RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and other regional countries will showcase their experience in stem-cell transplantation at the fourth Worldwide Network for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (WBMT) workshop and symposium on Sunday.
The King Faisal Specialist Hospital is organizing the three-day conference in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WTO) and 15 specialized global associations.
Around 100 local and international speakers will take part in the event at the hospital’s headquarters in Riyadh.
The conference aims to share experiences among countries of the Middle East and North Africa that have existing programs in the field of bone-marrow and stem-cell transplantation, to strengthen and develop their potential, participate in research and learn about the latest developments.
Firas Al-Falih, hematology and stem-cell transplantation expert at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital, said the conference is taking place in collaboration with the Health Ministry.
He added that the conference will be divided into eight workshops discussing ways to develop bone-marrow and stem-cell transplantation in developing countries, the requirements needed to start such programs, current indicators of stem-cell transplantation for adults and children, choosing stem-cell donors, methods to verify donation safety, training and dissemination of knowledge related to bone-marrow and stem-cell transplantation, training and educating nursing staff, methods of examining tissue, the best source to collect stem cells, and complications of transplantation, including infectious diseases.
Kingdom to share stem-cell transplant experience
Kingdom to share stem-cell transplant experience
Rare sighting of critically endangered leatherback turtle in Red Sea
- Turtles travel thousands of kilometers to Red Sea
- Nesting 6,500km away in India’s Andaman Islands
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Wildlife has documented a rare sighting of a leatherback sea turtle in the Red Sea, marking a significant biological record for one of the planet’s most critically endangered marine species.
The sighting occurred approximately 30 km off the coast of Al-Qunfudhah within the Blue Holes Protected Area, a newly established marine reserve, according to a recent report from the Saudi Press Agency.
The NCW said the presence of a leatherback in these waters was an exceptional event.
Recognized as the largest turtle species on Earth, the leatherback can weigh up to 900 kilograms. It has a unique leathery, black carapace — distinguished by five longitudinal ridges rather than a hard bony shell — and able to dive to depths exceeding 1,000 meters.
Noting the species’ migratory nature, the center explained that leatherbacks travel thousands of kilometers foraging for jellyfish. The specimen likely navigated through the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait in search of food.
This is considered a remarkable journey, the NCW said, noting that the nearest known populations reside in the Indian Ocean, spanning waters from South Africa to Sri Lanka (roughly 7,000 to 8,000 km away).
The closest known nesting grounds are located in India’s Andaman Islands, approximately 6,500 kilometers away. No nesting activity has been recorded in the Red Sea.
According to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the leatherback is Critically Endangered in the Indian Ocean.
While data for the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf is scarce, recent isolated sightings include a juvenile recorded in Jordan in December 2025 and another off Djibouti in 2019.
The NCW emphasized that these rare appearances highlight the ecological importance of the Kingdom's marine conservation efforts in the Red Sea.
The center pointed to the Farasan Islands Marine Protected Area, along with the new Blue Holes and Ras Hatiba reserves, as critical sanctuaries that could support the expansion in range of such endangered species.
