RIYADH: The British Embassy in Riyadh advised visa applicants to make their applications in time during the summer and said regular visas will be issued in 15 days.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the mission said that the UK does not routinely comment on individual visa applications. “However, we can confirm that the applications from the team will be processed within our published service standards which are 15 working days for non-priority non-settlement visa applications, and 5 working days for priority applications.”
“We advise all visa applicants to factor in time for their visa to be processed when planning their trip to the UK, especially during the summer months. If an applicant requires their visa urgently, they may wish to opt for the priority visa service, for faster processing.”
All applications from the team will be considered carefully by entry clearance officers, on their individual merits, in line with the UK’s immigration rules, the statement said.
“We have seen higher levels of demand for UK visas from Saudi nationals this summer, but we continue to operate within our published service standards.”
The average processing time for Saudi national visitors during the period April 15 to March 16 was 4.4 days. “ Over the busy Eid period, we processed non-settlement visas in an average of 10.5 days, and 98 percent were processed within our service standards.”
“Our customer charter states that if there is a problem with an application (for example if key documents are missing) or if it is complex, we will write to explain why it will not be decided within the normal standard.”
According to British Ambassador Simon Collis, over the last decade more than 100,000 Saudi students were issued visas to study at UK universities and colleges.
There are 15,000 students currently studying at various universities and colleges in the United Kingdom, with women making up one-third. He said that the two countries enjoy excellent bilateral relations. “This could be further improved."
UK visa seekers advised to apply in time
UK visa seekers advised to apply in time
KSrelief launches date distribution project in Sudan
Riyadh: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has launched a date distribution project in Port Sudan, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
The event was attended by Saudi Ambassador to Sudan Ali bin Hassan Jafar, Sudanese Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Abu Bakr Omar Al-Bushra, and Acting Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Ahmed Mohamed Othman.
The project will distribute 441 tonnes of dates to the neediest families across Kassala, Gedaref, Red Sea, River Nile, Blue Nile, White Nile, Sennar, and Gezira states, benefiting 441,250 individuals.
Jafar reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to providing food aid and praised the collaboration between the Sudanese government and KSrelief in ensuring the aid reaches those in need.
Al-Bushra expressed gratitude for Saudi Arabia’s support during challenging times.
Othman emphasized KSrelief’s vital role in addressing food security challenges during the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Meanwhile, KSrelief distributed 1,100 food baskets and 1,100 health kits in Tal Abyad, in the Raqqa governorate of Syria, benefiting 6,600 individuals as part of the earthquake relief project.
Saudi Arabia hosts international conference to mark three decades of conjoined twins program
- Families of separated twins will also attend the event
- An exhibition will also be organized to showcase the program’s achievements
Riyadh: Saudi aid agency KSrelief will host an international conference in Riyadh on Nov. 24-25 marking three decades of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Separation Program.
It will bring together the Saudi ministries of health, national guard, defense, foreign affairs, education and media, and representatives from international humanitarian and health organizations, institutions, specialists and researchers from various countries.
Families of separated twins will also attend the event.
The conference will witness humanitarian and scientific sessions where experts will discuss advances in conjoined twin separation and related humanitarian efforts.
An exhibition will also be organized to showcase the program’s achievements as well as the Kingdom’s leadership in humanitarian and medical fields, especially excellence through the conjoined twins program.
“This comes in order to achieve the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030 aimed at developing the health and humanitarian sector in the Kingdom and raising its quality and efficiency,” said KSrelief in a statement to Arab News.
On the sidelines of the conference, a number of agreements will be signed with international and UN organizations concerned with children around the world as part of the humanitarian efforts of Saudi Arabia to care for the most vulnerable groups, namely children, as well as reviewing the Kingdom’s distinguished experience in this field, as it has the most experience in twins separation in the world.
The conference at the culmination will issue important recommendations that will enrich medical and humanitarian libraries and be a reference for specialists and those interested in the field of separating conjoined twins and the humanitarian field.
