RIYADH: The Kingdom’s Jood Regions 2 housing campaign has exceeded a total of SR1.4 billion $373 million) in donations and agreements received and made, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
The program aims to provide adequate housing for families across the country and has received support from King Salman in the form of SR100 million donation, and a SR50 million donation from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The donations underscore the Saudi leadership’s commitment to supporting national initiatives aimed at strengthening and providing housing stability for 8,690 families.
Noting that the campaign’s donations reflect the cohesion between the leadership and the community, and all parties’ commitment to support sustainable development efforts, minister of municipalities and housing and chairman of the board of trustees of the Sakani Foundation, Majid bin Abdullah Al-Hogail, expressed his pride in this national achievement.
Sakani Secretary-General Abdulaziz Al-Kraidis, emphasized that this achievement reflects the power of serving the community and its members’ awareness of the value of contributing to improving each other’s lives.
Al-Kraidis explained that the campaign embodies the commitment of various government, private, and civil society sectors to promoting charitable and housing work.
He said the Sakani Foundation’s continued efforts in strengthening partnerships to ensure the sustainability of these initiatives and work toward providing more quality of life-improving programs.
The Wad Al-Iskan platform, another Sakani initiative, which aims to engage all people in supporting and enabling deserving families to obtain adequate housing by submitting contributions online, played a pivotal role in the success of the Jood Regions campaign and enhances social solidarity in Saudi Arabia, according to Al-Kraidis.
The Jood Regions campaign was first launched during Ramadan 2024 to provide more than 10,000 housing units for the most needy families across the Kingdom’s 13 provinces.
The initiative includes events to raise awareness and encourage community participation, bringing together entrepreneurs, leaders and others to ensure citizens can access suitable housing with ease and reliability, fulfilling the goals of developmental housing initiatives.
Ramadan’s spirit of giving reflected in SR1.4bn donation to Saudi housing campaign
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Ramadan’s spirit of giving reflected in SR1.4bn donation to Saudi housing campaign
- The program aims to provide adequate housing for families across the country
- The donations underscore the Saudi leadership’s commitment to supporting national initiatives
Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli minister’s call for sovereignty over occupied West Bank
- Kingdom’s foreign ministry said the move would violate international laws
RIYADH: A government minister’s threat for Israel to apply full sovereignty over the occupied West Bank was strongly condemned by Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Kingdom “condemned and denunciated” the statement made by the Israeli official calling for the imposition of sovereignty over the Palestinian territory.
Such action would be a violation of international law, the statement said. Saudi Arabia rejects any attempts to expand settlements on Palestinian land, the ministry added, while reiterating the Kingdom’s position on the importance of Israel abiding by international resolutions.
The statement followed comments from Israel’s Justice Minister Yariv Levin saying “the time has come” for Israel to apply sovereignty across the West Bank.
Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967 and has built dozens of settlements, deemed illegal under international law, across the territory.
The Saudi foreign ministry offered its support for the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate rights and in establishing a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Saudi ministry recalls faulty chargers over fire risk
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Commerce has announced the recall of 88,518 Anker portable chargers across multiple models due to a potential internal electrical short circuit that may cause overheating and pose a fire risk.
The ministry urged consumers to immediately stop using the affected products and contact Anker at the toll-free number 8008500030 to arrange a replacement or full refund, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
Consumers can check if their device is included in the recall and start the replacement or refund process by visiting anker.com/mmrc2506.
Users are also advised to verify the model number of their charger against the list of affected products on the Defective Products Recall Center website ecalls.sa.
The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to consumer safety and stressed the importance of promptly addressing product defects to prevent potential hazards.
GCC passports departments chiefs hold meeting
Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi participated in the 39th Meeting of the Directors-General of Passports of the GCC countries, held on Wednesday at the headquarters of the General Secretariat in Riyadh.
During the meeting, he reviewed the latest developments, including the Gulf visa project.
The passport departments of the interior ministries of GCC countries, through a series of joint meetings, are making efforts to launch a unified tourist visa project in the near future, the General Secretariat said in a report.
“Everyone is working as one team to keep pace with technological developments and security requirements in a world characterised by rapid change,” Albudaiwi said.
Saudi FM discusses regional developments in call with US secretary of state
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a phone call with his US counterpart Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday, Saudi Press Agency reported.
During the call, Prince Faisal and Rubio reviewed US-Saudi relations and ways to enhance the strategic partnership between their countries. The latest regional and international developments were also discussed.
Saudi delegation in Tokyo for talks on GCC-Japan free trade agreement
- Trade volume between Kingdom, Japan reached $36bn in 2024
- Saudi team oversees and monitors progress of trade negotiations
TOKYO: Farid bin Saeed Al-Asali, the General Authority for Foreign Trade’s deputy governor for international agreements and organizations, is in Tokyo to lead the Kingdom’s delegation in the second round of negotiations on the free trade agreement between the GCC and Japan, which began on June 30 and will run until July 4.
According to GAFT, the Saudi negotiating team includes nine technical teams focused on goods, services, investment, e-commerce, intellectual property, and government procurement.
Comprising 46 government agencies, the teams prepare the Kingdom’s positions on negotiations and proposals within the World Trade Organization and free trade agreements, and submit relevant reports to the negotiating team.
In 2024, the trade volume between Saudi Arabia and Japan reached about $36 billion. The most significant exports from the Kingdom were mineral products and organic chemical products. In contrast, the primary imports from Japan included automobiles and automotive components, as well as machinery and mechanical tools.
Overall, Saudi Arabia’s exports totaled about $28 billion, while imports amounted to around $8 billion.
The Saudi team oversees and monitors the progress of trade negotiations to ensure they align with the Kingdom’s trade objectives and policies. Additionally, the team participates in the negotiations to incorporate the Kingdom’s positions, making their role integral to the process.
The General Authority for Foreign Trade aims to enhance trade gains, strengthen global presence, and engage with international organizations for sustainable development. The authority plays a crucial role in negotiations, representing the Kingdom’s interests and ensuring trade agreements align with its objectives.
