Day: August 4, 2024

The Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, claimed responsibility on Saturday for the shooting attack that killed Israeli settler Amnon Mukhtar last June. This came in a statement by Al-Qassam, in which it mourned a group of its fighters who were martyred on Saturday when Israeli aircraft targeted their vehicle in Tulkarm. The statement said: "With the highest verses of pride, dignity and confidence in God's imminent victory, the Al-Qassam Brigades announce to the sons of our great people and the masses of our Arab and Islamic nation a group of its honorable knights, Commander Haitham Nour al-Din Balidi (from Tulkarm camp), Martyr Jamal Ibrahim Abu Haniya (from Qalqilya), Martyr Ali Khalil Abu Bakr (from Qalqilya), and Martyr Ahmed Ibrahim Muhajna (from Nour Shams camp)." The statement added: "They were martyred today, Saturday, August 3, 2024, as a result of a cowardly assassination operation carried out by treacherous aircraft on a vehicle they were riding in between the villages of Attil and Zeita in Tulkarm Governorate, accompanied by their martyred brother, the leader of the Al-Quds Brigades, Abdul Jabbar Fahd Sabbagh." Al-Qassam continued in its statement: 'As we mourn a new group of our resistance martyrs in the occupied West Bank, we announce our responsibility for the shooting and liquidation operation of the Zionist Amnon Mukhtar, a resident of the occupied city of Petah Tikva, which was carried out by the two Qassam martyrs Jamal Abu Haniyeh and Ali Abu Bakr in the city of Qalqilya on June 22, 2024.' The Al-Qassam Brigades stressed that "the escape of the occupation army soldiers from the fields of direct confrontation, and the resort of the cowardly army leadership to intensify the aerial bombardment and assassinations of the resistance fighters in the West Bank will have disastrous results for the treacherous occupier, and our resistance and our fighters will only increase their determination and resolve to carry out more resistance actions in all the cities, villages and camps of the occup ied West Bank; the strikes of our resistance fighters will intensify, their numbers will double, and neither warplanes nor drones will stop their flood, God willing." On June 22, the Israeli army announced the killing of an Israeli by gunfire in Qalqilya, in the northern West Bank, noting that the army and police forces were investigating the circumstances of the incident Source: Maan News Agency

The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) convened today a preparatory meeting of senior officials at its headquarters in Jeddah for the 50th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC member states. The session will occur in Yaounde, Cameroon, from August 29 to 30, 2024. Secretary-General of the OIC Hissein Brahim Taha delivered a speech praising the generous support provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the organization. He also acknowledged the Kingdom's ongoing commitment to strengthening joint Islamic action and its special attention to the OIC's activities. This reinforces the keenness and interest of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Taha emphasized that this meeting comes at a critical time when the Palestinian cause and Al-Quds Al-Sharif are facing severe challenges and witnessing serious deviations due to the unprecedented Israeli military aggression against the Gaza Strip and other Palestinian territories, including the occupied city of Jerusalem (Al-Quds). He stressed the need for unified efforts of OIC member states at the global level to exert more pressure in implementing the resolutions of the Security Council and the United Nations General Assembly. These resolutions call for an immediate cessation of the Israeli military aggression to ensure adequate and sustainable access to humanitarian aid in all parts of the Gaza Strip, lift the inhumane Israeli blockade, and support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). In his speech, Taha also outlined the OIC's efforts and initiatives regarding the situation in Afghanistan, Jammu, and Kashmir, as well as achieving peace, security, stability, and development in all regions of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. He highlighted defending the rights of Muslim communities and minorities in non-member states and the organization's humanitarian work. Additionally, he mentioned the upcoming effo rts to host an international donors' conference at the headquarters of the General Secretariat in Jeddah in October. The aim of the conference is to mobilize resources to address the challenges facing refugees and displaced persons in northeastern Nigeria, Lake Chad, and the Sahel region. Source: Saudi Press Agency

