KSrelief implements health projects in Somalia, Yemen, and for Syrian refugees in Lebanon
They include plans for a dialysis center in Mogadishu, a prosthetic limb center in Marib, and wide-ranging healthcare services for Syrian refugees and the host community in the Lebanese town of Arsal
Updated 15 April 2022
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, also known as KSrelief, on Thursday signed three agreements with the International War and Disaster Victims Protection Association for the implementation of health projects in Somalia and Yemen, and for Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
The first agreement includes plans for a dialysis center at Banadir Hospital in the Somali capital Mogadishu, which will benefit 280 people. It will provide specialized, life-saving services for patients suffering from renal failure. It will also help to improve the overall level of health services and infrastructure in Somalia.
The second agreement relates to the implementation of the seventh phase of a prosthetics and rehabilitation center in Marib province in Yemen, which will benefit 3,649 individuals. It aims to provide prosthetic limbs for people with special needs, functional and physical rehabilitation services for people with prosthetic limbs, and outpatient care and community services. It will also help to enhance the professional and scientific capabilities of medical and technical staff, prepare them to deal with specific types of cases, and limit the migration of specialized medical and technical cadres.
The third agreement is for the third phase of a project to develop healthcare services for Syrian refugees and the host community in the town of Arsal in the Lebanese governorate of Baalbek. It will benefit 75,000 people.
It aims to provide healthcare services, psychosocial, social and nutritional support, as well as participating in routine vaccination campaigns and providing free medications for Syrian refugees and Lebanese citizens.
The project will also help to develop the national health information system and data management, support existing national programs, and improve the efficiency of monitoring and referrals. It will participate in official campaigns to raise awareness of health and nutritional matters, promote personal and public hygiene, limit the spread of epidemic, contagious and communicable diseases, and measure the weight and height of children to help identify youngsters who need nutritional support.
The project will provide psychological support to children, in particular those with motor or sensory disabilities, and help them to access specialized centers where they can obtain the medical help and support they require.
The projects reflect the desire of Saudi Arabia, as represented by KSrelief, to support Syrian refugees in Lebanon and improve their living conditions, in keeping with the Kingdom’s humanitarian efforts for all countries and peoples in need.
Makkah scouts train to use digital quick-response tech to help pilgrims
Scouts trained on smart application that provides route planning, navigation and guidance to pilgrims at the holy sites
Digital approach helps to protect the environment by eliminating the need for paper maps and signs
Updated 5 sec ago
Rashid Hassan
RIYADH: Saudi scouts are being taught how to use digital technology and quick-response codes on their smartphones to better help Hajj pilgrims with guidance, on-site navigation and route planning at the Kingdom’s holy sites.
The course, run by the Ministry of Education through the Saudi Arabian Scouts Association, began a 10-day training program in Makkah on Wednesday for scouts to help pilgrims during the annual Hajj, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Thirty-two trainees from four scout vanguards are currently enrolled to receive training.
A smart application that provides route planning, navigation and guidance to pilgrims at the holy sites will be used.
Explaining the benefits of using digital technology and QR codes during scout trips to holy sites, scout leader Abdullah Alharthi said that this approach helps to protect the environment by eliminating the need for paper maps and signs, and avoiding visual clutter in sacred spaces.
Additionally, the digital system ensures the encryption of scouts’ messages.
SASA, which works with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to help pilgrims each year, plays an important role during Hajj season when, every year, scouts from all corners of the Kingdom gather to assist pilgrims during Hajj.
Regardless of age or gender, these volunteers devote their time and energy to enable pilgrims to fulfill the Hajj rituals with ease.
The scouts affiliated with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah primarily focus on assisting lost pilgrims by providing guidance and directions, ensuring they reach their designated camps safely.
Last year, according to SASA, 3,500 scouts were stationed around the holy sites in Makkah.
The SASA volunteers told Arab News they are classified into two age groups: the advanced scout category and the ranger category. The advanced scout category is made up of scout members aged between 15 and 17. The ranger category comprises those from 18 to 22, including scout leaders (150 of whom last year were women) and friends and pioneers of SASA.
Saudi Arabia condemns assassination attempt on Slovakia’s prime minister
The ministry wished speedy recovery of the prime minister
Updated 16 May 2024
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Thursday condemned the attempted assassination of Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, the foreign ministry said.
“The Kingdom rejects all forms of violence, reaffirming its full solidarity with Slovakia against everything that threatens its security and stability,” the statement read.
The ministry wished a speedy recovery for the prime minister, who remains, according to his deputy, in a “very serious condition” after the attack in Handlova.
Fico was admitted to hospital on Wednesday where he underwent a five-hour emergency surgery after being shot five times.
The shooting was the first major assassination attempt on a European political leader for more than 20 years, and drew international condemnation, with political analysts and legislators saying it was indicative of an increasingly febrile and polarised political climate across the continent.
Saudi Arabia, Iraq sign pact to counter money laundering, terrorism
Updated 16 May 2024
Arab News
RIYADH: The Kingdom and Iraq have signed an agreement to counter money laundering and terrorism, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
The pact was signed between the General Directorate of Financial Investigation at the Presidency of State Security and the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Office of the Republic of Iraq.
The agreement was inked on the sidelines of the Arab Forum of Anti-Corruption Agencies and Financial Intelligence Units in Riyadh.
