Saudi Arabia reaffirms commitment to global humanitarian efforts at high-level UN meeting
Saudi Arabia reaffirms commitment to global humanitarian efforts at high-level UN meeting/node/2582995/saudi-arabia
Saudi Arabia reaffirms commitment to global humanitarian efforts at high-level UN meeting
1 / 3
Aqeel Al-Ghamdi, assistant supervisor general of planning and development at the Saudi aid agency KSrelief, spoke at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ donor support group in New York on Thursday. (SPA)
2 / 3
Aqeel Al-Ghamdi, assistant supervisor general of planning and development at the Saudi aid agency KSrelief, spoke at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ donor support group in New York on Thursday. (SPA)
3 / 3
Aqeel Al-Ghamdi, assistant supervisor general of planning and development at the Saudi aid agency KSrelief, spoke at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ donor support group in New York on Thursday. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia reaffirms commitment to global humanitarian efforts at high-level UN meeting
Delegation emphasizes Kingdom’s strong advocacy for integration of modern technology to enhance efficiency
Updated 13 December 2024
Arab News
NEW YORK: Saudi Arabia has become one of the largest international humanitarian donors, reaffirming its commitment to supporting global efforts, a Saudi official said this week.
Aqeel Al-Ghamdi, assistant supervisor general of planning and development at the Saudi aid agency KSrelief, spoke at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ donor support group in New York on Thursday, where he led the Kingdom’s delegation.
He emphasized Saudi Arabia’s strong advocacy for the integration of modern technology in humanitarian operations to enhance efficiency and better serve vulnerable populations, particularly in conflict-affected regions, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The Kingdom’s support for OCHA operations, including the provision of unrestricted funding, was underscored as vital for enabling prompt and effective responses to crises.
Al-Ghamdi also outlined KSrelief’s inclusive approach to humanitarian aid, with a focus on supporting women, children, and persons with disabilities. He stressed the importance of designing humanitarian programs that addressed the unique needs of the most vulnerable populations around the world.
The UN meeting reinforced the collective efforts of donor countries to advance humanitarian responses and tackle challenges in delivering aid in complex crisis zones. Saudi Arabia’s ongoing contributions were commended as a model of global solidarity and leadership in addressing pressing humanitarian needs, the SPA added.
Inaugural Food Festival offers workshops and diverse cuisine with a relaxed vibe
Updated 11 sec ago
Jasmine Bager
DHAHRAN: The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, or Ithra, launched its inaugural outdoor Food Festival on Monday, turning part of its grounds into a lively culinary space in view of the iconic building.
Music, laughter and the smell of cooking fill the area, guiding visitors toward the festival site.
Music, laughter and the smell of cooking guide visitors toward the Food Festival site organized by Ithra. (AN photo)
The festival program includes four specialized cooking workshops — taco, pizza, steak and sushi — each running for three days and powered by Filmmaster. While registration is required to participate, visitors can watch the chefs prepare dishes in the open-air kitchen.
Beyond the workshops, visitors can explore 10 food stations offering a range of cuisines, including Saudi, Indian, Egyptian, Mexican, Japanese and Lebanese.
HIGHLIGHTS
• The Food Festival program includes four specialized cooking workshops — taco, pizza, steak and sushi — each running for three days and powered by Filmmaster.
• While registration is required to participate, visitors can watch the chefs prepare dishes in the open-air kitchen
One such booth is Whoa Tea & Desserts, which was bubbling with excitement on opening night. Its founder, Liu Yang, who also goes by the name of Edwin, told Arab News why his business chose to participate.
Music, laughter and the smell of cooking guide visitors toward the Food Festival site organized by Ithra. (AN photo)
“I found the Saudi market is very good and they have so many young people here, so me and my two friends we decided to resign and we started a business here targeting the young people,” he told Arab News.
The Chinese entrepreneur has now lived in Saudi Arabia for more than four years, spending the first half of that time working for a Chinese company before deciding to branch out.
Music, laughter and the smell of cooking guide visitors toward the Food Festival site organized by Ithra. (AN photo)
The company brought their own brand of Chinese milk tea, fruity and matcha drinks as well as an assortment of snacks, and even board games, to their shop.
“Now we, in two years, have more than 10 branches in Riyadh and we decided to come to Alkhobar, so soon we will have three shops here which will open in the Eastern Province; one at the end of January and two in February,” he added.
Music, laughter and the smell of cooking guide visitors toward the Food Festival site organized by Ithra. (AN photo)
Since they are opening locally next month, the festival was the perfect way to introduce their products for customers to sample.
Ekin, who moved to Saudi Arabia last year from the US, told Arab News why she chose to bring her family, which included two young children under 10, to the festival.
“We are members at Ithra, we love Ithra. So that is why we trusted that this event was going to be a success,” she told Arab News.
“This is the perfect weather — I love the outdoors eating option. It’s also spacious; there are picnic tables. I think the variety makes it even better because you don’t have to wait in the line for a long time to just grab food,” she said.
