Category: General

Riyadh: The Architecture and Design Commission announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Royal College of Art in the United Kingdom. The signing ceremony took place on Tuesday, May 14th, at the King Abdullah Financial District during the “Great Futures” Initiative conference. The Architecture and Design Commission was represented by the CEO, Dr. Sumayah Al-Solaiman, while the Royal College of Art in the UK was represented by the College President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Christoph Lindner.

The memorandum aims to enhance cooperation between the two countries in the cultural and architectural design fields and to implement best practices through various areas of collaboration. These include offering short courses and workshops in architecture and design, implementing specialized educational programs, and supporting entrepreneurship programs in the sector.

Dr. Solaiman emphasized that this step reflects the commission’s commitment to enhancing international cooperation and knowledge
exchange in various fields of architecture and design, contributing to the development and growth of this sector to achieve the highest standards of excellence.

She also noted that this memorandum is part of the commission’s strategic plans, highlighting the importance of building international strategic partnerships to foster innovation and development in the architecture and design sectors overseen by the commission. The MoU aligns with the commission’s approach to building international strategic partnerships with leading global organizations to attract and apply best practices and international expertise.

This initiative is part of efforts to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries across various sectors. It encourages and supports cultural and educational exchange between the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Gaza: Israeli aircraft continued their bombing of various areas of the Gaza Strip on the 226th day of the war, leaving dozens of martyrs and wounded.

The Israeli occupation committed nine massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, claiming 83 martyrs and 105 injuries during the past 24 hours, bringing the toll of the Israeli aggression to 35,386 martyrs and 79,366 injuries.

In the northern Gaza Strip,

40 martyrs and 100 wounded arrived at Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia during the last 24 hours as a result of the ongoing Israeli bombing of areas in the northern Gaza Strip, at a time when the occupation army continues attempts to expand the scope of its storming of the Jabalia camp.

In Gaza City, six were martyred in an Israeli bombing of a house on Jaffa Street in the Al-Daraj neighborhood, east of Gaza City.

There were also three martyrs and injuries as a result of the occupation bombing of Fahmi Al-Jarjawi School, which shelters displaced people in central Gaza City.

A child was killed and two o
ther children were seriously injured when an occupation reconnaissance plane bombed the University College area in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood in Gaza.

In the middle of the Gaza Strip,

the occupation army committed a new massacre by bombing a residential square in the new camp belonging to the Hassan family, which led to the death of 21 martyrs, including a large number of women and children.

Earlier, five citizens were martyred in a bombing in the vicinity of Twentieth Street in the Nuseirat Camp, while three citizens were martyred in a bombing on the Maghazi camp in the center of the Gaza Strip.

In the south of the Gaza Strip,

the operation to invade the city of Rafah continues for the second week in a row, witnessing intense bombing of the Al-Salam neighborhood and the Brazil neighborhood, east of the city of Rafah, with intensification of the bombing in the center of the city.

Three citizens were martyred in a bombing that targeted the home of the Abu Hashem family in the Yabna camp in central Rafa
h, hours after two brothers from the same family were martyred in a bombing in the Shaboura camp.

One citizen was martyred and four injured in the bombing of a civilian car northwest of Rafah.

In Khan Yunis, eight citizens were martyred in the bombing of a house in Khuza’a and another in Abasan, east of the governorate.

The occupation forces are still closing the Rafah crossing for the tenth day in a row

Source: Maan News Agency

Islamabad, The Makkah Route Initiative has adopted a digital, technologically advanced, approach enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI) to facilitate services for pilgrims coming from various countries to the holy sites this Hajj season 1445.

The modern technology and digital solutions that facilitate the Hajj journey are based on algorithms, which ease the pilgrims’ journey, not least through streamlined entry into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia procedures through dedicated lounges at their home country airports.

