RIYADH: The Cabinet was on Monday was briefed on the outcome of the meetings Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had during his visits to the UAE and Pakistan recently.
The Cabinet praised the efforts of the Coalition Forces in Yemen and King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid for delivering medical and other aid to the besieged people of Taiz in Yemen.
On the local front, the ministers welcomed Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman’s directives to King Fahd National Library to carry out the mission entrusted to it in the service of readers and researchers.
The Cabinet approved several decisions including a basic agreement to exchange visits and cooperate on geospatial intelligence between the ministries of defense of Saudi Arabia and America.
The Cabinet authorized the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage to discuss a memorandum of understanding with China, which should include cooperation and exchange of knowledge on heritage and cultural issues.
The Cabinet agreed that the premises of the permanent committee of the Saudi Commercial Arbitration Center be at the Council of Saudi Chambers (CSC) instead of the Ministry of Justice, and that the board of the center be decided by the CSC in coordination with the permanent committee.
The Cabinet also approved the founding convention of the Asian Development Bank, focused on investing in infrastructure, which was signed in Beijing recently.
The Cabinet authorized the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology to discuss and sign a memorandum of understanding with China. It also approved the decision of the 35th Supreme Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in Doha to adopt a guide on city beautification.
The ministers approved the memorandum of understanding related to nuclear cooperation between King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy and the Ministry of Science, Information Technology, Telecoms and Future Planning of South Korea.
Cabinet briefed on outcomes of royal visits to UAE, Pakistan
Cabinet briefed on outcomes of royal visits to UAE, Pakistan

Saudi universities secure top honors at Geneva exhibition

- The wins, achieved in a field of 900 inventors from 40 countries, underscore Kingdom’s growing global scientific influence
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s academic institutions flourished at the 50th Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions (April 9-13, 2025), where Princess Nourah University and Najran University earned five medals.
Their wins, achieved in a field of 900 inventors from 40 countries, underscore the Kingdom’s growing global scientific influence.
PNU claimed four medals, including a silver medal for Dr. Sarah Al-Nufaiei’s “fixed dental reference marker” — a pioneering tool that standardizes dental implant placements by creating fixed intraoral reference points, improving precision in restorative procedures.
The university was also awarded three bronze medals for transformative projects. Dr. Haya Al-Shahrani’s “smart wheelchair controlled via brain signals and eye blinks wirelessly” uses non-invasive EEG sensors and eye-tracking cameras to empower mobility-impaired users.
Dr. Fahda Al-Qahtani’s “gum-based tool for isolating structurally damaged teeth” provides a biocompatible alternative to traditional rubber dam clamps, while Dr. Taghreed Al-Omar’s “anti-diabetic drug formulation with Friedelin (a chemical compound)” isolates the triterpenoid compound from Ziziphus spina-christi leaves to improve glycemic control.
These innovations align with PNU’s 2025 strategic plan to advance Saudi Arabia’s sustainable development goals and position the university as a center for women-led STEM breakthroughs.
Najran University won a gold medal for its “nano-photocatalyst using date palm seed bio-carbon with gold nanoparticles and zinc oxide for industrial wastewater treatment.”
The project addresses environmental challenges by converting locally sourced date palm seeds into bio-carbon — a sustainable base material — then augmenting it with gold nanoparticles and zinc oxide to create a photocatalyst that degrades organic pollutants under UV light.
This low-cost, solar-powered solution underscores Saudi Arabia’s commitment to eco-innovation under Vision 2030.
The event featured 161 Saudi participants from schools, universities and technical institutes, showing advances in AI-driven infrastructure, healthcare robotics, and biometric security systems.
With both universities now eyeing international patents and commercial partnerships, Saudi academia’s footprint on the world stage continues to grow.
More than 40 Arab artists to explore regional dialogue through digital expression

- Exhibition will be structured across four themes, Automation, Autonomy, Ripples, and Glitch, that trace recurring artistic concerns and gestures
RIYADH: Diriyah Art Futures has announced a new exhibition featuring artists who use technology as their medium for creative expression, bringing together works by more than 40 artists from the MENA region.
“Maknana: An Archaeology of New Media Art,” co-curated by artists Haytham Nawar and Ala Younis, will run from April 21 to July 19, 2025, at DAF in Diriyah, Riyadh.
The exhibition will feature Saudi artists Ahmed Mater, known for his multidisciplinary artworks reflecting Arab culture, contemporary artist Muhannad Shono, and independent artist ARC (Abdullah Rashed), whose practices reflect the Kingdom’s dynamic and evolving relationship with new media.
Also on display will be work from Egyptian digital artists VJ Um Amel (Laila Shereen Sakr), Abdel Hadi El Gazzar, Palestinian artists Emily Jacir, Mona Hatoum and Walid Raad, Lebanese artist Akram Zaatari, visionary artist Hassan Meer, Moroccan-French artist Hicham Berrada, and Emirati photographer Farah Al-Qasimi.
The exhibition will be structured across four themes, Automation, Autonomy, Ripples, and Glitch, that trace recurring artistic concerns and gestures across different generations, geographies, and technological paradigms.
Highlighting a dynamic constellation of artistic practices, Maknana includes rare archival works, recent digital experiments, and new commissions from artists working in the region as well as the Arab diaspora.
Their works engage with urgent sociopolitical contexts, from networked resistance and machine logic to memory preservation, speculative ecologies, and glitch aesthetics.
The Arabic term “maknana,” translated as automation, inspires the exhibition’s central inquiry: how Arab artists have navigated, repurposed, and challenged technologies to shape their own creative vocabularies.
In tandem with the exhibition, DAF will present a public program of talks, performances, screenings and workshops, expanding on the themes of maknana and offering visitors direct engagement with artists and thought leaders in the field of new media art.
Developed by the Saudi Museums Commission in partnership with Diriyah Co., DAF contributes to the global new media and digital art landscape by integrating regional voices and pioneering practices in art, technology and innovation.
Saudi demining project clears nearly half a million explosives in Yemen

