Saudi culture ministry launches Arabian Leopard story competition to mark international day

The completion runs until Feb. 10, coinciding with the International Day of the Arabian Leopard. (File/SPA)
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Updated 28 December 2023
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Saudi culture ministry launches Arabian Leopard story competition to mark international day

  • Young Saudi writers will compete in the Arabian leopard storytelling initiative to promote conservation awareness
  • The competition, aligned with the International Day of the Arabian Leopard, runs until Feb. 10.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture on Wednesday launched the Arabian Leopard Story Competition, a digital contest for children and adolescents.
The competition, aligned with the International Day of the Arabian Leopard, runs until Feb. 10. Participants must create a short story with drawings using a ministry-provided template, focusing on the Arabian leopard, the need for preservation, and habitat enhancement in the Kingdom.
The competition includes four main stages, starting from receiving the entries and the launch of the digital platform from Dec. 26 to Jan. 16, then the sorting and filtering stage from Jan. 15 to 18, judging the entries from Jan. 21 to 25, and finally announcing and honoring the winners at a special event held on Arabian Leopard Day.
The competition has two categories: one for cubs aged 9 to 12, and the other for tigers aged 13 to 15. The top three cubs win SR4,500 ($1,200), SR3,000, and SR1,500. In the leopard category, the top three win SR6,000, SR4,000,
and SR2,000.

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Participants must create a short story with drawings using a ministry-provided template, focusing on the Arabian leopard, the need for preservation, and habitat enhancement in the Kingdom.

Participants must submit entries and required documents on the Ministry of Culture’s website, following specified formats and ensuring complete credibility. Individuals can submit their work in various categories, including thriller, action, horror, drama, science fiction, historical, or sports.
The Saudi Council of Ministers issued a decision on Jan. 18, 2022, designating Feb. 10 each year as Arabian Leopard Day. As a culmination of national efforts, the UN General Assembly issued a decision last June to designate the day as International Arabian Leopard Day.
The initiative aligns with the Kingdom’s and the Royal Commission for AlUla’s commitment to safeguarding the Arabian leopard, emphasizing its significant national and regional importance. It seeks to preserve the environment, raise awareness in the region, draw global attention to the threats facing this rare creature, and highlight long-term conservation plans.
In the Arabian Peninsula, the Arabian leopard represents beauty, tranquillity, physical strength and courage. For thousands of years, stories and novels based on the leopards have been passed down, along with pictures that have been found engraved in ancient rock art in the Kingdom. 
Through this competition, the Ministry of Culture aims to activate international days, raise the level of awareness among children and adolescents about the Arabian leopard, and highlight and celebrate promising talents in writing and drawing. 
It also seeks to consolidate the importance of the natural reserves in which the Arabian leopard lives, to enhance the status of the Kingdom as its natural habitat, and encourage the international community to preserve the breed from extinction through qualitative and motivational initiatives.


King Salman appoints Dr. Majid Al-Fayyad as advisor to the Saudi Royal Court

Updated 09 July 2025
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King Salman appoints Dr. Majid Al-Fayyad as advisor to the Saudi Royal Court

  • Al-Fayyad has been executive general supervisor at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre since 2017
  • He graduated in 1990 from King Saud University’s medical school and has amassed decades of clinical, academic and administrative experience

JEDDAH: In a royal order issued on Wednesday, King Salman appointed Dr. Majid Al-Fayyad as an advisor to the Saudi Royal Court.

Al-Fayyad is the executive general supervisor at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, which has facilities in Riyadh, Madinah and Jeddah. He graduated in 1990 from the medical school at King Saud University in Riyadh, and has amassed decades of clinical, academic and administrative experience.

In the US, he undertook specialized training in pediatrics at Tufts University, and in pediatric cardiology at Columbia University. He holds several certifications and degrees, including a master’s in medical administration awarded by the University of Southern California in 2015.

He was appointed in 2017 to his current position at King Faisal Specialist Hospital, where he has helped spearhead key reforms to the Saudi healthcare sector. He has also played important roles in national healthcare committees and initiatives, earning recognition for his contributions to research and administration.


