MWL Washington forum highlights common values in Makkah Charter

Secretary-general of the Muslim World League and chairman of the Muslim Scholars Association, Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, participated in the forum. (Supplied)
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Updated 10 November 2021
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MWL Washington forum highlights common values in Makkah Charter

  • MWL chief: Makkah Charter an extension of Madinah Charter, based on the values of religious tolerance
  • US officials, religious leaders, heads of research centers, and academics participated in the forum

WASHINGTON: The first forum of the Makkah Charter to promote the concept of one social family with common values has been held in Washington.

The forum, entitled “Makkah Charter for Promoting Global Unity and Coexistence: Interfaith Cooperation for Security, Health and Development,” was organized between major Islamic and non-Muslim religious institutions from various American states.

The secretary-general of the Muslim World League and chairman of the Muslim Scholars Association, Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, participated in the forum, alongside executive director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, Melissa Rogers, and a group of political and intellectual leaders, heads and members of think tanks and research centers and a number of other notable religious and academic figures.

The forum opened with a discussion session, followed by several broad-based workshops on topics related to religious freedoms, cooperation between different religions, social issues for minorities, and the role of religious responses in times of crisis. The forum also included a detailed presentation of the executive planning of the Makkah Charter based on the higher purposes of Islamic law (the five necessities), and also touched on the seventeen internationally agreed-upon sustainable development goals, declared by the UN’s General Assembly as “a blueprint for achieving a better and more sustainable future for all.”

The principles of the Makkah Charter and the Sustainable Development Goals converge around the fundamental issues of justice, poverty, environmental damage, mitigating violence, and promoting peace and coexistence.

During the opening session, Al-Issa discussed the contents of the Makkah Charter, explaining that it was an extension of the Madinah Charter or the Constitution of Madinah, which the Prophet Muhammad drafted with different social groups in the city.

Al-Issa affirmed that the Madinah Charter was the most genuine witness to the value of Islamic religious tolerance, including a call for coexistence with full rights and duties. He also emphasized human dignity and the right to exist in full legitimate freedom “whatever the religion, culture or race.”

He stressed that nothing supports the meaning of freedom more than the constitutional principles that stem from national laws that must be respected to prevent freedom becoming chaos.

Al-Issa pointed out that the Makkah Charter emphasized the importance of respecting diversity, which means respecting the will of God to have pluralism among humans. He added that the charter calls for dialogue and an alliance of civilizations while steering clear of conflict.

He noted that faith and action are central to avoiding conflicts stemming from pessimism and the misperception of human diversity.

Al-Issa further explained that the message behind the Makkah Charter began to take root in Islamic awareness, referring to the session of the Islamic Council of Foreign Ministers in Niamey, Niger, in November 2020. At that time, the ministers discussed and unanimously adopted the Makkah Charter to be used by religious, cultural and educational institutions in their countries.

The charter is perceived as a basis for expressing the religious identity of the Islamic nation. It was signed by over 1,200 muftis and scholars representing 27 different sects, who came from 139 countries to meet and agree on this historic achievement in Makkah next to the Kaaba during Ramadan in 2019. It clarifies for the Islamic nation the thoughts of religious scholars on the most prominent contemporary issues.

“The Makkah Charter is an extension of the Madinah Charter, which established the values of religious tolerance and human brotherhood,” Al-Issa said, stressing that it was the first time in history that Islamic Shariah scholars from different sects had reached a consensus over important contemporary issues.

“The numerous signatures from the various Islamic sects on the Makkah Charter are proof of the great and exceptional impact it has and this is reflected by the unanimous decision of the Islamic countries at the aforementioned Niamey meeting,” he added.

Al-Issa emphasized that today’s world is flooded with international initiatives, speeches and decisions, but lacks tangible action and sustainable work. This is why the Makkah Charter focuses on practical programs and partnerships inside and outside the Islamic world. “Today, for instance, we saw the presentation of four global programs based on the principles of the Makkah Charter: Religious diplomacy and its common values among followers of different religions, youth engagement, women’s legitimate empowerment, and capacity building.”

Following Al-Issa’s speech, the audience and different participants, including politicians and prominent religious leaders of various Christian denominations, as well as independent Jewish religious leaders, shared their views. A multitude of Islamic religious leaders also attended the forum, including prominent figures and academic leaders from Washington.


