A high-profile meeting of the Saudi and European businessmen will be held at the French consulate in Jeddah today. This meeting titled “European Business Group Event,” the first of its kind to be organized by the Riyadh-based Delegation of the European Union to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states in the Kingdom, is expected to attract about 300 attendees, mainly top-notch Saudi and European businessmen and decision-makers, as well as industry leaders.
This was disclosed by Ambassador Adam Kulach, head of the EU Delegation in Riyadh yesterday. “This business meeting is being organized in response to the initiative of the EU member states and their diplomatic missions in the Kingdom,” said Kulach, adding that the event will be attended by heads of the business councils of different EU member states, which have been meeting with their Saudi counterparts bilaterally until now.
In his interview, Kulach spoke about the progressively growing relations between the GCC and the EU with special reference to the closer ties in the fields of education and culture. He briefly spoke about the EU’s Erasmus Mundus program, which supports students from the Gulf states to pursue education in a consortium of European universities. Kulach also spoke about several EU Delegation’s future programs and events. He also pointed out that there will be substantial EU participation in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) conference in Doha.
The conference, which will take place from November 26 to December 7, will be a very important environmental event. In fact, the Doha Summit faces a number of significant challenges, including the need to extend the Kyoto Protocol before it lapses at the end of the year. It also requires diplomats to agree a roadmap for delivering a new legally-binding climate change treaty that can be agreed by 2015 and brought into effect from 2020.
Asked about the participation of diplomats and businessmen in Jeddah meeting today, he said that the meeting will be attended by representatives of the business councils of France, the UK, Italy, Germany and Austria. “Saudi Arabia is a major trading partner of the 27-member EU bloc,” said the envoy, adding that the EU member states see tremendous potential in Saudi Arabia. He said this meeting will bring together business representatives and EU officials including diplomats on one platform to discuss how the two sides can seize opportunities to boost commercial links further.
He said the event in Jeddah will reaffirm EU’s commitment to the development of relations with the Kingdom. It will also reaffirm the EU’s desire to achieve a qualitative improvement in Saudi-EU ties, while the event will help to reinforce EU-GCC cooperation also. There will be substantial representation at the meeting from the Council of Saudi Chambers and from several Saudi business houses, he added. To this end, Kulach noted that the European Union has been one of the most important trading and investment partner of Saudi Arabia.
The EU today is the world’s largest single market with a population of more than 500 million people. The EU as bloc imported Euros28 billion worth of goods and services from Saudi Arabia last year. EU exports have been in the region of Euros 26 billion annually. In fact, imports from Saudi Arabia increased by 71 percent last year compared to a year before, he noted. “Moreover, we are working within the framework of the GCC-EU joint action plan further,” he said.
He pointed out that the EU and GCC have established solid platforms for dialogue and regular consultations on issues of mutual concerns. In the field of education, Kulach said that the Kingdom and EU are working closely now. This is a promising area of engagement, he noted. “At least 30,000 students are studying at different universities across the European Union region,” said Ambassador Kulach, adding that the Kingdom and EU are on the right tracks to promote a comprehensive cooperation program in this field.
A simple look at the demographic development in the GCC countries reveals a structure that has children and students making up a majority. Hence, there is a greater scope in the field of education for EU and for GCC states including Saudi Arabia. Currently there are about eight million students in the GCC countries in the 6-18 age groups. At the higher education level, students’ enrolment figures are rapidly growing across the Gulf states.
This growth pattern of Saudi and Gulf students will also be seen eventually in the European academic institutions, said the envoy, while appreciating the King Abdullah Scholarship Program. He said that the Gulf states are of considerable political, economic and cultural significance for the European Union. A prosperous and stable Gulf region, having close economic and political relations with Europe, is in the best interests of the EU, he added. The relationship between the EU and the GCC is governed by a cooperation agreement signed way back in 1988 as well as a joint action program agreed by the two blocs in 2010.
French consulate in Jeddah to host Saudi-European business meeting
French consulate in Jeddah to host Saudi-European business meeting
Saudi FM arrives in Italy to attend G7 ministerial meeting
RIYADH: Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived in Italy on Sunday to participate in an expanded ministerial meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) countries in Fiuggi, Saudi Press Agency reported.
The meeting will discuss the current situation in the Middle East, SPA added.
