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RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived in Tallinn, Estonia on Tuesday.
The minister is on an official visit to the country aimed at strengthening Saudi-Estonian relations, Saudi Press Agency reported.
RIYADH: The Communications, Space and Technology Commission and the Saudi Space Agency, in partnership with Neo Space Group, have launched the global SpaceUp Competition to develop innovative space-based solutions.
The contest aims to promote space entrepreneurship, support local companies specializing in space-based solutions, attract global entrepreneurs, startups and small and medium-sized enterprises, and encourage the adoption of space-based solutions across various sectors.
SpaceUp offers six challenge tracks with contractual opportunities of around $28 million, in addition to providing direct access to end-users and localization.
The first track, “Monitoring Date Palms Pest and Disease,” sponsored by the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture and the Weqaa Center, focuses on space-based solutions to monitor palm farms and detect pests.
The second, “Improving City Livability by Monitoring Urban Heat Islands,” by the Quality of Life Program, aims to solve the problem of rising temperatures in crowded cities.
“Monitoring the Impact of Infrastructure Development,” by Riyadh Infrastructure Projects Center, promotes infrastructure projects and traffic management.
The fourth and fifth tracks, both sponsored by the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, are “Optimizing Urban Road Assets,” which aims to provide solutions to detect urban road damage and improve maintenance, and “Mapping of Urban Trees,” focused on monitoring and maintaining urban green spaces.
The final track, “Greening Saudi Arabia,” seeks to monitor tree growth and support sustainability efforts related to the Saudi Green Initiative.
“The SpaceUp Competition extends the efforts of CST and the SSA in enhancing investment opportunities in the Saudi space sector and stimulating research and innovation,” said a statement released by the CST on Monday.
Registration for the competition starts on Jan. 20 and will be open until April 12 via the competition webpage at https://new.cst.gov.sa/en/about/program-and-initiatives/spaceup-competition
RIYADH: Sales at the first Al-Kharj Festival of Saudi Dates and Coffee has exceeded SR10 million ($2.6 million), the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
Visitors were drawn to Saudi Arabia coffee and dates due to special offers, the approaching holy month of Ramadan, and access to specialized markets with daily promotions.
The 10-day festival featured 30 companies and shops offering more than 26 varieties of dates and related products, according to the SPA.
Additionally, 20 coffee shops were selling 2 to 3 tonnes of the brew daily, with sales increasing to around 5 tonnes on weekends.
The festival, supported by various government departments and institutions within the governorate, underscored the importance of these two products in Saudi Arabia culture, the SPA added.
Dates represent the Kingdom’s agricultural heritage and its status as one of the world’s leading producers and exporters, while local coffee is a vital part of the national identity, symbolizing generosity and social authenticity.
Abdulaziz Al-Sharif, chairman of the festival’s organizing committee, said the event provided an opportunity for small- and medium-sized enterprises and specialized companies to connect with a wider audience and showcase their products.
The festival’s primary goal was to enhance Al-Kharj’s reputation as a vibrant tourist and heritage destination, while promoting local products on both national and international levels, the SPA reported.
RIYADH: Members of Saudi Arabia’s Project Masam removed 732 explosive devices from various regions of Yemen last week.
The total included eight anti-personnel mines, 51 anti-tank mines, 672 unexploded ordnances and one explosive device, according to a recent report.
Ousama Al-Gosaibi, the initiative’s managing director, said a total of 478,954 mines had been cleared since its inception in 2018.
The explosives were planted indiscriminately and posed a threat to civilians, including children, women and the elderly.
The demining operations took place in Marib, Aden, Jouf, Shabwa, Taiz, Hodeidah, Lahij, Sanaa, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhale and Saada.
The initiative trains local demining engineers and provides them with modern equipment. It also offers support to Yemenis injured by the devices.
Teams are tasked with clearing villages, roads and schools to facilitate safe movement for civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
About 5 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the start of the conflict in Yemen, many of them displaced by the presence of land mines.
RIYADH: King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman each sent a cable of condolences to the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, on the death of Sheikh Abdullah Rakan Naif Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.
The King and the crown prince expressed their deepest condolences and sincere sympathy to the Kuwaiti leadership and the family of the deceased.
The crown prince sent a cable of condolences to the Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah.
Sheikh Abdullah Rakan Naif Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah died at the age of 14 years old.
RIYADH: Saudi Deputy Minister for International Multilateral Affairs Abdulrahman Al-Rassi received Dya-Eddine Said Bamakhrama, the dean of the diplomatic corps and ambassador of Djibouti to Saudi Arabia, at the ministry’s headquarters in Riyadh on Sunday.
During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations and various topics of common interest, the Foreign Ministry wrote on X.
Meanwhile, Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar received Oman’s Ambassador to the Kingdom Sayyid Faisal bin Turki Al-Said in Riyadh on Sunday.
The meeting was held to mark the conclusion of Al-Said’s tenure as ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
