JEDDAH: In collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) has inaugurated the qualifying program for the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair 2024.
The program, held at the Mishkat Interactive Center in King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy in Riyadh, seeks to identify and prepare 35 outstanding individuals from a pool of 45 talented participants. The selected students are poised to represent the Kingdom at the prestigious Regeneron ISEF 2024 in Los Angeles in May.
Mawhiba said that the selected students will join more than 1,800 peers worldwide specializing in science and engineering. They will not only compete for ISEF awards, but also participate in international innovation exhibitions, such as ITEX in Malaysia and TISF in Taiwan.
As part of the program, mentors will review the students’ projects, developing work plans to strengthen and enhance each project before the final submission deadline to ISEF.
Workshops on presentation skills, project display, and understanding the judging mechanism at ISEF are also included in the agenda for participants.
Additionally, the Scientific Ethics Committee will have a crucial role in reviewing specific forms related to scientific ethics followed during experiments for each project. Statistical analysis of selected projects will be conducted to ensure accuracy, with specialists overseeing the development plans for each student.
Toward the end of the workshop, an independent judging committee will make the crucial decision of selecting candidates to join the Saudi science and engineering team. These chosen individuals will then proudly represent the Kingdom at ISEF 2024, competing for its coveted awards.
Mawhiba emphasized the success of previous efforts in fostering a culture of scientific research and innovation in education. This has led to the Kingdom achieving commendable global positions in international participation.
Earlier this month, Mawhiba hosted the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity, Ibdaa 2024, to select students for the Regeneron ISEF 2024 event.
Mawhiba said that the number of students participated in this year’s Ibdaa 2024 has surged by 40 percent, reaching 210,000 compared to 146,000 students last year, who submitted projects in 21 scientific fields.
The foundation selected 180 projects from a pool of 210,000 submissions
The projects included 30 in the energy sector, 26 in materials science, 24 in chemistry, 17 in environmental engineering, 11 in biomedicine and health sciences, and nine in plant sciences.
The Ibdaa 2024 Olympiad aims to discover and support Saudi Arabia’s talented students, fostering their skills and advancing scientific projects.
The annual event provides an innovative environment for collaboration between educational supervisors, education departments and researchers, with a goal to support students.
Mawhiba prepares 35 young innovators for global science fair
https://arab.news/4u7g9
Mawhiba prepares 35 young innovators for global science fair
- Mawhiba said that the selected students will join more than 1,800 peers worldwide specializing in science and engineering
- Mawhiba said that the selected students will join more than 1,800 peers worldwide specializing in science and engineering
Saudi Supreme Judicial Council approves three-judge panel system for criminal cases
- The decision will be implemented gradually in collaboration with the relevant departments of the council and the Ministry of Justice
RIYADH: Criminal cases in the Kingdom will be heard by a three-judge panel at criminal courts after the head of the Supreme Judicial Council approved the decision, Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
The decision will be implemented gradually in collaboration with the relevant departments of the council and the Ministry of Justice.
Walid Al-Samaani, the head of the council, has issued a series of decisions aimed at promoting judicial safeguards and enhancing the quality of judgments.
These include approval for family cases to be exclusively heard by 12 personal status courts and a selection of personal status panels in general courts located in regions that do not have personal status courts available.
Saudi Arabia to experience scorching heat through the month
- Temperatures expected to surge to 50 C in late July and early August
- Riyadh and cities in the Eastern Province are on the meteorological department’s high alert
RIYADH: Temperatures in Saudi Arabia are expected to rise to 50 degrees Celsius in late July and early August.
Riyadh and cities in the Eastern Province were on the meteorological department’s high alert over the searing heat forecast for the month, with the maximum temperature soaring to 44 C in Riyadh and 47 C in Dammam on Tuesday.
According to the National Center of Meteorology, temperatures across Saudi Arabia are expected to remain high this month. From Monday, July 1, until next Friday, July 12, 2024, Riyadh and the Eastern Province are expected to experience extreme heat, with maximum temperatures surging to 47 C in Riyadh and 49-50 C in Dammam.
Similar conditions are forecast for parts of Makkah and Madinah, with temperatures surging to 42-45 C.
The NCM forecasts that heatwave conditions will persist throughout the month and continue until the first week of August. The authority issued a severe weather warning, or orange alert, in some areas including Riyadh, the Eastern Province, and the Makkah region.
An orange alert means that high temperatures are expected and that prolonged exposure to the sun could likely result in heat-related illnesses.
