Saudi schools prepare for remote learning as new academic year begins

All classes can be followed through the online platform Vschool.sa, and relevant materials are available from the Apple and Android stores. (SPA)
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Updated 29 August 2020
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Saudi schools prepare for remote learning as new academic year begins

  • Ministry reports 1,069 new COVID-19 cases, 1,148 recoveries and 28 deaths

JEDDAH: The new academic year begins on Sunday and schools across the Kingdom have been preparing for virtual learning.

All students in Saudi Arabia will be attending classes remotely for the first seven weeks of the first semester as part of the Kingdom’s precautionary measures against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
Ibrahim bin Hussein Al-Omari, director general of education in the Tabuk region, noted on Friday that while all administrative staff are required to physically go to work, teachers and students will all be attending virtual classes. He added that supervisors have been allocated to provide support and assistance to all schools.
The Ministry of Education has stated that middle school and high school students will have to be online from 9 a.m., while elementary school students will start their classes at 3 p.m. — a decision that is intended to help parents be more involved in younger children’s remote learning. There is a dedicated app available for kindergarten age children.
All classes can be followed through the online platform Vschool.sa, and relevant materials are available from the Apple and Android stores. Lessons can also be viewed on the “Ain” TV channel or on YouTube. Each subject will have a channel of its own on Ain TV, in addition to what is archived on YouTube.
While private schools are permitted to use their own remote-learning tools, they can also benefit from the platform, the ministry has said.
All schools will allocate at least one day a week on which students and their families can attend in order to ensure that those who are unable to access the online platform for any reason can follow up on assignments and evaluations.

INNUMBERS

312,924 COVID-19 cases

287,403 Recoveries

21,708 Active cases

3,813 Total deaths

Meanwhile, Education Minister Hamad Al-Asheikh on Thursday held a virtual meeting with the Kingdom’s provincial education directors to review preparations for the new academic year.
The minister also ensured the continuity of remote learning arrangements for more than 6 million students.
The meeting discussed methods for the safe distribution of school books to students, the readiness of class schedules on the Madrasati (my school) e-learning management platform, and efforts by school and education officials to enable students to make a smooth return to studies and interact with their teachers.
Delegates pointed out the pivotal role of schools in providing technical support for students and their guardians on the platform, as well as the key function of teachers in training and helping students deal with the platform.
Arrangements for the training of teachers to use the Madrasati platform and plans for psychological counseling and student support were also reviewed.
In addition, the meeting discussed the role of education offices and administrations in carrying out field visits to schools on the first day of the academic year, checking on remote learning processes, and developing assessment reports.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia announced 28 new COVID-19-related deaths on Friday. The death toll now stands at 3,813.
There were 1,069 new cases reported in the Kingdom, bringing the total number of cases to 312,924, of which 21,708 are active, with 1,576 of them in critical condition.
Forty-four percent of recorded cases have been females. Eleven percent have been children, 85 percent adults and 4 percent elderly. According to the Ministry of Health, Madinah and Riyadh had recorded the highest number of new cases in the Kingdom with 61 cases each. Jazan had 59 new cases.
In addition, there were 1,148 reported new recoveries from COVID-19, taking the total number of recoveries in the Kingdom to 287,403.
Saudi Arabia has so far conducted 4,974,119 PCR tests, with 60,195 carried out in the 24 hours leading up the ministry’s announcement.


Saudi Cabinet discusses Syria, Lebanon and Kingdom’s success at WEF

Updated 28 January 2025
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Saudi Cabinet discusses Syria, Lebanon and Kingdom’s success at WEF

  • Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman briefs members on telephone call with US President Donald Trump
  • Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan visited Damascus and Beirut last week for talks with the new Syrian ruler and Lebanese president

RIYADH: The Saudi Cabinet on Tuesday discussed the outcomes of Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan’s visits to Syria and Lebanon last week.

The prince met newly elected Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Beirut and the new Syrian ruler, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, in Damascus.

The Cabinet session in Riyadh was chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who briefed members on his telephone conversation with new US President Donald Trump last Wednesday, and his meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Sunday during her visit to AlUla.

After the session, Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary said Saudi diplomacy supports Syria and Lebanon, and the efforts to restore their rightful positions within the Arab and international communities.

Cabinet members also praised the work of the Kingdom’s delegation at the annual World Economic Forum summit in Davos last week. Several Saudi ministers and business leaders attended the event, at which the Kingdom hosted a Saudi House pavilion to showcase the nation’s transformation and help forge connections with government and business stakeholders.

The Cabinet said that the announcement by Saudi Arabia that it will regularly host WEF meetings in Riyadh beginning in 2026 reaffirms the country’s leadership role as a global center for international dialogue, the Saudi Press Agency reported.


Layali Maraya spotlights Arab designers’ ingenuity in Riyadh

Updated 28 January 2025
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Layali Maraya spotlights Arab designers’ ingenuity in Riyadh

  • Designers tell Arab News what inspires their creativity
  • Haruss founder says ‘it’s an honor’ to represent the Saudi fashion industry

RIYADH: As part of their mission to empower Arab designers, Layali Maraya is featuring regional designers at the Mansard Hotel in Riyadh until Wednesday.

