Saudi farmer turns worm waste into wealth in innovative move

Baha farmer Mohammed Al-Shaer’s worm compost accelerates plant growth, enhances fruit production, and improves overall soil health. (SPA)
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Baha farmer Mohammed Al-Shaer’s worm compost accelerates plant growth, enhances fruit production, and improves overall soil health. (SPA)
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Updated 22 July 2024
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Saudi farmer turns worm waste into wealth in innovative move

Saudi farmer turns worm waste into wealth in innovative move
  • Vermicomposting operation is an example of agricultural ingenuity

RIYADH: A Saudi farmer has developed a technique that transforms a common garden nuisance into a useful resource.

Mohammed Al-Shaer, of Al-Dhafir village in Baha, has established a thriving vermicomposting operation on his farm, producing high-quality organic fertilizer from earthworms, according to a report by the Saudi Press Agency.

Al-Shaer’s venture began approximately a year ago with a simple setup: a single 5-meter-long, 60 cm-high tank housing roughly 2,000 worms. The worms were fed a diet of dry leaves, organic waste, and food scraps and were closely monitored for four months, yielding over 300 kg of nutrient-rich compost and a tenfold increase in their population.




Baha farmer Mohammed Al-Shaer’s worm compost accelerates plant growth, enhances fruit production, and improves overall soil health. (SPA)

“Through extensive field trials and research into global best practices, I have gained insights into worm behavior, needs, and breeding techniques,” Al-Shaer explained in an interview with the SPA. His operation has since expanded to four tanks, producing enough vermicompost to fertilize roughly 250 trees on his property.

The benefits of this organic fertilizer are manifold. It accelerates plant growth, enhances fruit production, and improves overall soil health.

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Mohammed Al-Shaer’s venture began approximately a year ago with a simple setup: a single 5-meter-long, 60 cm-high tank housing roughly 2,000 worms.

Al-Shaer added: “The worms naturally enhance soil quality, optimize nutrient cycling for crops, and develop sound agricultural practices to enhance the production of fruits and vegetables.”

Looking ahead, the farmer aims to scale up his project to develop it into a comprehensive operation that produces large quantities of worm compost.

He also intends to raise awareness about this ecofriendly practice among fellow farmers through agricultural festivals in Saudi Arabia, encouraging his contemporaries to use organic fertilizer as an alternative to chemical fertilizers, which can harm soil, plants, and human health.

Local officials, notably Fahd Al-Zahrani, director general of the branch of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture in Baha, have expressed support for the proposal.

Dr. Lubna Saad, an associate professor of applied nutrition at Al-Baha University, emphasized the scientific benefits of vermicomposting, describing it as a potent mixture of worm castings and processed organic matter.

“These worms consume most of the organic inputs, transforming them into vermicompost,” Saad said in an interview with the SPA.

“The resulting material is then sifted and filtered, producing a ready-to-use fertilizer suitable for all types of agricultural fields. It significantly enhances the soil’s ability to absorb and retain water.”

Farmers participating in the recent Khayrat Al-Baha Festival praised Al-Shaer’s initiative, noting improvements in their crop quality after using organic fertilizer, the SPA reported.

 

 


Saudi crown prince invites leaders of GCC, Jordan, and Egypt for informal meeting in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. (File/SPA)
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. (File/SPA)
Updated 28 min 27 sec ago
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Saudi crown prince invites leaders of GCC, Jordan, and Egypt for informal meeting in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. (File/SPA)
  • The informal gathering follows similar meetings that have been held periodically for many years between the leaders of GCC countries, Jordan, and Egypt

RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has invited the leaders of Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Jordan, and Egypt for a meeting in Riyadh on Friday, an official source stated on Thursday.

The informal gathering follows similar meetings that have been held periodically for many years between the leaders of GCC countries, Jordan, and Egypt, enhancing cooperation and coordination.

“Joint Arab action and any relevant decisions will be included in the agenda of the upcoming Extraordinary Arab Summit, which will be held in Egypt” on March 4, the source added.


Kingdom’s civil aviation authority launches integrated digital platform, new brand identity

Kingdom’s civil aviation authority launches integrated digital platform, new brand identity
Updated 20 February 2025
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Kingdom’s civil aviation authority launches integrated digital platform, new brand identity

Kingdom’s civil aviation authority launches integrated digital platform, new brand identity
  • Aim is to improve operational efficiency, transparency and GACA’s regulatory role

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority has launched a new integrated digital platform and brand identity.

The General Authority of Civil Aviation’s changes, which includes an updated website, was announced at its headquarters in Riyadh on Wednesday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The new platform, named Ajwaa, provides all civil aviation services, ensuring quick and efficient access for users and creates a fully digital environment for stakeholders, the SPA reported.

The aim is to improve operational efficiency, transparency, and GACA’s regulatory role, the report stated.
 

The event was attended by Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Saudi Arabia’s transport minister and chairman of GACA’s board, Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej, president of GACA, vice presidents, CEOs, and other officials.

Al-Duailej said the slogan for the Ajwaa platform is “Together for New Horizons.”


