JEDDAH: The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) has been pushing businesspeople to invest in medical tourism that can boost the local tourism sector.
The SCTH has established a number of facilities around the places where geothermal waters flow, with the aim of attracting investors to establish spas in more than five areas in the Kingdom.
The SCTH’s deputy president for programs and products, Abdullah Al-Murshid, told Arab News that the historical Ain Najm in Al-Ahsa is one of the most prominent touristic sites in the Kingdom.
“With its hot sulfuric water, It has long been a tourist attraction,” he said. For a long time it has been known as a place where pilgrims can gather before heading to Makkah.
As part of its plan to pave the way for investment in touristic sites, the SCTH established public facilities around the geothermal waters of Al-Dobdobah well in the Khasara area in the Eastern Province, about 50km from Hafr Al-Battin on the way to Kuwait.
“It is an artesian well that was dug 30 years ago and its sulfur-containing water flows from a depth of 2,710 meters. Its temperature is 65C and it can be made cooler by adding normal water. Some people want to use mineral water to treat rheumatism and skin diseases,” Al-Murshid said.
With 69C water, Wadi Al-Khalab hot water springs, 137m above sea level, are even hotter. The spring is some 70km southeast of Jazan province. “We have prepared the site to provide a therapeutic recreational resort that can attract tourists seeking treatment,” he added.
Some 40km south of Al-Qunfodha city in Makkah province, Ghumaiga village is known for its hot springs.
Many patients with skin-related illnesses travel to the village from across the Kingdom to benefit from the therapeutic features of its water.
There are also famous hot springs in the village of Tharban, some 100km south of Al-Mikhwah.
The water from these springs is chemically similar to those in the US, Japan, Russia, Turkey, New Zealand and East Africa.
“Patients usually associate hot springs and mud from the Dead Sea with the treatment of psoriasis. They believe these things can be a remedy for their skin problems,” Marwa Ibrahim, a specialist dermatologist, told Arab News.
The dermatologist said hot springs and Dead Sea mud are rich in minerals, salts and other materials. “These ingredients can make skin patients feel they have improved, but these have not yet been scientifically proven to be a remedy,” Ibrahim said.
Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage uses hot springs to boost investment in medical tourism
Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage uses hot springs to boost investment in medical tourism
Saudi libraries to get upgrade including public theatres
- Libraries Commission is transforming the Kingdom’s libraries after the launch of a national growth strategy in 2021
- One aspect of the strategy includes a sorting and inventory project for information resources - other amenities will include training rooms and event halls
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s libraries are getting a major overhaul that will include the building of public theatres and other cultural amenities.
The Libraries Commission is transforming the Kingdom’s libraries after the launch of a national growth strategy in 2021, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
One aspect of the strategy includes a sorting and inventory project for information resources. Other amenities will include training rooms and event halls.
Carried out under the leadership of Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, the minister of culture, the libraries development initiative is part of a five-year plan for 153 libraries throughout the Kingdom.
The inventory project involves migrating information resources to digital systems to better facilitate their preservation, retrieval, and use.
Speaking at a press conference at the King Fahd National Library in 2021, Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Asem, chief executive officer of the Libraries Commission, said that initiatives will include hosting events and activities to enrich knowledge, improve reading habits, and raise literacy levels.
These activities will include information literacy workshops, games for children and young adults, national youth competitions, and launching a national libraries day.
“The strategy includes multiple initiatives serving the sector, partners, and the general community, believing in the pivotal role of libraries in achieving the Ministry of Culture’s goals based on the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 as cultural, participatory, and development platforms that strive to develop capacities and businesses, as well as ensure continuous education, innovation, and workforce development, ensuring international cooperation and exchange of knowledge,” he said at the time.
In addition to working with experts and specialists, the commission conducted research on 27 countries’ library systems for guidance on what strategic pillars, objectives, initiatives, and key performance indicators to look out for.
Al-Asem added that the public libraries development strategy aimed to improve regulations and standards through financing and investment, as well as employee skill training.