The pioneering initiative makes the Kingdom a world leader in one of the most complex surgical procedures in modern medicine. Since its launch in 1990, the conjoined twins program has treated about 139 cases from countries around the world. Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, who heads the medical team, has conducted 61 operations on conjoined twins born to poor families from 26 countries.
Conjoined twins Khadijah and Hawaa were airlifted from Burkina Faso to Riyadh in July this year by the Defense Ministry’s medevac, following the directives of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and underwent the operation.
In June, the Saudi team led by Al-Rabeeah, separated Filipino conjoined twins Akiza and Aisha in at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital, which 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 team specializing in complex pediatric care. Operations carried out under the program are fully sponsored by the Saudi government.
KSrelief provides shelter, winter clothing in Lebanon, Somalia
RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has distributed shelter and winter clothing to displaced people in Lebanon and Somalia, reported the Saudi Press Agency.
Orphans and those with special needs in Lebanon’s Akkar Governorate received vouchers to purchase winter clothes from approved stores.
The beneficiaries also included Syrian refugees and vulnerable members of the host community.
In Somalia, 920 shelter kits, 80 tents and 1,000 clothing kits benefited 6,000 displaced people in several camps in the Banaadir region as part of a project aiming to provide 7,600 shelter and clothing kits and 215 tents in the area.
Both initiatives are part of the ongoing humanitarian assistance provided by KSrelief to countries and people in need around the world.
Saudi foreign minister meets with US Secretary of State at Brazil G20
RIO DE JANEIRO: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations, developments in the Middle East, and the efforts being made in these regards.
The meeting was attended by the Director-General of the Office of the Foreign Minister Abdulrahman Aldawood.
Saudi Arabia FM calls for peace, addresses global challenges at G20 Summit opening
- Prince Faisal bin Farhan leads Kingdom’s delegation on behalf of crown prince
RIO DE JANEIRO: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan led the Kingdom’s delegation at the first session of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, which opened on Monday.
Prince Faisal, who is leading the delegation on behalf of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, spoke at the summit’s opening session which was called “Social Inclusion and Combating Hunger and Poverty.”
Prince Faisal highlighted pressing global challenges, noting that increasing tensions, military conflicts, and humanitarian crises were significant obstacles to achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, adding: “Development and prosperity cannot be achieved on the ruins of death and destruction.”
Moving on to the ongoing crises in the Middle East, Prince Faisal pointed to Israeli military actions in Gaza and Lebanon, describing them as sources of severe human suffering and catalysts which were pushing the region toward broader conflict.
He said: “The ongoing Israeli aggression in Gaza and Lebanon has caused unprecedented levels of human suffering; is pushing the region to the brink of a wider war … and is undermining the credibility of international law and institutions.”
Prince Faisal reiterated Saudi Arabia’s commitment to peace, stating the Kingdom’s unwavering stance on the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza; unrestricted access to humanitarian assistance; the release of hostages; and a serious commitment to lasting peace based on the two-state solution according to the 1967 borders, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The minister also addressed the situation in Sudan, expressing concern over the severe human toll due to the conflict, and obstacles preventing the delivery of humanitarian aid to affected communities.
In addition to political challenges, Prince Faisal commended Brazil’s initiative in launching the International Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, which aligns with Saudi Arabia’s development and humanitarian objectives. He announced the Kingdom’s participation in the alliance, which resonates with its long-standing global efforts.
He said: “The Kingdom is pleased to be part of this alliance that is in line with its development goals and its global role in this regard, which is expressed by the programs of the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid (and) the Saudi Fund for Development, in addition to its global contributions to the programs of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to support developing countries.”
The Kingdom’s delegation included Minister of Finance Mohammed Al-Jadaan, Deputy Minister of Finance (Saudi Sherpa for the G20) Abdul Mohsen bin Saad Al-Khalaf, and Ambassador to Brazil Faisal bin Ibrahim Ghulam.
The G20 Summit in Brazil serves as a platform for the world’s leading economies to address global challenges and promote collective solutions aimed at fostering sustainable development and social equity.
On the sidelines of the summit, Prince Faisal met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. During their meeting they discussed US-Saudi relations, as well as regional developments and the efforts made in this regard.
