Author: Mahdeehassan

NEW YORK: Saudi aid agency KSrelief co-hosted a high-level meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday to discuss diplomacy’s role in supporting humanitarian efforts in war- and disaster-stricken regions. “Humanitarian work is facing unprecedented challenges from political obstruction, natural disasters, violations of international humanitarian law and funding gaps,” said Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, supervisor general of KSrelief. The event was attended by Arab News alongside Pakistani, UN and European officials, as well as representatives of human rights organizations. Since its establishment in 2015, KSrelief has implemented 4,463 humanitarian projects in 113 countries, spending more than $8.5 billion on…

NEW YORK: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan called for the full and immediate implementation of the US-backed Gaza peace plan, while urging international action against Israeli settlement expansion, settler violence and annexation policies in the occupied West Bank. He was speaking at a high-level meeting in New York titled “The Road Ahead: One Year after the New York Declaration and the Comprehensive 20-point Peace Plan for Gaza,” co-chaired by Saudi Arabia, France, the UK and Canada. “Security must be built on mutual interests rather than at the expense of another party,” Prince Faisal said, stressing that the establishment…

Saudi National Day offers an opportunity not only to reflect on how far the Kingdom has come, but also to consider what those changes now make possible. Much has been written about Saudi Arabia’s ambition over the past decade — and rightly so. Ambition has been the catalyst for extraordinary change. But from the perspective of someone who has spent a career building international events, ambition is only the beginning. What ultimately defines a global events destination is something else entirely: capability. Capability is what turns vision into delivery. It is the ability to bring together governments, industries and international…

The Saudi Embassy in Georgia hosted a reception in the capital, Tbilisi, to mark National Day, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday. Saudi Ambassador to Georgia Salman Al-Sheikh welcomed Georgian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Khvtisiashvili, ambassadors from friendly countries and Georgian government officials. Embassy staff and Saudi students studying in Georgia also attended the reception.

NEW YORK: The US will honor its defense commitments to Saudi Arabia, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday amid escalating regional tensions and Houthi attacks on the Kingdom. “We have a very strong defense agreement with Saudi Arabia, and we will live up to our commitments in that agreement,” Rubio told reporters when asked whether President Donald Trump was prepared to take further action against the Houthis. Rubio declined to discuss what military options were available to Trump but reiterated that Saudi Arabia was a strategic defense partner of the US. “The US has made commitments to them.…

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia has provided more than $3.4 billion for 1,289 food security projects in 88 countries, the Kingdom’s aid chief has said. Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, supervisor-general of KSrelief, was speaking during a recent high-level panel discussion on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York. The session, titled “United Against Hunger: Reorienting Global Action to Address Food Crises in Times of Turmoil,” was jointly organized by Germany, the UN World Food Programme and the Global Network Against Food Crises. Al-Rabeeah said conflict was the leading cause of acute food insecurity in many countries and called for…

Riyadh: The fourth Athar Saudi Festival of Creativity will return to Riyadh on Nov. 24-25 with more than 200 speakers, as organizers expand the program to support the growth of the Kingdom’s creative marketing industry and highlight Saudi talent globally. This year’s speakers will include Princess Lamia bint Majid Al-Saud, secretary-general of Alwaleed Philanthropies; Sir Martin Sorrell, founder and executive chairman of S4 Capital; designer and television personality Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen; Huib van Bockel, former Red Bull marketing head and founder of TENZING Natural Energy; and Markus Prosser, CMO of the Atlassian Williams F1 Team, alongside Saudi, regional and international voices.…

BURAIDAH: Specialized falcon molting facilities across the Qassim region provide tailored environments for raptors shedding old feathers and growing new plumage between March and September, preparing them for the upcoming hunting and competition seasons. Enclosure owners receive falcons after the hunting season, beginning with comprehensive veterinary examinations and a mandatory quarantine of one to 10 days. During isolation, birds receive necessary medical treatment and targeted nutrition to regain weight lost during field activities before entering the main facility. Throughout their stay from five to seven months, falcons remain undisturbed and under continuous 24-hour camera surveillance. Facilities maintain strictly regulated conditions,…

RIYADH: The capacity-building sector at the Saudi Data and AI Authority has begun applying the Data and AI Training Program Standards Framework to specialized training programs. In cooperation with the Technical and Vocational Training Corp., the framework was launched last week in Riyadh at the fourth UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. It aims to improve training quality and align program content with labor market needs, professional requirements and national regulations. It also covers AI ethics and raises awareness of the risks associated with AI use. In its first phase, the sector evaluated 10 programs for nonspecialists,…

Speaker of the Council of Representatives of the Kingdom of Bahrain Ahmed bin Salman Al-Musallam praised the deep-rooted history, strong fraternal ties, growing cooperation, and shared destiny that characterize Bahraini-Saudi relations, fostered by the leadership of both countries. Marking Saudi National Day, Al-Musallam said the Council of Representatives is committed to strengthening parliamentary cooperation with the Saudi Shura Council and to continuous coordination in regional and international parliamentary forums, in the interests of both countries and in support of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), SPA reported. He praised the comprehensive development Saudi Arabia is achieving across all sectors under Saudi…