RCU puts sustainable initiatives in focus at Davos

Sultan AlBooq, RCU’s chief general counsel, said that this was an opportunity to share AlUla’s story on a global platform. (Supplied)
Short Url
Updated 15 January 2024
Follow

RCU puts sustainable initiatives in focus at Davos

  • AlUla-inspired RCU pavilion will host roundtable debates, bilateral meetings and receptions

LONDON: The Royal Commission for AlUla will focus on sustainability at the 54th World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, as it showcases its environmental and societal regeneration initiatives in Saudi Arabia.

At WEF, the RCU, alongside other Saudi entities, plans to engage in discussions, meetings and sessions to shed light on the efforts being made to revitalize AlUla.

Sultan AlBooq, RCU’s chief general counsel, said that this was an opportunity to share AlUla’s story on a global platform, emphasizing the site’s transformation into a cultural and heritage-focused eco-tourism destination.

“RCU and Saudi Arabia are committed to building the long-term foundations for a resilient, inclusive and sustainable tomorrow,” said AlBooq, highlighting their commitment to collaboration for transformative growth and seizing opportunities.

At WEF, RCU aims to shed light on its sustainability initiatives and efforts to integrate holistic approaches to environmental protection and conservation.

Sessions at the RCU pavilion will explore global challenges and discuss successes achieved during AlUla’s regeneration and will present a display of statues recently excavated from Dadan, as well as interactive maps and VR experiences.

The annual event will also serve as a networking platform for RCU officials to connect with both new and existing partners “to enrich, rekindle and establish new connections, relationships and collaborations,” through sessions covering diverse topics of regional and global importance.

Aligned with the Kingdom’s developmental goals and the Saudi Green Initiative, RCU will also examine the role of technology and data-driven solutions. The focus is on how digital applications can improve quality of life for visitors and citizens, providing opportunities for economic diversification.

Under the theme “Rebuilding Trust,” this year’s WEF, from Jan. 16 to Jan. 19, aims to address key global issues such as the need for economic growth, technological advancements and climate change.


KSrelief chief meets UNICEF official in Brussels

Updated 4 sec ago
Follow

KSrelief chief meets UNICEF official in Brussels

BRUSSELS: Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, adviser at the Royal Court and supervisor general of the Saudi aid agency KSrelief, recently conducted high-level discussions with UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell during the European Humanitarian Forum in Brussels.

The meeting, which included Saudi EU Ambassador Haifa Al-Jedea, focused on joint humanitarian and relief initiatives designed to enhance child welfare programs across global crisis zones.

Russell praised the ongoing partnership between UNICEF and KSrelief, highlighting how their collaboration has successfully delivered aid to millions of vulnerable children worldwide. She described the relationship as “an outstanding example of international humanitarian cooperation dedicated to serving children globally.”


Madinah university launches ‘Legacy and Impact’ project

Updated 39 min 41 sec ago
Follow

Madinah university launches ‘Legacy and Impact’ project

 MADINAH: The Islamic University of Madinah has launched the “Irth Wa Athar” (Legacy and Impact) project, which aims to document its graduates’ educational impact and rectify data digitization.

The university said the initiative included documenting and rectifying graduates’ certificates from 1961-97 and collecting the data of 173,000 international scholarships offered by the university to its graduates from 179 countries since its establishment in 1961.

The international scholarships include more than 41,000 awarded to students in the fields of religious sciences, in addition to over 15,000 granted for studies in the principles and skills of Islamic preaching.

Some 27,000 scholarships were granted to students of Arabic language education, while 24,000 were offered for training specialists in other scientific fields.


Sakan wins Qassim excellence award

Updated 42 min 4 sec ago
Follow

Sakan wins Qassim excellence award

RIYADH: The National Developmental Housing Corporation, or Sakan, has won the Qassim Award for Excellence and Creativity in the National Excellence Branch in its fifth session.

Yazeed Al-Rasheed, vice president for shared services at Sakan, received the award on behalf of the organization. He expressed his gratitude to officials for their support and recognition of national initiatives, saying that this was an incentive to continue efforts in cooperation with all parties.

Abdulaziz Al-Karidis, secretary-general of Sakan, thanked the Qassim governor for his support for Sakan’s initiatives and for following up and encouraging activities that achieved the foundation’s goals. Receiving the award would inspire the foundation to further enhance its performance and reinforce its core values, he said.

The win marks a milestone in the foundation’s journey and its commitment to excellence and innovation. The foundation continues to strive toward creating a positive and sustainable impact in the developmental housing sector by offering the best solutions and practices.


Black mulberry and damask rose seedlings distributed to farmers in Baha

Updated 45 min 29 sec ago
Follow

Black mulberry and damask rose seedlings distributed to farmers in Baha

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s National Research and Development Center for Sustainable Agriculture — known as Estidamah — has distributed over 20,000 black mulberry and damask rose seedlings to farmers in Al-Baha.

The initiative, carried out through the center’s tissue culture laboratory, is part of efforts to support farmers and transfer modern agricultural techniques to areas with comparative advantages. It continues Estidamah’s contribution to a former agricultural project which saw 52,000 black mulberry, damask rose and strawberry seedlings distributed across the area.

The aim is to introduce new types of seedlings, increase production efficiency and achieve a qualitative leap in the region’s agricultural landscape.

It reflects the center’s keenness to support sustainable agricultural development by spreading highly economically viable plant varieties, which are propagated using tissue culture techniques to ensure quality, genetic purity and suitability to the targeted climatic and environmental conditions.

The center continues to implement several programs that aid farmers by providing research and technical solutions based on sustainable agricultural practices, achieving optimal efficiency in using resources and maximizing production value, in line with National Agriculture Strategy objectives.


Saudi authorities thwart attempt to smuggle amphetamines in Riyadh

Updated 49 min 19 sec ago
Follow

Saudi authorities thwart attempt to smuggle amphetamines in Riyadh

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s counter-narcotics authority has dismantled a major amphetamine trafficking operation, seizing 1.52 million pills hidden within a table shipment in Riyadh and apprehending four suspects linked to the scheme.

The General Directorate of Narcotics Control executed the bust as part of broader Interior Ministry initiatives to disrupt drug networks threatening national security. Investigators tracked the contraband to recipients in both Riyadh and Eastern Province, culminating in the arrest of three Syrian expatriates and one Saudi national.

Security authorities urged the public to report drug smuggling or selling by calling 911 in Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province, or 999 in other regions.

Reports can also be made to the General Directorate of Narcotics Control at 995 or via email.