Saudi royal reserve celebrates ranger contributions

Saudi royal reserve celebrates ranger contributions
To date, the authority has trained more than 100 rangers and staff over 8,000 hours as part of the Kingdom’s biggest environmental protection and monitoring program. (SPA)
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Updated 31 July 2024
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Saudi royal reserve celebrates ranger contributions

Saudi royal reserve celebrates ranger contributions
  • The reserve’s rangers protect, monitor and control the area with daily patrols and monitoring

RIYADH: A campaign to raise awareness about rangers’ contributions to protecting the environment, wildlife and historical monuments has been launched by the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Nature Reserve Development Authority.

The start of the initiative, July 31, was also World Ranger Day.

The reserve’s rangers protect, monitor and control the area with daily patrols and monitoring, as well as working to prevent illegal activities such as grazing, poaching and tree felling. They also help scientific research teams and those carrying out academic studies.

To date, the authority has trained more than 100 rangers and staff over 8,000 hours as part of the Kingdom’s biggest environmental protection and monitoring program. It also uses more than 40 drones, smart devices, artificial intelligence software and data science.

The rangers’ capabilities will be further enhanced through specialized training in areas such as environment monitoring, first aid, disaster management, emergency and crisis management, and using technology for environmental protection.


World must do more to ensure Middle East security, Saudi minister tells Mediterranean Union

World must do more to ensure Middle East security, Saudi minister tells Mediterranean Union
Updated 29 October 2024
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World must do more to ensure Middle East security, Saudi minister tells Mediterranean Union

World must do more to ensure Middle East security, Saudi minister tells Mediterranean Union
  • Waleed Elkhereiji tells organization’s 9th Regional Forum in Barcelona the region is at a critical crossroads as a result of Israeli aggression in Gaza and Lebanon
  • He says international community has 2 options: act in support of international law and a 2-state solution, or risk further escalation and suffering that will undermine its credibility

BARCELONA: The Saudi deputy foreign minister, Waleed Elkhereiji, spoke at the Union for the Mediterranean’s ninth Regional Forum in Barcelona on Monday about the importance of efforts to enhance regional security, at a time when decisive and practical international action is required to halt a continuous cycle of violence and destruction.

He said the region is at a critical crossroads as a result of Israeli aggression in Gaza and Lebanon, which presents the international community with two options: to act effectively in support of international law and to reinforce the need for a two-state solution to the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or to risk further escalations and deeper suffering that undermines the credibility of international efforts to maintain peace and security in the region.

Elkhereiji highlighted the severe nature of the humanitarian crises in Palestine and Lebanon, which he said were unbearable. He condemned Israel’s systematic targeting and forced displacement of innocent civilians, and the deliberate destruction of buildings and infrastructure, as blatant violations of international humanitarian law that continue to take place without any accountability or punishment.

He reiterated the strong condemnation by authorities in the Kingdom of attacks by Israeli forces against civilians and employees of the UN and other organizations, including the UN Relief and Works Agency and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon.

He said Saudi Arabia rejects any expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank, or actions by Israel that affect the legal and historical status of Jerusalem, and calls for an end to such activity to avoid prolonging the cycle of violence and destruction.

The minister said verbal condemnation is no longer sufficient in efforts to deter further violence, as he called for bolder and more decisive action from the international community. To that end, he said the Kingdom looks forward to hosting the first high-level meeting of the Global Coalition for the Two-State Solution in Riyadh on Oct. 30.

Elkhereiji said securing the implementation of a two-state solution is a collective international responsibility and offers the only viable path to a lasting peace, through recognition of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and an independent state.

This, he added, is a fundamental condition for ensuring stability in the region. He said the Kingdom remains committed to working with its partners to ensure such a solution does not remain a distant aspiration but becomes a tangible reality in the near future.


Saudi teenager helps connect highschoolers with new opportunities

Saudi teenager helps connect highschoolers with new opportunities
Updated 28 October 2024
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Saudi teenager helps connect highschoolers with new opportunities

Saudi teenager helps connect highschoolers with new opportunities
  • Over 1,000 young Saudis have joined Talal Al-Qahtani’s online portal for ‘change-makers’

RIYADH: Committed to empowering students with the right tools to succeed, Talal Al-Qahtani, 17, founded Saudi Extracurriculars for Students, a nonprofit organization dedicated to help aspiring highschoolers become “changemakers.”

To address what he saw as a gap in the market, he founded SEFS to connect Saudi youth with a range of extracurricular activities in the Kingdom, such as community service, internships, music, art and culture.  

The young founder’s story begins in 2007, when he was born in Virginia, US, to a Saudi father and American mother. When he was two his family moved to Riyadh where he enrolled in Manarat Al-Riyadh International School (MARIS) and studied there from kindergarten to 12th grade.   

Approaching the last few years of high school and struggling to find extracurricular projects, Al-Qahtani took it upon himself to create SEFS.

He told Arab News that his aim is “to create an online portal for students to connect with new opportunities across all Saudi Arabia … I decided to create something I wished I had at the time. My thought process is if something needed is missing then I need to fill that gap.”  

Less than a year since its launch in January, SEFS has 1,000-plus online members. Furthermore, many have been accepted to their dream universities with the mentorship, study programs and opportunities offered to them. 

“We’ve helped students move themselves towards a positive change so they themselves can make a positive impact on their community as a whole.” 

The organization’s mission plan is to turn students into “changemakers” — people who work to benefit others — Al-Qahtani said.

