JEDDAH: Representatives from the Saudi Arabian Boy Scouts Association have discussed plans to improve domestic training exercises in collaboration with their US counterparts, at a meeting between the two associations in Texas.
Dr. Abdullah bin Sulaiman Al-Fahd, the vice president of the Saudi scouts, and Allan Lamport, vice president of the US association, met to explore the viability of joint training programs in the fields of volunteering and disaster and crisis management.
They also discussed plans for Saudi participation in the upcoming 24th World Scout Jamboree, which will take place between July 22 and Aug. 2 in West Virginia, and will be co-hosted by the Boy Scouts of America, Scouts Canada and the Asociacion de Scouts de Mexico.
Lamport praised the Saudi association and its preparations for the event, which will follow the theme “Unlock a New World,” adding that the Saudi scouts’ interest in training members to help with crowd management during the Hajj and Umrah was in keeping with the World Scouting Initiative “Messengers of Peace,” established in 2011 to facilitate international peace movements and projects.
Today 18 countries from the Middle East and North Africa form the Arab Scout Region with a 19th, Western Sahara, hoping to join soon. The first Arab Scout Jamboree — a mass gathering of Scouts — took place in 1954 in Syria and the 32nd was held in early September in Algeria.
There are more than 50 million Scouts in the world and 28 million of them are Muslim. Indonesia alone has about 21 million Scouts. The Arab region, with 5 million, accounts for a tenth of the total global membership of what is the world’s largest voluntary organization for boys and girls, with a presence in every country except North Korea, China and Cuba.
The Saudi association joined the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) in 1963 and hosted the Arab Jamboree in Taif in 2000.
US and Saudi scouts discuss training exchanges
US and Saudi scouts discuss training exchanges
- The first Arab Scout Jamboree — a mass gathering of Scouts — took place in 1954 in Syria and the 32nd was held in early September in Algeria
Saudi FM participates in GCC-Jordan ministerial meeting
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan participated on Thursday in the seventh GCC-Jordan joint ministerial meeting of foreign ministers in Makkah, the Saudi Press Agency said.
The meeting discussed regional issues including the Palestinian cause and the efforts made to achieve regional security and stability.
It also tackled ways of boosting GCC-Jordanian relations and supporting partnerships.
The meeting was headed by Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya.
Saudi-Moroccan foreign ministers co-chair 14th session of joint committee in Makkah
MAKKAH: Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates Nasser Bourita co-chaired in Makkah the 14th session of the Saudi-Moroccan Joint Committee.
The event was attended by senior officials from ministries, government agencies and private-sector institutions from both sides.
The convening of the meeting reaffirms the strong ties between the two countries and aims to boost cooperation in all areas of common interest.
Both sides appreciated the efforts of the entities involved in the committee’s work to meet the aspirations of both leaderships. They also emphasized their commitment to strengthening cooperation across various fields to further elevate their strong relations.
Crackdown on environmental offenders in Saudi Arabia
RIYADH: The Special Forces for Environmental Security in Saudi Arabia took action in three separate incidents of environmental law infringement, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The forces apprehended two citizens for environmental offences after they cut protective fencing and entered the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Reserve without proper permits. The authorities have implemented statutory procedures against the offenders and referred them to the authorities.
In a separate incident, authorities arrested a Sudanese resident for environmental offences in the Makkah region, where he was caught burning waste illegally, causing soil pollution and environmental damage. Legal measures were taken against him before referring his case to the authorities.
Authorities also intercepted a Saudi citizen transporting one cubic meter of locally harvested firewood in the Riyadh region. Standard legal procedures were applied, and the confiscated materials were handed over to the relevant authorities.
According to official statements, penalties for cutting or damaging fences in protected areas can reach SR100,000 ($26,665), with offenders required to repair damages and pay compensation.
KSrelief distributes 500 food baskets in Conakry, Guinea
CONAKRY: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center recently distributed 500 food baskets in the city of Conakry, Guinea, benefiting 500 families, totaling 3,513 individuals.
This comes within the framework of the Kingdom’s humanitarian and relief efforts to help needy and affected populations worldwide with various forms of relief.
The center also distributed 150 food baskets in Bijelo Polje, Montenegro, benefiting 750 individuals from the most vulnerable groups, widows and orphans. These initiatives come as part of the Etaam food basket distribution project.
Meanwhile, 1,440 food parcels were delivered to displaced families in Sudan’s Sennar and Khartoum states.
In Mauritania, 574 food bags were distributed in the Tiaret district, while in Kosovo, the center distributed 1,150 food baskets across Klina, Peja, Decan, and Gjakova. In Ghana, KSrelief distributed 825 food baskets in Old Tafo, while 300 food baskets were provided in Syria’s Rif Dimashq.
GCC chief urges international community to take responsibility for halting Israeli violations against Palestinian people
- Joint ministerial meeting between GCC, Egypt in Makkah
RIYADH: The secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council on Thursday urged the international community to take responsibility for halting ongoing Israeli violations against the Palestinian people.
Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said at a joint ministerial meeting between the GCC and Egypt held in Makkah: “The alarming escalation and ongoing violations faced by the Palestinian people represent a blatant threat to their identity and rights, which we categorically reject.
“We urge the international community to take responsibility for halting these practices that undermine security and stability.”
Albudaiwi thanked Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for hosting the Extraordinary Arab Summit on Palestine that took place in Cairo on Tuesday.
Arab leaders adopted an Egyptian reconstruction plan for Gaza that would cost $53 billion and avoid displacing Palestinians from the enclave, in contrast to US President Donald Trump’s “Middle East Riviera” vision that received global condemnation.
Albudaiwi affirmed his support for the summit’s outcomes and urged the international community to participate in the initiative to accelerate the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Gaza after the destruction caused by Israeli aggression, emphasizing that the future of Gaza should be within the framework of a unified Palestinian state and the implementation of the two-state solution.
He reiterated his rejection of placing any burden on Egypt due to “inhumane and unjust calls for the displacement of the Palestinian people.”
He also announced that the “Trade and Investment Forum between the GCC and the Arab Republic of Egypt” would be held this year in Egypt.
The forum will aim to enhance economic and trade relations between the GCC and Egypt, providing a platform for investors to explore promising investment opportunities across various economic sectors in Egypt, as well as addressing the challenges facing GCC investors in the country.
