KSrelief provides humanitarian aid in Sudan, Yemen and Lebanon

KSrelief provides humanitarian aid in Sudan, Yemen and Lebanon
In Yemen, KSrelief provided water and sanitation services in the Al-Khawkhah district of Al-Hudaydah Governorate. (SPA)
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Updated 11 August 2024
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KSrelief provides humanitarian aid in Sudan, Yemen and Lebanon

KSrelief provides humanitarian aid in Sudan, Yemen and Lebanon

DUBAI: The Saudi aid agency KSrelief provided relief to people in several regions affected by ongoing crises, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

In Sudan, KSrelief distributed 1,486 shelter and personal care kits to the country’s most vulnerable and displaced families, benefiting 4,273 individuals. This distribution is part of the Emergency Shelter Assistance Project for Sudan in 2024, which aims to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people.

In Yemen, KSrelief provided water and sanitation services in the Al-Khawkhah district of Al-Hudaydah Governorate. Between July 10 and 16, 2024, the organization pumped 630,000 liters of drinking water and 464,000 liters of non-potable water, and performed 25 waste removal operations in camps for displaced people. 

In Lebanon, KSrelief funded the Souboul Al Salam Association in the Miniyeh district of northern Lebanon, enabling 76 ambulance missions last week. These missions included transporting patients to and from hospitals, treating burn injuries and supporting refugee and host communities in the region.


Saudi FM arrives in Brazil to participate in BRICS summit

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrives in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Monday to attend the 17th BRICS summit.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrives in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Monday to attend the 17th BRICS summit.
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Saudi FM arrives in Brazil to participate in BRICS summit

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrives in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Monday to attend the 17th BRICS summit.

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil on Monday to lead the Kingdom’s delegation at the 17th BRICS summit.

The Kingdom, not a full member of the bloc, is participating as a country that has been invited to join the group. Prince Faisal is attending on behalf of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Prince Faisal will participate in the second day of the summit, which will be attended by partner and guest countries invited by the presidency and international organizations, SPA added.

Discussions will focus on global development efforts, including climate issues and the fight against pandemics and diseases.

The original BRICS group gathered leaders from Brazil, Russia, India and China at its first summit in 2009. The bloc later added South Africa and last year included Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the UAE as members.


Cultural gathering calls for youth engagement to preserve traditions

Cultural gathering calls for youth engagement to preserve traditions
Updated 24 min 42 sec ago
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Cultural gathering calls for youth engagement to preserve traditions

Cultural gathering calls for youth engagement to preserve traditions
  • Event, titled Asir … We Are the Living Heritage, was attended by experts and enthusiasts from the fields of culture and the arts
  • Attendees discussed various issues, including how to engage young people in cultural issues through social media

RIYADH: The Intangible Heritage Association held a workshop to encourage better preservation of cultural heritage in the digital age and urged young people to become the nation’s future storytellers.

Held at the Al-Abo Sarrah Palaces, northwest of Abha, the capital of Asir Province, the event, titled “Asir … We Are the Living Heritage,” was attended by experts and enthusiasts from the fields of culture and the arts.

Othman Al-Seeni, the association’s chairman, described the workshop as part of a broader national effort to safeguard intangible heritage across the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

“We are gathering the opinions and ideas of researchers and enthusiasts, whether on customs, traditions, handicrafts or performing arts, and using them in initiatives to document and preserve this heritage as a vital part of Saudi culture,” he said.

The attendees discussed various issues, including how to engage young people in cultural issues through social media. One concern was how misinformation about folk tales, customs and traditional narratives was being spread online.

The workshop’s conclusion was that heritage endures not through documentation alone but through active, daily practice. Young Saudis should be seen as future storytellers, not just passive recipients, they said.

The organizers also warned against fully automated documentation, recommending “cultural verification” protocols when using AI tools. Digital heritage efforts must retain human oversight from experts to ensure their authenticity, they said.

The association has already completed phase one of a comprehensive heritage inventory with the Heritage Commission, cataloging more than 10,000 cultural elements across six regions, and a second phase is planned.


Saudi program to train future tourism leaders

Saudi program to train future tourism leaders
Updated 07 July 2025
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Saudi program to train future tourism leaders

Saudi program to train future tourism leaders
  • Tourism Oluo Program is a key initiative to attract talented university graduates
  • Program equips graduates with hands-on training aligned to local and global tourism market

RIYADH: The Tourism Development Fund has opened applications for its fourth leadership training program, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

The Tourism Oluo Program is a key initiative to attract talented university graduates from local and international institutions for careers in the sector, a vital part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan.

Implemented with Spain’s IE University, the program equips graduates with hands-on training aligned to local and global tourism market needs, the SPA added.

Participants will receive practical training at the fund’s Riyadh headquarters and attend specialized courses in the Kingdom and abroad with leading academic and training institutions. 

The program provides social insurance, medical coverage, monthly stipends, paid annual leave, and opportunities to contribute to strategic tourism projects.

Targeted fields include finance, accounting, business administration, information technology, and engineering, according to the report. 

This initiative supports the National Tourism Strategy’s aims to meet evolving market demands and strengthen the Kingdom’s position as a global destination.


Japan looks to GCC countries for stability in Middle East

Japan looks to GCC countries for stability in Middle East
Updated 07 July 2025
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Japan looks to GCC countries for stability in Middle East

Japan looks to GCC countries for stability in Middle East
  • FM Takeshi Iwaya meets with GCC’s Dr. Jasem Al-Budaiwi
  • Global oil industry, instability in Mideast under discussio

TOKYO: Japan’s Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya met on Monday with the GCC’s Secretary-General Dr. Jasem Al-Budaiwi to discuss the global oil industry and growing instability in the Middle East.

Iwaya said the GCC countries are playing an increasingly important role amid regional and international turmoil, Japan’s Foreign Ministry stated.

Japan wants to deepen political and economic cooperation with the GCC to bring peace and stability to the region, including the conclusion of the Japan-GCC Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations.

Al-Budaiwi said the regional bloc was also hoping for the completion of EPA talks, and further cooperation under the Japan-GCC Action Plan.

Al-Budaiwi added that Tokyo was an important partner and extended an invitation for a meeting of the two parties’ foreign ministers.

The officials spoke candidly about issues in the Middle East, including the Israel and Iran conflict, attacks on the Gaza Strip and situation in Syria.

Iwaya said Japan would continue its diplomatic efforts to ensure the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran is implemented and avenues for dialogue are reopened.

Al-Budaiwi echoed this view and said the GCC nations remained committed to dialogue.

The officials shared their concerns about acts that threaten shipping routes, and attacks on oil facilities.

• This article also appears on Arab News Japan


Saudi FM receives phone call from UK foreign secretary

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and British Secretary of State David Lammy. (File/AFP)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and British Secretary of State David Lammy. (File/AFP)
Updated 06 July 2025
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Saudi FM receives phone call from UK foreign secretary

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and British Secretary of State David Lammy. (File/AFP)
  • The UK foreign secretary is on a visit to the region and he met with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa in Damascus on Saturday
  • On Sunday, Lammy met separately with Kuwait’s prime minister and crown prince during a visit to Kuwait

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received a phone call from the British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs David Lammy on Sunday.

During the call, they reviewed Saudi-British relations and discussed developments in the region and efforts being made with regard to them, the Saudi foreign ministry said.

The UK foreign secretary is on a visit to the region and he met with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa in Damascus on Saturday. The meeting marked the restoration of British-Syrian relations after 14 years of tensions during Syria’s conflict and Assad family rule.

On Sunday, Lammy met separately with Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah during a visit to Kuwait.