Saudi deputy foreign minister attends BRICS meeting in Brazil

Saudi deputy foreign minister attends BRICS meeting in Brazil
Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji on Tuesday attended the BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (SPA)
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Updated 30 April 2025
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Saudi deputy foreign minister attends BRICS meeting in Brazil

Saudi deputy foreign minister attends BRICS meeting in Brazil
  • Waleed Al-Khuraiji said the Kingdom aims to enhance the work of BRICS and remains committed to efforts to resolve international crises and tensions
  • Saudi Arabia was invited in 2023 to join the group, which aims to foster economic cooperation among emerging economies, but has yet to do so

RIYADH: Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji on Tuesday attended the BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The Kingdom is not a member of BRICS, which aims to foster economic cooperation among emerging economies and promote their interests in the realm of international politics. It was invited in 2023 to join the group but has yet to do so.

Al-Khuraiji addressed the meeting during a session focusing on the “role of Global South countries in promoting multilateralism,” the Saudi Press Agency reported.

He said the Kingdom aims to enhance the work of BRICS, and remains committed to efforts to resolve crises and tensions while working closely with the international community to promote a multilateral and prosperous world.

The Kingdom is leading efforts to gain international support for a two-state solution to the conflict between Palestine and Israel as a way to achieve lasting peace and security for all, he added.

Faisal Ghulam, the Saudi ambassador to Brazil, and Shaher Al-Khenini, the director general of the Saudi Foreign Ministry’s International Organizations Department, joined the deputy foreign minister at the meeting.

BRICS was founded in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India and China. South Africa became a member the following year, and in late 2023 Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE accepted invitations to join. Indonesia became a member in January 2025. Several other countries have accepted invitations to participate as “partner” nations.


Saudi leaders congratulate Karol Nawrocki on winning Poland’s presidential elections

Saudi leaders congratulate Karol Nawrocki on winning Poland’s presidential elections
Updated 03 June 2025
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Saudi leaders congratulate Karol Nawrocki on winning Poland’s presidential elections

Saudi leaders congratulate Karol Nawrocki on winning Poland’s presidential elections

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman each sent a cable of congratulations to Karol Nawrocki after winning Poland’s presidential elections on Monday.

The King and Crown Prince wished the president success in his duties and the Polish people further progress and prosperity, the Saudi Press Agency said.

Nawrocki won 50.89% of votes in a very tight race against Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, who received 49.11%.


Drones delivering Hajj medicine years in the making, Saudi health minister tells Arab News

Drones delivering Hajj medicine years in the making, Saudi health minister tells Arab News
Updated 55 min 6 sec ago
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Drones delivering Hajj medicine years in the making, Saudi health minister tells Arab News

Drones delivering Hajj medicine years in the making, Saudi health minister tells Arab News
  • Authorities say the initiative will cut delivery times for medical supplies from an average of 90 minutes to just 6 minutes

MAKKAH: A new service to transport medicine using drones during Hajj is a result of two years of intensive studies and experiments, Saudi Arabia’s health minister told Arab News on Monday.

“This modern technology aims to deliver medicines on a large scale during the Hajj season while reducing the time required to deliver medical supplies to just six minutes, compared to 90 minutes using ground transportation,” Saudi Health Minister Fahad Al-Jalajel said. 

The service will remove obstacles faced by medicine deliveries, the minister said, such as those caused by vehicular and human congestion at the holy sites, where nearly 1.25 million pilgrims are expected to gather to take part in the Hajj, a key pillar of Islam, which begins on June 4 and continues until June 9.

Al-Jalajel said trials over the past two years allowed for system safety testing, including ensuring that high temperatures, which can get unbearably hot at pilgrimage locations, do not damage the medicine. 

The drones are equipped with precise cooling systems and are subjected to multiple temperature tests during takeoff and landing, he said.

The drone initiative is part of the comprehensive healthcare transformation taking place in the  Kingdom, under the Saudi Vision 2030 program, which seeks to reform the country, including developing healthcare services for residents and visitors.

“One of the most notable achievements of this transformation is the establishment of the Seha Virtual Hospital, the largest in the world according to the Guinness World Records.”

The virtual hospital, which is linked to the Kingdom’s Sehaty health app, serves more than 200 hospitals, and is accessible to all individuals in Saudi Arabia without exception.

“The Kingdom is applying advanced technologies in the fields of robotic surgery, stroke management, and the use of artificial intelligence in health services, reflecting the serious trend towards digitizing the health sector,” Al-Jalajel said.

These experiences, the minister said, have also become a source of inspiration for many countries around the world that seek to learn about and benefit from them.

The health ministry will continue to anticipate global health challenges and provide pioneering and appropriate solutions, Al-Jalajel said, promising that pilgrims will witness the use of more advanced technologies during Hajj in the coming years.


4,900 train journeys and 2m passengers expected on holy sites metro over 7 days of Hajj

4,900 train journeys and 2m passengers expected on holy sites metro over 7 days of Hajj
Updated 02 June 2025
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4,900 train journeys and 2m passengers expected on holy sites metro over 7 days of Hajj

4,900 train journeys and 2m passengers expected on holy sites metro over 7 days of Hajj
  • 3,314 flights from 238 destinations in 71 countries have arrived in the Kingdom so far ahead of the annual pilgrimage, transport officials
  • Vehicles equipped with AI scan 7,400km of Kingdom’s roads to help improve safety and ensure necessary maintenance is carried out

RIYADH: Trains on the Al-Mashaaer Al-Mugaddassah Metro Line are expected to complete a total of 4,900 journeys, carrying up to 2 million passengers, in the space of just seven days during Hajj.

