Guidance heroes of Hajj help pilgrims find their way
Scouts can be found in all pilgrimage areas wearing blue caps, brown vests and green neckerchiefs, helping pilgrims
Updated 18 June 2024
Sulafa Alkhunaizi
RIYADH: The Technical and Vocational Training Corporation trained scouts to serve during the Hajj season to provide guidance and advice to pilgrims.
These scouts can be found in all pilgrimage areas wearing blue caps, brown vests and green neckerchiefs, helping pilgrims.
Hajj scout Ramadan Swailek says that his duty is to serve and assist the pilgrims at various locations in Makkah.
“We are roaming scouts, and we have specialists from various fields present in the holy sites, such as guidance, health, and safety. The mission of a guidance scout involves guiding lost pilgrims. If a pilgrim is lost, we use maps to help them find their way.”
Swailek said that pilgrims can get cold refreshments and take a rest at the guidance stations.
“This is the first year we are working as roaming guides. In the past, we always provided stationary guidance, helping lost pilgrims who might have been wandering for three or four hours, often frustrated. Guiding them to their destination brings immense relief, and it is a highly rewarding experience. People truly compete for this role because it offers a profound sense of fulfilment,” he said.
Abdulrahim Saad Al-Maliki is another scout helping pilgrims this Hajj season.
“We come here with the intention of serving the pilgrims, as my colleague Ramadan mentioned, and we cover five areas in Mina. There is a lot of roaming, guiding and assisting in various aspects. We thank God for the blessings of Islam, our faith, and the security and safety we enjoy. We are always at the service of the pilgrims. This is my first year, and I hope to continue serving the pilgrims in the coming years, God willing.”
The Scout Commission from the TVTC in the Madinah region won the best headquarters at the camp level this year.
The TVTC was established in 1990 and has 283 training facilities covering all parts of the Kingdom.
Saudi authorities foil attempt to smuggle $35m worth of captagon pills
Updated 38 min 13 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: The Saudi Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority has thwarted an attempt to smuggle over 1.4 million captagon pills into the Kingdom through the Jeddah Islamic Port.
According to the authority, the pills were found inside a shipment during customs procedures and live detection.
Coordination with the General Directorate of Narcotics Control led to the arrest of the intended recipients of the seized items in the Kingdom.
Captagon, a type of amphetamine, is used predominantly by young men and teenage boys across the Middle East and has a street value of between $10 and $25 a pill, according to research by the International Journal of Addiction Research.
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Saudi Arabia to host regular World Economic Forum event in the Kingdom
Updated 25 min 1 sec ago
Arab News
DAVOS: Saudi Arabia announced a regular world economic global forum in the Kingdom said the country’s minister of economy Faisal Alibrahim in Davos on Friday.
Alibrahim said the decision was based on the success of the forum held for the first time last year.
Saudi Arabia hosted its first two-day WEF special meeting on April 28-29, 2024.
The meeting focused on global collaboration, growth and energy.
At the time of last year’s event Alibrahim said that the forum had recognised that the Kingdom was “becoming a stronger, more impactful leader on the global stage,” and he added: “we found it as an opportune time to bring this global Tier 1 event to the kingdom, and start this new chapter together.”
Saudi Arabia is already the birthplace of the Future Investment Initiative, which holds its annual conference in the Kingdom.
Saudi foreign minister arrives in Damascus on an official visit
Updated 24 January 2025
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived in Syria on Friday, in an official visit foreign ministry said in a statement.
Prince Faisal will meet with Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa and meet with top officials in the new Syrian administration.
How Saudi Arabia is tapping AI to monitor the environment and extreme weather
AI enhances weather predictions, improving forecasts for heatwaves and flash floods critical for Saudi Arabia’s climate adaptation efforts
KAUST’s Center of Excellence for Generative AI focuses on Earth observation technologies to address climate challenges like water scarcity
Updated 45 min 23 sec ago
Hajar AlQusayer
RIYADH: Since the launch of Vision 2030, technological innovation and sustainability have been central to Saudi Arabia’s transformative plan, with artificial intelligence emerging as a key tool to tackle a range of issues, including environmental challenges.
With nearly 90 percent of its territory covered by desert, the Kingdom is utilizing AI to combat land degradation, improve water resource management, and promote sustainable practices.
