JEDDAH: The Kingdom’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) confirmed a statement issued by the Ministry of Haj and Umrah, expressing the ministry’s eagerness to enable Qataris wishing to perform Umrah.
Qataris can perform Umrah at any time and by any airline, except Qatar Airways, provided that they start from Doha and come through any other transit station via any carrier and arrive at King Abdul Aziz Airport in Jeddah or Prince Mohammed Bin Abdul Aziz Airport in Madinah.
Qatari pilgrims and those residing in Qatar who have Haj permits from the Ministry of Haj and Umrah and the Haj affairs authorities in Qatar, and have been registered in the Haj electronic system, will be able to come directly from Doha or through any other transit station via any carrier, other than Qatar Airways, selected by the Qatari government and approved by the GACA.
GACA confirms keenness to implement directives to serve Qatari pilgrims
GACA confirms keenness to implement directives to serve Qatari pilgrims
Japanese researchers hope to restore coral from Saudi-made structures
- Coral skeletons made for Saudi Pavilion at Japan expo last year
- Results of Japanese study to be revealed at Riyadh Expo 2030
TOKYO: Japanese universities are seeking to restore coral reefs and marine ecosystems after receiving artificial structures that Saudi Arabia made and showcased at last year’s Osaka-Kansai Expo.
The coral skeletons were donated to the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa and Kansai University in Osaka Prefecture, Kyodo News reported at the weekend.
The structures are made from calcium carbonate, a material on which corals are believed to grow more easily compared to artificial alternatives such as concrete or metal.
The skeletal structures were created using 3-D printers, with one piece produced a day during the expo, and displayed across an entire wall in the Saudi Arabia Pavilion, which had an area focusing on sustainable marine environments.
Coral reefs serve as habitats for much marine life, but over 40 percent of the world’s 892 species face possible extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The University of the Ryukyus, which received about 150 of the artificial coral skeletons, will place them in waters off the eastern coast of Okinawa’s main island and then examine their impact on the ecosystem.
Kansai University has placed theirs in the sea around Kagoshima Prefecture’s Yoron Island to observe their growth after transplanting coral polyps onto the structures.
The results of the research are expected to be revealed at the Riyadh Expo in 2030.
“I had never imagined that Japan and Saudi Arabia would cooperate on coral research,” said Masato Ueda, a professor specializing in regenerative medicine at Kansai University.
Ueda said he wants to demonstrate to children that “humanity is attempting to restore the environment.”
