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RIYADH: Saudi Arabia said Wednesday that the issue of income tax is not under discussion.
A source told Saudi Press Agency it had not been discussed in the cabinet or any part of the government.
The comment was in response to a news agency report quoting the finance minister.
MANAMA: Women leaders from the MENA region are playing a transformative role in advancing climate action, a UN climate champion told Arab News.
“Women leaders in green tech and the green economy remain a minority, representing 30 percent of climate negotiations and less than 3 percent at the helm of tech companies,” said Sarah El-Battouty, global ambassador for the UNFCCC Climate Change High-Level Champions.
El-Battouty spoke to Arab News on the sidelines of the Sustainability Forum Middle East in Manama, Bahrain, where she attended the evening event titled “Women’s Leadership in Climate and Sustainability — Amplifying the Voices of MENA’s Changemakers.”
The event, held in partnership with Bahrain’s Supreme Council for Women and the Supreme Council for Environment, aims to showcase the contributions of female experts from across the MENA region.
El-Battouty, who is also chairwoman of ECONSULT Sustainable Architecture, highlighted the importance of diverse leadership, inclusive policymaking and technology in addressing the climate crisis.
“The role of the UNFCCC Climate Change High-Level Champions is critical to the policymaking and way forward for climate action and dialogue between stakeholders,” she said.
El-Battouty said that for many years, climate discussions were dominated by governments and financial institutions, leaving the private sector as mere implementers of policies.
She shed light on the underrepresentation of women in the green economy and tech sectors and the need for their inclusion.
“Among them, women have been selected on merit to put forward the case of solutions led and created by women for women and broader communities from all over the world,” El-Battouty said.
She said that while women played a transformative role in driving climate action, they faced significant economic and social barriers, particularly in access to climate financing.
El-Battouty said that challenges for women-led green initiatives in the MENA region often stemmed from systemic barriers rather than purely socio-cultural norms.
“There are hidden root causes less prominent than social norms verified as key limitations,” she said.
Women-led initiatives struggle to secured financial resources due to gender biases in financing systems, El-Battouty said.
“They are financed in smaller installments and often encouraged to have a male executive to unlock further financing.”
She added that limited ownership of assets, such as land, restricted women from securing collateral for loans. “Many women risk their savings or become indebted from the outset.”
El-Battouty added that unequal access to STEM education reduced opportunities for women to lead in technical and environmental fields.
“Less than 19 percent of women enter STEM education,” she said.
El-Battouty said that advancing inclusive policies addressing the social dimensions of climate change — such as gender equality, education and community resilience — was essential.
“These policies ensure that marginalized groups, including women and children, are part of the solution and recognize that as the most vulnerable to loss and damage and migration, women’s voices should be at the forefront of holistic policy frameworks,” she said.
El-Battouty called for accessible and affordable technology to empower women across all demographics.
“Women engage collaborative approaches, especially with other women, because they recognize them as stakeholders of climate actions, ensuring their livelihoods are sustained and information is learned, co-developed and passed on to generations,” she said.
El-Battouty said that women were critical advocates for inclusive and sustainable practices in industries such as housing and construction, which were responsible for nearly 40 percent of global emissions according to the UN.
“It is women in the industry who have advocated for the inclusion of rural villages, low-income housing and indigenous communities to be included in climate-resilient intervention and green buildings,” El-Battouty said.
Despite challenges, she celebrated the achievements of women leaders in advancing inclusivity and sustainability.
“Women in climate take big risks and face adverse resistance, however, their activism is seeing disruptive and positive steps to be inclusive and leave no one behind,” El-Battouty said.
RIYADH: The King Abdulaziz Public Foundation for Research and Archives, Darah, concluded its three-day National History Lab on Tuesday at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, showing ways to preserve and celebrate Saudi history.
Themed “History in the Eyes of the Future,” the event brought together 30 Saudi universities and 15 national and international organizations to inspire innovative approaches to documenting and sharing Saudi history.
The initiative featured two streams: the digital innovation track, which focused on developing technical solutions for documenting and sharing history; and the social impact track, designed to create initiatives that strengthen community connections to history.
A panel of 13 judges evaluated the submissions, supported by more than 20 facilitators who guided participants in refining their ideas.
