CHRISTCHURCH: King Salman’s Hajj offer to host families of those affected by March’s Christchurch terror attacks is “something really special,” said the president of the Muslim Association of Canterbury, Shagaf Khan.
The Saudi king has offered to host and cover the expenses of 200 Hajj pilgrims when they journey to Makkah this year.
Khan said people will be both financially and spiritually supported during the journey. “For some of them, it’ll be a great comfort feeling like they’ve fulfilled the obligations of being a Muslim,” he added.
Khan said a trip to Makkah would normally cost around 10,000 New Zealand dollars ($6,769), but King Salman’s offer would cover pilgrims “from the time they leave their house and come back.”
When asked what the offer would mean for Canterbury’s Muslim community, Khan said it is part of the solidarity and support that has been shown to them since the Christchurch terror attacks, which claimed the lives of 51 people.
“Four months on … people still feel supported and they feel they’re still being remembered,” he added.
Sheikh Mohammed Amir, who is working closely with the local community, Saudi Arabia’s Embassy and its Ministry of Islamic Affairs to implement King Salman’s offer, said it will be available for those who had lost family members or been injured in the mosque attacks.
Canterbury’s Muslims are “very appreciative” of the offer, added Amir, who is chairman of the Islamic Scholars Board of New Zealand.
“I’ll say with full confidence that this will be a big relief for the deceased’s families, for the victims, for all those who’ve been injured and affected,” he said.
When asked how the organization of the pilgrimage is going, Amir said “so far, so good,” but added that it has been challenging without official records to track everyone down.
He said it is an honor and a responsibility to help organize the pilgrimage, which he has been helping to plan since the end of Ramadan. “People are very excited about it,” he added.
He said he believed that the king’s offer had been made to help people’s rehabilitation after the terror attacks.
“The community believes he’s going to contribute in building Christchurch and bringing people to a normal life,” Amir added.
Gamal Fouda, imam at Al-Noor Mosque, where 42 people were killed in March, said: “If this offer wasn’t there, I wouldn’t be able to do Hajj all my life.” He added that the offer is a “golden chance” for the local Muslim community.
Fouda said he is looking forward to catching up with relatives who are making the pilgrimage from different parts of the world. “Everyone is very excited,” he added.
Christchurch Muslims praise King Salman’s Hajj offer
Christchurch Muslims praise King Salman’s Hajj offer
- The president of the Muslim Association of Canterbury Shagaf Khan said people will be both financially and spiritually supported during the journey
- Khan said a trip to Makkah would normally cost around 10,000 New Zealand dollars ($6,769), but King Salman’s offer would cover pilgrims “from the time they leave their house and come back”
Sports medicine professionals gather at global event in Riyadh
- European College of Sports and Exercise Physicians (ECOSEP) conference will run until April 27 at the Crowne Plaza Riyadh RDC under the supervision of the MOVE Center for Comprehensive Sports Medicine
- MOVE Center is the first facility specialized in integrated sports medicine in the Kingdom, focusing on diagnosing, treating, rehabilitating, educating and protecting athletes from sports injuries
RIYADH: A major global sports medicine conference began in Riyadh on Thursday, with more than 60 speakers arriving in the Saudi capital from 15 countries around the world.
The European College of Sports and Exercise Physicians (ECOSEP) conference, one of the largest events in the industry worldwide, will run until April 27 at the Crowne Plaza Riyadh RDC under the supervision of the MOVE Center for Comprehensive Sports Medicine.
The MOVE Center is the first facility specialized in integrated sports medicine in the Kingdom, focusing on diagnosing, treating, rehabilitating, educating and protecting athletes from sports injuries.
Dr. Mubarak Al-Mutawa, the center’s CEO, said: “One of our main goals at MOVE is medical prevention. When I take one’s measurements and weight, and evaluate their condition, I always solve them with preventative solutions.
“The world is taking the lead toward the importance of being cautious and aware. A quality life consists of good nutrition and staying active because those factors prevent chronic conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.”
Nikos Malliaropoulos, ECOSEP secretary general and a sports consultant, told Arab News that constant learning is the most important part of working in sports medicine.
“It (sports medicine) is starting to expand all over the world and I am really happy that we are here today in Saudi Arabia, opening the doors to sports exercise medicine.
“I think it is important as Saudi Arabia will host the World Cup in 10 years. So, over the next 10 years, this knowledge needs to be expanded to all healthcare professionals. This course changed my life and my practice 20 years ago. It was the motivation and the drive to develop that.”
Dr. Amir Pakravan, a consultant in sport and musculoskeletal medicine, as well as an ECOSEP board member, told Arab News that he previously had experience working in fast-paced medical environments, which prepared him for his job as a sports consultant.
When he is on the field, Pakravan ensures that he has a checklist of procedures memorized at all times, to ensure a quick response if an athlete is injured.
“What I would say to myself is to stick to the one, two, three and four of your list and check that you have done all of them. That focus on procedure is important.”
The three-day conference will host a series of workshops as well as sessions with industry leaders and officials.
