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RIYADH: The Kingdom’s Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman recently held discussions with Yemen’s Prime Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak in Jeddah, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday.
Prince Khalid said King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman wanted peace and prosperity in Yemen.
The meeting focused on efforts to ensure security and stability in the country.
Prince Khalid said the Kingdom remained committed to supporting Yemen’s people.
RIYADH: In the heart of Saudi Arabia’s Northern Borders region, a time-honored tradition continues to thrive as winter approaches.
Here, elderly women skillfully craft traditional goat-hair tents, known locally as “buyut al-sha’ar” — a living symbol of Saudi hospitality.
According to a report by the Saudi Press Agency, the traditional craft relies on goat and sheep hair, provided by the abundant livestock in the region, which includes more than 7 million heads of camels and cattle.
Working with traditional tools like the “mitraq” (hammer) and “awtar” (strings), the artisans create tents of varying sizes and colors.
“Depending on the craftswoman’s experience, a single tent can take anywhere from three days to a week to complete,” Umm Nada told SPA in an interview.
The making of the tent is a practice that carries immense cultural significance. As the women work, they recite traditional verses of poetry.
The finished tents fetch anywhere from SR1,600 ($427) to SR6,000 ($1,600), depending on size and decorative elements.
These traditional tents are experiencing renewed popularity among local families who set them up for excursions and picnics in the natural landscape.
The northern region’s moderate climate has made these tents particularly appealing to outdoor enthusiasts.
JEDDAH: A gathering of road, rail, and transport professionals from the Middle East and North Africa region kicked off in Jeddah on Monday with participants from more than 30 countries.
The Saudi Intermobility Expo 2024 is being held at the Jeddah International Exhibition and Convention Center and will run until Nov. 13.
The exhibition aims to provide a platform for exhibitors to foster business opportunities, increase brand exposure and explore transport solutions in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking at the opening, Badr Abdullah Al-Dulami, vice minister at the Ministry of Transport and CEO of the Roads General Authority, said: “The road network and other modes of transportation play a vital role in connecting regions, enhancing trade support, driving the economy in general, and supporting tourism.”
He described how the Roads General Authority works to evaluate roads using artificial intelligence.
“We are also excited to discuss advancements in the Saudi Highway Code, (which) aims to provide a unified technical reference for the roads authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at all levels,” he added.
Yvonne Winter, co-founder and chief operating officer of FlyNow, a company that has developed a helicopter for autonomous personal flight, told Arab News that there are plans for thousands of FlyNow helicopters to transport the public around the Riyadh World Expo in 2030.
“Saudi Arabia is really embracing a very advanced air mobility industry; therefore, we are running a large pilot program next year in Saudi Arabia with all our partners.
“We will also start next year with the setup of the assembly plant in order to start the serious production of the cargo version in 2027 with a production of 3,000 units in the first year. So, as part of this, we have signed a memorandum of understanding with various government bodies,” she said.
RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman renewed Saudi Arabia’s rejection of Israeli attacks in Gaza and violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty on Monday.
In his opening statement at an extraordinary Arab and Islamic summit hosted by Riyadh, the crown prince criticized the obstruction of humanitarian agencies’ work in Gaza and and rejected diminishing the role of the Palestinian Authority.
“The Kingdom condemns the obstruction of the relief efforts of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Palestinian territories, as well as the obstruction of the work of humanitarian organizations providing aid to the Palestinian people,” Prince Mohammed said.
Israel has formally notified the UN of its decision to sever ties with UNRWA after Israeli lawmakers backed the move last week.
The international community must “immediately halt the Israeli actions against our brothers in Palestine and Lebanon”, the crown prince said, condemning Israel’s campaign in Gaza as “genocide.”
“We condemn the Israeli military operations that targeted Lebanese territories and we reject anything that threatens Lebanon’s stability and safety as well as anything that violates its territorial integrity.
“Israel’s continued criminal actions against innocent people, its violation of the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and its undermining of the Palestinian Authority’s pivotal role in all Palestinian territories will hinder efforts to secure the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and establish regional peace,” the crown prince said.
He also condemned attacks on Iran, saying that the international community should oblige Israel to respect “the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran” and cease all hostile actions on Iranian territories.
“We stand with our brothers in Palestine and Lebanon,” the crown prince added.
The crown prince also said that Palestine qualifies for full membership in the UN, and stressed the necessity of establishing a Palestinian state.
