Saudi Arabia has provided refugees in Kingdom with aid worth $18bn, says KSrelief chief
Saudi Arabia has provided refugees in Kingdom with aid worth $18bn, says KSrelief chief/node/2425446/saudi-arabia
Saudi Arabia has provided refugees in Kingdom with aid worth $18bn, says KSrelief chief
Saudi Arabia has provided more than $18.57 billion in aid to refugees in the Kingdom to date, according to Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, the supervisor general of Saudi aid agency KSrelief. (X: @KSRelief)
Saudi Arabia has provided refugees in Kingdom with aid worth $18bn, says KSrelief chief
The country has also delivered $1.15 billion in aid to refugees in other host countries around the world, Abdullah Al-Rabeeah adds
Updated 14 December 2023
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has provided more than $18.57 billion in aid to refugees in the Kingdom to date, according to Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, the supervisor general of Saudi aid agency KSrelief.
Speaking at the Global Refugee Forum 2023, which began on Wednesday in Geneva, he told delegates that the Kingdom hosts 1.07 million refugees, who account for 5.5 percent of the nation’s population, and provides them with free healthcare, educational opportunities, and help to integrate with their new communities, the Saudi Press Agency reported
Saudi Arabia has also provided $1.15 billion in aid to refugees in other host countries around the world, Al-Rabeeah added.
He also revealed that the Kingdom plans to launch several new projects worth a total of $170 million, including the provision of $40 million of aid for Palestinian refugees in Gaza, and $10 million for the Global Islamic Fund for Refugees.
Al-Rabeeah highlighted the Kingdom’s focus on humanitarian issues at both the political and humanitarian levels, and discussed the challenges posed by the growing number of refugees and internally displaced people around the world.
He also emphasized the importance of nations working together to address issues related to refugees and help alleviate their suffering. He advocated for the formation of partnerships and quality initiatives, as well as assistance to host countries, to help create better environments for refugees that respect human dignity and stability.
Meanwhile, KSrelief signed an agreement with a civil society organization on Tuesday to operate the Emergency Center for Epidemic Diseases Control in Yemen’s Hajjah Governorate. The facility will provide diagnostic, treatment and isolation services for patients, as well as medicines and other medical and preventative supplies, and intravenous and laboratory services.
It also aims to enhance efforts to combat epidemic diseases among displaced people and host communities, provide statistical data for the epidemiological monitoring system database, improve health awareness and education, and help to distribute mosquito nets and dispose of medical waste, benefiting more than 63,000 people.
How Saudi Arabia is harnessing its abundance of renewable energy resources
Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in diversifying its energy mix towards renewables to help cut carbon emissions
With a focus on wind and solar, the Kingdom aims to source 50 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2030
Updated 05 July 2024
Rahaf Jambi
RIYADH: With a goal of sourcing at least 50 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2030, Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in diversifying its energy mix toward renewable sources to meet its pledge to cut carbon emissions and promote sustainable development.
To promote public understanding of renewable energy technologies and to advance the goals of Vision 2030, the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy launched the Mishkat Interactive Center for Atomic and Renewable Energy in Riyadh in 2017.
“The National Renewable Energy Program, with all its achieved and under-construction projects, really reflects how promising this strategic initiative is to fulfill Vision 2030,” Reham Aldous, the center’s content and program development manager, told Arab News.
Wind
Saudi Arabia has immense wind energy potential, particularly in its northwestern and coastal regions. The Kingdom has set a target of producing 50 gigawatts of wind energy capacity by 2030.
In 2021, Saudi Arabia inaugurated its first commercial-scale wind farm, the 400-megawatt Dumat Al-Jandal project, which is currently the largest in the Middle East. Additional large-scale wind projects are in the pipeline.
Duma Al-Jandal wind farm in the nothern Saudi province of Al-Jouf. (Vision 2030 photo)
Solar
As one of the sunniest countries in the world, Saudi Arabia has an abundance of solar energy resources. The country aims to install 50 GW of solar capacity by 2030.
Major projects include the 300-MW Sakaka solar plant, the 420-MW Sudair solar park, and the planned 2-GW Al-Shuaibah solar project. Saudi Arabia is also exploring innovative applications like floating solar farms on its reservoirs.
A view of the solar plant in Uyayna, north of Riyadh, on March 29, 2018. (AFP/File)
Inaugurated in 2021, the Sakaka Solar Power Plant in Al-Jouf uses photovoltaic technology. Made up of more than 1.2 million solar panels arranged across 6 sq. km, it produces low-cost energy at just $0.023 per kWh.
