RIYADH: Saudi teachers have been facing their own learning curve after being forced to run lessons online in the wake of school closures due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Tutors from preschool to university level are having to come to terms with the new norm of remote learning but some have mixed feelings about the long-term prospects of virtual classroom teaching.
Since the start of the global health crisis, video meeting platform Zoom has been one of the most popular communication tools for people working from home. In June, the US tech company announced a 169 percent increase in its revenues on the previous year, while the number of daily users rose to 300 million.
Other platforms, both local and international, have also seen a rise in usage for educational purposes.
The Saudi Ministry of Education’s online school platform, Madrasati, provides the Kingdom’s students with more than 120 hours of content every day and the likes of YouTube have seen a marked increase in the number of visitors accessing educational videos.
But while Zoom, Blackboard, Moodle, and other learning management systems have made many educators’ jobs easier, the transition from physical to virtual classrooms has not been without its hiccups.
Reham Ali Kutbi, a high school teacher from Makkah who tutors in Al-Abwaa, told Arab News that while the process had been bumpy, she was now ironing out the kinks.
“At the beginning, we had our fears and concerns regarding the new nature of the educational process. However, once we started and got the hang of it, it was quite smooth. Although we’ve had abundant technical difficulties, we have overcome them one by one,” she said.
For Kutbi, the most difficult part of teaching online was getting to know her new students.
“Tests and participation might reveal their (educational) levels, but they do not tell me much about their character. It is absolutely important for me to connect the subject with their hobbies and interests, to make them like it more,” she added.
Haya Al-Subaie, who teaches at the college level in Riyadh, said that while she enjoyed certain aspects of online learning, she was eager to return to in-person learning and that distance learning was not for her.
“The best part is being in the comfort of my home. I can nap between my classes or play video games. The worst part, however, is the teaching itself, which is mentally demanding. I always catch myself tense and frustrated after each class.
“Another tiring part is that my students assume I’m available 24/7. The emails never stop, and I’m tired,” she added.
Teacher of first-year university students in Riyadh, Sarah Al-Khalil, told Arab News that the technical difficulties of online learning far outweighed the convenience of being able to work from home.
“The best part of teaching from home is convenience. No more traffic and getting to be comfortable, whether by your setting or clothes. Technical issues are the worst part, if something is wrong, everyone’s time is wasted and patience runs thin,” she said.
She also found the inability to directly interact with her students difficult to deal with, especially being unable to monitor if they were fully participating in lessons.
“Students also often refuse to turn on their camera and/or their mics. The lack of interaction is frustrating,” she added.
After weeks of trial and error, the teachers had some advice for those still frustrated and struggling with online learning.
“Always have backup Wi-Fi, utilize the breakrooms, let students present and be involved as much as possible, and always consider students’ circumstances, means, and time. Online learning does not mean that students are available for a lecture 24/7,” said Al-Khalil.
Al-Subaie said: “Keep an open mind and constantly remind yourself that students are as frustrated as you are. We should always be patient and compassionate and take good care of your mental health.”
All three teachers agreed that distance learning had its uses, and that online classrooms could still be effective when the COVID-19 pandemic was over.
Al-Khalil said: “I like virtual classrooms, they are innovative, convenient, and suitable for revisions, presentations, and teaching listening skills.
“Moving forward, I think a combination of traditional classrooms and virtual classrooms need to coexist. Not every class requires physical attendance, and this should be addressed and implemented.”
Kutbi, however, said that while online classes came in handy, they should only be targeted for certain students. “In the end, I’d prefer that we go back to attending schools and keep distance learning for students who need improvement.”
Virtual classrooms present new learning curve for Saudi teachers
https://arab.news/yh9gc
Virtual classrooms present new learning curve for Saudi teachers
- Tutors from preschool to university level are having to come to terms with the new norm of remote learning
EU delegation reviews Saudi efforts to combat extremism
- Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology’s secretary-general, Mansour Al-Shammari, received the delegation and addressed several topics of mutual interest in combating extremism
- EU members were briefed on the center’s strategy and its efforts to combat extremist ideology as well as mitigate its impact and messages
RIYADH: Members of the EU’s Political and Security Committee, including its chair, Delphine Pronk, paid an official visit to the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology in Riyadh.
