JEDDAH: For some people in Saudi Arabia, an animal is a very profitable item, and the less they spend on it, the more they profit. This translates into a miserable existence for the animals, which are often kept in cramped filthy cages too small for them to stand or turn around in. They receive no veterinary care, very little to eat and drink, and spend weeks, if not months, in chains.
And when their soul eventually departs their body, they are tossed in the trash with the rest of the garbage — and the only sorrow caused by their passing is their owner’s regret at the few hundred riyals lost.
Female baboons are separated from their babies by hunters in the mountains of Taif; dogs are stolen from their owners in Obhur and female German Shepherd dogs are kept in a specially-made cage which forces their rear ends into a position that allows her to be easily mounted and impregnated by a male dog.
All this and much more cruelty takes place before these creatures even reach the animal markets.
The Pigeon Souk of Jeddah is where these animals are all sold despite Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and Jeddah Municipality bans being in place. It is a dirty and dusty place where the corpses of birds and other animals are strewn around, and where a dry and dusty water bowl sits next to a pair of thirsty puppies sharing a bird cage.
“The condition and treatment of the animals being sold at the animal souk is miserable and inhumane to say the least,” said Sonja Svensek, founder of Pets in Need, a Jeddah-based online platform that connects thousands of like-minded people in order to help animals in need.
“Animals are kept in small dirty cages, some without food or water. Some are chained, and the majority are in questionable health. For any animal lover, it is heartbreaking to witness the state of the animals being kept and treated there.”
Arab News visited the souk, located in Jeddah’s Khomra District, and found kittens, cats and dogs openly available for sale despite a Municipality ban on trading in anything but birds at the Pigeon Souk.
One man was selling a mother cat and her kittens. “You can have them all for SR1,100,” he told Arab News. “Or SR200 for each kitten, or SR700 for the mother.” When asked why the mother was three times the price, he said that she could make babies and those could be sold.
A few meters away, in the farthest corner of the marketplace from the parking area, were two small dogs, less than a year old, looking frightened. The man selling them said they were from France. One had a pink collar and their claws were trimmed as if recently manicured.
It seemed likely the dogs had been stolen.
“Chances were that if your dog went missing or was stolen, it would end up at that market”, Svensek said. “Out of every 10 cases of missing dogs, about six are eventually found on sale there. We see this from the posts of desperate pet owners who have lost their pet, only to find it at the souk days, or sometimes weeks, later.”
A similar problem exists at the animal souk in Riyadh, according to Dr. Lana Dunn, a volunteer at Open Paws of Riyadh, a group of Saudis and expatriates who work to reduce the number of homeless pets, control stray cat populations and help animals in need of rescue.
The issue, Dunn said, is that the Municipality controls the pet stores, animal souks and stray animal populations, but is not in charge of the condition of the animals on sale. The Municipality says that is the responsibility of the animal welfare department of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. But the Ministry says it has no authority over areas that the Municipality is in charge of. And that is how animal welfare falls through the cracks.
“The Riyadh animal souk is a health hazard to people as well as to the animals. It’s an embarrassment to the country in the eyes of visitors, and it’s also a bad example considering Islam’s obligations to care for God’s creatures,” Dunn said. “I have nothing good to say about it. I’m dumbfounded that it is allowed to go on.”
Arab News called and messaged Jeddah Municipality and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture for comment, but did not receive a timely response.
Despicable treatment of animals in KSA: Who is to blame?
Despicable treatment of animals in KSA: Who is to blame?
Saudi swimmer’s remarkable 30km swim from Alkhobar to Bahrain
- Mariam Binladen’s feat of endurance and grit completed in over 11 hours
JEDDAH: In a remarkable feat of endurance and determination, Saudi Arabia’s Dr. Mariam Binladen recently completed the Khalid bin Hamad Swimming Challenge, covering a distance of 30km from Alkhobar, Saudi Arabia, to Salman City, Bahrain.
Binladen achieved this incredible feat in 11 hours, 25 minutes and 47 seconds.
