Qassim governor meets Saudi commerce minister

Faisal bin Mishaal bin Saud receives Majid Al-Qasabi in Buraidah. (SPA)
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Updated 09 September 2024
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Qassim governor meets Saudi commerce minister

  • They discussed the Saudi leadership’s interest in economic programs and projects that contribute to developing job opportunities in Qassim for Saudi men and women

BURAIDAH: Qassim Governor Prince Faisal bin Mishaal bin Saud met with Minister of Commerce Majid Al-Qasabi in Buraidah on Monday.

During the meeting, they discussed the Saudi leadership’s interest in economic programs and projects that contribute to developing job opportunities in Qassim for Saudi men and women.

They also noted the ministry’s efforts to overcome challenges and implement projects that contribute to the region’s development, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

In a post on X, Al-Qasabi wrote: “I also met with businessmen, businesswomen, and investors, and discussed their thoughts and challenges to facilitate procedures and develop various sectors.”

 


Saudi crater holds secrets to life on Saturn moon, study finds

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Saudi crater holds secrets to life on Saturn moon, study finds

JEDDAH: A crater in Saudi Arabia holds clues for possible life on one of Saturn’s moons, more than 1 billion km from Earth, a study has found.

Scientists from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology sampled the extreme environment of Al-Wahbah Crater near Taif, comparing it to Enceladus, Saturn’s sixth-largest moon.

They discovered extremophiles in the crater that suggest the existence of biosignatures on the celestial body, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Enceladus has become a curiosity to astrobiologists due to the large ocean below its icy crust. The water is highly alkaline and saline, and includes complex molecules, such as methane and oxygen, consistent with signs of life. Al-Wahbah Crater contains a similar environment.

“Al-Wahbah Crater serves as an Earth analog for Enceladus’ ocean, where similar conditions might support life,” said Alexandre Rosado, the KAUST professor who led the study, told the SPA.

To identify the unique characteristics of life in the crater, scientists isolated 48 bacterial strains, finding two that had a composition indicating an adaptability suitable for the extreme environment of Enceladus.

Based on their genetic, metabolic and chemical profiles, the two strains showed an effective survival strategy for the extreme environment of the crater.

“The strains are thermohaloalkaliphilic bacteria, thriving in high temperatures, salinity and alkaline pH. These conditions mimic the environments on Enceladus, making them ideal candidates for studying life in such extreme conditions,” Junia Schultz, a postdoctoral researcher involved in the project, told SPA.

Along with a high tolerance for alkalinity and extreme temperatures, the two strains possess other advantageous features inferred from their genomic capabilities, such as potential resistance to high pressures and ionizing radiation, which minimizes DNA mutations.

Al-Wahbah is not the only analog of Enceladus’ environment on Earth, but scientists researching extraterrestrial life prefer the site to other locations.

“Environments with conditions similar to Enceladus are rare on Earth. Other places have been studied for resembling Enceladus’ ocean. However, they are not as accessible or well suited for the type of microbial studies we conducted at Al-Wahbah,” said Alef dos Santos, a Ph.D. student who contributed to the study.

Rosado and his colleagues said that their study is the first to demonstrate the utility of Saudi Arabia’s extreme environments as a model for detecting extraterrestrial life.

Other locations in the Kingdom, on land and in the Red Sea, may prove valuable in seeking biosignatures on planets such as Mars, they added.

Having sent its first female astronaut to space in 2023 and with plans to launch its first space tourists in 2026, Saudi Arabia aims to build a major presence in the space industry in the near future.

The findings at Al-Wahbah could position Saudi Arabia as an invaluable partner for several space agencies, including NASA.

The US agency’s Europa Clipper project plans to launch missions for the exploration of Enceladus in the coming years, the SPA said.

“In addition to advancing our understanding of how bacteria might adapt to hostile environments, this research aids in guiding the continued astrobiology quest for extraterrestrial life” said Dr. Kasthuri Venkateswaran, a retired scientist from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab and adjunct professor in the department of space studies at the University of North Dakota.


Saudi hospital has become a global leader in organ transplants

Updated 14 min 29 sec ago
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Saudi hospital has become a global leader in organ transplants

  • Over 9,000 organ transplants since 1981 and 1,092 in 2023
  • World’s first fully robotic liver, heart replacement surgeries

RIYADH: has become a world-leading facility for organ transplantation.

KFSHRC’s Organ Transplant Centre of Excellence has garnered international acclaim for its expertise in solid-organ transplants, including liver, kidney and lung procedures, said the hospital in a statement on Monday.

