Saudi minister talks innovation economics, female empowerment at G20 meeting

Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Al-Swaha at the G20 digital ministers’ meeting in Bali. (SPA)
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Updated 01 September 2022
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Saudi minister talks innovation economics, female empowerment at G20 meeting

  • Kingdom has increased female workforce participation from 7% in 2017 to over 30%: Abdullah Al-Swaha

RIYADH: A Saudi minister on Thursday joined a high-level international meeting to discuss innovation economics and female empowerment in the workforce, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Abdullah Al-Swaha, minister of communications and information technology, took part in talks held during the Group of Twenty digital ministers’ meeting.

The G20 is a strategic multilateral platform connecting the world’s major developed and emerging economies. The theme of this year’s summit, held in Bali under Indonesia’s G20 presidency, is “Recover Together, Recover Stronger,” emphasizing the importance of collective action to tackle the ongoing global repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic

Al-Swaha told delegates that the world’s sustainable and comprehensive recovery paths relied on technology and innovation, citing Saudi Arabia’s proactive measures in line with Vision 2030 objectives as a model example.

He said the Saudi leadership’s support for the technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship sectors had contributed to the Kingdom’s pioneering status as a regional tech hub.

He noted that the qualitative growth in bold capital investments last year was 270 percent higher than that achieved in 2020 and 2019.

The minister added that Vision 2030 placed great importance on the role of Saudi women in advancing the Kingdom, and he pointed out that the country had increased its female workforce participation from 7 percent in 2017 to more than 30 percent this year.

As a regional hub for technology and innovation, Al-Swaha said Saudi Arabia aimed to train more than 600 women in the Middle East and North Africa region through its collaboration with the Apple Developer Academy. And he noted the country’s efforts to bridge the digital gap and enhance green energy projects in NEOM, a megacity in the Kingdom’s northwest.


Pakistan PM calls for justice for journalists killed in Gaza

Updated 7 min 54 sec ago
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Pakistan PM calls for justice for journalists killed in Gaza

  • Shehbaz Sharif’s statement came on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists
  • The Pakistan prime minister says freedom of press is not possible without the protection of journalists

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday demanded the world hold Israel accountable for the killing of dozens of journalists in Gaza, Sharif’s office said.
Sharif’s statement came on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, a United Nations-recognized international day that is observed annually on Nov. 2.
Since Israel began its war against Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, at least 134 journalists have been killed and 41 injured in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel and Lebanon, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
In his statement, Sharif lamented that dozens of journalists were “deliberately” killed in Gaza to block the “path of truth,” despite the international conventions to protect journalists.
“The United Nations and international organizations should bring Israel to justice for the massacre of journalists,” he said. “Freedom of press is not possible without the protection of journalists.”
Sharif said his government was determined to prevent crimes against journalists, ensure punishment of perpetrators and protect journalists.
“The Constitution of Pakistan gives the right to freedom of expression, freedom of press and access to information, and the Government of Pakistan ensures this,” he added.
Pakistan itself consistently ranks among the most dangerous countries for journalists, with many facing threats, intimidation, and violence. According to the CPJ, 103 journalists and media workers have been killed in Pakistan between 1992 and 2024.
 


Jordan warns of increasing regional unrest and vows to protect its airspace, borders

Updated 3 min 12 sec ago
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Jordan warns of increasing regional unrest and vows to protect its airspace, borders

CAIRO: Jordan on Saturday warned against intercepting its airspace and the infringement of its borders as unrest increases in the region. 

Jordan reaffirms its “rejection of attempts by some regional parties to violate its airspace, especially by launching drones that some of which have entered the Kingdom’s airspace and parts had fallen inside Jordanian territory,” said government spokesperson Mohammad Momani according to Petra news agency.  

The spokesperson pointed out that two incidents of this sort had occurred recently in the governorates of Irbid and Jerash, describing it as “a threat that Jordan was dealing with within the military rules of engagement, and that it was taking all necessary measures to confront these violations.”

The minister warned of “increasing regional unrest, reiterating that Jordan will not be a conflict zone for any party, and will not allow warplanes, missiles or drones to pass through its airspace.”

 


Hia Hub session highlights vital role of pharmacies in Saudi Arabia’s growing skincare market

Updated 30 min 57 sec ago
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Hia Hub session highlights vital role of pharmacies in Saudi Arabia’s growing skincare market

RIYADH: Industry leaders discussed the evolving role of pharmacies in skincare during a session at Hia Hub, Saudi Arabia’s fashion, beauty and lifestyle conference, held in Riyadh’s JAX District from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3.

The session, titled “Re-Defining the Pharmacy Channels in Skincare,” brought together prominent figures, including Charlotte Devaux, general manager of wellness and masstige, Pierre Juhen, group president of Patyka, Mahmoud Mamdouh, CEO of Whites Pharmacy, and Cynthia Kattar, editorial director of Hia Magazine.

Mamdouh emphasized the pivotal role of trust in pharmacy skincare. He said: “When discussing pharmacies and skincare, the main concept is trust.” 

