Families are increasingly embracing the concept of organ transplants by overcoming cultural and religious concerns as Saudi Arabia expands its program to reduce the wait for patients in desperate need of organs.
Dr. Faisal Shaheen, director general of the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation (SCOT), said transplant operations have increased with 92 percent of the families of brain dead patients consenting to donation when they know that it was the choice of the deceased.
About 40 percent of families give their consent if have they have no knowledge of the patient’s opinion on organ donation.
“There’s a clear increase in the number of cases where organs were removed for transplant,” Shaheen said, adding that awards granted to Saudi and non-Saudi donors are almost the same.
According to Shaheen, 527 kidney transplant operations were performed from 2003 to 2007, which increased to 673 (total from 2003 to 2012) in 2012. Liver transplants numbered 175 between 2003 and 2007, and increased to 271 in 2012. Heart transplants that numbered only 42 between 2003 and 2007 increased to 94 during the last five years. Only eight pancreas transplants were performed.
Shaheen said 37 percent more brain-death cases were reported to the center in the last five years. This demonstrates an improvement in doctors' awareness and the performance of hospitals’ intensive care units responsible for reporting potential cases to the center.
Dr. Ibrahim Al-Saegh, internal medicine consultant at a dialysis center, said he believed society members’ awareness regarding organ donation has improved.
“However, officials have some concerns regarding the issue of organ trafficking,” Al-Saegh said. “Organ donation has to be expanded under the supervision and control of a specialist body that organizes and coordinates donations and operations in a way that guarantees commercialization does not get involved.”
Al-Saegh stressed the importance of promoting controlled organ donation and transplantation. He said it starts with domestic scientific research and “not merely relying on the results of similar operations abroad before implementing them here.”
He also emphasized the importance of religious scholars’ role in disseminating awareness of organ donations of brain-dead patients. There is a gap between the number of those who need transplants and that of available organs, he said.
Shaheen agreed. He said the issue is one where religious, moral and social values overlap. The difficulties that face organ transplantation are from people refusing the principle because of social conventions or because they do not have the correct information about brain death.
However, Shaheen said it is important to clarify that Islam permits and encourages organ donation for the sake of saving the lives of those in need. He added that there are clear fatwas permitting it from the Board of Senior Scholars and from the Islamic Fiqh Academy. In terms of the moral aspect of the issue, the center applies clear procedures that guarantee non-commercialization and preserve the rights of donors and recipients, he said.
“For the donation of living relatives, medical committees are present in every hospital to examine a donor’s compatibility and make sure that the donation of one kidney or part of the liver would not affect the donor’s health,” Shaheen said.
For brain-dead organ donation, there are brain death pronouncement forms that must be signed by two consultants under the supervision of a SCOT team that ensure that all protocol procedures were followed. The deceased is transferred to the operation room for organ removal as soon as the family’s consent is obtained.
Shaheen said the Kingdom follows the World Health Organization’s criteria stipulating that donating organs and tissues have to be performed within moral restrictions and medical standards that is based on providing better health care for patients and preserving the rights of donors. The decision to donate organs while alive must be voluntary and requires ensuring the person was not pressured in any way.
Donation of organs after death requires ensuring that the deceased indicated when alive that he wanted to do it or was not opposed to it — with the family’s consent and as per the laws regulating organ donations in the country. For all countries there are clear medical measures for approving a donor and removing and distributing the organs.
Facebook has launched a new tool it called Organ Donor to encourage 900 million users to help and save the lives of patients all over the world through organ donation. The site’s founder and executive director said the tool is aimed at spreading awareness, adding that thousands die around the world every year because of the lack of organ donors.
“A donor, alive or dead, is honored by being granted King Abdul Aziz Medal in addition to a financial award. A donor is also granted permanent discount on Saudi Arabian Airlines flight tickets and a free periodic medical follow up at the facility where the donation took place.
Organ transplant started in the Kingdom with the Board of Senior Scholars’ approval in 1981. Crown Prince Salman established a center to coordinate organ donation two years later.
Organ donation gaining wide acceptance among Saudis
Organ donation gaining wide acceptance among Saudis
How Saudi Arabia is tapping AI to monitor the environment and extreme weather
- AI enhances weather predictions, improving forecasts for heatwaves and flash floods critical for Saudi Arabia’s climate adaptation efforts
- KAUST’s Center of Excellence for Generative AI focuses on Earth observation technologies to address climate challenges like water scarcity
RIYADH: Since the launch of Vision 2030, technological innovation and sustainability have been central to Saudi Arabia’s transformative plan, with artificial intelligence emerging as a key tool to tackle a range of issues, including environmental challenges.
