Saudi Arabia seeks better world via engagement on shared values: Kingdom’s first US embassy spokeswoman
Empowering women only a part of Saudi Arabia’s rapid transformation, says Fatimah Baeshen
Determined to address biased reporting on Kingdom and Middle East North Africa region
Updated 16 February 2024
HUSSAM AL-MAYMAN
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is transforming at a rapid pace on all fronts, not only in terms of ensuring the empowerment of women, and there is a focus on engaging globally around shared values for a better world.
This is the view of Fatimah Baeshen, the first spokeswoman for the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Washington D.C., who was speaking during a recent interview on Arab News’ podcast, The Mayman Show.
Reflecting on her role as press secretary, she emphasized that it was not solely about being the first female appointment, but rather the manner in which public-sector institutions were being transformed in the Kingdom. This includes women being placed in prominent positions.
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Baeshen told Arab News that she believes the country has reached a point where it was not about how others perceived it.
“It’s a matter of cooperation around common interests or common challenges and shared interests. And that’s really it. And that, for me, is a beautiful trajectory,” she said.
Baeshen’s involvement in the media announcements around Vision 2030 and fiscal reforms ignited her interest in pursuing a career in the industry.
She noted the reception of the Kingdom’s messaging on fiscal policy reform in the international media space. She believes many global issues stem from the disconnect between subject-matter experts and communication experts, which leads to a plethora of problems.
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When Baeshen became press secretary, she was determined to address what she viewed as persistent biased reporting on the Middle East and North Africa region, including Saudi Arabia. She said that since 2020, there have been rapid changes taking place in the Kingdom.
On the personal front, Baeshen embarked on a new journey during the COVID-19 pandemic. With a background in management consulting, public affairs, and economic development, she wrote the book “140 Life Lessons I Wish I Knew at 20.” This 15-minute read, or audiobook available online, comprises aphorisms, as a collection of pearls of wisdom and guiding principles.
Baeshen found writing it to be cathartic during a time when many were encouraged to self-reflect and unwind.
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“At the time when I wrote this, I was 42 and I thought to myself, I wish I knew these in my twenties. And so I don’t have kids. And I thought to myself, this is what I’m going to leave behind,” she said.
For her, some of the most valuable life lessons in the book involve embracing every aspect of oneself. She compares it to the concept of yin and yang, explaining that what may seem wholly negative often contains elements of positivity, and vice versa.
Another lesson she holds dear is the importance of persevering through life’s challenges, to take rest when needed but to keep pushing forward.
One of the most important elements of her book is Lesson 13, which delves into the nuanced differences between self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-assuredness.
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She emphasized that it was important that change comes from within. Baeshen said that lacking this internal grounding can lead individuals to seek external validation constantly, trapping them in a cycle devoid of genuine affirmation.
She said that people should encourage and support all contributions to the Kingdom’s long-term goals.
It was important for people to pursue their passions and live holistically, said Baeshen.
Wrapped in gratitude: How Saudi women are redefining post-Hajj gift culture
Updated 13 June 2025
Waad Hussain
RIYADH: In Saudi Arabia, the end of Hajj doesn’t simply mark the conclusion of a sacred pilgrimage — it opens the door to another cherished tradition.
Gift-giving, known locally as hadiyat al-hajj or “the pilgrim’s gift,” is a gesture that turns a personal journey into a shared blessing. For many, it is an expression of faith, gratitude and love.
While classics like Zamzam water and dates still hold their place, a new generation of Saudi women is redefining this tradition, infusing it with creative spirit, personal stories and intentional detail. From custom packaging to symbolic items and handwritten notes, Hajj gifts today are becoming more than a token — they’re a continuation of the spiritual journey itself.
“I didn’t want to just hand someone a plastic bottle and say, ‘I went’,” said Nawal Al-Subaie, aged 30. “So I put together small bundles with Zamzam water, engraved tasbeeh and handwritten du’a cards for each friend. It was my way of letting them in on the experience.”
The gifts now often carry symbolic meaning — a fragrance that evokes the air of Arafat, prayer cards reflecting moments of silence in Muzdalifah, or a simple stamped tag reading “Hajj Mabroor” in hand-drawn calligraphy. The items are chosen with care, often representing moments that shaped the pilgrim’s heart.
For Dana Al-Hamdan, 26, the most powerful way to preserve the feeling of Hajj was through images. Instead of giving traditional gifts, she printed instant film photographs she took throughout her pilgrimage, labeled with the exact date and time.
