Saudi Arabia’s first vaccine recipients praise ‘excellent’ health centers

Medical staff dotting the center’s clinics are now handling those aged over 65, healthcare workers and those with chronic diseases — the groups targeted in the first phase of the vaccine rollout. (AN Photo/Huda Bashatah))
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Updated 31 December 2020
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Saudi Arabia’s first vaccine recipients praise ‘excellent’ health centers

  • Staff trained in soft skills that help in learning patients’ medical history and responding to queries

JEDDAH: Equipped with trained staff members and the capacity to handle thousands of coronavirus vaccine recipients at a time, Saudi Arabia’s vaccine centers continue to provide their services for all of the Kingdom’s residents with ease.
With the launch of the largest nationwide vaccination campaign on Dec. 18, the first center opened in Riyadh and the second at Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport South Terminal opened its doors less than a week later. Arab News visited the Jeddah site to learn about the center’s work.
Dr. Mohammed Felemban, medical director at the health surveillance center at King Abdulaziz International Airport, said a large number of vaccination spots have been set up to reach as many people as possible.
“The first vaccination site was launched in Jeddah at King Abdulaziz International Airport South Terminal, with unlimited support from the leadership,” Felemban told Arab News. “Almost 83 vaccination points have been placed so far to ensure that all vaccines reach the largest possible groups.”
He added that the number of clinics will increase to over 450.
Upon arrival, recipients who have registered for the vaccine through the ministry’s Sehaty app will go through a number of steps.
They will pass through the entry point, where there will be a visual triage to check their temperatures and a registration site to confirm their information. Then there is a short waiting period before they are guided to their assigned clinic. After receiving the vaccine, recipients will head to a recovery zone to wait for 15 minutes before being discharged.
Trained medical staff dotting the center’s clinics are now handling those aged over 65, healthcare workers and individuals with chronic diseases — the groups targeted in the first phase of the vaccine rollout.




Saudi Arabia’s vaccine centers continue to provide their services for all of the Kingdom’s residents with ease.. (AN Photo/Huda Bashatah))

Dr. Ahmed Hawsawi, clinical program director at the center, explained the training that healthcare workers have received to handle the vaccine.
“All health professionals engaging in this job have been through intensive training. We can call it technical training that covers the vaccine itself and all the interactions with the vaccine in terms of the efficacy, side effects and all the tactics of the preparation, and so on,” Hawsawi told Arab News.
The other side of the technical training includes injection training, which teaches the use of needles and appropriate injection sites.
“All of the staff have been selected well in terms of their clinical experience and the competency needed for the project,” he said.
Staff have also undergone soft skills training, covering communication and assessment skills that help in learning patients’ medical history and responding to queries.
Hawsawi added: “This education is not only for giving the first dose. The center’s staff have ongoing support. There’s an assigned member of the team who is responsible for making sure that training is ongoing, and who continues the momentum of teaching, developing and even answering and coaching staff on anything that is needed during their service in the centers. It’s a holistic training.”
The training also covers the relationships between different teams within the center in an interdisciplinary fashion. “We have an admin team, customer service team as well as an information desk team. They all work together to start the service.”
Waleed Mutter, CEO of STC Specialized, received the vaccine on Monday. He registered as soon as he heard the news of the rollout, and like many in the Kingdom’s Western Region, he waited his turn until he received the call to attend the center, just a few days after its opening.
“When the vaccine was made available, I registered,” he told Arab News. “I have full trust in our government that they will not import anything that isn’t good for us. For this reason, I was one of the first people to register on the first day.”

HIGHLIGHTS

• Upon arrival, recipients who have registered for the vaccine through the ministry’s Sehaty app will go through a number of steps.

• They will pass through the entry point, where there will be a visual triage to check their temperatures and a registration site to confirm their information.

• Then there is a short waiting period before they are guided to their assigned clinic. After receiving the vaccine, recipients will head to a recovery zone to wait for 15 minutes before being discharged.

He added: “When I registered, everyone around me asked why did I do this? They said it was better to wait. I didn’t listen to them and I came to get vaccinated with full trust that it is good and has no consequences. As far as I’m concerned, this worry has occurred with every vaccine created.”
Mutter applauded the center for their well-organized services and responsive staff. “The center is very organized. It didn’t even take five minutes for me to reach the vaccination site. The team here is very cooperative and friendly, with great reception. I took the vaccine on my left arm and they told me to wait for 15 minutes to monitor me, because in the first 15 minutes after vaccination there might be nausea and such.”
An Indian business development manager at Zahid Travel, Shakeel Sultan, shared the same sentiment and was happy with the center’s arrangement throughout all its courses.
“I have taken my COVID-19 shot and I am grateful for this arrangement. It’s excellent. I could see everything organized and on time. The hygiene, the arrangements, the reception, the parking; everything is perfect. I recommend people of my community and all fellow expatriates to avoid listening to the rumors. Everything is fine. Go ahead and save yourselves,” he said.