It also hopes to improve community participation and will launch awareness campaigns on information literacy and public library services.
MENA over-60s most at risk of NCDs, researchers say ahead of anti-aging conference
- Findings were highlighted at an event ahead of the group’s Global Healthspan 2025 summit in Riyadh
- Event will bring together an international crowd of academics, scientists and stockholders in the global healthspan space
RIYADH: The MENA population is most at risk for noncommunicable diseases for those over 60 years, according to research by the Saudi anti-aging organization Hevolution Foundation.
Noncommunicable diseases include cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes, which represent up to one-third of the disease burden in the region.
The findings were highlighted at an event ahead of the group’s Global Healthspan 2025 summit in Riyadh, which runs from Feb. 5-6, with more than 70 sessions and in excess of 100 speakers expected.
The event will bring together an international crowd of academics, scientists and stockholders in the global healthspan space, organizers said.
According to research, Saudi Arabia has one of the highest rates of NCDs in the Gulf, with a prevalence of 32.15 percent responsible for 73 percent of all deaths.
With the number of people over 60 in Saudi Arabia set to double by 2050, the Kingdom is employing cutting-edge research in aging biology.
Boasting more than SR1.5 billion ($400 million) in research grants and early-stage biotech investments, the Riyadh-based organization is a philanthropic funder of geroscience, an area of research dedicated to advancing the human healthspan — extending the age at which a person remains healthy.
The organization says that while the average lifespan in Saudi Arabia is about 74 years, the average healthspan is 64 — indicating a decade-long gap between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy — and many are living the final years of their lives in poor health.
During the summit, Hevolution will announce the launch of the Saudi Biotech Pitchfest, to showcase the Kingdom’s rapidly growing biotech sector. Twelve Saudi biotech companies, from startups to more established enterprises, will present their innovative solutions aimed at addressing the challenges of aging.
The competition will feature 10-minute pitches, which will be judged by a distinguished panel that includes Prince Khalid bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al-Saud, founder and CEO, KBW Ventures; Abdulrahman Alolayan, CEO of BetaLab; Dr. William Greene, CIO of Hevolution Foundation; and Dr. Christoph Westphal, co-founder of Longwood Fund.
Hevolution will also launch the second round of its grants program in Saudi Arabia, with 14 new awardees for 2025.
This round saw a 20 percent increase in eligible submissions, underscoring the growing interest in the field.
The grantees represent leading institutions across Saudi Arabia, including KAIMRC, Al-Maarefa University, Fakeeh College, University of Tabuk, KAUST, KSU, and Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University.
The foundation also plans to announce a two-year grant program to create the first cohort of age researchers in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia announces new national policy to eliminate forced labor
- Osama Ghanem Alobaidy: This policy adopted by the Kingdom will ensure the protection of persons living or working in the Kingdom and create a safe working environment
- Sattam Alharbi: It demonstrates our collective commitment to creating a safe environment for everyone living and working in our country, ensuring their rights are protected
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has introduced its National Policy for the Elimination of Forced Labor, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development announced.
“This policy adopted by the Kingdom will ensure the protection of persons living or working in the Kingdom and create a safe working environment,” Osama Ghanem Alobaidy, adviser and professor of law at the Institute of Public Administration in Riyadh, told Arab News.
In 2021, Saudi Arabia, became the first GCC country to ratify the International Labour Organization’s Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, bringing it in line with international standards to eliminate forced labor.
“This shows the Kingdom’s commitment to improve and protect the rights of individuals living or working in the Kingdom,” Alobaidy said.
The newly introduced policy aims to eliminate forced labor through prevention and protection measures.
According to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, it will also strengthen national, regional and international coordination to integrate better efforts to combat forced labor.
Deputy Minister for Control and Development of the Work Environment Sattam Alharbi said: “The introduction of the National Policy for the Elimination of Forced Labor is an important milestone for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“It demonstrates our collective commitment to creating a safe environment for everyone living and working in our country, ensuring their rights are protected,” Alharbi said.
