RIYADH: Patrick Simonnet, head of the EU delegation Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman, recently visited the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology, known as Etidal.
During the visit, the EU envoy and his accompanying delegation were briefed on the center’s strategies to counter extremist ideology and the techniques used in the process.
The secretary-general of the center, Dr. Mansour Al-Shammari, presented Simonnet with a souvenir. The ambassador praised the center’s work. In his comments on the center’s visitors’ book, he wrote: “Thank you so much for you important work — important for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia but also for Europe. We all have the same enemy in common, we all count on you and you can count on us. I am looking forward to continued cooperation on all topics, which will contribute to making the region safe and more stable. All my admiration to your dedicated team. ”
The center was established on three basic pillars: Confronting extremism by the latest intellectual, media, and numerical methods and means.
The center uses different methods to counter extremist ideology such as software capable of monitoring, classifying, and analyzing any extremist content within just 6 seconds of its online broadcast and with more than 80 percent accuracy. It has a team of multidisciplinary researchers competent in using data analytical tools.
It operates in the extremists’ most widely used languages and dialects. Advanced analytical models are being developed to locate digital media platforms, highlight the extremist focal point, and secret sources of polarization and acquiring activities.
The center works to refute hate and extremist speech and promote concepts of moderation through the production of media content that confronts radical thoughts.
DiplomaticQuarter: EU envoy visits Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology in Riyadh
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DiplomaticQuarter: EU envoy visits Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology in Riyadh
Pioneering electric bus service takes to the road in Makkah
- The bus rapid transit project, a system designed to have higher capacity and reliability than conventional bus services, is said to be the first of its kind in the Kingdom
- The vehicles operate in dedicated bus lanes within a network that includes two main bus stations and 11 stops along the route connecting them
MAKKAH: A pioneering electric bus service took to the road in Makkah this week.
Electromin, the developer and operator of the service in partnership with Umm Al-Qura for Development and Construction, said it is expected to serve more than 125 million passengers over the next 15 years, while cutting carbon dioxide emissions by more than 31,500 tonnes compared with traditional vehicles.
The bus rapid transit project, a system designed to have higher capacity and reliability than conventional bus services, is said to be one of the first of its kind in the Kingdom. It was inaugurated on Wednesday by Amr Al-Dabbagh, chairperson of Al-Dabbagh Group; Samir Nawar, managing director of Petromin; and Yasser Abu Ateeq, CEO of Umm Al-Qura.
Electromin, a subsidiary of Petromin specializing in energy and mobility solutions, said the new service, which forms part of the Masar Destination mixed-use real estate development project in Makkah, is one the first transport networks of its kind in the country, and represents a significant shift toward a cleaner, more efficient urban transport model.
It operates in dedicated bus lanes, connecting key hubs within Masar and providing safe, reliable and environmentally friendly transportation for residents and visitors, the company added. The network includes two main bus stations and 11 stops along the route connecting them. It has been designed to serve more than 5 million visitors and pilgrims annually, and to be easily accessible to all users.
Operators say the service is designed as a foundation for Makkah’s future transportation system, through its integration with the broader Masar project, which includes pedestrian walkways, more than 5,000 parking spaces, metro services and other urban infrastructure.