It comes as an extension of efforts in the Saudi sports sector under the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
47th Saudi relief plane for Gazans arrives in Egypt
- The aid will be transported from Egypt’s Al-Arish International Airport into Gaza
- Relief is part of the Kingdom’s historic role in supporting Palestinian people in times of crisis
RIYADH: The 47th Saudi relief plane carrying medical and shelter supplies for the people of Gaza arrived in Egypt on Wednesday evening.
The aid will be transported from Egypt’s Al-Arish International Airport into Gaza.
The plane was operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center in coordination with the Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense, Saudi Press Agency reported.
The aid is part of the Kingdom’s historic role in supporting Palestinian people in times of crisis, SPA added.
World’s largest coral restoration project unveiled in the Red Sea
- NEOM nursery will by 2025 produce 400,000 corals annually
- Aim to restore reefs globally, says KAUST President Tony Chan
Scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, in collaboration with NEOM, have launched the first nursery of the KAUST Coral Restoration Initiative.
“KCRI is the largest coral restoration project in the world and represents a significant step towards restoring reefs globally with a primary nursery officially in operation and a second facility in development, both in the Red Sea,” according to a statement released on Thursday.
The nursery, built on the coast of NEOM in northwest Saudi Arabia, is set to transform coral restoration efforts with a production capacity of 40,000 corals annually.
Functioning as a pioneering pilot facility, researchers will leverage the project as the blueprint for large-scale coral restoration initiatives, including the world’s largest and most advanced land-based coral nursery.
Located at the same site, this advanced coral nursery will boast a 10-fold larger capacity to nurture 400,000 corals annually. The project is expected to be completed by December 2025.
Home to 25 percent of known marine species despite covering less than 1 percent of the sea floor, coral reefs are the bedrock of numerous marine ecosystems. Experts estimate up to 90 percent of global coral reefs will experience severe heat stress by 2050.
Prof. Tony Chan, president of KAUST, said: “Recent events provide a stark reminder of the global crisis that coral reefs face. Our ambition is, therefore, to pioneer a pathway to upscale from the current labor-intensive restoration efforts to industrial-scale processes required to reverse the current rate of coral reef degradation.”
The initiative aligns with the Saudi Vision 2030 and its efforts to bolster marine conservation, leveraging KAUST’s research into marine ecosystems and serving as a platform to test innovative restoration methods.
Nadhmi Al-Nasr, CEO of NEOM, said: “Through our long-standing partnership with the KAUST, we will also highlight the role of coral reefs, among the most important marine environmental systems, and the value of their preservation for future generations.”
EU relaxes visa rules for Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain
- Saudi, Omani, Bahraini nationals now eligible for multiple-entry, 5-year visas
- ‘An important step for promoting people-to-people contacts,’ says envoy
RIYADH: Travel to Europe will become simpler and easier for Saudi, Omani, and Bahraini nationals following a European Commission decision to relax visa rules.
EU Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Christophe Farnaud told reporters in Riyadh on Thursday that the new Schengen visa rules are “an important step in promoting people-to-people contacts, and facilitating exchanges between the EU and the GCC citizens.”
Under the new rules, a multiple-entry visa will normally be issued for five years to successful applicants, including those applying for the first time.
“The process is the same, but the length of the visa is longer, which allows them to travel to 29 European countries using the same visa valid for five years and multiple entry,” Farnaud said.
He said that it was important to view the visa change against “the backdrop of the strategic relationship between this region and Europe.”
The Schengen area consists of 29 European countries, of which 25 are EU states: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden, along with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Member states will implement the decision once they have received notifications, Farnaud said.
“As we know, the notification was made on Wednesday, so from now on, the member states can issue these visas, unless there is some technical reason for a country to take a few days,” he said.
“I am very happy to have been able to work on that, and I must say that I received a lot of very positive responses from citizens, from Saudi Arabia, especially. I think it’s really good news,” Farnaud said.
The envoy said that Europe is also working on e-visas, “but it will take some time. I cannot tell you how long exactly because it implies decisions by member states on technical aspects. So, it will happen, but It will take some time.”
Japan, Saudi Arabia invite public to design 70th anniversary celebratory logo
- The chosen logo will be used in all events commemorating the 70th anniversary of the two countries
- Anyone is eligible to apply to create a logo that conveys the strong ties between the Kingdom and Japan
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called for applications to design a logo to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Saudi Arabia in 2025.
The chosen logo will be used in all events commemorating the 70th anniversary of the two countries.
Anyone is eligible to apply to create a logo that conveys the strong ties between the Kingdom and Japan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the Japanese embassy in Saudi Arabia, the Japanese consulate-general in Jeddah and the Saudi government will announce the best logo design on their websites and social media accounts.
The deadline for applications is June 10. Applications must be submitted as an email to [email protected].
Each logo design must be no larger than 3 MB in electronic format, with a resolution of 300 dpi or higher, in a file format — JPEG or PDF — that will fit an A4 size when printed.
An explanation of the purpose of the proposed logo mark is required with each submission.
A similar application was announced in 2021, when the UAE and Japan commemorated the 50th anniversary of establishing their diplomatic relationship.
More information on the applications can be found here: The 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2025 call for designs of the commemorative logo.
