RIYADH: Delegates from the supervisory body in charge of overseeing and regulating global expos met Saudi ministers and other experts in Riyadh on Tuesday on the second day of their ongoing visit to evaluate the Kingdom’s bid to host Expo 2030.
During the meeting, the Bureau International des Expositions’ Enquiry Mission learned more about the ideas and meaning behind the proposed Saudi theme for the event: “The Era of Change: Together for a Foresighted Tomorrow.”
“The choice of theme reflects Saudi Arabia’s depth of aspiration, authenticity of intent and willingness to play an active role on the global stage, to solve the most pressing challenges of our era,” Abdullah Al-Swaha, the minister of communications and information technology, told the mission team.
“Our vision is to make Riyadh Expo 2030 a collaborative platform to design and share the tools to create the blueprints for a better tomorrow. We also aspire for Expo 2030 to enable foresight-led action by countries with impact at a global scale, and to offer the greatest impact and biggest possibilities to co-create the future.”
The theme aims to inspire participants to develop their own individual and diverse interpretations and perspectives on this central premise, officials said, and to help bring them alive at the expo through original and innovative exhibitions and pavilions, along with cultural, business and scientific programs.
Within the main theme there are three sub-themes to the Saudi bid: “A Different Tomorrow,” “Climate Action” and “Prosperity for All.” These were explained and explored on Tuesday through a series of presentations and discussions, including the sharing of information about national initiatives and innovation projects led by Saudi businesses and other organizations.
Central to these discussions were details of the Kingdom’s achievements in the development of future cities, energy transition, climate action, and the digital economy, officials said, all under the transformative umbrella of Saudi Vision 2030.
The Bureau International des Expositions delegation also met senior officials from the Public Investment Fund and NEOM, the massive smart city development in northwestern Saudi Arabia, to gain a better understanding of the ways in which such major projects in the Kingdom demonstrate the country’s foresight about the future of urban living, sources said. They also visited NEOM’s The Line Exhibition, which provided an immersive, multimedia experience showcasing the Saudi vision for the sustainable urban communities of tomorrow.
The day ended with a reception and dinner in the presence of Princess Haifa Al-Mogrin, Saudi Arabia’s permanent representative to UNESCO, Hala Al-Tuwaijri, president of the Saudi Human Rights Commission, and Iman Al-Mutairi, the deputy minister of trade.
Discussions during the reception revolved around Saudi Arabia’s advances in the realm of human rights and how these achievements have influenced the “Prosperity for all” expo sub-theme.
Team evaluating Saudi bid to host Expo 2030 hears about ideas behind its proposed theme
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Team evaluating Saudi bid to host Expo 2030 hears about ideas behind its proposed theme
- Officials and experts from the Kingdom told members of the expo Enquiry Mission about their aims in adopting the theme “The Era of Change: Together for a Foresighted Tomorrow”
- Within that main theme, they heard, there are three sub-themes: “A Different Tomorrow,” “Climate Action” and “Prosperity for All”
KSrelief distributes thousands of food baskets worldwide
- Etaam project aims to distribute 390,109 food parcels across 27 countries during Ramadan
RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has delivered thousands of food parcels to some of the world’s most vulnerable people, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
In Nigeria, KSrelief distributed 334 food baskets to families in need in the Adamawa state as part of the Etaam Ramadan food basket distribution project.
In Mauritania, 220 food parcels benefited 1,320 people in the Tiaret district. Somalia received 1,390 baskets for families in the Sool and Sanaag regions, benefiting 8,340 people.
Bangladesh saw 300 parcels distributed in the Barguna district, benefiting 1,500 individuals.
In Romania, 150 baskets were provided to families in Bucharest and Constanţa, while in Montenegro, 250 parcels were given to families in Rozaje and Bijelo Polje.
In Niger, 700 baskets were distributed in the Tillaberi Region, benefiting 4,900 people. South Africa received 450 parcels for families in Johannesburg.
Now in its fourth phase, the Etaam project aims to distribute 390,109 food parcels across 27 countries during Ramadan, benefiting 2.3 million people at a cost of over SR67 million ($17.8 million).
Paramedics resuscitate pilgrim in Grand Mosque within two minutes
- The patient was then transferred to a nearby medical facility to follow up on his condition and receive further care
RIYADH: Paramedics resuscitated a pilgrim within two minutes of a reported cardiac arrest at Makkah’s Grand Mosque on Saturday.
