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RIYADH: Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, the Saudi minister of culture, met the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo on Tuesday.
Prince Badr extended greetings to the Egyptian leader from King Salman, the custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The Saudi Minister of State Issam bin Saad bin Saeed; the Deputy Minister of Culture Hamed bin Mohammed Fayez; and the Ambassador to Egypt Saleh bin Eid Al-Husseini attended the meeting.
ISLAMABAD: Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif recently met Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control Mohsin Naqvi in Riyadh to discuss security cooperation and joint measures for combating narcotics.
Prince Abdulaziz welcomed the Pakistani minister and his accompanying delegation to Saudi Arabia, highlighting that the meeting was held under the directives of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to strengthen security cooperation in light of the distinguished relations between the two countries.
During the meeting, discussions centered on enhancing security cooperation, particularly the fight against drug trafficking. The two sides also addressed various issues of mutual interest.
“The ministers discussed security cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia,” the Pakistani Interior Ministry said in a statement.
“Prince Abdulaziz and Mohsin Naqvi also reviewed measures to combat drug smuggling and other matters of mutual interest. The meeting included discussions on advancing cooperation in narcotics control,” the statement added.
Naqvi’s meeting with the Saudi interior minister followed a meeting on Monday with Maj. Gen. Mohammed Al-Qarni, head of the Kingdom’s General Directorate of Narcotics Control.
During their meeting, the two officials discussed enhancing mutual cooperation in narcotics control, according to the Pakistani Interior Ministry.
“Both sides agreed on more effective measures under bilateral assistance for narcotics control,” the ministry said in a statement. “The Saudi side offered to assist Pakistan by providing the latest equipment for drug detection.”
Naqvi visited various sections of the directorate, where Saudi officials briefed him on the Kingdom’s narcotics control efforts.
“No country can tackle the menace of drugs alone. This has become a shared challenge for the nations of the world,” Naqvi was quoted as saying by his ministry. “Pakistan will continue to cooperate with Saudi Arabia in anti-narcotics efforts.”
On Sunday, the Pakistani minister also met the Kingdom’s director of Public Security, Lt. Gen. Mohammed Al-Bassami, and inspected various departments of the state-of-the-art directorate and the Safe City Center.
“During the meeting, it was agreed to activate the joint task force (on public security) between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia soon,” the Pakistani Interior Ministry said, with Naqvi adding that he was glad to see “excellent” public security mechanisms in Saudi Arabia and that both sides could benefit from each other’s experiences in police training.
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is hosting the first Regional Arab Youth Forum on Man and the Biosphere, which started on Tuesday in the southern region of Jazan.
The event, which runs until Dec. 19, is being held by the National Center for Wildlife in partnership with the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture and Science.
The center said the forum represented a positive step forward in addressing biodiversity challenges, enhancing sustainable development and fostering climate resilience in the region.
Wildlife and biosphere experts, decision-makers, and officials from UNESCO and its Man and the Biosphere Program in the Arab region are speaking at the forum. They will visit the Farasan Island Marine Sanctuary, 50 km off the coast of Jazan, which is a natural habitat for endangered marine creatures, coral reefs and 230 species of fish.
In 2021, Saudi Arabia successfully registered the Farasan Islands with UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Program which launched in 1971.
Mohammad Ali Qurban, CEO of the National Center for Wildlife, said the forum, which aligned with the environmental goals of Vision 2030, reflected Saudi Arabia’s continued efforts to protect ecosystems and enrich biodiversity.
He added it aimed to enable Arab youth to preserve biodiversity, face environmental challenges and deepen cooperation between the region’s countries in wildlife and biosphere fields.
He said the center, formerly the Saudi Wildlife Authority, led training programs for the Saudi youth and contributed to environmental governance to preserve and improve the life of natural habitats.
The forum in Jazan supports UNESCO’s MAB Program, which enhances the relationship between people and their environments, as well as the Global Youth Biodiversity Network and other initiatives.
