Manama, The General Directorate of Marine Resources at the Supreme Council for Environment has announced that the ban on shrimping will be lifted as of tomorrow, Thursday, 1 August 2024, following the end of the annual six-month ban period from February 1 to July 31. The Marine Resources Directorate said that the ban period aligns the Kingdom of Bahrain's efforts to protect fisheries and with decisions aimed at conserving marine resources. The directorate highlighted the Supreme Council for Environment's keenness to achieve full protection of marine stocks in line with the Gulf Cooperation Council resolutions on protecting fish stocks. The department called on all fishermen to abide by instructions on shrimping under Edict (205) of 2018 on the prohibition of sea fishing by trawling nets (Alkarf) in the territorial waters of the Kingdom, which aims to protect marine resources. Source: Bahrain News Agency
Bahrain U18 basketball team defeats Saudi Arabia in Gulf Championship
Kuwait, The Bahrain U18 basketball team achieved a thrilling 97-94 victory over Saudi Arabia in the Gulf Youth Basketball Championship for under 18 years, which qualifies for the Asia Cup, held in Kuwait from 29 July to 2 August. The match, hosted at Sheikh Saad Al Abdullah Complex in Kuwait, saw an outstanding performance from player Mohammed Khalil, who scored 26 points and added four rebounds. Mohammed Khalil's performance was instrumental in securing the crucial win, helping Bahrain bounce back from their opening round defeat to Kuwait, which ended 66-85. The Bahrain team is now preparing to face Oman tomorrow, a decisive match that will determine their fate in the tournament. The team aims to continue their strong performance and secure qualification to the finals following this significant victory. Source: Bahrain News Agency
Riyadh’s Esports World Cup attracts tourists
Riyadh, The Esports World Cup, hosted by Riyadh through August 25, saw the attendance of crowds of guests and visitors from Gulf and other countries the largest event in the history of the gaming and esports sector, with the participation of 500 clubs from different countries and more than 1,500 players. Mohammed bin Mubarak, a visitor from Bahrain, explained that he came with his brothers and other relatives to attend the Esports World Cup. He hailed the great efforts of Saudi Arabia in receiving the participants and the professional and wonderful organization of the tournament, noting that Riyadh has become a global destination for tourism, entertainment, and sports, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). The Esports World Cup witnessed a large number of attendees from the continents of the world, as they visited the different areas in Boulevard Riyadh City and conducted sightseeing tours of historical and tourist sites in Riyadh, which reflected the cultural and popular heritage in Saudi Arabia, conf irming its success in organising a specialised event in esports at a global level. Source: Bahrain News Agency
Saudi Arabia’s non-oil activities grow 4.4% in Q2 2024
Riyadh, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's non-oil and government activities grew 4.4% and 3.6%, respectively, during the second quarter of this year, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. The Kingdom's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted by 0.4 percent in the second quarter compared to the same period last year, attributed to an 8.5 percent decline in oil activities, according to data published by the General Authority for Statistics on Wednesday. Saudi Arabia's seasonally adjusted real gross domestic product grew 1.4 percent in the second quarter of 2024 compared to the previous three months, driven by non-oil activities. Source: Bahrain News Agency
South Korea industrial output inches down domestic demand inch up in June
Seoul, South Korea's industrial output fell for the second consecutive month in June, but retail sales and facility investment rebounded. Industrial output inched down 0.1% on-month in June, following a 0.8% fall a month earlier. The decline came as production from the construction sector shed 0.3% and that in the public administration field tumbled 5.1% in June. But the output in the chip sector jumped 8.1% on strong demand for semiconductors, offsetting a marked fall in the production of the pharmaceutical field, resulting in a 0.5% rise in the overall production in the manufacturing and mining sector, according to Yonhap. The service sector reported a 0.2% on-month increase in June, led by the finance, insurance and real estate sectors. In an on-year term, industrial production added 0.5% in June. Retail sales, a gauge of private spending, advanced 1% on-month as demand for automobiles and other durable goods climbed 5.2%. It marked the first on-month growth since March. Sales of semidurable goods, such as clothes, inched up 0.8%, while those of nondurable goods, such as food, lost 0.9%. In an on-year term, retail sales fell 3.6% last month amid lingering concerns about weak domestic demand due to high inflation and high interest rates. Facility investment climbed 4.3% from a month earlier in June, rebounding from a 3.6% decline the previous month. The increase was attributable to rising investment in the machinery sector, though that in the car and other transportation equipment sector went down 2.8%. Compared with a year earlier, facility investment declined 2.7%. Source: Bahrain News Agency