The Makkah Route Initiative makes use of advanced digital technology to provide best services to pilgrims, and ensure the highest level of comfort throughout their journey. These include issuing electronic Hajj visas, collecting biometric data, completing passport procedures in special lounges at the airports of departure after ensuring that the health requirements are met, tagging and sorting luggage, and assigning pathways upon arrival in the Kingdom, with partner agencies ensuring that the pilgr
ims’ luggage is delivered to their accommodations without hassle.

The initiative has notched numerous milestones through the technologies it employs, with algorithms enabling the use of data and predictive technical capacities to create more impactful services for the pilgrims in the Kingdom. Through these technical services, and collaboration with other entities in the Kingdom, the initiative aims to greatly enrich the Hajj experience.

In remarks to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Special Representative of the Prime Minister of Pakistan and Chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council Sheikh Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Ashrafi praised the Makkah Route Initiative for simplifying procedures for pilgrims, including in their home countries, and stressed that the initiative has made the Hajj journey easier, simpler and faster.

Ashrafi extended his gratitude to the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness P
rince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for this excellent initiative that serves pilgrims according to the highest technological standards.

SPA accompanied pilgrims benefiting from the initiative at Islamabad’s airport and observed the work of the Saudi personnel involved in the initiative, who are proficient in several languages and thus make sure to meet pilgrims’ needs. The Saudi employees present at the Islamabad International Airport have demonstrated outstanding capability in interacting with and serving pilgrims.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

HH Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud discussed with the US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan regional developments, including the situation in the Gaza Strip and the necessity to stop the war and facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid.

The meeting also discussed the strategic relations between the two countries and ways to enhance them in various fields, in addition to the joint efforts to realize the two-state solution to meet the aspirations of the Palestinian people and preserve their legitimate rights.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Lieutenant General Tariq bin Hasan Al Hasan, Chief of Public Security, received Omar R. Lopez, the Director of Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS).

Major-General Dr. Shaikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, the Deputy Chief of Public Security; Brigadier Abdulaziz Al Rumaihi, the Director-General of Criminal Investigation and Forensic Science (CID), and Brigadier Mohammed Abdullah Al Haram, the Assistant Chief of Public Security for Operations and Training Affairs, attended the meeting.

Lieutenant General Tariq bin Hasan Al Hasan lauded the Bahraini-American ties and the cooperation and coordination in the police and security fields.

The meeting discussed exchanging of expertise in research and criminal investigation, holding joint exercises and training, and supporting these efforts.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

A citizen was martyred this afternoon, Sunday, after the occupation forces opened fire on him for allegedly attempting to carry out a stabbing attack near Abu Dis, northeast of Jerusalem.

The Palestinian Red Crescent crew received the martyr’s body from the Container Checkpoint near Jerusalem, and it is being transported to Al-Hussein Hospital in Beit Jala.

The martyr is Rami Muhammad Musa Hayyan, 44 years old, from the village of Beit Fajjar in the Bethlehem area

Source: Maan News Agency

Riyadh: On behalf of Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Vice Foreign Minister Eng. Waleed El-Khereiji today in Riyadh participated in a high-level meeting between the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies (KFCRIS), the UN Alliance of Civilizations, and the Nizami Ganjavi International Center.

During the meeting, El-Khereiji delivered a speech highlighting the most pressing global challenges, the rapid political and economic transformations, and the growing geopolitical conflicts witnessed worldwide. He noted that these hardships were the result of a series of common challenges and emerging developments, such as climate change, cybersecurity, and the technological acceleration in artificial intelligence fields, which have impacted countries and peoples. He stressed the importance of enhancing collective action to address these challenges.

He pointed out that the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the unprecedented humanitarian suffering occurring is due to the
international community and its institutions’ failure to fulfil their responsibilities in maintaining international peace and security. He underscored that no party will prevail through further aggression and brutality and that the only way forward is through an immediate cessation of hostilities, securing sufficient delivery of humanitarian and relief aid, and resorting to a just and comprehensive peace process through the two-state solution.

