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Air quality is improving, but work is far from over

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Mohammed Al-Dighriri
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Author
Mohammed Al-Dighriri

Air quality is improving, but work is far from over

Author
Mohammed Al-Dighriri
Air quality is improving, but work is far from over
Saudi Arabia has at least 240 air quality monitoring stations spread across all regions. (SPA)
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While air quality indicators across Saudi Arabia showed stability in November, signaling progress, the rise in PM2.5 — or pollution — levels in certain areas serves as a reminder that the battle for cleaner air is far from over.

Another air quality indicator is PM10, which refers to particles smaller than 10 micrometers in diameter and can impact the respiratory system.

A PM2.5 index of 100 micrometers per cubic meter or lower is considered good to moderate. An index above 100 micrometers per cubic meter is unhealthy for sensitive groups including children and those with heart or respiratory conditions. Levels above that are harmful to everyone.

These indicators assess air quality and determine its safety, helping guide measures to protect public health.

Air pollutants include ozone, which can cause health problems, particularly for those with respiratory issues. Sulfur dioxide, typically produced by burning fossil fuels, can irritate the respiratory system, while carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can be harmful in high concentrations.

During November, the PM2.5 index in Najran reached 248.9 micrometers per cubic meter, while in Makkah it was 173.8. Tabuk recorded 173.6, and Madinah’s index hit 171.3. The PM2.5 index in the Eastern Province was 159.5.

However, air quality in Al-Baha, Jouf, Riyadh, Qassim, Asir, Hail, Jazan, and the Northern Borders regions remained stable last month, signaling an overall improvement in the Kingdom, except in areas where the PM2.5 index increased.

The stability of air quality in most areas reflects the efforts of Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Environmental Compliance in monitoring and analyzing environmental data.

To enhance air-quality monitoring and improve public health protections, the National Center for Environmental Compliance will launch an environmental media monitoring project in early March, using the latest satellite remote-sensing technologies.

Mohammed Al-Dighriri

And despite the noticeable increase in the PM2.5 index in some areas, we are working to enhance environmental awareness and provide the necessary information to the public to reduce exposure to pollutants.

To enhance air-quality monitoring and improve public health protections, the National Center for Environmental Compliance will launch an environmental media monitoring project in early March, using the latest satellite remote-sensing technologies.

The project aligns with the strategic priorities of the center, which aims to ensure a sustainable approach to protecting water, soil and air. It will assess human activities, inform future management plans, and support policies and regulations related to environmental media, while identifying areas needing treatment, recovery, or protection.

The project uses satellite data to monitor and analyze environmental media, including air, water, and soil quality. It tracks changes in ecosystems due to human activities or climate change and collects data on pollution to help the center’s executive departments make informed environmental decisions.

It also includes several stages: using satellites to collect environmental data, processing that data for accurate reports, sharing information with government institutions and companies, and continuously improving data collection and analysis techniques.

The project will provide scientists and research centers with accurate information on environmental changes and support efforts to address environmental disasters, including dust storms and oil spills in coastal areas.

Satellite data used to monitor the environment focuses on tracking changes in vegetation cover, water, and ecosystem distribution, as well as measuring emissions including carbon dioxide, other air pollutants, and greenhouse gases.

The National Center for Environmental Compliance also plans to launch its own satellites, reducing reliance on rented ones as the project expands and demand for data grows. This initiative could take five to 10 years to implement.

• Mohammed Al-Dighriri is the director-general of environmental modeling and data analysis at the National Center for Environmental Compliance.

