JEDDAH: The supervisor general of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) visited Jordan’s Zaatari camp for Syrian refugees to check on the progress of KSRelief’s projects there.
Abdullah Al-Rabeeah discussed the situation in the camp, as well as current and future humanitarian projects there, with officials at the camp and representatives of organizations working there.
The camp is located in northeast Jordan, about 70 km from the capital Amman, and hosts 70,000 Syrian refugees, accounting for 22 percent of their total number in the country.
Saudi Arabia, represented by KSRelief, is keen to alleviate the suffering of Syrian refugees in Jordan, and to ease the burden on the country’s government, said Al-Rabeeah.
“In the next few days of this visit, we will see the signing of deals for more programs and projects with our partners in international humanitarian organizations,” he added.
Al-Rabeeah expressed hope that peace and safety will prevail in Syria so refugees can return to their country.
At Zaatari, he and his delegation visited the distribution center of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the catering center of the World Food Program (WFP).
Al-Rabeeah contributed to distributing 2,000 bags to Syrian students at the primary school of the Saudi complex in the camp.
The distribution is part of a project in Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon to provide 450,000 school bags that include all students’ needs at the start of every school year. The total value of the project is $4.437 million.
Al-Rabeeah met with distinguished students and children with special needs to encourage them and give them moral support. He also toured KSRelief’s 15 specialized clinics in Zaatari.
He attended the cultural training program provided by the MiSK Foundation in the camp, and inaugurated the Advanced Saudi Center for Community Education and Training, which includes computer programing, basic sciences, health, tailoring, weaving and handicrafts.
Al-Rabeeah visited Syrian families in Zaatari and listened to their stories. He also visited the handicrafts exhibition in the camp, which includes paintings and sculptures that reflect refugees’ emotions and creativity.
He visited the exhibition of the Saudi Training Center for Handicrafts and Recycling, patronized a ceremony to honor outstanding students, and gave them awards.
Meanwhile, Al-Rabeeah has signed a joint program for treating cancer patients from Yemeni and Syrian refugees at Jordan’s King Hussien Cancer Center.
He visited the headquarters of the King Hussien Cancer Center in Amman on Tuesday, where he met several of the foundation’s leaders.
Al-Rabeeah met her royal highness Princess Ghida Talal, the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the King Hussein Cancer Foundation.
His excellency discussed with Talal ways of boosting cooperation, and signed the joint agreement which aims to provide diagnostic and therapeutic services to cancer patients.
Peace and safety will prevail in Syria, says KSRelief chief
Peace and safety will prevail in Syria, says KSRelief chief
- Abdullah Al-Rabeeah discussed the situation in the camp, as well as current and future humanitarian projects there
- Saudi Arabia, represented by KSRelief, is keen to alleviate the suffering of Syrian refugees in Jordan
Saudi center maps 246 areas to fight desertification
RIYADH: The National Center for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification has completed a significant step in its fight against desertification: the first phase of a project to assess the state of land degradation across the Kingdom, resulting in the creation of 246 detailed maps.
These maps provide valuable insight into desertification trends and the current state of land degradation in different regions, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
The center’s teams conducted extensive studies to better understand the processes of desertification and land degradation and to identify effective strategies to combat them.
The project combined cutting-edge technologies and traditional methods to gather data, including geographic information systems, remote sensing techniques, and field surveys.
Fieldwork included collecting soil samples for analysis, studying plant life at designated sites, and analyzing satellite imagery.
The center has launched the second phase of the project, starting in the Riyadh region. During this phase, it will focus on identifying areas most vulnerable to desertification, classifying the causes and types of land degradation, and conducting further field surveys to gather more detailed data.
Arab innovators shine in space exploration contest
- Saudi Space Agency awards 10 winners in arts, botany, engineering
RIYADH: The Saudi Space Agency wrapped up its Space Madak competition on Tuesday by awarding 10 winning contestants prizes for their arts, botany and engineering projects.
Hailing from seven Arab countries, the winners were revealed at a ceremony hosted by the agency at the Communications, Space and Technology Commission headquarters in Riyadh.
The event marked the first anniversary of Saudi Arabia’s “Journey to Space” mission and was attended by the agency’s CEO Mohammed Al-Tamimi, officials, experts, and ambassadors from the winning students’ countries.
The competition, engaging ambitious Arab students, showcased their enthusiasm for space exploration and skills development.
The panel of judges comprised scientists, experts and space enthusiasts.
Following rigorous evaluation rounds, the top 10 contenders were chosen for their exceptional contributions.
In the arts category, winners included Yamen Al-Zaabi from Jordan, Preeti Sami from Egypt, Jawaher Farhan from Bahrain, Rafqa Mansour from Lebanon, and Aline Al-Issa from Saudi Arabia.
Sadan Al-Dosari from Saudi Arabia, Hooriya Basheikh from Morocco, and Fatima Al-Khabouriah from Oman won in the botany category.
Engineering-category winners were Abdulrahman Qattan from Saudi Arabia and Yara Reda from Syria.
The ceremony celebrated the winners and acknowledged the creative endeavors of more than 50 finalists, chosen from a pool of 80,000 submissions vying for prizes totaling SR500,000 ($133,320).
The winning projects will be showcased on the International Space Station, offering an opportunity to advance research, development, and innovation in space exploration while enriching Arab contributions in this field.
The competition represents a significant milestone in the Saudi Space Agency’s mission to support research, development, and innovation within the domain of space exploration.