The three-day event, held under the patronage of Ameera Al-Taweel, Layali Maraya features modern luxury in a collection of Arab brands including Okhtein, an Egyptian label known for its handcrafted handbags with detailed accents that represent the beauty of Egyptian culture.

The products offered by Maraya range from fashion and fragrance to accessories, jewelry and home decor. (AN Photo by Abdulrhman Bin Shalhuob)

Also featured is Lynyer, a Lebanese brand by Leen Abelnour, who finds inspiration in Asian and Middle Eastern jewelry aesthetics and nature to create bold pieces.

“I ended up going for very big statement pieces that go with Middle Eastern women, and make women stand out wherever they are, especially for confident women who want to walk into the room and turn heads,” she said.

HIGHLIGHT

Maraya is the region’s first omni-channel platform with a Riyadh store, an e-commerce platform, and mobile app.

“All the pieces that you see here are nature inspired. They are also very culturally inspired by India, Pakistan, and by Lebanon, which is where I’m from.”

Leen Abelnour, the founder of Lynyer Statement Jewels, is inspired by Asian and Middle Eastern jewelry, blending nature's delicacy into bold pieces. (AN Photo by Abdulrhman Bin Shalhuob)

Growing up in the Kingdom and traveling internationally to pursue her career, Abelnour said that being back in Riyadh was a full-circle moment for her.

“When I launched the brand, I wanted to work with small artisans around the world … I started realizing that growing up in Saudi Arabia has really affected my taste in jewelry,” she said.

Saudi clothing brand Harjuss is designed to meet "basic, essential, human needs," according to its founder Saud Saleh. (AN photos by Abdulrhman Bin Shalhoub)

The founder of Saudi clothing brand Harjuss, Saud Saleh, said the label completes “basic, essential, human needs.”

Harjuss’s ready-to-wear collections are created around the seasons. The winter collection plays with texture and heavy fabrics while the summer line uses linen for breathability.

“It’s a very smart casual, very simple, very classy collection and it’s a 100 percent Saudi brand, founded by young Saudi talents,” Saleh said. “This is an honor to us to be representing the fashion industry of Saudi Arabia to the region and the outside world.”

Layali Maraya also featured Saudi labels 1886, Abadia, Dalal Jewelry, and Nora Alshaikh, among others.

Maraya is the region’s first omni-channel platform with a Riyadh store, an e-commerce platform, and mobile app.

The products offered by Maraya range from fashion and fragrance to accessories, jewelry and home decor.

 


Japanese ambassador visits Japan Cultural Days at Ithra

Japanese Ambassador Morino Yasunari toured various Japan Cultural Days exhibits at Ithra. (Supplied/Ahmed Al-Thani)
Updated 28 January 2025
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Japanese ambassador visits Japan Cultural Days at Ithra

  • Yasunari tours exhibits, drops in on sushi-making workshop
  • Locals, expats and Japanese visitors try tea ceremonies and other activities

DHAHRAN: Japan’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia attended a cultural event in Dhahran on Monday as the two countries celebrate 70 years of diplomatic relations this year.

Ambassador Morino Yasunari toured various Japan Cultural Days exhibits at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), where events run until Feb. 8. The envoy even dropped in on a sushi-making workshop where Arab News was in attendance.

Communal tables were set up and a professional sushi chef instructed the 20 participants on how to prepare three kinds of sushi, using select ingredients. The ticketed class allowed sushi-lovers to roll out their own sushi and then eat it.

It is the first time that Japanese culture is truly immersed at Ithra. (Photo by Ahmed Al-Thani)

Those at the table joked that perhaps the ambassador popped in to see their work because he could not resist the delicious aromas coming out of the space.

One of those participants at the class was Danah Al-Harbi. The ambassador happened to visit her session, and she told Arab News that his visit showed his commitment to understanding the similarities between the two countries.

“It was honestly a completely new experience for us in the Eastern Province. It is the first time that Japanese culture is truly immersed at Ithra, and one of the most notable highlights of this event for me was the sushi-making experience.

Saudis that maybe did not go to Japan have a chance to taste the flavor of Japan. I hope to see you next time in Japan but today, you can come to Ithra.

Rieko Ono, Workshop facilitator

“I had to try it and it was truly exceptional. I love eating sushi, but I didn’t know how to make it until today,” Al-Harbi told Arab News. “Now, I can eat it after making it.”

Saudis making sushi at the Japan Cultural Days workshop. (Photo by Ahmed Al-Thani)

Yasunari also visited the Japanese House experience where visitors took part in a traditional tea ceremony, serving and drinking matcha while making wagashi, the delicate, plant-based traditional Japanese confectionary crafted by hand to complement the unsweetened tea.

“The most interesting part is that I find something similar and also something in common between the two countries, Japan and Saudi, I found that the Arabic coffee and tea culture is something very close to each other, and we use this too for friendship and harmony,” Rieko Ono, who flew over from Tokyo to lead some of the workshops, told Arab News.

“I came to Saudi Arabia a few years ago, that was also fun, so it’s my second time and I love this. I’m very happy that Saudi Arabia is open now and so welcoming — I admire this.