The Ministry of Sport, in collaboration with the National Center for Privatization and PPP (NCP), announced today, Sunday, August 4, 2024, the tendering of six sports clubs across various divisions for local and international investors. The clubs in this phase are Alzulfi, Alnahda, Alokhdood, Alansar, Alorouba, and Alkholoud. This announcement follows the Ministry's previous one on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, that revealed the beginning of the Second Phase of Sports Clubs Investment and Privatization Project Second Track, based on the approval of the Council of Ministers to privatize 14 sports clubs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This move is part of the ongoing implementation of the sports clubs' investment and privatization project launched by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. It also aims to provide opportunities for the private sector to participate in building and developing the sports sector, thereby benefiting national teams, clubs, fans, and all sports practitioners. The privatization process of the six clubs will go through several stages until the completion of its commercial closure and transfer of ownership. It begins with the submission of expressions of interest (EOI) and requests for qualification (RFQ) by investors through the "Investors Portal" on the NCP website, where applications will be accepted until September 19, 2024, at 4:00 PM Saudi time. This will be followed by evaluating and qualifying the requests, and then the launch of the stage for submitting financial and technical offers by the qualified entities. Following this, the formal negotiation process will begin, followed by the selection of the best offers and the announcement of the investment entities that have acquired ownership of the aforementioned clubs. This announcement offers unique opportunities for entities interested in investing in the sports sector, in line with the significant shift that the sector is experiencing with the vast support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's le adership, and in line with the objective of Vision 2030. This will enhance partnerships and cooperation between the public and private sectors, advancing the Kingdom's sports sector and contributing to building a strong and sustainable national economy. Source: Saudi Press Agency

The American Terence Crawford emerged victorious in the main fight against Uzbekistan's Israil Madrimov in the Riyadh Season Card, held in Los Angeles. Crawford secured the victory with a unanimous decision, receiving the WBA junior middleweight title and becoming a four-division champion as he has secured the champion title in four weight classes. Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) Turki bin Abdulmohsen Al Al-Sheikh stated that the Riyadh Season Card, which concluded this morning Saudi time and took place for the first time outside the Kingdom, will not be the last. He said that the event will recur many times, whether in California, where it is currently held, or in other states. He revealed plans for a strong boxing match featuring Mexican boxer Saul Alvarez (Canelo) against either Terence Crawford or Vergil Ortiz Jr. Meanwhile, Al Al-Sheikh's name was announced to be placed in the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame, which honors boxers, trainers, and other contributors to this sport worldwide. The game results are as follows: the Saudi boxer Ziyad Almaayouf and the American Michal Bulk drew by unanimous decision, while Steven Nelson won by knockout in the fifth round against Marcos Vazquez, who suffered his first defeat. The Cuban Andy Cruz achieved a knockout victory against the Mexican Antonio Moran. The Cuban David Morrell secured the WBA light heavyweight belt unanimously, defeating the American Radivoje Kalajdzic after 12 rounds marked by caution from both boxers. In the heavyweight bout, the Congolese Martin Bakole knocked down his American opponent Jared Anderson four times over five rounds until the referee decided to award the win to the African boxer by TKO. Another epic clash featuring Andy Ruiz and Jarrell Miller ended in a draw. After 12 rounds of a fierce confrontation, the Mexican Jose Valenzuela won by a split decision against his compatriot Isaac Cruz to claim the WBA junior welterweight title. Source: Saudi Press Agency

Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources and Chairman of the Local Content and Government Procurement Authority, Bandar Alkhorayef, expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in the Kingdom of Bahrain for its productive collaboration in opening registration for Saudi establishments wishing to register their products in Bahrain's In-Country Value Program, Takamul. This program aims to enhance local content value and preference in government procurement. This step contributes to stimulating and empowering Saudi national industries within the framework of the distinguished brotherly relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Bahrain, and boosting the economic integration between the two brotherly countries. He stressed that goods manufactured in the Kingdom of Bahrain, which meet the requirements of the national origin rules issued by Ministerial Decision No. 3852, will be treated as Saudi national goods, thereby allowing them to benefit from local content preference mechanisms according to relevant regulations and requirements. The minister noted that this approach aligns with the results of the third meeting of the Saudi-Bahraini Coordination Council, chaired by HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain. This is in line with the strong and historic ties between the two countries and their people. Alkhorayef pointed out that this step will contribute to enhancing trade exchange, stimulating national industry in both countries, providing more investment opportunities, attracting foreign investments, and enhancing the added value of national products. He praised the efforts of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in Bahrain to boost cooperation with Saudi Arabia in various fields, emphasizing the Kingdom's commitment to enhancing cooperation with Bahrain in all fields to achieve development and prosperity f or both countries and their people. Source: Saudi Press Agency