Al-Jouf University took first place with its innovative project to preserve Saudi heritage through an online platform promoting historical sites across the Kingdom.
Wajd Al-Huzaim, a student from the winning team, explained the concept: “Al-Majlis is a Saudi social media app connecting the Kingdom’s regions through communities. Each region is represented as a ‘majlis,’ such as Majlis Al-Jouf, Majlis Riyadh, and so on.
“People share posts about historical sites, their homes, and interact through likes and comments.”
She said that the app awards badges for visiting historical sites where users can check in at these locations to earn badges. “Once they collect a certain number, they achieve the title of ‘guide.’”
Al-Huzaim emphasized the app’s impact, saying: “It connects people to local landmarks and encourages citizens to promote their region’s history. By turning Saudi heritage into a trend, it appeals to the younger generation, making history relevant and engaging.”
The event included workshops, exhibitions, and talks by various experts. At one of the booths by Darah, visitors were able to learn how colors and inks were traditionally extracted from plants.
Munirah Al-Qahtani, a researcher at Darah, said: “In the past, our ancestors used these natural methods to color doors, windows, and houses where they would dissolve gum arabic to create a liquid substance that was mixed with the colors. This process ensured the durability of the piece and preserved its quality, preventing it from deteriorating over time.”
Aligned with Vision 2030, the National History Lab gave youth and organizations passionate about preserving Saudi heritage a platform to collaborate and compete, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
RIYADH: Bahrain’s King Hamad arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday, Saudi Press Agency reported.
He was greeted on arrival at King Khalid International Airport by the governor of Riyadh Region Prince Faisal bin Bandar and other officials.
The king visited Muscat on Tuesday where he met with the Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq.
RIYADH: Bangladesh is committed to meeting demand for skilled workers in Saudi Arabia, said Asif Nazrul, adviser to the Bangladeshi Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, as well as the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.
Speaking at a discussion organized at the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh with owners and senior officials of Saudi companies, Nazrul said that there were significant opportunities for Bangladesh to send skilled and semi-skilled workers, including doctors, engineers, nurses and technicians.
Nazrul, who is in Riyadh at the invitation of the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development to attend the Global Labor Market Conference (Wednesday-Thursday), emphasized the need for qualitative changes in Bangladesh’s labor market in Saudi Arabia.
He highlighted the many employment prospects emerging from Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiatives, including mega projects such as NEOM, Red Sea, Qiddiya, Green Riyadh, Amala, Diriyah and Roshan, alongside major global events such as the AFC Asian Cup (2027), Winter Asian Olympics (2029), World Expo (2030) and FIFA World Cup (2034).
He sought the cooperation of Saudi recruitment companies, who acknowledged the presence of skilled professionals in Bangladesh but pointed out challenges such as inadequate information, marketing, networking, visa delays, language barriers and a lack of pre-boarding orientation.
Nazrul assured them of resolving these issues and emphasized strengthening ties through labor fairs, seminars and regular communication with company officials.
He also inaugurated the embassy’s e-demand attestation system, enabling Saudi companies to easily register online and attest worker demand letters without visiting the embassy, a key initiative for promoting transparency and efficiency.
Nazrul also distributed prizes to winners of competitions organized as part of the embassy’s “Festival of Youth 2025” on Wednesday.
Bangladesh’s new ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Delwar Hossain, welcomed the Saudi delegates at the interactive session.
Later, Nazrul interacted with Bangladeshi expatriates, listening to their concerns, including high airfare costs and excessive fees charged by recruiting agencies, and assured them of solutions and encouraged them to maintain close contact with the embassy through social media and its website.
Appreciating their role in sending remittances, he assured the government’s continued welfare initiatives for expatriates and urged compliance with Saudi laws and culture to avoid legal complications.
On the issue of voting in national elections, he said that the government was exploring viable options to facilitate expatriate participation.
RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received in Riyadh on Wednesday former US President Bill Clinton.
A friendly conversation took place during the reception held at the crown prince’s office, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The reception was also attended by Princess Reema bint Bandar, the Saudi Ambassador to the United States; Minister of State, Cabinet Member and National Security Advisor Dr. Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban and the delegation accompanying the former US President.
