RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is participating in the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), which opened on Wednesday.
The 11-day show was inaugurated by Sharjah ruler Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi, who honored former Egyptian Minister of Culture Mohammed Saber Arab as the fair’s “Cultural Personality of the Year” in recognition of his distinguished academic career.
Some 1,691 publishers from 60 countries are taking part in the show, offering more than 1.5 million titles. The Kingdom’s stall is displaying 2,400 books — including 290 new titles — related to literature, science and culture.
Sheikh Sultan himself released four new books at the SIBF: A collection of poetic discussions with one of his friends; volume two of a historical account of Sharjah; a collection of Spanish historical documents; and a discourse on a 16th-century Portuguese explorer.
Mohammed bin Hassan Al-Masoudi, director of cultural affairs at the Saudi Embassy in the UAE, stressed how eager the Kingdom always is to participate in the most important cultural events in the UAE.
He added that the Saudi pavilion includes a cultural salon for up to 60 guests, which will host 25 events during the fair, featuring Saudi, Emirati and Arab writers and intellectuals.
This year’s SIBF will host prominent figures including Syrian actor Ghassan Massoud, Algerian novelist Wassini Al-Aarj, Saudi writer Abdo Al-Khal, Kuwaiti novelist Saud Al-Sanousi and Iraqi novelist Sinan Antoon.
The UK is the guest of honor, as part of the UAE-British Cultural Year celebrations organized by the British Council to promote cultural exchange between the two countries.
Saudi Arabia displays 2,400 books at Sharjah Book Fair pavilion
Saudi Arabia displays 2,400 books at Sharjah Book Fair pavilion
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.
Riyadh to host second edition of Model of Care Forum
- Forum aims to introduce the Saudi healthcare model locally and internationally, highlight success stories, and outline future goals and ambitions
- Forum represents the second phase in a four-part strategic process in the healthcare sector’s transformation
RIYADH: Riyadh will host the second edition of the Model of Care Forum under the patronage of Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel.
Organised by the Health Holding Co. on Jan. 28-29, the forum will be held at Malfa Hall in Prince Mohammed bin Salman Nonprofit City.
The forum aims to introduce the Saudi healthcare model locally and internationally, highlight success stories, and outline future goals and ambitions in line with the Saudi Vision 2030.
It also promotes partnership in healthcare among individuals and their families by taking necessary measures to maintain their health, ensuring the provision of healthcare that meets societal needs according to the highest quality standards.
The forum represents the second phase in a four-part strategic process in the healthcare sector’s transformation, aimed at developing the healthcare model in the Kingdom.
The Health Holding Co. is playing a key role in enabling healthcare delivery through 20 health clusters across Saudi Arabia.
Directorate imposes new exit visa requirement
- Directorate addressed employers, stating that if a resident identity is valid for fewer than 30 days, the final exit visa may not be issued
- Resident identity must be renewed for the issuance of the final exit visa
RIYADH: The Saudi General Directorate of Passports has said that resident identities must be valid for at least 30 days when applying for a final exit visa.
The directorate addressed employers, stating that if a resident identity is valid for fewer than 30 days, the final exit visa may not be issued. In that case, the resident identity must be renewed for the issuance of the final exit visa.
It noted that if a resident identity is valid for more than 30 days and fewer than 60 days, a final exit visa may be issued for the resident identity’s remaining period.
If the resident identity is valid for 60 days or more, the final exit visa may be issued for 60 days only.
The directorate noted that employers may issue final exit visas for their sponsored workers or affiliated family members through the Ministry of Interior’s Absher Business platform, and the Muqeem portal.