With nearly 90 percent of its territory covered by desert, the Kingdom is utilizing AI to combat land degradation, improve water resource management, and promote sustainable practices.
The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology has joined the global AI race by advancing generative AI research.
Its Center of Excellence for Generative AI adopts a multidisciplinary approach, focusing on technologies like multimodal foundation models and AI-assisted Earth observation systems to address challenges, including water scarcity and land degradation.
Prof. Matthew McCabe, director of KAUST’s Climate and Livability Initiative, told Arab News that AI has provided a pathway to revolutionize our understanding and interpretation of Earth systems, ushering in an era where data can be rapidly channeled to provide new knowledge and actionable insights.
“While GenAI has already impacted greatly on a number of domains, its application in the Earth and environmental sciences remains emerging,” McCabe said.
The center’s research focuses on developing AI tools for satellite imaging and Earth observation, enabling better monitoring of ecosystems. This includes using drones and satellite-based remote sensing technologies to track environmental changes in real-time.
Drones and satellite systems provide high-resolution data that is crucial for understanding ecological shifts in regions that were previously difficult to study. This allows for more effective land management, ecosystem restoration, and better predictions regarding weather patterns.
“We will be using remote sensing and other data sources to undertake ecosystem monitoring, helping to advance some of the goals and objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative,” McCabe said.
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AI-driven solutions are already aiding the Saudi Green Initiative’s goals of planting 10 billion trees and rehabilitating 40 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, analyzing regional climate data, soil conditions, and water availability to identify optimal planting locations.
The Saudi Data and AI Authority, known as SDAIA, has partnered with several government entities to leverage AI solutions in support of the Saudi Green Initiative. These efforts aim to create innovative, data-driven strategies for combating climate change.
AI is also transforming climate forecasting in Saudi Arabia. Hylke Beck, assistant professor of climate analytics at KAUST, highlighted AI’s potential to predict extreme weather events like heatwaves and flash floods, which are expected to become more frequent and severe due to climate change.
Beck said AI models can uncover hidden relationships within weather data that traditional forecasting methods cannot, enabling more accurate and actionable forecasts.
He noted that these improved forecasts are critical for the Kingdom as it works to adapt to climate challenges, such as the severe heatwave that affected Makkah last June or the devastating floods in April across the UAE and Oman.
“With projections indicating that climate change will intensify and increase the frequency of heatwaves and flash floods, alongside an expected 32 percent population growth by 2050, the need to harness AI technology has never been more urgent,” Beck told Arab News.
Although there are currently few weather forecasting systems specifically designed for the region, and even fewer that incorporate AI models, Beck says these technologies have transformative potential.
However, Beck says building effective AI models requires access to extensive datasets.
“Government support in making this data accessible is essential for creating a more climate-resilient future,” he said.
DID YOUKNOW?
• KAUST’s Center of Excellence for Generative AI focuses on Earth observation technologies to address climate challenges like water scarcity.
• Drones and satellites provide real-time data, aiding land management, ecosystem restoration, and environmental monitoring for the Saudi Green Initiative.
• AI models can uncover hidden relationships within weather data that traditional forecasting methods cannot, enabling more accurate and actionable forecasts.
Traditional weather models depend on equations created by scientists, but these equations can be limited by gaps in knowledge about certain weather patterns.
“These equations are imperfect because even the best meteorologists don’t fully understand all weather processes,” Berk said.
On the other hand, AI models analyze large amounts of data to find patterns, making predictions faster and more accurate. These are especially useful in areas where traditional systems struggle, like predicting thunderstorms, which are often harder to forecast accurately.
While traditional systems rely on expensive supercomputers, AI models can run effectively on regular computers, making them more affordable and accessible.
“These AI models can — and I believe will, in the not-too-distant future — fully replace current traditional models. However, they can also be integrated into them,” Beck said.
The Center of Excellence for Generative AI’s initiatives align with Vision 2030’s sustainability and innovation goals, collaborating with leading national entities like NEOM and Aramco, as well as international organizations like Meta and Nvidia to drive progress.
The center also addresses the shortage of generative AI talent in Saudi Arabia through training and upskilling programs for KAUST researchers, partners, and the wider community.
