RIYADH: Malaysia will be the guest of honor at the Riyadh International Book Fair 2017, which opens on March 8 at the Riyadh International Exhibition Center, Adel Al-Toraifi, minister of culture and information, announced on Thursday.
“Choosing the Kingdom of Malaysia as the guest of honor comes … with the distinctive ties between the two countries in various political, economic, cultural and tourism fields,” the minister said. He added that his ministry has started activating the national transformation initiatives through its programs, events and activities, including Riyadh International Book Fair.
“We will work on establishing the concept of our national identity as well as the methodology of moderation and tolerance pursued by the Government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques,” Al-Toraifi said.
Malaysian Ambassador Zainol Rahim Zainuddin told Arab News that his government is honored to have got this opportunity to be the guest of honor at the upcoming book fair.
“We are thankful to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Minister Adel Al-Toraifi for their kind cooperation in this matter,” Zainuddin said.
The envoy said already a team from Malaysia is currently working here to help the local authorities as to how best they could project Malaysia well at the forthcoming show. There will be around 15 publishers from Malaysia will exhibit their products and some 50 representatives from the publishing houses will attend the show.
Around 60 percent of the 400 books exhibited at the show will be on children and youths and the rest will cover other areas and segments of the community, the envoy said.
The Malaysian cartoonist LET will be present with his books at the show. “Kampung Boy” was authored by LET and was translated into 20 languages including Arabic, the envoy said.
Malaysia Guest-of-Honor at Riyadh International Book Fair 2017
Malaysia Guest-of-Honor at Riyadh International Book Fair 2017
Saudi wildlife center records rare sighting of critically endangered leatherback turtle in Red Sea
- NCW says the leatherback traveled thousands of kilometers to reach the Red Sea
- The closest known nesting grounds are located in India’s Andaman Islands, some 6,500 km distant
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's National Center for Wildlife (NCW) 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 kilometers off the coast of Al-Qunfudhah within the Blue Holes Protected Area, a newly established marine reserve, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The NCW confirmed that the presence of a leatherback in these waters is an exceptional event. Recognized as the largest turtle species on Earth, the leatherback can weigh up to 900 kilograms. It is easily identified by its unique leathery, black carapace—distinguished by five longitudinal ridges rather than a hard bony shell—and its ability 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 el-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 kilometers away). The closest known nesting grounds are located in India’s Andaman Islands, approximately 6,500 kilometers distant. No nesting activity has been recorded in the Red Sea.
According to the IUCN Red List, 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 potential expansion of such endangered species' ranges.
