ROME: Yemeni ports under the control of the legitimate government can receive humanitarian aid, Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, general supervisor of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief), has said.
Al-Rabeeah said that the Kingdom had offered the Saudi Port of Jazan to be used along with other ports to help the flow of humanitarian aid into Yemen.
Al-Rabeeah, who is at a high-level meeting in Rome for the Partnership for Permanent Peace in Yemen, condemned the 16 attacks of Houthi militias against UN and other relief organizations during 2015-2017, which involved murder, kidnapping, imprisonment and closure of offices, as well as extortion and looting.
The Houthi militias had closed ports and offices of international organizations working in Yemen and seized 65 ships, 124 relief convoys, and 628 aid shipments. He said the Houthi militias were targeting residential areas, humanitarian aid and humanitarian workers.
Al-Rabeeah said that the UN and international community should do more to hold militias accountable for hampering humanitarian work, and for their targeting of civilians and use of children in war crimes. Houthi militias had recruited more than 20,000 Yemeni children, according to human rights organizations. He said that the Kingdom was rehabilitating 2,000 children who were previously recruited by the militias.
Al-Rabeeah said that total aid provided by the Kingdom to Yemen from April 2015 to October 2017 reached $8.27 billion, noting that (KSRelief) delivered aid used airdrops of food and medical aid in the city of Taiz to break the blockade of the militias.
KSRelief delivered 161 projects in Yemen through 86 local and international partners. These projects included food security, nutrition, shelters, social support, and environmental sanitation.
Al-Rabeeah said that KSRelief was particularly interested in programs helping women and children, and ran 148 such programs in Yemen. KSRelief work covered 80 projects in education, protection, food security, health, nutrition, water, environmental sanitation, and personal hygiene.
Al-Rabeeah said that the Kingdom had been working to limit the spread of cholera in Yemen. It donated more than $76 million to the Yemeni Ministry of Public Health and Population, the WHO, and UNICEF. KSRelief sent a convoy carrying more than 550,000 tons of medical equipment to Yemeni regions to fight the epidemic. The rate of recovery, he said, had reached 99.5 percent, which meant many organizations could close Cholera treatment centers in some areas.
He also called on UN and humanitarian organizations in Yemen to decentralize their humanitarian efforts and avoid opening their headquarters in one city only.
KSRelief chief: Yemeni ports under legitimate control open to aid
KSRelief chief: Yemeni ports under legitimate control open to aid
Saudi Arabia witnessing comprehensive cultural development, says expert
- Clotilde Entrecanales of Acciona hails pace of change in Kingdom
JEDDAH: Museums, exhibitions and art centers play a crucial role in the development of free and educated societies such as the one now burgeoning in Saudi Arabia, an expert has told Arab News.
Clotilde Entrecanales, the Spanish art historian and cultural executive who heads Acciona Living & Culture, a leading creator of technology-driven interactive museums, exhibits and events, said the Kingdom is making efforts to expand the role of culture development to show the world the greatest possible cultural offer.
She added that the Kingdom has quickly infused new energy into the region, and is rapidly establishing itself as a global cultural hub through massive investment in world-class museums, public art and international events, aligning with its 2030 vision.
She said: “With around 70 percent of the population under 30, cultural consumption looks very different than in Europe or the US. These spaces can’t feel like quiet, isolated institutions … they need to be fast, dynamic, brave and deeply connected to the city, blending into everyday urban life rather than sitting apart from it.”
Asked about the role of these sites in the evolving global cultural landscape, particularly in emerging cultural hubs like Saudi Arabia, Entrecanales said: “Our vision is to be a purpose-led partner for cultural and entertainment institutions, helping them be more relevant, connected, inclusive and sustainable.”
She added: “In emerging cultural hubs like Saudi Arabia, that approach feels especially relevant. The cultural transformation underway is moving fast — with major heritage and cultural destinations being developed and opened to the world.”
Speaking about her impression of the Kingdom’s approach to blending heritage with modernity face, Entrecanales said: “Others who attempt to achieve this balance often end up turning heritage into a theme, a layer of storytelling or a cultural program. What feels different about Saudi’s approach is how much pressure there is to treat heritage as the foundation, not just the surface.
“When you’re building at this speed and scale, there’s always a risk that history becomes a backdrop instead of a backbone. The projects that work best are the ones that slow down just enough to let the past set the rhythm for the present.”
Regarding opportunities and challenges, she said: “The opportunity is nothing less than positioning Saudi Arabia as a global cultural center. The challenge, as always, lies in balancing the speed and scale of that ambition with long-term sustainability and a sense of authenticity that remains credible and rooted.”
She added: “You can really feel this in places like the Islamic Arts Biennale, which shows hundreds of historical artefacts of the Islamic world, while re-framing them through contemporary scenography and designs by some of the best design studios in the world; or in AlUla, a world-class heritage site that hosts a major contemporary platform like Desert X, allowing ancient context and present-day artistic practice to coexist in a way that feels genuine.”
Under her guidance, ACCIONA Cultura aspires to create museums and cultural experiences that function as landmarks while fostering sustainable, inclusive and immersive interactions.
She elaborated on how the company is integrating technology, culture, and sustainability to preserve and promote the region’s cultural heritage: “We always start with human connection and storytelling: what’s the story, what should people leave with? Tech comes later.”
Recently, ACCIONA Cultura has been involved in significant projects in Saudi Arabia and is looking forward for more.
She said: “Right now, for example, we’re designing and curating a museum gallery where the entire space is shaped by the practice of a Saudi artist. Another example is the Net Zero exhibition at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), where we brought together Saudi and international artists to explore sustainability and our relationship with the planet, including voices like Dina Haddadin, Mohammed Al-Faraj, and Zahrah Al-Ghamdi.”
She added: “One of the projects I’m most proud of isn’t a museum, but our NEXT IN Summit, which we’ve hosted in two editions in our ACCIONA Campus in Madrid, highlighting the Kingdom’s unprecedented cultural momentum as it builds future-facing institutions with a startup mindset.”
About further collaboration with Saudi Arabia, she said: “Let’s just say … something’s definitely simmering in the kitchen.”
Commenting on being recognized among the Blooloop 50 Museum Influencers for 2025, she said: “It means a lot. More than anything, it feels like a nod to the years of teamwork and dedication behind Acciona Cultura, rather than to me personally.”
