Millstone attracts visitors during Dar Festival at Al-Mousa Heritage Village
Khalid Azeb Al-Zahrani: “The millstone is fundamental in old houses, and it is found in every house in the region’s villages for flour and grain milling"
Updated 13 July 2024
SPA
AL-BAHA: A traditional tool used to crush grains attracted visitors during the second Dar Festival at Al-Mousa Heritage Village in Al-Baha.
A millstone is a household item that families in the region once used to crush grains, doing the work of present-day flour milling machines.
Khalid Azeb Al-Zahrani, supervisor of Al-Mousa Heritage Village, said: “The millstone is fundamental in old houses, and it is found in every house in the region’s villages for flour and grain milling.
“It consists of two circular stones, placed on top of each other in an almost identical manner, while the upper part is slightly larger than the lower one. In the middle (between the stones), there is a small hole for entering the grains, which includes in its middle a pillar that maintains balance when rotating. At one end of the upper stone is a wooden pillar to hold and rotate during the process of grinding the grains.”
KSrelief provides humanitarian aid in Sudan, Yemen and Lebanon
Updated 11 August 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: The Saudi aid agency KSrelief provided relief to people in several regions affected by ongoing crises, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
In Sudan, KSrelief distributed 1,486 shelter and personal care kits to the country’s most vulnerable and displaced families, benefiting 4,273 individuals. This distribution is part of the Emergency Shelter Assistance Project for Sudan in 2024, which aims to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people.
In Yemen, KSrelief provided water and sanitation services in the Al-Khawkhah district of Al-Hudaydah Governorate. Between July 10 and 16, 2024, the organization pumped 630,000 liters of drinking water and 464,000 liters of non-potable water, and performed 25 waste removal operations in camps for displaced people.
In Lebanon, KSrelief funded the Souboul Al Salam Association in the Miniyeh district of northern Lebanon, enabling 76 ambulance missions last week. These missions included transporting patients to and from hospitals, treating burn injuries and supporting refugee and host communities in the region.
Edtech platform sharpens Saudi children’s language portfolio
Empowerment of youth a common thread between Saudi Arabia and China, says CEO
Updated 10 August 2024
Nada Alturki
RIYADH: An online teaching platform is strengthening Saudi children’s educational journeys while also unleashing the potential of local and international educators.
Cindy Mi, an English teacher for 25 years who founded VIPKid a decade ago and brought the company to Saudi Arabia about two years ago, told Arab News: “I’ve always been a student and a teacher myself. The goal is to build a global classroom to allow more children to get access to best quality language learning educational experiences … so they can be ready for their more globalized future.”
Since its founding in 2013, VIPKid has helped more than 1 million children worldwide learn English and delivered over 280 million live online classes in English and Mandarin.
Cindy Mi is an english teacher for 25 years who founded the online learning platform VIPKid a decade ago and brought the company to Saudi Arabia about two years ago. (AN photo by Abdulrhman Bin Shalhoub/Supplied)
The CEO was inspired to expand the platform to the region after speaking on a Future Investment Initiative session about the future of education with Saudi Ambassador to the US Princess Reema bint Bandar.
Reflecting on her discussion with Princess Reema, Mi said: “Her vision of empowering women and especially the youth of the Kingdom for the future was truly an inspiration.”
She added that Saudi Vision 2030’s goal to improve education was also part of the inspiration.
I can totally see so many women in the Kingdom, in the region, teach children around the globe and share the wonderful culture with the world.
Cindy Mi, VIPKid CEO
“We are very happy and honored to support the initiative by providing the children of the Kingdom with the highest quality language tutors from the US or from China, learning Mandarin Chinese and English, so that the children can be well prepared for the future.”
Over the years, VIPKid has built more than 10 core language-learning modules. It also offers over 1,800 supplemental elective classes for learning English and Mandarin.
VIPKid launched a pilot training program for local English teachers in 2023. It ended last month, and was designed to raise the standard for both proficiency and pedagogy.
Mi added that VIPKid’s multicultural programs allow experienced teachers from all over the world to meet with their Saudi counterparts in order to share best practices, improve subject matter competency and gain confidence in the classroom.
“We work with partners like government bodies, educational institutions and other tech companies so that we can help them launch similar programs, especially in the field of teacher training.”
In order to help students learn better at school, teachers also need to learn themselves, which requires investment, Mi said. “I think the Kingdom has invested a lot (in) teachers … it is very helpful for them to improve their language proficiency with a peer from other parts of the world.”
According to Mi, VIPKid’s classrooms are a safe space to make mistakes and teachers encourage students in ways that promote confidence. “That confidence would be the light in the learning,” she added. “It would be the lighthouse, and then the students would say, ‘Oh, I can do this. I can speak very confidently’.”