Saudi Arabia eyeing trade hub with trillion-riyal investments, transport official tells WEF
- Saudi Arabia’s logistics investments and business-friendly policies aim to position the Kingdom as a global trade gateway, panel hears
- Vision 2030 fosters clear goals, educated governance, and incentives, creating a robust foundation for logistics and transport growth
DUBAI: Savvy logistics investments and business-friendly policies are transforming Saudi Arabia into a global trade hub, a Davos panel was told on Thursday.
Nouf Al-Fares, assistant deputy minister at the Saudi Ministry of Transport and Logistics Services; and Ehab Aziz, chief financial officer of Agility, were speaking at Saudi House during the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting.
The panel highlighted the Kingdom’s ambitious logistics and investment targets, which are being met partly through international deals.
Al-Fares said: “A strategy was announced in mid 2021 by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. At the beginning I thought it to be intimidating having to raise SR1 trillion ($266 billion) in investments, but we are already halfway there through various established projects like the Riyadh Metro, and the new expansions of seaports and airports.
“We are now in motion to open a metro in Jeddah as well.”
The Kingdom’s shifting policies on foreign investment are also playing a role in surging growth, Al-Fares added.
Foreign investors are now able to claim 100-percent ownership of their Saudi-based businesses — a crucial policy in attracting investment.
“International companies are increasingly seeing the value of investing in Saudi Arabia,” the assistant deputy minister said.
“Chinese companies have already entered the Saudi market, with investments so far reaching over SR1 billion, and there are still more incoming projects.”
Saudi Arabia is preparing to open five new airports in the coming years that will further boost the Kingdom’s connectivity and infrastructure, she added.
“This aligns with our vision and position to being the gateway to Asia, Africa and Europe. We are also preparing projects to back the tourism sector as we are witnessing a surge in numbers of tourists, not including the religious ones.
“A lot of programs and funds that have been developed by our government are geared at attracting the youth, and those leaders with an appetite for change. We are excited for the upcoming completion of projects like the railway, which is to be completed within four years.
“The railway will connect the Kingdom to its GCC neighbors, namely Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Doha.
Aziz praised the Saudi government’s proactive role in fostering a business-friendly environment.
He highlighted several schemes that have attracted domestic and foreign investment, particularly since the launch of Vision 2030.
The chief financial officer shared the details of his own company’s development in Saudi Arabia.
Agility, a logistics and supply chain leader, has been in operations for more than two decades, beginning as a Kuwaiti public company that constructed warehouses.
“Since its privatization Agility has become a global operator,” Aziz said.
“Today, the company has $11 billion worth of assets spread across various businesses. We also own one of the largest aviation companies that operates within 250 countries.”
A conviction that the Kingdom “would be the place to be in the future” led the company into a Saudi expansion, Aziz said, adding: “And so we have so far not been proved wrong.”
He said: “The story in Saudi is getting better and better over time. It is rare to find a country with a clear vision that is tangible with an educated government.
“The government incentivizing its employees through bonuses is also a new, atypical characteristic. All the infrastructure projects are very important but so is the mindset and attitude.
“And all that has been extremely positive. It has gotten to a level where you feel like you can completely count on the government; this increases your confidence in investing more in the country.”
Al-Fares and Aziz highlighted their optimism over the future of investment in the Kingdom’s transport and logistics sector.
The industry is poised for continued growth thanks to the government’s clear vision and investments that are providing a solid foundation for future development, they said.
“I think 2030 is carrying a lot and we are very optimistic,” Al-Fares added.
From farm to table — handmade cheese finds eager customers in Eastern Province
- Aziza Alghanim’s love of farming developed into a sustainable agriculture business
- She offers classes on the fundamentals of cheesemaking
QATIF: Aziza Alghanim is the woman behind Khairat Laziza, an initiative born from her passion for the land on her picturesque farm in the charming town of Saihat, which became a sustainable agriculture business.
Her journey began in 2001 when she began growing aromatic citrus fruits and vibrant buckthorn trees while also tending to a small herd of goats.
In 2014, she began making cheese by hand. Her initial offerings were met with overwhelming enthusiasm, selling out swiftly and fueling her motivation to pursue her passion.
Building on this success, she established a specialist factory in 2016, which allowed her to expand the range of crops and products available.
To meet the ever-growing demand, she founded a second specialist factory in 2019, taking the total number of products offered to more than 100.
