2020 G20 Leaders’ Summit to be held virtually on Nov. 21 – 22 

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Updated 28 September 2020
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2020 G20 Leaders’ Summit to be held virtually on Nov. 21 – 22 

  • G20 presidency to build on the success of the extraordinary virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit held in March

RIYADH: The 2020 G20 Leaders’ Summit will be held virtually on November 21 – 22 and will be chaired by the Saudi Arabia's King Salman, the G20 presidency said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) Monday.

"The G20 presidency will build on the success of the extraordinary virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit held in March, and on the outcomes of over 100 virtual working groups and ministerial meetings," the statement said.

"The G20 is leading the fight against this global pandemic, taking swift and unprecedented actions to protect lives, livelihoods and the most vulnerable," it said. 

The G20 has contributed over $21 billion to support the production, distribution, and access to diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines.

It has also injected $11 trillion to safeguard the global economy.

It has further launched a debt suspension initiative for the least developed countries that would allow beneficiary countries to defer $14 billion in debt payments due this year and use these amounts instead for financing their health systems and social programs.

"The upcoming G20 Leaders’ Summit will focus on protecting lives and restoring growth, by addressing vulnerabilities uncovered during the pandemic and by laying down the foundations for a better future," said the statement. 

"The Summit will also focus on fostering international action to realize opportunities of the 21st century for all, by empowering people and protecting our planet, whilst harnessing the potential of innovation to shape new frontiers."


Saudi chemistry duo add to KSA medal haul

Updated 14 sec ago
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Saudi chemistry duo add to KSA medal haul

  • Team members were selected by Mawhiba

RIYADH: Two Saudi students have added to the Kingdom’s medal haul at the 2024 Mendeleev International Chemistry Olympiad being held in China from April 20-27.
Hassan Abdul Jalil Al-Khalifa, a third-grade secondary student from the Provincial Department of Education, Eastern Province, and fellow student Ali Salah Al-Moussa claimed bronze medals at the competition, lifting the Kingdom’s overall tally to three silver and 20 bronze.
More than 150 students from 27 countries are competing at the 58th session of the Olympiad.
Saudi Arabia is represented by a team of six students from several educational institutions.
Team members were selected by the King Abdulaziz and his Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, also known as Mawhiba.
Students were chosen after attending a series of forums over the course of two years, and were trained by Mawhiba, in partnership with the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.


Saudi deputy minister of interior heads delegation at first conference to combat drug trafficking

Updated 8 min 58 sec ago
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Saudi deputy minister of interior heads delegation at first conference to combat drug trafficking

  • Kingdom’s participation in the conference was an extension of its efforts in the war on drugs

MAUTIRIUS: Dr. Nasser bin Abdul Aziz Al-Dawood, Saudi deputy minister of interior, headed the Kingdom’s delegation participating in the first conference to combat drug trafficking and substance abuse, held in Mauritius, which concluded on Thursday.
Al-Dawood said that the Kingdom’s participation in the conference was an extension of its efforts in the war on drugs, monitoring and diagnosing their effects and harms, and strengthening international cooperation procedures and information exchange to combat the activities of organized crime networks in general, and drug crime in particular.


Cultural Communication Center holds human communication diwaniya

Updated 20 min 51 sec ago
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Cultural Communication Center holds human communication diwaniya

  • The diwaniya tackled three themes

SAKAKA: The King Abdulaziz Center for Cultural Communication in cooperation with Al-Jouf Youth Association, held the Cultural Communication Diwaniya “Basic Pillars for Human Communication in the Kingdom” in Sakaka on Thursday.
The diwaniya tackled three themes: the ethics of human communication; the dimensions of human communication according to Vision 2030; and human communication according to international law.
Abdulaziz bin Abdulwahad Al-Hamwan, the center’s supervisor in Al-Jouf, said the goals of diwaniya were to “enhance national and human communication, consolidate the values of national cohesion, and spread the culture of human communication skills among beneficiaries.”


Minister of Islamic affairs holds meeting to discuss this year’s Hajj season

Updated 29 min 47 sec ago
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Minister of Islamic affairs holds meeting to discuss this year’s Hajj season

  • Focus on various volunteering opportunities

RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance Sheikh Abdullatif Al-Asheikh held a meeting in Jeddah on Thursday to discuss the ministry’s activities and projects during this year’s Hajj season.
The meeting was held in the presence of the ministry’s undersecretaries, the directors general of the ministry’s branch in the Makkah region, and the secretary-general for Islamic awareness in Hajj, Umrah and visitation, as well as several other officials.
The minister focused on the most prominent ongoing projects, and progress in the preparation of the ministry’s facilities and services, including the mosques at the holy sites, the central area in Makkah, and activities provided by the ministry.
He looked at the importance of volunteering opportunities during this year’s Hajj season, and following up on special projects at the mosques and holy sites that serve pilgrims during this year’s Hajj.


Meet Rima Al-Harbi, the first Saudi female to win at the AlUla Camel Cup

Updated 26 April 2024
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Meet Rima Al-Harbi, the first Saudi female to win at the AlUla Camel Cup

ALULA: “Our dream, as athletes, is to be able to represent our country; and for me to live my dream for my country — in my country — is the ultimate triumph,” Rima Al-Harbi told Arab News after making history this week as the first Saudi woman to win at the AlUla Camel Cup.

At last year’s inaugural competition, Al-Harbi was the only woman to compete in a field full of male riders. This year, the event included a women’s category. Al-Harbi returned. And this time she won.

“Most of the women I competed against this year have way more experience than me; it was truly a difficult race, in general,” Al-Harbi said. “But somehow, thanks to Allah, I didn’t feel like anyone challenged me. From the moment we started to when we reached the finish line, I was in first place.”

The 22-year-old, who was raised in nearby Madinah, where she still resides, grew up around camels. Both her father and grandfather competed in camel racing and she has a fierce love for the animal and for the sport. She credits her grandfather for encouraging her to learn how to ride when she was just seven years old. Now, she trains with her camel, Auf, for about two hours every day. She is continuing the family tradition and breaking records along the way.

Al-Harbi said that three of her sisters also ride camels, but “as a hobby.” She is the only one of her siblings to compete professionally.

Al-Harbi has opened a small training club for local women who want to try their hand at camel racing. Her aim is to strengthen the community and to find fellow Saudi women to join her journey.

“Since I have a deep love for the sport and have the opportunity and capability, why wouldn’t I want to help other women also get into the sport? These women want to try it as a hobby and we all have to start somewhere. I don’t take any funds for this; it is done out of pure passion. It is just about introducing the sport to women who are interested. I offer them guidance and advice, and we walk through the sport,” she said.

The four-day AlUla Camel Cup ends on Saturday. Al-Harbi did return the day after her victory to soak up the atmosphere and cheer on other riders, but don’t count on her being back for the final day.

“I will stay home to rest,” she told us with a laugh.