The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology has joined the global AI race by advancing generative AI research.
Its Center of Excellence for Generative AI adopts a multidisciplinary approach, focusing on technologies like multimodal foundation models and AI-assisted Earth observation systems to address challenges, including water scarcity and land degradation.
Prof. Matthew McCabe, director of KAUST’s Climate and Livability Initiative, told Arab News that AI has provided a pathway to revolutionize our understanding and interpretation of Earth systems, ushering in an era where data can be rapidly channeled to provide new knowledge and actionable insights.
“While GenAI has already impacted greatly on a number of domains, its application in the Earth and environmental sciences remains emerging,” McCabe said.
Prof. Matthew McCabe, director of KAUST’s Climate and Livability Initiative. (Photo courtesy of KAUST)
The center’s research focuses on developing AI tools for satellite imaging and Earth observation, enabling better monitoring of ecosystems. This includes using drones and satellite-based remote sensing technologies to track environmental changes in real-time.
Drones and satellite systems provide high-resolution data that is crucial for understanding ecological shifts in regions that were previously difficult to study. This allows for more effective land management, ecosystem restoration, and better predictions regarding weather patterns.
“We will be using remote sensing and other data sources to undertake ecosystem monitoring, helping to advance some of the goals and objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative,” McCabe said.
Opinion
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AI-driven solutions are already aiding the Saudi Green Initiative’s goals of planting 10 billion trees and rehabilitating 40 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, analyzing regional climate data, soil conditions, and water availability to identify optimal planting locations.
The Saudi Data and AI Authority, known as SDAIA, has partnered with several government entities to leverage AI solutions in support of the Saudi Green Initiative. These efforts aim to create innovative, data-driven strategies for combating climate change.
AI is also transforming climate forecasting in Saudi Arabia. Hylke Beck, assistant professor of climate analytics at KAUST, highlighted AI’s potential to predict extreme weather events like heatwaves and flash floods, which are expected to become more frequent and severe due to climate change.
Hylke Beck, assistant professor of climate analytics at KAUST. (Photo courtesy of KAUST)
Beck said AI models can uncover hidden relationships within weather data that traditional forecasting methods cannot, enabling more accurate and actionable forecasts.
He noted that these improved forecasts are critical for the Kingdom as it works to adapt to climate challenges, such as the severe heatwave that affected Makkah last June or the devastating floods in April across the UAE and Oman.
“With projections indicating that climate change will intensify and increase the frequency of heatwaves and flash floods, alongside an expected 32 percent population growth by 2050, the need to harness AI technology has never been more urgent,” Beck told Arab News.
Commuters make their way through a flooded road after heavy rains in Makkah on January 6, 2025. Scientists in Saudi Arabia are tapping AI to improve forecasts as the Kingdom works to adapt to climate challenges. (AFP)
Although there are currently few weather forecasting systems specifically designed for the region, and even fewer that incorporate AI models, Beck says these technologies have transformative potential.
However, Beck says building effective AI models requires access to extensive datasets.
“Government support in making this data accessible is essential for creating a more climate-resilient future,” he said.
DID YOUKNOW?
• KAUST’s Center of Excellence for Generative AI focuses on Earth observation technologies to address climate challenges like water scarcity.
• Drones and satellites provide real-time data, aiding land management, ecosystem restoration, and environmental monitoring for the Saudi Green Initiative.
• AI models can uncover hidden relationships within weather data that traditional forecasting methods cannot, enabling more accurate and actionable forecasts.
Traditional weather models depend on equations created by scientists, but these equations can be limited by gaps in knowledge about certain weather patterns.
“These equations are imperfect because even the best meteorologists don’t fully understand all weather processes,” Berk said.
On the other hand, AI models analyze large amounts of data to find patterns, making predictions faster and more accurate. These are especially useful in areas where traditional systems struggle, like predicting thunderstorms, which are often harder to forecast accurately.
KAUST's new Center of Excellence on Generative AI aims to be the premier research, development, and innovation hub for pioneering generative AI technology in the Kingdom. (KAUST photo)
While traditional systems rely on expensive supercomputers, AI models can run effectively on regular computers, making them more affordable and accessible.
