RIYADH: It was a big day on Tuesday for the 65,000 spectators at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah who witnessed a memorable moment — seeing their team qualify to the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Team Saudi Arabia secured their place for the 2018 FIFA World Cup next summer by winning a 1-0 crucial match against top scorer Japan in the last AFC Round 3 Group B match. With the win, Saudi Arabia finished in second place in the group behind Japan.
As soon as the referee blew the final whistle to announce the end of the match, the house-packed stadium burst into celebration, as was the case in Saudi cities and villages, with people watching the most-awaited result on TV screens.
Reacting to the victory Mona Salahuddin Al-Munajjed, a Saudi team fan, on Wednesday told Arab News: “This is indeed a great achievement for our football team; we are very proud of them taking the green flag high to the 2018 FIFA World Cup.”
“It is an honor for us to go to Russia in 2018,” she added. She exuded hope that the march to victory will prevail and, “Inshallah, the team will keep the flag high, playing very well in the World Cup and succeed in raising the trophy.”
Speaking to Arab News, Majed Abdullah Al-Hedayan, another fan, expressed his delight over the decisive win saying: “The national football team was able to outplay the Japanese team and surpass a lackluster Japan in Jeddah on Tuesday night with a spectacular winning goal from Fahad Al-Muwallad, and qualified the side for the FIFA World Cup, for the first time since 2006.”
The disciplined team, united in rank and file, showed their playing abilities by controlling the ball well, which speaks volumes about their place at the regional, Arab and international levels, he said.
Moreover, the presence of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had a positive impact on the team, he said, adding that the prince’s strong support for the team raised their morale, which pushed them to make the extra effort to qualify for FIFA 2018.
Echoing the sentiment, a keen sports enthusiast, Abdullah Inayat, who watched the crucial match in Jeddah, told Arab News: “We are proud of our team which played an outstanding match to ensure a place in the FIFA 2018.”
“We salute the team for this extraordinary result by outplaying the powerful Japanese side,” he said.
FIFA 2018 will be the fifth appearance for Saudi Arabia in the World Cup after qualifying for the first time back in 1994. The team featured in three consecutive World Cups afterwards (1998, 2002 and 2006) before missing the last two editions in South Africa 2010 and Brazil 2014.
Saudis optimistic as team qualifies for 2018 FIFA World Cup
Saudis optimistic as team qualifies for 2018 FIFA World Cup
OIC discusses draft humanitarian funds statute
- It discussed the draft humanitarian funds statute
- Taha added that it was important to make every effort to finalize the statute of these funds
JEDDAH: The general secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation held a meeting of the open-ended Group of Governmental Experts in Jeddah on Thursday.
It discussed the draft humanitarian funds statute, in accordance with the Council of Foreign Ministers.
OIC Secretary-General Hussein Ibrahim Taha said that the meeting was held amid difficult and harsh humanitarian circumstances that required concerted efforts and collective action to adopt actions to help contain humanitarian crises and hardships.
In his speech, Taha added that it was important to make every effort to finalize the statute of these funds, undertake the necessary reforms to their working mechanism and support them with the financial resources to enable them to fulfil their role.
The statement delivered by assistant secretary-general for humanitarian, cultural and social affairs, ambassador Tariq Ali Bakhit, on behalf of OIC’s secretary-general, highlighted the significant challenges faced by member states in the humanitarian field.
KSrelief distributes shelter supplies in Afghanistan
- KSrelief will distribute 4,882 shelter items, such as tents, blankets, plastic mattresses and other supplies
KABUL: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has launched a shelter project for people returning from Pakistan to Afghanistan and victims of the 2024 floods.
It will distribute 4,882 shelter items, such as tents, blankets, plastic mattresses and other supplies across the provinces of Kabul, Ghazni, Bamyan, Badakhshan, Kunduz, Baghlan, Parwan, Kapisa, Panjshir, Herat, Nimroz, Nangarhar and Laghman. The project will help 29,292 people.
The scheme is part of the Kingdom’s humanitarian and relief efforts, through its humanitarian arm, KSrelief, to alleviate the suffering of the Afghan people.
KSrelief wins Global Humanitarian Achievement Award
- Delano Roosevelt, the council’s second president and CEO, presented the award to the supervisor general of KSrelief, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, in Washington
- Dr. Al-Rabeeah said the award is an international acknowledgement of Saudi Arabia’s leading role in relief efforts
WASHINGTON: The Saudi aid agency KSrelief was honored with the Global Humanitarian Achievement Award by the National Council on US-Arab Relations, in recognition of relief efforts that have made a substantial impact in crisis regions around the world.
Delano Roosevelt, the council’s second president and CEO, presented the award to the supervisor general of KSrelief, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, in Washington, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Dr. Al-Rabeeah said the award is an international acknowledgement of Saudi Arabia’s leading role in relief efforts.