“A changemaker is someone who can work and collaborate with other people to create a greater change, and I say there is no ‘I’ in changemaker.”  

Al-Qahtani, a senior at MARIS, has several milestones in his academic career, such as winning the best delegate award at three Model UNs, and chairing a committee. 

Al-Qahtani is currently an intern at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology’s petrochemical research institute. In this role, he conducts research on methane decomposition for hydrogen production and has analyzed more than 40 studies on methane decomposition. 

Al-Qahtani was also social media marketing manager for Sawada Specialty Coffee, a cafe in Riyadh, where he gained marketing experience and learned how to become an effective communicator. 

“Working closely with the cafe’s team and the owner taught me a lot of vital communication skills. Marketing requires creative thinking and taking part in various activities that deal with problem solving ... While interning as a market research analyst I got to create effective market dashboards with research in current design courses in Saudi and sustainable designs.” 

Al-Qahtani previously worked as head of marketing and communications for TEDxMARIS where he led a team of marketers and took what he learnt to create a marketing initiative club at his school, where he teaches “vital skills in marketing,” he said.

“To help my members take their skills and newfound passion further, I currently bridge my members to brand new marketing opportunities at events in Saudi Arabia.” 

SEFS aligns closely with the goals of Vision 2030, creating positive opportunities for young people by connecting them with new opportunities to advance their careers.  

“We help students not only through gaining new skills but in getting accepted to top universities around the world so that they can contribute to the economy of Saudi Arabia.” 

Al-Qahtani’s goal is to expand SEFS through collaborating with the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia to make a change in the Kingdom’s high school environment.


Saudi deputy minister receives German envoy in Riyadh

Saudi deputy minister receives German envoy in Riyadh
Updated 28 October 2024
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Saudi deputy minister receives German envoy in Riyadh

Saudi deputy minister receives German envoy in Riyadh

Saudi Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Saud Al-Sati received the German Ambassador to the Kingdom Michael Kindsgrab in Riyadh on Monday.

Al-Sati also held separate meetings with the Indian Ambassador to the Kingdom Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan and Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to the Kingdom Madiyar Menilbekov on the same day, the Foreign Ministry announced on X.

Bilateral relations and ways to strengthen them were discussed during the meetings, alongside various other topics of common interest.


UN climate chief calls for more ambitious plans to prevent climate change

UN climate chief calls for more ambitious plans to prevent climate change
Updated 28 October 2024
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UN climate chief calls for more ambitious plans to prevent climate change

UN climate chief calls for more ambitious plans to prevent climate change
  • Current plans would result in emissions of 51.5 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030 — only a 2.6 percent reduction on 2019 levels
  • Report highlights that existing international climate plans are significantly insufficient to prevent global warming

RIYADH: Even if the national climate plans of countries worldwide are successful, carbon emission levels will cause catastrophic effects by 2030, according to the UN’s climate chief.

Current plans would result in emissions of 51.5 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030 — only a 2.6 percent reduction on 2019 levels.

These emissions would lead to severe human and economic consequences worldwide, according to a statement issued on Monday by Simon Stiell, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has indicated that emissions must be reduced by 43 percent by 2030 and by 60 percent by 2035 compared to 2019 levels to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

Stiell stressed the urgent need for a transformative shift away from inadequate climate action, calling for more ambitious national climate plans from all nations by next year.

The report highlights that existing international climate plans are significantly insufficient to prevent global warming from devastating economies and disrupting lives worldwide.

If countries adopt more ambitious plans, they can not only avoid climate disasters but also drive transformation toward prosperity and well-being, according to the report.

Further, the report highlights that stronger climate strategies are essential for investment, fostering economic growth, creating jobs, reducing pollution, enhancing public health and ensuring secure as well as affordable clean energy.

As nations work on their new nationally determined contributions for next year, the report shows only minimal progress compared to the urgent changes needed.

Furthermore, the statement said that the upcoming national climate plans must represent a significant increase in ambition.

While these plans are tailored to each nation, they should meet the ABC test, meaning that they must set ambitious, economy-wide emissions targets that encompass all greenhouse gases and keep the goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach, and must cover specific sectors and pollutants.

The statement also focused on the necessity for the new NDCs to be credible and supported by regulations, laws and funding to ensure the realization of their objectives. They should outline adaptation priorities and investments to safeguard vital sectors, infrastructure and communities from climate impacts, aligning with National Adaptation Plan processes.

In addition, plans should extend to 2035, featuring stronger goals for 2030 to enable the deep emissions reductions necessary this decade.

Recognizing the importance of these new plans, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change will host a series of events next year to help countries deliver their NDCs as well as engage the global community in discussions about these efforts, as further details will be discussed during COP 29.


Saudi, Iranian foreign ministers discuss need to avoid destabilizing region

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi. (File/AFP)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi. (File/AFP)
Updated 28 October 2024
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Saudi, Iranian foreign ministers discuss need to avoid destabilizing region

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi. (File/AFP)
  • During a phone call with Abbas Araghchi, Prince Faisal discussed the latest developments in the region and the repercussions of an escalation

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Iranian counterpart discussed the importance of avoiding anything that could destabilize the security and stability of the region on Monday.

During a phone call with Abbas Araghchi, Prince Faisal discussed the latest developments in the region and the repercussions of an escalation.

The two ministers also reviewed Saudi-Iranian relations, Saudi Press Agency said. 

The call comes after Israel struck Iranian military sites on Saturday in response to Tehran’s October 1 missile attack, itself retaliation for the killing of Iran-backed militant leaders and a Revolutionary Guards commander.