“I gave them to my twin sister,” she said. “One was from Arafat just before Maghrib, another from the moment I arrived in Mina. They weren’t staged — they were raw and personal.”
The emotional weight of that gesture lingered far beyond the exchange.
“She kept one photo in her wallet and the other on her desk.” Al-Hamdan said.
This new take on hadiyat al-hajj is trending on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. Videos show everything from Hajj-themed gift boxes and laser-cut Qur’anic bookmarks to handmade pouches, scented oils and memory tokens.
But it isn’t about luxury or performance; it’s about thoughtfulness. Many women prepare the gifts in quiet, reflective settings. Some add prayers or verses. Others prepare items based on personal meaning, such as a prayer for healing, a verse for patience, or an object that symbolizes strength.
Latifa Al-Dossari, 27, created sets of prayer beads and placed them inside tiny velvet bags, along with notes describing what that day of Hajj felt like.
“It was like writing someone a letter from Mina,” she said.
What’s happening with these gifts is part of a larger movement, a shift toward a more expressive, emotionally honest form of spirituality. For many Saudi women, especially younger ones, Hajj is not only a rite to fulfill, but a memory to share, a testimony that invites others in.
Some see hadiyat al-hajj as souvenirs, others see them as silent declarations. “I remembered you,” they say. “I carried your name. This was not a journey I took alone.”
The true beauty of this tradition lies in the unspoken energy that surrounds it. These are not mass-produced tokens; they are gifts that hold time, intention, and prayer.
For the women crafting them, the act is a final ritual, a quiet bridge from the pilgrim’s journey back to daily life, but built with du’a, thought and love rather than stone or scripture.
Because, in the end, the real gift isn’t the Zamzam or the photograph or the beads. It’s the sincerity that comes with it — the kind that says: “You were with me, even when I was away.”
Saudi Arabia leads Arab condemnation of Israel attacks on Iran
‘Heinous attacks’ on ‘brotherly’ Iran violates international law
UN, global community must ‘immediately halt this aggression’
Updated 5 min 56 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia led Arab condemnation Israel’s strikes on Iran early on Friday, which apparently targeted multiple sites linked to the country’s nuclear program.
Israel also killed Hossein Salami, the chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, along with another top IRGC official and two nuclear scientists.
Oman, the UAE, Jordan and Qatar also issued statements condemning Israel's military actions against Iran.
The Kingdom “expresses its strong condemnation and denunciation of the blatant Israeli aggressions against the brotherly Islamic Republic of Iran, which undermine its sovereignty and security and constitute a clear violation of international laws and norms,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday.
#Statement | The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expresses its strong condemnation and denunciation of the blatant Israeli aggressions against the brotherly Islamic Republic of Iran, which undermine its sovereignty and security and constitute a clear violation of international laws and… pic.twitter.com/OYuWXwiE5y
“While the Kingdom condemns these heinous attacks, it affirms that the international community and the (UN) Security Council bear a great responsibility to immediately halt this aggression.”
The UAE, through its foreign affairs ministry, stressed the importance of “exercising the utmost self-restraint and judgment to mitigate risks and prevent the expansion of the conflict.”
“Enhancing dialogue, adhering to international law, and respecting the sovereignty of states constitute essential principles for resolving the current crises,” the foreign affairs ministry added.
The UAE emphasized the need to resolve disputes through diplomatic means rather than confrontation and escalation, and called on the United Nations Security Council to take urgent and necessary measures to achieve a ceasefire, and to reinforce international peace and security.
Oman also voiced its “strong condemnation of the brutal military aggression launched by Israel on the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which targeted sovereign facilities and caused casualties.”
“Oman considers this action a dangerous and reckless escalation that constitutes a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter and the principles of international law. It also represents unacceptable and ongoing aggressive behavior that undermines the foundations of stability in the region,” the country’s foreign affairs ministry said.
Jordan’s foreign ministry spokesperson Sufian Qudah warned of the “consequences of such escalatory actions, saying they threaten regional security and stability and risk exacerbating tensions”, state news agency Petra reported.
“Qatar considers the assault a blatant violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security, as well as a clear breach of international law and its established principles,” state news agency QNA meanwhile reported.
“The State of Qatar voices its grave concern over this dangerous escalation, which forms part of a recurring pattern of aggressive policies that threaten regional peace and stability and hinder efforts aimed at de-escalation and diplomatic resolution.”
Qatar emphasized “the urgent need for the international community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities and to act swiftly to halt these Israeli violations.”