Besides using photovoltaic cells to capture the sun’s rays, another method is thermal solar energy, where mirrors focus sunlight in a specific spot to collect and concentrate it, allowing for the production of very high temperatures, which are used to generate electricity.
Hydro
Although Saudi Arabia’s hydropower potential is limited due to its limited moving bodies of water, the country does have some small-scale hydroelectric facilities.
The Baisha Dam in the southwest generates about 2.1 MW of power. Saudi Arabia is also investigating the potential for pumped storage hydropower projects.
Saudi Arabia also has some small-scale hydroelectric facilities. (Shutterstock photo)
Geothermal
Saudi Arabia has begun to explore its geothermal energy resources, particularly in the volcanic areas of the Hijaz and Asir mountains.
Pilot projects are underway to assess the viability of geothermal power generation in the Kingdom. Early estimates suggest a potential of up to 3 GW of geothermal capacity.
Aerial View of Kamojang Geothermal Power Plant in Garut, West Java, Indonesia. (Shutterstock)
Bio
Saudi Arabia has made strides in developing its bioenergy sector, focusing primarily on biofuels.
The Kingdom aims to produce 9.5 million liters of bioethanol and 0.3 million liters of biodiesel annually by 2030. Agricultural and municipal waste-to-energy projects are also being explored.
Biogas plant behind a corn field. (Shutterstock photo)
Wind, biofuels, geothermal, and thermal solar energy all use the kinetic energy produced by these resources to move turbines, either directly or by heating water to create steam, thereby generating electricity.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy has been the driving force behind the country’s renewable energy transformation.
Opinion
This section contains relevant reference points, placed in (Opinion field)
The ministry has set clean energy targets, launched competitive bidding for projects, and partnered with local and international stakeholders to develop a robust renewable energy sector.
Through strategic policies, dedicated funding, and collaborative efforts, the Ministry of Energy has been instrumental in positioning Saudi Arabia as a regional leader in the global shift toward sustainable power generation.
DID YOUKNOW?
Saudi Arabia is developing some of the world’s largest solar projects, including its Sakaka plant in Al-Jouf.
The Kingdom is developing large-scale wind farms, such as the 400 MW Dumat Al-Jandal wind project.
It is also exploring the potential for ‘green hydrogen’ — produced using renewable energy sources.
The ministry’s comprehensive approach to renewable energy integration has been crucial in diversifying the Kingdom’s energy mix and securing its long-term energy future.
Much of this success, however, is owed to Saudi Arabia’s geography, said Aldous of the Mishkat Interactive Center.
“The Kingdom is characterized by an abundance of renewable energy resources,” she said, “highlighting solar energy and wind energy as the main two green energy resources with great potential.”
Past meets future at Aramco’s Community Heritage Gallery
Company’s influence extends beyond oil, contributing to social and cultural fabric of the region
Updated 05 July 2024
Jasmine Bager
DHAHRAN: Across the smooth road overlooking Aramco Camp’s rows of cookie-cutter clapboard houses with manicured lawns, is a serene time capsule where heritage and nostalgia collide.
Situated on 12th street and Ibis Avenue, in what was known as Houses 1220 and 1222 — among the first to be built within the Dhahran camp in 1938 — the renovated historic homes now house the Community Heritage Gallery.
It feels like you are being welcomed into someone’s home.
The juxtaposition of modern elements with historical artifacts and memorabilia creates a distinctive atmosphere. (AN photos)
It was originally occupied by Dr. T.C. Alexander and his family in the 1940s. He was perhaps best known for being one of the earliest permanent physicians who moved to Dhahran to work and live.
He helped to initiate a regional vaccination program and helped the Aramco health system thrive during his tenure. Alexander’s wife, keen to carve out a path for herself within the community, hosted the inaugural meeting of the Dhahran Women’s Group in their home in 1946, a group which is still active today.
HIGHLIGHT
Aramco is well-known for being the site where black gold was found in the 1930s and that, overnight, it changed the course of the Kingdom and the world’s history.
Later on, Fouad Saleh, the executive director of community services, became a champion of establishing what he called a “Saudi Aramco museum” — a place where the history of Aramco and its people would be preserved and showcased to be enjoyed by the community within a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
The juxtaposition of modern elements with historical artifacts and memorabilia creates a distinctive atmosphere. (AN photos)
Saleh’s vision was realised well after the Alexanders moved out. Their former home officially became a gallery with a focus on heritage and Aramco artifacts, opened to the public in 1992.