In the past year, the hospital successfully conducted 1,092 transplants.

KFSHRC has performed a series of groundbreaking surgeries, most notably the world’s first liver transplant from a living donor using robotic technology in both organ retrieval and implantation.

Building on this success, the surgical team recently completed the world’s first fully robotic heart transplant, further solidifying Saudi Arabia’s position as a global leader in healthcare innovation.

Since the program’s inception in 1981, the hospital has performed 9,000 successful transplants.

Recognizing the critical challenge of donor-patient compatibility, particularly in kidney transplants, KFSHRC established the pioneering Kidney Paired Donation program.

This program facilitates the exchange of living donors with incompatible blood types and tissues between multiple patients, significantly increasing the pool of available organs and reducing waiting times.

The KPD program has enabled KFSHRC to perform over 5,000 kidney transplants.

KFSHRC’s commitment extends beyond the transplant surgery itself. Understanding prevention’s crucial role in patient well-being, the hospital established a specialized vaccination clinic for solid-organ transplant recipients in 2023.

This clinically tailored vaccination plans for each patient’s unique immune status and type of transplant, minimizes the risk of infections that could compromise outcomes.

The clinic has already served over 150 patients, achieving a high compliance rate for the Shingrix vaccine.

For the second consecutive year, KFSHRC has secured the top spot in the Middle East and Africa, and ranks 20th among the world’s top 250 academic medical centers.

Brand Finance recognized the facility as the most valuable healthcare brand in the Middle East for 2024.

Newsweek magazine also included the facility among the world’s best 250 hospitals and in the World’s Best Smart Hospitals list for 2025.


Saudi crown prince departs for Egypt to meet President Sisi

Updated 16 min 53 sec ago
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Saudi crown prince departs for Egypt to meet President Sisi

RIYADH: The Saudi Royal Court announced on Tuesday that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had departed for Egypt. 
During his visit, the Crown Prince will hold talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
The discussions will center on enhancing bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Egypt, as well as addressing key issues of mutual concern.


Saudi art exhibition set for global debut

Updated 15 October 2024
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Saudi art exhibition set for global debut

RIYADH: The Museums Commission has announced plans to launch a landmark exhibition on the art of the Kingdom to bring Saudi contemporary work to the global stage.

The exhibition will tour several countries, introducing international audiences to the vibrant art scene in Saudi Arabia and showcasing the nation’s most prominent contemporary artistic endeavors.

The exhibition is set to debut in Brazil this November to coincide with the G20 Summit. This will ensure that Saudi art is showcased to a global audience during one of the world’s most significant international events.

Following its inauguration in Brazil, the exhibition will return to Riyadh, where it will be hosted at the Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art in the Jax district in early 2025.

The exhibition will then travel to Beijing, where it will be presented at the National Museum of China toward the end of 2025.

The exhibition’s inaugural event in Brazil will feature works by about 15 Saudi artists, representing diverse genres and generations.

The artists will contribute installations, sculptures, oil paintings and drawings that reflect the richness and diversity of Saudi Arabia’s contemporary art scene.

By organizing the exhibition, the Museums Commission aims to empower and promote Saudi artists by providing them with an international platform to display their creativity.

The initiative also seeks to elevate the Kingdom’s cultural profile on the world stage and highlight its growing influence in the global arts and culture arena.


Baha workshop explores ecotourism, forest management

Updated 15 October 2024
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Baha workshop explores ecotourism, forest management

  • The aim is to create a sustainable action plan for the Al-Khala and Al-Ghouqa forests
  • This effort is part of a broader study to assess and develop national forests

RIYADH: The National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification held a workshop recently in Baha focused on plans to carry out a social and economic survey of communities living near forests.

The aim is to create a sustainable action plan for the Al-Khala and Al-Ghouqa forests and evaluate ecotourism opportunities in the areas. This effort is part of a broader study to assess and develop national forests.

The gathering was held in collaboration with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and local communities, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

During the workshop the center’s delegation met with tribal leaders, representatives, and members of environmental organizations to emphasize the community’s vital role in forest conservation.

The workshop included an explanation of the social and economic survey methodology and field visits to the targeted sites, the SPA reported.

The goal is to understand the perspectives of local communities on the surrounding forests and explore their potential contributions to sustainable management.

This includes identifying agricultural and pastoral practices to determine the most effective community involvement in the protection and rehabilitation of local forests.