Day: September 5, 2024

Manama, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, received a phone call from Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Football Association (BFA), who congratulated His Majesty on the national football team's victory over Australia in the first round of the third stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. His Majesty commended the outstanding performance of the national team against Australia, praising the players' advanced levels, sportsmanship, and determination. HM King Hamad noted that this performance reflects the progress of Bahraini football and its standing at the regional and international levels, expressing hope that this victory will serve as motivation for the players to continue achieving success in upcoming matches. His Majesty also commended the efforts of BFA, led by Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa, in preparing the team and providing all necessary means of success for the players. His Majesty expressed appreciation to the technical and administrative staff of the na tional team for their outstanding work, which has fostered a winning spirit among the players, and praised all the dedicated national efforts supporting the team. Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa expressed his gratitude for the support the sports sector receives from His Majesty King Hamad, noting that His Majesty's patronage reflects his great interest in Bahraini sports. He also commended the support of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, through various government programmes that back the sports sector. Shaikh Ali underscored the support of His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty the King for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs and Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports (SCYS), for BFA. He also lauded the efforts of His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, First Deputy Chairman of SCYS, Chairman of the General Sports Authority (GSA), and President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC), which have d riven the development of sports and contributed to further successes and achievements. Shaikh Ali said that His Majesty's congratulations are a source of pride for the entire Bahraini sports community. He expressed his gratitude for His Majesty's recognition and emphasised that the responsibility within the Bahraini football establishment has now grown, committing to intensified efforts in preparing the national team for the upcoming stages of the World Cup qualifiers. Source: Bahrain News Agency

Google is harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance its core model for predicting early signs of illness using audio signals. The company's AI division uses bioacoustics, which blends biology and sounds, to assist researchers in understanding how pathogens like bacteria and other infections impact the human voice. Google says this technology could serve as a valuable alternative in areas where access to quality healthcare is limited. It requires users to use only a smartphone microphone. According to Google, the AI model, known as Health Acoustic Representations, has been applied to 300 million two-second audio samples, which include coughing, sneezing, and breathing patterns. Google added that this model can detect subtle differences in patients' cough patterns, enabling it to identify early indicators of disease improvement or deterioration. Source: Saudi Press Agency

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) is participating in the Buraidah Dates Carnival with an awareness pavilion to educate visitors about the best methods for preserving dates and their products and highlight its role in ensuring the quality and safety of products in the market. This endeavor is part of SFDA's ongoing efforts to protect consumer health and enhance community awareness of food safety and the importance of choosing healthy products that comply with food standards. It also reflects its commitment to developing and implementing an effective regulatory system to ensure the safety of food, medicine, and medical devices in the Kingdom. Source: Saudi Press Agency

The Museums Commission is set to inaugurate "The Writings of Today Are a Promise for Tomorrow" exhibition at the Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art at JAX District, introducing 30 contemporary artists of Chinese origin to Saudi Arabia for the first time. The exhibition will highlight the importance of writing as a cultural and societal practice in both Arabic and Chinese cultures. The event will offer the public the opportunity to explore a unique collection of artworks loaned from renowned private collections, along with site-specific works produced in Saudi Arabia for the exhibition. The Writings of Today Are a Promise for Tomorrow will open to the public in September and run until January. Admission tickets will be released soon on the "Discover Culture" platform. Source: Saudi Press Agency

Construction Week Middle East magazine has recognized the National Housing Company (NHC) as the largest real estate developer in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries for 2024. This recognition comes in light of the company's achievements in the first half of this year, with sales exceeding SAR13 billion. In partnership with other real estate developers, NHC is currently implementing over 130 projects across the Kingdom. The report, published by the magazine, ranks the top 50 real estate developers in the GCC based on several criteria unique to each company. NHC holds a leading position in the real estate development sector due to its pivotal role in reshaping the urban landscape in the Kingdom by developing smart and sustainable suburbs and communities. These developments are characterized by a combination of urban projects, quality-of-life elements, green spaces, recreational facilities, and essential services. According to the company's data, its sales in ongoing projects during the first half o f this year have quadrupled compared to the same period last year. NHC aims to bring more than 300,000 housing units to the Saudi real estate market by the end of 2025. NHC is the leading enabler in the real estate development sector and the most prominent master developer of suburbs and urban communities in the Kingdom. The company is developing nine suburbs and six residential communities on a total area exceeding 100 million square meters. NHC also seeks to provide high-quality supply chain solutions and more sustainable building materials. This recognition highlights NHC's commitment to increasing the housing supply with residential options that meet global standards, in line with the Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to raise the homeownership rate for Saudi families to 70%. Source: Saudi Press Agency