 

Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News' point of view

‘We are not afraid’: Pakistanis at India-Pakistan border ceremony amid Kashmir tensions

‘We are not afraid’: Pakistanis at India-Pakistan border ceremony amid Kashmir tensions
Updated 7 min 47 sec ago
(AFP)
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‘We are not afraid’: Pakistanis at India-Pakistan border ceremony amid Kashmir tensions

‘We are not afraid’: Pakistanis at India-Pakistan border ceremony amid Kashmir tensions
  • Soldiers from both nations perform aggressive marches, avoid traditional handshake as emotions run high over standoff
  • Border crossing closed after attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi blames on Pakistan, which denies charge
Updated 7 min 47 sec ago
(AFP)

At the Wagah-Attari border, which marks the final boundary between the nuclear-armed nations of India and Pakistan, the atmosphere is charged with patriotism. The sound of drums can be heard as soldiers perform a choreographed, ceremonial march, showcasing both countries’ pride.
However, the usual symbol of cooperation — a handshake between the two countries’ soldiers — is missing, and the iron gates that separate the two sides remain locked. This is in the context of tense relations between India and Pakistan, heightened by a deadly attack in Kashmir.
Despite the tension, people gather to express their feelings, celebrate their national identities, and watch the dramatic flag-lowering ceremony that has become a symbolic ritual at the border. Visitors on the Pakistani side say they are not afraid of the soaring tensions and for them, it is business as usual.
“We don’t feel any such tension. We feel that we are as safe as we used to be before,” Muhammad Luqman, a Pakistani teacher who was visiting the Wagah border, told AFP.
“The reason for this is that we feel our country’s defense is in strong hands. We don’t have any sort of doubt or fear.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given his military “full operational freedom” to respond to the attack as public anger swelled in his country after New Delhi accused Pakistan of involvement in the April 22 attack that killed 26 tourists. Islamabad has denied the allegations and called for a credible international probe into it.
On Monday, Pakistan carried out a second missile test in three days after saying it was preparing for an incursion by India.
The two nuclear-armed countries have exchanged gunfire along their de facto border in Kashmir, and there have been fears that the latest crisis between the nuclear-armed rivals, who have fought three wars, including two over the disputed region of Kashmir, could spiral into a military conflict.
“Pakistan is a brave nation. We live near the Wagah border. If there is any danger, we will be first picked up from the village, then it will be the turn of the people of the city, because we live in the [border] village,” said Muhammad Abu Bakar, a student.
“The villagers should be afraid, but the villagers are not afraid.”
The flare-up between India and Pakistan has once again alarmed world and regional powers, who have called for restraint and urged the two neighbors to resolve the crisis through dialogue.

Topics: Wagah Border Pakistan India Ties

Rwanda in ‘initial’ talks with US over migration deal

Rwanda in ‘initial’ talks with US over migration deal
Updated 2 min 36 sec ago
AFP
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Rwanda in ‘initial’ talks with US over migration deal

Rwanda in ‘initial’ talks with US over migration deal
  • Great Lakes nation — often viewed as an island of stability in a turbulent region — previously made a similar multi-million deal with Britain to receive deported illegal migrants
  • FM Olivier Nduhungirehe: ‘Those reports are true, we are engaged in discussions with the Government of the United States of America’
Updated 2 min 36 sec ago
AFP

KIGALI: Rwanda and Washington are in the early stages of talks to receive immigrants from the United States, the Rwandan foreign minister told state media.
Washington has been pushing a mass deportation drive, with President Donald Trump’s administration negotiating highly controversial arrangements to send migrants to third countries.
The Great Lakes nation — often viewed as an island of stability in a turbulent region — previously made a similar multi-million deal with Britain to receive deported illegal migrants. However, it was scrapped immediately after a new government was elected last year.
Foreign minister Olivier Nduhungirehe confirmed earlier reports that Rwanda was among countries talking to Washington over a migrant deal, following a question on state TV on Sunday.
“Those reports are true, we are engaged in discussions with the Government of the United States of America,” he said.
Noting the similar agreement with the British, Nduhungirehe said such a deal “is not something new to us.”
However, while he confirmed that the two nations were engaged in “ongoing” talks, he said “they are not yet conclusive to determine the direction this will take.”
“I would say the discussions are in their initial stages, but we continue to talk about this problem of migrants,” he said, without giving further details.
When contacted by AFP about the talks he said: “You will be informed when the discussions will be finalized.”
Washington’s deal with El Salvador has created a furor, notably after a US official acknowledged that authorities mistakenly expelled one Salvadoran man but that the United States could not bring him back.
The Kigali-London deal was also controversial, with the UK’s Supreme Court ruling that sending migrants to Rwanda through the agreement would be illegal because it “would expose them to a real risk of ill-treatment.”
The tiny nation of roughly 13 million people has been criticized by rights groups over its human rights record and increasingly diminished freedom of speech.
Rwanda has also faced mounting pressure over its involvement in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the east of which has been re-engulfed in conflict after a lightning strike by a Rwandan-backed military group.