“These AI models can — and I believe will, in the not-too-distant future — fully replace current traditional models. However, they can also be integrated into them,” Beck said.
The Center of Excellence for Generative AI’s initiatives align with Vision 2030’s sustainability and innovation goals, collaborating with leading national entities like NEOM and Aramco, as well as international organizations like Meta and Nvidia to drive progress.
The center also addresses the shortage of generative AI talent in Saudi Arabia through training and upskilling programs for KAUST researchers, partners, and the wider community.
Saudi Arabia eyeing trade hub with trillion-riyal investments, transport official tells WEF
Saudi Arabia’s logistics investments and business-friendly policies aim to position the Kingdom as a global trade gateway, panel hears
Vision 2030 fosters clear goals, educated governance, and incentives, creating a robust foundation for logistics and transport growth
Updated 24 January 2025
Nadia Al-Faour
DUBAI: Savvy logistics investments and business-friendly policies are transforming Saudi Arabia into a global trade hub, a Davos panel was told on Thursday.
Nouf Al-Fares, assistant deputy minister at the Saudi Ministry of Transport and Logistics Services; and Ehab Aziz, chief financial officer of Agility, were speaking at Saudi House during the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting.
The panel highlighted the Kingdom’s ambitious logistics and investment targets, which are being met partly through international deals.
Al-Fares said: “A strategy was announced in mid 2021 by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. At the beginning I thought it to be intimidating having to raise SR1 trillion ($266 billion) in investments, but we are already halfway there through various established projects like the Riyadh Metro, and the new expansions of seaports and airports.
“We are now in motion to open a metro in Jeddah as well.”
The Kingdom’s shifting policies on foreign investment are also playing a role in surging growth, Al-Fares added.
Nouf Al-Fares, Saudi assistant deputy minister of transport and logistics, participates in the panel discussion at the WEF in Davos on Thursday. (WEF photo)
Foreign investors are now able to claim 100-percent ownership of their Saudi-based businesses — a crucial policy in attracting investment.
“International companies are increasingly seeing the value of investing in Saudi Arabia,” the assistant deputy minister said.
“Chinese companies have already entered the Saudi market, with investments so far reaching over SR1 billion, and there are still more incoming projects.”
Saudi Arabia is preparing to open five new airports in the coming years that will further boost the Kingdom’s connectivity and infrastructure, she added.
“This aligns with our vision and position to being the gateway to Asia, Africa and Europe. We are also preparing projects to back the tourism sector as we are witnessing a surge in numbers of tourists, not including the religious ones.
“A lot of programs and funds that have been developed by our government are geared at attracting the youth, and those leaders with an appetite for change. We are excited for the upcoming completion of projects like the railway, which is to be completed within four years.
“The railway will connect the Kingdom to its GCC neighbors, namely Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Doha.
Aziz praised the Saudi government’s proactive role in fostering a business-friendly environment.
He highlighted several schemes that have attracted domestic and foreign investment, particularly since the launch of Vision 2030.
The chief financial officer shared the details of his own company’s development in Saudi Arabia.
Agility, a logistics and supply chain leader, has been in operations for more than two decades, beginning as a Kuwaiti public company that constructed warehouses.
“Since its privatization Agility has become a global operator,” Aziz said.
“Today, the company has $11 billion worth of assets spread across various businesses. We also own one of the largest aviation companies that operates within 250 countries.”
A conviction that the Kingdom “would be the place to be in the future” led the company into a Saudi expansion, Aziz said, adding: “And so we have so far not been proved wrong.”
He said: “The story in Saudi is getting better and better over time. It is rare to find a country with a clear vision that is tangible with an educated government.
“The government incentivizing its employees through bonuses is also a new, atypical characteristic. All the infrastructure projects are very important but so is the mindset and attitude.
“And all that has been extremely positive. It has gotten to a level where you feel like you can completely count on the government; this increases your confidence in investing more in the country.”
Al-Fares and Aziz highlighted their optimism over the future of investment in the Kingdom’s transport and logistics sector.
The industry is poised for continued growth thanks to the government’s clear vision and investments that are providing a solid foundation for future development, they said.
“I think 2030 is carrying a lot and we are very optimistic,” Al-Fares added.