Saudi deputy FM receives UK ambassador in Riyadh

Updated 09 July 2025
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Saudi deputy FM receives UK ambassador in Riyadh

Saudi Deputy Minister for International Multilateral Affairs Abdulrahman Al-Rassi was visited by UK Ambassador to the Kingdom Neil Crompton in Riyadh on Wednesday.

The ambassador visited to bid farewell on the occasion of the end of his tenure in the Kingdom, the Foreign Ministry wrote in a post on X.

Al-Rassi praised the ambassador’s efforts in strengthening and advancing relations between the two countries.


Riyadh museum to host interactive camp for kids

Updated 09 July 2025
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Riyadh museum to host interactive camp for kids

JEDDAH: The National Museum in Riyadh will launch its third interactive summer camp, themed “Made in the Museum,” for children aged 10 to 12, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The initiative is part of the “Year of Handicrafts,” celebrating Saudi Arabia’s cultural heritage and its role in shaping national identity and intergenerational bonds.

The camp has two sessions: July 21-31 and Aug. 4-14, running daily from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., both inside the museum and outdoors.

Designed as an educational and immersive experience, the camp invites participants to explore and revive traditional Saudi crafts, the SPA added.

Children will engage in hands-on activities in four core tracks: clay crafts, textiles, woodworking, and supportive crafts, blending play, learning, and exploration.

This year’s camp strengthens the museum’s role as a community hub, providing children with opportunities to develop critical thinking and design skills while inspiring their imagination and showing the cultural and economic importance of handicrafts.

The camp encourages children to make and show their projects at the end of each session, helping them feel confident and encouraging new ideas and creativity.


Riyadh hospital succeeds in rare disease treatment

Updated 09 July 2025
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Riyadh hospital succeeds in rare disease treatment

  • The hospital has provided 22 years of care for a patient with a rare genetic blood clotting disorder, culminating in a successful liver transplant — the first worldwide for this condition

RIYADH: King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh has provided 22 years of care for a patient with a rare genetic blood clotting disorder, culminating in a successful liver transplant — the first worldwide for this condition.

Diagnosed in infancy with congenital plasminogen deficiency, the patient required ongoing treatment to manage fibrous deposits affecting her tissues and organs, according to a press release.

Over the two decades, a multidisciplinary team including hematology, transplant specialists, nursing, nutrition and IT supported her care, the report said.

The patient’s father said: “She suffered from birth and couldn’t nurse. We had no clear answers until we found hope through the care provided by the Saudi government. After 22 years of struggle, we witness our daughter’s recovery.”

The treatment involved regular plasminogen infusions and eyedrops to reduce the disease’s effect on her vision, with annual costs exceeding SR6 million ($1.6 million), fully covered by the government.

Dr. Hazzaa Al-Zahrani, director of the adult hematology and stem-cell transplant division at the center and supervising physician, said that managing the case required a precise and long-term approach to prevent complications and ensure stability.

He said that the decision to proceed with a liver transplant came after careful consideration as an extraordinary therapeutic option for this exceptionally rare case.

The procedure’s success marked a turning point in her medical journey and was a beacon of hope for patients with similar conditions worldwide, Al-Zahrani added.


Program to boost youth, SME role in Saudi economy

Updated 09 July 2025
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Program to boost youth, SME role in Saudi economy

RIYADH: The Small and Medium Enterprises Loan Guarantee Program, known as Kafalah, in collaboration with the Riyadh Chamber, will hold interactive sessions on July 15 to mark World Youth Skills Day.

The initiative aims to raise awareness and develop entrepreneurial skills among youth, entrepreneurs and SMEs, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

The sessions will cover key topics to boost youth contributions to national economic development, in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 reform plan.

Focus areas include access to finance, building administrative and financial capabilities, enhancing SME sustainability, and turning ideas into viable projects.

These sessions highlight the collaboration between entities supporting the SME sector in the Kingdom, the SPA added.

The Kafalah program and Riyadh Chamber aim to foster youth growth and strengthen their role in the national economy.

Kafalah supports micro, small and medium enterprises by providing financial guarantees, improving their access to financing and reducing lending risks for banks.