(AN/ Huda Bashatah)

Over the past 15 years, pharmacies have cultivated strong relationships with customers, who often turn to pharmacists for personalized skincare consultations, he said. Mamdouh said that the skincare market in Saudi Arabia was booming, currently valued at about $1.5 billion, with expectations of reaching $5.2 billion by 2023. Pharmacies represented about 30 percent of this market, underscoring their critical role in skincare.

Devaux added to the discussion by highlighting social media’s impact on consumer behavior.

(AN/ Huda Bashatah)

She said that while platforms such as TikTok and Instagram offered abundant information, consumers still preferred advice from trusted pharmacists. “Wellness has become a priority for consumers, driving the growth of skincare,” she said. “This reliance on pharmacies as credible sources of information and products is crucial in a marketplace filled with conflicting messages.”

Juhen elaborated on the expansive reach of pharmacies. In Saudi Arabia, there are about 6,000 pharmacy locations, compared to 20,000 in France, he said. 

(AN/ Huda Bashatah)

He said that this dynamic retail channel had shown resilience, even during challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, where the pharmacy segment in France experienced growth of 4 percent. 

Juhen highlighted the universal appeal of pharmacies and said: “Everyone visits pharmacies, regardless of age or socioeconomic status,” making them essential points of contact in the community.

The session concluded with a consensus among the speakers on the importance of pharmacies in the skincare sector. As trusted providers of personalized advice and quality products, pharmacies were well-positioned to lead the growth of skincare, they said.


Air monitor records pollution level in Lahore 80 times above WHO limit

Updated 44 min 14 sec ago
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Air monitor records pollution level in Lahore 80 times above WHO limit

  • For days, Lahore has been enveloped by smog, smoke from seasonal crop burning and winter cooling
  • The level of deadly PM2.5 pollutants peaked at 1,067, before dropping to around 300 in the morning

LAHORE: Air pollution in Pakistan’s second biggest city Lahore soared on Saturday more than 80 times over the level deemed acceptable by the World Health Organization (WHO), with an official calling it record high.
The level of deadly PM2.5 pollutants — fine particulate matter in the air that causes the most damage to health — peaked at 1,067, before dropping to around 300 in the morning, with anything above 10 considered unhealthy by the WHO.
“We have never reached a level of 1,000,” Jahangir Anwar, a senior environmental protection official in Lahore told AFP.
For days, Lahore has been enveloped by smog, a mix of fog and pollutants caused by low-grade diesel fumes, smoke from seasonal agricultural burning and winter cooling.
“The air quality index will remain high for the next three to four days,” Anwar said.
On Wednesday, the provincial environmental protection agency announced new restrictions in four “hot spots” in the city.
Tuk-tuks equipped with polluting two-stroke engines are banned, as are restaurants that barbecue without filters.
Government offices and private companies will have half their staff work from home from Monday.
Construction work has been halted and street and food vendors, who often cook over open fires, must close at 8 pm.
Smog is particularly pronounced in winter, when cold, denser air traps emissions from poor-quality fuels used to power the city’s vehicles and factories at ground level.


Saudi Arabia condemns flare-up of violence in Sudan

Updated 23 min 42 sec ago
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Saudi Arabia condemns flare-up of violence in Sudan

  • Kingdom concerned over the continued escalation of fighting in Sudan

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has condemned on Saturday the recent flare-up of violence in the eastern side of Sudan’s Al Jazeera State, which caused deaths among civilians.

The foreign ministry, in a statement, expressed the Kingdom’s concern over the continued escalation of fighting in Sudan that has impacted women and children, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Saudi Arabia “condemns the recent [violence] in the eastern part of Al-Jazeera State, which resulted in a number of deaths and injuries among civilians, as this constitutes a violation of international law and the principle of protecting civilians.”

The Kingdom has also “urged the warring parties to ceasefire, end the conflict and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to those affected. The Kingdom reaffirms its position in supporting the stability and unity of Sudan.”

Sudan plunged into conflict in mid-April 2023, when long-simmering tensions between its military and paramilitary leaders broke out in the capital Khartoum and spread to other regions including western Darfur.

The war has killed more than 24,000 people so far, according to Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, a group monitoring the conflict since it started.

Britain, which assumed the presidency on Friday of the Security Council for November, said the 15-member body would meet in Sudan on Nov. 12 to discuss “scaling up aid delivery and ensuring greater protection of civilians by all sides.”

“We will be shortly introducing a draft Security Council resolution ... to drive forward progress on this,” Britain’s UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward told a press conference.

She said the draft would focus on “developing a compliance mechanism for the warring parties’ commitments they made on the protection of civilians in Jeddah over a year ago in 2023 and ways to support mediation efforts to deliver a ceasefire, even if we start local ceasefires before moving to a national one.”

A resolution needs at least 9 votes in favor and no vetoes by the US, France, Britain, Russia or China to be adopted.

The move comes as a three-month approval given by Sudanese authorities for the UN and aid groups to use the Adre border crossing with Chad to reach Darfur with humanitarian assistance is due to expire in mid-November.

With agencies