Arab innovators shine in space exploration contest

1 / 3
Above, Saudi astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi, the first Arab woman to orbit Earth. (SPA)
Short Url
Updated 21 May 2024
Follow

Arab innovators shine in space exploration contest

  • Saudi Space Agency awards 10 winners in arts, botany, engineering

RIYADH: The Saudi Space Agency wrapped up its Space Madak competition on Tuesday by awarding 10 winning contestants prizes for their arts, botany and engineering projects.

Hailing from seven Arab countries, the winners were revealed at a ceremony hosted by the agency at the Communications, Space and Technology Commission headquarters in Riyadh.

The event marked the first anniversary of Saudi Arabia’s “Journey to Space” mission and was attended by the agency’s CEO Mohammed Al-Tamimi, officials, experts, and ambassadors from the winning students’ countries.

The competition, engaging ambitious Arab students, showcased their enthusiasm for space exploration and skills development.

The panel of judges comprised scientists, experts and space enthusiasts.

Following rigorous evaluation rounds, the top 10 contenders were chosen for their exceptional contributions.

In the arts category, winners included Yamen Al-Zaabi from Jordan, Preeti Sami from Egypt, Jawaher Farhan from Bahrain, Rafqa Mansour from Lebanon, and Aline Al-Issa from Saudi Arabia.

Sadan Al-Dosari from Saudi Arabia, Hooriya Basheikh from Morocco, and Fatima Al-Khabouriah from Oman won in the botany category.

Engineering-category winners were Abdulrahman Qattan from Saudi Arabia and Yara Reda from Syria.

The ceremony celebrated the winners and acknowledged the creative endeavors of more than 50 finalists, chosen from a pool of 80,000 submissions vying for prizes totaling SR500,000 ($133,320).

The winning projects will be showcased on the International Space Station, offering an opportunity to advance research, development, and innovation in space exploration while enriching Arab contributions in this field.

The competition represents a significant milestone in the Saudi Space Agency’s mission to support research, development, and innovation within the domain of space exploration.

With a focus on nurturing creative thinking among Arab students, the initiative aims to ignite curiosity about space and inspire breakthroughs in this burgeoning field.

The space mission, carried out by astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al-Qarni, included 14 pioneering scientific experiments.

According to a press release issued by the agency, the mission was a part of the “Saudi Toward Space” program, aligning with the Kingdom’s focus on research, development and innovation driven by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Al-Tamimi praised the achievements of the SSA-HSF1, or Saudi Space Agency-Human Space Flight 1, mission. This was a major milestone in the Kingdom’s journey toward leadership in the space sector.

He said there were 14 research experiments conducted in microgravity, yielding valuable contributions to research, development and innovation.

Al-Tamimi said the mission helped foster national expertise and enhance cooperation with leading international institutions.

He added that the agency remained committed to supporting innovative projects.


Saudi aid agency KSrelief delivers food to needy

Updated 59 min 5 sec ago
Follow

Saudi aid agency KSrelief delivers food to needy

  • The distribution is a part of the 2025 emergency food and clothing aid project in Lebanon

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s aid agency KSrelief has distributed 360 food packages to vulnerable individuals in Lebanon’s cities of Tripoli and Jbeil, benefiting 1,800 people.

The distribution is a part of the 2025 emergency food and clothing aid project in Lebanon, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the charity distributed 1,780 sacrificial animals in the Al-Madinah and Al-Wadi districts of Yemen’s Marib governorate on Sunday.

The initiative benefited 3,560 families under an Eid Al-Adha project in Yemen.


Newly appointed Saudi ambassador to Mexico presents his credentials

Updated 11 June 2025
Follow

Newly appointed Saudi ambassador to Mexico presents his credentials

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s newly appointed ambassador to Mexico has presented his credentials to the North American state’s foreign ministry, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Fahad bin Ali Al-Manawer handed over a copy of his credentials to Ambassador Jonathan Chait Auerbach, the director general of protocol at the ministry, at a reception held on Tuesday. 
The diplomats also reviewed relations between their nations at the meeting.
Al-Manawer took his oath of office in from to the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in March, in a ceremony attended by the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.


Saudi FM attends Oslo Forum in Norway

Updated 10 June 2025
Follow

Saudi FM attends Oslo Forum in Norway

  • Forum hosts global leaders and conflict mediators
  • Prince Faisal bin Farhan will meet foreign officials

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived in the Norwegian capital on Tuesday to take part in the Oslo Forum.

The annual event, organized by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue in Switzerland, hosts global leaders and conflict mediators.

Prince Faisal will meet foreign officials to strengthen relations with the Kingdom and discuss various regional and international issues, the Saudi Press Agency reported.


