Saudi Arabia agency wins global prize for efficient government spending
EXPRO took top spot at Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply Excellence in Procurement Awards in London
Updated 25 September 2023
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has won a global award for efficient government spending and allocation of resources aimed at growing the country’s economy in alignment with the Vision 2030 plan.
The Kingdom’s Expenditure and Project Efficiency Authority took the top spot at the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply Excellence in Procurement Awards that took place in London recently.
The CIPS granted EXPRO the award in the category Best Procurement Transformation Program, for the project “SpendVision.”
The CIPS is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to upholding excellence in procurement and supply chains, with over 200,000 international experts in the field.
EXPRO’s winning project outlines the strategic initiatives undertaken in partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Finance and the National Center for Government Resource Systems.
The project was designed to address challenges, including significant price variations, lack of transparency, non-standardized products, lengthy procurement processes, limited supplier commitment, and optimizing expenditure efficiency for government entities.
EXPRO’s CEO Abdulrazzag Al-Aujan said: “This honor reflects the synergistic endeavors of our partners across various government sectors, who have pioneered groundbreaking methods to amplify the efficiency of government expenditure in alignment with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.”
The work undertaken by EXPRO resulted in over 500 government entities overcoming challenges in procurement processes, and standardizing products and services, said Al-Aujan.
Saudi Cabinet session praises Kingdom’s 2034 FIFA World Cup bid
Updated 31 July 2024
Arab News
RIYADH: The Saudi Cabinet on Tuesday praised the submission of Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 World Cup, Saudi Press Agency reported.
In a session chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Cabinet said the hosting of the World Cup would show the Kingdom’s determination to present an exceptional version of the major sporting event.
The bid was submitted to FIFA officials in Paris on Monday by a delegation headed by the Saudi minister of sports, Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, and President of the Saudi Football Federation Yasser Al-Misehal.
“With this candidacy, we intend to host the exceptional edition that brings together 48 teams for the first time in the history of the tournament in one country,” the minister said.
“Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2034 is a bid for the future. It is for our children and those who dream big.”
Pakistani artist’s vivid, surrealist portrayals of Arab, South Asian cultures
Zainab Anwar’s work shaped by living in Saudi Arabia and Canada
Art focuses on the challenges women and girls face in society
Updated 30 July 2024
Sulafa Alkhunaizi
RIYADH: Pakistani artist Zainab Anwar’s compelling work is marked by vibrant colors and surrealist portrayals of South Asian and Arab cultures, with a focus on tackling challenges facing women and girls in society.
Anwar, 24, was born in Pakistan and moved to Saudi Arabia when she was 8 years old. She spent her formative years in the capital, attending Manarat Riyadh International School. She left the Kingdom at 18 to attend university in Canada and has since returned.
Riyadh-based Pakistani artist Zainab Anwar’s work is shaped by living in Saudi Arabia, with some works focusing on the challenges women and girls face in society. (Supplied/Adam Studio)
“I grew up here with people from different cultures. However, I often did not see families from different cultures interact with each other. In school, South Asians and Arabs interacted with each other but I did not see any media representation of this.
“I felt that our societies outside of school were completely separated. This led me to create cross-cultural work. To represent the experiences of South Asians in the Middle East.”
HIGHLIGHTS
• Zainab Anwar, 24, was born in Pakistan and moved to Saudi Arabia when she was 8 years old.
• She spent her formative years in the capital, attending Manarat Riyadh International School.
• Bright and colorful backdrops inspired by Pakistani truck art are Anwar’s artistic signature.
Anwar began her artistic journey by portraying Pakistani women in various settings.
“I later began drawing darker-skinned and hairy women because I felt these were characteristics that brown women were shamed for. I saw girls in school bully each other over such beauty standards, Arab and South Asian girls alike.”
Riyadh-based Pakistani artist Zainab Anwar’s work is shaped by living in Saudi Arabia, with some works focusing on the challenges women and girls face in society. (Supplied/Adam Studio)
Art has been an outlet for her during times of dealing with mental health issues.
“Later on, I began using surrealist art to depict the difficult feelings and experiences I had with my depression and anxiety. Growing up with a mental health stigma, it took me many years to understand these emotions. And creating art on it has helped me cope with such feelings.”
Riyadh-based Pakistani artist Zainab Anwar’s work is shaped by living in Saudi Arabia, with some works focusing on the challenges women and girls face in society. (Supplied/Adam Studio)
She added: “I believe that art can help bring light to difficult matters and also bring a sense of peace to people that suffer from such social issues and mental illness.
“I found that society has difficulty dealing with experiences all women and girls face, like sexual harassment and unrealistic beauty standards.”
Riyadh-based Pakistani artist Zainab Anwar’s work is shaped by living in Saudi Arabia, with some works focusing on the challenges women and girls face in society. (Supplied/Adam Studio)
Bright and colorful backdrops are Anwar’s artistic signature. “The main source of inspiration for the colors I use in paintings is Pakistani culture,” she said.
“A form of art used by truck drivers in Pakistan is called truck art. Truck drivers adorn their trucks with bright, contrasting colors to draw attention to them. I was drawn to these trucks from a young age and I believe this has led me to use bright colors in my work.”
Riyadh-based Pakistani artist Zainab Anwar’s work is shaped by living in Saudi Arabia, with some works focusing on the challenges women and girls face in society. (Supplied/Adam Studio)
Anwar’s portfolio showcases an experimental use of different mediums including ink, pencil, photography, and traditional artforms such as embroidery. Her current preference is the use of acrylic paints for her work.
Although she portrays aspects of South Asian and Arab culture, Anwar says that women tend to relate to her art no matter where they are from. “They can understand the many universal experiences of being a woman that I depict in my work. People are also appreciative of cross-cultural work and see it as a reflection of the society we are in.”
