Category: General

Riyadh: Under directives from Minister of Tourism Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb, the Ministry of Tourism has intensified its supervisory and inspection campaigns on hospitality facilities and tourism service providers in Makkah and Madinah during Ramadan to ensure that services provided to Umrah performers and visitors are up to par and to directly address complaints.

The ministry has boosted its workforce in the operation rooms established for this purpose in Makkah and Madinah in the last 10 days of Ramadan, and the number of supervisory and inspection tours.

The ministry carried out over 900 such tours in Makkah, and recorded over 160 violations, of which 140 were cases of poor quality of services and 24 carrying out activities without a license.

In Madinah, the ministry carried out over 210 supervisory and inspection tours, and recorded 60 violations: 54 cases of poor quality of services and six carrying out activities without a license.

These tours are proof of the ministry’s keenness to ensure that pil
grims and visitors are provided excellent services, in implementation of the directives of the wise leadership.

According to the ministry, operation rooms in Makkah and Madinah receive complaints about hospitality facilities and tourism services round the clock throughout Ramadan. To date, over 1,060 complaints were received in Makkah, and more than 220 in Madinah; they were all dealt with in less than 24 hours.

The ministry stressed that feedback on the services provided by hospitality facilities and tourism service providers may be received through the ministry’s official channels on social media platforms or by calling the unified care center at 930.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Rafha, The Arabian oryx is distinguished by its wide eyes and dark face stripes and hooves. It boasts long, sturdy horns measuring up to 70 cm in length and broad hooves that facilitate movement on soft sand.

This Arabian oryx inhabits desert and semi-desert areas across the Arabian Peninsula, Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt.

The Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Nature Reserve houses a number of Arabian oryx and works to protect and increase their population, ensuring the conservation of natural life and safeguarding endangered species.

As part of programs to reintroduce endangered species into their natural habitats, in February 2022 several herds of Arabian Oryx were released in the reserve, which witnessed the first birth of an Arabian oryx in April the same year.

Other species were released later, such as Al-Reem deer, and red-necked ostrich, in an effort to relocate endangered animals, restore their role in their environment, promote their reproduction, and contribute to environmental balance a
nd sustainability.

These efforts are all part of the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Nature Reserve Development Authority’s initiatives to raise community awareness, protect biodiversity, and establish the sanctuary as a sustainable tourism destination rich in environmental and biological diversity.

The reintroduction and natural reproduction of the Arabian oryx in these areas represent an environmental achievement.

It is a milestone that contributes to environmental equilibrium, biodiversity enrichment, and the conservation of a species that had vanished from the region for decades due to environmental pressures, overhunting, and vegetation loss.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Washington: OpenAI has announced that it will no longer ask users to create an account to use its AI-powered chatbot – ChatGPT.

OpenAI said that it is rolling out the ability to start using ChatGPT, without needing to sign-up. The company said that this is aimed at making “AI accessible to anyone curious about its capabilities”.

It added that users will need to create an account in order to save and review their chat history, share chats and use additional features such as voice conversations and custom instructions.

OpenAI in a press note stated that the ability to use ChatGPT without requiring an account will be beneficial for those who have been curious about its potential but did not want to go through the steps to set-up an account.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Gaza: The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday that the number of victims from the ongoing israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip has risen to 32,916 martyrs and 75,494 wounded, the majority of whom are children.

The ministry said in a statement that the occupation forces committed seven massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the death of 71 people and the injury of 102 others.

The ministry explained that thousands of victims are still under the rubble and on the roads, pointing out that the israeli occupation forces have been preventing ambulance and civil defense crews from reaching them.

On the other hand, five Palestinians were killed, while others were injured, in an israeli bombing that targeted Khan Younis and Deir Al-Balah in the Gaza Strip.

Medical sources stated that the israeli occupation killed three Palestinians in a bombing near the communications building in the center of Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip, and killed two other Palestinians and injured oth
ers in another bombing that targeted a house in Abu Al-Ajeen area, east of Deir Al-Balah City in the central Gaza Strip.

On its 179th day, the unprecedented israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip continues, causing massive destruction of infrastructure and an unprecedented humanitarian tragedy, as hundreds of thousands of Gazans live in extremely difficult conditions because of the lack of water and electricity, and the occupation authorities’ prevention of humanitarian aid from reaching them.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Manama, The final ceremony of the sixth Interior Ministry Quran Competition was held on Tuesday under the patronage of General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah, the Minister of Interior.