KSrelief delivers winter aid and dates to Yemen’s vulnerable

These packages form part of the emergency shelter project in Yemen. (SPA)
Updated 08 November 2024
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KSrelief delivers winter aid and dates to Yemen’s vulnerable

RIYADH: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief has delivered dates and winter shelter to vulnerable people in Yemen, the Saudi Press Agency reported late Thursday.

KSrelief’s volunteers distributed 100 winter bags in Thamud district, Hadhramaut governorate, for 600 individuals from 100 vulnerable families.

These packages form part of the emergency shelter project in Yemen. (SPA)

The aid is a part of the agency’s emergency shelter project in the country.

Meanwhile, 2,459 cartons of dates were delivered in Al-Wadi district, Marib governorate, for the benefit of 14,754 people.


KSrelief continues international relief efforts in Chad, Pakistan

Updated 08 November 2024
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KSrelief continues international relief efforts in Chad, Pakistan

RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has delivered aid to people most in need in Chad and Pakistan, reported the Saudi Press Agency.

Some 201 food parcels, benefiting 1,206 people, were distributed in the village of Sharkaya, in Hajar Lamis province, as part of the 2024 Food Security Support Project in the Republic of Chad.

Aid has also been given to 10,500 vulnerable people in flood-affected areas of Pakistan as part of the fourth phase of KSrelief’s initiative to provide shelter materials and winter bags to the country.


Saudi agency KSrelief delivers food, hygiene kits in Syria

The aid is a part of KSrelief’s projects to support earthquake-affected people in northern Syria. (SPA)
Updated 08 November 2024
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Saudi agency KSrelief delivers food, hygiene kits in Syria

  • The aid is a part of KSrelief’s projects to support earthquake-affected people in northern Syria

RIYADH: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief has distributed food and hygiene kits to thousands of vulnerable people across Syria, the Saudi Press Agency reported late Thursday.

The agency’s volunteers delivered 750 food parcels and 750 hygiene kits in Al-Hasakah, Syria, benefiting 4,500 people.

The aid is a part of KSrelief’s projects to support earthquake-affected people in northern Syria. (SPA)

Meanwhile 745 Syrian families, comprising 2,652 people, in Al-Dana, Idlib governorate, received food and hygiene kits.

The aid is a part of KSrelief’s projects to support earthquake-affected people in northern Syria.


How Google aims to bridge the AI skills gap in Saudi Arabia and the wider region

Updated 08 November 2024
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How Google aims to bridge the AI skills gap in Saudi Arabia and the wider region

  • Backed by local partners, Google will boost AI upskilling for women, youth, migrants, and rural communities
  • The AI Opportunity Initiative aims to equip half a million people across the MENA region with AI skills

DUBAI: As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes industries, job roles and skill requirements, the Middle East and North Africa region is actively embracing advanced technologies and collaborating with tech giants to bridge the skills gap in an evolving labor market.

One such collaboration is with Google’s newly launched AI Opportunity Initiative, which offers training and education opportunities to make AI technologies more accessible and inclusive across the region.

By collaborating with local organizations, the AI Opportunity Initiative seeks to “train half a million people in the next two years,” Anthony Nakache, managing director of Google MENA, told an audience at the recent AI Connect MENA event at Dubai’s Etihad Museum.

To achieve this, Google “will give a grant of $15 million to fund local organizations,” Nakache said.

Najeeb Jarrar, regional director of marketing at Google MENA, told Arab News: “We are very excited about this AI Opportunity Initiative, especially since we are seeing the Saudi community is fully embracing AI both on the consumer side and on the developer and resource side.

“This is an initiative that we have launched globally and we now are bringing to the region. One of the aims of this initiative is how we are leveling the playing field for AI and AI education and skilling across the entire region,” he added, noting that students will learn to use AI more productively, including skills such as prompt engineering.

To bridge the digital divide in the labor market, Google’s AI Opportunity Initiative aims to upskill underserved workers in AI by offering tailored training materials in Arabic, in partnership with the non-profit Manarat, online course provider Coursera, and other organizations.

Google’s largest AI project in the region, the AI Opportunity Initiative will focus on four key areas: AI skills development, research, products, and infrastructure.

DID YOUKNOW?

• The new AI Opportunity Initiative is Google’s largest AI project in the region.

• It aims to equip 500,000 people in the MENA region with AI skills within two years.

• Google is granting $15 million to local organizations between 2024 and 2027.

• The Saudi government is reportedly creating a $40 billion fund to invest in AI.