Topics: Rwanda United States of America (USA) migrants

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Pakistan says won’t escalate tensions with India, vows to defend itself in case of any ‘adventure’

Pakistan says won’t escalate tensions with India, vows to defend itself in case of any ‘adventure’
Updated 18 min 25 sec ago
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Pakistan says won’t escalate tensions with India, vows to defend itself in case of any ‘adventure’

Pakistan says won’t escalate tensions with India, vows to defend itself in case of any ‘adventure’
  • The statement comes amid fears that India may carry out limited strikes against Pakistan over an attack in Kashmir that 26 tourists
  • New Delhi accused Pakistan of backing the attack, Islamabad has rejected the charge and called for a credible investigation into it
Updated 18 min 25 sec ago
KASHIF IMRAN

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, said on Monday his country would not make any move that could escalate prevailing tensions with India, but it would give a “befitting reply” in case of any “adventure” by New Delhi.
Relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors have plummeted after India accused Pakistan of backing an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists on April 22. Islamabad has rejected the charge and both countries have since exchanged gunfire in Kashmir, taken diplomatic measures against each other, expelled citizens and ordered the border shut.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to pursue the attackers “to the ends of the earth” and there have been fears that India may carry out limited airstrikes or special forces raids near the border with Pakistan. A Pakistani minister last week said Islamabad had “credible intelligence” India was planning to attack Pakistan.
Speaking to journalists alongside Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Dar said Pakistan had nothing to do with the Pahalgam incident and its offer to participate in a credible international probe was still there, adding that Islamabad would demonstrate “full restraint.”
“We will demonstrate patience, we will exercise full restraint and we will not be the first one to take any escalatory move,” he told reporters in Islamabad, following his meeting with the Iranian FM.
“However, if India takes any adventure, any escalatory move, then we will give a befitting reply. So, that’s where we stand.”
FM Araghchi said he discussed the current regional situation, particularly Pakistan-India tensions after the Pahalgam attack and Pakistan’s stance on it as well as the Tehran-United States nuclear talks with his Pakistani counterpart.
The diplomatic flare-up and exchanges of small arms fire between India and Pakistan across their de facto border in Kashmir has alarmed world and regional powers, who have called for restraint and urged the two neighbors to resolve the crisis through dialogue.
Iran has offered to mediate the crisis between Pakistan and India, with Araghchi saying his country was “ready to use its good offices” to resolve the standoff.
Pakistan and India have a history of bitter relations. They have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, a region split between them, since gaining independence from the former British colonial rule in 1947.
Dar said Pakistan had assured foreign capitals and friendly nations that it would not be the first one to strike, reiterating PM Shehbaz Sharif’s offer for a credible probe into the April 22 attack.
“Our offer is very much there,” he added.