The opening was attended by Hisham Nazer, then minister of petroleum and mineral resources and a Saudi Aramco board chairman, and Aramco’s very first Saudi president, Ali Al-Naimi, who was also the CEO at the time.
Al-Naimi started off at the company in the late 1940s and moved up the ranks to becoming the Aramco president from 1984-1995. His 2016 autobiography, “Out of the Desert: My Journey from Nomadic Bedouin to the Heart of Global Oil,” is prominently displayed on the Heritage Gallery bookshelf.
There are other books on the shelves, too, many of which were donated.
Hassan Bouholaigah, a Saudi creative who grew up in Dhahran and now lives in Riyadh, was strolling through the neighborhood on his time off when he stumbled on the Heritage Gallery by chance.
“I’m on vacation visiting family here. I grew up in Aramco, so it was very nostalgic to just walk around,” Bouholaigah told Arab News. “I just happened to see a classic red car parked outside, so I was a bit intrigued, and I just decided to walk in.”
On entering, he noticed the framed images of past Aramco presidents on the wall.
“To me, that was really interesting just to see the transition. And then the next thing that caught my attention was just the library, which basically had a lot of yearbooks,” he said. Although he did not attend Aramco school himself, he was delighted to serendipitously pull out a 7th grade yearbook from 2008 that contained pages of photos of friends he used to play ball with after school. He quickly snapped photos to send to those friends, some of whom he is still in touch with today.
He also appreciated how the gallery diversified beyond the obvious company artifacts and showcased the community culture and its wider contribution to local society.
“I love how it’s not focused on oil only. You can see pictures of where the first house that was built for Saudis. You can see some pictures from high schools — from the first female school that they built in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
The juxtaposition of modern elements with historical artifacts and memorabilia creates a distinctive atmosphere that serves as a time capsule for the community and the country.
Aramco is well-known for being the site where black gold was found in the 1930s and that, overnight, it changed the course of the Kingdom and the world’s history. The gallery showcases various milestones the company hit over the decades.
It is evident while roaming the space that Aramco’s influence extends beyond oil, contributing significantly to the social and cultural fabric of the region, and beyond.
Seeing the evolution of the community through these artifacts must have been a poignant reminder of how the company has shaped lives and the broader societal changes over the decades. The nostalgic feelings shared by “Aramco brats” — those who grew up in the fold of the camp — reflect a strong sense of identity and community that has been cultivated over the years. Many have returned to pay homage to the space that helped shape them, by donating books and yearbooks to the gallery.
There is also a majlis in the back, which people can rent for private functions or to watch one of the Aramco-produced films from their film library.
Heritage Gallery is located across the street from the Dhahran Recreation Library and does not require a ticket.
The gallery is open from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. from Sundays to Wednesdays, from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Thursdays and 3-9 p.m. on Fridays.
The festival aims to introduce visitors to ancestral lifestyles, showcasing traditional food, clothing, housing and everyday life practices, while also presenting various regional and external folk arts and shows
Updated 05 July 2024
Arab News
RIYADH: The resin art pavilion at the “Hail House,” themed “Your Home Away from Home,” now in its third year, has become a major attraction at the Aja Park during its 30-day run.
The Saudi Press Agency reported that visitors of all ages, drawn to this distinctive art form, have flocked to the pavilion amid the festival’s traditional and artistic atmosphere.
Resin art is a modern handcraft which involves blending liquid resin with a hardening agent to create shapes. (SPA)
Resin art, a modern handcraft, involves blending liquid resin with a hardening agent to create solid, aesthetically pleasing shapes used in various applications.
Artist Layla Saleh Al-Shammari, who has been perfecting the craft for five years, showcased a diverse range of creations including women’s accessories, office and home decor, wall art, pens and serving platters.
HIGHLIGHT
The festival also features popular folk art performances, including the Saudi Ardah and Samri dances.
Her work incorporates techniques such as sea wave and shell imitations, geode stone replications, and the integration of natural materials such as plants and flowers. Al-Shammari also highlighted her use of local elements such as coffee, cardamom and the red sands characteristic of the Hail region, as well as palm fronds and Thamudic inscriptions.
Resin art is a modern handcraft which involves blending liquid resin with a hardening agent to create shapes. (SPA)
Al-Shammari outlined the financial viability of her craft due to its high demand, expressing gratitude to the festival organizers for the opportunity to exhibit these handcrafted items in a heritage setting.