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) June 13, 2025
“The State of Qatar reaffirms its firm position in rejecting all forms of violence, and reiterates its call for restraint and the avoidance of escalation that could widen the scope of conflict and undermine regional security and stability,” QNA reported.
Turkiye also condemned “in the strongest terms” Israel’s air strike on Iran, calling it a provocation that violates international law and risks further escalation in the region.
The Turkish foreign ministry in a statement said the attack showed Israel “does not want issues to be resolved through diplomatic means” and urged it to halt “aggressive actions that could lead to greater conflicts.”
Jassim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), also described the Israeli attacks as a ‘clear violation of international law and the United Nations Charter.’
Al-Budaiwi, in a statement, called on the ‘international community and the Security Council to assume their responsibilities towards immediately halting this aggression and avoiding escalation that could ignite a wider conflict, which would have dire consequences for regional and international peace.’
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military operation on Iran would “continue for as many days as it takes” to “roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival.”
Israel has declared a state of emergency in anticipation of retaliatory missile and drone strikes.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei meanwhile warned that Israel would suffer severe consequences after the deadly attacks.
“With this crime, the Zionist regime has set itself for a bitter and painful fate and it will definitely receive it,” Khamenei said in a statement.
How emerging AI talent is shaping the future of smart healthcare in Saudi Arabia
HuLP is an AI tool enabling doctors to refine cancer predictions in real-time, improving accuracy and trust
Med-YOLOWorld is a universal AI imaging tool that reads nine medical scan types at 70 frames per second
Updated 13 June 2025
Waad Hussain
RIYADH: As Saudi Arabia accelerates its investment in AI-powered healthcare, two young researchers from the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence are building the very tools that hospitals in the Kingdom will soon need — intelligent, interpretable, and scalable systems for diagnosis and prognosis.
Although the university’s 2025 cohort did not include Saudi nationals this year, the work of two standout graduates, Mohammed Firdaus Ridzuan and Tooba Tehreem Sheikh, directly aligns with Saudi Arabia’s healthcare transformation plans under Vision 2030.
Their research offers practical, forward-looking solutions for the Kingdom’s next generation of smart hospitals.
At a time when AI systems are being deployed across diagnostic units in Saudi hospitals, from the King Faisal Specialist Hospital to new initiatives backed by the Saudi Data and AI Authority, the focus is shifting from capability to clarity.
Can the systems provide real-time support? Can they explain their reasoning? Can doctors intervene? These are the questions both Ridzuan and Sheikh have set out to answer.
Ridzuan, a PhD graduate in machine learning, developed Human-in-the-Loop for Prognosis, or HuLP for short — a cancer survival prediction system that places doctors back at the center of AI-powered decision-making.
Mohammed Firdaus Ridzuan. (Supplied)
“While AI has made significant strides in diagnosing diseases, predicting individual survival outcomes, especially in cancer, is still a challenging task,” Ridzuan told Arab News. “Our model addresses this by enabling real-time clinician intervention.”
Unlike traditional models that operate in isolation, HuLP is built for collaboration. Medical professionals can adjust and refine its predictions using their clinical expertise. These adjustments are not just temporary; they influence how the model evolves.
“Doctors and medical professionals can actively engage with the system,” Ridzuan said. “Their insights don’t just influence the result — they actually help the model learn.”
This approach to human-AI partnership ensures that predictions remain explainable, context-aware, and grounded in patient-specific realities, a key need for Saudi hospitals integrating AI at scale.
“By allowing clinicians to dynamically adjust predictions, we create a more adaptive and responsive system that can handle local challenges,” Ridzuan added.
The Kingdom’s healthcare institutions are undergoing a digital transformation driven by national entities like SDAIA, the Ministry of Health, and the Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Innovation.
The Saudi Company for Artificial Intelligence (SCAI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund, and KFSHI aigned a partnership in 2024 to commercialize GenAI. (Supplied)
These entities are focused not only on adopting new AI tools but also on ensuring that these systems can integrate into clinical workflows. This is where Ridzuan sees HuLP making an impact.
“Smart hospitals are already integrating AI diagnostic tools for medical imaging and patient data analysis,” he said. “Our model can take this to the next level by empowering clinicians to interact with and guide the system’s predictions.”
In settings where trust and transparency are vital, Ridzuan’s collaborative model could help hospitals overcome one of AI’s most persistent problems: the black box effect.
This refers to the opaque nature of certain systems, particularly in the field of AI, where the internal workings and decision-making processes are hidden or unknown.
The emphasis on local relevance also comes through in HuLP’s design. Ridzuan says real-time data from regional healthcare systems is essential for training accurate, context-sensitive models.