Authorities received a report at 4:06 p.m. of an Algerian pilgrim in his 60s who had fallen unconscious in the outer courtyards of the mosque.
Ambulance teams immediately attended the patient and used an electrical defibrillator and chest compression device to resuscitate him, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The patient was then transferred to a nearby medical facility to follow up on his condition and receive further care.
The quick response time was thanks to a plan that the Saudi Red Crescent Authority in Makkah had put in place in preparation for Ramadan, according to the SPA.
The holy month tends to be an especially busy period with visitors performing the Umrah pilgrimage.
There have been 242 instances in which emergency cases were transported from the courtyards of the Prophet’s Mosque to medical centers during Ramadan.
The Madinah Cardiac Center has performed open-heart surgery and seven cardiac catheterizations on Umrah pilgrims from five countries during the first half of Ramadan.
The Madinah Health Cluster, which includes hospitals and clinics in the region, also provided medical and emergency services to 23,014 people from more than 70 countries during Ramadan.
Saudi-led project clears 484,949 mines, explosive devices in Yemen
RIYADH: A Saudi-led humanitarian initiative in Yemen has seen a milestone 484,949 land mines and unexploded ordnance cleared since the start of the project in 2018, according to a recent report.
These include 323,793 items of unexploded ordnance, 146,207 anti-tank mines, 8,200 improvised explosive devices, and 6,749 anti-personnel mines, according to Ousama Al-Gosaibi, the project’s managing director.
Project Masam, overseen by the Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief, continues to remove deadly devices laid in the war-torn country by the Houthis.
Last week, the project’s special teams destroyed 515 items of unexploded ordnance, 25 anti-tank mines, five anti-personnel mines, and three improvised explosive devices.
Explosives planted indiscriminately by the Houthis across Yemen pose a threat to civilians, including children, women, and the elderly.
Project Masam is one of several initiatives undertaken by Saudi Arabia on the orders of King Salman to help the Yemeni people, clearing routes for humanitarian aid to reach the country’s citizens.
Demining operations took place in Marib, Aden, Jouf, Shabwa, Taiz, Hodeidah, Lahij, Sanaa, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhale, and Saada.
The initiative trains local demining engineers and provides them with modern equipment. It also offers support to Yemenis injured by the devices.
About 5 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the start of the conflict in Yemen, many of them displaced by the presence of land mines.
Masam teams are tasked with clearing villages, roads, and schools to facilitate the safe movement of civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
New bus routes launched to serve Diplomatic Quarter
- New bus routes will run from the King Saud University Station to the Diplomatic Quarter daily
RIYADH: The public bus network in Riyadh has been extended to serve the city’s Diplomatic Quarter, which houses many of the foreign embassies in the capital.
New bus routes will run from the King Saud University Station to the Diplomatic Quarter daily starting from 6:30 a.m. and ending at midnight.
The full schedule can be found on the Darb application for public transport.
The new routes come as the Royal Commission for Riyadh City continues its efforts to expand the public transport network in the city.
As well as the high-profile launch of the Riyadh Metro in December 2024, which now has six lines covering an area of more than 176 km, the commission is also working to expand the bus network.
There are now more than 2,860 bus stops and stations in the city, covering a total length of 1,905 km with a daily capacity of 500,000.
Saudi Arabia now 66 percent self-sufficient in grape production: MEWA
- National production in 2023 exceeded 122,000 tonnes
- 7.13 million grapes planted in over 4,720 hectares of land
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's grape production surpassed 122,000 tonnes in 2023, reflecting the growth of the local agricultural sector and its ability to meet a big portion of market demands, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported Saturday.
The figure accounts for 66 percent of current market demand in the Kingdom, said the report, citing a statement by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, or MEWA.
MEWA said more than 7.13 million grape plants, with more than 6.1 million bearing fruit.
In a separate report last year, the ministry reported a grape production area of 4,720 hectares across the Kingdom.
The same report highlighted Tabuk as the top grape-producing region, yielding 46,939 tonnes annually, adding that Qassim, Hail, and Asir also contributed significantly to the national production.
Grape farming is considered profitable because of the ease of cultivation in various soils with minimal water requirements. The plant could easily adapt to various climates in Saudi Arabia.
To encourage farmers to plant grapes, the ministry has assured its continuing efforts to support and empower them by providing modern technologies, such as smart irrigation systems and organic farming.
The ministry also aims to encourage increased local fruit consumption, saying that grapes are packed with nutrients, and have health benefits.
The harvest season for grapes is from June to September, the ministry said.