French pilgrim walks through 13 countries to perform Umrah
Currently in Madinah, he is now preparing to walk to Makkah
Updated 16 May 2024
Arab News
MADINAH: French traveler Mohamed Boulabiar spent eight months walking through 13 countries to perform Umrah, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
In an interview with the SPA shortly after arriving in Madinah on Wednesday, Boulabiar said he trained for two years for the 8,000-km walk.
He started in Paris on Aug. 27, 2023, and walked through Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Greece, Turkiye and Jordan before eventually reaching Saudi Arabia.
With only a map and a bag containing essential provisions and a tent weighing only 25 kg, Boulabiar said he spent most of his nights at mosques along the route or with generous strangers who welcomed him into their homes.
Boulabiar said the hardest part of the journey was the weather.
“I departed in the summer and arrived in the spring, passing through autumn and winter, enduring storms and thunder. At one stage of the journey, a snowstorm at the Greek border delayed my trip by a week,” he said.
“It has been a dream since childhood. I yearned to arrive in Makkah on foot, emulating the prophet,” said Boulabiar.
Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization session concludes in Jeddah
Organization’s director general tells Arab News about its future plans and how it addresses current events and needs in the Arab world, including the crisis in Gaza
Other topics discussed during the 121st session of the organization’s Executive Council include efforts to preserve Arab heritage, the effects of AI, and educational initiatives
Updated 16 May 2024
Nada Hameed
JEDDAH: The 121st session of the Executive Council of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization concluded in Jeddah on Wednesday.
During the two-day event, ministers and other representatives from 22 Arab nations discussed important topics, initiatives and proposals related to knowledge sharing, scientific advancement, and innovation within the framework of the work of the organization. It will be followed on Friday by its General Conference.
In an exclusive interview with Arab News on Wednesday, Mohammed Walad Amar, the director general of the organization, said: “The aim of this conference is to approve the organization’s budget for the next two years and to endorse its selected projects based on the proposals and needs of Arab countries, envisioning a real acceleration toward the goals of our Arab nations in the fields of education, culture and information technology, as well as in various areas prioritized by Arab countries in cultural and educational work.”
Addressing the crisis in Gaza, Walad Amar said the organization condemned what is happening there and called for support for Palestinians in the fields of the education and culture.
“The organization sees this aggression not only as an attack on the (Palestinian) people but also as an assault on Arab identity in general, and an assault on the Palestinian educational approach,” he added.
A key aspect of ALECSO’s cultural activities and initiatives, Walad Amar said, is its submissions to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization with the aim of preserving Arab culture and heritage through inclusions on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
“To date, we have successfully accredited the initial submissions concerning the palm tree, Arabic calligraphy, traditional clay architecture, metal engraving and wedding customs,” he said.
Mohammed Walad Amar, the director general of ALECSO. (AN photo by Nada Hameed)
“Our approach aligns with the Arab strategy, which prioritizes both tangible and intangible cultural heritage, fostering awareness across Arab nations about its significance.”
These efforts are complemented by educational programs, Walad Amar said.
“Given the current landscape, our primary challenge lies in revising curricula to reflect present realities and anticipate future needs,” he added.
ALECSO recently staged the fourth Arab Programming Week at King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language, which was attended by about 250 teachers from Arab countries. The organization has also created a guide for teaching students in Arab primary and secondary schools about artificial intelligence and is developing an Arab charter for the ethical use of AI.
“We recognize the inevitable influence of artificial intelligence and the challenges it presents,” Walad Amar said.
“While embracing its advancements, we prioritize safeguarding the privacy of our Arab nations. Our aim is to harness the positive aspects of AI while avoiding any negative impacts. Achieving this requires strengthening our educational systems to equip our children with the necessary skills and awareness.”
Two topics discussed during the Executive Council session that were described as particularly significant were the establishment of an ALECSO Partnership Forum, which was initiated by the Kingdom, and an Arab Cultural Week within UNESCO, both of which received unanimous approval.
“The Kingdom consistently presents us with positive and constructive initiatives that unite Arab educational and cultural efforts across various scientific fields,” Ahmed Sameer, the assistant secretary-general of the Yemeni National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, told Arab News.
Issam Louhichi, who oversees operations at the National Commission for Education, Science and Culture in Tunisia, told Arab News that a consensus on ideas during the two-day session meant that a number of decisions were quickly agreed.
“It provided an opportunity to practice democracy within our Arab world through voting on resolutions and exchanging successful experiences in various educational, scientific, and cultural fields,” he added. “This Executive Council serves as an opportunity to present proposals from countries, with the aim of including them in the General Conference agenda (on Friday).
“It was an excellent opportunity to discuss the core issue of Palestine by presenting several proposals. Algeria proposed integrating lessons within educational curricula across Arab countries each year to educate youth about the history and justice of this issue.”
“Today, we were presented with a proposal from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding the Arab Cultural Week at UNESCO. This initiative, which involves all Arab countries, including Tunisia, aims to foster collaboration and ensure its success. We will contribute diverse insights and experiences spanning cultural, historical, educational and scientific domains.”
Other topics discussed during the two-day session, which was hosted by the Saudi National Committee for Education, Culture and Science, included the challenges that Arab nations face in the fields of education, culture and science, innovative solutions to those problems, and ways to forge new partnerships that can broaden the horizons of for education and creative thought.
