies on the mechanism for developing and encouraging the work of private companies in this important sector and listening to the reality of their work and overcoming difficulties, if any. The Council decided to support the steps taken by the Ministry of Oil in this field." The Council recommended to the Council of Ministers to postpone the collection of customs duties for the food basket (ration card) imported in the name of the Ministry of Trade in support of the citizen's food security. Source: National Iraq i News Agency
Oil Ministry: We are keen to invest all quantities of associated gas in oil fields
The Ministry of Oil confirmed its keenness to invest all quantities of associated gas nominated for investment in oil fields. The Undersecretary of the Ministry for Gas Affairs, Izzat Saber, spoke during a joint meeting of the companies and concerned departments, today, Monday, about the importance of accelerating the investment of gas associated with oil operations in the Bazargan field in Maysan Governorate, with the aim of investing (70) "million standard cubic feet per day to support and enhance the energy sector to generate (250) megawatts. He pointed to the importance of accelerating the implementation of the 18-knot gas pipeline (Bazargan - Halfaya), in support of gas investment from that field. Source: National Iraqi News Agency