RIYADH: The Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen and the Selah Foundation for Development agreed on Wednesday to cooperate on a renewable-energy water-security project in Yemen’s Hadhramaut region, which they said will benefit about 1.7 million people.

The deal was signed by Hassan Al-Attas, the assistant general supervisor of the development program, and Ali Hassan Bashmakh, the foundation’s executive director.

The governor of Hadhramout, Mabkhoot bin Mubarak bin Madhi, attended the signing ceremony and thanked Saudi authorities for the assistance provided to Yemen through the development program. He also expressed gratitude to King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the employees of the program for their contributions.

Al-Attas said his organization has more than 229 active development projects in Yemen, helping to improve the lives and livelihoods of people across the country. They span eight sectors, including education, health, water, transportation and agriculture.

As part of the project in Hadhramaut, solar power stations will be established in nine areas to provide the energy required to improve the availability and supply of water. Training and capacity building will also be provided to ensure local technicians can operate and maintain the solar equipment.

The development program and the foundation previously partnered with the Arab Gulf Program for Development on other renewable-energy projects to help improve the quality of life of an estimated 62,000 people in five of Yemen’s governorates. And in January, the two organizations launched a water-security project that aims to benefit about 800,000 people in Aden. On the Yemeni island of Socotra, the development program’s projects help meet about 50 percent of water needs, 100 percent in Al-Ghaydah, and 10 percent in Aden.

The Selah Foundation for Development received the Prince Talal International Prize for Human Development in 2020 for its continual efforts to enhance water security.

Other officials who attended the signing ceremony on Wednesday included Yemen’s planning and international cooperation minister, Waed Badheeb; the minister of water and environment, Tawfiq Abdulwahed Al-Sharjabi; and Mohammed Al-Jaber, supervisor general of the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen.

RIYADH: The National Center for Environmental Compliance (NCEC) is hosting an interactive pavilion for children to mark Environment Week 2024, which began last Sunday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The center’s pavilion, in Riyadh’s Granada Square, carries the slogan “Know Your Environment.” It features activities for children promoting environmental preservation and protecting air, water and soil from pollution.

Young visitors are first met with a moving knowledge wall containing several tips placed on hanging cubes, each decorated with a color and information, or a picture.

Children can then move to the memory board to register as honorary members charged with protecting the environment. A part of the pavilion is dedicated to rest and entertainment, including cube puzzles and other games.

The center offers specialized scientific workshops for adults during Environment Week, addressing topics including land degradation.

The Kingdom is set to host COP16 in December this year, enhancing cooperation between the 197 signatory countries of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, and searching for ways rehabilitate millions of hectares of degraded land.

The center’s presence in Riyadh, Jeddah, Alkhobar and Taif aims to boost community awareness of environmental issues through a range of activities and events.