The Chief of Public Security and Interior Ministry Undersecretary attended.

The Interior Minister honoured the top winners in each category, the children of the fallen and injured servicemen, members of the organising and evaluating committee, and the directorate with the highest number of winners.

The minister emphasised that holding this annual competition was aligned with the approach of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and his efforts to serve Islam and the Quran and care for Quran memorisers and centers, which reflects the essential role of the Quran in promoting society, unity and community cohesion. He highlighted the Quran serving milestones in the era of the King, including the royal patronage of the annual Grand Bahrain Quran Competition.

The minister commended the government’s role led by His Royal Highness
Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, in fostering Quran-serving efforts and promoting tolerance by supporting Quran memorising and learning centres and the efforts of the General Directorate of Guard for organising the event.

The Interior Minister said that the Holy Quran is a source of moral motivation for the ministry’s personnel, commending the turnout at the competition which coincides with the last ten days of Ramadhan.

The competition attracted 210 contestants in its various categories. The two categories added this year are for the children of the Interior Ministry’s affiliates and the second for the beneficiaries of alternative and open prisons. Other categories include recital, Athan, memorising three parts, Hadith and memorising for females.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

Manama, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, today issued Edict (19) of 2024, appointing a director at the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, based on a proposal by the Minister of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture.

Article (I)

Abbas Abdullah Hassan Al Hayki shall be appointed as Director of the Local Animal Production Directorate at the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture.

Article (II)

The Minister of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture shall implement this decree, which will be effective upon its issuance, and be published in the Official Gazette.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

Jenin – Ma’an – On Tuesday evening, the Israeli occupation forces arrested three young men from the Jenin camp, at a military checkpoint south of the city, and stormed villages and towns in the governorate.

Security sources reported that the occupation forces arrested three young men from the Jenin camp: Jaber Al-Nouh, Iyad Al-Ammar, and Ziad Al-Ammar, while they were passing by a military checkpoint at the Mansoura Junction near the village of Fahma, south of Jenin.

On the other hand, the sources reported that the occupation forces stormed the town of Ya’bad and the villages of Beit Qad, Arana, Al-Jalama, Faqoua, and Jalboun, launched a combing and inspection campaign, and set up various checkpoints, without any arrests being reported.

Source: Maan News Agency

Islamabad, The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) distributed yesterday 350 food baskets in the Upper Dir District of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, benefiting 350 individuals from the most vulnerable and needy groups in the areas affected by the floods.

This assistance falls within the relief and humanitarian projects provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through its humanitarian arm, KSrelief, to assist the Pakistani people with various forms of relief support.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Doha: Qatari nationals and long-term residents who have recently graduated from college are advised that applications are now open for the next cycle of Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatars (WCM-Q) Biomedical Research Training Program for Nationals 2024. Applications to join the WCM-Q Biomedical Research Training Program can be submitted online until April 28, 2024.

The program has been carefully designed to equip college graduates with the key research skills and experiences to allow them to begin building successful careers in biomedical research.

The forthcoming cycle of this ten-month training program will run from September 1, 2024 until June 27, 2025. Participating graduates will work alongside WCM-Qs world-leading research scientists in the colleges laboratories and will gain practical laboratory skills, research administration skills, and knowledge of how to conduct clinical research projects. There will also be opportunities to contribute to ongoing scientific studies being carried out at WCM-Q.

The high
ly successful program is fully funded by WCM-Q. The training program is a full-time, ten-month commitment and trainees receive a graduation certificate upon completion.

Although the program is aimed at recent graduates who are interested in pursuing a career as a bench or clinical researcher, or a research administrator, applications from nationals are welcomed irrespective of their discipline.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Makkah: The Presidency for Religious Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques continues to distribute thousands of copies of the Holy Quran to worshippers and visitors to the two holy mosques during the blessed month of Ramadan.

To enrich the religious experience of non-Arabic speakers, the presidency distributes copies of translated meanings of the Quran, to take them home as a cherished memory of their time in Makkah and Madinah.

Source: Saudi Press Agency