RIYADH: The Philippine’s Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed on Thursday that 13 Filipinos were killed in a vehicular accident in Al-Ahsa last Monday.
Arab News first reported the incident based on Saudi Red Crescent report who arrived in the crash site without mentioning the nationality of the fatalities.
The traffic incident occurred 70 km from Al-Hofuf in Al-Ahsa when a minibus with 25 Filipino workers returning to their accommodation collided with a truck at around 5:40 p.m. on Monday.
The Red Crescent said that 11 Filipino workers were killed on the spot while two among 14 injured died later at the hospital.
In his statement, DFA Assistant Secretary Charles Jose, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh is now communicating with the Filipino workers’ employer for the repatriation of the 13 bodies.
He said an investigation is being conducted ahead of their repatriation. According to media reports, most of the OFWs were working as electricians for Saudi Arabia Kentz, a contracting and engineering company.
Netizens on social networking sites shared images of the crash victims asking if they were Filipinos and asked the Philippine mission to look into the incident.
A response from the Philippine Embassy to an Arab News inquiry on Tuesday indicated that some embassy staff were sent to the accident site but could not confirm at that time if the victims were Filipinos.
Philippine Embassy confirms death of 13 Filipinos in Al-Ahsa accident
Philippine Embassy confirms death of 13 Filipinos in Al-Ahsa accident
King Abdulaziz University launches Saudi Arabia’s first PET/MRI Alzheimer’s diagnostic service
- Early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease plays a critical role in improving patients’ quality of life
JEDDAH: King Abdulaziz University unveiled on Thursday the first diagnostic service for Alzheimer’s disease using integrated positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, collectively known as PET/MRI.
The service is offered through KAU’s Molecular Imaging Center (I-One), operating under the umbrella of Wadi Jeddah, the university’s investment arm.
The center, the only facility in Saudi Arabia’s Western and Southern regions equipped with a cyclotron for radiopharmaceutical production, spearheads the initiative.
A PET/MRI scan works by creating a three-dimensional image of the body using a PET scan and an MRI scan.
The KAU’s Alzheimer’s diagnostic service utilizes Amyloid PET/MRI imaging, developed in collaboration with Oryx Isotopes.
Early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease plays a critical role in improving a patient’s quality of life and slowing the progression of the condition.
UAE publishers take part in Jeddah Book Fair
- Emirati writers sign books, speak with readers
- Fair continues at the Jeddah Superdome until Dec. 21
JEDDAH: Over 20 Emirati publishing houses are taking part in the Jeddah Book Fair 2024, which features almost 1,000 publishers from 22 countries.
The Saudi Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission is hosting the fair in the Jeddah Superdome until Dec. 21.
UAE publishers have made a significant presence at the fair, with publications in literature, science, children’s stories, and comics, the WAM reported.
Emirati publishers said that the Jeddah Book Fair is one of the most important events in the Arab cultural calendar, praised for its high public turnout and the diversity of publications available in fiction and self-development genres, according to WAM.
The fair includes lectures, seminars, and workshops by nearly 170 speakers, writers, and experts from Saudi Arabia and other countries.
Emirati writers signed their books and communicated directly with readers at the fair, WAM added.
The fair has also dedicated a special area for children featuring educational and interactive writing and animation industry activities.
More than 450 pavilions and a cultural program with more than 100 events have been organized as part of the fair.
It is the third book fair organized by the Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission in 2024 after the Riyadh International Book Fair and Madinah Book Fair.
Madinah culinary arts club hosts Cooking Challenge 2 as part of winter events
- Event celebrated the distinctive culinary heritage of Madinah while enhancing the skills of local chefs
- Two contestants were selected to compete in preparing Madinah’s traditional kabli dish, which was judged by a panel of experts
MADINAH: The Culinary Arts and Hospitality Club in Madinah on Wednesday hosted Cooking Challenge 2 as part of its winter activities in the region.
The event celebrated the distinctive culinary heritage of Madinah while enhancing the skills of local chefs, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
From a pool of 350 club members, two contestants were selected to compete in preparing Madinah’s traditional kabli dish, which was judged by a panel of experts.
The evaluation criteria included taste, adherence to food health and safety protocols, professional safety standards, creativity and innovation, quality standards, and mastery of cooking techniques.
The challenge featured Chef Alaa Al-Ahmadi and Chef Asmaa Al-Attas with the latter emerging as the winner.
Chef Enayat Khan, head of the Culinary Arts and Hospitality Club in Madinah, explained that the club’s mission is to unite chefs in Madinah under one platform to exchange knowledge and expertise.
