RIYADH: Following three strings of postponements during the past few years, the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Judicial Council have taken new steps to launch the long-awaited special labor courts in Saudi Arabia.
The steps were initiated by naming 99 assistant judges to undergo training courses on solving labor disputes, and other labor issues and litigation, in addition to assigning 80 judges to assume their judicial tasks after being trained to work in these new labor courts which are expected to begin functioning during this current year, according to Justice Ministry sources.
Walid Al-Samaani, minister of justice and president of the Supreme Judicial Council, approved the initial list of assistant judges to be trained in judicial works through a three-month course pending their appointment.
They will be appointed at five labor courts which will be launched in Jeddah, Riyadh, Damman, Makkah and Madinah, in addition to labor dispute settlement offices affiliated with other courts across the Kingdom.
The Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Judicial Council assigned 80 judges on duty to be transferred later to the labor courts.
Meanwhile, the president of the Supreme Judicial Council canceled a previous decision to mandate the training mission of assistant judges to the labor committees. The Ministry of Justice last week decided to task the training mission to the Higher Judicial Institute under the supervision of the judicial training center.
The number of labor cases received by the initial commission for labor disputes last year stood at 9,956, of which 4,241 involved Saudi citizens, a rate of 42.6 percent, with the remaining 5,715 cases involving non-Saudis, a rate of 57.4 percent.
The number of cases involving Saudis which were considered and settled stood at 3,714 cases. Non-official sources estimated the number of cases to be referred to the labor courts to stand at 20,000.
Special labor courts launched
Special labor courts launched
Saudi FM discusses preparations for Expo 2030 with BIE chief
- During the meeting, the two officials discussed the Kingdom’s preparations to host Expo 2030 in Riyadh
- “We underlined the importance of careful planning to deliver a transformational World Expo in 2030,” Kerkentzes said
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received the Secretary-General of the Bureau International des Expositions Dimitri Kerkentzes in Riyadh on Thursday.
During the meeting, the two officials discussed the Kingdom’s preparations to host Expo 2030 in Riyadh and coordination to ensure that the exhibition would be “exceptional,” Saudi Press Agency reported.
Writing on social media platform X, Kerkentzes said: “We underlined the importance of careful planning to deliver a transformational World Expo in 2030.”
The BIE chief met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday.
World Expo 2030 will be hosted in Riyadh after the Kingdom defeated challenges from South Korea and Italy to host the prestigious event in November 2023.
Female students take top prizes at university’s Engineering Hackathon
- 88 teams from the Eastern Province took part in the event at Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University
- Team Al-Farahidi took first place with its Aram project, which aims to help prevent sleepwalking
RIYADH: Teams of female students took the top three prizes at Engineering Hackathon 24, which concluded on Wednesday at Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University in Dammam.
A total of 88 teams of male and female students from the Eastern Province took part in the event, which began on April 27, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Murad Al-Thubaiti, dean of the university’s College of Engineering, welcomed the high level of participation by students from universities across the province, and said 16 teams were chosen as finalists to present their projects, which covered a variety of specializations.
Team Al-Farahidi took first place with its Aram project, which aims to help prevent sleepwalking. The members were Nada Al-Dosari, Sarah Al-Nami, Manal Al-Tamimi and Nihal Al-Suhaibani.
Second spot went to Al-Khawarizmi, a team comprising Fatima Shuwaiheen, Fatima Al-Baik, Hawraa Al-Suwaiket, Walaa Al-Sulays and Amani Al-Saeedi, who designed a device that helps isolate cardiac signals from background noise.
Team Al-Battani was awarded third place for its system to help surgeons deal with stress. Its members were Hawraa Al-Wael, Dahhouk Al-Sabaa and Zainab Bou Moza.
Al-Thubaiti said activities such as the hackathon are an essential element for the development of students’ personalities and helping them prepare for the future.
Illegal workers in Riyadh region arrested after changing expiry dates on food products
- Seized products included 248,000 chicken stock cubes weighing 8 grams, 4,600 potato chip products, 2,900 soy sauces, and 1,500 pasta sauces
- A laser device used to print new production dates was also seized
RIYADH: Illegal workers at a farm in Riyadh region’s Huraymila governorate were arrested after they were caught by the Saudi Ministry of Commerce changing the expiry dates on products, Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
A 3.00 a.m. raid was carried out in cooperation with Riyadh region police and Huraymila governorate police after expired products that were seized in the possession of expatriates a few hours earlier were traced back to the farm.
Seized products included 248,000 chicken stock cubes weighing 8 grams, 4,600 potato chip products, 2,900 soy sauces, and 1,500 pasta sauces. The products were later destroyed. A laser device used to print new production dates was also seized.
The workers were referred to the competent authorities so that deterrent measures could be taken against them in accordance with the provisions of the anti-commercial fraud law.
The ministry said that violators of the anti-commercial fraud law could be imprisoned for up to three years, fined up to SR 1 million ($266,623), or receive both punishments. They could also be deported, the ministry added.
Saudi Arabia calls for unified Arab efforts to confront environmental challenges
- Minister Abdulrahman Al-Fadli spoke of biodiversity and the Arab region’s natural resources
- Al-Fadli said that the region was capable of utilizing technology and innovation
RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadli has stressed the importance of regional action to combat environmental challenges facing the Middle East and North Africa region and the world, the Saudi Press Agency has reported.
Speaking during the 38th meeting of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development in Riyadh, the minister spoke of biodiversity, the area’s natural resources and the range of agricultural environments, while stressing the challenges facing the region. He called for a united effort to reduce the impact on the region’s peoples.
Al-Fadli said that the Arab region was capable of utilizing technology and innovation, as well as seizing opportunities to invest in agriculture and improve practices to become more productive, efficient and sustainable in the use of water and natural resources.
He said enhancing trade, regional and international cooperation, and the benefits of international organizations were sources of optimism.
The minister said that the Arab region could take advantage of opportunities in technology, innovation and investment in agriculture by improving practices to make the utilization of water and natural resources more productive, efficient and sustainable.
Ibrahim Al Dukhairi, the director general of the organization, pledged his support for sustainability and agricultural development in the region, along with the development of the Arab landscape and food security.
He pointed out the significance of strategies to launch the necessary initiatives and partnerships to achieve the region’s goals.
Tourism Ministry signs job-creation deal
- Agreement was inked by Hind Al-Zahed, in charge of human-capacity development at the MoT, and Sabbar’s founder and CEO Mohammed Taha Ibrahim
- Agreement is aimed at ensuring the sector employs citizens in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism (MoT) has signed an agreement in Riyadh with Sabbar, a hiring company, to ensure job creation for the sector.
The agreement was inked by Hind Al-Zahed, in charge of human-capacity development at the ministry, and Sabbar’s founder and CEO Mohammed Taha Ibrahim.
Sabbar is a digital platform connecting employers with those seeking jobs.
The agreement is aimed at ensuring the sector employs citizens in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan, and to boost the development of the nation’s tourism companies.
The ministry wants to ensure that quality jobs are created in the private sector; and establish a database of those seeking employment.
