RIYADH: During the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women held at UN headquarters in New York, Hanan bint Abdulrahman Al-Ahmadi, assistant speaker of the Shoura Council, praised the reforms carried out by Saudi Arabia and the role these have played in empowering Saudi women.

Al-Ahmadi said that Saudi Arabia’s chairmanship of the commission, held from March 10-21, reflects the Kingdom’s remarkable achievements in a short period of time and its success in empowering women.

She underscored the impact of Saudi Vision 2030 in supporting women through legislative reforms that put their rights at the forefront and increased their contributions to society.

Al-Ahmadi affirmed that women’s membership in the Shoura Council was a significant step in the journey toward empowering Saudi women.

In her praise of the historic decision granting women full membership rights in the council, Al-Ahmadi noted that this move has led to women participating in decision-making on economic, educational, environmental, and healthcare matters, among others.

She stated that legislation serves as the unwavering foundation upon which women’s empowerment efforts are built to achieve desirable and sustainable results and emphasized the active role the Shoura Council plays in supporting this progress, as evidenced by the enactment of various laws over the past decade on women’s rights.

Al-Ahmadi also highlighted that the Shoura Council exercises parliamentary oversight over government agencies by reviewing their annual reports and issuing decisions accordingly.

She noted that women have been at the center of many of those decisions, some of which have called for increasing employment opportunities for women in numerous sectors, protecting their rights, and ensuring their inclusion in leadership roles across all fields.

Al-Ahmadi heads the Shoura Council delegation participating in the CSW69, which also includes council members Princess Al-Jawahara bint Fahd bin Khalid Al-Saud and Amal bint Abdulaziz Al-Hazani.

The commission will discuss a range of pressing topics such as poverty, violence against women, work opportunities, youth engagement, and climate change.

LONDON: Saudi Arabia launched its pavilion at the London International Book Fair on Tuesday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Led by the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission, the Kingdom’s participation runs until Thursday at the event held at Olympia London, which will bring together key literary and publishing institutions.

Abdul Latif Al-Wasil, the commission’s CEO, said that Saudi Arabia’s presence at the fair aims to highlight its efforts in developing the literary landscape, supporting local publishers on the global stage, and strengthening ties between Saudi and international publishing sectors.

Through its three core areas — literature, publishing and translation — the commission seeks to promote Saudi cultural heritage, enhance collaboration with global literary stakeholders and showcase the Kingdom’s growing contributions to the international literary scene, the SPA added.

The Saudi pavilion will foster cultural exchange between the Kingdom and UK, as well as encourage knowledge-sharing and cooperation in literature, publishing and translation. It also provides an opportunity to market Saudi publishing services, introduce local literary agencies to a wider audience, and build strategic relationships within the global publishing industry.

The Saudi delegation at the London International Book Fair includes five key government agencies: the King Salman International Academy for the Arabic Language, the King Abdulaziz Foundation, the King Abdulaziz Public Library, the King Fahd National Library and the Publishing Association.