“The introduction of the national policy also builds on our ongoing work to safeguard employees’ rights, in collaboration with global and local partners.”
The national policy also includes victim-focused initiatives that will enhance care, support and access to justice.
It will support the implementation of measures to provide legal, social and economic support for forced labor victims, aiding their recovery and protecting against the risk of re-victimization.
This new policy is not the first of its kind for the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia has been implementing multiple measures to protect the rights of its workforce.
“The Kingdom already has a set of laws, rules and regulations addressing this matter even before the adoption of this policy,” Alobaidy said.
In October of 2024, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development and the Insurance Authority launched an insurance service that would cover unpaid wages for up to six months and provide travel assistance for expatriates in the Kingdom in the case of private-sector defaults.
Alobaidy highlighted the multiple laws that the Kingdom has put in place to protect the workforce: “The law on trafficking of persons and the labor laws for example and regulations prohibit any forms of forced labor.”
Elaborating on Saudi Arabia’s decision to ratify the International Labour Organization’s Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, the professor said: “It is also commendable that the Kingdom took the lead among GCC countries in ratifying the protocol to the forced labor convention to eliminate forced labor.”
“The Kingdom’s adoption of this policy is welcome news to persons working or living in the Kingdom since it will ensure greater protection of their rights,” he said.
“This will enhance the work environment in the Kingdom in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objectives,” Alobaidy said.
Saudi Arabia expected to be among top tourism destinations by 2030, minister says
DAVOS: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb said tourism accommodation in the Kingdom was expected to double over the next 10 years.
Al-Khateeb said Saudi Arabia, which has about 400,000 guest rooms at the moment, was projected to double that number to 800,000 by 2030.
The minister reiterated Saudi Arabia’s goal to be part of the world’s top seven tourism destinations by 2030.
“Saudi looks at why people travel and what they are looking for and understand what people want and focus on convenience,” he said.
The Kingdom’s tourism industry is growing at a rapid rate with the creation of mega-projects such as NEOM, a futuristic city on the Red Sea, and The Red Sea Project, which focuses on luxury and eco-tourism, expected to redefine global tourism standards.
Additionally, cultural landmarks such as AlUla, with its ancient Nabatean heritage, and Diriyah, the birthplace of the Saudi state, are undergoing significant restoration to offer visitors unique historical and cultural experiences.
When asked about how the Kingdom manages this growth, the minister said that governance in the Kingdom ensured coordination and that growth was not too rapid.
“There is no such thing as ‘over-tourism,’ but there is mismanagement of resources,” he said.
“Governments are taking tourism for granted. In Saudi we have a minister for tourism and a minister for culture. Having separate ones allows full focus and dedication on goal achieving,” Al-Khateeb added.
European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas said Saudi Arabia was setting an example for the EU in managing tourism and developing a strong travel industry.
With technology advancing rapidly, Al-Khateeb said it was important to use new innovations smartly in the tourism sector.
“This is a people-to-people business. Yes, we should use technology for ease and convenience, but people interaction is an essential part of the experience,” he said.
Saudi Arabia sends new aid convoys for residents returning to northern Gaza
- The assistance is part of a campaign aimed at providing essential relief to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip
RIYADH: New aid convoys from Saudi Arabia have arrived in northern Gaza, facilitated by the Saudi aid agency KSrelief.
The assistance is part of a campaign aimed at providing essential relief to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.
The convoys delivered shelter kits, including blankets, mattresses, cooking utensils, water containers and other necessary supplies to assist residents returning to their homes in northern Gaza.
The Saudi Center for Culture and Heritage, the executive partner of KSrelief in Gaza, began distributing these aid packages promptly.
The aid aims to help beneficiaries meet their basic needs as they return to homes that have been destroyed or damaged, SPA reported.
The effort is part of a series of humanitarian and relief programs executed by Saudi Arabia in solidarity with the Palestinian people during their ongoing hardships.