“Saudi people love Japanese culture and anime helped us a lot,” she said. “Saudi people that maybe did not go to Japan have a chance to taste the flavor of Japan. I hope to see you next time in Japan but today, you can come to Ithra.”

 


Saudi sustainable fashion leaders honored at Riyadh awards ceremony

Updated 28 January 2025
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Saudi sustainable fashion leaders honored at Riyadh awards ceremony

  • Local brands AMUSED, Darah, and Asteri recognized for their efforts in green fashion
  • Winners will attend a week-long mentoring program in Paris

RIYADH: Leaders in sustainable fashion in Saudi Arabia were honored at an awards ceremony in Riyadh on Monday.

Preowned luxury marketplace AMUSED, upcycling startup Darah, and sustainable makeup brand Asteri were the three winners of the inaugural Middle East Kering Generation Award.

The event was hosted by the French corporation that owns brands including Gucci and Balenciaga, in partnership with the Saudi Fashion Commission.

Rawan Alderaibi, CEO of Darah, spoke to Arab News about how she quit her corporate job to pursue her passion for fashion, before realizing that there was practically no secondhand market in Saudi Arabia.

“After exploring the idea further, I was led to an entrepreneurial incubator, developed the idea even further and came up with the idea of Darah — the circular model, where we start by reselling secondhand items … and upcycle some of the items into something more creative that makes people feel more unique and they only have one piece,” she said.

Darah buys clothing items by the kilogram: items in good conduction are sold as is, and the ones with some damage or issues are upcycled.

This idea has brought the startup some success and they now plan to expand into a recycling and local production factory.

AMUSED is a platform that connects buyers and sellers of previously owned, authenticated luxury items in Saudi Arabia. Mindful that fashion is the second-largest polluting industry in the world, AMUSED aims to create a more circular economy to break away from the make-use-dispose model that has dominated the fashion culture.

Sara Teymoor, co-founder of AMUSED, told Arab News: “It’s been five years of hard work creating this business and to receive the recognition for sustainability to us entrepreneurs is invaluable to our confidence and also to the connections, the mentorship and the opportunity that this award will bring us.

“We have a green field for fashion here in Saudi and we are now able to start with sustainability in mind. That is just priceless for our economy here in fashion and paving the way for our future generations.”

The third winner, Asteri, is one of the fastest growing makeup brands in the Middle East, designed specifically for the Arab woman. The company prides itself on its desert-proof, clean, and vegan products that also have sustainable and refillable packaging, certified by global nonprofit B Lab.

Burak Cakmak, the commission’s CEO, told Arab News: “I think for all of the winners, we’ve identified that there is a component of localized engagement, which is critical because we want to make sure that what is selected is going to succeed in the region.

“All of these three businesses were very much relevant to the Saudi context, and it was somewhat linked to Saudi lifestyle or culture or the environment, but also they were bringing something that doesn’t exist in the region, and different than what we are seeing necessarily in the rest of the world.”

The three winners will take a week-long trip to Paris, where they will have the opportunity to engage in exclusive mentoring sessions with Kering’s Sustainability teams.

Cakmak added: “I think Saudi has proven to the world that it’s the biggest growth opportunity as a market for many sectors when it comes to fashion and creativity.

“It’s also offering a lot of opportunities. We’ve seen in the past few years, as the Fashion Commission, the potential of the industry and the talent that exists, as well as a lot of the startups going into business in the country.

“We are very keen to engage the right partners who can help us in that journey and be able to bring the right perspective and the right support to a growing, prospering economy.”


Riyadh forum highlights healthcare model progress

Updated 28 January 2025
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Riyadh forum highlights healthcare model progress

  • Forum’s scientific program began with the participation of more than 25 local and international speakers, 80 exhibitors and over 1,500 healthcare professionals
  • Mohammed Al-Abdulaali: The Model of Care is confidently and clearly progressing through health clusters

RIYADH: The second Model of Care Forum was inaugurated in Riyadh on Tuesday under the patronage of Saudi Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel.

The two-day event, held under the theme “Care and Impact,” was attended by Assistant Minister of Health Mohammed Al-Abdulaali.

The forum’s scientific program began with the participation of more than 25 local and international speakers, 80 exhibitors and over 1,500 healthcare professionals from across the Kingdom.

Al-Abdulaali highlighted the significant achievements of the modern healthcare model in Saudi Arabia, implemented through 20 health clusters, delivering integrated and sustainable care based on innovative, world-class practices.

“The Model of Care is confidently and clearly progressing through health clusters, extending its impact to encompass public healthcare providers alongside the private sector and other entities across the healthcare system,” he said.

Al-Abdulaali concluded his speech by welcoming all attendees and international speakers to witness the success stories achieved in Saudi Arabia through the implementation of the Model of Care across the 20 health clusters.

Discussions at the forum will revolve around the modern healthcare model, care systems and pathways such as palliative care, emergency care, outpatient care, maternal and child care, chronic disease care, preventive care systems, and their role in achieving health excellence.

The forum includes an accompanying exhibition showcasing success stories from the implementation of healthcare model initiatives across the Kingdom.