Noting the advancements and changes brought about by technology and artificial intelligence, Mi said that “the human part is always the most important.”
As a technology-dependent platform, the online institute has been able to create a more personalized learning experience for students with real-time feedback.
This has also opened up the prospect of AI teacher and student learning assistants, which allow both parties to identify improvement points through comprehensive analytical tools.
To improve the learning experience, VIPKid is leveraging its data to create an AI tutor who works with children to acquire the fundamentals of a language, such as phonetics, freeing up teachers to focus on more advanced topics.
“When it comes to technology, I think education can be affordable, accessible and personalized, that I think would unleash the potential of educators, but also truly be able to provide a high-quality learning experience for children across the globe,” she said.
Mi is also discussing the launch of Arabic tutoring programs with local partners: “There are so many children around the globe that are curious to learn the language, and also the many expats in the region … their children and family need to learn Arabic as well.”
She added that localizing further would benefit female teachers in the region by “the impact and income they can make.”
According to Mi, her experience in building a community of teachers with American, Canadian and Chinese teachers suggests that women tend to take up the profession more frequently: “I think women are equipped with the loving, passionate characteristics and personality to work with the kids.
“I can totally see so many women in the Kingdom, in the region, teach children around the globe and share the wonderful culture with the world.”
She added that “the empowerment of the youth for the future” is a common theme in China and Saudi Arabia.
“One thing I see VIPKid contributing is global educational resources and the teacher sources that can help children connect with the world and, at the same time, sharing our culture to the world as well,” she said.
Saudi sports minister meets chairman of LA28 Olympics to discuss participation
Qualifiers for LA28 Olympics are expected to begin in 2026
Updated 10 August 2024
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Sport and Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee President Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki recently held talks with the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organizing Committee Chairman Casey Wasserman at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The two sides discussed strengthening bilateral sports cooperation and the Kingdom's participation in the next Olympic games, Saudi Press Agency reported.
Qualifiers for LA28 Olympics are expected to begin in 2026.
SDAIA concludes training programs for datathon winners in US, UK
Winners received training at Draper University in California, London Business School
Updated 10 August 2024
Arab News
RIYADH: The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority said on Saturday that it had successfully concluded specialized training programs in the US and UK for the top-two-ranked teams of the Open Data Datathon.
The datathon was held in October last year in Riyadh.
The initiative aims to enhance the knowledge and skills of those excelling in data and artificial intelligence, equipping them with expertise from leading international institutions, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The first-place team, Traffix AI, received a grant of SR250,000 ($66,600) for participating in the Hero Training Program at Draper University in California.
During the program, the team gained essential skills for launching successful business ventures, developed innovative ideas, and networked with experts and entrepreneurs.
Their project, which predicted damage and error rates in vehicle accidents using data such as images and damage locations, earned them chance to compete at the datathon.
The system aims to improve the identification of liability in traffic accidents and reduce congestion.
The second-placed team, Team 2030, received a grant of SR150,000 for attending the Data Science for Competitive Advantage training program at London Business School.
This program focused on advancing their projects in data and AI, identifying challenges, and discovering data science-based solutions.
Their project developed a system that used driver image data to detect early signs of fatigue, such as eye closure, providing alerts to prevent driving while drowsy and enhancing road safety.
The datathon brought together more than 200 contestants from countries including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Yemen, Egypt, Palestine, Bangladesh, Syria, Algeria and Nigeria. The event featured workshops and mentorship sessions with local and international experts to help participants develop solutions using open data.
The initiative is part of SDAIA’s broader efforts to build national capabilities in data and AI, aligning with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. The authority aims to empower young Saudi talent to excel in these fields, enabling them to compete globally and lead in the technologies of the present and future.
A total of 12,972 people were arrested for violations of residency laws
Updated 10 August 2024
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi authorities arrested 20,471 people in one week for breaching residency, work and border security regulations, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
According to an official report, a total of 12,972 people were arrested for violations of residency laws, while 4,812 were held over illegal border crossing attempts, and a further 2,687 for labor-related issues.
The report showed that among the 1,050 people arrested for trying to enter the Kingdom illegally, 62 percent were Ethiopian, 36 percent Yemeni, and 2 percent were of other nationalities.
A further 61 people were caught trying to cross into neighboring countries, and 20 were held for involvement in transporting and harboring violators.
The Saudi Ministry of Interior said that anyone found to be facilitating illegal entry to the Kingdom, including providing transportation and shelter, could face imprisonment for a maximum of 15 years, a fine of up to SR1 million ($260,000), as well as confiscation of vehicles and property.
Suspected violations can be reported on the toll-free number 911 in the Makkah and Riyadh regions, and 999 or 996 in other regions of the Kingdom.