The Bahraini Ministry of Industry and Commerce has announced the completion of executive measures to open registration for Saudi businesses interested in registering their products in the In-Country Value Program in Industry (Takamul). As part of Bahrain's industrial sector strategy initiatives (2022-2026), the program aims to boost the local added value of industrial products and enhance the efficiency of the supply chain. Saudi companies looking to enroll in the program can do so by visiting the website of the Bahraini Ministry of Industry and Commerce through the following link: https://service.moic.gov.bh/takamul. Source: Saudi Press Agency

The Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance, Sheikh Dr. Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al Al-Sheikh, met yesterday with Moroccan Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs Ahmed Toufiq and his accompanying delegation at the venue of the 9th Conference of Ministers of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs in Makkah. During the meeting, they discussed shared topics between the two sides, various fields of work, and ways to support them. The Moroccan minister praised the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, in serving Islam and Muslims, and promoting the values of moderation in the world. He stressed that the conference supports the Islamic efforts made by the ministries of Islamic affairs in the Islamic world in spreading and enhancing moderation, values of tolerance among religions, and combating extremism, radicalism, and terrorism g lobally. He expressed hope that the conference will result in recommendations that enhance fruitful cooperation among participants and achieve its noble message. Sheikh Dr. Al Al-Sheikh referred to the strong relations between the two countries, especially those pertaining to Islamic matters. Source: Saudi Press Agency

The Riyadh Art Program has announced an open call for artists to participate in the 6th edition of the Tuwaiq Sculpture exhibition. The exhibition, themed "From Time to Time," will run from August 4 to September 1, 2024. The annual Tuwaiq Sculpture exhibition is a cornerstone of the Riyadh Art Program, a major initiative to enhance the city's cultural landscape. The event brings together leading sculptors from Saudi Arabia and globally to create public art installations using local stone. By providing a platform for artists to showcase their work, the exhibition aims to enrich Riyadh's cultural fabric, improve the quality of life for residents and visitors, and foster a vibrant public art scene. Previous editions have attracted over 120 entries from both domestic and global artists, solidifying the exhibition's status as a global showcase for sculpture. Source: Saudi Press Agency

he Saudi Center for Opinion Polling (SCOP) today concluded its participation in the 77th annual World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR) conference in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The conference brought together hundreds of researchers from 51 countries. SCOP CEO Dr. Abdullah Alhokail presented a scientific paper highlighting the critical need for collaborative research into response rates and their impact on survey results. He emphasized the importance of addressing this methodological challenge given the current disparity in international practices and the lack of definitive solutions from accredited authorities. During the conference, there was a proposal for SCOP to collaborate with other European public opinion measurement centers on joint research. This collaboration aims to advance scientific standards and practices in the field. Source: Saudi Press Agency

The Health Sector Transformation Program has reported significant progress in reducing road fatalities and injuries in Saudi Arabia. According to the program's 2023 annual report, deaths from road accidents have plummeted by 54% since 2016, while injuries have decreased by 4%. To achieve these results, the program has invested in various road safety measures, including installing over 60 kilometers of road safety barriers, 400 warning signs, and 100 solar-powered traffic lights. More than 40,000 reflective road markers have been installed as well. The World Health Organization has commended Saudi Arabia's efforts to reduce the number of road deaths over the past five years. This success is attributed to the collaborative work of the Ministerial Committee of Traffic Safety, regional traffic safety committees, and relevant authorities. Their strategies include improving road infrastructure, enhancing traffic-law enforcement, and establishing specialized medical care for accident victims. Source: Saudi Press Agency