RIYADH: Riyadh will host the sixth edition of the National Urban Heritage Forum (NUHF) under the patronage of Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar, who is chairman of the Riyadh Tourism Development Council. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be a guest of honor country at the forum.
The heritage forum is organized by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTNH) in one of the provinces every year in collaboration with the governorates, municipalities and local universities.
“The SCTNH is preparing to organize the sixth NUHF in April next year in Riyadh with the UAE as a guest of honor country,” an SCTNH official said on Saturday.
He revealed that the upcoming forum will include workshops for business persons under national and international experts and advisers in order to brief them on investment opportunities in urban heritage sites and their economic and cultural feasibility. To take advantage of international and regional experiences, the UAE will be the guest of honor country, he added.
The organizing committee has began communicating with major corporations and organizations to inform them about the investment climate of urban heritage sites, as well as push them to participate in building this important and promising economic sector.
Earlier, Meshari bin Abdullah Al-Naeem, general superintendent of the National Urban Heritage Center and the chief of the organizing committee of the forum said, “the sixth forum will be held in an advanced style different from the previous forums by focusing on building and establishing integrated economic sectors of urban heritage.”
“This time the forum will focus on linking architectural aspects with an economic model to ensure the realization of the SCTNH vision toward development of the tourism sector, especially in the urban heritage sector,” he added.
The organizing committee of the forum this year has started preparations for the forum in a different module, so that the relevant heritage economic sectors in urban areas are classified under four sectors: construction, restoration and contracting, urban heritage sites operation, urban heritage human resources development, and finally urban heritage related industries and services, according to which the forum will be organized.
Notably, the NUHF is organized annually as per the recommendations of the first International Conference for Urban Heritage in the Islamic Countries, which was organized by the SCTNH in collaboration with a number of authorities in Riyadh in 2010.
The first session of the NUHF was organized in Makkah Province; the second was held in the Eastern Province; the third session was held in Madinah Province; the fourth in Asir Province and the fifth session was held in Al-Qassim Province.
UAE to grace next Urban Heritage Forum in Riyadh
UAE to grace next Urban Heritage Forum in Riyadh
Asir region is first with launch of tourism identity
- Prince Turki said the slogan “Karam Al-Arouma” was inspired by the generosity and welcoming nature of the people of the region
Saudi Arabia’s Asir region has become the first in the Kingdom to create a regional tourism identity, accompanied by the slogan “Karam Al-Arouma,” or “the generosity of the people of Asir.”
Asir Gov. Prince Turki bin Talal bin Abdulaziz, who also heads the Asir Region Development Authority, launched the identity at an official ceremony organized by the authority and hosted by the Rijal Heritage Village in Rijal Almaa governorate.
“This identity has been in the works for quite a while. It’s a very exciting day for us to finally unveil this to the world. It’s going to help our marketing efforts both domestically and internationally,“ Hashim Al-Dabbagh, the authority’s CEO, told Arab News.
“The vision of the Asir region is to be a preeminent destination year-round, and having our own identity is a step in that direction,” he said.
Asir is seeking to become a global destination throughout the year, based on its authentic culture and wide range of natural attractions.
Prince Turki said the slogan “Karam Al-Arouma” was inspired by the generosity and welcoming nature of the people of the region.
The identity was supported by the launch of the “Discover Asir” tourism website under the umbrella of “Visit Saudi,” which will provide tourist information.
Saudi Justice Ministry to host training conference
RIYADH: The Saudi Ministry of Justice is to hold the International Conference of Judicial Training in Riyadh from May 6-7.
The Judicial Training Center hosts the event which will see the participation of several international training institutes, centers, and experts in the field of judicial and legal training. The objective is to facilitate the exchange of experiences and deliberations on contemporary trends in the era of digital transformation.
Called “The Future of Judicial Training in the Era of Digital Transformation,” the event will delve into the prospects of training in the future. It will explore paths for enhancing training content; strategies for harnessing modern technology; artificial intelligence in judicial training; and effective methodologies for measuring the training’s impact.
Saudi energy minister attends Tashkent International Investment Forum
TASHKENT: Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman on Thursday participated in the primary dialogue session at the third Tashkent International Investment Forum.
In the presence of the president of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the energy minister highlighted the distinguished relations between the two nations, emphasizing the leadership’s strong commitment to enhancing and expanding cooperation across all sectors, particularly energy.
The partnership aims to benefit both countries and their citizens.
Who’s Who: Ali Alhasan, CEO and founder of NanoPalm
- Alhasan co-developed deep tech to leverage large language models for biotech discovery
- He was granted the Outstanding Researcher Award from the International Institute for Nanotechnology in 2012
Ali Alhasan is CEO and founder of the company NanoPalm. He holds a Ph.D. in nanomedicine, with expertise in nano-drug delivery and gene therapy and five years of experience in executive management.
In his role as CEO, Alhasan formulates the strategic and business plans for accelerating therapy translation globally and trains talents in deep tech, nanotech, and gene editing tech.
Alhasan co-developed deep tech to leverage large language models for biotech discovery. He also co-invented Nanopalm’s biorobots for the delivery of gene editing primers and helped discover four nanomedicines for four different genetic diseases.
He is also an associate professor at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology and an adjunct professor at Alfaisal University, establishing collaboration agreements between the two.
As associate professor, he is the principal researcher for development and innovation in nanomedicine and the fourth industrial revolution.
In his role as adjunct professor, Alhasan teaches nanomedicine and mentors postgraduate and undergraduate students. He also co-established the Cancer Nanoscience Program.
Previously, Alhasan served in executive leadership roles at KACST as deputy at the Joint Centers of Excellence Program (2021), deputy of the Life Science and Environment Research Institute (2020), director of the Center of Excellence for Biomedicine (2020), and director of Strategic Initiatives (2016).
Alhasan was a post-doctoral scholar at the University of California in 2015 and received his Ph.D. in the Interdepartmental Biological Sciences Program from Northwestern University in 2013.
In 2008, he received a master’s degree in biotechnology also from Northwestern University, while in 2001, he received his bachelor’s degree in medical technology from King Abdulaziz University.
Alhasan was granted the Leader of the Year award from the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology in 2024. In 2018, he received the Outstanding Investigator Award from KACST.
He was granted the Outstanding Researcher Award from the International Institute for Nanotechnology in 2012.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan speaks with Swiss foreign minister
- two ministers discussed developments of common interest and efforts made by both countries in those areas
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan spoke on the phone with his Swiss counterpart Ignazio Cassis on Thursday.
During the call, the two ministers discussed developments of common interest and efforts made by both countries in those areas, Saudi Press Agency reported.
Cassis was in the Kingdom last month to attend the Special Meeting of the World Economic Forum held in Riyadh on April 28 and 29, during which he met with Prince Faisal.
Prince Faisal and Cassis also met earlier in the year in February during UN meetings in Geneva.