RIYADH: A Saudi-led humanitarian initiative in Yemen has cleared 486,651 land mines and unexploded ordnance since the project began in mid-2018, according to a recent report.
These include 325,378 items of unexploded ordnance, 146,285 anti-tank mines, 8,212 improvised explosive devices, and 6,776 anti-personnel mines, according to Ousama Al-Gosaibi, the project’s managing director.
Project Masam, overseen by the Saudi aid agency KSrelief, continues to remove deadly devices laid in Yemen by the Houthis. These explosives pose a threat to civilians, including children, women, and the elderly.
Last week, the project’s special teams destroyed 511 items of unexploded ordnance, 23 anti-tank mines, six anti-personnel mines, and three improvised explosive devices.
The project is carried out by Saudi personnel and international experts, with a team of 550 staff and 32 trained clearance teams working to remove various types of mines and ordnance, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Demining operations have taken place in Marib, Aden, Jouf, Shabwa, Taiz, Hodeidah, Lahij, Sanaa, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhale, and Saada.
The initiative also trains local demining engineers and equips them with modern tools. Additionally, it provides support to Yemenis injured by these devices.
“Every mine removed is a life potentially saved, a home reclaimed, a future restored. Demining is not just about removing explosives; it is about restoring hope, stability, and economic recovery,” Al-Gosaibi said.
Since the conflict began, about 5 million people have been displaced in Yemen, many due to land mines. Masam teams work to clear villages, roads and schools, enabling the safe movement of civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Saudi Arabia strengthens role in global space sector

Riyadh: On the International Day of Human Space Flight, the Kingdom reaffirmed its commitment to harnessing the benefits of outer space, recognizing its vital role in advancing humanity.
This includes developing and implementing national space policies, promoting research and industry, building local expertise, and enhancing cooperation with domestic and international partners, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Celebrated annually on April 12, this day marks the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957 and Yuri Gagarin’s historic spaceflight in 1961, which ushered in the space age.
The Saudi Space Agency supports Vision 2030 by striving to position the Kingdom as a global hub in the space sector, driving scientific and economic progress through innovation.
The agency’s priorities include strengthening global partnerships, building national capabilities, fostering innovation, and supporting investment in space sciences, the SPA reported.
It promotes growth through innovation, represents the Kingdom in international forums, and boosts research and development to inspire future generations and elevate Saudi Arabia’s role in global space exploration.
The agency is dedicated to advancing the civil space sector and promoting the peaceful use of space, aiming to establish the Kingdom as a leading regional and global force in space science and technology.
Makkah entry permits required starting April 23

- Interior Ministry announces Hajj season procedures to ensure safety
- Umrah permits suspended from April 29 to June 10 for local, regional pilgrims
RIYADH: In preparation for this year’s Hajj season, the Ministry of Interior announced arrangements and procedures aimed at preserving pilgrims’ safety and enabling them to perform the Hajj rituals with ease and peace of mind.
From April 23, residents within the Kingdom wishing to enter Makkah must obtain permits from the relevant authorities, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Residents without proper permits will be barred from entering Makkah and will be returned to their original destinations, the ministry said.
The ministry added that exemptions apply to residents with a work permit for the holy sites issued by the relevant authority, those with a resident ID issued by Makkah, or those with valid Hajj permits.
Entry permits for residents working during the Hajj season are issued electronically via the Absher Individuals and Muqeem portal, the SPA reported.
Authorities also suspended the issuance of Umrah permits through the Nusuk platform for citizens of the Kingdom, Gulf Cooperation Council countries, residents within the Kingdom, and holders of other visas from April 29 until June 10.
No one holding any type of visa will be permitted to enter or remain in Makkah — except those with Hajj visas — starting April 29, the ministry said.
Earlier, the ministry announced that the last date for Umrah visa holders to enter the Kingdom is April 13, and the last date to leave is April 29, the SPA reported.
Companies and establishments serving pilgrims and Umrah performers that fail to report any delays to the relevant authorities could face fines of up to SR100,000 ($26,600), with legal action being taken against those responsible.
Fines will be multiplied depending on how many individuals are in breach of the departure deadlines, according to the SPA.
The Ministry of Interior is urging compliance with Hajj regulations and cooperation with relevant authorities to ensure pilgrims’ safety.