The center’s secretary-general, Mansour Al-Shammari, received the delegation and addressed several topics of mutual interest in combating extremism.
The EU members were briefed on the center’s strategy and its efforts to combat extremist ideology as well as mitigate its impact and messages, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
They also learned about the community initiatives and international partnerships that promote the principles of tolerance and a culture of moderation.
The meeting was attended by EU Special Representative for the Gulf Luigi Di Maio, European External Action Service Managing Director for the Middle East and North Africa Helene Le Gal, EU Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Christophe Farnaud and Saudi Ambassador to the EU Haifa Al-Jedea.
Earlier, the EU delegation visited the Gulf Cooperation Council’s headquarters in Riyadh and met Secretary-General Jasem Al-Budaiwi to discuss mutual interests and joint efforts to address global challenges.
Topics included regional issues such as Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Gulf security, Iran, maritime security in the Red Sea, Iraq, Sudan, the Horn of Africa and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
The delegation also met Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Climate Envoy Adel Al-Jubeir to discuss climate change, environmental cooperation and strengthening joint efforts in these areas. They also reviewed recent foreign policy developments in Europe and the Middle East.
Riyadh exhibition explores palm’s role in ancient cultures
- Experts discuss challenges and innovations in date farming
RIYADH: The “Palm Tree in Civilizations” pavilion at the International Dates Conference and Exhibition in Riyadh, running until Nov. 28, highlights the historical significance of the palm tree across ancient cultures.
The pavilion explores how date palms supported food and economic sustainability, offering a historical journey through the ages.
It also showcases the palm’s importance in ancient Egypt through carvings and murals depicting its role in daily life and religious rituals, as well as in agriculture, construction, and fertility practices.
Organized by the National Center for Palm and Dates under the theme “World of Dates,” the exhibit also highlights the palm’s significance in Mesopotamia and the Levant, featuring ancient texts like the Code of Hammurabi, which protected palm cultivation, along with carvings illustrating their role in trade and society.
Artifacts from the Dilmun civilization highlighted the reliance of ancient Arab societies on palms for agriculture and trade.
The pavilion also showcases the palm’s symbolic role in the Levant, particularly among the Canaanites and Arameans, with depictions from historical sites like Palmyra emphasizing its importance in religious and artistic traditions.
Saad Alnajim, vice president of the Antiquities and Heritage Association in the Eastern Province, said: “Beyond providing food, medicine, and shade, the palm symbolizes belonging and pride, reflected in its place on Saudi Arabia’s national emblem.”
Abdulaziz Al-Tuwaijri, chairman of the National Committee for Environment, Water and Agriculture, said that dates are central to the Saudi economy, with Vision 2030 aiming to make the Kingdom the world’s largest date exporter.
He added: “Today, the Kingdom is the largest producer and exporter of dates, thanks to the clear vision of the crown prince, whose efforts we are now benefiting from.”
According to the UN Comtrade database, Saudi Arabia exported dates worth over SR1.4 billion ($373 million) to 119 countries by the end of 2023.
The Saudi General Authority for Statistics reported production exceeding 1.9 million tonnes, reflecting a 152.5 percent increase in export value since 2016, solidifying the Kingdom’s position as the world’s largest date exporter.
Meanwhile, a panel of global climate and agriculture experts discussed the impact of climate change on date palm cultivation.
The session focused on challenges such as delayed fruit maturation, reduced yields, pests, and pollution, and explored innovative solutions to address these issues. The panel emphasized the need for international cooperation and sustainable farming practices.
The discussion highlighted global best practices, including improved irrigation and smart agricultural techniques, as well as the importance of farmer education and technical support.
Recommendations included enhancing international collaboration, supporting research on climate-resistant varieties, and promoting awareness for sustainable date palm cultivation.
The exhibition offers a variety of entertainment activities, including folklore shows, regional poetry, and cooking competitions.
It also features a museum that takes visitors on a journey through the history of palm trees and dates over the past 1,000 years.
Additionally, a live cooking area brings together local and international chefs to prepare a variety of date-based dishes.
Saudi Arabia’s NEOM gigaproject a ‘generational investment,’ minister says
- The world’s top oil exporter has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into development projects through the kingdom’s $925 billion sovereign fund
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s NEOM gigaproject, a futuristic region being built in the desert, is a “generational investment” with a long timeline, the country’s investment minister told Reuters on Monday, adding that foreign investment will pick up pace.
