Saudi museums commission names Fischer as Museum of World Cultures director

The museum aims to have an influential role in enriching Saudi Arabia’s thriving cultural scene and enhancing the Kingdom’s position as a prominent intellectual destination. (SPA)
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Updated 10 July 2024
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Saudi museums commission names Fischer as Museum of World Cultures director

  • The museum is scheduled to open in 2026

RIYADH: The Museums Commission on Wednesday appointed Dr. Hartwig Fischer as director of the Museum of World Cultures that will be established in the Royal Art Complex in King Salman Park, Riyadh.

The museum is scheduled to open in 2026, and Fischer, with longtime experience managing major international museums, will be charged with the establishment and management of the site.

Fischer, a scholar, art historian and cultural heritage expert, has decades of experience as an exhibition curator and leader of pioneering cultural institutions that promote dialogue and mutual respect between cultures.

The new director will bring valuable insights to the museum through programs, educational initiatives and international partnerships that will turn the museum into a vibrant hub for cultural exchange.

Housed in a 110-meter-high building, the museum was designed by Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill.

Its establishment is a significant milestone in the Kingdom’s cultural development under Vision 2030.

The museum aims to have an influential role in enriching Saudi Arabia’s thriving cultural scene and enhancing the Kingdom’s position as a prominent intellectual destination.


Riyadh dates exhibition drawing huge crowds

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Riyadh dates exhibition drawing huge crowds

RIYADH: A dates exhibition in Riyadh has attracted more than 113,000 visitors since launching in August.

The third seasonal dates exhibition is organized by the National Company for Agricultural Services at Al-Rabwah markets in the Saudi capital. It runs until Oct. 31.

The event showcases a wide variety of high-quality local dates from across Saudi Arabia, receiving dozens of tonnes of the fruit daily.

More than 60 producers and marketers are taking part in the exhibition, displaying top date products and benefiting from commercial opportunities, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

The exhibition offers technical solutions for date marketing, including online ordering via specialized stores. Visitors can also enjoy artistic and entertainment events hosted in pavilions at the market.

Riyadh leads the Kingdom in date production, with the region producing 436,000 of the country’s annual 1.6 million-tonne yield of the fruit.

Saudi Arabia has a positive trade balance in the date industry, with a self-sufficiency rate of 124 percent.

As the Kingdom strengthens its global leadership in date production, the Riyadh exhibition supports sustainable growth and fosters economic opportunities in agriculture.


Ministry honors graduates of artificial intelligence course

Updated 4 min 52 sec ago
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Ministry honors graduates of artificial intelligence course

RIYADH: The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has honored graduates of a specialized training program designed to cultivate talent in artificial intelligence and machine learning, which was held in collaboration with Google Cloud at its headquarters in the US.

Deputy Minister for Future Jobs and Capabilities Ibrahem Al-Nasser acknowledged the graduates’ dedication and achievements throughout the program. 

The training covered the latest AI technologies and their practical applications in key sectors including healthcare, industry and education. 

This initiative further solidifies the Kingdom’s position as a frontrunner in global digital innovation, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

In collaboration with Google Cloud, the program aligns with the ministry’s strategy to foster digital innovation by equipping participants with the skills needed to lead future technological endeavors.

It aims to provide local talent with opportunities to contribute actively to machine learning- and AI-driven fields, empowering them to play pivotal roles in the nation’s technological progress.


KSrelief delivers food aid to Sudan, Yemen

Updated 07 October 2024
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KSrelief delivers food aid to Sudan, Yemen

RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has delivered food aid to thousands of people in Yemen and Sudan, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

On Sunday, 1,266 food parcels were delivered to Khanfar district in Yemen’s Abyan Governorate, benefiting 8,862 people from 1,266 families.

In Al-Galabat Al-Gharbyah, Gedaref State, Sudan, 1,500 food parcels were delivered to 7,621 people.

The deliveries are part of KSrelief’s work to help those most in need across the two countries.


Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief continues volunteer surgery program

Updated 07 October 2024
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Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief continues volunteer surgery program

  • Medical services were provided for scores of patients at the Kidney Dialysis Center in Al-Ghaydah, Al-Mahrah Governorate, Yemen
  • The medical team, affiliated with KSrelief, performed 45 specialized operations during the campaign

RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has continued its voluntary medical work around the globe, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Medical services were provided for scores of patients at the Kidney Dialysis Center in Al-Ghaydah, Al-Mahrah Governorate, Yemen.

During September, 126 patients were served.

Among them, 54 underwent 446 scheduled dialysis sessions and six emergency sessions, while 75 patients received medical examinations and consultations at the clinic.

Of the 126 patients, 46 percent were male and 54 percent were female, with 16 percent being displaced individuals, 83 percent residents, and 1 percent refugees.

Meanwhile, mobile medical clinics operated in Yemen’s Harad district, in the governorate of Hajjah, providing medical services to 226 beneficiaries from Sept. 11 to 17, 2024.

During this period, the epidemic disease control clinic treated 113 patients, the emergency clinic 63, the internal medicine clinic 33, and the reproductive health clinic 15.

In terms of ancillary services, 61 people accessed the nursing services clinic, and waste disposal activities were conducted twice. Furthermore, seven beneficiaries were treated at the surgery and dressing clinic. The clinics also dispensed medications to 217 patients.

In San Salvador, El Salvador, a voluntary medical project for vascular surgery and interventional catheterization was concluded on Friday.

The project ran from Sept. 26 to Oct. 3, 2024.

The medical team, affiliated with KSrelief, performed 45 specialized operations during the campaign.

Eight volunteers from various medical specialties participated.

In Medan, Indonesia, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, KSrelief supervisor-general, said the center implemented a voluntary open-heart surgery project for adults.

Running from Oct. 1 to 8, 2024, the project involved 15 volunteers from various medical specialties.

Since the campaign began, KSrelief’s medical team has completed three open-heart operations.


Arabs migrated from central region to establish kingdoms in Iraq, Levant, Egypt, says historian

Updated 07 October 2024
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Arabs migrated from central region to establish kingdoms in Iraq, Levant, Egypt, says historian

  • Dr. Suleiman Al-Theeb presents research at Riyadh International Book Fair
  • Kingdom’s literature commission organized the event from Sept. 26-Oct. 5

RIYADH: Only a group of tribes later described as Arabs inhabited the area now known as the Arabian Peninsula in antiquity and modern times, and other ethnicities lived there temporarily, a leading Saudi Arabia historian has said.

Dr. Suleiman Al-Theeb, who is a professor of ancient Arabic inscriptions at King Saud University, presented some of his research during a panel discussion titled “Ancient Arabic Writings” at the Riyadh International Book Fair.

The panelists focused on the deep-rooted cultural heritage of the Kingdom and the Arabian Peninsula, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

The fair was organized by the Kingdom’s Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission between Sept. 26 and Oct. 5.

During the discussions, Al-Theeb talked about the meanings of ancient Arab inscriptions, and writings in the Arabic script.

Prof. Suleiman Al-Theeb said the term "Arab" was first used to describe a group of tribes during the Assyrian era, in the 8th and 9th centuries BCE.  (SPA)

He said the term “Arab” was first used to describe a group of tribes during the Assyrian era, in the 8th and 9th centuries B.C.E.

He added that migrations from the Arabian Peninsula began from the central region, moving northward to Mesopotamia, Greater Syria, and Egypt, where immigrants settled and established kingdoms.

Al-Theeb said the oldest known Arab inscription, found in the city of Lachish in Palestine, is Thamudic and dates to 1300 B.C.E.

“Initially, it was believed to be Phoenician and dated to 1509 B.C.E., but it was later confirmed to combine South Arabian script and Thamudic letters,” he said.

Al-Theeb has written extensively about civilizations dating back thousands of years in the Arabian Peninsula.

He is a writer, historian, researcher and an expert in archaeology and ancient languages of the region, and spoke extensively about his work at the fair.