“Local data provides insights into the unique health conditions and medical practices within the Gulf region,” he said. “Integrating this data ensures that the AI is attuned to the specific needs and health profiles of patients in the region.
The system is built to learn continuously. As clinicians correct or refine its predictions, the model updates itself, improving with each interaction. This feedback loop is crucial for real-world deployments, especially in the Gulf, where data quality can be inconsistent.
While Ridzuan is focused on outcomes, Sheikh, an MSc graduate in computer vision, is transforming the way hospitals detect disease in the first place.
Her project, Med-YOLOWorld, is a next-generation imaging system that can read nine types of medical scans in real time.
Unlike traditional radiology AI tools, which are often limited to specific tasks, Med-YOLOWorld operates with open-vocabulary detection. That means it can identify anomalies and organ structures that it has not been explicitly trained on — a key feature for scalability.
“Most models are confined to a single modality like CT or X-ray,” Sheikh told Arab News. “Med-YOLOWorld supports nine diverse imaging types, including ultrasound, dermoscopy, microscopy, and histopathology.”
With support for up to 70 frames per second, the system is designed for clinical deployment in high-demand environments.
Sheikh sees clear potential for its use in Saudi Arabia, where institutions like the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre are already implementing multi-modal AI imaging tools.
The Center for Health Intelligence is KFSHRC's arm for Innovating the Future of Healthcare. (Supplied)
“It can seamlessly integrate with existing imaging systems to enable open-vocabulary detection,” she said. “Identifying a wide range of medical findings — even those outside its original training set — is essential for fast-paced clinical environments.”
But building a universal imaging tool came with its own technical hurdles.
“The biggest challenge was managing the diverse preprocessing requirements across imaging modalities,” Sheikh said. “CT and MRI scans need intensity normalization, while ultrasound, dermoscopy, and microscopy have completely different visual characteristics.”
Data imbalance was another issue. While MRI and CT scans are widely available, data for more niche imaging types is scarce. Sheikh tackled this by designing custom augmentation techniques to ensure the model performs consistently across all modalities.
She is now working on combining Med-YOLOWorld with vision-language models, systems that explain what they see in natural language.
“MiniGPT-Med does a great job at explaining radiology images,” she said. “But pairing it with a system like Med-YOLOWorld adds a crucial dimension — open-world localization. Not just describing the issue but pointing to it.”
This fusion could create a powerful end-to-end diagnostic pipeline: detect, explain, and localize. For Saudi hospitals embracing AI-driven imaging, the impact could be transformative.
Tooba Tehreem Sheikh. (Supplied)
For Sheikh, the global implications of her work are just as important as the technical achievements. “Med-YOLOWorld reduces the need for large, annotated datasets,” she said. “In fast-scaling healthcare systems, that’s a game-changer.”
By enabling the detection of unseen categories, the system can remain relevant even as new diseases or anomalies emerge. And when combined with language models, it can assist in medical training, annotations, and decision support, all while reducing dependence on expert-labeled data.
This approach could accelerate AI adoption in emerging regions, including across the Gulf and the wider Middle East and North Africa, where access to large datasets and AI-specialized radiologists remains limited.
While MBZUAI is based in the UAE, its alumni are playing a growing role in shaping AI initiatives that extend across the Gulf. Both Ridzuan and Sheikh have demonstrated how innovation, when aligned with clinical realities and regional goals, can scale far beyond the lab.
As Saudi Arabia continues to invest in smart hospitals, real-time imaging, and personalized care, tools like HuLP and Med-YOLOWorld represent the next wave of AI in healthcare: explainable, collaborative, and regionally adaptable.
And with growing partnerships between research institutions, healthcare providers, and government entities, these systems may not be far from deployment in the Kingdom, paving the way for a more intelligent, human-centered approach to medical care.
Pilgrims through the lens: How photographers document scenes of faith during Hajj
Updated 13 June 2025
Tareq Al-Thaqafi
MAKKAH: Every year, the holy lands transform into a unique visual spectacle pulsing with faith and human diversity, drawing the world’s eyes to Makkah, where millions of Muslims perform the pilgrimage of Hajj.
During this period of spiritual and human momentum, photographers stand as visual historians, conveying to the world unforgettable scenes through their lenses that capture moments of worship, tears, unity, mercy, and cultural diversity.
Photographer Anas Al-Harthi said: “When I carry my camera during Hajj season, I feel that I am not just documenting an event but painting a grand canvas of faith in human colors from every continent.”