The General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque said that the Prophet's Mosque received over five million Muslims amid integrated and high-quality services, allowing crowds to perform their prayers smoothly and efficiently. The authority-issued statistics showed that 483,822 visited the Prophet's Mosque, and 250,725 visitors performed prayers in the Holy Rawdah according to organizational procedures that control the movement of the crowds and schedule times for optional prayers for men and women. The statistics also showed that 74,486 people benefited from translation services. Field services included extensive sanitation efforts, with 24,992 liters of disinfectant utilized. Additionally, 1,640 tons of Zamzam water were provided, and 188 samples were collected for testing and analysis. The authority also distributed 143,142 Iftar meals at designated areas for fasting individuals within the Prophet's Mosque. Source: Saudi Press Agency

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the National Center for Wildlife, will host the 10th Regional Conservation Forum of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Regional Office for West Asia (ROWA) from September 9 to 11, 2024. The event will be attended by the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture and Chairman of the Board of the National Center for Wildlife Eng. Abdulrahman AlFadley and IUCN President Razan Al Mubarak. Over 200 specialists and experts representing IUCN members from the West Asia region, officials from the IUCN ROWA, and several stakeholders in Saudi Arabia will participate in the forum. Held every four years, the IUCN Regional Conservation Forum is a significant platform for fostering collaboration among IUCN members in West Asia. It provides an opportunity for the exchange of ideas and expertise, addressing shared environmental challenges, and developing effective conservation strategies. The forum will serve as a preparatory meeting for regional p articipation in the 2025 IUCN World Conservation Congress and will promote enhanced cooperation among members in the region to preserve biodiversity. This forum reflects Saudi Arabia's growing leadership in environmental conservation and biodiversity protection as part of its Vision 2030 goals. Source: Saudi Press Agency

Manama, Nawaf bin Mohammad Al Maawda, Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments, hailed the decree issued by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, pardoning 457 inmates in celebration of the Silver Jubilee of His Majesty's Accession. Al Maawda praised this pardon, which reflects His Majesty's commitment to tolerance and forgiveness, as well as providing opportunities for the social reintegration of the pardoned. He also acknowledged the government's role, led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, in supporting the rehabilitation programmes that produce effective contributions to sustainable development in a way that translates the royal vision. Source: Bahrain News Agency

The skies over the Arab world will witness a fascinating astronomical event tonight as the crescent Moon aligns with Venus. This spectacle will be easily visible to the naked eye after sunset and early into the night, with the Moon and Venus situated just 2.8 degrees apart on the western horizon. Jeddah Astronomy Society Director Eng. Majed Abu Zahra said that Venus will gleam like a sparkling diamond in the sky to the naked eye, as it will be illuminated by 90% of the Sun's light. Due to its rapid movement around the Sun in its smaller orbit, its apparent size will appear larger when seen through a telescope in the near future because of its closeness to Earth. Moreover, the illumination of its disk will gradually decrease until it resembles a crescent by March 2025 when observed through a telescope. Abu Zahra pointed out that in the upcoming nights, observers will notice the unlit side of the Moon's surface emitting a dim light, which is sunlight reflected from the Earth falling on the Moon. Furthermore , the Moon's illumination will gradually increase and rise higher in the sky at sunset, staying visible for a more extended period after the onset of the night due to its continuous movement away from the sunset position. He indicated that tonight marks the start of the Moon's monthly journey across the sky. Observing it over the coming nights and weeks will help locate other planets and bright stars as it moves eastward in its orbit around the Earth. He emphasized that this phase of the lunar month is ideal for observing faint objects in deep space, such as galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters, since the Moon, which typically obscures natural lights in the sky, sets early in the night. Source: Saudi Press Agency

Manama, Ali Ahmed Al Derazi, Chairman of the National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR), hailed the Royal Decree issued by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, pardoning 457 inmates, in celebration of the Silver Jubilee of His Majesty's Accession. On behalf of himself and the members of the Board of Commissioners of NIHR, Al Derazi expressed his appreciation to HM the King for this wise and humanitarian initiative, which reflects HM King Hamad's care for the citizens of Bahrain and reinforces the Kingdom's national values of tolerance. Al Derazi emphasised the royal decree's positive impact in strengthening Bahrain's social cohesion, safeguarding personal and civil rights, and upholding judicial independence, while maintaining a balance between justice and humanitarian and social considerations, further advancing human rights in line with Bahrain's approach and its significant regional role. Source: Bahrain News Agency