“We also worked with local NGOs and local players in the market to ensure that we are also reaching out to different partners,” Jarrar said.

Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, has announced plans to contribute $15 million between this year and the end of 2027, providing funding to organizations across the region to ensure accessibility to AI opportunities.

The AI Opportunity Initiative also aims to equip 500,000 people in the MENA region with AI skills in the first two years. This includes students, academics, developers, entrepreneurs and underrepresented groups.

Speaking about the issue of accessibility, Jarrar said: “We wanted to ensure first that this local initiative does not feel like an initiative that is hard to get for the average user.”

Google’s largest AI project in the region, the AI Opportunity Initiative will focus on AI skills development, research, products, and infrastructure. (Supplied)

He pointed out that both language and local partners, such as Injaz and Raspberry Pi Foundation, play a major role in improving accessibility.

“The content is all in Arabic, we have local examples that we are actually able to showcase,” he said. “We are partnering with local partners that know the market and the community very well and are able to reach more people that are beyond what we can initially reach to.”

The AI Opportunity Initiative enables Google to expand the Maharat min Google program, which targets high school and university students, by introducing a new AI curriculum in Arabic.

As part of its mission to support underserved communities, Google.org is funding Village Capital, a non-profit that supports entrepreneurs tackling environmental, social and economic challenges.

Village Capital will equip business support organizations to offer AI upskilling opportunities to underserved workers. 

The program targets women, youth, migrants and rural communities across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Lebanon, Bahrain and Iraq. 

The Raspberry Pi Foundation will use grant funding from Google.org to train teachers in AI literacy, equipping students aged 11-14 in the region with AI safety skills to better understand and navigate the challenges of AI technologies.

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Speaking at the Google AI Connect Event, Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer for Alphabet and Google, said: “AI is estimated to contribute $320 billion in economic growth for the Middle East by 2030.

“Google is working to ensure that people and communities throughout the region have the skills needed to capture the upside of this emerging technology.” 

She added: “Our local non-profit and university partners will help bring this program to people and communities throughout the region, ensuring that everyone can benefit from the opportunities that AI can deliver.”

 Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer for Alphabet and Google, speaking at the Google AI Connect event. (Photo courtesy of Google)

Since 2005, Google has invested more than $400 million in academic research globally.

The tech giant also announced during its Dubai event the launch of new Arabic AI products, including Gemini Live in Arabic, Gemini for Teens, Imagen3, and Gems on Gemini in Arabic. 

“For the previous year, we have worked hard with partners, with experts globally and from the region, to understand what are the constraints that we need to implement to make this product safer for teens, teens aged 13 to 18,” Jarrar said.

“We worked tirelessly to make sure we have the right guardrails to ensure that we had the right controls and the proper Q and A and testing, and today we are happy to say that Gemini for Teens is available for users and teens here in the region.”

These efforts are expected to support Saudi Arabia’s ambition to become an AI leader, ensuring its population stays aligned with the latest developments in the labor market.

A September report by the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence showed that 75 percent of the Saudi population is familiar with the concept of AI, and 64 percent are aware of its applications.
 

 


Saudi Arabia’s recreational spaces ready for holiday season

Updated 08 November 2024
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Saudi Arabia’s recreational spaces ready for holiday season

AL-BAHA: Saudi authorities have announced extensive preparations of public recreational facilities ahead of the school holiday season.

The Al-Baha municipality has readied 142 parks and recreational areas, along with municipal squares, public spaces and streets, to welcome visitors and tourists.

According to regional secretary, Ali bin Mohammed Al-Sawat, these facilities span more than 4,188,559.98 million square meters and feature amenities including children’s playgrounds, green spaces, shade structures, lighting, sidewalks, seating areas and parking, and facilities for activities such as walking and cycling.

The Al-Barouqi Tourist Farm in Al-Baha region features agricultural terraces, famous trees and old wells. (SPA)

Meanwhile, the Eastern Region Municipality has completed the preparation of 979 parks and public squares, 18 public recreational parks, 14 waterfront areas and 213 walking tracks.

The facilities are timely as moderate weather conditions and school breaks attract more outdoor activity.

The municipality emphasized its commitment to regular maintenance of these facilities, considering them vital breathing spaces for citizens and residents.
 

Al-Nakheel Park Tabuk region's Haql governorate is more than just a recreational destination. It is a place where residents and visitors can uncover stories of the past, shared by their ancestors. (SPA)