Topics: Pakistan Iran Ties Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar Pakistan India Ties

Thousands of people gather near Buckingham Palace to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day

Thousands of people gather near Buckingham Palace to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day
Updated 24 min 35 sec ago
AP
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Thousands of people gather near Buckingham Palace to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day

Thousands of people gather near Buckingham Palace to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day
  • Britain started its commemorations of V-E Day three days early, because Monday is a public holiday in the UK
Updated 24 min 35 sec ago
AP

LONDON: Thousands of people lined the roads around the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace on Monday as British and allied troops paraded past at the start of four days of pageantry to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.
After Big Ben tolled at the stroke of noon, actor Timothy Spall recited the victory speech that Winston Churchill delivered to a roaring crowd in central London on May 8, 1945. Britain started its commemorations of V-E Day three days early, because Monday is a public holiday in the UK.
The Cenotaph, the nation’s war memorial, was covered with Union Jack flags. It was the first time that the memorial had been draped in the flags since it was unveiled by King George V in 1920, two years after the end of World War I.
About 1,300 members of the British armed forces are being joined by troops from the United Kingdom’s NATO allies and Ukraine — a nod to the present war in Europe. The procession started in Parliament Square and swept past Buckingham Palace, where King Charles III took the salute.
Maria Crook, 69, who wore a hat with red, white and blue ribbons, traveled from Devon to London to watch the procession.
“I think it’s extremely important to pay our respects and honor those who have died for us,” she said.

Topics: UK Europe London Victory in Europe Day

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In Dhaka, Makkah Route facility eases Bangladeshi pilgrims’ Hajj journey

In Dhaka, Makkah Route facility eases Bangladeshi pilgrims’ Hajj journey
Updated 31 min 47 sec ago
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In Dhaka, Makkah Route facility eases Bangladeshi pilgrims’ Hajj journey

In Dhaka, Makkah Route facility eases Bangladeshi pilgrims’ Hajj journey
  • Around 87,000 Bangladeshis will be going for Hajj in 2025
  • Special pilgrimage flights from Dhaka began on April 29
Updated 31 min 47 sec ago
SHEHAB SUMON

Dhaka: Bangladeshi pilgrims have welcomed the Hajj immigration procedures under the Makkah Route initiative, which are easing the process for tens of thousands of pilgrims departing for Saudi Arabia from the nation’s main international airport.

Most of the pilgrims are departing from Dhaka under the flagship pre-travel program.

The Kingdom launched the initiative in 2019 to help pilgrims meet all the visa, customs and health requirements at the airport of origin and save them long hours of waiting before and upon arrival in Saudi Arabia.

This year, Hajj is expected to start on June 4, and special pilgrimage flights from the Bangladeshi capital began on April 29.

“The Makkah Route initiative … It’s very pleasant for the pilgrims of Bangladesh. It is, of course, time-saving and being done comfortably,” Hajj director Mohammad Lokman Hossain told Arab News over the weekend.

“They didn’t have to wait in a long queue and it’s very beneficial to the pilgrims.”

Bangladesh is among seven Muslim-majority countries — including Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Morocco, Turkiye and Cote d’Ivoire — where Saudi Arabia is operating its Makkah Route initiative.

One of the most populous Muslim-majority countries, Bangladesh was granted a quota of 127,000 pilgrims in 2025. But only about 87,000 will be going this year due to high inflation and rising cost of airfares to the Middle East.

The pilgrims appreciated the way the Saudi facility was organized at the airport as they prepared to board their flights to the Kingdom.

“We have completed the immigration formalities very easily. There was no delay, no waiting. It’s like we came and everything was done,” Mohammad Ruhul Kuddus, a businessman from Dhaka, told Arab News.

For Oaliur Reza, the immigration process took only a minute.

“I had no idea about these services. I just found out about it for the first time and I had a very good experience,” Reza said.

“Just within a minute, I passed the immigration, and I liked this service the most.”

Abdul Awal, a businessman from the city of Feni, recalled how different it had been the first time he performed Hajj, when the Makkah Route initiative was not yet introduced.

“I like the current system a lot. It made things easier. The difficulties of the pilgrims have been reduced now significantly compared to the years before (the Makkah Route initiative),” Awal said.

“There were plenty of computerized service counters here for the pilgrims. Praise be to God, it’s very good.”

Topics: Hajj 2025 Saudi Arabia Bangladesh pilgrims Makkah Route initiative

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