RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is celebrating the 87th anniversary of its founding this weekend with an unprecedented array of concerts and performances, including allowing women into King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh for a Saturday evening operetta — a first in the conservative Islamic Kingdom.
The festivities are part of a government bid to boost national pride and improve the quality of life for Saudis.
Also on offer is a concert in the Red Sea city of Jeddah featuring 11 Arab musicians, plus fireworks, air acrobatics and traditional folk dance shows.
The events are the latest entertainment sponsored by the government as part of the Vision 2030 reform program launched two years ago to diversify the economy away from oil, create whole new sectors to employ young citizens and open up Saudis’ cloistered lifestyles.
Saudi rulers are also starting to reform areas once the exclusive domain of the clergy, such as education and the law, and have promoted elements of national identity that have no religious component, or pre-date Islam.
They have increased National Day celebrations that were previously attacked by clerics as undermining religious feeling, and are promoting heritage sites, like Nabatean rock temples, once seen as embarrassing in the land of Islam.
Saudi flags and green billboards, often bearing the face of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed, have gone up across Riyadh this week, and at night skyscrapers are flooded in green light — the national color.
Companies from telecoms operators to furniture stores have launched patriotic-themed marketing campaigns offering discounts for the holiday weekend.
The General Entertainment Authority (GEA), the government agency organizing the National Day festivities, expects some 1.5 million Saudis to attend events in 17 cities over four days.
Vision 2030 reforms are intended to capture up to a quarter of the $20 billion currently spent overseas by Saudis, who are accustomed to traveling abroad to see shows and visit amusement parks in nearby tourist hub Dubai or further afield. This weekend’s events, though, are free to the public.
Women allowed into stadium as Saudi Arabia promotes national pride — part of reform push
Women allowed into stadium as Saudi Arabia promotes national pride — part of reform push
Saudi hospital launches palliative care program for young patients
JEDDAH: King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre has launched the first dedicated palliative care program for adolescents and young adults in the Arab world.
This initiative aims to improve the quality of life of young patients with life-threatening illnesses by offering integrated care throughout their treatment journey.
The program not only enhances patient care but also serves as a model for similar initiatives, addressing a critical gap in palliative services for young patients across the Arab world.
Palliative care focuses on improving the quality of life for those with life-limiting illnesses, such as advanced cancers, heart disease, neurological disorders and organ failure. It also offers psychological and social support, aids decision-making and improves the overall patient experience.
For adolescents and young adults, the program addresses age-specific challenges including balancing treatment with education or work, coping with the psychological impact of illness and maintaining autonomy in care decisions.
The program features a multidisciplinary team of palliative care physicians, specialized nurses, social workers and mental health experts to support both patients and their families.
The World Health Organization reports that only 14 percent of patients globally who need palliative care receive it, highlighting a significant service gap.
Research shows that integrating palliative care into treatment plans for young patients with critical illnesses reduces symptom burden and improves overall quality of life. Cancer patients, in particular, often face inadequate pain management, psychological support, and guidance during their treatment.
The program has earned accreditation from the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, the European Society for Medical Oncology and the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care.
This ensures the highest standards of clinical competency, enabling healthcare professionals to deliver evidence-based, culturally sensitive palliative care.
Saudi AI chief reviews crowd management tech in Makkah
- Abdullah Al-Ghamdi explores advanced technologies for Grand Mosque operations and highway security
RIYADH: Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority President Abdullah Al-Ghamdi has visited the Grand Mosque Operations Center in Makkah, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
He met the director of Public Security and chairman of the Hajj Security Committee, Lt. Gen. Mohammed Al-Bassami, along with several security officials and Saudi programmers from the authority working at the center.
Al-Ghamdi reviewed the operations of the Baseer platform, developed by the authority in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior, represented by Public Security.
The platform uses computer vision and AI to monitor and analyze the movement of visitors to the Grand Mosque, ensuring smooth crowd management and assisting in locating missing persons.
He also reviewed the Sawaher platform, designed to enhance the safety of the Grand Mosque, contributing to a secure and smart environment that facilitates worshippers and Umrah performers in performing their rituals seamlessly.
Al-Ghamdi also visited the Highway Security Center in Al-Shumaisi, where he was briefed on the Banan device, which enhances identity verification using biometric features.
He observed the center’s operations, the command room and the advanced technology used in the Saudi Lucid vehicle, which is equipped with AI tools.
KSrelief delivers aid to Syria, Yemen, Lebanon
- Saudi aid agency KSrelief has delivered thousands of food packages to some of the world’s most vulnerable people
RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has delivered thousands of food packages to some of the world’s most vulnerable people, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
In Syria, 170 packages were distributed to families in need in the Rif Dimashq governorate as part of the Etaam Ramadan food project.
In Yemen, KSrelief distributed 1,300 baskets to vulnerable groups in the Al-Wadi district of the Marib governorate, benefiting 9,100 individuals. In the Aden governorate, 1,188 parcels were given to people with disabilities.
The Etaam project in Yemen targets displaced individuals, those in greatest need, and people with disabilities in Aden, Hadramout, Marib, Al-Mahra, Shabwah, and Hajjah, benefiting 160,812 individuals.
Now in its fourth phase, the Etaam project aims to distribute more than 390,000 food parcels in 27 countries during Ramadan, benefiting 2.3 million people at a cost of more than SR67 million ($17.8 million).
Additionally, KSrelief distributed 564 food baskets to people in need in Deir Ammar, northern Lebanon, benefiting 2,820 individuals.
In Syria, KSrelief provided food baskets and hygiene kits to 803 families in Harem, benefiting 4,818 individuals.
White House thanks crown prince for facilitating Russia, Ukraine talks
RIYADH: The White House has thanked Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for facilitating talks with Russia and Ukraine about safe navigation in the Black Sea.
A statement said: “The United States expresses gratitude to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for his leadership and hospitality in once again facilitating these important discussions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
The US reached separate agreements with Russia and Ukraine in Riyadh to keep the waterway — a vital route for agricultural goods — secure.
The two parties visited the Kingdom to discuss, along with US and Saudi officials, first steps on settling crucial issues in the hopes of reaching a wider resolution to the conflict.
Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and has annexed parts of the country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the talks, calling them early steps toward a peaceful settlement.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said: “We will need clear guarantees. And given the sad experience of agreements with just Kyiv, the guarantees can only be the result of an order from Washington to Zelensky and his team to do one thing and not the other.”
Saudi Arabia condemns Israel attack in Syria that killed civilians
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia condemned on Wednesday an Israeli attack on Syria that killed civilians.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry statement said the Kingdom reiterates its categorical rejection of the continued attempts of the Israeli occupation authorities to undermine the security and stability of Syria and the region through their blatant and repeated violations of relevant international laws.
Syrian authorities said the attack on the village of Kuwayya killed at least 6 civilians.
The Syrian foreign ministry in a statement condemned “the continued Israeli aggression on Syrian territory, which saw a dangerous escalation in the village of Kuwayya” in the southern Daraa province.
Israel has continued its bombing campaign in Syria even after the ouster of Bashar Assad, whose rule came to an end last year after a swift rebel advance led to him fleeing to Russia.
