NEW YORK: Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, adviser at the Royal Court and general supervisor of King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid (KSRelief), praised the pioneering Saudi role represented by KSRelief, and its commitment to international humanitarian law in line with Shariah.
At a press conference on Thursday in New York attended by Abdullah Al-Mouallimi, the permanent representative of Saudi Arabia to the UN, Dr. Al-Rabeeah reviewed the KSRelief vision, mission and mechanisms of work with the UN and other international organizations.
“The Kingdom was concerned about the humanitarian situation in Yemen. KSRelief programs reach all governorates of Yemen. It made great efforts to help the Yemeni people, including areas controlled by the Houthis,” he said.
He said there were 153 projects in Yemen in areas such as relief, humanitarian and shelter aid, environmental sanitation programs, and agricultural and water support programs. KSRelief reaches all parts of Yemen through 86 national and local partners.
Regarding the Syrian issue, Al-Rabeeah said that “the Kingdom was one of the first countries to support the Syrian people. The Kingdom received 2.5 million Syrians, including 291,342 Syrian refugees living in its territory as honored guests. Hundreds of thousands were allowed to enter the labor market.”
The Kingdom guaranteed the education of 114,000 Syrian students in its schools free of charge, and supported millions of Syrian refugees in neighboring countries.
He stressed the Kingdom’s interest in the humanitarian situation in Iraq, Somalia and all affected countries. “Through the center, the Kingdom provided assistance to 38 countries.”
Dr. Al-Rabeeah said that the Kingdom had responded to the UN’s urgent appeal in April 2015, and pledged the full amount of the appeal that reached $274 million. It also pledged $150 million at the Yemen Donors Conference in Geneva on April 25, 2017.
KSRelief responded to the UN appeal, represented by UNICEF and WHO, for cholera epidemic needs with an amount of $66.7 million. Al-Rabeeah said KSRelief would support the World Health Organization with $2.8 million.
KSRelief chief praises Saudi humanitarian role
KSRelief chief praises Saudi humanitarian role

Saudi industry minister tours Danish technology, pharmaceutical hubs

- At Novo Nordisk, Alkhorayef examined cutting-edge insulin and biopharmaceutical production technologies
- At DTU Science Park, he was briefed on innovative solutions driving industrial growth and sustainability
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s minister of industry and mineral resources toured key Danish industrial and scientific sites as part of his current trip to Denmark, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.
Minister Bandar Alkhorayef’s visit to the Nordic country is focused on boosting industrial cooperation and exploring joint investment opportunities.
His tour included stops at pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) Science Park.
At Novo Nordisk, a global leader in diabetes care, Alkhorayef examined cutting-edge insulin and biopharmaceutical production technologies, the report said.
Alkhorayef highlighted the strategic partnership between the company and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), via Lifera, aimed at localizing the production of GLP-1 drugs and insulin within the Kingdom, it added.
Saudi officials have said the partnership is aimed at meeting domestic demand and position Saudi Arabia as a regional hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing and research.
At the DTU Science Park, Denmark’s premier technology and innovation hub, Alkhorayef was briefed on advanced research and development units, key industrial research projects, and innovative solutions driving industrial growth and sustainability.
The Science Park fosters a competitive environment for scientific research, innovation, and modern technology development.
The visits underscore the Kingdom’s dedication to bolstering strategic international partnerships, facilitating the exchange of expertise, and enabling technology and knowledge transfer. Such efforts aim to localize promising industries within Saudi Arabia and realize the Saudi Vision 2030’s goals to diversify the national economy.
Built by hand, rooted in history: National Historical Palace in Taif is one man’s tribute to Saudi heritage and Islamic history

- Built by Majid Al-Thabiti, the site blends Islamic history with contemporary design, rooted in the symbolism of the number seven
- Spanning 70,000 sq. meters, the palace features seven museums, seven facades, seven gates and almost 7 million stones cut and laid by the man himself
MAKKAH: In the heart of Wadi Qarn in Taif governorate, one man’s vision has resulted in one of Saudi Arabia’s most striking heritage landmarks: the National Historical Palace for Islamic Civilization.
Built by Majid Al-Thabiti, the site blends Islamic history with contemporary design, rooted in the symbolism of the number seven.
In an interview with Arab News, Al-Thabiti said: “The number symbolizes perfection and completeness in several Qur’anic verses, including the seven heavens, the seven earths and the seven shaded by God in his shadow, among others.”