With a focus on nurturing creative thinking among Arab students, the initiative aims to ignite curiosity about space and inspire breakthroughs in this burgeoning field.
The space mission, carried out by astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al-Qarni, included 14 pioneering scientific experiments.
According to a press release issued by the agency, the mission was a part of the “Saudi Toward Space” program, aligning with the Kingdom’s focus on research, development and innovation driven by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Al-Tamimi praised the achievements of the SSA-HSF1, or Saudi Space Agency-Human Space Flight 1, mission. This was a major milestone in the Kingdom’s journey toward leadership in the space sector.
He said there were 14 research experiments conducted in microgravity, yielding valuable contributions to research, development and innovation.
Al-Tamimi said the mission helped foster national expertise and enhance cooperation with leading international institutions.
He added that the agency remained committed to supporting innovative projects.
Manga International launches in Tokyo to showcase Saudi creativity on global stage
RIYADH: In a move to bolster its international presence, Manga Arabia, a subsidiary of the Saudi Research and Media Group, announced the launch of Manga International at a ceremony in Tokyo, Japan.
The event drew in prominent officials and media representatives from Saudi Arabia and Japan, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
This expansion follows a series of successful partnerships and agreements with major Japanese manga publishers, such as Kodansha, Shueisha, Kadokawa, Shogakukan, and Hakusensha.
Manga Arabia has a strong track record in the Arab world, having launched two manga magazines — one for children and another for young adults — in both print and digital formats.
The company reaches over 8 million users in 195 countries, with a print distribution network of 220 points in the Arab world, selling over 400,000 copies monthly.
SRMG CEO Jomana Al-Rashid highlighted the significance of this international foray.
“We are strategically expanding through partnerships with leading manga companies and establishing a legal framework equipped with cutting-edge technologies,” she said.
“This will not only generate financial returns but also nurture an educational environment catering to the immense global demand for this content,” Al-Rashid added, emphasizing how this geographic and cultural expansion will help combat content piracy and intellectual property theft.
Manga Arabia and Manga International CEO Essam Bukhary said: “Through the art of manga and creative industries, we have achieved remarkable success in the Arab world, earning the trust of our Japanese and international partners. Now, under the umbrella of SRMG, Manga International seeks to leverage our pioneering experience and development in global markets.”
Bukhary elaborated on plans to translate and produce a range of comic stories targeting international audiences.
He added that the expansion signifies a qualitative leap for Saudi and Arab creativity on the world stage, aligning with Manga Arabia’s vision of empowering imagination, nurturing and developing Arabic content, and delivering it to a global audience across all demographics and generations.
Building on this commitment, Manga Arabia has already translated several of its comic stories into English, Chinese, and Malay for international markets.
Collaborating with the Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission, it has also adapted a selection of Saudi novels into manga format, aiming to reach diverse audiences and present Saudi literature and culture through the lens of manga.
Saudi Arabia, Japan to collaborate on original anime, gaming content
- Officials in Tokyo discuss localizing Japanese media through translation
- Kingdom will host this year’s Esports World Cup in July
TOKYO: Saudi and Japanese officials are exploring plans to localize gaming and digital entertainment offerings in the Kingdom.
The Saudi Arabia-Japan Vision 2030 Business Forum’s digital entertainment roundtable discussed Saudi efforts to build a local gaming industry, which includes localizing Japanese games for the Saudi market, collaborating with esports tournament organizers and investing in digital entertainment.
Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Abdullah Al-Swaha and Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih attended the event in Tokyo, with the former giving a short speech during the opening.
Prince Faisal bin Bandar Al-Saud, vice chairman of Savvy Games Group, was also part of a panel discussion at the event.
The forum focused on promoting cultural exchange by creating content that appeals to both Japanese and Saudi audiences.
Officials discussed how to localize Japanese manga and anime by translating content through Saudi publishers, who will in turn distribute the content throughout the Middle East.
They also agreed to explore co-publishing agreements to create new and original content.
Saudi Arabia’s gaming sector is expected to grow to $1.3 billion in value over the next two years, with 58 gaming companies operating in the Kingdom. About 67 percent of Saudi Arabia’s population (about 24.8 million people) are active video game players.
The Kingdom will host this year’s Esports World Cup in July, which features about $60 million in prize money.
Saudi Arabia has previously collaborated with Japanese companies on entertainment, providing the Kingdom with expertise and cutting-edge technologies to improve the digital entertainment industry.
Saudi Cabinet: Crown prince reassures council of King’s health
RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman assured Ministers of King Salman’s good health during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, state news agency (SPA) reported.
The king underwent medical tests at royal clinics at the palace earlier on Sunday after he suffered from a high temperature and joint pain, SPA said.
He was diagnosed with lung inflammation and prescribed a course of antibiotics as treatement at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah.
The crown prince also briefed the council on the outcomes of the Council of the League of Arab States session, emphasizing the Kingdom's commitment to Arab issues, joint action development, regional security enhancement, and defending Arab interests.
Minister of Information Salman bin Youssef Al-Dosari stated after the session that the council discussed recent state activities, particularly efforts to strengthen regional and international cooperation.
The council affirmed the Kingdom's commitment to international cooperation in combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and corruption.
The Saudi cabinet also granted authority to the Minister of Energy, Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman, to finalize a memorandum of understanding with Pakistan on energy cooperation.
The Saudi also cabinet approved of the Kingdom's accession to an international agreement on wetlands of international importance, particularly as habitats for waterbirds.
