Qatari emir invites Saudi leaders to attend global social development summit
Qatari emir invites Saudi leaders to attend global social development summit/node/2599641/saudi-arabia
Qatari emir invites Saudi leaders to attend global social development summit
The Qatari ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Bandar Al-Attiyah, presented the invitations to the minister of foreign affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, in Riyadh on Monday. (SPA)
Qatari emir invites Saudi leaders to attend global social development summit
The 2nd World Summit for Social Development will take place in Doha from Nov. 4 to 6
Updated 05 May 2025
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have each received an invitation to attend the Second World Summit for Social Development, which will take place in Doha from Nov. 4 to 6.
The letters, sent by Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, were presented by the nation’s ambassador to the Kingdom, Bandar Al-Attiyah, to the Saudi minister of foreign affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, in Riyadh on Monday.
Other officials present at their meeting included Abdulrahman Al-Rassi, the undersecretary for multilateral international affairs at the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Rare sighting of critically endangered leatherback turtle in Red Sea
Turtles travel thousands of kilometers to Red Sea
Nesting 6,500km away in India’s Andaman Islands
Updated 05 February 2026
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Wildlife has documented a rare sighting of a leatherback sea turtle in the Red Sea, marking a significant biological record for one of the planet’s most critically endangered marine species.
The sighting occurred approximately 30 km off the coast of Al-Qunfudhah within the Blue Holes Protected Area, a newly established marine reserve, according to a recent report from the Saudi Press Agency.
The NCW said the presence of a leatherback in these waters was an exceptional event.
Recognized as the largest turtle species on Earth, the leatherback can weigh up to 900 kilograms. It has a unique leathery, black carapace — distinguished by five longitudinal ridges rather than a hard bony shell — and able to dive to depths exceeding 1,000 meters.
Shutterstock image
Noting the species’ migratory nature, the center explained that leatherbacks travel thousands of kilometers foraging for jellyfish. The specimen likely navigated through the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait in search of food.
This is considered a remarkable journey, the NCW said, noting that the nearest known populations reside in the Indian Ocean, spanning waters from South Africa to Sri Lanka (roughly 7,000 to 8,000 km away).
The closest known nesting grounds are located in India’s Andaman Islands, approximately 6,500 kilometers away. No nesting activity has been recorded in the Red Sea.
According to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the leatherback is Critically Endangered in the Indian Ocean.
While data for the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf is scarce, recent isolated sightings include a juvenile recorded in Jordan in December 2025 and another off Djibouti in 2019.
The NCW emphasized that these rare appearances highlight the ecological importance of the Kingdom's marine conservation efforts in the Red Sea.
The center pointed to the Farasan Islands Marine Protected Area, along with the new Blue Holes and Ras Hatiba reserves, as critical sanctuaries that could support the expansion in range of such endangered species.
