Saudi wildlife center, ocean regeneration initiative deal aims to protect marine, coastal environment
Officials from NCW and Wave initiative inked a memorandum of understanding to boost collaborative conservation efforts in the Kingdom
Princess Reema said the joint strategy would help bolster environmental sustainability projects in relation to marine conservation
Updated 19 February 2024
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi wildlife chiefs have signed an agreement to expand links with an ocean regeneration initiative aimed at protecting marine biodiversity and the coastal environment.
Officials from the National Center for Wildlife, and the Wave initiative, inked a memorandum of understanding at the center’s headquarters in Riyadh to boost collaborative conservation efforts in the Kingdom.
Under the terms of the cooperation deal, the Wave initiative, represented by Saudi Ambassador to the US Princess Reema bint Bandar, and the wildlife center, led by CEO Mohammed Qurban, will work to maintain Saudi Arabia’s landscape and biodiversity, safeguard its surface water, restore balance in nature, ensure a greener future for generations to come, and support international efforts, while exploring possibilities for future joint actions.
Princess Reema said the joint strategy would help bolster environmental sustainability projects in relation to marine conservation.
She noted that the partnership reflected green initiatives already underway in the country and the Kingdom’s key role in supporting global efforts to protect the environment.
Marine environmental protection schemes involving Saudi Arabia were being run in line with UN Sustainable Development Goals, and Vision 2030 targets, the princess added.
The National Center for Wildlife was established to protect wild animal populations and ecological diversity in the Kingdom.
It aims to improve sustainability and quality of life in Saudi Arabia, and increase its social and economic impact through partnerships, events, and community programs.
The center also supports initiatives and projects that positively impact wildlife development.
Ethiopian Cultural Days brings aroma of coffee, flavorful food to Alsuwaidi Park
The Global Harmony Cultural Series is open to visitors every day from 4:00 p.m. until midnight
Updated 3 sec ago
Haifa Alshammari
RIYADH: Ethiopian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Muktar Kedir Abdu attended the opening of Ethiopian Cultural Days at Alsuwaidi Park in Riyadh on Thursday.
The Ministry of Media and the General Entertainment Authority organized Ethiopian Cultural Days as part of the Global Harmony Cultural Series, which has focused on several other countries so far, including Yemen, Indonesia, Syria, and Uganda.
The event witnessed the presence of the Ethiopian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Muktar Kedir Abdu. (AN photo Huda Bashatah)
The Global Harmony Cultural Series is open to visitors every day from 4:00 p.m. until midnight.
During Ethiopian Cultural Days, guests will see Ethiopian dance groups showcasing diverse folk dances from various regions of Ethiopia.
The Global Harmony Cultural Series opens its doors for visitors every day from 4:00 PM until midnight, welcoming visitors from all nationalities and age groups to enjoy food, culture, live performances, and more. (AN photo Huda Bashatah)
“What caught my attention the most was the DJ. My friends and I come almost every day for the DJ,” Turki Mesmeh, a frequent visitor to Global Harmony, told Arab News. “They brought their cultures to us, all the way to the Alsuwaidi neighborhood.”
Ethiopia has an enormously rich history. According to National Geographic, the ancient African kingdom of Aksum was based in what is now northern Ethiopia and parts of Eritrea. It emerged as a powerful and wealthy civilization from the 1st to the 10th century CE, controlling the trade routes between the Roman Empire, India, and the Arabian Peninsula. Ethiopia was also among the first countries in Africa to adopt Christianity.
The Global Harmony Cultural Series opens its doors for visitors every day from 4:00 PM until midnight, welcoming visitors from all nationalities and age groups to enjoy food, culture, live performances, and more. (AN photo Huda Bashatah)
Guests to Ethiopian Cultural Days will also discover a range of Ethiopian cuisine.
“The most important dishes are tibs and kitfo. Tibs is meat, fried with tomatoes and other ingredients,” Welday Meles, owner of the Ethiopian restaurant Lucy, told Arab News.
The Global Harmony Cultural Series opens its doors for visitors every day from 4:00 PM until midnight, welcoming visitors from all nationalities and age groups to enjoy food, culture, live performances, and more. (AN photo Huda Bashatah)
Kitfo is raw minced beef mixed with chili and clarified butter, and is similar to steak tartare.
Another popular dish is beyaynetu, a dish — or series of small dishes — made from a wide variety of ingredients and served with injera — Ethiopia’s famous spongy flatbread made from fermented teff flour.
It is widely known that Ethiopia is the origin of coffee, the beverage that dominates global consumption, and this goes back to an ancient story about a goat herder named Kaldi, who noticed his goats becoming unusually energetic after eating red berries from a particular tree. These red berries were coffee beans. (AN photo Huda Bashatah)
And no celebration of Ethiopia would be complete without coffee. Not only because the coffee plant originated there — legend has it that a goat herder named Kaldi discovered coffee when he noticed that his animals became unusually energetic after eating red berries from a particular tree — but also because the country has preserved its traditional rituals, diverse varieties, and deep cultural connection to coffee, remaining one of its most significant global producers.
Rahika Mohammed, a participant at the event, explained that, in Ethiopia, coffee is commonly served with “popcorn and mastic incense,” adding that “the cup must be full when served.”
