RIYADH: A senior official from the Ministry of Health (MoH) urged smokers to take advantage of the Holy Month of Ramadan to quit smoking.
“The Holy Month of Ramadan is the best month for Muslims to quit smoking,” said Dr. Jamal Abdullah Al-Bazie, a specialist attached to the anti-smoking unit of Ministry of Health here.
Al-Bazie was speaking on the Hello Ramadan program conducted by the MoH during this week.
The Hello Ramadan phone-in program was launched during the first week of the holy month to assist Muslims across the Kingdom in resolving any medical problems they might encounter during Ramadan.
The program is focused on ensuring Muslims maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle and stresses the importance of taking prescribed doses of medication in a timely manner during the holy month.
The service is available on toll free number 800 249 4444. It is conducted in Arabic and is open to the public from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays.
A panel of specialist doctors in various fields take questions throughout the month. The physicians would also interact with the public through social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook.
The official said those interested in giving up smoking can avail themselves of the facilities and expertise available at more than 60 anti-smoking clinics spread throughout the Kingdom. The clinics will remain open daily from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. during Ramadan. There are more than 10 such clinics in Riyadh and one of them is exclusively for women.
He said the number of deaths due to smoking is greater than the casualties attributed to accidents and drugs. He pointed out that the habit of smoking leads to many serious diseases that dramatically destroy human health and cause chronic diseases such as heart attacks, atherosclerosis and clogged air passages.
Al-Bazie indicated that quitting smoking is not an easy task. “Smokers, who want to quit, face a difficult challenge, because of the nicotine addiction.” It requires the will and strong determination to stop smoking and they need to seek the help of specialists at the anti-smoking clinics.
He pointed out that passive smoking is very harmful, which exposes a non-smoker to toxic gases emanating from smokers and cigarettes. “Passive smoking damages the lungs of innocent children.”
Al-Bazie confirmed that studies have shown that smoking will raise blood sugar levels of diabetic patients due to the presence of nicotine.
He noted that the scientific facts have proven that smoking causes many types of cancer, notably lung cancer. “If urgent measures are not taken, the number of deaths due to smoking will reach more than 8 million by 2030,” he noted.
There are some 7 million smokers in the Kingdom which includes nearly 1.1 million women, according to a local study. The study showed school students account for nearly 15-27 percent of total smokers in Saudi Arabia, which has the 29th highest smoking rate in the world.
The Kingdom joined the anti-tobacco agreement in May 2005. Saudi Arabia ranks fourth among world countries in tobacco imports and consumption. More than 15 billion cigarettes, worth 168 million dollars, are being smoked by Saudis per year, according to the figures of the Gulf Cooperation Council Health Ministers Council.
Smokers urged to quit smoking during holy month
Smokers urged to quit smoking during holy month
Saudi crown prince, Ukrainian president discuss Russia-Ukraine conflict during call
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday received a phone call from Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
During the call, they reviewed bilateral relations between the two countries and discussed several issues of common interest.
They also discussed developments in the Ukrainian-Russian crisis and efforts to resolve the conflict.
Ithra Film Production announces new projects at film festival
- The IFP seeks to highlight Saudi stories and discover new voices
DHAHRAN: The King Abdulaziz World Cultural Center, or Ithra, announced 15 new film projects this week at the 10th Saudi Film Festival, which concludes on May 9.
The Saudi film funding program selected four features and 11 short films from 170 submissions over the past year.
The entries were submitted by emerging Saudi filmmakers vying to take their concepts from the drawing board to silver screens across the globe.
Since its inception six years ago, the IFP has played a vital role in supporting Saudi Arabia’s fast-growing film industry, by nurturing home-grown talent and fostering cinematic content through commissioning and co-funding opportunities.
The IFP seeks to highlight Saudi stories and discover new voices and creative storytellers with the ultimate goal of having their films showcased on national and international platforms.
After reviewing an unprecedented number of high-quality submissions, the jury ultimately settled on the 15 films that together comprise an array of unique untold stories presented by talented storytellers who tapped into Saudi Arabia’s rich culture for ideas.
IFP also introduced a range of initiatives aimed at providing platforms for film producers, advancing standards of excellence in filmmaking and empowering new talent in the region.
Additionally, they host numerous workshops and seminars in the field of representation and production, writing and directing, among others.
Since its first film in 2018, IFP has funded 20 titles and produced four which have been showcased at 95 film festivals across the globe, winning 34 awards.
This includes “Hajjan” which most recently won three awards at the Gulf Film Festival including best feature, best actor and best cinematography.
Diriyah’s JAX District granted status of industrial heritage site
- Recognition by Saudi Heritage Commission honors the district for its role in the evolution of industry in the Kingdom and its role in shaping society
- District, named after the company that established it in the 1970s, contains a striking assembly of warehouses
- When commercial tenants moved out of the district in the mid-2000s, artists moved in
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission has designated Diriyah’s JAX District, near Riyadh, as an industrial heritage site.
Its industrial days behind it, the district is now known as a creative arts hub in the heart of Diriyah, which is also where the UNESCO world heritage site of At-Turaif can be found.
The official recognition of its past role falls under the aims of the Industrial Heritage Preservation Program to protect and celebrate places of historical significance to the industrial sector in the Kingdom.
The designation highlights the district’s unique industrial architecture, officials said, and gives it a place alongside other sites in the Kingdom recognized for their roles in the evolution of industry in the country and its role in shaping Saudi society. Granting it heritage site status pays tribute to its history as a center for large-scale industrial projects and underscores its position as a national cultural landmark, they added.