“We launched a global initiative to support the two-state solution,” he said.
Saudi Arabia has succeeded in calling more peace-loving countries to recognize a Palestinian state, through the UN General Assembly, considering that Palestine is eligible for a full membership, the crown prince said.
#فيديو | نيابة عن #خادم_الحرمين_الشريفين.. سمو #ولي_العهد يرأس ويفتتح أعمال #القمة_العربية_والإسلامية غير العادية بالرياض.#واس pic.twitter.com/3jXypweJhx
— واس الأخبار الملكية (@spagov) November 11, 2024
Arab-Islamic leaders arrived in Riyadh on Monday ahead of a Saudi Arabia-sponsored follow-up summit focusing on Israel’s wars in Gaza and Lebanon.
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, UAE Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court; Shavkat Mirziyoyev, president of Uzbekistan; Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, Sudanese Transitional Sovereign Council President; Bashar Assad, president of Syria; Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, prime minister of Iraq; Sheikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al-Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister of Bahrain; and Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, president of Egypt, arrived in Riyadh on Monday to join the extra-ordinary summit.
King Abdullah II of Jordan, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Qatar ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Kuwait Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Iran First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref and Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi also arrived on Monday in Riyadh. Bakary Yaou Sangare, Niger’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, also arrived for the event.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived on Sunday, so did Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf, the Foreign Minister of Guinea Morissanda Kouyate, the President of Senegal Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Uganda’s Third Deputy Prime Minister Lukia Isanga Nakadama.
#مباشر_واس | بدء توافد أصحاب الفخامة والسمو قادة ورؤساء الوفود المشاركين في #القمة_العربية_والإسلامية غير العادية، لمقر انعقادها في الرياض. #واس https://t.co/I3Tu9HDr7i
— واس الأخبار الملكية (@spagov) November 11, 2024
The President of Mauritania Mohamed Ould Ghazouani arrived in the Kingdom’s capital on Sunday after performing Umrah and praying in the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah on Saturday.
RIYADH: The Royal Commission for AlUla has recorded a 30 percent increase in date sales this season, totaling 1,750 tonnes.
A total of 843 farmers — 45 percent more than last year — participated in the AlUla Dates Season’s auction, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
This season featured an array of activities at the Al-Manshiyah Farmers Market, with top chefs showcasing the preparation of traditional dishes using AlUla dates as a key ingredient.
There were also agricultural workshops for children, providing them with practical experience in planting and watering seeds.
The market was a vibrant hub of economic activity, with dozens of pavilions offering a wide range of products.
Families working in cottage industries displayed their talents and products, including dates, honey, plants, flowers, traditional clothing, handicrafts, and delectable local cuisine.
The commission emphasized its commitment to farmers through programs, workshops, and training courses aimed at promoting sustainable practices and increasing productivity.
This initiative is aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of AlUla dates domestically and regionally, thereby fostering economic development through the agricultural sector, the SPA reported.
Riyadh: Jouf Gov. Prince Faisal bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz has praised the country’s leaders and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture for supporting the region’s record-breaking developmental and economic initiatives.
Prince Faisal made the comments during a ceremony marking the region’s achievements, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
Two certificates were presented by Guinness World Records representative Kenzi Al-Dafrawi to Mazen Badawood, CEO of the Al-Jouf Agricultural Development Co.
The certificates honored the company for having the world’s largest and most modern organic olive farm, the SPA reported.
The event was attended by Abdulaziz Al-Rujai, director general of the ministry in the Jouf region.
Prince Faisal said: “We take pride in the national accomplishments that the Kingdom’s Vision 2023 has realized in promoting self-sufficiency and achieving food security.”
Badawood thanked Prince Faisal for his dedication to serving the people of the region.
He said Jouf’s agricultural, environmental and water purification projects provide a model for others to follow.
The awarding of the two certificates coincided with Organic Food Day, celebrated on Nov. 11, which the Kingdom marked with a series of events across the country.
Organic Food Day is aimed at encouraging people to make healthy dietary choices and embodies efforts to achieve sustainable food security, in line with the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan.
The ministry aims to encourage farmers to adopt organic farming practices, educate consumers, as well as promote resource sustainability and local production.
As a part of the celebrations, Riyadh is hosting the Saudi International Exhibition for Organic Products from Nov. 11 to 13 to support the local community, and position the nation as a leading hub in this growing sector.