In areas where an orange alert has been issued, doctors recommend drinking plenty of water even when not thirsty, along with oral rehydration solutions or electrolyte replenishments and homemade summer drinks like laban, lemon water, and fruit juices.
Dr. Abdullah Ahmed, who works at a hospital in Riyadh, told Arab News: “Homemade drinks such as lemonade or coriander mint water are effective remedies that not only keep you hydrated but also offer various health benefits. By taking these simple precautions and consuming these refreshing drinks, you can enjoy a healthier summer season.”
The NCM also forecast that high-speed winds will affect some parts of the Kingdom including Makkah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province.
Meanwhile, a climate expert has warned that temperatures in Saudi Arabia are expected to soar above 50 C in late July and early August.
Abdulaziz Al-Mazrui, the head of a climate change research center at King Abdulaziz University, underscored the severity of the impending heatwave and urged residents and authorities to prepare for the scorching heat during the peak summer season in the Kingdom.
Iffat Aabroo, a Riyadh resident, told Arab News: “Even early in the morning, you don’t feel comfortable going for a walk or doing any work. As the day progress, the air conditioning at home does not work properly when you have high temperatures.”
Syed Wasiuzzaman, an Alkhobar resident, told Arab News: “We are experiencing very high temperatures in the Eastern Province. It was 43 degrees in the morning at 9 a.m. when I was going to the office. As the day progressed, it surged to 47 degrees, making the day uncomfortable.”
Saudi minister of defense arrives in Turkish capital on state visit
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman arrived on Tuesday in the Turkish capital, Ankara, on an official visit, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Prince Khalid will hold several meetings to discuss bilateral relations, enhance joint cooperation between the two brotherly countries, and discuss issues of common interest, SPA said.
Upon his arrival at Esenboga International Airport in Ankara, His Highness was received by the Chairman of the Turkish Defense Industries Authority, Professor Khaluk Gurgun, and a number of senior officials.
UN announces World Conjoined Twins Day after Saudi request
RIYADH: The UN has declared Nov. 24 will be World Conjoined Twins Day following a request from Saudi Arabia, reported the Saudi Press Agency.
From this year the day will be observed annually after an initiative proposed by Saudi Arabia in collaboration with Bahrain, Morocco, Qatar and Yemen.
The day aims to raise awareness of conjoined twins and celebrate achievements in the field of conjoined-twin separation surgery.
The permanent representative of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations, Abdulaziz Al-Wasil, delivered a speech at the UN Generally Assembly while presenting the draft resolution for adoption.
He said the resolution aimed to increase awareness about conjoined twins at various stages of their lives. He also noted Saudi Arabia’s leading role in conducting conjoined-twin separation operations.
The Kingdom’s Conjoined Twins Program has treated around 139 sets of conjoined twins from countries around the world since its launch in 1990. Operations carried out under the program are fully sponsored by the Saudi government.
Al-Wasil stressed the need to foster “international and regional cooperation to ensure conjoined twins’ wellbeing and access to the highest quality healthcare, while promoting their human rights.”
He expressed his gratitude to representatives of UNICEF and the World Health Organization for their support throughout the resolution’s drafting and negotiation phases.
Burkinabe conjoined twins arrive in Riyadh for possible separation
RIYADH: Burkinabe conjoined twins Khadijah and Hawaa arrived in the Saudi capital for a possible separation surgery at King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital.
Accompanied by their mother, the girls were airlifted from Burkina Faso to the Kingdom by the defense ministry’s medevac, following the directives of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, head of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, extended his thanks to the Saudi leadership for the gesture that embodies the Kingdom’s great medical capabilities and humanitarian sense towards needy groups around the world.
The twins’ mother thanked the Saudi government and people for the warm welcome and hospitality, expressing her confidence in the experienced Saudi medical team.
The Kingdom is a world leader in one of the most complex surgical procedures in modern medicine. Since its launch in 1990, Saudi Arabia’s Conjoined Twins Program has treated about 139 cases of conjoined twins from countries around the world. Al-Rabeeah, who heads the medical team, has conducted 61 operations on conjoined twins born to poor families from 26 countries.
King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital plays a crucial role in the program. Equipped with state-of-the-art medical facilities and advanced technology, the hospital is staffed by a highly skilled medical team specializing in complex pediatric care.
Operations carried out under the program are fully sponsored by the Saudi government.
According to medical studies, about 60 percent of conjoined twins are stillborn, while some 40 percent of those who survive birth then die within a few days. About 70 percent of conjoined twins are girls.