What pilgrims are sharing online after their Hajj journey

Updated 10 June 2025
Follow

What pilgrims are sharing online after their Hajj journey

  • Worshippers take to social media to share profound experiences with loved ones
  • Posting online becomes a way to process the weight of Hajj for many

RIYADH: For many pilgrims, the spiritual journey of Hajj does not end when they leave the holy sites. It continues — quietly, intentionally — in the days and weeks that follow.

Across Saudi Arabia, young pilgrims are using social media to process the weight of Hajj and share the experience with loved ones.

Noor Ahmad, 21, did not plan to post during her pilgrimage. But after she returned, the urge to share came naturally.

After returning from Hajj, I decided to share a few captured moments. But how can a photo truly capture the depth and majesty of the experience?

Noor Ahmad

“After returning from Hajj, I decided to share a few captured moments,” she said. “But how can a photo truly capture the depth and majesty of the experience?”

She described how people responded in varied ways. “Those who had gone before felt nostalgic and started sharing their own stories. Others — those who hadn’t been yet — expressed their longing. It became this moment of connection.”

For Noor, the decision to post was not about aesthetics. “It’s a monumental event. Maybe I could inspire someone who’s hesitant to go. Maybe they’ll see what I saw — and want to experience it for themselves.

“It was my way of saying thank you”

Shatha Al-Jadaan, 25, took a different approach to sharing, after taking a digital detox.

I enjoy sharing meaningful moments, and after seeing the tremendous effort put into Hajj on every level, I felt my post was a small, sincere gesture of appreciation.

Shatha Al-Jadaan

“During Hajj, I decided to partially fast from social media. I used only the essentials,” she said. “After I returned, I posted a thread to my close friends explaining where I’d been and shared some of the most meaningful moments.”

The response was full of prayers and warmth. “People were kind, supportive, and curious. But what mattered most to me was that I used the thread to say thank you — to the organizers, to the volunteers, and to Allah.”

She spoke about how she found value in using digital platforms to document something greater than herself.

“I enjoy sharing meaningful moments, and after seeing the tremendous effort put into Hajj on every level, I felt my post was a small, sincere gesture of appreciation.”

Salem Al-Khudair, 28, recorded a voice note to his family group chat while performing the rites.

“I just couldn’t find the words to write. So I recorded myself speaking right after standing in Arafat. I sent it to my family WhatsApp group. My mom was emotional. My dad said, ‘May God accept from you.’ That was enough.”

In an age of curated content, Hajj posts tend to stand out for their sincerity. Pilgrims often strip away the filters, metaphors and trend-driven formats, and just speak from the heart.

Noura Al-Dosari, 23, uploaded a private Instagram story highlight with no captions. “Just visuals. No filters. No hashtags,” she said. “It wasn’t for followers. It was for me. For reflection. A digital bookmark of who I became.”

Some write long captions, others simply post a photo of their ihram folded neatly back into a drawer.

But all of them carry a silent message: I went. I came back different.

Many pilgrims use their posts to recall moments of physical hardship that brought emotional breakthroughs — the heat, the long walks, the brief but powerful connections with strangers.

Others use it to highlight the seamless organization of the pilgrimage as a reminder of how far the experience has evolved.

Amani Al-Saad, 26, used X to share a short story about a volunteer who helped her carry her bag in Muzdalifah. “She didn’t speak much, but she smiled at me and said, ‘This is what we’re here for.’ That stuck with me. I wrote about it as a reminder to myself — that sometimes the smallest moments hold the most meaning.”

While digital connections are increasingly common, most pilgrims emphasize that the real processing happens offline — in quiet conversations with family, in their prayer rooms, or on long drives home.

“I didn’t post to perform,” said Al-Jadaan. “I posted to remember.”

 


National Water Co. ready for post-Hajj season

Updated 10 June 2025
Follow

National Water Co. ready for post-Hajj season

  • The company added the plan included securing water storage and coordinating with water production and distribution systems

MADINAH: The National Water Co. has confirmed it is operationally ready for the post-Hajj season.

The company said it would distribute more than 630,000 cubic meters of potable water daily to pilgrims at the Prophet’s Mosque and throughout Madinah and said its readiness built on ongoing efforts to serve pilgrims and visitors.

The plan involves more than 1,200 employees, including technical, administrative and engineering staff, working to provide water and environmental services.

The company added the plan included securing water storage and coordinating with water production and distribution systems, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Water will be supplied daily during the post-Hajj season through continuous pumping to the central area and religious sites. Chemical and biological tests will be conducted to ensure compliance with water quality standards.

The company said its smart operation system continues to manage and monitor Madinah’s water network, overseeing water pressure and quality in pipelines and reservoirs.