Now, Khairat Laziza is a fully-fledged business dedicated to serving the community, creating a direct pathway from the fields to consumers’ tables.
Alghanim told Arab News: “My journey in cheese making began in 2014 when I established the Khairat Laziza Foundation, a non-profit organization where the entirety of its revenue is dedicated to supporting charitable causes.”
This commitment to giving back has become a fundamental aspect of her work.
Alghanim has participated in a number of festivals, collaborating with the Al-Ataa Charitable Society and other organizations.
What began as a modest selection of only 10 types of cheese has blossomed into a diverse portfolio.
Today, Khairat Laziza features an array of cheeses, labneh, milk, gelatos, flavorful jams, rich sauces, zesty pickles, biscuits and pizzas, pre-made cheese platters and dried produce, in addition to other dairy-free options, bringing the total number of products to 118.
All are 100 percent natural, free from preservatives and harmful chemicals, and mostly made from ingredients sourced from Alghanim’s farm, she said.
She takes immense pride in finding ways to transform the land’s resources into healthy, nutritious products for the community.
Among her standout creations are “zalloum” cheese, which blends the flavor of halloumi with the texture of mozzarella, healthy biscuits, and an eclectic selection of gelato flavors.
Looking to the future, Alghanim says she is entering a new phase in her journey — shifting her focus to teaching the fundamentals of cheese making.
She has been sharing her expertise through a series of workshops designed for enthusiasts and beginners alike. They teach valuable skills, providing participants with the chance to learn the intricacies of cheese production and providing a deeper appreciation of the art of cheese-making.
Fearless Saudi 13-year-old launches Vision 2030 podcast
- Teenager aims to educate the public about Kingdom’s vision
- Overcame public speaking fears to become podcaster
RIYADH: Saudi Linda Al-Faisal, who is only 13, aims to make an impact through her podcast, Linda Vision 2030, with each episode featuring a guest trailblazer.
Through her podcast, she connects with thousands of local and international subscribers, engaging in conversations about the Kingdom’s vision.
In her first episode, titled “How Saudi Arabia Became a Global Hub,” she discusses the projects being driven by the Kingdom, led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, claiming “Saudi Arabia is no longer the land you once knew.”
In her third episode, Al-Faisal interviewed Tamim Turki, a teenage Saudi sports presenter.
Then, in her fourth episode, Al-Faisal sat down Hassan Yusuf, program director for Saudi Arabia’s Real Madrid foundation, where the pair discussed the role of youth in achieving the goals of Vision 2030.
When she was five years old, Al-Faisal was interested in becoming a ballerina, and after being enrolled in classes she later fulfilled her childhood dream. Today, she is a ballerina as well as a podcast host.
Influenced by her friends, who have their own podcast, Al-Faisal decided to create her own platform.
“Why I chose (the topic of) Vision 2030 is because many people don’t know what it talks about or what is going to happen. So, I decided to search and learn more about Vision 2030 so I can teach the people.
“The biggest goal that I want to achieve from my podcast is that I want to make every listener feel proud with all the developments and changes happening in Saudi Arabia.”
After years of presenting at school, facing her fears, Al-Faisal became a natural public speaker, learning communication techniques through observation and practice to become an effective presenter.
“I used to be nervous while presenting during my first time in school. We all learn from our mistakes, and I learned from mine and became stronger. The speeches I used to present in school made me more powerful.”
Al-Faisal’s ballet talent earned her third place in the “Creative Journey Around the Kingdom,” a program launched by the General Entertainment Authority in collaboration with MBC Academy, which sets out to identify local talent.
Al-Faisal’s message to teenagers is to keep dreaming and always stay positive.
“Do not let negative thinking destroy you. Always focus on yourself because you are the main character of your life.”
Saudi ministry signs two agreements to enhance social responsibility in nonprofit sector
Saudi Deputy Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Mansour bin Hilal Al-Mushaiti, witnessed the signing of two memoranda of understanding between the ministry and the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Foundation for Developmental Housing and Kaaf Strategy, respectively.
The signing ceremony was attended by the ministry’s Undersecretary for Beneficiary Services and Branch Affairs, Ghanem Al-Jadaan.
The signing of the two MoUs aims to enhance the role of the nonprofit sector in fulfilling its social responsibilities and contributing to the development of its operations through community projects and initiatives.
It also seeks to improve the work environment within nonprofit associations and institutions supervised by the Ministry, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