Among her achievements, the open-water swimmer became the first Arab woman to cross the Red Sea to Egypt in October 2022, and the first to traverse Dubai Creek with a swim of 24 km in 2017.
In addition, she was the first woman from the Gulf to swim across the English Channel, covering 33.5 km in August 2016.
Speaking to Arab News about her feat on Dec. 26, Binladen said: “This swim was on my radar for 7 years.
“Unfortunately it was difficult to find an optimum window to do the challenge, primarily because weather conditions in the Gulf of Bahrain are incredibly difficult to predict.
“I had to study the sea very well taking into account the tides, wind speed, wave patterns, swells, water temperature and marine life cycles in order to minimize risk and achieve this goal.”
She added: “Amongst the many challenges of this event was swimming at night in the dark, in fluctuating cold-to-warm water temperatures, with the added complexity of tidal changes.
“As a way of mitigating the hazardous conditions the swim started at the Water Tower at Alkhobar at 1:50 a.m. Visibility was zero so I was swimming blind coupled with water temperatures ranging from 17 to 22 degrees.
“Instead of feeding every 30 minutes I fed every 15 minutes to avoid hypothermia and to maintain my body heat until sunrise, which was half-way through the swim.
“The tide in this area shifts every six hours which meant swimming part of the way against the tide which requires a huge amount of stamina and mental agility in order not to become exhausted.”
She added: “Each challenge poses its own distinct difficulties and unique set of conditions; during the Red Sea swim it was how to maneuver around sharks and avoid their feeding times.
“The English Channel, for example, was freezing cold and it is a busy shipping lane so it was necessary to address those concerns and plan accordingly.
“The Bahrain swim was undoubtedly hazardous and posed many issues, the distance being one of them. Before any swim I undertake area studies, conditions, risks and train to mitigate risks and for the conditions that I will face. Of course there are always some surprises.”
She has faced other challenges during her career. “My most unusual swim was in an ice glacier in Switzerland, this challenge was to swim in (minus) 2 degrees for 85 meters.
“I undertook extensive physical and cognitive training in order to prepare for this unique challenge. The burn of the ice-cold water will remain with me forever.”
In addition to being an athlete and dentist, Binladen also helps refugees and creates awareness through her platform, which has been acknowledged by organizations worldwide.
In 2016, she opened the first free medical facility of its kind for dental treatment in a Syrian refugee camp in Azraq, Jordan.
“Of course it is rewarding to treat any patients, I love to help people in any capacity I can, whether through treatment, inspiring them in sport or supporting them to swim gives me enormous satisfaction.”
As the Kingdom empowers women, Binladen said that she is delighted to be living at a time when Saudi women can pursue their ambitions in the workplace, sports and business.
“My advice to Saudi women is to never give up on your dream, with hard work and dedication you can fulfill your goals.”
On her future, she said: “It’s a common question, everybody is interested to know what’s next. All I can say is that I have a few possibilities in the pipeline and am carrying out area studies at the moment.”
“My ambition is to lead a fulfilling life in which I am constantly learning, developing, growing and making a positive impact on those around me, through my career, relationships or personal endeavors.
“I strive to pursue excellence and leave a lasting legacy that inspires others.”
Authority warns against overuse of ginseng by pregnant women, says no proof of safety
- Adverse effects of the plant-based supplement include insomnia or high blood pressure when used in large doses, warns SFDA
- It stressed that stressed that herbal supplements should be used with caution, like any other medicine
RIYADH: The Saudi Food and Drug Authority has warned against overuse of the herb ginseng due to possible negative side-effects and the lack of evidence of its safety for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Adverse effects of the plant-based supplement include insomnia or high blood pressure when used in large doses, and the SFDA warned that there was no proof of it being safe to use during pregnancy, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
In addition, the herb may interfere with medicines for blood thinners, diabetes, heart conditions, insomnia and schizophrenia, and can interact negatively with caffeine, it said.
Ginseng, known by its scientific name Panax ginseng, is used in alternative medicine for its purported effects on energy levels, concentration and mood.
The recommended average dose is between one and two grams of the root, taken three to four times a day, for between three and four weeks, according to the report.
