JEDDAH: To mark World Meteorological Day, a special conference will on Sunday be opened in Saudi Arabia under the theme “atmospheric phenomena and the role of media in society.”
Dr. Khalil bin Musleh Al-Thaqafi, president of the Saudi General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection, will inaugurate the Arab Forum for Meteorology and Media being staged at the Casablanca Grand Hotel in Jeddah.
The ceremony will be attended by officials and experts from the Arab League, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and the media.
The forum will tackle subjects including weather forecasting and warnings, and liaison with media outlets over the distribution of climate information and news. 
Saudi Arabia is one of the founder nations of the WMO and a permanent member of its governing council and is a leading international player in the exchange of information and scientific research on meteorological issues.
The Kingdom has launched a number of initiatives aimed at developing systems to improve the accuracy of both long- and short-range weather forecasting and is also working on establishing an early warning center for weather and pollution alerts.
Other events will be held in regions throughout the Kingdom to mark World Meteorological Day on March 23.