Exercise to deal with environmental emergencies starts in Tabuk region

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An exercise aimed at raising readiness to confront environmental emergencies or oil spill incidents is underway on the Tabuk coast. (SPA)
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An exercise aimed at raising readiness to confront environmental emergencies or oil spill incidents is underway on the Tabuk coast. (SPA)
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Updated 14 May 2024
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Exercise to deal with environmental emergencies starts in Tabuk region

  • Exercise is being supervised by the National Center for Environmental Compliance and is taking place in cooperation with 39 governmental and private agencies

RIYADH: An exercise aimed at raising readiness to confront environmental emergencies or oil spill incidents kicked off on the Tabuk coast on Tuesday.

The two-day exercise, called “Response 14,” is part of the Kingdom’s plan to combat pollution of the marine environment with oil and other harmful substances, Saudi Press Agency reported.

The exercise is being supervised by the National Center for Environmental Compliance and is taking place in cooperation with 39 governmental and private agencies.

The center’s official spokesman, Saad Al-Matrafi, revealed that the readiness of each participating agency increased every time such an exercise was held.

He added that there was a noticeable development in the technology being used by the various participating agencies as well as the skills of their employees, as a result of such exercises.

He explained that the exercise is being carried out in several stages in which satellites and advanced simulation programs are used.

Participants will learn how to deal with simulated scenarios of pollution spreading in the middle of territorial waters and its impact extending to coasts and marine habitats.

They will also learn how to contain this pollution and reduce its negative effects on the marine environment and the region’s economy.

Al-Matrafi said the national plan to combat oil spills and harmful substances has succeeded in testing its ability to contain a spill of 75,000 barrels, with a high response rate not exceeding 50 minutes, through the largest fleet of naval units designated for this purpose, in addition to specialist aircraft.


Riyadh summit to highlight next-gen governance and strategic innovation

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Riyadh summit to highlight next-gen governance and strategic innovation

RIYADH: The fourth annual Governance, Performance, Risk, and Compliance Summit, themed “Integration for Strategic Performance,” will begin on Monday in Riyadh, aiming to transform regulatory systems from oversight tools into drivers of innovation and growth.

Inge Vasshus, chair of the organizing committee, said: “The summit seeks to foster a corporate culture where risk management and compliance are seamlessly embedded into strategic operations.”

Day 1 will open with a keynote titled “Risk Is Our Business,” focusing on shifting from documentation-based approaches to strategic risk integration.

The agenda includes panel discussions with representatives from the Center for Governance, the Royal Commission for AlUla, and the GCC Board Directors Institute, examining the integration of governance, risk, and compliance into Saudi companies’ strategies.

Speakers will also present case studies from Saudi institutions and PIF-backed companies, highlighting the impact of governance practices, the role of artificial intelligence in sustainability, and the link between sustainability and competitive governance.

Day 2 focuses on practical applications, starting with a session on managing supplier and third-party risks in complex organizations. This will be followed by a discussion on future governance frameworks and their alignment with international standards and Saudi Vision 2030.

The program will include a session on its impact on the risk management function, as well as a dedicated session on establishing AI governance frameworks.

It will further explore the evolution of the Gulf’s compliance function from a regulatory obligation into a driver of operational efficiency.

In addition, workshops will address applying “zero-trust” principles to AI agent security, the shift from reactive to proactive risk management, and the impact of individual dominance on board effectiveness.