“A news sense is really a sense of what is important, what is vital, what has color and life — what people are interested in. That’s journalism.” This quotation of Arthur Burton Rascoe, former editor and literary critic of the New York Herald Tribune, also applies to Arab News, the Kingdom’s leading English daily, whose news coverage has ranged from vital to the colorful aspects of life.
What has propelled Arab News to the forefront of English dailies in the Gulf is its comprehensive coverage of local news of four to five pages daily under the dynamic leadership of Mohammed Fahad Al-Harthi, our editor in chief.
This is aside from regional and international coverage of news and views, making it the preferred choice of expatriates, Saudi and other business executives, senior government officials and diplomats who look forward this newspaper for all types of news. No wonder, it has carved out its own space in terms of scoops and other major stories.
The following is a cross-section of some of the exclusive stories that were featured in Arab News in the chronological order in the recent past.
On March 29, 2014, the newspaper carried a front page story on the talks between Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and US President Barack Obama focusing on the Iranian nuclear deal, Syria’s three-year-old civil war and their repercussions on the neighboring countries.
They also dwelt on key bilateral and regional issues such as Gulf security, the Middle East peace process and Egypt.
“Washington and Riyadh are working together to address a number of critical bilateral and regional issues, including resolving the crisis in Syria, preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, counterterrorism efforts to combat extremism, and supporting negotiations to achieve Middle East peace,” said a joint statement issued later.
Then, this year’s visit of Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, to four countries-Pakistan, India, China and Maldives-was very comprehensively covered by Arab News.
This high-profile visit was rich in the contents of diplomacy and politics as Saudi Arabia looks to the East to forge closer ties in different domains other than business.
Prince Salman’s trip was preceded by the presentation of SR855 billion annual budget by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.
Arab News was also on the forefront in reporting political changes taking place in the region as well as inside the country. It reported extensively the appointment of Prince Muqrin as second deputy premier, Prince Mishal as new Makkah governor and Prince Khaled as new education minister.
The coverage of the visit of French President Francois Hollande late last year was exceptional. He, like Prince Charles of the United Kingdom, performed a sword dance with top Saudi officials and shared lighter moments.
Arab News also interviewed on April 23, 2013 Mexico’s business tycoon Carlos Slim, the world’s richest man with a net worth of $73 billion.
He unveiled his plans to invest billions of dollars in some lucrative petrochemical projects in Jubail and other projects in undisclosed sectors.
Another exclusive on Jan. 9, 2013 was an interview with Hina Rabbani Khar, youngest and first female foreign minister of Pakistan, during her visit to Riyadh.
Among other top stories in 2011, Arab News had an interview with former US President Bill Clinton when he described small- and mid-sized private enterprises as a key to the Kingdom’s long-term job growth and prosperity.
He was speaking at the 5th Global Competitiveness Forum on January 26, when he cautioned nations across the Middle East and North Africa that there were no substitutes for good governance and opportunities for the uneducated and impoverished.
The former president was upbeat about the Saudi economy and praised the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority for its visionary 10x10 program, which sought to elevate the Kingdom’s global competitiveness to among the top 10 countries worldwide by 2010. Saudi Arabia is now ranked 11th, a significant increase since the program was launched a few years ago.
Another landmark event for Arab News was on November 14, 2006 in Riyadh.
In his presentation at the CIO Summit, Bill Gates discussed how improvements in the hardware and applications available in digital devices, combined with a much higher bandwidth and richer content, would help us organize information and consequently be more productive in our jobs.
Within five years, Gates predicted that improvements in speech recognition technologies would mean that people would use digital devices with speech as the primary input method, rather than a keyboard or touch screen for example. Speech would also be used for functionalities such as search.
Last but not the least, Arab News has also been playing a major advocacy role for Saudi women and for their empowerment.
This paper was the first to flash the news entitled “Women ready for top cabinet roles,” “Ministry for women empowerment urged,” and “Saudi demand laws to protect girls from domestic violence.”
These are some of the stories which testify to Arab News as a newspaper that readers, including decision-makers, look forward to at their breakfast table.
