Pride: 4 decades of glorious journalism

Updated 21 April 2014
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Pride: 4 decades of glorious journalism

“A news sense is really a sense of what is important, what is vital, what has color and life — what people are interested in. That’s journalism.” This quotation of Arthur Burton Rascoe, former editor and literary critic of the New York Herald Tribune, also applies to Arab News, the Kingdom’s leading English daily, whose news coverage has ranged from vital to the colorful aspects of life.
What has propelled Arab News to the forefront of English dailies in the Gulf is its comprehensive coverage of local news of four to five pages daily under the dynamic leadership of Mohammed Fahad Al-Harthi, our editor in chief.
This is aside from regional and international coverage of news and views, making it the preferred choice of expatriates, Saudi and other business executives, senior government officials and diplomats who look forward this newspaper for all types of news. No wonder, it has carved out its own space in terms of scoops and other major stories.
The following is a cross-section of some of the exclusive stories that were featured in Arab News in the chronological order in the recent past.
On March 29, 2014, the newspaper carried a front page story on the talks between Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and US President Barack Obama focusing on the Iranian nuclear deal, Syria’s three-year-old civil war and their repercussions on the neighboring countries.
They also dwelt on key bilateral and regional issues such as Gulf security, the Middle East peace process and Egypt.
“Washington and Riyadh are working together to address a number of critical bilateral and regional issues, including resolving the crisis in Syria, preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, counterterrorism efforts to combat extremism, and supporting negotiations to achieve Middle East peace,” said a joint statement issued later.
Then, this year’s visit of Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, to four countries-Pakistan, India, China and Maldives-was very comprehensively covered by Arab News.
This high-profile visit was rich in the contents of diplomacy and politics as Saudi Arabia looks to the East to forge closer ties in different domains other than business.
Prince Salman’s trip was preceded by the presentation of SR855 billion annual budget by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.
Arab News was also on the forefront in reporting political changes taking place in the region as well as inside the country. It reported extensively the appointment of Prince Muqrin as second deputy premier, Prince Mishal as new Makkah governor and Prince Khaled as new education minister.
The coverage of the visit of French President Francois Hollande late last year was exceptional. He, like Prince Charles of the United Kingdom, performed a sword dance with top Saudi officials and shared lighter moments.
Arab News also interviewed on April 23, 2013 Mexico’s business tycoon Carlos Slim, the world’s richest man with a net worth of $73 billion.
He unveiled his plans to invest billions of dollars in some lucrative petrochemical projects in Jubail and other projects in undisclosed sectors.
Another exclusive on Jan. 9, 2013 was an interview with Hina Rabbani Khar, youngest and first female foreign minister of Pakistan, during her visit to Riyadh.
Among other top stories in 2011, Arab News had an interview with former US President Bill Clinton when he described small- and mid-sized private enterprises as a key to the Kingdom’s long-term job growth and prosperity.
He was speaking at the 5th Global Competitiveness Forum on January 26, when he cautioned nations across the Middle East and North Africa that there were no substitutes for good governance and opportunities for the uneducated and impoverished.
The former president was upbeat about the Saudi economy and praised the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority for its visionary 10x10 program, which sought to elevate the Kingdom’s global competitiveness to among the top 10 countries worldwide by 2010. Saudi Arabia is now ranked 11th, a significant increase since the program was launched a few years ago.
Another landmark event for Arab News was on November 14, 2006 in Riyadh.
In his presentation at the CIO Summit, Bill Gates discussed how improvements in the hardware and applications available in digital devices, combined with a much higher bandwidth and richer content, would help us organize information and consequently be more productive in our jobs.
Within five years, Gates predicted that improvements in speech recognition technologies would mean that people would use digital devices with speech as the primary input method, rather than a keyboard or touch screen for example. Speech would also be used for functionalities such as search.
Last but not the least, Arab News has also been playing a major advocacy role for Saudi women and for their empowerment.
This paper was the first to flash the news entitled “Women ready for top cabinet roles,” “Ministry for women empowerment urged,” and “Saudi demand laws to protect girls from domestic violence.”
These are some of the stories which testify to Arab News as a newspaper that readers, including decision-makers, look forward to at their breakfast table.


KSrelief’s Masam Project clears 840 mines

Updated 5 sec ago
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KSrelief’s Masam Project clears 840 mines

  • The Masam team successfully cleared four unexploded ordnances in Zinjibar
  • The team successfully removed 14 unexploded ordnances from Al-Waht district

ADEN: The Masam Project, an initiative launched by the Saudi aid agency KSrelief, successfully dismantled 840 mines across various regions of Yemen during the third week of November, including 29 anti-personnel mines, 129 anti-tank mines, and 682 unexploded ordnances.
The Masam team successfully cleared four unexploded ordnances in Zinjibar in the Abyan Governorate, and 162 in Aden Governorate. Two anti-tank mines in Al-Khawkhah and one unexploded ordnance in Hays, in Al-Hudaydah Governorate, were also removed. The team cleared one anti-personnel mine and one unexploded ordnance in the Qataba district of Al-Dhale Governorate.
The team successfully removed 14 unexploded ordnances from Al-Waht district and 22 from Al-Madaribah in Lahj Governorate, while in Marib Governorate four unexploded ordnances were cleared in the Al-Wadi district, along with 12 anti-personnel mines and 120 anti-tank mines in the Marib district.