Tuwaiq Academy opens registration for cybersecurity bootcamp

Updated 6 sec ago
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Tuwaiq Academy opens registration for cybersecurity bootcamp

  • Scheduled to begin on Feb. 16, 2025, the five-month bootcamp will be held at the academy’s headquarters in Riyadh
  • The program aims to cultivate exceptional national talent in diverse cybersecurity domains

RIYADH: Tuwaiq Academy has opened registration for the Tuwaiq Cybersecurity Bootcamp, a program offering employment opportunities to top-performing participants.
Scheduled to begin on Feb. 16, 2025, the five-month bootcamp will be held at the academy’s headquarters in Riyadh.
The program aims to cultivate exceptional national talent in diverse cybersecurity domains, providing participants with the opportunity to earn professional certifications in collaboration with OffSec.
The Tuwaiq Cybersecurity Bootcamp provides participants with the opportunity to earn the Security Operations Center-200 professional certification, which equips them with critical skills for SOC operations, including advanced system defense techniques and strategies to mitigate cyber threats.
The program also offers a chance to obtain the PEN-200 professional certification, focused on building expertise in advanced penetration testing.
The academy has opened registration for the Tuwaiq Cybersecurity Bootcamp, along with over 150 professional camps and programs, available through its website: https://tuwaiq.edu.sa
Tuwaiq Academy CEO Abdulaziz Al-Hammadi highlighted the academy’s dedication to cultivating outstanding national talent in cybersecurity.
This commitment is reflected in its professional boot camps and programs conducted in collaboration with leading international organizations.
Additionally, the academy partners with government and private sector entities to create job opportunities for its graduates. Ninety percent of participants in previous Tuwaiq Cybersecurity Bootcamp were employed within three months of graduation.
Tuwaiq Academy is the first specialized institution dedicated to cultivating national talent in advanced technology.
Through partnerships with global companies such as Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Google, IBM, and Amazon, the academy offers a range of professional boot camps.
The initiative is designed to bridge the gap between the rapid evolution of modern technologies and the needs of the labor market.


Parliamentary Foreign Vice-Minister Matsumoto to visit Saudi Arabia, Jordan

Updated 10 January 2025
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Parliamentary Foreign Vice-Minister Matsumoto to visit Saudi Arabia, Jordan

TOKYO: Japan’s Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Matsumoto Hisashi will visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Jordan from Jan. 11 to 15, the foreign ministry said on Friday.

During the visit, Matsumoto is scheduled to exchange views with government officials of Saudi Arabia and Jordan on bilateral relations as well as regional and international situations.

Matsumoto is scheduled to arrive in Riyadh on Jan. 12, according to the ministry.

A version of this article appeared on Arab News Japan


Thousands in Lebanon benefit from KSrelief healthcare services

Updated 10 January 2025
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Thousands in Lebanon benefit from KSrelief healthcare services

RIYADH: A project by Saudi aid agency KSrelief to improve healthcare services for Syrian refugees and their host community in Bebnine, Akkar Governorate, has continued in Lebanon.

Some 2,689 patients were seen at the Akkar-Bebnine Health Care Center in December with 6,194 services provided under pharmacy, laboratory, nursing, community and psychological health programs.

Of the total number of patients, 68 percent were women and 51 percent were refugees, reported the Saudi Press Agency.


Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief continues aid work in new year

Updated 10 January 2025
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Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief continues aid work in new year

  • The work reflects Saudi Arabia's ongoing commitment through KSrelief to help those most in need

RIYADH: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief has continued its humanitarian work at the start of 2025, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.

In Syria, 892 families received food aid and health kits in the Afrin and Aleppo governorates of the war-torn country, benefiting 5,352 individuals.

The agency also distributed bags of flour, winter kits, and personal-care bags to 211 families in Syria’s Al-Rastan area, benefitting 968 individuals.

In Syria’s Rural Damascus governorate, KSrelief distributed bags of flour, food aid, personal-care bags, and shelter kits to 164 families.

In Pakistan, there were 2,821 food parcels, benefiting 18,638 people, distributed in the Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan areas of Punjab province, and the Hingol area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

KSrelief also distributed 1,082 clothing vouchers to families in Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan’s Amman, Zarqa and Balqa governorates.


Saudi Museum of Contemporary Art to host ‘Manga Hokusai Manga’ exhibition

Updated 10 January 2025
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Saudi Museum of Contemporary Art to host ‘Manga Hokusai Manga’ exhibition

  • Exhibition is homage to renowned Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai

The much-anticipated “Manga Hokusai Manga” exhibition will be held at the Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art in JAX Diriyah from Jan. 15 to Feb. 8.

Held in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan and the Japan Foundation, the exhibition, ratified by the Kingdom’s Museums Commission, will showcase the works of the renowned Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai.

It will highlight the history and evolution of manga, and provide a perspective on how Hokusai’s classical illustrations have influenced modern visual arts, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.

Hokusai published his first collection of art in 1814, featuring sketches of “daily life, landscapes and whimsical creatures,” according to a post on X by the museum.

The Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art aims to foster cultural exchange between local and international creators.

This article originally appeared on Arab News Japan