The program includes various sessions and workshops, with topics including the governance of the Man and Biosphere Program in Saudi Arabia, and the role and partnerships of youth networks in protecting biodiversity. There will also be the chance for Arab networks to share experiences in areas such as governance, strategies and financing.
RIYADH: Cold is gripping northern regions in Saudi Arabia, with the mercury level in some parts of the Kingdom dipping to freezing.
The National Center for Meteorology issued a forecast on Tuesday predicting a significant drop in temperatures in several regions.
Tabuk, Jouf, the Northern Borders, Hail, and northern parts of the Eastern Province are expected to experience exceptionally cold weather on Wednesday and Thursday.
Minimum temperatures are predicted between zero and 3 C. Frost may form in parts of the regions affected, and in the highlands of Tabuk.
Gusty winds are expected to blow and rainfall is expected in parts of Makkah. Fog may form in parts of Makkah, Jazan, Asir, and the Baha region.
The center urged residents where cold conditions prevail to closely monitor weather updates by the center and comply with the safety guidelines issued by the relevant authorities.
The wave of cold conditions has prompted education authorities to delay the start of the school day in several areas.
Education authorities in Qurayyat governorate have decided to put off the start of classes to 9 a.m., and authorities in Tabuk have likewise changed to that start time.
Authorities have suspended school assembly in the Hail region, with the school day now scheduled to begin at 7:45 a.m. until further notice due to the cold conditions.
The Ministry of Education in the Eastern Province has also taken steps out of concern for the safety of students and all school staff with the school day now starting at 7:30 a.m.
In addition, the ministry’s Eastern Province branch posted on X: “Dear student: Make sure to wear heavy winter clothing to protect yourself from the cold.”
RIYADH: Senior officials from Djibouti and Saudi Arabia have held talks to strengthen security ties between the two countries.
Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador of Djibouti in Riyadh Dya-Eddine Said Bamakhrama had discussions here recently with Saudi Arabia’s Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif.
Bamakhrama told Arab News that they discussed several issues of common interest including “security cooperation and ways to strengthen them between the relevant sectors.”
He said the two nations hold discussions annually under a Joint Security Committee. The third meeting of the body was in Jeddah in September last year, and it will meet in Djibouti next February.
In August this year, the two nations agreed to launch a maritime trade initiative. This includes new shipping lines to boost connectivity with East African markets, which serve a consumer base of around 500 million people.
RIYADH: In response to a plea for help, Saudi Arabia’s aid agency KSrelief has ensured the treatment of a critically ill Palestinian child from Gaza, Ahmad Sabra.
KSrelief arranged for Sabra’s treatment at the King Hussein Cancer Center in Jordan, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.
The child’s family has expressed deep gratitude to Saudi Arabia for its swift response, which saved the youngster’s life and inspired hope among others from Gaza also seeking help, the SPA reported.
KSrelief has also initiated a project to treat cancer patients from Gaza at the King Hussein Cancer Center as a part of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people amid the ongoing crisis.
The Kingdom’s aid agency has also continued its humanitarian efforts in Mauritania, Yemen and Turkiye, the SPA reported.
In Mauritania’s capital Nouakchott, KSrelief has been carrying out a 10-day voluntary medical project for pediatric cardiac surgery and catheterization which ends on Dec. 22.
A team of 28 specialists performed 10 open-heart surgeries and five catheterizations since the campaign began.
In another initiative, eight specialists are conducting a voluntary project for adult urology surgeries, completing 25 out of a planned 70 procedures.
In Yemen’s Socotra governorate, KSrelief has launched a volunteer project for home restoration and rehabilitation.
Sixteen volunteers are working to restore and rehabilitate homes for five vulnerable families, with assessments conducted through on-site visits.
In Turkiye, KSrelief recently launched a neurosurgery medical project. Since its inception, 19 volunteers have examined 170 individuals, providing critical care for those in need.