Pride: 4 decades of glorious journalism
Pride: 4 decades of glorious journalism
Meteorology center forecasts 3 rainy days in most parts of Saudi Arabia
- People in coastal areas cautioned against high waves
RIYADH: Rain of varying intensities will prevail in most parts of Saudi Arabia from January 10 to 12, the National Center for Meteorology (NCM) forecast on Thursday.
In a weather bulletin, the center warned of downpours accompanied by winds of up to 60 kilometers per hour, and the possibility of torrential rain and hail. High waves are to be expected along the coasts, the NCM said.
The forecast said the northern regions of Al-Jouf, the Northern Borders, and Hail will have rainy conditions on Friday and Saturday.
Rain is expected in Tabuk and Madinah regions on Friday, the Eastern Province, Asir, and Jazan will see rainfall from Saturday to Sunday, and in Qassim on Saturday.
As for Riyadh and Al-Baha regions, rain are to be expected from Friday to Sunday.
The NCM urged the public to stay updated about the weather conditions in the Kingdom by visiting the daily reports on its website, the "Anwaa" application, or its social media accounts.
Saudi Falcons Club CEO and Kazakhstan ambassador discuss ways to boost cooperation
RIYADH: The CEO of the Saudi Falcons Club, Ahmed Al-Hababi, met Kazakhstan’s ambassador to the Kingdom, Madiyar Menilbekov, in Riyadh on Thursday to discuss opportunities for cooperation and ways in which these might be enhanced to benefit mutual goals.
One of the topics was the Hadad Program, a leading initiative developed by the club with the aim of returning falcons to their natural habitats and saving the species from the threat of extinction.
Menilbekov praised the club for the important role it plays in enhancing falconry and preserving its cultural heritage.
The club said the meeting was part of its efforts to strengthen international partnerships in keeping with the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030 plan for national development and diversification.
Saudi envoy to US outlines efforts to maintain safety of Saudi citizens amid LA wildfires
LOS ANGELES: Saudi ambassador to the US, Princess Reema bint Bandar, reaffirmed on Thursday the embassy’s commitment to the safety and security of Saudi citizens in Los Angeles and surrounding areas impacted by wildfires, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
In a statement, Princess Reema emphasized that the embassy and the consulate general were working tirelessly to support citizens affected by the fires.
She highlighted that ensuring their well-being remains a top priority for Saudi diplomatic missions in the United States.
She said the team was monitoring the situation closely and was prepared to provide immediate assistance to those in need. The embassy and consulate were dedicated to ensuring the security and safety of all Saudi citizens in affected areas, she added.
The embassy and consulate have activated a round-the-clock response team to address concerns and offer necessary support, SPA added.
The wildfires in California have prompted widespread evacuations and caused significant disruptions in the Los Angeles area, with officials working to contain the blazes.
KAUST conducts research study on microbiomes in glacier-fed streams
- Collaboration with scientists from Swiss Federal Technology Institute of Lausanne
RIYADH: The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, in collaboration with scientists from the Swiss Federal Technology Institute of Lausanne, has conducted an unprecedented, in-depth study on microbiomes — microorganisms that live symbiotically with humans or other organisms — in glacier-fed streams.
These streams, originating from glaciers atop the Earth’s highest mountains, harbor a wealth of unique microorganisms.
The research team collected and analyzed samples from 170 glacier-fed streams over five years across regions including New Zealand, the Himalayas, the Russian Caucasus, the Tien Shan and Pamir Mountains, the European Alps, the Scandinavian Alps, Greenland, Alaska, the Rwenzori Mountains in Uganda, and the Ecuadorian and Chilean Andes, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The findings, published in the renowned scientific journal Nature, represent the first global reference for microbiomes in glacier-fed streams.
These streams, which are among the most extreme natural freshwater ecosystems in the world, are located at mountain summits and are characterized by near-freezing temperatures and low nutrient levels.
They also serve as the origin for many of the world’s largest rivers, functioning as vital water reservoirs for the planet.
KAUST researcher Dr. Ramona Marasco emphasized that glacier-fed streams were highly vulnerable to climate change.
She spoke of the importance of establishing a baseline for their microbiomes to better understand the rate of ecological change, while highlighting KAUST’s extensive genetic sequencing efforts, which have significantly contributed to creating a comprehensive picture of these endangered microbiomes.