Geological wonders of Riyadh’s King Khalid Royal Reserve

Geological wonders of Riyadh’s King Khalid Royal Reserve
Updated 20 February 2025
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Geological wonders of Riyadh’s King Khalid Royal Reserve

Geological wonders of Riyadh’s King Khalid Royal Reserve
  • Al-Urumah mountains have caves, rock columns, stone bridges
  • Rock formations record past environmental, climatic changes

RIYADH: The King Khalid Royal Reserve is one of the nation’s most captivating areas with rock formations sculpted over thousands of years by natural erosion and fluctuating climatic conditions.

Formerly known as the Al-Thumamah Wildlife Park, the royal reserve is less than an hour’s drive from the city center.

Among the main geological features in the reserve are the Al-Urumah mountains, known for their striking natural caves, rock columns, and stone bridges.
 

With the arrival of winter and cooler temperatures, the reserve becomes a perfect destination for ecotourism and outdoor adventure enthusiasts. (SPA)

Stretching over 700 km, the dramatic landscape provides an ideal destination for photography and adventure enthusiasts, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.

These landscapes hold a geological record that reveals the environmental and climatic changes the region has experienced over time.

In winter, the reserve becomes a perfect destination for ecotourism, the SPA reported.

 


Trump thanks crown prince for holding Russia-Ukraine peace talks

Trump thanks crown prince for holding Russia-Ukraine peace talks
Updated 20 February 2025
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Trump thanks crown prince for holding Russia-Ukraine peace talks

Trump thanks crown prince for holding Russia-Ukraine peace talks
  • US president praises Kingdom for ‘great job’ in hosting talks
  • War would not have started ‘if I was president,’ Trump says

RIYADH: US President Donald Trump has praised Saudi Arabia for a “great job” in hosting Russia-Ukraine peace talks, and thanked Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for facilitating the discussions in Riyadh.

Trump, speaking on Wednesday at the opening of the Future Investment Initiative Institute Summit in Miami, which runs until Feb. 21, said he hopes that a ceasefire could be achieved soon.

Trump said the conflict, which began three years ago this month, would not have started had he been president.

He said Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky “talked the US into spending $350 billion to go into a war that could not be won, that never had to start and never would have started if I was president.”

Senior US and Russian officials attended the meeting in Riyadh on Tuesday to start working toward ending the war in Ukraine. The meeting was attended by senior Saudi Arabia officials, but no Ukraine representatives.

Trump said that Zelensky could have attended the discussions in Riyadh had he wanted to do so.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the two sides agreed broadly to pursue three goals: to restore staffing at their respective embassies in Washington and Moscow, create a high-level team to support Ukraine peace talks, and to explore closer relations and economic cooperation.

In his wide-ranging speech, Trump touched on efforts to cut government waste and boost energy production, as well as his foreign policy objectives.

Dignitaries included Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, and Princess Reema bint Bandar, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the US.

Also in attendance was billionaire Elon Musk, who heads a new US federal entity — the Department of Government Efficiency — meant to cut wasteful expenditure.


Digital Cooperation Organization signs multiple memorandums of understanding as fourth general assembly ends

Digital Cooperation Organization signs multiple memorandums of understanding as fourth general assembly ends
Updated 20 February 2025
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Digital Cooperation Organization signs multiple memorandums of understanding as fourth general assembly ends

Digital Cooperation Organization signs multiple memorandums of understanding as fourth general assembly ends
  • Secretary-general says event marked 4 years of progress

AMMAN: The Digital Cooperation Organization signed numerous memorandums of understanding during its fourth general assembly in Amman, which concluded on Wednesday.

The memorandums were signed between the DCO and the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Foundation, Hewlett-Packard, the Agency for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Sultanate of Oman and 500 Global.

A statement of intent was also signed between the DCO and the UN Office for South-South Cooperation.

The signings came after a delegation from the DCO visited Jordan’s Prime Minister Jaafar Abdel Fattah Hassan.

Sami Smeirat, the Jordanian minister of digital economy and entrepreneurship, and the chairman of the DCO Council, said that Jordan’s presidency of the organization in 2024 had demonstrated the country’s ability to lead global efforts toward building an inclusive digital economy.

He said: “Throughout this year we have launched ambitious initiatives, strengthened public-private partnerships, and laid solid foundations to empower youth and women in the technology sector.”

Smeirat spoke of the 2025 presidency, which was handed to Kuwait.

He said: “We hand over the presidency to our brothers in the State of Kuwait. We reaffirm Jordan’s commitment to remaining an active partner in achieving the organization’s goals. We look forward to continuing our joint efforts to realize our shared vision: a digital world marked by prosperity and fairness for all.”

Deemah Al-Yahya, the secretary-general of the DCO, said that the general assembly marked four years of progress for the organization.

The secretary-general highlighted DCO’s upcoming ambitions, adding: “While we have achieved much over the past four years, there is still important work ahead to drive digital economic growth for all.”

Wednesday’s event featured panels and discussions with leading experts from across the world.

The DCO was founded in November 2020 and currently has 16 nations as members, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Pakistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh and Oman. It also has 39 observer and partner organizations.