He underlined the Kingdom’s commitment to assisting people in need, supporting those affected by crises, and assisting refugees wherever possible.
He also affirmed that Saudi Arabia has consistently been a leader in charitable and humanitarian initiatives and is at the forefront of donor countries on regional and international fronts.
4th Saudi Green Initiative Forum hosted in COP16 Green Zone in Riyadh next month
RIYADH: The Saudi Green Initiative announced on Thursday that the SGI Forum 2024 will take place on Dec. 3-4 under the theme “Action is in our nature.”
The flagship climate and environment action event, now in its fourth year, will return to Riyadh for the first time since its launch in 2021 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, prime minister and chairman of the Supreme Committee for the Saudi Green Initiative.
The SGI Forum 2024 will coincide with the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties, or COP16, of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, or UNCCD.
According to an SGI press release, the Riyadh COP16 (Dec. 2-13) will be the largest-ever UNCCD conference, the first to be held in the Middle East region, and the largest multilateral conference hosted by Saudi Arabia.
At this year’s SGI Forum, hundreds of policymakers, business leaders and subject-matter experts from across the world will convene in a dedicated SGI Pavilion in the UNCCD COP16 Green Zone.
Dozens of tailored sessions will explore best practices, innovations and progress against SGI targets, with the goal of deepening collaboration and scaling up action for a greener future.
Since the launch of SGI, a significant positive impact has been achieved, with 4+ GW of renewable energy capacity installed, more than 95 million trees and shrubs planted, and more than 1,660 endangered animals re-wilded across the Kingdom.
For the duration of COP16, the SGI will welcome the public to a 4,000 sq m SGI Pavilion, where visitors can enjoy an interactive journey through Saudi Arabia’s whole-of-society climate and environment efforts in the SGI Gallery.
A multimedia showcase and a broad range of experts will enable guests to learn more about the more than 80 initiatives already launched as part of SGI.
Visitors can also attend and exchange ideas during daily SGI Talks, an expert-led speaker series that launched in 2023.
The SGI was launched by the crown prince in 2021 to drive climate action across all levels of society and achieve Saudi Arabia’s ambition to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060.
The initiative demonstrates the Kingdom’s dedication to improving the quality of life for current and future generations and addressing the region’s environmental challenges, including high temperatures, low rainfall, dust storms and desertification.
In 2022, the SGI Forum was held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, in tandem with UNFCCC COP27. The event revealed major climate action projects, including the launch of a circular carbon economy knowledge hub, and the establishment of a regional center for advancing emissions reduction with UNESCWA.
In 2023, the third SGI Forum took place in conjunction with UNFCCC COP28 in Dubai.
During the event, the Kingdom unveiled a 300 percent increase in installed renewable energy capacity since 2022, and more than 43 million trees were planted toward the goal of 10 billion.
Film review: ‘Gladiator II’ — entertaining, and a fun romp
RIYADH: After years of waiting, “Gladiator II,” a sequel to the epic saga “Gladiator” (2000), has finally hit the screen.
The film, released in VOX Cinemas, Saudi Arabia on Nov. 14, had a premiere at VOX Cinemas, Roshn Front in Riyadh on Tuesday evening.
Directed by legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott, “Gladiator II” continues the epic saga of power, intrigue and vengeance in Ancient Rome.
Starring Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington and Fred Hechinger, the action genre release offers full entertainment, and serves as a follow-up to Scott’s “Gladiator,” released almost 25 years ago.
Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist.
With rage in his heart and the future of the empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.
With “Gladiator II” expected to have its work cut out trying to prove it can stand toe to toe with Scott’s highly regarded epic, the film is not exactly what fans have been expecting. It is no patch on the original, to be sure, but it is still a good fun time at the movies, with Mescal and Washington stealing the show. It is entertaining, and a fun romp.
Scott’s return to the Roman arena is something of a repeat, but it is still a thrilling spectacle and Mescal a formidable lead.
Set about 25 years after “Gladiator,” we are reintroduced to Lucius (Mescal), the now grown son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and Maximus (Russell Crowe). He lives with his wife and child in Numidia as a respected warrior, but a far cry from his birthright. When a battalion of Roman soldiers, led by General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) invades his land, his wife is killed in the battle, resulting in Lucius’ capture and enslavement. Passed along, he ends up in Rome, seen as fodder for the masses.
Obviously inspired by the similar predicamen t of Maximus, Lucius quietly resolves to fight as a gladiator in the Colosseum. His silent reasoning and overwhelming abilities are noteworthy, capturing the attention of Macrinus (Denzel Washington), a former slave. Macrinus has designs on the throne of Rome, plotting to overthrow young emperors Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn), taking Lucius under his wing in the process. As all of these people come together and realize Lucius’ connection; blood is spilt and lives are lost, but in the end Lucius takes his revenge.
“Gladiator II” is a good time at the multiplex, both for fans of the first one and those who do not have any extra affection.
