Tokyo governor to attend top women’s summit in Riyadh
Yuriko Koike will discuss role of women in public leadership positions
Fortune Magazine’s conference features outstanding female leaders from Fortune 500 and Global 500 companies
Updated 19 May 2025
Arab News Japan
TOKYO: Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike will attend Fortune magazine’s Most Powerful Women International Summit in Riyadh on May 20 and 21.
Koike, who will be in the country until May 23, will speak at the closing main-stage session and also participate in a panel discussion titled “Leadership: Women in Public Service.”
The theme of the conference this year is “A New Era for Business: Partnering for Global Prosperity.”
Koike will discuss the role of female leaders in the public sector and talk about Tokyo’s advanced initiatives for female leaders and government officials.
She will also have discussions with representatives of local government agencies, and conduct site visits to pursue collaboration on ways to develop city governance.
Fortune Magazine’s conference features outstanding female leaders from Fortune 500 and Global 500 companies, as well as from sectors including government, philanthropy, education, sports, and the arts.
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.