Anwar says she attempts to capture the full gamut of human experience in her work, including joy and sorrow which are “important to society, for both the artist and the viewer.”
Over 25,000 beehives spread across Saudi royal reserve for honey production season
The authority aims to engage the local community in beekeeping, support the sustainable development of local bee products, encourage innovation, and create job opportunities, boosting farmers’ and beekeepers’ incomes
Updated 30 July 2024
Arab News
RIYADH: The Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Nature Reserve Development Authority has said that 25,737 beehives spread across 256 sites in the reserve are participating in this year’s honey production season.
The season, which opened at the beginning of July, will close at the end of April 2025, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The reserve produces two of the finest types of honey, namely talh and sidr, whose production will continue until the end of September. (SPA)
The authority aims to engage the local community in beekeeping, support the sustainable development of local bee products, encourage innovation, and create job opportunities, boosting farmers’ and beekeepers’ incomes.
Since the launch of the season, the authority has sought to highlight the role bees play in the ecosystem, in plant pollination, and in preserving the biodiversity of the reserve, as well as to demonstrate its commitment to protecting the environment and applying sustainability standards. It has also underscored the importance of honey products as an example of the contribution of natural resources to economic development.
The reserve produces two of the finest types of honey, namely talh and sidr, whose production will continue until the end of September. (SPA)
So far, 109 permits have been issued to beekeepers, according to the authority, which added that the reserve produces two of the finest types of honey, namely talh and sidr, whose production will continue until the end of September. The spring blossom honey production season begins in February and continues until the end of May.
The beekeepers’ season is a distinctive event that contributes to encouraging ecotourism in the reserve by highlighting its picturesque and pristine natural environment, consolidating its position as a unique ecotourism hub.
Saudi National Water Co. launches 25 projects in Asir
The 23 water projects, which are spread across the city of Abha and several governorates, will provide sustainable drinking water to various neighborhoods and villages
Updated 30 July 2024
Arab News
The National Water Co. announced 25 water and sanitation projects in the Asir region, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
These projects involve constructing pipelines and networks over 1,481 km at a cost of SR960 million ($256 million).
“We have initiated 25 projects in the Asir region to enhance water and environmental service coverage,” the company stated.
The 23 water projects, which are spread across the city of Abha and several governorates, will provide sustainable drinking water to various neighborhoods and villages.
These projects include 1,410 km of pipelines and networks, along with 19 tanks with a total capacity of 109,350 cubic meters, costing SR907 million.
Additionally, two sewage projects in Khamis Mushayt will cover several neighborhoods with pipelines and networks exceeding 71 km, costing SR53 million.
These initiatives support Saudi Vision 2030, aiming to improve water and environmental sectors’ efficiency and quality.
National Water Co. is committed to enhancing water distribution, increasing service coverage, and providing sustainable drinking water to improve the quality of life and regional development.
Saudi Arabia ramps up efforts to protect mangrove forests
An RSG spokesman said mangrove trees were powerful tools for carbon removal as they were able to absorb five to ten times more of the element than other plants
Updated 30 July 2024
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification are increasing their efforts to protect the Kingdom’s mangrove forests.
Mangrove forests are one of the planet’s most stunning and remarkable natural ecosystems, yet the trees occupy only 0.5 percent of the global coastal areas. Pollution from construction and manufacturing, shrimp farming and urban expansion have led to their destruction and a decline in their numbers, Saudi Press Agency has reported.
Mangrove forests are one of the planet’s most stunning and remarkable natural ecosystems, yet the trees occupy only 0.5 percent of the global coastal areas. (SPA)
Mangrove forests are crucial for safeguarding beaches from erosion, purifying water from pollutants and storing carbon, helping mitigate climate change. They are also a vital habitat for marine and wildlife and provide economic and social advantages.
Now, the ministry and center are carrying out a number of initiatives at both regional and international level to protect them. These include cultivating mangroves along the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf coastlines, in line with the goals of the Saudi Green Initiative. Research is also being conducted to address the challenges of mangrove restoration in harsh environments.
Mangrove forests are one of the planet’s most stunning and remarkable natural ecosystems, yet the trees occupy only 0.5 percent of the global coastal areas. (SPA)
The center has committed to protecting and growing mangrove forests and has initiated multiple development projects along the Kingdom’s coasts in collaboration with public, private and non-profit partners. It is currently planting 13 million mangrove trees as part of the national target of 100 million by 2030. It is also working to raise awareness among local communities about their significance and educate them on preservation methods.
Recently, more than 100 volunteers joined a mangrove planting event held to mark the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem.
Mangrove forests are one of the planet’s most stunning and remarkable natural ecosystems, yet the trees occupy only 0.5 percent of the global coastal areas. (SPA)
The session was hosted by Saudi develop Red Sea Global and was also attended by representatives from the ministry and students from the Red Sea Global English for Tourism program.
An RSG spokesman said mangrove trees were powerful tools for carbon removal as they were able to absorb five to ten times more of the element than other plants.
Mangrove forests are one of the planet’s most stunning and remarkable natural ecosystems, yet the trees occupy only 0.5 percent of the global coastal areas. (SPA)
“Establishing a sustainable mangrove ecosystem is crucial to RSG’s commitment to safeguarding and enriching the natural environment of their destinations,” said Raed Albasseet, group chief environment and sustainability officer at RSG.
After opening the Red Sea Mangrove Nursery last year, the company has transplanted a million seedlings to date and expects to grow 2 million more this year.
This latest initiative is part of a larger-scale program, “From People to Planet,” where members of the local community, RSG partners and visitors to the Red Sea destination can take part in future planting initiatives.