The researchers successfully developed the first global atlas of microorganisms in glacier-fed streams.
Their work revealed that these streams harbor a unique microbiome distinct from other cryospheric systems, such as glaciers, frozen soils, and ice-covered lakes.
About half of the bacterial species in these streams are endemic to specific mountain ranges. The scientists attribute this phenomenon to the geographical isolation of mountain ranges, similar to islands, and to the powerful natural selection exerted by the harsh conditions in glacier-fed streams.
Saudi swimmer’s remarkable 30km swim from Alkhobar to Bahrain
- Mariam Binladen’s feat of endurance and grit completed in over 11 hours
JEDDAH: In a remarkable feat of endurance and determination, Saudi Arabia’s Dr. Mariam Binladen recently completed the Khalid bin Hamad Swimming Challenge, covering a distance of 30km from Alkhobar, Saudi Arabia, to Salman City, Bahrain.
Binladen achieved this incredible feat in 11 hours, 25 minutes and 47 seconds.
Among her achievements, the open-water swimmer became the first Arab woman to cross the Red Sea to Egypt in October 2022, and the first to traverse Dubai Creek with a swim of 24 km in 2017.
In addition, she was the first woman from the Gulf to swim across the English Channel, covering 33.5 km in August 2016.
Speaking to Arab News about her feat on Dec. 26, Binladen said: “This swim was on my radar for 7 years.
“Unfortunately it was difficult to find an optimum window to do the challenge, primarily because weather conditions in the Gulf of Bahrain are incredibly difficult to predict.
“I had to study the sea very well taking into account the tides, wind speed, wave patterns, swells, water temperature and marine life cycles in order to minimize risk and achieve this goal.”
She added: “Amongst the many challenges of this event was swimming at night in the dark, in fluctuating cold-to-warm water temperatures, with the added complexity of tidal changes.
“As a way of mitigating the hazardous conditions the swim started at the Water Tower at Alkhobar at 1:50 a.m. Visibility was zero so I was swimming blind coupled with water temperatures ranging from 17 to 22 degrees.
“Instead of feeding every 30 minutes I fed every 15 minutes to avoid hypothermia and to maintain my body heat until sunrise, which was half-way through the swim.
“The tide in this area shifts every six hours which meant swimming part of the way against the tide which requires a huge amount of stamina and mental agility in order not to become exhausted.”
She added: “Each challenge poses its own distinct difficulties and unique set of conditions; during the Red Sea swim it was how to maneuver around sharks and avoid their feeding times.
“The English Channel, for example, was freezing cold and it is a busy shipping lane so it was necessary to address those concerns and plan accordingly.
“The Bahrain swim was undoubtedly hazardous and posed many issues, the distance being one of them. Before any swim I undertake area studies, conditions, risks and train to mitigate risks and for the conditions that I will face. Of course there are always some surprises.”
She has faced other challenges during her career. “My most unusual swim was in an ice glacier in Switzerland, this challenge was to swim in (minus) 2 degrees for 85 meters.
“I undertook extensive physical and cognitive training in order to prepare for this unique challenge. The burn of the ice-cold water will remain with me forever.”
In addition to being an athlete and dentist, Binladen also helps refugees and creates awareness through her platform, which has been acknowledged by organizations worldwide.
In 2016, she opened the first free medical facility of its kind for dental treatment in a Syrian refugee camp in Azraq, Jordan.
“Of course it is rewarding to treat any patients, I love to help people in any capacity I can, whether through treatment, inspiring them in sport or supporting them to swim gives me enormous satisfaction.”
As the Kingdom empowers women, Binladen said that she is delighted to be living at a time when Saudi women can pursue their ambitions in the workplace, sports and business.
“My advice to Saudi women is to never give up on your dream, with hard work and dedication you can fulfill your goals.”
On her future, she said: “It’s a common question, everybody is interested to know what’s next. All I can say is that I have a few possibilities in the pipeline and am carrying out area studies at the moment.”
“My ambition is to lead a fulfilling life in which I am constantly learning, developing, growing and making a positive impact on those around me, through my career, relationships or personal endeavors.
“I strive to pursue excellence and leave a lasting legacy that inspires others.”