Authorities enforce ban on non-compliant trucks

Updated 14 min 3 sec ago
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Authorities enforce ban on non-compliant trucks

  • This initiative reflects the authority’s commitment to regulating the sector
  • Foreign trucks are restricted to transporting goods from abroad to designated delivery points

RIYADH: The Transport General Authority has announced the seizure of many foreign trucks found violating transportation regulations and legislation while transporting goods between cities in the Kingdom.
This initiative, undertaken in collaboration with relevant authorities, reflects the authority’s commitment to regulating the sector, promoting compliance, ensuring fair competition, enhancing the security and safety of transportation services, and preserving public resources and road infrastructure.
The authority said that the mechanism adopted to control foreign truck transport operations — in coordination with various government entities — prohibits traders, factories, importers, institutions and companies from contracting with non-Saudi vehicles.
Foreign trucks are restricted to transporting goods from abroad to designated delivery points in Saudi cities or on their way back to their country of origin. This return must originate from the same delivery point or from any city along the return route. Such operations also require a permit issued by the authority.


Saudi citizen wanted on suspicion of corruption extradited to Kingdom from Russia

Updated 29 November 2024
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Saudi citizen wanted on suspicion of corruption extradited to Kingdom from Russia

  • Abdullah bin Awadh Aydha Al-Harthi was wanted on suspicion of financial and administrative corruption crimes

RIYADH: A Saudi citizen suspected of corruption crimes has been extradited back to the Kingdom from Russia, the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority, Nazaha, announced on Friday.

Abdullah bin Awadh Aydha Al-Harthi was wanted on suspicion of financial and administrative corruption crimes, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The transfer was carried out as part of a memorandum of understanding between Nazaha and Russia’s Public Prosecution, and “underscores the strong commitment of both nations to uphold the rule of law and promote international cooperation in the fight against corruption,” SPA added.

Nazaha highlighted the role played by the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office in responding to its official request to extradite Al-Harthi and praised the support of the global Globe E Network and INTERPOL for its continued assistance in tracking individuals involved in corruption crimes and curtailing their safe havens.

Nazaha reaffirmed its resolve to pursue corrupt individuals both within and beyond the Kingdom’s borders, holding them accountable in accordance with Sharia and legal frameworks.

The authority said it remained steadfast in its mission to recover state funds and assets misappropriated through corruption, ensuring they are returned to the national treasury.


Heritage Commission, KSGAAL launch global blog to preserve cultural and linguistic heritage

Updated 29 November 2024
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Heritage Commission, KSGAAL launch global blog to preserve cultural and linguistic heritage

  • The Naqsh blog aims to preserve Arab cultural and linguistic heritage
  • Naqsh is a visually documented linguistic blog for Arabic inscriptions found on stones, tablets, rocks or any other artifacts in the Kingdom

RIYADH: The Saudi Heritage Commission, in collaboration with King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language, or KSGAAL, launched the Naqsh blog on Thursday on the sidelines of the Saudi International Handicrafts Week exhibition.

The Naqsh blog aims to preserve Arab cultural and linguistic heritage, providing a reliable source for researchers and those interested in archaeology, history, the Arabic language and comparative studies, an official statement said.

The blog also seeks to enhance the scientific reference for trustworthy Arabic data and develop AI models for analyzing and interpreting inscriptions, in alignment with the objectives of the Human Capital Development Program, one of the Saudi Vision 2030 initiatives, and the National Culture Strategy.

Abdullah Al-Washmi, secretary-general of KSGAAL, said that the path of linguistic blogs served related scholars and researchers and was an integral part of the academy’s linguistic work, projects and institutional initiatives.

Naqsh is a visually documented linguistic blog for Arabic inscriptions found on stones, tablets, rocks or any other artifacts in the Kingdom.

The blog includes commemorative, religious, literary and commercial inscriptions that reflect the cultural and social conditions throughout the ages, he said.

The blog highlights the historical and linguistic significance of Arabic inscriptions, understanding the linguistic and cultural development in the region, and also serves as a crucial source for studying the evolution of writing and Arabic calligraphy through the ages, he said.

In early 2024, KSGAAL launched the “Falak” platform for linguistic databases, which includes several linguistic platforms featuring advanced computational tools.

These tools facilitate text analysis and linguistic data tagging and enable Arabic language enthusiasts to collaborate in the field of Arabic language computing.

The “Falak” platform also aims to enhance the scientific reference for reliable Arabic linguistic data. It is one of the academy’s prominent initiatives in the field of linguistic computing, containing more than 1.5 billion words.

Sami Al-Mukhayzim, chairman of the Saudi Historical Society, told Arab News that the Naqsh blog serves as a highly significant historical resource.

Inscriptions are among the oldest tools documenting vivid and accurate information about ancient civilizations. These inscriptions contribute to illustrating the development of writing, ideas, beliefs and the daily interactions of those civilizations, he said.

Abdullah Al-Khuzam, a craft trainer at the Royal Institute of Traditional Arts, said that documenting human heritage was one of the fundamental administrative and civilizational methods and an essential enabler for building a growing future grounded in a distinctive historical and archaeological depth.

The Naqsh blog will serve as a reference for future generations, providing them with a foundation as they venture into new and contemporary horizons, drawing inspiration from heritage to develop ideas in a modern form that suits today’s world, he said.


Saudi, Japanese agencies agree to cooperation on humanitarian work

Updated 29 November 2024
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Saudi, Japanese agencies agree to cooperation on humanitarian work

Saudi aid agency KSrelief and the Japan International Cooperation Agency have agreed to cooperate on humanitarian work.

KSrelief director of partnerships and international relations, Hana Omar, and JICA’s representative from its Yemen office Kato Ken met on the sidelines of the International Conjoined Twins Conference in Riyadh.

They discussed humanitarian relief affairs, topics on the agenda of the conference, and prospects for cooperation between the two organizations, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

JICA praised the Kingdom’s humanitarian and relief programs.