The vice minister reiterated the Kingdom’s stance on the importance of enhancing understanding and cooperation to find common solutions to geopolitical and economic crises. Saudi Arabia always calls for respect for various peoples and cultures’ diverse cultural, religious, and moral contexts.

He also said that the Kingdom has been striving to develop a comprehensive framework to confront various economic and social challenges at the regional level since the launch of its ambitious Saudi Vision 2030. The Kingdom prioritizes enhancing regional and international collecti
ve action to contribute to tangible progress towards a more secure, sustainable, and prosperous future.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Dhaka, The Makkah Route Initiative has dedicated its operations at the initiative’s lounge at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka to serve pilgrims from the Republic of Bangladesh. This is done by facilitating their travel procedures to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the 1445H Hajj season.

The initiative expedites travel procedures for pilgrims, particularly the elderly and disabled, using advanced technologies. Additionally, it provides baggage coding and sorting services for pilgrims. Upon arrival, pilgrims are transferred directly to buses that take them to their accommodations in Makkah and Madinah on designated routes, while partner agencies handle the delivery of their luggage to their residences.

The Makkah Route Initiative aims to provide high-quality services to pilgrims from beneficiary countries to the Kingdom. This includes receiving and completing their procedures in their countries with ease and simplicity, starting with the electronic issuance of Hajj visas and the collection of
biometrics, and passing through the tasks of the General Directorate of Passports to complete the entry procedures into the Kingdom from the departure country’s airport after verifying that the health requirements are met.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh: Four participants from the Masaei Women’s Charitable Association won two gold and two silver medals at the International Invention, Innovation, and Technology Exhibition (ITEX) in Malaysia, and their inventions were registered with the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property.

The four participants were Taif Al-Fifi, with her invention ‘Supportive Standing Device with Automatic Brakes’, Ritaj Al-Rashidi, with ‘Smart Home Technology’, Maram Al-Osaimi, with ‘Fire Extinguishing System that is Able to Distinguish the Type of Fire and Choose the Appropriate Fire Extinguisher’, and Intisar Derbah, with ‘Fuel Tank Control and Regulation Device’.

This national achievement aligns with Saudi Vision 2030, which encourages fostering a culture of innovation in the Kingdom.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Islamabad, The Makkah Route Initiative has adopted a digital, technologically advanced, approach enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI) to facilitate services for pilgrims coming from various countries to the holy sites this Hajj season 1445.

The modern technology and digital solutions that facilitate the Hajj journey are based on algorithms, which ease the pilgrims’ journey, not least through streamlined entry into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia procedures through dedicated lounges at their home country airports.

The Makkah Route Initiative makes use of advanced digital technology to provide best services to pilgrims, and ensure the highest level of comfort throughout their journey. These include issuing electronic Hajj visas, collecting biometric data, completing passport procedures in special lounges at the airports of departure after ensuring that the health requirements are met, tagging and sorting luggage, and assigning pathways upon arrival in the Kingdom, with partner agencies ensuring that the pilgr
ims’ luggage is delivered to their accommodations without hassle.

The initiative has notched numerous milestones through the technologies it employs, with algorithms enabling the use of data and predictive technical capacities to create more impactful services for the pilgrims in the Kingdom. Through these technical services, and collaboration with other entities in the Kingdom, the initiative aims to greatly enrich the Hajj experience.

In remarks to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Special Representative of the Prime Minister of Pakistan and Chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council Sheikh Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Ashrafi praised the Makkah Route Initiative for simplifying procedures for pilgrims, including in their home countries, and stressed that the initiative has made the Hajj journey easier, simpler and faster.

Ashrafi extended his gratitude to the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness P
rince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for this excellent initiative that serves pilgrims according to the highest technological standards.

SPA accompanied pilgrims benefiting from the initiative at Islamabad’s airport and observed the work of the Saudi personnel involved in the initiative, who are proficient in several languages and thus make sure to meet pilgrims’ needs. The Saudi employees present at the Islamabad International Airport have demonstrated outstanding capability in interacting with and serving pilgrims.

Source: Saudi Press Agency