A key focus is preserving traditional Madinah dishes as well as Saudi cuisine as a whole.
Khan highlighted the club’s diverse pool of national talent, encompassing professionals and passionate amateurs, and expressed the club’s ambition to display Madinah’s culinary excellence on the global stage.
Chef Abdul Wahab Al-Dawi, director of public relations and marketing at the Culinary Arts Club, emphasized the richness and diversity of Saudi cuisine, shaped by the Kingdom’s geography and the integration of animal, marine, and agricultural products.
He noted that Saudi cuisine has made a notable impact at international exhibitions, reflecting its growing global recognition.
He said the club continues to host culinary events aimed at enhancing the skills of aspiring chefs, nurturing culinary talent, and discovering new creators in the Madinah region.
Saudi initiative launches pioneering care center for people with disabilities
- Integrated residential care facility is expected to serve over 280 beneficiaries annually
- Project designed to serve as model for development of similar facilities
RIYADH: A Saudi social care project worth SR83 million ($22.1 million) is set to transform support services for people with disabilities in Saudi Arabia’s Qassim Region after a trilateral agreement was signed on Thursday.
The Sakhaa Program, the Abdulaziz Al-Ohali Charitable Foundation, and the Onaizah Association for Development and Human Services, known as Taheel, have joined forces to establish an integrated residential care facility which is expected to serve over 280 beneficiaries annually, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The initiative aligns with the program’s efforts to support the community through creating sustainable development opportunities and enabling benefactors to actively participate in achieving social and economic development in the Kingdom.
Deputy Secretary-General Nasser bin Mohammed Asiri signed on behalf of the Sakhaa Program, alongside Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al-Ohali, chairman of the Al-Ohali Foundation’s board of trustees, and Musaad bin Yahya Al-Saleem, vice chairman of Taheel Association.
The memorandum of understanding outlines an ambitious project to establish a center that will provide a comprehensive and supportive environment to meet the needs of people with disabilities, according to the SPA.
The facility will offer integrated services, including full residential care supported by specialized rehabilitation programs, comprehensive healthcare covering both therapeutic and preventive aspects, as well as recreational and educational activities to enhance residents’ social and psychological well-being, ensuring their independence and enabling active community participation.
The project’s funding model combines government support, community contributions, and nominal fees to ensure sustainable, high-quality care delivery. Infrastructure development, equipment, and operational costs are included in the total investment.
The project is designed to serve as a model for developing similar centers in the future, the SPA added.
AI cannot replace human creativity in literature, expert says
- Dr. Anas Al-Ghamdi: Certain fields will benefit by using AI, but it cannot create great literature
- Al-Ghamdi: When you read a text translated by a machine, you feel the translator’s feelings, not the writer’s
JEDDAH: Artificial intelligence cannot replace the creativity of human beings in literature, according to an expert attending the Jeddah Book Fair 2024.
Dr. Anas Al-Ghamdi, an academic, researcher and author specializing in AI, made the statement in a discussion during a symposium titled: “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of the Book.”
The session was moderated by Mohammed Basalama, an entrepreneur in the cultural sector, who opened the symposium by raising a few questions about the impact of artificial intelligence in the book sector, asking: Will AI be a partner that enhances creativity or a competitor that threatens the human values of literary texts?
He mentioned the main themes of the symposium, which included: the role of AI in improving writing and publishing, its impact on literary creativity and the human value of books, as well as the ethical and legal challenges related to the ownership of produced texts, in addition to using AI as a tool to enhance innovation rather than compete with it.
Al-Ghamdi replied by saying that no doubt AI has become an integral part of life and it can provide a huge amount of information to people in no time, but it cannot create special feelings and the free flow of imagination as human authors do in their writings.
“If we do not use it, others will. Of course, certain fields will benefit by using AI, but it cannot create great literature,” he said.
Al-Ghamdi said that there is a role for AI in enhancing the work of publishing houses by improving marketing, production, and sales.
But, he said, machine translation still suffers from emotional gaps, saying: “When you read a text translated by a machine, you feel the translator’s feelings, not the writer’s.”
The symposium explored how modern technology can reshape the writing and publishing experience, emphasizing the need to use AI as a tool to support human creativity.
It also discussed the ethical and professional challenges related to the ownership of texts produced by AI, while presenting innovative visions for employing this technology to achieve a sustainable future that combines human creativity and technological innovation.
Al-Ghamdi affirmed that AI is not a substitute for human creativity, but a tool that can enrich this creativity if used properly.