“NEOM was not meant to be a two-year investable opportunity. If anybody expected NEOM to be foreign investment in two, three or five years, then they have gotten (it) wrong — it’s a generational investment,” Minister Khalid Al-Falih said on the sidelines of the World Investment Conference in Riyadh.
“The flywheel is starting and it will gain speed as we go forward, as some of the foundational assets come to the market,” he said.
The world’s top oil exporter has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into development projects through the kingdom’s $925 billion sovereign fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), as it undergoes an economic agenda dubbed Vision 2030 to cut dependence on fossil fuels.
NEOM, a Red Sea urban and industrial development nearly the size of Belgium that is meant to eventually house 9 million people, is central to Vision 2030. Saudi Arabia has scaled back some lofty ambitions to prioritize completing elements essential to hosting global sporting events over the next decade as rising costs weigh, sources told Reuters earlier this month. NEOM announced this month its long-time chief executive, Nadhmi Al-Nasr, had stepped down, without giving further details.
Asked what effect the departure would have on investors, the minister said the executive had done “a respectable job” but that “there is a time for everybody to pass on the baton.”
Asked if PIF will continue to do much of the spending on NEOM until more foreign funds come in, Al-Falih said it was not binary.
“I think foreign investors are starting to come to NEOM, they’re starting to channel capital. Some of the projects that the PIF will be doing will be financed through global capital pools, through some alternative and private capital. That’s taking place as we speak,” he said.
“So I urge you not to look at NEOM as being 100 percent PIF and then suddenly there will be a cliff and it will go private.”
Saudi Arabia, which is racing to attract $100 billion in annual foreign direct investment by the turn of the decade — reaching about a quarter of that in 2023 — has recently seen more co-investment deals between state entities and foreign investors.
“It’s always been the intent,” Al-Falih said of foreign inflows alongside state funds.
He noted that foreign investors were at times “still looking, still examining, still sometimes questioning,” but that now there was confidence in the profitability of investment opportunities and that “the risk-return trade-offs are very, very fair and positive to them.”
Saudi crown prince extends condolences to Kuwaiti counterpart on death of Sheikh Mohammed Abdulaziz Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah
RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent a cable of condolences to Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah on the passing of Sheikh Mohammed Abdulaziz Hamoud Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah.
In the cable, the crown prince extended his deepest sympathy to Sheikh Sabah and the family of the deceased.
Saudi tech diplomat meets Iraqi PM to discuss digital cooperation
- Deemah Al-Yahya, head of the multilateral Digital Cooperation Organization, commended Iraq’s investment in human capital as driver for growth and expansion of digital economy
- Iraq has been working in recent years to develop a strategy for digital transformation to help support the private and public sectors and grow the economy
RIYADH: Saudi senior tech diplomat Deemah AlYahya, the secretary-general of the multilateral Digital Cooperation Organization, held talks on Monday with Iraq’s prime minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, about support for Baghdad’s plans to develop its digital business and artificial intelligence sectors.
They discussed Iraq’s strategy for digital transformation, and the need to create and develop a workforce with the tech skills required to help grow the Iraqi economy effectively, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Though Iraq is not a member of the DCO, an international body that focuses on the digital economy, Al-Sudani said his country is keen to work with the organization to meet the nation’s needs for a skilled workforce in the business sector.
AlYahya commended Iraq for the progress it has already made in terms of investment in the human capital needed to develop the digital skills that are essential to drive growth in a digitized economy.
Iraq has been working in recent years to develop a strategy for digital transformation to help support the private and public sectors and grow the economy. Authorities this month organized the first Digital Space Iraq Forum, which focused on the use of advanced technologies, including AI, to help build a comprehensive digital economy.
The DCO says that since it was founded in November 2020, it has been at the forefront of efforts to curate policies and initiatives to support the digital economy in several countries. Currently, 16 nations are members, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Pakistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh and Oman. It also has 39 observer partner organizations.
DCO member states have a collective gross domestic product of $3.5 trillion and serve a combined market of nearly 800 million people, more than 70 percent of whom are under the age of 35.