He added: “A photographer during Hajj does not just take a picture — he moves with a deep sense that this shot may remain a witness to a moment that will never be repeated in the pilgrim’s life.”
Photo by Faisal Al-Thaqafi.
Al-Harthi pointed out that the greatest challenge is respecting the sanctity of the scene without interfering with it, which requires a high artistic sense and an appreciation of place, time and situation.
Photographer Anas Bakhsh said that the experience of photographing during Hajj places the photographer at the heart of human emotion.
“Thousands of faces pass before you, and each face carries a story, every tear bears a prayer, and every movement expresses longing and contentment. Sometimes I feel that the photo I took is an answered prayer for someone in a moment of complete submission to God.”
He said that the scene forever engraved in his memory is when crowds gather on the plain of Arafat at the same time, a majestic sight where differences between people dissolve and the sounds of Talbiyah and supplication rise.
Photographer Faisal Al-Thaqafi said that professional photography during Hajj is not only about technical skill, but also about cultural and religious awareness, and the ability to engage with the scene with the spirit of a believing photographer. “The photographer during Hajj is not just a professional holding a camera — he is an eye pulsing with faith, translating emotion into imagery.”
He added: “Sometimes you capture an image of an elderly pilgrim raising his hands to the sky, and you realize that this photo will remain in people’s hearts more than any commentary or report — because it is sincere, pure, and simple.”
The three photographers agree that the logistical challenges — crowds, heat, and problems involving mobility — do not stand in the way of their passion. Instead, they drive them to exert double the effort to document this unique event.
Bakhsh said: “Every season, I return home with thousands of photos, but I keep only one or two for myself — those images that I feel touched something inside me and perhaps touched the hearts of millions around the world.”
Photo by Faisal Al-Thaqafi.
Al-Thaqafi said that a successful photograph during Hajj is not only one of high visual quality, but one that conveys a genuine emotion. “The strongest images are those that do not need an explanation. You see a pilgrim smiling or crying, and you feel your heart tremble.”
Al-Harthi believes that a photograph can change the world’s perception of Hajj and bring this great ritual closer to non-Muslims as well, saying: “We are not working only for documentation — we are working to build a human bridge, where the spirit of Islam is shown through an honest and professional lens.”
With these sincere lenses, the Hajj season becomes an open exhibition of spirituality, where photos tell stories that words cannot express, and bear witness to the greatest annual human gathering, where everyone is equal in attire, and united in purpose: seeking mercy and forgiveness.
Amid this visual momentum created by photographers through their lenses, the impact of these images is also felt by the pilgrims themselves and by millions of followers on social media. Syrian pilgrim Omar Al-Kadeeb, from Deir Ezzor, said: “Photos of relatives who performed the pilgrimage in the holy sites and near the Kaaba reached my family and friends within minutes and spread widely. At that moment, we felt like we were part of their spiritual journey despite the distance.” He added: “I saw images taken of pilgrims from all nationalities, and I found myself moving emotionally through the scenes — from a father crying in prayer, to a child smiling in Arafat, to a woman raising her hands to the sky in a profoundly moving moment that cannot be described.”
Photos by Faisal Al-Thaqafi, center shot, and Anas Al-Harthi.
Al-Kadeeb said that the professional photos shared by photographers on platforms such as X, Instagram and TikTok enhance the status of Hajj in people’s hearts and make it feel more relatable and more meaningful to the viewer — even if they are not performing Hajj themselves.
“I believe every beautiful image from Hajj is an indirect invitation for people to dream of Hajj and to realize the greatness of this immense pillar,” Al-Kadeeb said.
He concluded with high praise for the photographers: “They are not just professionals — they are messengers of peace and beauty, delivering the message in today’s universal language: a photo.”
AMMAN: The clinics of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center provided healthcare services to 2,789 patients in Zaatari camp for Syrian refugees in Jordan during the first week of May.
The general medicine clinics received 778 patients, while the internal medicine clinic treated 128 patients with diabetes, high blood pressure, and asthma.
The pediatric clinics received 226 children, 131 patients visited dental clinics, and 312 women were treated by the two women’s health clinics.
The ear, nose, and throat clinic received 66 patients suffering from sinusitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, and middle ear infections. The ophthalmology clinic saw 37 patients.
The cardiology clinic received 15 patients, the diagnostic radiology clinic received 37 patients, and the rehabilitation medicine clinic also treated 37 patients.
A total of 3,245 laboratory tests were conducted for 284 patients, and 217 imaging procedures, including X-ray and ultrasound examinations, were performed for 184 patients.