During his stay in Fiuggi, Prince Faisal will hold a number of discussions that will address regional and international issues.
Saudi fund chief receives Tajikistan’s deputy prime minister
- Saudi Ambassador to Tajikistan Walid Al-Rashidan was among the officials in attendance
RIYADH: CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development Sultan Al-Marshad received First Deputy Prime Minister of Tajikistan Hokim Kholiqzoda and his accompanying delegation in Riyadh on Sunday.
During the meeting, the Saudi fund’s development projects were discussed, as well as ways to enhance development cooperation between both sides, the official account wrote on X.
Saudi Ambassador to Tajikistan Walid Al-Rashidan was among the officials in attendance.
Kholiqzoda’s visit included a tour of the Saudi fund’s exhibition center, which showcases the organization’s 50-year journey, including notable development projects and their impacts on the lives of beneficiaries.
World’s first International Conference on Conjoined Twins kicks off in Riyadh
- Top World Health Organization official commends Saudi Arabia’s efforts in the field
RIYADH: The inaugural International Conference on Conjoined Twins kicked off in Riyadh on Sunday.
The event unites leading medical experts, humanitarian organizations, and families from around the globe to share vital insights, discuss innovative separation techniques, and forge collaborative pathways in the pursuit of improved lives for conjoined twins.
Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar delivered a speech on behalf of King Salman celebrating the achievements of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, which has become a global leader in the field.
“Since 1990, 143 cases of twins from 26 countries have been reviewed by my dear colleagues, who have successfully separated a total of 61 pairs of twins to date,” he said.
Prince Faisal added that it is the only program globally specializing in separating conjoined twins, making it one of the largest humanitarian medical programs in the world.
He also highlighted a recent milestone: the UN General Assembly is considering an initiative by Saudi Arabia to designate Nov. 24 as the annual World Conjoined Twins Day.
In a video address, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization, congratulated Saudi Arabia on its leadership in organizing the conference.
“I commend Saudi Arabia for its leadership in organizing this important World Conjoined Twins Day Conference,” he said.
This recognition would honor the medical and humanitarian efforts in this field and highlight the challenges faced by conjoined twins and their families.
Ghebreyesus praised the initiative as a model for global collaboration in rare and complex medical cases.
“The conference provides critical insights, from surgical innovations to long-term strategies, shaping rare initiatives. A broader platform and registry for congenital anomalies would benefit low and middle-income countries,” he said.
A keynote address was delivered by Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, advisor to the Royal Court and supervisor-general of Saudi aid agency KSrelief.
As the head of the multidisciplinary team for the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, Al-Rabeeah provided insights into the occurrence and challenges associated with conjoined twins.
The history of conjoined twin separation reveals both the challenges and progress in medical science.
“The first successful separation was by Johannes Fatio back in 1689 by using a constricting band for a set of Omphalopagus twins or those sharing liver and gastrointestinal organs,” he said.
With a 0.5 percent incidence rate, this early success involved “presumably, a small joining in the skin, probably a little bit of the liver,” said Al-Rabeeah.
He added that a major breakthrough came in 1957 with the first successful separation of Craniopagus, or twins sharing one brain.
Al-Rabeeah said that the epidemiology shows distinct patterns: “In Western countries, it’s been estimated that we get one conjoined twins in every 50 to 200,000 births.”
He added that, however, it is more prevalent in Southeast Asia and Africa, “presumably because identical twinning and twinning is (found) more in dark-skinned people in Africa and also in Southeast Asia, increasing the incidence.”
The survival statistics, Al-Rabeeah reported, entail that “60 percent of conjoined twins are stillborn, and those who live 40 percent of them will die in the first few days of life, and 70 percent of those who would survive will be females.”
He emphasized that the reasons behind this regional disparity remain unknown and require further research.
Throughout the conference, leading medical professionals presented their expertise on various aspects of caring for and separating conjoined twins. Topics included embryology, multidisciplinary team-building, antenatal care, and labor management.
Dr. Nadia Al-Ghilan, from the maternal-fetal medicine department at King Abdulaziz Medical City, gave a presentation titled “Caring for Conjoined Twins: A Prenatal Journey,” describing the complex process of managing pregnancies involving conjoined twins.
She said that caring for conjoined twins is a complex and delicate process as it requires meticulous prenatal planning and a dedicated medical team.
