RIYADH: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) on Monday signed a donor contribution memorandum with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) to support the Global Muslim Philanthropy Fund for Children (GMPFC) with a donation of $9.16 million.
The GMPFC, a joint initiative of UNICEF and IsDB, was launched in 2019 to “open new opportunities for Muslim philanthropy to reach the millions of children in need of humanitarian support and help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.”
KSrelief Supervisor General Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, IsDB President Dr. Bandar Hajjar, as trustee to the fund, and UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore signed the memorandum.
Under the first project, health and nutritional services will be supported through primary health care for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh in partnership with UNICEF, bringing urgent aid to 130,000 people.
It aims to provide primary health services to 110,000 children aged under five, 20,000 pregnant women and new mothers, 150 new babies, as well as training 150 doctors and 100 nurses to provide healthcare services for mothers and children.
The project also aims to support logistic services for 13 health facilities in Rohingya refugee camps and to treat malnutrition cases.
Under the second project, vaccination coverage and health services for children under five years old will be improved in the provinces of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab in Pakistan, helping about 1,368,000 people.
The project will also support routine immunization — one of the most cost-effective means to reduce infant mortality.
It will support more than 295 health facilities with medical supplies, cooling systems and generators, as well as providing personal protective equipment for more than 3,500 health workers.
KSrelief signs $9m support for global Muslim children’s fund
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KSrelief signs $9m support for global Muslim children’s fund
Saudi foreign minister takes part in GCC extraordinary meeting in Kuwait
- GCC officials reject foreign interference in Syrian affairs, call for lifting of Western sanctions
- Meeting affirms GCC’s support for Palestinian people and demands ceasefire in Gaza
RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan took part in the 46th extraordinary meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s ministerial council in Kuwait on Thursday.
Ministers and officials from GCC countries discussed the latest developments in Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza.
They stressed the need to uphold Syria’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity after the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime in early December.
The ministerial council rejected foreign interference in Syrian affairs and called for Western sanctions that have weakened the country’s economy to be lifted, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
They reaffirmed their support for a comprehensive transitional process that ensures civilian safety, achieves national reconciliation, and preserves state institutions.
The council condemned Israeli attacks on Syria and the plan to expand illegal settlements in the occupied Golan Heights. It also condemned Israeli strikes on Lebanon.
Officials stressed that Lebanon needs political and economic reforms to prevent it from becoming a hub for terrorism and drug smuggling, highlighting the critical role of the Lebanese security forces in addressing these issues, the SPA added.
The meeting affirmed the GCC’s support for the Palestinian people, and called for a permanent ceasefire, an end to the siege in Gaza, and the supply of humanitarian aid.
Prince Sultan bin Saad, Saudi ambassador to Kuwait, and other senior Saudi foreign officials attended the meeting.
200 students will compete to represent Saudi Arabia at top science events
- Mawhiba, Ministry of Education select students from a record 291,057 applications
RIYADH: A total of 200 students have been chosen to compete for a chance to represent the Kingdom at next year’s prestigious International Science and Engineering Fair and other international competitions.
The King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, or Mawhiba, and the Ministry of Education announced the qualification of the 200 students, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
The announcement took place at the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity, or Ibdaa, exhibition for science and engineering. The Ibdaa event is held to create a competitive and creative environment for pre-college scientific researchers.
The students were selected from among 480 participants in the recent regional exhibitions held as a part of the fourth stage of the Olympiad.
The final qualifying stage for the Olympiad will be held at the Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University conference center in Riyadh from Feb. 2 to 6.
The Ibdaa 2025 Olympiad had a record registration of 291,057 students.
The Olympiad is an annual international contest for middle and high school students in standards and technology. It started as a local event in Korea in 2006, and became an international contest in 2014.
Beekeepers’ association launches green campaign
RIYADH: The Beekeepers Cooperative Association in Rijal Almaa in the Asir Region on Thursday launched an initiative to plant 1,000 sidr trees in Wadi Hiswah as part of an environmental sustainability plan aligning with the Saudi Green Initiative.
Inaugurated in 2021, the Saudi Green Initiative unites environmental protection, energy transition and sustainability programs with the overarching aims of offsetting and reducing emissions, increasing afforestation and land restoration, and supports Saudi Arabia’s ambition to reach net zero emissions by 2060.
The Beekeepers Association launched the green campaign in collaboration with the National Center for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The chairman of the association’s board of directors, Ali bin Yahya Al-Hayani, said that this initiative aims to enhance air quality and combat climate change.
He identified the environmental benefits of the sidr tree, highlighting its resilience, its role in combating desertification, and its contribution to soil health and biodiversity.
Reconstituted Saudi IP authority’s board of directors approved
- Shihana Alazzaz, who is an adviser at the Royal Court, will continue to serve as chair
RIYADH: The Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property’s newly-reconstituted Board of Directors was approved for a three-year term, the Saudi Press Agency reported Wednesday.
In the reconstituted board, Shihana Alazzaz, who is an adviser at the Royal Court, will continue to serve as chair. She previously served as the deputy secretary-general of the Council of Ministers and was the first Saudi woman to hold the position.
The approval includes extending the membership of Eng. Haitham Al-Ohali, Eng. Osama Al-Zamil, and Dima Al-Yahya.
Badr Al-Qadi and Dr. Mohammed Al-Otaibi join the board as new members.
Alazzaz expressed her thanks and gratitude to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their generous and continuous support for the authority.
She also thanked the previous board members for their efforts and wished the new members success.
The authority’s CEO Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Suwailem, said that the new formation of the board reflects the continued generous support of the leadership for the authority, wishing the Board success.
Grand Mosque authority announces free storage for Umrah performers
- Storage facilities are located near the Makkah Library and Gate 64
MAKKAH: Authorities in the holy city of Makkah announced on Wednesday free luggage storage for Umrah performers.
The General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque announced that free storage facilities are available to the east of the Grand Mosque, near the Makkah Library, and to the west, near Gate 64.
Umrah performers must present their permits through the Nusuk app to access the facilities, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Umrah performers can store bags, not loose items, weighing up to 7 kilograms for a maximum of four hours. Valuables, prohibited items, food, and medicine are not permitted. A claim ticket must be presented for retrieval.
The authority plans to extend the service to encompass all areas around the Grand Mosque to better assist visitors, the SPA added.
