DAMMAM: The General Port Authority has delegated the responsibility of controlling marine pollutants that result from oil disposal from ships and boats to the Presidency of Meteorology and Environmental Protection. It admitted through its president, Nabil Al-Amoudi, that there is a lack of sufficient mechanisms to follow up on this form of environmental pollution in the proper manner, because the available technology has not yet reached such a level of sophistication.
Al-Amoudi said that there is a need to develop a mechanism to follow up on environmental pollution accurately. There are some plans that have been devised in cooperation with investors about hydrocarbon pollution, and discussions have been carried out with some operators to decrease the use of diesel oil in equipment.
Al-Amoudi confirmed that there is a dry port in Riyadh city, which is affiliated with the Railway Organization, and there are plans to develop dry ports in Jeddah and the Eastern Province. He mentioned that the overcrowding of ships is due to the peak season, saying that no cases of overcrowding were registered in Dammam or Jeddah ports.
Al-Amoudi said that containers stay in Saudi ports for a maximum of 10 days, which is the same period offered by the General Port Authority and the customs department, in order to provide more space for other containers. He pointed out that new procedures will be undertaken to raise the capacity of the ports, since raising the operational capacity increases their effective capacity. He confirmed that there are ongoing discussions with the customs department to achieve more effective electronic connections.
Al-Amoudi said that he did not know the minor details about transport connections between east and west, saying that the strategy of the Port Authority aims to be transitioned into legislation later on. He clarified that operating ports will be monitored through companies, adding that there is a strong partnership between the General Port Authority and companies working in ports. He confirmed that work will be swiftly delegated to these companies, and that the authority will only maintain a supervisory role after the full development of the partnership by the year 2030.
In related news, Eastern Province Governor, Saudi bin Naif, presided over the opening of the Global Marine Transport Day, which was launched under the theme: “We must dispose of marine transport”. The celebration was organized by the Ministry of Transport in Dammam. The President of the General Port Authority mentioned that the Kingdom joined the International Marine Organization in 1969 because it believed in its important role in increasing efficiency and environmental sustainability in our waters and ports, reported Alwatan.
Ports authority taps PME help to monitor marine pollution
Ports authority taps PME help to monitor marine pollution
Saudi Border Guard arrest 4 attempting to smuggle qat
JAZAN: The Kingdom’s Border Guard in Al-Ardah, Jazan, recently arrested four Yemeni nationals attempting to smuggle 80 kg of qat into the country, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
Mostly chewed by users, Qat is a mild stimulant and illegal across most of the Arab world.
The government has urged citizens and residents to report any information they have regarding drug smuggling or sales to the General Directorate of Narcotics Control. Reports can be made by calling 911 for Makkah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province, and 999 for other regions. Alternatively, information can be emailed to [email protected]. All reports are treated confidentially.
KSrelief distributes food in Pakistan, drills solar-powered wells in Nigeria
DUBAI: KSrelief, Saudi Arabia’s aid agency, recently distributed 370 food baskets in the flood-hit Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, benefiting 2,590 individuals.
The aid was a part of the fourth phase of the Kingdom’s Food Security Support Project in Pakistan 2024.
Last week, KSrelief, in collaboration with a civil society organization, initiated a project to drill six solar-powered medium-depth water wells in Kwara State, Nigeria. The wells, each at a depth of about 80 meters and equipped with tanks holding 5,000 liters, are for the benefit of 30,000 individuals.
The beneficiaries lauded Saudi Arabia for addressing their vital water needs.
Saudi anti-corruption authority reveals details of recent cases
- Spokesman said legal procedures had been initiated against all perpetrators
RIYADH: A spokesman for Saudi Arabia’s Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority, also known as Nazaha, revealed on Sunday details of a number of criminal cases it recently investigated and prosecuted.
Outlining 20 of the most prominent corruption cases, he said legal procedures had been initiated against all perpetrators.
In one case, two Central Bank employees were arrested for receiving sums of money from a resident, who was also arrested, in exchange for depositing more than SR7.3 million ($1.95 million), without verifying the source, into bank accounts belonging to commercial entities over a two-year period.
In another case, a security officer working at the General Department of Traffic was arrested for receiving SR387,000 from the owner of a public services office, who was also arrested, in exchange for illegally amending the essential data of a group of vehicles.
One of the cases also highlighted involved an employee working at a university hospital who was arrested for receiving SR100,000 from citizens in exchange for a promise to employ them at the university.
Nazaha said it continues to work to identify and prosecute anyone in the Kingdom involved in the embezzlement of public funds, guilty of abuse of power and position for personal gain, or otherwise harming the public interest.
It stressed that guilty parties will be pursued and held accountable, and that there is no statute of limitations on such crimes.
Saudi, Bahraini public prosecutor meet in Manama
- Al-Mujeb highlighted the unwavering support the Kingdom's public prosecution receives from its leadership
RIYADH: Saudi Public Prosecutor Sheikh Saud bin Abdullah Al-Mujeb met with his Bahraini counterpart Ali bin Fadl Al Buainain in Manama, Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
Al-Buainain welcomed Al-Mujeb and his accompanying delegation and expressed his delight at the visit, which he said signified the ongoing exchange of visits between the judicial bodies of the two nations and the sustained collaboration in combating transnational crime.
During the meeting, Al-Mujeb emphasized the deep-rooted historical ties between the Bahrain and the Kingdom and their continued advancement across various sectors, particularly in parliamentary cooperation and the exchange of information to ensure regional security.
He highlighted the unwavering support the Kingdom's public prosecution receives from its leadership, which he said enhanced the efficiency of its judicial processes.
Conjoined Filipino twins arrive in Riyadh for surgery
- Parents convey appreciation to King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
RIYADH: Conjoined Filipino twins arrived in Riyadh from Manila on Sunday following a Saudi evacuation plan coordinated by the Ministry of Health, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Akhizah and Ayeesha Yusoph were born in Panabo City in the Davao del Norte province on the southern island of Mindanao in December 2022. Their bodies share one liver.
The two 16-month-old girls arrived at King Khalid International Airport and traveled to the King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital to be assessed to determine the feasibility of separation surgery.
Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, supervisor general of the Saudi aid agency KSrelief, thanked the Kingdom’s leadership for their support of the flagship Saudi Conjoined Twins Program.
The program, which is spearheaded by Al-Rabeeah, has operated on more than 130 children from 25 countries since 1990. The children were born sharing internal organs with their twin.
Al-Rabeeah spoke of the program’s global significance which marks a milestone in the field of medicine, while aligning with the ambitious goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to elevate the Kingdom’s healthcare services.
The parents of Akhizah and Ayeesha conveyed their heartfelt appreciation to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the warm welcome and generous hospitality extended to them following their arrival in the Kingdom.