JAX, named after the company that established the district in the 1970s, is home to a striking assembly of large warehouses that once formed an important industrial center in Riyadh region.
In the mid-2000s, commercial tenants started to move out and a group of graffiti artists began to use the walls of abandoned warehouses as their makeshift canvas. Young artists also established workshops and studios in the vacated spaces. In the years that followed, additional creative spaces, including art galleries, studios and cafes, were established, major cultural institutions opened, and office space was built for creative agencies that set up shop there.
JAX District now hosts numerous events, including the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, MDLBEAST XP Music Futures, the Hia Hub fashion, beauty and style conference, and light art festival Noor Riyadh. The Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art, the first museum of its kind in the Kingdom, is also located in the district.
European Chamber of Commerce opens in Riyadh
- ECCKSA to strengthen trade, investment, and economic cooperation
RIYADH: The European Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia was inaugurated in Riyadh on Wednesday.
The launch event was attended by distinguished guests, including Ibrahim Al-Mubarak, assistant minister of investment; Luigi Di Maio, EU special representative for the Gulf; and Christophe Farnaud, the EU ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Bahrain.
The chamber will serve as a platform to facilitate business cooperation, promote trade and investment, and support the alignment of regulatory frameworks, according to a press release from the EU.
In line with the strategic partnership between the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council announced in May 2022, the establishment of the ECCKSA is a significant step in strengthening economic ties between the EU and the Kingdom.
Di Maio said that the establishment of the ECCKSA marks an important new chapter in the partnership between the EU and Saudi Arabia.
“I am convinced that this initiative will be key in bringing closer and in integrating our economies. The ECCKSA will certainly become a point of reference for European companies doing business in the Kingdom and Saudi companies looking for partners and markets in the EU.
"It will facilitate joint ventures and boost trade and investments. There is so much untapped potential and space to grow in our economic cooperation and I am confident that the next months and years will bring about more substantive and sustainable progress,” Di Maio added.
Al-Mubarak highlighted the integration of ECCKSA’s initiatives with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, creating the potential for new business opportunities in non-oil sectors.
“The launch of the European Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia marks a pivotal milestone in the flourishing economic partnership between the Kingdom and the EU. With foreign direct investment stock from Europe nearly doubling to SR218.5 billion ($58.26 billion) over the past five years, the establishment of ECCKSA will unlock new horizons for cross-border trade, investment, and collaboration.
“The chamber will be a catalyst for fostering stronger ties between our business communities and supporting Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification journey under Vision 2030,” he added.
The event also featured a panel discussion, titled “ECCKSA: Shaping the Future of EU-KSA Business Collaboration,” where experts discussed strategies for deepening economic ties and explored new opportunities for partnership.
The panel included Leon Delvaux, acting director at the EU; Lama Alghrair, director of investor intelligence at the Ministry of Investment; Thomas Juergensen, head of trade and economic affairs for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar; and Lorcan Tyrrell, ECCKSA chairman. They collectively outlined the anticipated impact of ECCKSA on the European and Saudi business communities.
Also at the launch, ECCKSA’s license was formally handed over by the Ministry of Investment in Saudi Arabia.
Kristijonas Gedvilas, CEO of ECCKSA, said that the chamber is dedicated not only to strengthening economic ties, but also to building a vibrant business ecosystem that supports the shared vision.
“Our immediate focus will be on expanding our membership, engaging businesses actively, and providing them with invaluable resources and opportunities that foster growth and innovation across both regions,” he added.
ECCKSA aims to advance initiatives that support its members while contributing to the economic prosperity of both regions.
Saudi Premium Residency Program hosts workshop in Riyadh
- The workshop also included networking and discussions on funding opportunities as well as mentorship
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s residency program attracting top foreign talent and investors hosted a workshop in Riyadh on Wednesday.
The Premium Residency Program, launched in 2019, draws skilled professionals, talented individuals and investors to the Kingdom through five residency categories.
It targets expatriates who wish to gain premium residency in Saudi Arabia.
The categories, announced in January, include special talent, gifted, entrepreneur, investor and real estate residencies.
The “Introduction to Premium Residency Products” at The Garage in Riyadh focused on the entrepreneur category.
The residency includes two sub-categories for entrepreneurs and innovators who contribute to the development of multiple industries in Saudi Arabia.
Category one of the entrepreneur residency provides a five-year premium residency. Applicants must obtain an entrepreneurial license from the Saudi Ministry of Investment and a letter of recommendation from the investing party.
They are required to obtain a minimum SR400,000 ($106,000) investment from a recognized organization and hold at least a 20 percent share of the startup.
After the five-year term, the entrepreneur residency will be renewed if the eligibility criteria is still met.
Category two grants a permanent residency only if the entrepreneur creates a minimum of 10 jobs in the first year and 10 or more in the second year.
The individual must demonstrate a minimum investment of SR15 million and a 10 percent ownership stake in the business.
The advantages of the entrepreneur residency include the ability to nominate two people from the applicant’s work team — such as executives — to obtain exceptional competence residencies.
Among the general benefits are owning and using real estate, issuing visit visas for relatives, and exemption from the financial fees imposed on expatriates and their companions.
Beneficiaries will be able to use the lanes designated for citizens and citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries at ports across the Kingdom.
The holder of the premium residency and their family members can leave and return to Saudi Arabia without requiring a re-entry visa. They can also work in private sector establishments.
Sarah Al-Hamad, who attended the workshop, told Arab News: “I truly believe that the Premium Residency Program will drive economic growth and cultural exchange in the Kingdom for years to come.”
The workshop also included networking and discussions on funding opportunities as well as mentorship.