The project was born out of Al-Thabiti’s strong will. He believed in his dream and devoted his effort, time and energy to bring it to life.
Spanning 70,000 sq. meters, the palace features seven museums, seven facades, seven gates and almost 7 million stones cut and laid by the man himself.
The museums offer distinct cultural and education experiences. Exhibits cover Islamic architecture, local heritage, plastic arts and sculpture, rare collections, astronomy, military history documenting the unification of the Kingdom and an agricultural museum featuring seeds mentioned in the Holy Qur’an.
The palace includes 600 square meters of flooring adorned with colored stones and inspired by the historical art of Sadu, an intangible cultural heritage recognized by UNESCO.
Al-Thabiti said that he personally cuts, shapes and stacks the stones himself. “The manual labor is what gives the project its true spirit, as every corner bears (my) imprint, effort and dedication,” he added.
He used seven types of stone sourced from across Saudi Arabia, including basalt, quartz and shale. His attention to detail is reflected in features such as hand-shaped facades, floor mosaics inspired by Sadu art and stonework colored in seven hues that mirror the Kingdom’s geological diversity.

Highlights at the palace include an Abbasid-style minaret with a water fountain in honor of Zubaida, the wife of Harun Al-Rashid; an observatory used to track the crescent moon; and stone engravings of Saudi megaprojects like NEOM and The Line.
The site also includes engravings on stone of the Kingdom’s military vehicles, such as a fighter jet and ship.
Al-Thabiti also built a 700-meter sports track along the banks of Qarn valley, a stable for purebred Arabian horses, as well as replicas of symbolic gates like Makkah Gate, Taif Gate and King Abdulaziz Islamic Gate, with stones from Mounts Al-Nur, Thawr and Uhud. Other exhibits, like Diriyah and Yawm Badina (The Day We Began), commemorate key moments in Saudi history.
According to Al-Thabiti, his goal is to transform the palace into a cultural and educational destination that celebrates the Kingdom’s history and heritage.
“We possess a great civilizational legacy and a deep-rooted history. It is our duty to present it to the world in the finest way. This palace is the beginning,” he said.
Ancient terrace farming technique shapes Asir’s agricultural heritage

- Together, the thumalah and mughayyid systems stand as a testament to early innovation sustaining life in one of Saudi Arabia’s most challenging landscapes
RIYADH: For centuries, the people of Saudi Arabia’s Asir region have cultivated food on steep mountain slopes using stone terracing systems.
They began with the construction of stone retaining walls known locally as “thamayil,” the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Each individual wall, called “thumalah,” is anchored into bedrock and can rise two to six meters in height.
They serve as critical infrastructure for mountain agriculture by creating level growing surfaces on otherwise impossible terrain.

“The thumalah represents a stone containment system designed to capture sloping mountain terrain,” Ahmed Al-Bariqi, an architectural heritage researcher, said in an interview with the SPA. “After building the stone barrier, the enclosed space is filled with a mixture of clay, soil and rocks to create a flat, arable surface suitable for both farming and habitation.”
Local builders adapted to their surroundings, often reinforcing these structures with juniper and sidr tree trunks, as well as massive stones to withstand the pressure of heavy seasonal rains.
Water management is equally sophisticated. The “mughayyid” regulates irrigation and controls flooding by channeling water flow between terraced fields.

“Ancient builders displayed remarkable engineering precision in the mughayyid’s construction,” Al-Bariqi has said in his book “Antiquities and Heritage in Bariq Governorate.”
He added: “Square or elongated stones formed the base structure, while carefully polished flat stones were placed at the top, precisely leveled to allow water to flow at calculated rates between terraces.”
Positioned at strategic elevations, the mughayyid retains optimal water volumes while preventing destructive flooding that could compromise the entire terrace system.

These terraces do more than support agriculture. According to Dr. Ghaithan bin Jurais of King Khalid University, they reflect a deep-rooted civilization in Asir dating back thousands of years.
“These structures preserve soil resources, establish clear property boundaries between neighboring farms, and historically served as recognized markers of family and tribal land ownership,” he said.
Together, the thumalah and mughayyid systems stand as a testament to early innovation sustaining life in one of Saudi Arabia’s most challenging landscapes.
Saudi, British foreign ministers discuss regional and international developments

- Two ministers also discussed Saudi-UK relations
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Saturday spoke with his British counterpart David Lammy, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The two ministers discussed Saudi-UK relations, as well as regional and international developments and the efforts being made in this regard, SPA added.
The call came on the same day as Prince Faisal's meeting with Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi in Jeddah.
Saudi minister meets with UNIDO director-general

During his official visit to Denmark this weekend, Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef met with Gerd Muller, the director-general of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.
The Saudi Press Agency reported that the two men “discussed ways to deepen the strategic partnership between the Kingdom and the organization in a way that supports the goals of sustainable industrial development.”
Alkhorayef also held bilateral meetings with leaders of several leading Danish companies in the industry and mining sectors, according to the SPA, to discuss “joint investment opportunities, as well as the incentives offered by the Kingdom to investors.”