SFDA further stressed that herbal supplements should be used with caution, like any other medicine.
It added that claims about the safety of such supplements not supported by evidence should be handled with caution, and advised consulting a doctor before using them.
Herbal supplements can also interfere with certain foods, as well as medication, the authority added.
SFDA provides a list of prohibited medicinal plants and cosmetic products on its official website: https://www.sfda.gov.sa/ar/informationlist/66327.
KACST graduates 46 deep-tech startups from Venture Program
- Scheme turns research into marketable products
- Energy, healthcare, renewables sectors represented
RIYADH: Forty-six deep-tech startups graduated from the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology’s Venture Program in a recent ceremony.
The graduating startups come from a diverse range of sectors, including energy, healthcare, renewable resources and emerging technologies.
Notable participants included Glass Earth KSA, which specializes in geospatial technology solutions for environmental monitoring; PainTech Solutions, a company developing innovative approaches to pain management and medical treatments; and EA Systems, focused on advanced engineering solutions for industrial automation and efficiency.
The KACST Venture Program is an initiative designed to support deep-tech startups by providing resources, mentorship, and strategic partnerships to transform research into marketable products and services.
The program was supported by the National Technology Development Program, which also granted technology licenses to a number of private sector firms.
Held at KACST’s The Garage startup incubator in Riyadh, the graduation ceremony brought together key stakeholders, including government officials, researchers and private investors.
Among the dignitaries in attendance was Munir El-Desouki, president of KACST, who praised the initiative’s role in advancing Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation.
Khalid Al-Dakkan, senior vice president of innovation at KACST, said: “At KACST, we worked to connect emerging companies with the government and private sectors, and investors to develop ideas and innovations, and transform them into marketable products and services to support the national economy.”
Al-Dakkan also pointed to the inclusion of strategic partners in the program’s next phase. “The KVP program, in its new version, includes the inclusion of a number of strategic partners to strengthen the innovation system and support the economy,” he said.
The new iteration will involve partnerships with four Saudi universities to foster a vibrant entrepreneurial culture while targeting fields such as clean energy, artificial intelligence and health technologies.
Ibrahim Neyaz, CEO of NTDP, underscored the program’s importance in driving growth in emerging sectors.
“The KACST program for creating emerging companies aims to support and empower owners of innovative technology projects and encourage national companies to invest in emerging technologies to raise their share in the local market, and provide initiatives that help in developing technologies,” he said.
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman receives written message from Senegal president
- The message related to Saudi-Senegalese relations, and was received by the Kingdom’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman received a written message from the President of Senegal Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
The message related to Saudi-Senegalese relations, and was received by the Kingdom’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan during a meeting with Senegal’s Minister of Armed Forces Gen. Birame Diop in Riyadh.
During the meeting, Prince Faisal and Diop discussed topics of common interest and ways to enhance relations between their countries.
Eastern Region’s green initiative shows remarkable progress
- Initiative has focused on introducing climate-appropriate trees and flowers
- Eastern Province Municipality emphasized the project’s collaborative nature
DAMMAM: Significant strides were made by the Eastern Province Municipality last year in its efforts towards vegetation expansion and anti-desertification.
The initiative, designed to counter industrial pollution, improve air quality and move towards environmental sustainability, has focused on introducing climate-appropriate trees and flowers while adhering to scientific afforestation guidelines and controls.
Throughout the year, the municipality launched 87 initiatives involving more than 1,200 volunteers across 60 parks. This included the Dammam Corniche waterfront and its walking trails where some 680,000 trees and shrubs were planted, complemented by 7.7 million flowers, expanding green coverage by 205,000 sq. meters.
Work was also carried out to rehabilitate streets and other spaces, while technical upgrades included maintenance work on 200 pumps and the installation of irrigation networks covering 30 km of streets.
There was also progress for the park investment program, with four parks already under investment management and 400 more designated for future opportunities.
The municipality emphasized the project’s collaborative nature, highlighting the active participation of community members, government bodies and the private sector companies. Its inclusive approach aims to cultivate a lasting environmental consciousness and ensure sustainability practices are passed down to future generations.
