The first honey festival in Abha has concluded after a week full of activities.
Aayed Al-Muhaya, head of the Saudi Beekeepers Cooperative Association (SBCA), said 26 beekeepers participated in the festival. They came from Riyadh, Al-Baha, Buljurashi, Al-Nammas, Al-Mekheat, Abha Rejal Almaei, Khamis Mushayt and Surrat Obaidah, he said, adding that more than 30,000 visitors attended the weeklong festival which yielded revenues exceeding SR1.8 million.
Al-Muhaya explained that the revenues came from an auction that took place during the first three days of the festival and from the sales of the participants.
There were a number of varieties of honey on sale including 10 tons of Sedra, Talah, Samar and Majarah. The price of one kilo of honey ranged between SR200 and SR600, depending on its quality, he added.
He pointed out that the last day of the festival yielded the biggest revenues for one individual beekeeper who made a wholesale transaction worth SR100,000.
The head of the SBCA said the prominent feature of this first festival of its kind is that the majority of beekeepers had agreed to embark on the works of their association to serve their best interests in terms of marketing, exporting, obtaining visas for foreign labor they need, solving the problems they face and providing a big financial subsidy in case of damages, in addition to providing tools, treatments and vitamins at affordable prices.
The association intends to hold a second chapter of the festival next year, said the head of association. He thanked the Asir municipality for providing a special laboratory that measures the quality of honey and detects fake products.
On the question of honey export, he said that the majority of beekeepers sell and market their products on their own. They aspire to establish a Saudi union so that they can export their products abroad, especially to Australia, Germany, Turkey, France and New Zealand.
Asir Gov. Prince Faisal bin Khaled, who is the head of the tourism development council, said during the inauguration of the festival that honey is the main product in the area, and is of the best quality in the Kingdom.
The Asir region produces more than 12 tons of honey annually. The production is sold to local consumers and exported to Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and other provinces across the country.
Honey fest generates SR1.8m in revenues
Honey fest generates SR1.8m in revenues
Saudi Ministry of Media, Microsoft Arabia sign memorandum of understanding
- Deal aims to advance media sector in the Kingdom
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Media signed a memorandum of understanding with Microsoft Arabia in Riyadh on Tuesday covering several areas of cooperation, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by the Assistant Minister of Media Abdullah Al-Maghlouth, and Ziad Mansour, Microsoft’s executive vice president of data and artificial intelligence.
Bassem Al-Hazmi, the general manager of digital transformation and information technology and the general manager of cybersecurity, was also present, along with the President of Microsoft Arabia Turki Badhris.
Cooperation will include developing technical aspects in the areas of data analysis, self-learning, AI, security and privacy solutions, and various software and service development solutions.
It will aim to raise the quality of local media content and keep pace with global transformations to serve the future goals of the Ministry of Media.
The memorandum also bids to advance the media sector in the Kingdom, enabling it to contribute to the local economy while benefiting from the developments of AI and its multiple applications in the field of media.
Who’s Who: Mansour Al-Babtain, VP of commercial partnerships and liaison at World Defense Show
Mansour Al-Babtain is the vice president of commercial partnerships and liaison at the World Defense Show.
A former fighter pilot, Al-Babtain has extensive experience working with high-level government figures and private-sector leaders.
He joined the WDS in April 2021. His current role is to oversee the sales, sponsorship and customer experience divisions, in addition to maintaining his liaison responsibilities with Saudi government entities including the General Authority for Military Industries and international delegations.
The department links WDS business owners with the appropriate government entities, ensures the security of the location and people prior to, during and following the show, and manages WDS committees.
From the initial show license to security support, Al-Babtain effectively manages the challenges of ensuring the smooth entry and exit of military supplies, technology, and personnel.
Having graduated from King Faisal Air Academy, he served 12 years in the Royal Saudi Air Force as a fighter pilot, squadron leader and tactical intelligence officer before moving to the Ministry of Defense and later to several government entities.
In addition to his degree in aerial sciences, Al-Babtain holds a master’s degree in strategic studies from Air University in Alabama and a diploma in diplomatic and political relations from the International Arbitration Commission in Cairo.
AI and intellectual property in the spotlight at Arab League meeting
RIYADH: Intellectual property and artificial intelligence will be discussed at a regional meeting of the Arab League’s Intellectual Property and Competitiveness Department on Wednesday.
The virtual gathering, which will be hosted via video link, will include experts from the World Intellectual Property Organization and governmental intellectual property offices from several Arab nations, reported Saudi Press Agency.
Key topics on the agenda are optimizing intellectual property frameworks for AI development, the impact of AI on patenting processes, legislative efforts to address legal challenges, and implications of AI for copyright regulations.
Minister Plenipotentiary Dr. Maha Bakheet, director of legal affairs at the Intellectual Property and Competitiveness Department, said the meeting aimed to safeguard AI models through intellectual property mechanisms and enhance services.
It also hopes to drive service delivery and management progress within regional intellectual property offices.
Saudi recruiters to face heavy fines for visa violations
RIYADH: The General Directorate of Public Security announced that recruiters who postpone reporting the departures of employees as soon as their entry visas expire will be subject to a fine of about SR50,000 ($13,300), imprisonment for up to six months, and deportation of recruitees if they are expatriates.
The directorate called for reporting residency, work and border security regulation violations by dialing the numbers (911) in Makkah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province, and (999) in the rest of the Kingdom.
According to the Saudi Press Agency report, the directorate said that from May 23 until June 21, anyone holding a visit visa of any type is not permitted to enter or remain in Makkah.
A visit visa of any type and name does not entitle its holder to perform the Hajj pilgrimage, added the directorate.
Kawin Incubator Program looks to empower Saudi culinary talents
- Event supports talented chefs, entrepreneurs
RIYADH: The Culinary Arts Authority is hosting the fourth Kawin Incubator Program from June 11 to Aug. 15. The initiative aims to boost culinary skills by supporting talented chefs and entrepreneurs in the food and beverage sector, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
The incubator consists of three main programs. The first is the Kawin Culinary Arts Incubator, featuring six courses. Each course starts with a three-day virtual competition for 80 participants, followed by a two-month, in-person incubation phase for 40 projects, concluding with the graduation of 120 projects.
Participants must be Saudi nationals — aged 18 or above — and passionate about the culinary arts and able to attend the entire program. They must also have an innovative recipe or product.
Kawin, which means create, aims to raise standards in the culinary sector by nurturing startups with innovative concepts, fostering a supportive entrepreneurial environment.
It aims to empower both male and female entrepreneurs in the culinary arts while enhancing the Kingdom’s global reputation in gastronomy.
Those Interested can learn more at https://engage.moc.gov.sa/kawn/.
