Author: Mahdeehassan

Saudi Arabia turns to in vitro technology to boost food security

As autumn sunsets settle over Asir, the highlands turn to gold. Clouds drift between towering peaks while villages cling to the slopes below. From the surrounding heights, Abha appears cradled in mist, its mountains and clouds folding around the city. As dusk deepens, road and neighborhood lights flicker on beneath the haze, and their glow melts into the amber of the fading sky.

ABHA: Coffee cultivation in Saudi Arabia’s Asir region is expanding from a generations-old agricultural tradition into a growing economic activity, with thousands of farms and hundreds of thousands of trees spread across its mountain terraces, valleys and slopes. The cultivation stretches from Al-Farshah and Tihama Qahtan in the south through a chain of mountain governorates, centers and villages to Balqarn in the north, reflecting the region’s diverse terrain and long association with coffee farming. Asir’s varied elevations, moderate temperatures, rainfall and fertile soils provide favorable conditions for coffee trees. Farmers have preserved mature trees and traditional cultivation practices, passing agricultural…

RIYADH: At least one person was injured by falling debris from an intercepted ballistic missile in Saudi Arabia’s southwestern governorate of Ahad Rafidah, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported early Saturday. The missile was fired late Friday by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi group, SPA said, quoting a spokesman for the Saudi Directorate of Civil Defense. The incident injured an Asian resident and damaged a prayer room inside a building and several vehicles, the spokesman said. Ahad Rafidah is in the Asir region, which has been repeatedly targeted by Houthi missile and drone attacks. Earlier Friday, Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed…

RIYADH: “You are never alone in the mountains.” That is the promise that greets readers in the opening pages of “A Wild Companion: Sarawat and Hijaz,” a bilingual exploration of the wildlife, plants, stories and cultural memory of western Saudi Arabia’s highlands. Conceived as a “friendly sage” rather than a conventional field guide, A Wild Companion blends science, folklore, poetry, and art to introduce readers to 101 species found in the Sarawat and Hijaz mountains. In an exclusive interview with Arab News, co-authors Maria Alem and Abdulaziz Al-Juhani reflected on how the project evolved from personal curiosity into a wider…

KHARTOUM: Headed by Shalhoub Alshalhoub, director of public relations and media at the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, a delegation from KSrelief met with Sudanese Federal Minister of Health Dr. Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim in Khartoum recently. The two sides reviewed the latest developments in relief and humanitarian operations across Sudan and discussed joint efforts to address urgent healthcare needs and scale up humanitarian assistance. Ibrahim commended KSrelief’s ongoing humanitarian efforts, praising its vital role in strengthening Sudan’s health sector and delivering essential aid to populations in need nationwide. SPA Khartoum

UNAIZAH: Unaizah Gov. Saad Al-Saleem honored security agencies, government bodies and participating teams at the conclusion of the Unaizah Dates Season. At a ceremony held in Al-Naqwa Hall at the date market in Unaizah, the governor presented them with commemorative plaques for their contributions to the season’s success. Al-Saleem praised their work in organizing the season and serving visitors, stressing the importance of coordination among agencies to support agricultural and economic events in the governorate. The ceremony last month featured a documentary on the season and the work involved in organizing it. The film also documented the completion of Al-Naqwa…

RIYADH: Yemen’s army said it carried out attacks on high-value sites in the capital Sanaa hours after reports that the Houthi militia struck an electricity distribution station in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.The Iran-back Houthis used a drone to target the facility that provides power to the Prophet’s Mosque, prompting condemnation from Islamic and Arab nations.Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki said the Taibah electricity distribution station was hit early on Sept. 29.An investigation found that the Houthi militia planned and executed the “cowardly terrorist act,” Maliki said. Authorities carried out an operational review and studied the drone debris to prove the…

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Meteorology (NCM) has warned of blowing dust, strong winds and reduced visibility in parts of Riyadh region, while forecasting continued thunderstorms and rainfall across several parts of the Kingdom. The advisories were carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on Friday. The NCM said dust-laden winds were expected to affect several governorates in Riyadh region from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., urging the public to follow weather updates and safety instructions. The warning came as thunderstorms continued across much of Saudi Arabia, with moderate to heavy rainfall forecast in Jazan, Asir, Al-Baha and Makkah…

RIYADH: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made clear during his annual address to Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council on Wednesday that Riyadh remained committed to diplomacy and de-escalation, but would respond firmly to threats against the Kingdom. “We are making every possible effort to reduce escalation and support diplomatic solutions, without the slightest compromise when it comes to safeguarding our security,” the crown prince said, warning that Saudi Arabia “will not hesitate to respond firmly to any threat or attack aimed at undermining it.” In the first episode of “Arab Views,” a new flagship show hosted by Arab News Editor-in-Chief Faisal…