Drug smugglers thwarted at Saudi border

Three people were arrested. (SPA/File)
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Updated 08 October 2022
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Drug smugglers thwarted at Saudi border

RIYADH: Hundreds of thousands of amphetamine-like pills have been seized and four smuggling attempts thwarted by Saudi authorities near the border with Jordan. 

The Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority and King Khalid International Airport said that a total of 756,212 Captagon tablets were found at Haditha during checks using sniffer dogs. 

Three people were arrested, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

In the first discovery, 171,792 Captagon pills were found stashed inside furniture. A second operation revealed 60,500 tablets in a vehicle mounted on a truck coming through Haditha port.

A total of 247,670 pills were found in separate parts of a truck in a third discovery and the biggest haul, 276,250 pills, were found in a fourth operation. Authorities did not disclose where the largest consignment was found.

The operations were carried out in coordination with the General Directorate of Narcotics Control.

The authority called on the public to report smuggling crimes. A financial reward is offered for accurate information.
 


SDAIA president says Saudi Arabia is building an integrated AI ecosystem

Updated 20 February 2026
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SDAIA president says Saudi Arabia is building an integrated AI ecosystem

RIYADH: Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority President Abdullah Al-Ghamdi says that Saudi Arabia is moving steadily to establish artificial intelligence as a trusted national capability, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Guided by the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, Al-Ghamdi said the goal is to use AI to help develop government services, enhance competitiveness, build human capacity and improve quality of life through a comprehensive strategy based on three main pillars that unlock the potential of this technology and achieve sustainable developmental impact.

“The first pillar focuses on building human capacity and enhancing readiness to engage with AI technologies,” he said.

The second pillar is building an integrated national AI ecosystem that drives expansion and innovation by developing advanced digital infrastructure that enables various sectors to adopt AI applications efficiently, consistently and with effective governance, Al-Ghamdi said.

The third pillar, he said, is governance that ensures responsible and measurable AI through a national framework aligned with international standards.

This came during Al-Ghamdi’s speech at a high-level ministerial session held on Thursday on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi.

He is heading the Saudi delegation, and the session saw broad participation from heads of state, decision-makers and technology leaders from around the world.

Al-Ghamdi also had a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday evening, discussed AI cooperation and expressed his gratitude for hosting the summit and for the hospitality extended to the participants.