JEDDAH: The Saudi Academy of Civil Aviation (SACA) celebrated the graduation of 203 students in Jeddah on Wednesday.
The graduates were certified in five disciplines — air traffic control, fire and rescue, aviation systems maintenance, airport safety and air security — in the presences of employees of the academy, as well as the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), which owns the academy and oversees the Kingdom’s civil aviation sector.
Minister of Transportation Sulaiman Al-Hamdan congratulated the students and said that GACA will continue with its privatization programs, part of which is turning the Kingdom’s airports into for-profit corporations.
Hamdan said SACA is a place to empower the Saudi youth to work and operate in the world of aviation and air transportation, thanks to their freshly acquired skills that will guarantee them success and qualify them to join their colleagues in every facet of the world of flying.
“The efforts that you put in and the intensity with which you applied yourselves surely are commendable. Always keep in mind that you are at the beginning of a very long path to professional success. You need more experience and skills, regardless of which sector you end up working in,” he said.
He said that aviation science and technology are two of the most dynamic disciplines, witnessing new developments almost every day. Hence, students must continue to learn and keep up with ever-changing technologies.
Hamdan said privatization programs are in line with the successes seen in the world’s most prominent airports.
He said the civil aviation sector is promising. As such, the authority laid out its own strategic plan to meet what is expected of it within the Saudi Vision 2030.
Fahd Al-Harbi, president of SACA, thanked the minister for sponsoring the graduation ceremony and said this has boosted the graduates’ drive to polish their skills and put their capabilities to maximum use in serving the nation.
“The GACA has always given national manpower and the development of their skills the utmost care, putting them at the forefront of their investments and priorities, because they are its true asset,” said Harbi.
He explained the academy is the fruit of these efforts, and achievements, the academy garnered no less than five global validations, beginning with the ICAO’s renewal of the academy’s membership of the advanced aviation training program.
The academy also was endorsed as an international security training center. IATA approved the academy as a partner and internationally recognized training center, the British International Leadership Management Institute approved the academy as a certified training supplier, “But the academy won’t just stop there; we have even greater ambitions in 2017,” he added.
Harbi said that these global partnerships add credence to the academy’s programs and certificates, enabling it to recruit even more students and civil aviation trainees.
These acclamations are simultaneous with quite a few records the academy had set since it was established as a technical training center. The academy supplied the civil aviation sector with 2,756 graduates with diplomas and high diplomas in air traffic control, fire and rescue, aviation systems maintenance, airport operation and safety, and air security. The academy’s team trained and qualified more than 20,000 employees in advanced, on-the-job courses that aviation personnel and corporations, as well as other support industries, benefited from it.
203 aviation graduates honored by minister
203 aviation graduates honored by minister
Thousands in Lebanon benefit from KSrelief healthcare services
RIYADH: A project by Saudi aid agency KSrelief to improve healthcare services for Syrian refugees and their host community in Bebnine, Akkar Governorate, has continued in Lebanon.
Some 2,689 patients were seen at the Akkar-Bebnine Health Care Center in December with 6,194 services provided under pharmacy, laboratory, nursing, community and psychological health programs.
Of the total number of patients, 68 percent were women and 51 percent were refugees, reported the Saudi Press Agency.
Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief continues aid work in new year
- The work reflects Saudi Arabia's ongoing commitment through KSrelief to help those most in need
RIYADH: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief has continued its humanitarian work at the start of 2025, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.
In Syria, 892 families received food aid and health kits in the Afrin and Aleppo governorates of the war-torn country, benefiting 5,352 individuals.
The agency also distributed bags of flour, winter kits, and personal-care bags to 211 families in Syria’s Al-Rastan area, benefitting 968 individuals.
In Syria’s Rural Damascus governorate, KSrelief distributed bags of flour, food aid, personal-care bags, and shelter kits to 164 families.
In Pakistan, there were 2,821 food parcels, benefiting 18,638 people, distributed in the Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan areas of Punjab province, and the Hingol area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
KSrelief also distributed 1,082 clothing vouchers to families in Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan’s Amman, Zarqa and Balqa governorates.
Saudi Museum of Contemporary Art to host ‘Manga Hokusai Manga’ exhibition
- Exhibition is homage to renowned Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai
The much-anticipated “Manga Hokusai Manga” exhibition will be held at the Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art in JAX Diriyah from Jan. 15 to Feb. 8.
Held in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan and the Japan Foundation, the exhibition, ratified by the Kingdom’s Museums Commission, will showcase the works of the renowned Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai.
It will highlight the history and evolution of manga, and provide a perspective on how Hokusai’s classical illustrations have influenced modern visual arts, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.
Hokusai published his first collection of art in 1814, featuring sketches of “daily life, landscapes and whimsical creatures,” according to a post on X by the museum.
The Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art aims to foster cultural exchange between local and international creators.
Kingdom readies itself for 3 days of rain and high winds
- Warning of high waves along the Kingdom’s coastlines
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is bracing itself for rainfall across most parts of the Kingdom over the next three days after the National Center for Meteorology issues warnings on Thursday.
In a weather bulletin, the NCM warned of downpours accompanied by winds of up to 60 kph, and the possibility of torrential rain and hail. High waves are expected along the nation’s coastlines.
The regions of Al-Jouf, the Northern Borders, and Hail will have rainy conditions on Friday and Saturday.
On Friday, rain is expected in the Tabuk and Madinah regions; on Saturday and Sunday in the Eastern Province, Asir and Jazan; and on Saturday in Qassim.
For the Riyadh and Al-Baha regions, rain is expected from Friday to Sunday.
The NCM urged the public to stay updated on the weather conditions in the Kingdom by checking the daily reports on its website, the Anwaa application, or its social media accounts.
Saudi Falcons Club CEO and Kazakhstan ambassador discuss ways to boost cooperation
RIYADH: The CEO of the Saudi Falcons Club, Ahmed Al-Hababi, met Kazakhstan’s ambassador to the Kingdom, Madiyar Menilbekov, in Riyadh on Thursday to discuss opportunities for cooperation and ways in which these might be enhanced to benefit mutual goals.
One of the topics was the Hadad Program, a leading initiative developed by the club with the aim of returning falcons to their natural habitats and saving the species from the threat of extinction.
Menilbekov praised the club for the important role it plays in enhancing falconry and preserving its cultural heritage.
The club said the meeting was part of its efforts to strengthen international partnerships in keeping with the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030 plan for national development and diversification.