The festival also features popular folk art performances, including the Saudi Ardah and Samri dances, which have captivated visitors with their traditional sword dances and chants.
Resin art is a modern handcraft which involves blending liquid resin with a hardening agent to create shapes. (SPA)
Marsal Al-Marsal, head of the Hail Folk Arts Group, said that “over 30 young performers present eight daily shows, incorporating national themes and traditional instruments like drums and swords.”
The performances showcased traditional Haili arts featuring aerial maneuvers, drums, swords and banners, reaffirming the enduring appeal of Haili folk arts at such festivals among enthusiasts of regional heritage.
Resin art is a modern handcraft which involves blending liquid resin with a hardening agent to create shapes. (SPA)
The festival aims to introduce visitors to ancestral lifestyles, showcasing traditional food, clothing, housing and everyday life practices, while also presenting various regional and external folk arts and shows.
This year, the Madinah region, represented by Yanbu governorate, is also participating with a special pavilion.
Faisal bin Salem Al-Juhani, the pavilion supervisor, explained that it featured Hijazi architecture, including two 150-year-old houses that demonstrated the distinctive and renowned “rawashin” (projecting oriel windows) of the region. These prominent windows, measuring between 60 cm to more than one meter, not only served ventilation purposes but also enhanced the aesthetic appeal and provided wide vistas for the household members.
The Madinah pavilion includes models of old Madinah neighborhoods, a fully equipped traditional fishing boat representing the western coast, and displays of traditional utensils, clothing and heritage models.
According to Al-Juhani, “the participation aims to promote Saudi cultural heritage, particularly that of the Madinah region.”
Al-Juhani thanked the organizers for providing the platform and opportunity for participation in these well-received events over the past three events. He said that he looked forward to future engagements at Hail House.
Saudi attorney general meets China’s top legal affairs official
Al-Mujib was accompanied by a high-level delegation from the Public Prosecution
Updated 06 July 2024
SPA
BEIJING: Saudi Attorney General Sheikh Saud bin Abdullah Al-Mujib met the head of China’s Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, Chen Wenqing, in Beijing on Thursday.
Al-Mujib was accompanied by a high-level delegation from the Public Prosecution.
The two sides discussed ways of cooperating in the legal field, including the exchange of information and expertise, contributing to the development of legal systems and the modernization of judicial procedures in both countries.
Chen briefed Al-Mujib on the structure and operations of his commission and the professional practices followed in China.
Workshop targets sustainable coffee production in Jazan
Kingdom's 'fruit basket' is home to more than 2,000 coffee farms
Updated 05 July 2024
Rashid Hassan
RIYADH: Coffee production in southwest Saudi Arabia had a boost on Thursday when the National Center for the Prevention and Control of Plant Pests and Animal Diseases, “Weqa,” and relevant authorities participated in a workshop to increase the number of trees in the Jazan region.
Dr. Muhammad bin Abdullah Al-Khuraiji, head of the plant health sector at Weqa, explained that the center is working on preventive and remedial measures to ensure the health and sustainability of plants and animals and to enhance the participation of the private sector.
He pointed out the importance of government and private agencies uniting to integrate the efforts of concerned parties and develop sustainable coffee cultivation in the region.
The workshop reviewed the projects and initiatives of the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture in strengthening the coffee sector in Jazan and introduced the role of the Weqa Center in achieving this, in addition to reviewing what was done in the previous meeting to unify efforts to produce coffee.
The review highlighted the efforts of the countryside in the sector, as well as the role of the Mountain Regions Development and Reconstruction Authority in supporting and developing the agriculture sector in general and coffee production in particular, and learning about the contributions of organic agriculture management.
In February this year, the Jazan Development Strategic Office organized the first International Saudi Coffee Exhibition in Jazan to provide farming expertise and introduce best practices, support initiatives to encourage coffee cultivation in the region, and contribute to transforming Jazan into a global trade center.
At the opening ceremony, Saudi Deputy Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Mansour Al-Mushaiti said that the Kingdom’s coffee industry has undergone a qualitative shift over the past decade, growing from local to a global scale.
Jazan, one of the Kingdom’s most important agricultural regions, is known as the Kingdom’s fruit basket, but also for its coffee, a product of the region and a vital part of its heritage.
The governorates of Al-Dayer, Fifa, Al-Raith, Al-Ardah and Al-Aidabi are home to many coffee farms.
According to the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, there are more than 2,000 coffee farms in the region, yielding more than 1,000 tons of coffee every year.
