Saudi Salam project to launch 4th program for youth

More than 1,200 people applied to the program, but only 60 applicants who met the terms of enrolment were selected. (Shutterstock)
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Updated 03 October 2021
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Saudi Salam project to launch 4th program for youth

  • The program includes training workshops and panel discussions aiming to empower participants to acquire scientific knowledge on the most prominent issues

RIYADH: The Salam Project for Cultural Communication on Sunday will launch the fourth session of the Young Leaders Program, with the participation of 60 young men and women.

The program aims to develop participants’ cognitive capacities and skills and empower them to have effective and influential cultural communication with other cultures, participate in international forums and promote a positive image of the Kingdom.

Executive director of the project, Fahd bin Sultan Al-Sultan, said that the 60 participants would be trained for three months through an integrated system of training meetings and tools to develop their knowledge and skills for effective cultural communication.

The program includes training workshops and panel discussions aiming to empower participants to acquire scientific knowledge on the most prominent issues and challenges facing the Kingdom.

The program will include field visits to meet experts to draw on their experiences and learn about the Kingdom’s cultural efforts and accomplishments.

Participants will learn about human diversity among people with different cultural backgrounds. The program will cover initiatives and projects to invest the knowledge and skills learned in the service of participants’ future international contributions.

More than 1,200 people applied to the program, but only 60 applicants who met the terms of enrolment were selected. The participants have the capacity, experience and competency to interact with other cultures, are proficient in international languages, have previously participated in international events and have the expertise that goes with the program’s policy and objectives.

Al-Sultan highlighted the importance of investing youth with talents and capacities to use their skills to promote a positive image of the Kingdom globally.

Up to 180 people have graduated from the program in the last three sessions. Graduates have participated in more than 110 international forums held in more than 32 countries, where they presented more than 30 workshops.


Black cloth covering Kaaba in Makkah raised ahead of Hajj

Updated 23 May 2024
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Black cloth covering Kaaba in Makkah raised ahead of Hajj

  • The procedure is meant to keep the cover, known as kiswa, free from getting soiled and tampered with as pilgrims performing Hajj circumabulate the Kaaba

RIYADH: In keeping with the annual tradition, officials raised the lower part of the kiswa — the elaborately designed black cloth covering the Kaaba — in Makkah on Wednesday ahead of this year's Hajj pilgrimage.

As approved by the General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, the exposed part was covered with a white cotton fabric, two-and-a-half meters wide and 54 meters long on all four sides, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

Carrying out the procedure were 36 specialized technical personnel with the aid of 10 cranes.

As described in the SPA report, the kiswa is lifted in several stages: It starts with unscrewing the bottom of the cover from all sides, separating the corners, then untying the bottom rope and removing it from the fixing rings, after which the cloth is rolled upward. The lanterns are then dismantled and the white cloth are put in place, after which the lanterns are reinstalled over the white cloth until the final stage.

The procedure is repeated every year to protect the kiswa from getting soiled and damaged as pilgrims circumambulate the Kaaba.

The annual Hajj in Saudi Arabia is considered the world's largest human gathering, with year 2012 marking the biggest number of participants at 3.16 million.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Saudi authorities allowed only a symbolic observance of Hajj with just a thousand pilgrims. The numbers were gradually raised as the health crisis was placed under control worldwide. Last year, almost 1.84 million pilgrims performed the "once in a lifetime" journey and the figure is expected to go higher this year.

Every year, on the ninth day of the Islamic month of Dul Hijjah, the black silk cloth is removed and a new kiswa is draped in its place.


Saudi authorities limit entry to Makkah to Hajj visa holders

Updated 23 May 2024
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Saudi authorities limit entry to Makkah to Hajj visa holders

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior announced that visit visa holders are not allowed to enter or stay in Makkah during May 23-June 21 as access to the city will be limited to Hajj visa holders.

The ministry stressed that all types of visit visa are not a permit to perform Hajj, adding that violators will be subject to penalties according to Saudi laws and regulations.


Saudi FM in Tehran conveys king, crown prince condolences for Iran president death

Updated 23 May 2024
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Saudi FM in Tehran conveys king, crown prince condolences for Iran president death

RIYADH: Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, conveyed the condolences of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to top Iranian officials in Tehran on Wednesday on the death of President Ebrahim Raisi and his companions.

Prince Mansour bin Muteb bin Abdulaziz, Adviser to King Salman and Minister of State, and Prince Faisal were received by Deputy Chief of Staff for Political Affairs to Iran President Mohammad Jamshidi and Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani.

Saudi ambassador to Iran Abdullah Al-Enazi attended the reception.


Saudi nature reserve becomes Kingdom’s ‘first major biodiversity site’

Updated 22 May 2024
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Saudi nature reserve becomes Kingdom’s ‘first major biodiversity site’

  • Accreditation follows evaluation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Natural Reserve by the international organization Key Biodiversity Areas

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Natural Reserve has been granted accreditation as “the first major biodiversity site in the Kingdom.”

The organization Key Biodiversity Areas confirmed the accreditation, after an evaluation based on international standards, on its website on Wednesday. It said the reserve meets three global standards, including the presence of endangered species, and so qualifies for inclusion. The announcement coincided with International Day for Biological Diversity, which takes place on May 22 each year.

KBA works to monitor and preserve approved sites of great importance as part of its efforts to sustain biological diversity on a global level, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The Saudi reserve is managed by the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Natural Reserve Development Authority with the aim of protecting endangered species, developing natural habitats, raising environmental awareness among the public, and reducing natural and human threats to the area. It is considered the largest nature reserve in the Middle East, covering a total area of 130,700 square kilometers.


Saudi Arabia participates in UN tourism body meeting

Updated 22 May 2024
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Saudi Arabia participates in UN tourism body meeting

Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb headed the Kingdom’s delegation at the UN World Tourism Organization’s 50th meeting of the regional committee for the Middle East, on Wednesday in Muscat.

During his speech, the Saudi minister stressed the Kingdom’s openness to cooperate with member states to adopt joint regional tourism projects to attract international visitors to the region. 

Al-Khateeb thanked the Omani Minister of Heritage and Tourism Salem Al-Mahrouqi for the hospitality and extended his appreciation to the UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili and other officials for their efforts to advance the tourism sector globally.