The metro, known in English as the Sacred Sites Train Line, is a high-capacity rail system in Makkah that operates for only seven days a year, during Hajj, as a shuttle service to take pilgrims to and from holy sites.

Offering insights on Monday into the transportation systems that will serve pilgrims, Saleh Al-Zuwaid, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services, said comprehensive preparations have been taking place ahead of the annual pilgrimage across all travel sectors, including air, land, sea and logistics.

The spokespersons reaffirmed their commitment to providing the best possible services and encouraged pilgrims to adhere to official guidelines designed to enhance their experiences and ensure their safety. (Supplied)

“So far, 3,314 flights from 238 destinations in 71 countries, via 62 air carriers, have arrived in the Kingdom,” he said.

There has been a 75 percent increase in the number of trips on Haramain High Speed Railway, compared with last year, he added, and a “Hajj without Luggage” initiative allows pilgrims arriving in Saudi Arabia to travel to Makkah by train while their luggage is transported separately for convenience.

In addition, more than 25,000 buses have been provided to ensure the safe and comfortable movement of pilgrims, backed by an extensive inspections process, he said.

The latest technology, including artificial intelligence, is also being deployed to enhance transportation, Al-Zuwaid said. A fleet of vehicles equipped with AI is scanning the Kingdom’s roads, from arrival ports to the holy sites, to help improve safety and ensure necessary maintenance is carried out. This year, these advanced technologies have helped to maintain 7,400 kilometers of roads leading to the holy sites.

Detailing advances in digital infrastructure, Saad Al-Shanbari, a spokesperson for Hajj communications and technology, said that 4G and 5G coverage in Makkah, Madinah and at the holy sites now exceeds 99 percent, with significant increases in internet speeds.

More than 10,500 Wi-Fi access points have been installed to enrich the digital experience for pilgrims, he added, and AI-powered crowd-management and specialized communication systems have been implemented in collaboration with Aramco Digital, to help ensure a reliable digital experience throughout Hajj season.

The spokespersons reaffirmed their commitment to providing the best possible services and encouraged pilgrims to adhere to official guidelines designed to enhance their experiences and ensure their safety.

Hajj begins on Wednesday, June 4, and will continue until Monday, June 9.

 


Saudi foreign minister discusses regional developments with US counterpart

Saudi foreign minister discusses regional developments with US counterpart
Updated 02 June 2025
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Saudi foreign minister discusses regional developments with US counterpart

Saudi foreign minister discusses regional developments with US counterpart
  • Phone call on Monday with Marco Rubio

RIYADH: Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the Kingdom’s foreign minister, discussed the latest regional developments in a phone call on Monday with the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The minister focused on Saudi-American ties, the strategic partnership, and international issues, the Saudi Press Agency reported.


Drama therapy workshop in Jeddah explores healing power of expression

Psychologist Lujain Faqerah and actor Abdul Al-Shareef, center, with attendees at the drama therapy workshop in Jeddah.
Psychologist Lujain Faqerah and actor Abdul Al-Shareef, center, with attendees at the drama therapy workshop in Jeddah.
Updated 02 June 2025
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Drama therapy workshop in Jeddah explores healing power of expression

Psychologist Lujain Faqerah and actor Abdul Al-Shareef, center, with attendees at the drama therapy workshop in Jeddah.
  • Faqerah told Arab News: “Drama is integrated naturally in our daily responses and situations

JEDDAH: A drama therapy workshop was recently organized under the theme: “In drama we find the power to express, and in expression we find the power to heal,” at Cinema Al-Balad in Jeddah.

Led by Lujain Faqerah, senior psychologist and creative arts supervisor, in collaboration with actor and screenwriter Abdul Al-Shareef, the workshop explored the use of drama therapy in daily life and creative work.

Participants, including therapists, creatives, and others, learned how drama can support emotional awareness, healing, and connection.

The workshop showed how drama-based therapeutic techniques can help people access unconscious behaviors, foster self-expression, and improve creative practices such as screenwriting and acting.

Faqerah told Arab News: “Drama is integrated naturally in our daily responses and situations. In a therapeutic setting, it helps us observe these interactions and reflect on a deeper level of our unconscious body gestures and movements that might reveal a lot about our personalities.”

She made it clear that drama therapy is not about performing but about expressing what lies beneath — emotions, memories, or internal conflicts.

Faqerah said: “The word drama has a negative connotation to the extent that people reject it before trying. Drama therapy does not depend on acting skills or previous experience, but more on your self-expression and the challenges you experience.”

Her discovery of drama therapy was transformative. “It surprised me with the appearance of a hidden part of me that is more bold and confident. When this part emerged and I saw the benefits myself, I started incorporating it in my profession.”

Al-Shareef brought a creative perspective as an actor and screenwriter new to drama therapy but interested in its techniques.

“As an actor and a writer, I found this experiment with drama supervision and therapy fascinating. It’s a tool that I am willing to explore and learn more about to enhance my life and practice,” he said.

“Some people may think drama therapy is exclusively for artists, but it’s not. The techniques can be integrated into everyday routines, varying from person to person depending on their challenges.”