Al-Ghilan said that “this journey is filled with unique challenges, ethical considerations, and the utmost care to ensure the best possible outcomes for the twins and their family.”
Early diagnosis, she stressed, is critical for effective prenatal referral, counseling, and planning for delivery and postnatal care.
Al-Ghilan also underscored the importance of genetic testing in understanding the chromosomal health of conjoined twins.
“Techniques like amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling can help identify genetic abnormalities, providing valuable information for developing treatment strategies.”
The conference not only serves as a platform for scientific exchange but also fosters dialogue on building global partnerships to support conjoined twins and their families, particularly in low and middle income countries. The conference emphasized the importance of comprehensive care, from prenatal counseling to post-separation rehabilitation.
For over 30 years, the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program has stood as a beacon of hope for families worldwide. The inaugural International Conference on Conjoined Twins is set to continue this legacy, inspiring further advancements in the care and treatment of conjoined twins globally.
Doctor describes difficulties in separating twins joined at the skull
- “Conjoined twins are rare, as has been said, but ‘cranomalies’ are extremely rare,” Dr. Felice D’Arco said
RIYADH: A London-based medical expert at a conference in Riyadh revealed the difficulties in separating a rare form of conjoined twins in which the patients are joined at the skull.
Dr. Felice D’Arco, consultant pediatric neurologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, spoke during the International Conference on Conjoined Twins on Sunday about the condition, which occurs in about one of every 2.5 million births worldwide.
“Conjoined twins are rare, as has been said, but ‘cranomalies’ are extremely rare,” he said.
For radiologists, this means there are no standardized CT and MRI scanning protocols in place for such complex cases, and very few recent cases from which to learn.
“We have protocols for everything, epilepsy, tumors, neurogenetic disorders, this is not the case for craniopagus twins because of their rarity,” D’Arco said.
Medical teams must be set in place, and there must be two of everything; two anesthetic teams, two sets of MRI monitoring, etc., the whole hospital staff is involved in what is considered as an operation taking place on two patients simultaneously, D’Arco explained.
While there is a need to standardize procedures, Dr. D’Arco acknowledged that every set of twins is unique.
“As a radiologist, you need to have the flexibility to change your protocol as needed.”
Therefore, he said, it is best to start with a series of questions relating to different critical parts of the body.
One potential issue is the bones. A dual source CT scan can inform radiologists which parts of the skull of each patient is infused, or “missing,” in the other.
Another problem is the relationship between the brains. D’Arco said that small breaches connecting the two brains, identified by 3D sequencing, present a risk that surgery will cause damage.
Considering the possible ethical and medical complications that could come up in cases in which one of the twins is at risk of dying, he said: “Sometimes you need to ask, can we separate without jeopardizing the lives of the children? These cases are complicated, baffling, and confusing.”
Riyadh Music Week to spotlight Saudi talent, creativity
- Event will include global summits, local performances, awards and cultural displays
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's Music Commission, in collaboration with MDLBeast and the Saudi Research and Media Group, is poised to launch the inaugural Riyadh Music Week, running from Dec. 5 to 14 at various venues in the Saudi capital.
The event will spotlight the Kingdom’s growing music sector, highlighting its creative and commercial evolution. It will also serve as a platform for dialogue with international stakeholders on music policy and development.
Among the highlights is the Global Music Makers Summit, a premier gathering of industry leaders and policymakers from around the world.
The event will also celebrate Saudi traditional music, with small venues in Riyadh hosting performances to show off local musicians’ diversity and talent.
The week will also host the Music Cities Convention and Awards, which will be held in the Middle East for the first time.
Riyadh Music Week will include panel discussions, seminars and workshops led by industry experts, covering the latest global music trends.
The program incorporates key events from Riyadh’s music calendar, such as XP Music Futures, SoundStorm, and the inaugural Billboard Arabia Music Awards.
The week provides a unique platform for local and international collaboration, celebrating Saudi Arabia’s rich musical heritage and dynamic contemporary scene.
By supporting emerging and established artists, Riyadh Music Week underscores the Kingdom’s commitment to nurturing talent and growing its music industry.
The Saudi Music Commission, established in February 2020, leads this transformation, focusing on equal access to education, empowering talent and boosting the local economy.
Its efforts aim to enhance the Kingdom’s global musical identity while building world-class infrastructure and creating new industry opportunities.
