JEDDAH: The Raum mountain, with an ancient fortress perched on top, is the latest in a series of major attractions drawing tourists to Najran, a city in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the border with Yemen.
The 1,000-meter high geographical jewel provides a bird’s eye view of the city and houses a castle decorated with distinctive shapes and patterns to reflect the history of the region, its civilization and ancient architecture.
Below the castle are newly-constructed reservoirs to stock up water during the rainy season.
The fortress, which is also an archaeological site, is surrounded by a large external wall built of square stones and adorned with shielding balconies. It has five rooms, a roof made of palm wood and a winding staircase.
Mount Raum is located to the south of the Najran valley facing the Abu Hamdan mountain — the highest mountain in the region — and runs parallel to the Wadi Najran watercourse.
It holds strategic and historical significance attracting tourists and explorers looking to document the area overlooking the heritage villages of Al-Hudhun, Al Qabil, and Djerba.
Tourists throng to the Saudi Arabian city of Najran for bird’s eye views of the valley
Tourists throng to the Saudi Arabian city of Najran for bird’s eye views of the valley
Asir region is first with launch of tourism identity
- Prince Turki said the slogan “Karam Al-Arouma” was inspired by the generosity and welcoming nature of the people of the region
Saudi Arabia’s Asir region has become the first in the Kingdom to create a regional tourism identity, accompanied by the slogan “Karam Al-Arouma,” or “the generosity of the people of Asir.”
Asir Gov. Prince Turki bin Talal bin Abdulaziz, who also heads the Asir Region Development Authority, launched the identity at an official ceremony organized by the authority and hosted by the Rijal Heritage Village in Rijal Almaa governorate.
“This identity has been in the works for quite a while. It’s a very exciting day for us to finally unveil this to the world. It’s going to help our marketing efforts both domestically and internationally,“ Hashim Al-Dabbagh, the authority’s CEO, told Arab News.
“The vision of the Asir region is to be a preeminent destination year-round, and having our own identity is a step in that direction,” he said.
Asir is seeking to become a global destination throughout the year, based on its authentic culture and wide range of natural attractions.
Prince Turki said the slogan “Karam Al-Arouma” was inspired by the generosity and welcoming nature of the people of the region.
The identity was supported by the launch of the “Discover Asir” tourism website under the umbrella of “Visit Saudi,” which will provide tourist information.
Saudi Justice Ministry to host training conference
RIYADH: The Saudi Ministry of Justice is to hold the International Conference of Judicial Training in Riyadh from May 6-7.
The Judicial Training Center hosts the event which will see the participation of several international training institutes, centers, and experts in the field of judicial and legal training. The objective is to facilitate the exchange of experiences and deliberations on contemporary trends in the era of digital transformation.
Called “The Future of Judicial Training in the Era of Digital Transformation,” the event will delve into the prospects of training in the future. It will explore paths for enhancing training content; strategies for harnessing modern technology; artificial intelligence in judicial training; and effective methodologies for measuring the training’s impact.
Saudi energy minister attends Tashkent International Investment Forum
TASHKENT: Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman on Thursday participated in the primary dialogue session at the third Tashkent International Investment Forum.
In the presence of the president of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the energy minister highlighted the distinguished relations between the two nations, emphasizing the leadership’s strong commitment to enhancing and expanding cooperation across all sectors, particularly energy.
The partnership aims to benefit both countries and their citizens.
Who’s Who: Ali Alhasan, CEO and founder of NanoPalm
- Alhasan co-developed deep tech to leverage large language models for biotech discovery
- He was granted the Outstanding Researcher Award from the International Institute for Nanotechnology in 2012
Ali Alhasan is CEO and founder of the company NanoPalm. He holds a Ph.D. in nanomedicine, with expertise in nano-drug delivery and gene therapy and five years of experience in executive management.
In his role as CEO, Alhasan formulates the strategic and business plans for accelerating therapy translation globally and trains talents in deep tech, nanotech, and gene editing tech.
Alhasan co-developed deep tech to leverage large language models for biotech discovery. He also co-invented Nanopalm’s biorobots for the delivery of gene editing primers and helped discover four nanomedicines for four different genetic diseases.
He is also an associate professor at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology and an adjunct professor at Alfaisal University, establishing collaboration agreements between the two.
As associate professor, he is the principal researcher for development and innovation in nanomedicine and the fourth industrial revolution.
In his role as adjunct professor, Alhasan teaches nanomedicine and mentors postgraduate and undergraduate students. He also co-established the Cancer Nanoscience Program.
Previously, Alhasan served in executive leadership roles at KACST as deputy at the Joint Centers of Excellence Program (2021), deputy of the Life Science and Environment Research Institute (2020), director of the Center of Excellence for Biomedicine (2020), and director of Strategic Initiatives (2016).
Alhasan was a post-doctoral scholar at the University of California in 2015 and received his Ph.D. in the Interdepartmental Biological Sciences Program from Northwestern University in 2013.
In 2008, he received a master’s degree in biotechnology also from Northwestern University, while in 2001, he received his bachelor’s degree in medical technology from King Abdulaziz University.
Alhasan was granted the Leader of the Year award from the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology in 2024. In 2018, he received the Outstanding Investigator Award from KACST.
He was granted the Outstanding Researcher Award from the International Institute for Nanotechnology in 2012.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan speaks with Swiss foreign minister
- two ministers discussed developments of common interest and efforts made by both countries in those areas
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan spoke on the phone with his Swiss counterpart Ignazio Cassis on Thursday.
During the call, the two ministers discussed developments of common interest and efforts made by both countries in those areas, Saudi Press Agency reported.
Cassis was in the Kingdom last month to attend the Special Meeting of the World Economic Forum held in Riyadh on April 28 and 29, during which he met with Prince Faisal.
Prince Faisal and Cassis also met earlier in the year in February during UN meetings in Geneva.
